He managed to nod. “I’m okay, but . . . I’m not sure Jenny should stay with me tonight. The way I felt in that room . . . what if I hurt her? What if—”
“You aren’t going to hurt her,” Cleo said firmly. “There are a lot of things spirits can do, and a lot more they can’t. You just have to remember who’s in control. That person is you.”
Jenny squeezed his hand. “You would never hurt me, Cain. You didn’t do it in that room. You won’t do it when we’re somewhere else.”
He hoped she was right, because he wasn’t leaving her alone to spend the night in her room at the Star.
“It’s getting late,” he said, rising from the chair. “Can I drive you home, Cleo?”
“I’m only a block away. Harder for me to get in and out of that fancy car of yours than it is to walk.”
“I’ll go with you,” Jenny volunteered.
“We’ll both walk you back,” Cain said.
They made the brief trip, waited until Cleo was inside her apartment building, then headed back to the Jag.
It was nearly two in the morning by the time they were up in his suite, ready to go to bed.
“I’m staying in the guest room tonight,” Cain said.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“But—”
“It’s not open for debate.” He tipped her chin up and settled a brief kiss on her lips. “Get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He left her in the living room, his mind still heavy with the weight of what had happened in that hotel room. Was there really an entity inhabiting it?
One thing he knew—something had preyed upon the darkest parts of his soul, urging him to do unspeakable things.
Whatever it was, whoever it was—it was evil. The question was what to do about it. He hoped Cleo had an answer.
* * *
After a restless night alone in Cain’s big bed, Jenny joined him for breakfast in front of the big glass windows in the living room. They didn’t talk about the night before. Cain didn’t mention what had happened at the Copper Star, and neither did Jenny.
They both needed time to sort things out, plan what to do next. When the meal was over, Cain suggested driving up to the ranch.
“It isn’t that far away,” he argued, when she insisted she had to work. “We can relax for a few hours, breathe some fresh, high-desert air, spend the night, and drive back in the morning.”
Jenny could see the stress in Cain’s face, the lines across his forehead, the tension around his mouth. He was still struggling with the scary moments up in room 10. Cain needed a break, and knowing what she would be dealing with when she returned to the Star, Jenny figured a short break might be good for her, too.
“All right. A night away sounds like a good idea. I just need to grab a few things from the Copper Star before we leave.”
His eyes darkened.
“You can wait for me in the lobby. I’ll only be a few minutes.”
Surprisingly, Cain didn’t argue. He didn’t want to go upstairs, and she didn’t blame him. Jenny hurriedly grabbed a few items, including her boots and a warm outdoor jacket. More items that would end up in Cain’s suite.
Her clothes were beginning to fill the guest closet, but Cain didn’t seem to mind. He took the satchel she brought down and carried it out to the Jag.
“I called ahead,” he said. “They’ll be expecting us.”
In minutes, they were on their way down the mountain, the Jag hugging the curves, Cain relaxing more with every mile farther away from Jerome.
