Page 49 of The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold
“I’ll sleep on the floor,” King said like it wasn’t even a debate. Not even a question.
“Fine. If you’re committed to the chivalry act. But just so you know, I’d rather share the world’s largest bed than be in the field with someone whose body isn’t operating at full capacity because they were too stubborn to get a good night’s sleep.”
She turned off the light and turned onto her side. The bathroom door opened and closed and then the shower turned on. She was almost asleep ten minutes later when she felt the bed dip.
“Just so you know,” he whispered, “the chivalry isn’t an act.”
The worst part was, she already knew it.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Present Day
The Island
Alex
It was the same bungalow. The same curtains. The same storm brewing outside—lightning on water and a hot, wet wind blowing off the sea. In a way, it felt almost like they’d never left. But in another...
Alex looked at the bed and didn’t even try not to gape. “Is that supposed to be...”
“I think so.”
In Alex’s defense, she’d never seen the female reproductive tract made out of rose petals before. Hopefully she’d never have to see it again.
King scanned for bugs while Alex took a shower. When she got out, he was already lying on a pallet on the floor. They’d shared the bed eight years ago, but that was then and this was—
“I’ll take the floor tomorrow night,” she told him, and he nodded, but his face was blank and the night was dark and the silence hung in the air like the rain. “What?”
“Nothing. I was just thinking... with any luck we’ll be gone by then.”
Alex crawled into bed. “Don’t be silly. When have we ever been lucky?”
In the darkness, with the blowing breeze and coming storm and animals calling through the night, it felt like an excellent question.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Eight Years Ago
The Island
Alex
Alex slept.
It shouldn’t have come as a surprise. The bed was big and soft and the sheets felt like satin and butter had a baby. The ocean breeze was still blowing through those gauzy curtains and, outside, the sun was starting to rise, breaking over the horizon in an explosion of color that made the sky look like a swirl of sherbet.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so rested. Like the part of her brain that was always worrying had finally turned off. Rebooted. There were no memory-hogging apps running in the background of her mind, and as she pushed herself upright and stretched, she felt almost... afraid. Like feeling good because none of your alarms have been triggered and then realizing that’s because the alarms are down.
She wasn’t sure what she was aware of first—the faint sounds of singing or the sight of the bathroom door opening in a cloud of steam.
Instantly, Alex reached for the gun under her pillow. She had it trained on the man in the towel before he had a chance to drop it.
“So this is what wakes you up,” King said, turning to the closet and pulling a pair of shorts off a hanger. His hair was wet and his chest was bare and Alex forgot to put her gun down. She had the sudden feeling she might just need it because the man on the other side of the room was a stranger.
“Sterling?” King said, loud enough to tell her that maybe he’dbeen saying it for a while now. “You gonna shoot me or can we get to work?”
“What?” She rubbed her eyes and looked out the window at the rising sun. “What time is it?”
