This time, he drove through two towns before he got yet another motel room.
What the fuck? What did that thing want and again, how had it found him?
Rowan collapsed on the bed, which was covered in a flower-print comforter, and stared at a water stain on the ceiling for what felt like hours. His eyes felt gritty and he was still thirsty, but now he was too afraid to leave the room for a drink.
He couldn’t just keep running forever.
What he needed to do was find those two paranormal men who’d saved him before. Maybe they knew what was going on. He doubted they’d been there accidentally—not at that time of night. It had been like they knew he was going to be attacked.
He sat up. Of course they’d known. That meant they’d know what this thing was and why it was after Rowan. So, that’s what he’d do. Running to different towns obviously wasn’t working because the zombie was somehow tracking him.
But first, he was going to try and get some sleep. Get a shower. Just in reverse order. Pushing off the bed, he dragged his feet to the bathroom and flipped on the light.
He looked like complete shit. Dark circles ringed his eyes, his face so unnaturally pale his freckles stood out like pins on a snowy map. His hair hadn’t been brushed in days, with a particularly bad tangle near his temple.
Letting out an exhausted breath, he stripped down and turned on the water to heat. He was about to take off the arm ring when goosebumps sprang up all over his body.
That’s when the smell came again.
Utter terror froze him for a moment before he grabbed his clothes. He didn’t take the time to put them on, just climbed through the window naked because he knew with everything in him that that thing was in the room. And just as his feet hit the ground, he heard a thump against the bathroom door.
Rowan didn’t give a shit who saw him as he ran naked to his car while he fished the keys out of the clothes in his hand. He looked over his shoulder to see the door to the motel room opening, and he didn’t wait around. He scrambled into his carand peeled out, tires screeching as he drove out of the parking lot fast.
Breaths heaving and his body shivering in the cold, he turned the heat on blast and just drove.
He didn’t pull over to get dressed until he was several miles away, and the whole time, he kept looking out the windows. Getting his pants on inside his small car was a real pain in the ass, but luckily no other cars were around. It was pretty late anyway.
His phone had dropped to the floor of the passenger side, so when it rang, he had to fish for it. Surprise went through him when he saw who was calling. His mother never called him.
“What’s wrong?” he answered, knowing it had to be really bad for her to break her husband’s rules.
“Rowan, are you okay? Did those bodyguards find you?”
“Bodyguards?”
“Two men came here and fought off this horrible creature that had bones showing through its skin. I can’t remember what they called it, but they were supposed to look for you because you have the arm ring that thing is after.”
“It’s after the arm ring?” He ran his fingers over his shirt where it covered the thin band of silver. “Why? It’s not worth anything.”
“I have no idea. Well, they said something about a treasure, but I was too upset to listen closely. Plus, they didn’t stick around long enough to explain. I told them where you worked so they could help you. I’ve been…worried.”
“That surprises me,” he muttered.
She was silent, and really, what could she say? She’d disowned him along with his father, and this was the first time they’d talked in over two years.
But now he knew his decision to go back and find those guys was the right one.
“Rowan? Did that thing come after you?”
“Yes, and it keeps coming after me. I’ve actually been on the run for days. Did they leave a card or something with their number?”
“No, but I remember they said they worked for a company out of Seattle called Protective Solutions. Maybe you could call there and get their contact information?”
A little bit of hope seeped into his heart. He just couldn’t go at this alone anymore, and he needed to know more. Sounded like these guys had answers. “Thanks, Mom. I’ve been at my wit’s end, so this helps a lot.”
“Just…stay safe.”
“I’m glad you called,” he said softly. “You better go before my father figures out you did.”
