Mending the Beast (Awakening Pride #10) - Lacey Thorn Page 0,47
the bathroom, promising her he’d be quick. Then he was dressed and waiting for her when she’d left the bathroom after her turn. She’d been fully dressed for the day, too. He’d taken her repacked bag, shouldering it along with his then held the door for her as they’d left. Then he’d held out his hand to her, and after a brief moment, she’d placed her palm against his.
They’d grabbed breakfast with Aleksy and Lyra and spent the last four hours in silence while they headed toward Wyoming. Which meant Ariel spent far too much time in her head with her thoughts. Daniel rode shotgun while Aleksy drove, leaving Ariel to share the backseat with Lyra. As if he could pick up on her tension, Daniel glanced back at her every now and then, checking on her. At times, Lyra and Aleksy seemed to share a private conversation she and Daniel weren’t privy to.
Ariel was ready to scream when the phone rang and Aleksy answered it on speaker. Gabriel’s voice filled the vehicle.
“Talbot’s not in the area. At least, not that the Holloways have heard, and they’d know. He’s either still en route or heading somewhere else. Laramie has things locked down pretty tight, right now. Several of the mates are pregnant. We’ll be heading out soon. Tony’s sending some coordinates to your phone, Aleksy. Laramie said it would be one of the most logical places to look. We’re heading to the other. Everyone stay together. No big moves. Surveillance only. Check in when you get there. We’ll do the same.”
“Sounds good,” Aleksy replied for them. “I’ll check out the coordinates on our next fuel stop. According to the last sign we passed, that will be in twenty miles.”
“Daniel?” Gabriel asked.
“I’m here.”
“Be safe. You too, little sister.”
Then he disconnected. It didn’t hit her until Daniel glanced back at her with a smile playing over his lips that Gabriel had been talking to her. He’d called her little sister. Did that mean he wasn’t angry with her, anymore? It must, and she wasn’t sure what to think about that. It made things easier when people were angry with her. Anger she could deal with. People were predictable when they were angry. It was everything else that left her drowning in uncertainty.
“Next stop coming up,” Aleksy said. “We can grab some road food while we’re there. I’ll plug the new route into the GPS, and we’ll get back on the road. Sound good?”
They all murmured assent. Lyra and Ariel ran inside to use the restroom and pick out food and drinks while Aleksy and Daniel stayed outside getting fuel. Ariel figured they were strategizing or something and would fill in her and Lyra later. It felt natural when Daniel joined them and put his hand on her lower back. She was comfortable with his touch. It was nice, soothing. It grounded her.
“Lyra’s going to sit up front for the next leg. I thought we could sprawl out in the back and catch some more sleep,” Daniel offered as he paid for what she’d set on the counter then took the bags with one hand before taking her hand with his free one.
“I’m not sure more sleep is what I need,” she replied with a laugh. “I slept pretty sound for most of the afternoon yesterday and all of last night.”
“Then we can at least relax. Aleksy and I took a look at the route. It’s going to take us most of the day to get there. We found a place to stop for the night. Then we’ll begin looking around first thing in the morning.”
“Are we sharing a room again?” she asked softly.
Daniel didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Aleksy and I grabbed two rooms across from each other. We need to stay together.” He held open the vehicle’s door for her then handed her the bags. Bending low to place a chaste kiss on her lips, he whispered, “I think I’ve learned the key to helping you sleep anyway.”
Her face heated, and he laughed as he shut the door and moved around to the other side. He slid onto the seat beside her and shut the door before turning and shuffling through the bags of food. He took one of the pizzas she’d bought then grabbed a couple of bottles of water.
“Not much of a first date, but…” He paused, shrugging his shoulders. “We could pretend.”
His grin melted through the layer of ice she’d managed to keep her heart encased in. He mattered. It