by Anya Nowlan
“How did you find me?”
River tensed up a bit at that.
“I can’t take all the credit. I had some help from a dead man.”
It all clicked into place for Kate as soon as the words left his mouth.
No.
“Richard,” she whispered, the sound of her voice almost swallowed up by the rain beating at the windows.
For a second, she felt some remorse about what River probably put the man through to get the information that led him to her. It was quickly replaced by a sense of grim regret. This was her fault and her fault alone.
I should have killed Richard when I had the chance. He fucked up one too many times and I let him get away with it. I’m in trouble because I showed mercy.
I won’t make that mistake twice.
Nine
River
“Is he dead?” Kate asked, her jaw tense.
“Yes,” River confirmed flatly, starting to have trouble seeing the road through his flooded windshield.
“Good.”
Kate’s tone was all ice, but River suspected there was more to the woman than she let most everyone see. The fact she let Richard live in the first place told him that much. And the way she put her life on the line to help Stone.
She wasn’t as cold as she wanted everyone to think she was.
The rain showed no signs of letting up and Kate kept fidgeting in her seat, looking uncomfortable. Keeping the car on the highway was becoming a hassle, especially when his senses were far more centered on the woman next to him than on the road.
And a little part of him wanted to make sure Kate was comfortable, too, as ridiculous as that sounded.
“I think we should stop for the night.”
“Do you now?” she remarked in response, voice dripping with distrust.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to try anything… unsavory,” River assured her.
He might be a coldblooded murderer, but even he had lines he didn’t cross. Not that he would mind a little taste of Kate, but that was most certainly off the table. Still, if the way she fought was any indication, she would undoubtedly show him the time of a lifetime.
His tiger grumbled deep in his chest, urging him to follow the fantasy building in his head. Kate’s laughter derailed that train of thought, though.
“You wouldn’t survive the attempt, buddy,” she said, trying to cross her arms but failing due to the restraints.
Kate pouted when she realized her mistake, starting down at the rope holding her wrists together as if it was somehow to blame for the clumsy gesture. River bit his cheek so as not to laugh. She might stab him in his sleep if he did. Not that she wasn’t probably already planning on it.
He spotted a sign for a motel through the downpour and pulled into the parking lot, as close to the entrance as he could. Kate held out her hands and pursed her lips.
“This might raise some eyebrows, don’t you think? A little too kinky for the average motel clerk.”
“You do realize we are caught in a storm in the middle of nowhere. Not only would you not get very far, I would not be happy if I had to run you down in this downpour.”
“I’m not stupid,” Kate scoffed. “I’ll behave.”
He couldn’t leave her in the car. She’d be gone with it, considering her skillset, by the time he got the room keys.
River sighed, not really convinced, but he pulled a knife out of his boot anyway and used it to cut through her bindings. She rubbed her wrists before pulling up her knees and angling her feet towards her. He was momentarily taken off guard as his eyes lazily travelled up the creamy skin of her legs.
“Do you expect me to hop inside or what?” Kate asked impatiently, wiggling her toes.
River released her feet as well and she reached back towards the backseat, grabbing her shoes and sliding them on, despite their bloody appearance. No one would notice, not in this weather.
They both peered out into the night, assessing the conditions outside. Looking from Kate’s flimsy outfit to the weather outside, River shrugged off his leather jacket and handed it to her.
Kate quirked her brow, considering him for a long while before accepting his gesture. She looked very skeptical, like the piece of clothing was going to bite her or something, but eventually put it on, pulling the collar over her head. They scurried inside, stepping through puddles and leaving the mostly empty parking lot behind.
River ran a hand through his wet hair as the door of the front office slammed shut behind them. Kate’s hair was only a bit damp, but the front of her dress was soaked. On the upside, the rain had washed away most of the blood from her shoes.
A bored-looking man in his late thirties looked up from his computer, assessing his new customers. His gaze stopped on Kate for a moment and that familiar spike of jealousy swam right through River again. It took some work to suppress the growl building in his chest.
“It’s really coming down out there, huh?” he asked, as if it wasn’t obvious.
The man’s nametag said ‘Jeremy’, and River immediately found him unpleasant. Probably because of the way Jeremy’s eyes still hungrily lingered on Kate, who was shivering slightly next to him.
“We need a room,” he announced brusquely, not wasting time with pleasantries.
River found himself worried about Kate, which was absolutely ridiculous, seeing as he wanted her dead just hours ago. They stepped closer to the front desk, leaving small pools in their wake, as Jeremy started typing.
“And for how many hours would you like the room?” he asked.
River’s brow furrowed as he processed the questions.
“What do you mean? I want a room for the night.”
Jeremy’s eyes moved to linger on Kate’s cleavage.
“You don’t have to put on airs for me, we get a lot of customers like you around here,” he commented, nearly drooling, while managing to look utterly bored at the same time.
Kate burst out laughing just as River was starting to put two and two together.
“He thinks I’m your entertainment for the night,” she explained in a stage-whisper.
“Look, with the way she’s dressed and how you stumbled in here in the middle of the night… I know how these things work,” Jeremy grinned, giving River a look that said that he should know exactly what the man was talking about.
River found himself irrationally angry. It was a reasonable enough of a conclusion to come to. But he didn’t like the implications. River Royce didn’t have to pay for company and even if Kate was a prostitute, the way the man was ogling her was still downright disgusting.
Jeremy refocused his attention on her, oblivious to River’s serious annoyance. Kate looked more amused than anything else as the man addressed her.
“After you’re done with this one, why don’t you get your sweet ass back here and you can show me a good time in one of the empty rooms?”
Something inside River snapped.
He grabbed Jeremy’s shoulder and pulled him stomach-first onto desk, sending some flyers and the guestbook flying to the ground.
“Ow,” the man protested through a wheeze, more shocked than anything.
River pressed his large palm onto the man’s head, smushing his face against the counter. He twisted Jeremy’s arm behind him, using all the control he had left in order to not break it.
His tiger roared, pissed off and looking to cause pain. His thoughts became hazy as his heat urged on his violent side as the worm of a man wriggled in his grasp.
“You need to watch your mouth, little man,” he snarled.
Kate gently tapped on his shoulder with one finger, adding a little fake cough for good measure.
“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” she asked, sounding like a mom who just found her kid face-deep in her secret stash of chocolate.
“Teaching Jeremy some manners,” he replied sternly, not lifting his gaze from Jeremy.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Jeremy blubbered, drool
ing on the counter. “I won’t do it again!”
“Yeah, thanks for defending my honor and all, but can we get to the room now? I need a hot shower.”
River sighed as he gave Jeremy’s arm one last twist, before releasing the man. He slid off the counter and onto the floor, too afraid to breathe.
“Key,” River stated flatly.
Wiping his mouth with his sleeve when he finally got back up, Jeremy looked utterly deflated as he fumbled for the closest key. Leaning on the counter, River met the man’s eyes and let an audible growl rumble in his throat.
“We’re not going to have any more problems, are we?” he asked, in case Jeremy was thinking about calling the authorities.
“No, of course not, everything is cool,” Jeremy responded, scrambling to place the room key on the counter.
Kate snatched it up, rolling her eyes as she turned and headed for the stairs. Seeing her climb the steps in that tight dress only intensified River’s growl, and none of the tension left his body.
You shouldn’t be getting worked up like this.
Sharing a room with her was going to be an interesting experience, and not just because she was probably going to try and kill him.
Ten
Kate
Okay, so he’s definitely unhinged, Kate thought, as River followed her up the stairs to their room.
What reason would River have to get so angry about a run-of-the-mill creep like Jeremy? None at all. But then again, crazy people didn’t need reasons for their insanity.
Kate found the door with the number matching that of the keychain and opened it, turning on the lights as she stepped inside.
The room was just like one would expect from a fleabag motel like this one. Garish colors, tired-looking bedding and dated wood paneling. At least there were two beds. That was a pleasant surprise.
River followed her inside as she looked around, wondering if staying at this place was somehow karma for the things she’d done in life. She kicked her wet shoes off with a sigh, before going to explore the bathroom. There was mud still between her toes from the fight in the parking lot that she couldn’t wait to wash off, along with the rest of this day.
A large hand on her arm stopped her short, though.
River’s palm was warm and rough on her skin, sending a small shiver down her spine that she did her best to hide. In a moment of madness, she imagined how his fingers might feel, trailing the edges of her body, before she snapped back to her senses.
“The key?” River asked, holding out a hand.
Kate batted her eyelashes at him, a picture of innocence as she handed it over.
“I was just about to give it to you.”
“Sure you were,” he replied with a knowing grin, letting her go a moment too late.
Kate felt a smile tugging at her lips. Even though her life was on the line, having a worthy opponent to play off of was kind of fun. Besides, her life had been in danger countless of times before this. After the first ten times, it becomes less exciting.
“I’m going to go take a shower now, with your permission, of course,” she said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Just let me check the room first,” he replied, brushing past her.
She waited, arms crossed over the wet front of her dress, sullen and cold. Except for her shoulder – where he had touched her. That part was toasty warm.
Focus.
There could have been something she could use as a weapon in the bathroom, but River was probably removing every potentially hazardous item right now. She could hear some clatters before he emerged again, gesturing her inside.
“You have ten minutes before I come join you,” he warned.
Kate knew the threat was just to get her to stick to the time limit, leave her with less of an opportunity to try and escape. Yet the thought of her and him together, naked under the hot streams of water sent a little shiver down her spine.
She knew from experience shifters could really show a girl a good time.
Pushing those thoughts away, she gave River a quick glare before entering the bathroom and shutting the door firmly behind her.
Looking in the mirror, she saw a disheveled woman with smudged mascara and wild hair, not to mention the state of her dress. Rolling around on the asphalt had left its marks.
Kate peeled off her clothes, giving them a good rinse and scrub in the sink before hanging them to dry. She bathed quickly, letting the warm water wash away the chill in her bones. She couldn’t waste time under the hot jets, no matter how much she wanted to.
Got to keep my eye on the prize.
Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped herself in a towel and grinned, as something occurred to her. She didn’t have any spare clothes, but that could actually work in her advantage. If he wanted to play games, she could play right along with him.
River was beginning to loudly count down from ten from the other side of the door as she walked out of the bathroom, holding the towel up with one hand and shaking out her hair with the other.
River was lounging on one of the beds, his mouth opening to say something to her, but he snapped it shut as soon as he saw her. His eyes widened a bit, but he didn’t comment on her state of undress.
“The bathroom is all yours. Don’t mind my clothes, I left them there to dry.”
“Like I’m going to let you out of my sight,” River scoffed.
“You’re going to have to sleep some time,” Kate replied with a little shrug, moving to sit on her bed, her back to him.
She let go of the towel and ran her fingers through her damp hair, resting at the nape of her neck. River was silent except for a soft little sound that sounded like something between a gulp and a cough.
Kate smiled to herself before crawling under the covers, pulling them up to her collarbones while leaving her arms out. She looked over to see River’s eyes glued to her, his body tense.
“You’re biding your time until that happens, aren’t you?” he asked after a while, regaining is composure. “Just to let you know, I’m a very light sleeper and I have great reflexes.”
Kate put on a heavy sigh as she gave him a disparaging look.
“We’re on the side of a highway, all I have are wet clothes and a purse you’ve probably already ransacked. We’ve established you’ll beat me in a fight so my only option would be to sneak out. But where would I go, naked and penniless?”
Kate hoped her resigned and defenseless act worked. Truth was, she had no problem running out of here in the nude. There was no room for shame or modesty when it came to survival, she’d learned that the hard way.
River stared at her for a couple of seconds, weighing her words.
“Be that as it may,” he said, making a show of closing his fist around the room key, “it’s better to be safe than sorry. And I bet you’d love to make me sorry.”
Kate groaned and flopped to her side, facing away from him. She expected him to leave it at that, already listening for the inevitable snores, but apparently he wasn’t done with the conversation.
River’s voice was a lot more serious when he spoke again.
“How did you get into this, being a hitwoman?”
She stared at the beige wall in front of her, not knowing what to say. Why was he even talking to her? And why did she feel like wanting to respond?
“I have a set of skills and I put them to use,” she finally replied.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Well, answer the same questions yourself and I’ll see what you meant.”
“I grew up in the mob. You may have heard of Dornan Royce. Well, he’s my father. This life is what he groomed me for. I tried avoiding the underground scene for a while, but it was no use. It’s in my blood, it’s what I’m meant for.”
Kate was taken aback by the frank answer. It wasn’t like mobsters to spill their guts unless someone stuck a knife in them. There was a twinge of something almost hopeless in River’s tone, but ultimately, it only served to make
her angry.
“I believe we make our own choices in life. There is no such thing as destiny or fate. There can’t be, not when…”
She stopped herself, feeling old emotions flood to the surface. This was not the time to get caught up in the past.
“You told me I chose to be a hitwoman. You’re right, I did. Just like you chose to be a mobster,” she finished, flicking off her bedside lamp as she did.
This conversation was over, as far as she was concerned.
River let out a grunt and his bed creaked under his weight as he turned his light off, too. Their room grew dark and silent as Kate kept staring at the wall, listening intently. No way in hell was she going to sleep. Her anger was keeping her alert and awake.
It took about an hour until River’s breathing grew deep and heavy, indicating he had fallen asleep.
Carefully, Kate turned under her blanket, jaw clenching at every little sound the old mattress made. Fortunately, River didn’t stir. With her eyes already used to the darkness, she could make out River’s frame spread out on the bed opposite her.
His wide chest fell and rose, calmly and rhythmically. She was pretty sure he wasn’t faking it, but the man definitely had a lot of tricks up his sleeves. He wouldn’t have survived this long in his business if he didn’t.
Sliding out from under the covers, Kate gently brought her feet down on the carpet. She couldn’t risk rummaging around in the bathroom and waking him, knowing how delicate shifter hearing was. So she tiptoed to River’s bed with excruciating slowness, keeping her steps as light as she could.
Her breath caught as he suddenly moved, rolling over to lie on his back. Kate resisted the urge to dart back to her bed, stepping closer instead.
River’s fingers twitched and uncurled from around the key, but she couldn’t help but study his face instead. He didn’t look peaceful at all, his brow furrowing even as he rested. He had taken off his shirt before going to bed, and as Kate reached out her hand for the key, she felt tempted to trace the hard outlines of his chest with her fingers instead.