from the back of the bike and began walking toward the doors. “Aren’t you coming?”
I nodded. “Yeah,” I caught up with him, “How are you paying for this? And how did you pay for the bike? How do you have money?”
He shrugged. “We have our ways.”
I stopped. “You stole money!” I yelled out.
A man emptying his trunk glanced over at us, saw Darrton, and pretended to be looking at someone behind us.
“Of course not. I may kill but I’m not a thief. I earned it.”
“Doing what?” I asked, hand on my hip.
“Playing cards.”
I cocked and eyebrow. “Cards? When did you have time to play cards?”
“Texas hold ’em, and I had time when I was away for the few days. I may be a Horsemen but I am not stupid. I know how to get a ride, or fly where I need to go. Cards have been around for ages. I do pretty well for myself.” He nodded and gestured for me to go ahead. Hmm, a Horsemen that can play cards? What is the world coming to?
The sliding doors opened for us and the brightly lit lobby was cozy and well sized. A lady in a nicely ironed polo smiled at us. “Welcome to Homewood Suites, how may I help you two this evening?”
“We need a chamber for the night.”
She looked confused.
“He means a room,” I said.
She smiled but I could see the hesitation on her face. It wasn’t until I really looked at her that I noticed she was questioning Darrton and I being together. “May I see your license, sir?”
Oh no. He reached into his low rise jeans and pulled out his license. Where on earth did he get that?
She eyed it and looked over at me. “And yours, ma’am?”
Darrton glanced back at me and gestured for me to give it to her. I’m only seventeen! She is going to call the cops!
I pulled out my wallet and slid my card along the countertop. Darrton thumped his fingers.
The lady looked down at my card and sighed. “Okay,” she said with a bright smile. “You look much younger than you are, ma’am.”
Clueless, I looked up at Darrton but he acted like he didn’t see me. What did that thing say?
The woman went to clicking on the computer and I glared up at Darrton who smiled. “I thought he had kidnapped you or something, dear,” she said. “You do not look twenty-one.”
That’s because I’m not!
This should have made me feel better but I was wound so tight that a sigh of relief was so out of the question.
“Here you go, sir. Room 313. You and your wife have a lovely time.”
Wife!
Darrton pressed the elevator button. He was looking everywhere but at me. He had a smile on his face that looked more like he was holding back a laugh.
My patience was running thin. “Wife, huh? So, you don’t steal but you make fake IDs?”
Darrton glanced over at me, his eyes narrowed. “This is for your safety, Liz. I have to keep you safe now.”
Wow who could argue with that? The elevator beeped and we both stepped in.
Darrton pressed three and I watched as the light moved up the wall. “You’re different, Darrton,” I said, pushing my toe against the floor.
“How so?”
I looked over at him. He was leaning up against the wall, hair pulled back into a low ponytail. He looked...normal. He never did at first. He’d looked...mean. He’d looked like...death.
“You’re not mean. You’re not scary. That black stuff around you isn’t there anymore.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You’re complaining because I’m not being mean to you?”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not complaining,” I said, while exiting the elevator. “I’m just pointing it out. Are you changing to...a human?”
He snorted and walked along the hallway stopping in front of our door. “That can’t happen. I’m not here to turn human. I’m here to kill, Liz.” He turned toward me and I could see it was a lie. “Don’t ever forget that.”
We walked through the kitchenette area. I dropped my bag on the chair and stopped. “Where is the other bed?” I gasped, choking on my words.
Darrton cocked his eyebrow and looked at the bed. “Maybe that was all that they had left? Or maybe because we are married?” He shrugged and held back a smile like it was no big deal or anything.
“But we’re not.”
“But they thought we were.” He slide off his shoes and sighed. He looked like he hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep or something. “I will sleep