Page 202 of Nightshade

Shrugging, he stuffed his hands into his pocket. “Wouldn’t be a first, would it, princess?”

“Let’s just get this over with, okay?”

“By the way, why the hell are we taking the stairs?” He pointed to his back. “Wings, remember? Big strong wings.”

“Fine.” I didn’t particularly care to be seen roaming around in my robe, anyway.

“Ever had sex in the air? It’s fun.”

“Don’t make me smack you, Remy.”

* * *

Remy touched down in a dark field behind the Shining Star Motel.

“I know this place,” I whispered. It was the motel in which Hines had told me Alicia Maxson was murdered. “Why here?”

“No idea. This was the place where he wanted to meet. He said to rent room six and wait for him there.”

The curiosity to know who’d set up the meeting with him tugged at me to the extent that I stalked across the field, leaving Remy to deal with his wings by himself.

“Hey, wait up!” he called after me, and I turned only briefly to find him rolling his shoulders back, bare chested from the waist up.

Having caught up to me, he swiped up my hand as we neared the building, and when I tried to wrench my arm free, he tightened his grip. “We’re supposed to look like we’re renting a room here. As in, to fuck. We should probably look like we want to fuck each other.”

I wrenched my arm free. “I absolutely don’t want to fuck you.”

“Really? Not even a little? I’m hurt, princess.”

“Quit. Calling. Me. That.”

“Oh, right. Gotta stay in character. Let me try that again. I’m hurt, my little whore.”

On a growl, I stormed ahead of him toward the rental office. As soon as I swung back the door, the bored-looking clerk perked up. When she eyed me up and down, I remembered that I was wearing nothing but a nightgown and the robe, which I promptly tied tighter.

Remy strode in after me, swiping up my hand once again. “Hi. We want a room to fuck in.”

Humiliation flared inside of me, and I dug my nails into his hand, once again trying to break free.

On a chuckle, the girl turned around to reach for one of the keys hanging on the wall behind her.

“Uh, room six, if that’s okay?”

“Had someone die in there recently. You okay with that?” Must’ve been the same room where Alicia had been found slaughtered. Gross that they still rented it out.

“Totally okay.” Remy lifted our clasped hands, where I’d drawn blood with my nails, and kissed the back of my palm. “My little vixen here has a gore kink, don’t you, baby?”

If I didn’t kill Remy myself after that, it’d be a miracle.

“Whatever floats your boat. We rent by the hour, so …”

Remy turned his attention back to the clerk and leaned into the counter. He twitched one of his arm muscles, snagging the girl’s attention, as her eyes darted there. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to rent the room for free, would you?”

Brows knitted together, she lifted her gaze to his, as if to cuss him out.

Then her eyes softened, and she appeared to be pleasantly … mesmerized?

“Yes, I think we can do that for you.” The husky tone of her voice left me frowning.