Losing Me, Finding You(71)

“Fucking *,” she growls at me as she trips over something and only barely manages to keep herself upright. “Thanks for almost screwing this up, Sparks.” Kimmi flicks a pretend bit of somethin' off her shoulder and adjusts her ponytail. She looks a little weird to me right now without her earrings and her makeup. I swear, I haven't seen her dress this simple since Mint left Triple M for good, and she'd declared herself in mourning. O' course that only lasted for a couple of days, just until the next chick showed up. I sigh.

“Hey,” I tell her, thinking of Amy's face when she asked me if we were exclusive. There was a little bit of fear in her eyes; I could see it. She really likes you, Sparks. Hot f*cking dog. What else could I do, but f*ck her? “I said I was sorry, what else do you want me to do about it?” I try to keep my voice low, even though it shouldn't matter. We're wading through several inches of muddy water just to get to this here historical wonder that's drowning in the swamp on which it was mistakenly built. Not many idiots would be interested in doing that, not at this time of night when it's colder than shit outside and miserable as f*ck.

“I want you to keep your dick out of that sweet, little * for five minutes, so you can actually think straight,” Kimmi chastises me and then smiles. It's hard to tell in the dark, but I think she might actually be leering at me. “You thought about it, didn't you?”

“Thought about what?”

“The six senses.”

“Go f*ck yourself.”

“No, really,” she says, turning to face me and hiking her bag up onto her shoulder. “You've got 'em all, don't you?”

“I don't know what the hell you're talking about.”

“Wow, one week and the infamous Austin Sparks has got it bad for a little preacher's daughter from down South. I like it. It'd make a good book, don't you think?” I ignore her and keep walking, flipping her the bird and making sure she sees it.

A few seconds later, something hits me square in the back and I go down hard.



Chapter 51

I fall asleep but only for a little while, waking up when the wind shifts and starts to pelt the rain against my window, each droplet like a tiny stone that rings throughout the quiet room and makes me shiver. I'm actually glad that it woke me because I was having another bad dream, one where a faceless girl was being held down by men in leather jackets.

I didn't like it all. Not one little bit.

I climb out of bed with an uneasy feeling in my stomach, not that angsty ache that Austin gives me, but something else. I pick up my pants from the floor and slip them on, moving across the room and pausing next to a glass fronted liquor cabinet with several bottles of wine inside. Each one has a price tag hanging from its neck, so I go through them until I find the cheapest one, not wanting to impose on Austin but desperate to get rid of this feeling. It just sprung up out of nowhere and I don't like it. After all, the worst kinds of trouble are the ones you don't see coming until they're right behind you.

I set my bottle down on a table near the window and almost collapse to the floor in embarrassment when I see an ass print on the foggy glass. I move forward quickly and smudge it away with my fingers, snatching the ice bucket as I pass and heading out in search of the ice machine I spotted earlier. I noticed it because I thought it looked odd, this big piece of stainless steel against the old school trimmings and decorations. I kind of wish the owners would get rid of it.

I'm in the hallway scooping cubes when I see them. A group of men in leather jackets with a big, black bird emblem on the back of them. The words Bested by Crows jump out at me as I angle myself carefully behind the wall near the ice machine. I don't know why, but my heart is pumping hard and fast and there's a little bell ringing in the back of my head telling me not to move. I remember Gaine's warning with a shiver and watch as the men move down the hallway checking room numbers until they find the one they're looking for.

Mine.

They glance up and down the hallway, and I narrowly miss being seen, tucking myself against the wall and staring straight ahead at the sign across from me. Please do not stick your bucket in the machine. There is a metal scooper provided for your convenience. The tame words help keep me calm while I wait, turning to look only after the sound of clinking chains and rustling leather is gone.

Immediately, I drop my bucket to the floor and move across the hall as quick as I can, my bare feet whispering silently over the burgundy carpeting. I lift my fist up and tap gently at the door, not wanting to make too much noise. Hurry, hurry, hurry, I think as bile rises in my throat and the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up. It'll only take them a moment to realize that there's nobody there. I'm sure they're after Austin, but what happens if they walk into the hallway and see me here? I pound a little harder. And if they are after Austin, I need to call him as soon as I can and warn him. Unfortunately, my cell phone is back in the room.

The door wrenches open and I find myself face to face with Mireya Sawyer. Her dark eyes narrow and her full lips twist into a sneer.

“What is it, Cross?” she snaps and then pauses when she sees the look on my face. “Is it Austin?” I glance over my shoulder and see my door opening at the end of the hall. I turn back to Mireya and push my way inside her room. Luckily, she doesn't fight me and steps aside, closing the door quickly behind me and hooking the chain. I may not like the woman, but she has instincts, and she's tough.