Page 76 of Shattered By the Currents

He waited until her breaths were deep and even. He knew the exact moment she was asleep enough that she wouldn’t wake. Only then did he slip out from beneath her and pull his clothes on. He wasn’t leaving. Hell no. If she was here, so was he.

But he did need to do a perimeter check.

If it was up to him, he’d have taken her home that night. But she’d barely been able to keep her eyes open in the shower. She needed sleep.

Once he found her room key, he holstered his Glock and slipped outside.

The guys who’d seen him break in were now gone.

Slowly, he walked down the block of rooms on the ground floor, inspecting the building. There was a second story, the door to every room facing the walkway that ran directly above him. When he reached the office at the end of the building, the manager was watching football and eating a burger.

Connor was scanning the parking lot when he saw it.

A black Jeep Compass.

A man’s outline inside the car was barely visible in the dark. The car was parked on the farther outside edge of the small lot, directly in line with Raven’s room, giving him the perfect view.

Son of a bitch.

Instead of walking directly toward it, he moved around the outside of the lot. Inching around other cars.

But the second he reached the rear of the car, the engine started and the guy took off, leaving the parking lot.

Son of a bitch.

How long had Xander been there? How had he even known Raven was at the motel?

His muscles were tight when he returned to the room.

Silently, he stepped inside and locked the door. Once he’d stripped, he set the Glock on the bedside table and slipped back beneath the sheets.

Even though Raven was asleep, it was like she sensed his closeness. She inched into his side and lay her cheek on his chest, a sigh humming from her throat.

He curved an arm around her and kept her close. He’d allow himself to get a couple hours of sleep, but only because he knew that if someone tried to get in, at the first fucking sound of an intruder, he’d wake. And the fucker would regret setting foot in this room.

18

Connor stroked a hand up Raven’s arms and shoulder, absorbing every hum and soft skitter of breath that whispered from her lips.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been awake. Just that he’d stirred to find her cheek lying over his heart and her leg strung over his thigh, and he hadn’t been able to sleep again. Hell, he’d barely been able to move. He’d just held her. Stroked her. Listened to make sure there were no unwelcome intruders approaching the room.

Luckily, the only sounds from outside had been the wind through the trees and a couple of car engines.

Finally, Raven’s breathing shifted from long, even draws to shorter, quiet ones.

There was a stretch of silence.

His lips twitched. Was she pretending to still be asleep?

“Morning, Raven.”

She jumped and looked up. “Hi. Hey.”

Her rosy cheeks and half-open mouth had him biting back a chuckle. “Did you sleep well?”

“I think you know the answer to that. I didn’t wake once.”

“Good. We should make an agreement…no more running.”