“Yeah.”
But his memory was very different from hers. Wraith had always suspected that Cleo remembered very little, if anything, from the night they went to her house.And she just confirmed it.After they’d gotten her out, Knox took her to a hotel while they allstayed at another. Knox wanted to gauge what she remembered before moving forward. The next morning, the brothers were given strict instructions to meet Cleo as if it was the first time.
He lifted his chin. “Your stepdad.”
“Um” —She bit her bottom lip— “He wasn’t so bad at the beginning. He’d only knock into me or push me out of the way. But then it got progressively worse. My mom hit me a lot. I guess he just followed in her footsteps.”
“He ever do anything else?”
She dropped her gaze, swinging her legs. “Like what?”
You know what.
“Mess with you.”
There was a lingering silence, but she slowly shook her head. She brushed the hair from her cheek, looping it around her ear, and whispered. “No.” She sighed. “I mean, I don’t think so. I’ve gotten really good at blocking my past from my memories. It’s probably not a healthy way to be but,” she cleared her throat. “I just want to focus on all the good things I have because for a long time, I didn’t have any.”
Wraith had never been empathetic. Everyone had hardships and struggles. No one got away unscathed. But Cleo’s pain was gnawing at his heart.
There was a long stretch of silence until Cleo chuckled.
“I know most people would think I should go to therapy or something…”
“Who gives a fuck what anyone thinks? You know yourself better than anyone. You do what you think is right.”
Her mouth spread in a small smile, and she nodded, seemingly in a daze.
“I wish we were making out instead of talking about all this.”
His lips twitched as he stared at her profile. So fucking beautiful. And smart. And strong.
And mine.
“Then let’s get out of here.” He tightened his hold on her hand and stood.
She tugged her arm but didn’t release his hand. “Do we have to go back already?”
“Not taking you to the clubhouse.”
Wraith had other plans, which had them together alone and all night.
Chapter Eleven
Cleo stood next to Wraith’s bike, angling her head for a better view of him inside the small motel lobby. Cleo had only stayed at Minnie and Ralph’s place one time. When Knox brought her to Killcreek, she’d spent her first week there. She’d been the only guest. She’d always wondered if that had been done purposely. By the looks of the parking lot, they didn’t get much traffic. Then again, Killcreek wasn’t exactly an up-and-coming tourist destination.
Cleo rounded his motorcycle when he came out and started down the walkway in front of the rooms. He curled his finger, and she rushed forward, following him to the last room at the end of the building. He unlocked the door with the key. The older couple who ran the motel, Minnie and Ralph, hadn’t gotten with the current technology of digital keys, she gathered. Wraith swung the door open, and he rested his hand on her back, ushering her inside.
She glanced around, feeling a nervous energy race through her body. And to other places. She squeezed her thighs and followed Wraith with her eyes. He tossed the keys on the dated dresser and shrugged off his cut, gingerly hanging it over the back of a chair.
“Give me a minute,” he said, walking into the bathroom and closing the door.
Now what? There was only one reason they’d be in a hotel alone. She fought against a smile, looking around. The large king-size bed was in the middle of the room with a nightstand on either side. Which side would she sleep on? Would they even sleep? Her gaze darted to every detail of the room, zoning in on the closet.
Do I get undressed, hang my clothes, and wait for him under the sheets?
She was overthinking this.
Cleo sat and untied her laces and shucked her boots, opting to keep her socks on. She pulled off her shirt, leaving her bra on, and stood to unzip her pants. She neatly folded all her clothes, placing them on the table.
