Page 22 of Own

“Two hours,” I repeated, folding my arms and tucking my chin down. Two hours, then I’d get back to work.

Chapter

Nine

GRACE

Our first morning in the hotel dawned gray, wet, and early. Goblin nuzzled at me, pawing the side of the bed. Everything hurt as I sat up and blinked slowly. When had I gone to bed? I hadn’t even remembered going to sleep.

Another soft plea from the puppy had me rubbing a hand over my face. “I’m coming,” I murmured. “Sorry.” After my shower, I’d put on clean clothes, t-shirt and leggings and I was still in them.

That was something. The half-light from the windows seemed muddy. Probably street lamps still. There was no clock in the bedroom. The light in the bathroom’s water closet was on. The dim illumination was more than enough to make my way from the bed, to the sitting room.

It seemed even darker in the sitting room, when I nailed my little toe on the corner ofsomething, I swore. “Mother. Fuck. Ing. Puss. Buckets. Shit. Damn.”

Each word fired off like a bullet as I tried to not scream. Holy shit that hurt. Bones rolled off the sofa and to his feet, a gun in one hand and a flashlight in the other. I barely had time to register him before the halo of light blinded me.

He swung the light from me to the door, then back. Still dazzled, I blinked as he lowered the weapon. It was hard to see anything now with a big white blur seared into the center of my eyesight.

Abruptly, the light dipped. “What happened?” The soft question in Bones’ gruff tone soothed more than it should have.

“I kicked the chair.” Sad fact, but true.

“Probably shouldn’t do that.” The deadpan response had me glaring at him, mostly so I wouldn’t laugh.

“Really? Captain Boy, that’s what you have for me?”

“I could have said maybe curse quieter next time unless you need me to shoot the chair. If the chair needs shooting, I’ll do it.” The offer startled me nearly as much as it entertained.

Maybe because he made it as he sounded serious about it, I shook my head. “Not the chair’s fault.”

“Right.” The light was on my foot now. “No blood.”

Goblin bumped against my leg, a not so subtle reminder as to what had gotten me up in the first place. “Good, I just need to get my shoes and his harness. Goblin wants to go out.”

“I’ll take him,” Bones said, and I blinked over at him. He was in boxers and very little else.

“You’re not dressed,” I told him, smothering a yawn. “I’ll take him down the stairs the way we did last night.” No elevators, because that meant the lobby. The stairs opened next to external doors away from the reception desk.

The location was about fire safety, but it also offered us privacy. Bones didn’t want anyone tracking us coming or going while we were here. A part of me was certain the only reason he’d chosen a hotel was me. They offered room service that could be delivered to the door and we never had to open it to them.

“You shouldn’t go out by yourself,” he said, the rustle of him pulling on his jeans followed me as I tracked down my shoes.Once I slipped them on, I lifted Goblin’s harness. He let me slide it on him without any argument.

I smothered another yawn, as I glanced back to find Bones dressed and ready before I finished snapping Goblin’s leash on. “Okay. Then come with. Can you grab me that hoodie?”

He brought it over and held it up so I could slide one arm, then the other in. I meant to hand him the leash so I could zip it up, but he did it. Then slid the hood up over my hair.

“Cute,” he said and I blinked.

Wait… had he just said cute?

But he didn’t give me time to ask before he opened the door and stepped out ahead of us. I struggled with another yawn, but followed him down the steps. It was definitely looking like a dreary day by the time we got downstairs.

Damp. Chilly. It seemed so utterly at odds with the past few days on the Riviera. We walked in a comfortable silence along the sleepy streets. There was a park not far from the hotel where we could let Goblin do his business.

One perk to Bones coming, he totally took care of cleaning up the poop. We were circling the far side of the park when the scents of fresh baked bread wafted out like on some cartoon cloud to wrap alluringly around me and tug.

My stomach registered its interest with a very noisy gurgle. Yeasty goodness and sugar twinned with the buttery notes to just make me hungrier. Not just bread, but pastries.

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