Page 75 of The Strike Zone

“If they’re not, I’m having another word with the travel team.” Tanner huffed.

I was saved from having to answer by the bell dinging to announce our floor. “Fucking finally.”

Checking the signs outside the elevator for which direction we needed to head, I took off to the left without bothering to look back.

“Night, dudes. See youmañana.”

I could hear Tanner mumbling about joining rooms as he turned right and walked away.

It was impossible to stifle my yawn as I passed each door, checking the numbers until I found mine. I was so focused on getting in and collapsing on my bed, that I didn’t immediately notice a small, person-sized lump slumped on the floor at the end of the corridor. But as I got closer, it became very clear that there was indeed a person sitting on the floor, knees pulled into her chest.

One more step and I realized that this person wasmyperson.

Tiredness whooshed so quickly from my body that I almost saw it flying back the way I’d come, while a million questions whirled around in my brain—mostly, was I really this lucky that Scout was waiting for me? Because if so, screw sleep.

Although it looked like shewasasleep.

“Scout?”

Blue eyes flew open to meet mine, and she let out a yawn wide enough I had to stifle my own. “Parker?”

I stopped in front of her, holding my hand out for her to stand up. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m waiting for housekeeping. What are you doing here?”

Glancing at the door she’d been sitting against, I spotted the numbers 6248. “This is your room?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

I spun to the door behind us. Sixty-two forty-nine.

Holy shit.

This waswaybetter than being next to Tanner. If he’d been in this room, I’d currently be having a conversation about what time we’d kick up the PlayStation. Or at the very least, ignoring him while he talked about PlayStation.

The Lions travel gods must have been shining on me.

I glanced once more at my key card just to double-check I wasn’t imagining things. Nope. I was correct. For the next three nights, Scout and I had adjoining rooms.

“I’m next door to you.” I grinned. “But what are you doing out here? Doesn’t your key work?”

She nodded, her shoulder dropping with a loud sigh. Not exactly the response I was expecting after delivering the best news ever. “Yeah, it works.”

“Then why are you sitting outside?”

“There’s a bird in there.”

“A what?”

“A bird. Or was, I dunno now.”

“There’s a bird in your room?”

She nodded and rubbed her eyes. “Yup.”

My focus flicked to the door and back to her. “I know it’s three a.m., but could you rewind a little?”

“When I got to my room, someone…housekeeping…I dunno, had left the balcony door open. And there was a bird sitting on the bed. A massive bird.”

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