Page 18

18

CONNOR

W atching Allie suffer is the highlight of my existence.

She’s flustered by my proximity as we pack up to get back on the road.

When I brush against her while asking her a question, she stammers out her answer, her cheeks flaming.

She looks one second away from throwing herself into oncoming traffic just to escape me .

But there’s no way in hell she’s escaping me.

Not now.

Not ever.

* * *

We’ve been driving for hours.

The skies above darken as I steer the wood-paneled gremlin on the highway, the window cracked just enough so I can breathe something other than decades of cigarette smoke.

The first lightning strike zigzags across the sky.

Allie jolts.

I grin over at her. "You scared, sweetheart?"

She glares at me, eyes narrowing. "No," she lies.

A roll of thunder shakes the car.

She visibly flinches.

I chuckle, gripping the wheel. "Sure about that?"

She crosses her arms, scowling.

I can’t help but admire the swell of her cleavage.

She stares stubbornly out the windshield, jaw clenched.

She remains silent, but I see right through her.

The radio crackles with an emergency alert.

Reaching over, I turn up the volume.

"Severe storm warning in effect. Heavy rainfall, flash floods, and damaging winds are expected. Seek shelter immediately."

Allie blows out a breath. "So we’re dying today?"

I smirk. "No, we’re not.”

The next exit is a shady, barely marked detour.

I take it, my eyes scanning for lodging signs.

Allie groans when she sees the motel. "Seriously? This place looks like a crime scene waiting to happen."

I throw the car in park in front of the dilapidated building. "Perfect for a honeymoon, huh, wife?"

She chucks her empty coffee cup at me.

* * *

A single flickering neon sign buzzes over the entrance.

I can’t even muster the courage to say something positive.

We step into the lobby, exchanging a look.

It’s quiet.

Eerily quiet.

The guy at the front desk smiles at us. He’s missing teeth and smells like beef jerky. "One room?" he grunts.

Allie visibly withers while I immediately nod. I don’t care if they have fifty rooms available. There’s no fucking way I’m leaving Allie alone in this creepy hellhole.

I pay in cash.

Allie hisses under her breath. "Oh my God, we’re actually going to get murdered."

I sling an arm around her shoulders. "Don’t worry, sweetheart," I murmur. "I’d never let anyone lay a hand on my wife."

She mutters curses, threatening to stab me.

I grin, having the time of my life.

She showers first while I lounge on the bed, trying not to think about her naked.

By the time she’s done, she’s still rattled.

"Need coffee," she mutters, grabbing her wallet.

“Just hold up.” I throw my legs over the side of the bed. “Let me grab a shower before it storms, and I’ll go with you.”

She sinks onto the bed, which I take as a sign she’s listening.

For once.

I strip in record time and jump beneath the lukewarm spray.

I’m in such a hurry that I forgot to grab my body wash, so I use hers.

I’m lathered up when I hear the door slam.

“Allie?” I yell.

Silence.

I rinse, shut the water off, and wrap a towel around myself.

I’m dry and dressed in no time.

“Allie?” I yank the bathroom door open.

The room is empty.

“Fuck,” I run a hand through my damp hair. “Why is she so goddamn stubborn?”

* * *

The coffee shop is a few doors down.

I practically jog to get there.

Call it a gut feeling. Intuition. Whatever. But something feels very wrong.

I yank the door open, my eyes roaming over the small, mostly empty place.

No sign of her.

“What the fuck?”

The gnawing feeling in my gut sharpens into a blade.

I slam the door behind me and turn around, scanning the street.

Finally, I spot her.

She’s across the street, clutching her coffee cup. She’s tense and walking fast.

She glances over her shoulder, and I follow her gaze.

There’s a guy following behind her.

He’s too close.

His eyes locked on her like he’s already decided she’s his.

The thought alone makes my vision blur with rage.

I don’t think.

I don’t hesitate.

I sprint across the street.

Her wide, terrified eyes lock with mine.

She sags with relief.

“Connor,” she breathes.

But I don’t stop.

I barrel past her and I barrel past her and slam into the guy, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against a thrift shop wall so hard the glass trembles.

“Connor!” Allie’s voice is frantic, but it’s a faint echo behind the roaring in my ears.

My blood is pounding so hard, I can’t hear anything but the roar of my fury.

The guy’s eyes widen, his panic bleeding into every line of his face.

Good.

He should be afraid .

I press my forearm against his throat, shoving hard enough to make him gasp.

“You think you can follow her?” My voice is a lethal rasp.

“Wait, man?—”

“Shut the fuck up.” I slam him harder against the wall. The brick bites into his back, and his eyes go glassy with pain.

“You think you can put that look on her face?” I hiss, my voice dripping with venom.

The terror in her eyes.

The way her shoulders hunched, like she was bracing for something awful.

This fucker did that.

My grip tightens. “Takes one second to snap a bone.” My voice low and dark. “One second. Should I show you?”

He stills, rigid with fear.

The scent of his panic clogs the air, sour and sharp.

He shakes his head frantically.

I release him with a shove.

He stumbles away, gasping for air like a drowning man.

“Get the fuck out of here,” I mutter.

He bolts, practically tripping over his own feet, as he flees.

But I’m still shaking.

The rage isn’t gone.

Not even close.

I turn to find Allie standing there, staring at me like she’s just seen a monster.

And maybe she has.

The truth is, I would’ve torn that bastard apart without hesitation.

“You okay?” I ask, my voice hoarse and jagged.

She nods too fast, her whole body trembling before she whispers something unexpected. “Why?”

I tilt my head. “Why what?”

“Why did you do that?”

I step closer, listening to the hitch in her breath.

I need her to feel this. To understand.

“Because you’re mine.”

Her eyes widen.

Her lips part.

I stare at her, a slow smile curling my lips. “I’d rather burn the world down than see you scared like that again.”

She blinks like she can’t quite process it.

But the way she relaxes, practically melting into the sidewalk, tells me everything I need to know.

I grin, the possessiveness still raging through me.

“Come on. I’ll walk you back to the motel.”

She nods, moving closer but doesn’t touch me.

Probably a good thing.

Because if she did, I wouldn’t be able to let her go.