Deserted - Cara Dee Page 0,26
smirked faintly. “He knew it wouldn’t have worked.” He quieted down as he drove past the tractor, and Gray rolled up his window a bit. “For one reason or another, we’ve all fucked off at least once in our lives.”
Gray had nothing to say. His mind was a jumbled mess of conflicting thoughts and emotions. He could recognize the concern, the thoughtfulness, and, well, kudos on the creativity, but it bugged him. And part of him wondered if it bugged him so much because he mattered a lot to Darius for the wrong reasons. Gray didn’t want to be the pitiful victim that required a babysitter.
Ignoring how petulant he felt, he extended the bottle cap. “Well, you tracked me down. You can have this back.”
Darius turned his head slightly toward the bottle cap. “You can throw out the tracker. Battery’s almost dead anyway. But keep the cap.”
“There’s a battery in here?” Gray asked incredulously. Then he brought the cap close again and traced the thin wires leading to that little metal plate with three tiny bumps.
“Not a very good one,” Darius answered. “It’s supposed to be attached to a device like a phone so it can harness power from it. On its own, it lasts about a week.”
Of course. Naturally. Obviously. Made total sense.
Gray shook his head and pocketed the cap and his wallet again. “So, should I feel special, or is there a Bottle Cap Club for everyone who’s received one?”
Darius let out a laugh and planted a hand on Gray’s leg, giving it a quick squeeze. “If only you knew how special you are, knucklehead.”
Fuck you.
He hated when Darius said things like that. It crammed more questions and doubts into his head—when all Gray should focus on was getting over the fucker next to him.
He slumped back and rubbed his forehead.
Even though the hand was gone from his leg, he could still feel it.
He wanted it back.
He wanted…too much.
After spending a few hours hiking through a desert landscape Jayden was weirdly fascinated by, they stopped outside of El Paso for the night. There was a cluster of motels, diners, a small grocery store, and Mexican restaurants, and Darius went inside one of the motels to get them a room.
Gray and Jayden stepped out of the SUV and stretched a bit.
“I like this one the best.” Jayden showed him a rounded rock he’d found during the hike.
“It’s pretty.” Gray smoothed down Jayden’s hair by running his fingers through it. “How’s your headache?”
It was possible they’d run out of water on the way back to the car.
The sunset in the desert was something else, though.
Jayden closed his eyes, evidently enjoying the sensations. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“Good.” Gray scratched his scalp lightly and earned a hum of approval from Jayden. “Are you hungry?”
“Yeah. Can we get tacos?”
“Definitely.” They’d seen the one-dollar-taco signs coming off the interstate, and Jayden had exclaimed that he could buy eighty-two tacos with his money.
He’d bought a toy in Memphis the other day, his first one since he and Jonas had ended up on the streets. Both Gray and Darius had told him he didn’t have to pay for the action figure himself, but then…the look on Jayden’s face when he walked up to the register with the doll, clutching a twenty-dollar bill… Fucking Christ. This kid had wormed his way into Gray’s heart so quickly. Jayden had been so happy, he’d barely known how to react. He’d been quiet and smiling widely, eyes glassy. It’d been the first time Gray had seen the eight-year-old in him.
Gray peered around them in the parking lot, deciding between the two closest Mexican restaurants sharing the same lot as the motel. There were more on the other side of the main road, but the cantina closest to them served breakfast too. If dinner was good, they’d know where to go tomorrow morning.
When Darius returned, they grabbed their bags and trailed up to the second story where their room was just a few doors away from the stairs.
Darius strode into the room and dropped his duffel on the nearest bed.
Jayden skipped over to the other bed and flung his backpack on the bedspread.
Meanwhile, there was no pullout couch in this room. Gray had specifically asked for three beds—or two beds if there was a sofa bed—the previous nights.
“Did they not have any family rooms?” Gray asked.
Darius’s forehead creased as he looked around the modest space. “Didn’t ask. Is something missing?”
Gray lifted a brow. “A third place to sleep, maybe?”
At that, Darius