Page 88 of Storm Warning

Iona stared at her phone. “Maddox sent a list of approved hotels.”

“Any preferences?” Elias asked.

“I’ve never been to any of these. However, I know a couple who stayed at The Rosewood Hotel. They raved about the accommodations and the service. I know we’re interested in the safety measures, but no one said we couldn’t enjoy the surroundings while we’re resting.”

“What do you think, Riley? Does The Rosewood sound good?”

“After that endorsement by Iona’s friends, I can’t resist seeing the hotel for myself.”

Andre remained alert throughout the rest of the ride to the hotel. Fortunately, he saw no signs that they were being followed. When he stopped turning squares in Murfreesboro, they were six blocks from the hotel.

When he parked in front of the hotel entrance, he sat behind the wheel, staring in amazement at the view. The Rosewood Hotel was a fully functioning castle complete with a working drawbridge.

Andre shook his head. “This is….” At a loss for words, he stopped.

“Weird,” Elias muttered.

“Amazing,” Iona corrected.

“Stunning.” Riley stared out her window. “We have to bring the rest of Artemis here for lunch sometime, Iona. They would enjoy this.”

“I hope it’s not as drafty as the original castles were.” Elias climbed out. “Wait until I grab our gear, Iona.”

“But….”

“Don’t waste your breath.” Andre opened the driver’s door. “He won’t change his behavior. It’s a classic move for him to thumb his nose at his childhood.”

He headed to the cargo area of his SUV and slid the duffel bags onto his uninjured shoulder. Although he’d never admit as much to Riley, the extra weight on his shoulder didn’t feel good.

He opened Riley’s door and held out his hand. Together, they walked into the lobby and approached the front desk.

Riley smiled at the clerk. “We’d like a suite, please.”

The desk clerk checked her computer. “You’re in luck. A guest canceled his suite reservation at the last minute.” She glanced up with a sheepish look on her face. “It’s the honeymoon suite. Do you mind?”

“It’s fine.” Riley handed a credit card and identification to the clerk.

The woman ran both pieces of plastic through scanners, then worked her magic with her laptop. “Welcome to The Rosewood Hotel, Ms. Delko. If there’s anything you need, please let us know. We love our customers and do our best to accommodate them.

“Thank you.” Riley smiled at the young woman. “We’ll remember that.”

As soon as the elevator doors slid shut, Elias groaned. “The honeymoon suite? Really? Come on. You know we’ll be the butt of jokes for a long time over that one.”

“Tell them no other suites were available,” Iona said. “They’ll understand.”

“I doubt it. They’ll enjoy embarrassing all of us.”

Andre snorted. “You’re tough. You can take it.”

“No sympathy?” Elias scowled. “Some friend you are.”

Andre chuckled as their elevator reached the fifth floor. He stepped out with his hand wrapped around Riley’s. At Room 551, he swiped his key card through the reader and opened the door.

Once their teammates were inside, Andre held up his hand and signaled for them to spread out and search the suite for unwanted electronics.

The search took a few minutes, after which they regrouped in the living room. “Find anything?” Andre asked. They shook their heads.

Excellent. He’d guessed right. Whoever was tracking them hadn’t found them fast enough to plant bugs and cameras. Wouldn’t last, but he’d take the brief reprieve for the night, especially for Riley’s sake. “Iona, you and Riley choose the room you want.”