Page 82 of Hunted Innocence

She hurries around to the back of the car, and I start to pick up my bag, but before I can do anything, she’s got it hefted up and tossed into the trunk. She looks over at me, slamming it down, then laughs softly.

“C’mon. I don’t normally do Uber, but I needed some extra cash. You get the front seat.”

I don’t know what’s happening here. Admittedly, this is my first time doing the whole rideshare thing. Sinking down into the front seat, I watch as she sits down in the driver’s seat, slams the door, then shifts the car intoDrivebefore we’re off.

And off we are.

“Where are you going?” she demands.

I tell her the name of my hotel, something that Theron booked for me. She whistles, then shakes her head once, although I wish she wouldn’t move her head at all because she’s driving really fucking fast.

“My boss booked it for me. Is it fancy?”

“Way too rich for my blood,” she states. “But there’s a great club just down the street.”

I know there’s a club just down the street because Theron sent me a text while I was on the plane to tell me that the man I’m looking for has been at said club all day long and will be there this evening.

“Is there?” I ask, trying to sound surprised.

She jerks her chin in a nod, and before I realize what’s happening, we’re pulling into the entrance of the hotel. She turns toward me, smiling. “You decide you want to party while you’re here, let me know.”

I watch as she tugs a card out of her center console, then hands it to me before she’s out of the car and walking back to the trunk. Opening the passenger door, I slide the card into my back pocket, gripping my phone in my hand.

A bellhop walks out of the hotel and takes my bag from Lola. The only reason I know her name is from her card. Giving her a small wave, I thank her and scurry behind the bellhop into the safety of the hotel.

Maybe I’m not ready for this crazy plan, and maybe, just maybe, I shouldn’t have tried to make this plan come to fruition all by myself.

Checking into the hotel only takes a few moments, and then I am given a key card and the room number. I’m also told that my luggage will be brought up shortly. For someone who has only stayed at motels, this is quite the experience.

I don’t know what Theron was doing booking me in a place this opulent. It’s far too fancy for me, and I’m not sure how to act at all. I would be better at a cheap motel somewhere sketchy rather than this posh hotel in this fancy part of town.

Riding up the elevator car, I wonder how much over the top this place can get. The ornate wallpaper and carvings. It’s just over the top everywhere I look. When the doors slide open, I step out into the hallway, my feet sinking into the plush carpet. I smirk, looking left and then right down the long hall.

Gaudy gold frames surround every piece of artwork that lines the walls on each side. There is also a set of plush chairs every so many feet with a table between them in case someone needs to rest on the long journey from their rooms to the elevator.

It’s wild.

As I move down the hallway and look for the room numbers, I am blown away because each room has a doorbell and gold numbers affixed to the door as if it’s an apartment, not a hotel.

I am afraid to enter my room because if I mess something up, I’m pretty sure I will never be able to afford to fix it. Once I find my room, I reach for the door and insert the key card. I turn the handle, then slip inside, closing the door behind me.

The moment I step inside, I am taken aback. This isn’t simply a room. It is an actual apartment. Walking into the living room, I look to the left, and there is a full kitchen. In fact, I think it might be bigger than the one in my apartment. Then, past the kitchen, is a small dining room table.

Through the living room, there is a hallway opening, and I see a bedroom. Not just any bedroom, but one fit for someone of a much higher status than me, and definitely with a whole lot more money than I have.

It has a gold-and-light-blue comforter with decorative pillows that look so fluffy. And then there is a small sofa, a full dresser with a television, and my… luggage. My bags have already been delivered and have been placed beside the bed.

This is insane, and I’m afraid that a girl could get used to this kind of treatment. I’m afraid that Theron has set me up for failure because I’m not going to want to go back to work. But then I think about Grayson, about starting a real life with him, and I know it’s a lie—I would go back right this second if it meant we were going together.

Chapter Thirty-Six

NADINE

Looking downat Lola’s card, I flip it over to see the back, but it’s blank. The front, though, intrigues me. It’s a plain white card with a matte finish that feels almost like satin against my fingertips. The black writing also has a matte finish and is gorgeous. It’s simple and modern, but it’s anything but clean.

It makes me wonder if she does ride-sharing just to attract visitors from out of town to work for her. And by work, I meanwork.

She wants a hooker.

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