Chapter 13
Kodiak
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“Alittle too rich formy taste,” Amara deflects as I park outside of a basic chain hotel. Pulling out her phone, she mumbles, “There’s got to be some place around here that understands what it means to rent a bed for the night without all of the frivolous extras.”
Pocketing my keys, she’s forced to slide off my bike as I slowly swing my leg over, making it clear that I’m getting off with or without her. Still, I give her ample time. The woman clings to the few things in her life that she can control as if they’re the last lifelines keeping her sanity tethered, and physical contact is a huge one for her. I get that more than anyone, but where I went out of my way to seek out any comfort I could get my hands on after I escaped the hellhole I was dumped in, she retreated, denying herself attachments completely. A little nudge here and there is one thing to help her see that not everyone is out to hurt her, but if I force the issue too hard, too fast, I’ll shatter the fragile shred of trust she offered tonight.
She calledmefor help. Not Stone, not Raiden; me. I’m not about to spit on that gift by making her regret it.
“Until we can get your car fixed, you don’t have anywhere to sleep but the sidewalk. Friends don’t let friends sleep in dark alleys alone, Amara.”
Striding past the automatic doors, I lead the way to the front desk and the clerk manning it. “Two rooms, please. Doesn’t matter what size beds you have in either, so long as they’re next door to each other.”
By the time Amara catches up, I’ve already paid and have the key cards in hand. Raising an eyebrow, I gesture to my helmet tucked under her arm. “Maybe I’ve been doing it wrong all of these years, but I’m pretty sure you don’t need safety gear in a hotel room.” I cock my head, second guessing myself as I contemplate some interesting visuals.
She chucks it at me, an adorable flush to her cheeks. “There’s no way to lock it to your bike, and I didn’t think you’d want to wake up to discover it was stolen.”
“There’s an unspoken rule that if you steal something off of a bike, you have to be willing to accept the potential wrath of a motorcycle gang, the mob, or a drug dealer. No way to tell who you’re ripping off until it’s too late, and only dangerous people drive sexy bikes. It’s in the hot-guy rule book that comes with every motorcycle purchase.” At her withering stare, I chuckle. “In all seriousness, though, if somebody is that desperate for a helmet, let them have it. At least it’s a safety-conscious thief.”
As she steps into the elevator with me, I press the button for our floor, holding her keycard out between two fingers for her to grab when the doors close. “Here you go.”
Tentatively, she takes it, her suspicion burning a hole in the side of my face. “You got us separate rooms?” The slight wavering of her voice has me stuffing my hand back in my pocket, discreetly digging my nails into my palm.
“I’m not sure what kind of people you usually hang around, but it sounds like you seriously need some new friends. You’re legion now, Amara.”And mine.“It might take a little trial and error as we figure things out, but we respect each other’s boundaries.” The elevator opens and we make our way down the hall, following the signs. “You’re not the only one with baggage, you know. Spend enough time on this earth, and you’re bound to see or experience some shit that leaves a mark no matter who you are.”
Standing outside of my door, I insert my keycard without turning my head despite every instinct screaming at me to drag her in with me so I can watch over her properly. “We’re not trying to take over your life, we just want to make sure you’re safe enough to actually have the one you deserve.”
The door closes behind me with a harsh click, and I blow out a heavy exhale that makes my lips buzz. Tossing my helmet onto the small table, I pull out my phone. There are dozens of missed calls and texts, but I don’t waste time reading any of them, knowing they’ll be desperate for answers above all else. To save the effort of copy and pasting, I open a group chat.
Me: Her car is going to need a couple grand worth of work. You’d be impressed though. She helped me push it over a mile without complaint before she broke down and let me give her a ride into town. Got a couple of rooms at a hotel just now, and I’m not sure how long she’s going to let herself sleep- she was pretty shaken up when I found her.
Stone: Did she tell you why she bolted in the first place? If my note crossed the line, I don’t think she’d have waited until the end of the day to leave town.
Raiden: A test? Seeing how far we’d go in our efforts to follow her? After the deranged things her stalker likely did, I can’t fault her for being afraid of the three of us following her, too.
Me: No idea, I was just happy she called. Had to cross the shitty side of town to get here, and the idea of her walking through it by herself this time of night...
The rest goes unsaid, and hypothetical scenarios will do nothing but add fuel to my nightmares, so I drop it. It might not be officially confirmed yet, but Amara’s my mate. I feel it in what’s left of my withered soul, have hoped for it ever since I started watching over her. Once I caught a glimpse of her scars? Knowing damn well that I haven’t seen all of them yet? My imagination has been running wild, dragging old wounds of my own to the surface and making rest damn near impossible.
Me: She doesn’t act like a dragon. I don’t know if it’s just because she’s been scraping by for so long or what, but she was out of breath and sweating barely fifteen minutes into pushing the car.
Raiden: You actually made her do half of the work?!
Rolling my eyes, I drop onto the foot of the bed.
Me: Of course not, dipshit. That’s my point. If we didn’t know better, I’d honestly think she wasn’t anything more than human. Stone, what was she doing right before she abandoned ship?
