Dangerously Close, page 5
“Oh, my gosh.” Ashley placed a hand on her chest and released an unsteady breath. “That scared the crap out of me when he pounded on the window. I thought it was Zander.”
“So did I.” Hunter glanced her way. “Did you sleep all right?”
“Amazing as it sounds, I slept pretty well considering my days are numbered and that we’re on the run.”
Hunter chuckled. “Yeah, me, too,” he said stopping at a red light. “What time is it?”
She withdrew her cell from the pocket of her jeans and checked the time. “It’s one o’clock.”
“Well, I suggest we find someplace to spend the night. We need to be at the mall right when it opens at nine.”
She pointed up the street. “There is a motel up there.”
“Motel?” He gave her a curious stare. “What’s up with you and motels? I’d think you would want something better.”
“I do, but at least I know that Zander won’t look at motels to try and find me. Because I come from a wealthy family, he knows I have the funds to stay at a nicer establishment.”
“Good thinking.”
“Plus, they are cheap, and I’m starting to get low on money since I don’t want to involve my parents.”
The light turned green, so he drove toward the motel. “What money have you been using since you lost your memory?”
“When I came home to see my apartment trashed, I withdrew everything I had in my savings account. I didn’t want to keep using my credit cards for every purchase because I worried that whoever did that to my place was probably keeping tabs on my bank account.”
“You’re right. That’s the first thing Zander would have done.” He gave her a wink. “Smart woman.”
He pulled into the parking lot. They both climbed out of the car at the same time and walked toward the office to check in. Just before reaching the door, Hunter took hold of her hand, stopping her.
“Just a few suggestions before we go in.” He paused briefly. “I don’t want you to look directly at the office clerk.”
“Why?”
“Because, if by chance Zander or one of his men come asking questions, the person at the front desk won’t be able to describe you very well.”
“Okay.”
“And another thing,” he quickly continued, “let me do all the talking. I want you to avoid any contact with the clerk.”
“I can do that.”
They entered. Hunter walked to the front desk and stopped. Ashley stayed back by the door, pretending to be studying the pictures hanging on the wall.
The guy sitting behind the front desk looked to be in his late forties. The man had been watching a small television set hooked to the back wall, but when he heard Hunter and Ashley enter, he jumped to his feet.
“Welcome to the Galaxy Inn.”
“Thanks,” Hunter said exhaustedly. “My wife and I have been driving all day and we need a room for the night.”
“Um, sure,” the man said as he typed something on his computer. “We have a room with a king-size bed, or a room with a queen-size bed. Or,” the man grinned, showing three missing teeth, “the honeymoon suite with a heart-shaped bed.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Hunter struggled not to laugh. A heart-shaped bed? Did places still make those things? “We’ll take the king-size bed, thank you. My lovely wife tosses and turns a lot during the night.”
Ashley’s head whipped around so fast, her blonde hair fell over one shoulder. Her glare pierced right through him. Now he really wanted to laugh. He shook his head and silently communicated with her to turn back around. Thankfully, she must have read his mind.
“I understand,” the man said with a nod. “My wife is just like that.” He typed a little more on the computer. “I just need your name and where you’re from.”
“I’m Pete Hancock, and this is my wife, Michelle. We are from Columbus, Ohio.”
The man typed the information in. He wasn’t the fastest typist, so this gave Hunter time to glance around the small room. The furniture was rickety and faded. The wallpaper had peeled away from the wall in some sections. And there was a crack in the window. Never had Hunter stayed in such a dump. He just hoped the bed was halfway decent and didn’t have bed-bugs.
When his gaze moved back to Ashley, she was bent over, pretending to study a large plant in the corner of the room.
“Okay,” the clerk said, “that will be sixty-five dollars a night, plus tax.”
Hunter pulled out his wallet and handed the man three twenty-dollar bills and one ten. As he waited for the change, he glanced at Ashley again. She peeked over her shoulder at him and mouthed the words, thank you. His heart melted. What had he let this woman do to him? He shouldn’t get involved with her at all. Not until she regained her memory and could tell him about his sister’s death.
“Here is your change,” the man said, pulling Hunter’s attention away from Ashley. “And you will be in room number six.” He handed them the key.
Hunter took the key before walking to Ashley and sliding his arm around her waist as they stepped outside. Once the door was closed behind them, she sagged against him.
“That was hard,” she said.
“What was?”
“Trying not to let him see my face.”
“Well, you did great, Mrs. Hancock.”
She rolled her eyes. “Why do you keep calling me Michelle?”
“If I stay with the same name, then I’ll never get my stories mixed-up.”
She chuckled. “Let me guess, you’ve done this before.”
“What? Running from someone trying to kill us? Nope. This is the first time.”
“How about motel-hopping?”
He stopped them at room number six. “Actually, this is my first time at a sleazy motel.” He ran the palm of his hand down her back. “And I’m so happy to be able to share it with you.”
She gasped and jumped, pushing his hand away. “Will you stop that?”
“Stop what?”
“Really, Hunter? You have to ask?”
He opened the door. “No, I already know you don’t like me touching you intimately. But as you know, I’m playing a part, which you should, too.”
“I’m not sure I like you well enough for you to do that.” She pushed past him and stepped inside.
When she flipped on the light, he moved his gaze around the room. Just as he’d figured, he got what he paid for. The carpet looked to be at least twenty-years-old, as did the lamps and the single, cushioned chair.
Ashley walked to the bed and pressed on the mattress a few times, before sitting on it. She shrugged. “It’s not that bad. I’ve had worse.”
Hunter closed the door and locked it. He moved to the bed and sat beside her, bouncing on the edge a few times. “Which side do you want?”
“It doesn’t matter to me. Thanks for getting the king-size mattress.”
He smiled. “I did it so that you could take one side of the bed, and I’d have the other. I was worried that if we got the queen-size, you might want to snuggle up against me like you did in the car.”
Huffing, she whacked her hand against his arm. She stood and walked to the heater. “Do you mind if I turn this on? I don’t dare sleep under the covers, so we’ll need more heat in here.”
“That’s fine.”
She bent over the heater to figure out the buttons. Hunter couldn’t stop his gaze from roaming over her, from her pretty blonde hair, all the way down to her shapely legs. This was not good. How was he going to get any sleep tonight knowing that this gorgeous woman would be in the same bed?
He was in big trouble.
She pushed a few buttons, but the heater didn’t turn on. “Oh, great. It doesn’t work. Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
He left the bed and knelt next to her. “If it’s as old as the rest of the room, then I’m sure it doesn’t work. Let me see if I can figure it out.”
He took off the loose bracket and peered deeper into the piece of junk machine. One wire had been pulled out, so he carefully pushed it back into the right connector and clicked on the power. The heater rumbled and shook, but finally kicked on.
“I can’t believe it,” Ashley said with a laugh. “What are you? Mr. Fix-it?”
He shrugged and stood. “Yeah, pretty much.”
“Is there anything you don’t know how to do?”
He paused in thought, tapping a finger on his chin. He enjoyed her astonished expression as she gazed at him. Whenever she gave him this look, it was hard not to feel like a superhero.
“Yeah, I don’t know how to ski.”
She laughed out loud. “Are you kidding me?”
He shook his head. “I’m serious. I’ve always wanted to learn how, but I’ve never taken the time.”
“Well, maybe once we’re out of danger – and still alive – I’ll have to take you skiing with me, because I love it.”
“Sounds like something to look forward to.”
“I’m sure you’ll have fun, and of course, I’ll have fun teaching you.”
His heart bounced in his chest, and he quickly squashed the emotion rising within him. He could not get involved, even as much as he wanted to.
Rubbing his hands together, he walked to the bed. “I’ll take the side closest to the door.”
“Good idea, since you’re the one with the gun.” She walked to the other side and lay down.
He stretched out on the bed and folded his arms behind his head. She curled on her side, facing him. Silently, he swore. She was still within arm’s length.
There was so much he wanted to know about her, especially what had happened right before she lost her memory. Maybe talking about it would help spark something inside that foggy head of hers.
He rolled to the side, facing her. “I’m not really tired.”
“Me, neither, but I know we need to get a little sleep.”
“We do.” He adjusted his head on the pillow. “Why don’t we talk about the events leading up to your memory loss? Maybe that will help you remember something.”
She shrugged. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to talk about it with you. When I talked to my shrink it didn’t help.”
“What was the last thing you remember?”
She folded her hands together and stuffed them under the pillow. “The last thing I remember was when Zander took me to that fancy restaurant. Ever since he had the waiter fired, little things about Zander had been bothering me. I hated the control he seemed to have over people, and I hated how jealous he was when I looked at another person. And yet, he flirted outrageously with other women and he would yell at me if I said anything.”
“Yeah, that’s the Big Z, all right.” Hunter frowned.
“I remember catching him with another woman.”
Surprise washed over him and leaned forward. “You caught them? How?”
“He was taking her to a fancy restaurant – one he’d never taken me to.”
“Were you jealous?”
She hesitated in answering, but soon, she shook her head. “I was more upset that he didn’t take me to that restaurant, than seeing him with another woman.”
“Do you know who she was?”
“No. I’d never seen her before, but knowing Zander, she could have been a model or a movie-star, since he only wanted to surround himself with flashy women. The girl appeared to be around my age. She was very pretty with long, dark hair. I remember her eyes were big, with long dark, lashes. I was envious of her eyelashes.”
His chest tightened. She’d just described his sister. “Then what happened?”
“Well, Zander didn’t know I’d spotted them going into the restaurant. So later that night, I called him and told him I didn’t want to see him any longer. I told him I didn’t love him.”
“Had you loved him at one time?”
Once again, she paused several seconds before shaking her head. “I hate to say it, but I’ve never loved Zander. I know that makes me sound shallow, and I see now that I should have walked away much sooner. But after a while I was scared to. Dating Zander was a whirlwind of fancy restaurants and expensive gifts. I went out with him because his father knew my father, but it quickly became something I lost control over. I’m ashamed to admit I was sucked in by all the money and glamor. When I discovered how he manipulated people – and that drugs were involved – I tried to pull back, but it was too late. He had control over me and I didn’t know how to leave.”
“What happened when you told him you wanted to break things off?” Hunter asked.
“He told me that women didn’t break up with him until he said it was over. I couldn’t believe the nerve of him. I called him a few choice names, and he reciprocated just as rudely. But I didn’t care. I was through with him.” She sighed. “I went to bed that night... and then the next thing I remember was that I was walking along the docks in a dress that wasn’t even mine. My hair was ratted, and I had cuts and scrapes all over my body. Dried blood was on my hands and on the dress, so I washed it off. I was so disoriented at first, that someone who saw me at the beach had called an ambulance. But when the ambulance arrived, I refused to go. That’s when I caught a taxi and returned home to find my apartment torn apart. I had a terrible feeling that Zander was behind it somehow, so I quickly left. But as the days and weeks passed by and I couldn’t remember anything, I began to feel desperate. I wanted to know what had happened to me. That’s why I decided to visit some of Zander’s hangouts, just to see if something caught my attention and made me remember. I would have gone to the police, but I know too many of them are under Zander’s thumb.”
Hunter’s chest ached from her story. The pain and agony was evident on her face, and his first reaction was to cuddle her and let her know everything was okay. But his mind stopped him from comforting her. She had just confessed to the very thing he’d suspected all along. Zander had been dating Hunter’s sister, Michelle... and whether Ashley wanted to admit it or not, she could have been partly responsible for Michelle’s murder.
Michelle had gone out with Zander that night to the fancy restaurant, and a few days later, her body was found on the beach. Stab wounds were all over her face, neck, and chest.
One way or another, he’d discover the truth and make those pay that were involved. They’d rue the day they’d ever messed with Hunter’s sister.
SIX
Ashley walked next to Hunter as they searched through the mall for a hair salon and a place that sold wigs. Because of last night’s talk with Hunter, she felt more relaxed around him. But she still hesitated to fully trust him. He was one of Zander’s men, and she worried that he’d turn her over to the mob boss just to save his own hide.
And yet, part of her argued. Some of the things Hunter had done were so nice and thoughtful, making her think he was the good guy. But that made no sense to her. Why had he chosen to work as one of Zander’s couriers if Hunter was a good person?
Last night, they had both fallen asleep, and when she awoke, she was cuddled against him. Once again, she realized how nice it was to lie next to someone so caring and tender. She’d awakened before he did, so she quietly slipped out of bed and into the bathroom to refresh her hair and makeup.
Hunter had been quiet this morning, but she figured he was still tired. Either that or he wasn’t looking forward to getting his hair chopped off.
“There’s a salon.” She pointed to the shop ahead of them.
As they entered, Hunter glanced down at her and gave her a cocky grin. “Are you sure you only want me to cut my hair?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to color it so I look like Thor?”
She laughed and shook her head. “No, you wouldn’t be able to pass for Thor, sorry. And although I really don’t want you to shave off your goatee, you might have to so you’re not noticed.”
His grin stretched. “You like my facial hair, huh?” He scrubbed a hand over it.
Her heart skipped, and she wished it hadn’t. “Well, I have to admit, I do like it.”
“I like it, too, but I can grow it back once this thing with Zander is finished.”
“And as long as we’re still alive.”
The humor in his expression disappeared. “I don’t plan on dying, and I’m not going to let you get killed, either.”
It was hard to keep her heart hardened against him when he said things like that. “Then let’s do all we can in order to go unnoticed.” She ran her gaze over his tee-shirt and the way it stretched across his muscular chest and arms. “Then again, I’m thinking no matter what you do, you’ll always have people looking at you.” She glanced at the ladies waiting in the salon to help him before meeting Hunter’s gaze again. She lowered her voice. “Right now, those ladies don’t even see me at all.”
“It doesn’t matter.” He cupped her face. “You are the only one I’m seeing right now.”
Butterflies bounced in her belly. She needed to stop allowing his words to affect her.
He turned away from her and looked at the first young woman who walked up to him.
“Good morning. How can I help you?” the woman asked in a sultry voice.
Hunter smiled at the other woman. “My wife here,” he wrapped his arm around Ashley’s waist, “thinks I need a haircut.”
It made Ashley’s heart light when he called her his wife. It was rather fun seeing the disappointed looks on the other women’s expressions.
“Yes, he does,” Ashley told the lady. “Let’s buzz the whole thing off. I’ve always wondered what he’d look like bald.” Hunter swung his wide-eyed surprised gaze to her, and she nearly laughed out loud. “I’m just kidding,” she quickly added. “You wouldn’t look good that way.”
Hunter’s shoulders relaxed. “Thank you.”
Ashley didn’t talk much to Hunter as the cosmetologist cut his hair. However, quite a few times, Ashley locked gazes with him in the mirror. She still thought his eyes were dreamy, even though she didn’t want to think that way. Why couldn’t she have met him instead of Zander? And why had she felt her father knew best when urging her to go out with someone so evil?
