As the hours passed and the sky brightened, the number of cars around them increased.The moon had long since tucked away for the day, and the sun shone brightly in his eyes.Rush-hour traffic had begun, which meant it was time for them to pull over and nap.
She groaned and stirred.Raising her arms, she stretched as she fluttered her eyes open.“How long have we been driving?”
“About ten hours,” he said as the length of the trip settled in his muscles.
It’d been too long.They should’ve taken more than one break.He’d be stiff as hell when he finally got out of the cab of his pickup.
“I’m hungry,” she mumbled.“And I have to pee.”
He nodded.“Right there.”He pointed to a road sign.“We’ll get some quick drive-through breakfast and check into the motel.Can you hold it?”
She nodded.
His bladder was about to burst as well, but he wanted to make good time.Fink often pushed himself and the limits of his bodily functions when he took assignments.However, this contract was different.For the first time, intentionally, he wouldn’t be the sole killer.He had to consider Sydney’s abilities and needs as well.
To his surprise, she did well.Not a single complaint from her despite her showing visible signs of boredom.She was one hell of a trooper.Her company was a pleasant change from being alone with his thoughts.
Motels that accepted cash were scarce.Typically, they were no-name places run by families.The facilities were often long neglected.Bedbugs and roaches were common.
Thankfully, he’d traveled around the country enough to be familiar with a few places that didn’t make his skin crawl.Today, they’d stay at the Juniper Motel, with the outdated décor, cheap sheets, and flat pillows.
It wasn’t the Ritz-Carlton, but the bedsprings didn’t poke his back too badly, and they didn’t have critters in them.
Standing in the doorway, Sydney wrinkled her nose.
“It’s only for a few hours.”
She glanced around the room.
“The door locks, the bed is…” He paused, considering his words.Comfortable would be a lie.“It exists.”
Shaking her head, she snorted as she cautiously entered the room.
“This life warrants a lot of precautions,” he explained.“We can’t leave a trail.”
“You keep saying that.”
“In the digital age, you’d be surprised how easily you can be traced,” he reminded as he tested the dead bolt and secured the chain.
Flopping onto the lone bed in the small room, she groaned.“I’ve slept on cement floors.This is fine.”
When he was sure everything was secure, Fink rotated and found her lying on her stomach in the middle of the bed.
He smirked.“Don’t fall asleep yet.”
“If you’re thinking sexy times,” she said with her face in the mattress.“You can forget it.I’m exhausted.”
Throwing his head back, he laughed wholeheartedly.“I wasn’t, but thanks for telling me.”
She wriggled around in the bed, peeling off her leggings before she scooted under the comforter.
“No, you don’t.”He waggled a finger at her.
She peered at him in confusion.
“I thought you wanted me to teach you,” he said pointedly.
Rolling her eyes, she groaned.“Not now.”
