The Vow (Black Arrowhead #1) - Dannika Dark Page 0,22
food.”
Before I knew what was happening, Lakota was behind me, holding my hair back with one hand. But by then I was done and just needed a minute to collect myself. He must have sensed that and let go. My hair curtained my face, allowing no breeze to offer me any relief.
When I finally stood up and turned around, my jaw slackened. Lakota had ditched me and was getting into the Jeep.
It wasn’t until he tapped the horn that I knew I wanted to slap him.
Chapter 5
As soon as we arrived at a cheap motel, I went to the main office, checked in, and headed straight to my room. After the scenic stop on mile marker fifty, I felt remarkably better but still not back to my old self. What I needed was to sleep and recharge. I would have liked to shift, but since that wasn’t an option, I filled the sink with hot water, submerged my tank top and socks, then crawled into bed and wrapped myself in a cocoon.
Though I was tired, my mind wouldn’t stop racing. If only Shikoba had given us a chance—a trial period to prove we could work together. I didn’t have the courage to tell Hope that the real reason she wasn’t getting the best gemstone dealer in North America was because of me. I hadn’t just failed to secure a deal—I’d failed my best friend.
When my phone rang, I groaned beneath the covers. It had to be Hope. I could just let it ring, but then she would worry. What am I going to say? Our store was opening in a week, and if she didn’t have any luck with the other two guys, we were screwed.
I squirmed out of my cocoon and answered. “Hello?”
“Mel, I’ve been trying to reach you,” Hope said, her voice shaky. “Are you all right?”
I kicked the covers away. “I got food poisoning from the worst roadside burger in history. How was your day?”
“I had lunch with the dealer. We never made it back to his place.”
I snorted. “Didn’t get lucky?”
“Don’t be silly. We sat inside a Mexican restaurant at the River Walk. It’s so hot down here. The fans were blowing, but it didn’t help.”
After putting the phone on speaker, I rested it on my stomach. “You should have come up here instead. You would have gotten to enjoy a nice electrical storm and a rain shower.”
“Maybe the fates are trying to tell us something,” she said absently. “I cut the meeting short because I didn’t get a good vibe from the man. Maybe he has a good reputation with some people, but he’s hiding something. There’s a mark on his character I couldn’t put my finger on. Some of his answers were evasive, and others were chosen with fastidious care.”
I stayed quiet, praying she’d continue.
“Mel? Do you have good news to share?”
The hopefulness in her voice about killed me, and I shielded my eyes. “I’m staying overnight, and I plan to talk to him again in the morning.”
“Again? Oh, Mel. What happened?”
When the door suddenly opened, my entire body jolted as if hit with an electric shock. The phone flipped onto the bed, and I immediately pressed my hands over my black bra.
“Melody?” Hope called out. “Did I lose you?”
Lakota pressed his index finger against his lips and quietly closed the door. When he turned to secure the drapes, I grabbed the phone.
“I’m here. Don’t worry if you can’t reach me. The connection up here sucks. I’ll call you when I have news.”
“All right then. As long as you’re okay. I’ll be heading up to Waco tomorrow and will give you an update then.”
Just as soon as the words left her mouth, Lakota jerked his chin at me, fire dancing in his eyes. Alone? he mouthed.
“Talk soon.” I quickly ended the call and set the phone on the nightstand. “It’s a business trip. Unlike me, she’s in the company of civilized people.”
He stalked toward the bed and crawled onto it, planting a fist on either side of me and pinning me with his gaze. His brown hair fell forward, framing his face, and the ends were damp and clumped together.
“You smell like rain,” I said, forgetting to put the filter between my innermost thoughts and my mouth.
Lakota’s hair had grown since I’d last seen him. He was bent down low enough that it tickled my face as I stared into his narrowing eyes.