I know it’s a joke. The look on her face tells me as much. But even knowing that, it doesn’t make it any less annoying.
“Is this just a game to you?” I shout, slamming my hands against the steering wheel. “This is real for me. I don’t take any of this lightly, and I need you to take it seriously.”
Sage stiffens in her seat beside me as I watch her, feeling the fury in my veins. She’s not afraid of me, but she seems shocked I would yell like this.
“Okay, then we give a valid reason for being here.” Instead of cowering away from me, she’s trying to help me cover for this mistake. I almost feel bad for lashing out. “Maybe we can rent a room. If anyone asks, we can say a breaker went out at the cabin, and we booked a room for the night because the hardware store was closed.”
I take a deep breath and grip the steering wheel between my hands. She’s right. I rack my brain trying to think of another plan, but the one she is suggesting is solid.
Never in my life have I met someone who’s been able to calm me down when I feel like this. I’m amazed at how Sage is able to get through to me. Maybe having her around isn’t so bad.
“Let’s do it,” I say after a moment, and I pull the keys from the car. We hop out and start walking toward the entrance of the motel to book a room for the night.
Sage stares up at me like a kicked puppy, but I try to ignore her.
“Maybe we can even have a little fun while we’re here.” She pokes my arm and crawls her fingers up to my shoulder in an attempt to seduce me. “Perhaps a little bit of role-play. I’ll be the French maid who walks in looking for a big tip and—”
“I can’t think about this right now.” I shake my head and push her hand aside. I continue walking to the entrance of the motel, but she stops. I turn around and look at her expectantly, waiting for her to just give up and follow me.
A group of people walk out of the motel lobby, and I hear their tipsy laughter as they chat among each other. I don’t turn around to look at them right away, but I see Sage’s eyes flitting over my shoulder at them.
“Oh, mami!” a man’s voice calls in our direction. “Those shorts look good on you. Come over here and let us take a better look.”
The other guys all laugh, high-fiving each other as they stare at Sage. This is great. Now we have witnesses.
“Maybe I should go over there and talk to them. At least they seem to want my company,” Sage says, crossing her arms as she stares at me.
I look over my shoulder at the group of guys, seeing how they’re licking their lips and letting their eyes crawl all over her body. Jealousy taints my blood. I feel it slither from my chest and spread to my fingertips as I clench my fists. I look back at Sage with a hardened expression on my face.
“You’re mine.” I reach out and pull her into my arms, holding her close to me. My lips crash against hers before she can say another word. The guys behind us all boo at the scene, mumbling to themselveshow lucky I am. I ignore them as her lips part to let my tongue fill her mouth. I pull away after a moment, seeing the satisfied look on her face. “I’ll kill anyone who even threatens to put a hand on you.”
I’m serious, and Sage knows it as well as I do. It puts a smile on her face, and she grabs my hand to walk toward the entrance. I wish I could know what was going on in her mind, but seeing how pleased she is by the idea of me killing for her, I know I’ll never fully understand this woman.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sage
The night has finally come. I’ve worked hard to mentally prepare myself for what this means, but now that I’m mere hours away from helping murder someone, reality is setting in. I don’t have cold feet, but I am nervous.
As I mentally prepare, I have a full-blown fashion crisis over what to wear to help commit a murder. “Okay, leather feels like I’m trying too hard. Denim? Too chill! Maybe a hoodie? People distrust hoodies.”
In the end, I pack three outfits.You know, options.
Whenever the idea of backing out crosses my mind, I remind myself of everything Travis has told me about Eli. He’s stalking me. He found out where I am staying, and he traveled all the way here without letting me know because he wants to hurt me.
God, if he could do this to me, imagine who else he could do this to! There’s a strong chance I might not even be the first woman who’s caught his interest like this. Maybe there are dozens who came before me, and plenty who will come after. What we’re doing is a service to countless other women who might fall victim to him.
Travis and I both dress in all black. He’s wearing the sexy cat burglar outfit I saw him in once before, leather gloves and all. I’m careful not to say anything to disturb him as he gears up. I’ve been with him longenough to know that he has his ritual, and I don’t want to do anything to mess that up today.
Ultimately, I decide to put on a pair of black leggings and borrow one of Travis’s black long-sleeve shirts. It’s oversize, but if anyone were to see me in it, they wouldn’t think I was wearing anything other than my boyfriend’s shirt. Definitely not a kill suit.
Travis moves swiftly through the house, gathering everything he needs, and I can feel the tension radiating off him. He’s in the zone preparing for this. I watch him, studying his movements. His dedication is admirable.
“Are you ready?” Travis asks me when the SUV is all packed and ready to go. I stand up and nod, following him to the garage, where we both climb into the car.
The trunk is loaded with bleach, plastic wrap, tarps, zip ties, and plenty of cleaning rags. We drive in complete silence. I don’t turn on the radio, and I keep my eyes glued to the dark road ahead as Travis seems like he is getting lost in his own mind.
Even though knowing what he’s thinking is impossible, I assume he’s going over the plan countless times, searching for any weaknesses. I do the same, but I get sidetracked thinking about different scenarios of how this could go wrong.
