Page 14 of Wolf Cursed
I couldn’t even appreciate the pillow or blankets—a luxury compared to my previous life. Not considering how much everything hurt. Including my ears now, thanks to the noise.
As I came awake, the nightmare of the last couple of days trickled in again. Reality was a hard punch in the gut. My eyes welled with tears as the grief and loss hit me all over again. For a long time, I laid there and just let the tears come. This hole in my heart would probably never mend. But I had to focus on the future. No matter how badly I wanted to just go back and have one more moment. One more chance at goodbye.
But that was the past. This was my life now.
Slowly, I eased the pillow away and looked around my room.
It was small. Smaller than even the one I’d had in our last trailer. But it was well-kept and with better construction, so that was something. It was also on the second floor. Apparently, Oscar lived above his garage.
The twin bed he’d offered me had a comfortable mattress, and the bathroom was clean, which was more than I expected for a grouchy bachelor like Oscar.
After a hot shower, I’d dressed in a t-shirt and sweats Oscar had loaned me and fell into bed. My eyes had shut almost immediately. Right after I’d stuffed all my cash underneath the mattress. Cliché, yes, but it worked.
Now, I was aware enough to notice the dresser and mirror across from me. And the small bedside lamp. All of them looked newer and nicer than anything I’d left behind. It wasn’t the Ritz, but I didn’t care about that. It was warm and safe and clean. More than I could have hoped for.
I tried not to get excited though.
Oscar might have been generous last night, but who knew how long it would be before he changed his mind. A guy like that didn’t give anything for free.
The machine shut off again, and in the relative quiet, the sound of voices drifted up from the shop. All male. One of them sounded a lot like Kai. The tall-dark-and-asshole from last night.
And despite his threatening, angry demeanor, I couldn’t help the heart flutter I felt at the thought of seeing him again.
Ugh.
Why did I have to feel that forhim?
It's hormones, nothing more, I told myself.
Hell, if he wasn’t such an asshole, he would have been a great distraction from my own grief. But Kaiwasan asshole, and I wanted nothing to do with guys like that. I’d had my fair share and I was done.
So why did my heart constantly try to tell me otherwise?
In the middle of my internal argument, my stomach grumbled, forcing me to move. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten. Two days ago now? Three? I’d been too numb or too upset to eat much on the drive. And last night, I’d passed out before Oscar could even mention dinner.
Without a charger, my phone had died sometime in the night, so I had no idea what time it was. I left it on the nightstand and hobbled to the bathroom.
One look in the mirror, and I wasn’t sure Oscar would even recognize me as the same girl he’d let in last night. My face was more swollen and an even brighter shade of purple than before. Crying probably hadn’t helped, but mostly, it was the bruises. My cheek had a shine that glinted off the bathroom light where the skin had tightened and turned all sorts of crazy colors.
My hair was a hot mess, tangled and knotted after I’d slept on it wet. I poked around the cabinets and found a comb, putting it to work until I was slightly less “mountain woman” looking.
Then, I went in search of food.
The stairs let out in a back room just behind the front office. I stepped down from the last stair and froze at the sight of a strange guy. His shirt had the Twisted Throttle logo on it, and his name tag read Mick. He was poised to walk from the front office into the garage, but when he saw me, he stopped and stared. His expression morphed from surprise to horror when he saw my face.
You and me both, dude.
“Is Oscar here?” I asked.
“He ran an errand,” the guy grunted and then walked out like he couldn’t escape me fast enough.
“Wow, everyone’s so friendly,” I muttered.
But then I stepped into the main lobby area and froze. Kai stood behind the counter, staring down at some kind of spreadsheet.
“Maybe consider our lack of hospitality a sign that you shouldn’t be here,” he said without looking up.
“Trust me, as soon as I’m able to go, I’m gone,” I muttered.
