"See, I don't know why you're acting so worried." He shot me a dirty look as I tossed my bag on a bed and followed him back out. He tried to touch my thigh when we got back in his truck, but I shoved it roughly off. That pissed him off, and he promptly got out, demanding I do the same.
"We'll eat at the bar here," he snapped. We went back in and walked to the restaurant. He promptly ordered a beer and a shot of tequila.
"Cuervo and a bowl of limes, please."
I ordered a hamburger and fries and sat quietly, watching him down shot after shot, chasing it with his beer. He ate his food and then pulled my plate toward him when I was too full to eat more. He didn't speak much to me, other than to gripe about me not being excited enough about the trip.
I kept my head down and hands twisted in my lap. I didn't want to spend the night with him.
"What did you say?" Uncle Carlos, now close to belligerent drunk, glared at me. My head shot up. Had I said that aloud?
"I'm not comfortable with you like this."
"Like what, Mija?" He laughed dryly. "Drunk? When you get older, I bet your tone will change. Waitress, another beer, please!"
"I'd like to go upstairs and sleep now," I said.
"So early? I'm not ready to sleep. You go up and be in your pajamas when I get up there." He dug the key card out of his pocket, and I slid out of the booth and took the elevator up to the room. I locked it behind me and went to the bed. I stared at his bag. My hands shook as I unzipped it. There were clothes and a black box inside and nothing else. I turned the box over. What were condoms? I read the instructions, and I dropped it with a gasp.
I knew it, but I didn't want to believe it. He was sick. He was twisted. As reality hit me, I crumpled to the floor and pulled myknees in, sobbing with fear and anger. There was no childhood home. I would be getting no new memories of my dad. I'd been taken here to, to... no.
I wiped my tears, stood, and braced myself. I grabbed my backpack and camera and left the room, taking the emergency stairs. I left the hotel on foot and vowed never to step inside a vile place like that. How many other people my age or younger were being taken to hotels to be harmed?
I walked until I found a fast food place that was still open and asked to use their phone. I didn't have many people I could trust, so when I was handed the phone, I froze. Risking him hanging up on me, I called my brother.
"Mattias?" My voice cracked when he answered.
"Domino? Where are you? Mom said you were at a sleepover."
"I'm—I don't know. I want to come home." I sniffled.
"Hey, don't cry. We'll come get you. Where are you? I'll wake Mom up."
"Don't!" I panicked and asked the front counter person where I was and then told Mattias. "Please, don't tell Mom. Just come get me."
He didn't speak for a long time but then agreed. "Sure. Okay, whatever. I'll find a way to get you home. Just stay there and don't talk to anyone about any of this."
I hung up, promising I wouldn't. I wouldn't tell a single soul about this night ever.
Rule 29 - Koi
Skip the hotel.
Iknocked on the unfamiliar door and stepped back with bated breath.
Please, Johnny Blue, don't let me down.
The lights went on in the large, two-story house and a moment later the door opened and a man stood there, yawning, and grinding the sleep from his eyes.
"You made it." He gave me a tired smile and held the door open for us to cross the threshold. Even completely unconscious, she was light enough for me to carry with little struggle. Georgie followed behind with a happy skip in his step, blissfully unaware of everything that brought us here.
"What happened?" Johnny asked as he took us to his living room, where I placed her carefully on the couch. She barely shifted.
I looked at her friend. While this was our first meeting, having listened to her phone calls and read all the text messages, I felt like I knew him already. Where did I start? I swallowed and tried to rack my brain. There was so much that had happened in the matter of eight hours. Ruth was murdered, the killer chased us through the woods, I hid with Domino where we fooled around, and then...
"Something happened at camp, and her brother wanted to get her out of there for her safety."
Johnny eyed me cautiously. "Is she okay?"
