Chapter 5
5
Lorelei’s scent filled Vinnie’s SUV. She was in the seat behind him, next to Karli. Cade sat up front. And talked. Cade carried the entire conversation. Vinnie just tried to keep the vehicle between the lines on the road.
“Do you mind stopping sometime soon?” Lorelei asked, her voice small, anxious.
“Are you in pain?” Vinnie asked, not letting anyone else get a word in. He moved to the right lane. An exit was coming up.
“A little.”
Vinnie checked the clock on the dash. “You can have another pain pill in about five minutes. I’ll stop now and we can get you something to eat so you’re not taking it on an empty stomach.”
“Thank you.”
Cade went back to talking. He was trying to tell Lorelei all about their group of friends. The people they all spent time with in Niagara Falls.
Vinnie knew some of the names, and some of the situations, but he didn’t know most of the people. He was a little surprised when Cade mentioned Marcus Patrick. He was Vinnie’s mentor, a man he considered it an honor to know, and an even greater honor to have on his side.
Vinnie kept his mouth shut about knowing Marcus, not wanting to put the police captain in a situation where he wasn’t comfortable. If Cade and the others didn’t know Marcus and Vinnie knew each other, Vinnie wasn’t going to out the relationship.
Or the reason he met Marcus more than two decades ago and how Marcus saved Vinnie from a very different life.
Vinnie pulled off the interstate and found a fast food place. All four of them got out of the vehicle, Lorelei a little awkwardly.
“Are you okay?” Vinnie asked her.
She nodded. “Yeah, just sore. It’s not easy to keep my leg propped up, and it’s kind of tight with Karli there.”
“She insisted on coming with you.”
Lorelei nodded, forcing a smile that didn’t meet her eyes. She closed her eyes and took a breath. She let it out slowly, coughing at the end.
“Do you need to use your spirometer? How long has it been?” Vinnie moved to the back of the SUV and opened the hatch. Karli and Cade’s things were mixed with his bag and Lorelei’s luggage. He didn’t think to put Lorelei’s stuff on top, or to find out which bag had her pills and her medical supplies.
“I’m okay, Vinnie. I’m sorry I needed to stop.”
Karli stepped in before Vinnie could reply. “You’re the one we’re all here for. You don’t need to apologize. We don’t mind. If you need to stop every two hours, we will. If you need to stop every thirty minutes, we will. It’s all good.”
Vinnie nodded his agreement. He didn’t care if it took a week to make the seven-hour drive from Boston to Niagara Falls. He’d do whatever he needed to do to make sure Lorelei was comfortable.
“I hope I can make it longer with a painkiller. I should be okay,” Lorelei said.
Vinnie found the bag of her things from the hospital in the top of the duffle bag. He pulled it out, then zipped the duffle again. “We should keep this stuff up front. So she can use it when she needs to.”
“Good idea. I didn’t think about that before.” Karli nodded, then swung her gaze to Lorelei. “Let’s go use the bathroom and get food, then we’ll get back on the road.”
Lorelei nodded and followed Karli and Cade to the restaurant.
Vinnie trailed behind them, the bag of meds in his hand. Cade held the door for everyone to go in. The two women went to the bathroom first, and Cade pulled Vinnie aside.
“I don’t think we’re going to make it back today. Should we look for a hotel?” Cade asked.
Vinnie nodded. “Probably. We got a late start, and a road trip isn’t easy when you’re not injured.”
“Yeah. What I’m afraid of is she’s going to argue. She doesn’t like to be weak or incapable.”
“Are you asking if I’ll take the heat for it?”
Cade shrugged. “She isn’t likely to argue if you say you’re getting tired and want to stop for the day.”
Vinnie nodded. “I don’t mind doing that. Maybe another hour or two?”
“That’s probably good. Then we’re about halfway and can take our time going the rest of the way tomorrow.”
“Works for me. They’re coming. Something quick and we can grab dinner when we stop next?”
Cade reached for Karli and nodded at Vinnie’s question. “We’re thinking something small here and stop in an hour or two for dinner. You guys okay with that?”
“Perfect. You know I’m always up for something to eat,” Karli said, tilting her chin up for a kiss Cade didn’t hesitate to give her.
Twenty minutes later, they were back on the road. Cade continued his conversation, and Vinnie watched Lorelei in the rearview mirror.
By the time they stopped for dinner, Vinnie wasn’t having to make things up when he said he was exhausted and didn’t want to drive any longer.
“Don’t stop because of me,” Lorelei said, seeing through the ruse Cade tried to pull.
Vinnie shook his head. “It’s been a long few days. I think it’s good for all of us to get some sleep tonight and to start fresh in the morning.”
“I’m sorry,” Lorelei said.
“What are you sorry for?” Karli asked.
“Because you’ve all been worn out because of me. Coming out here. Driving back. Away from home and jobs and whatever else you have going on. Other people in your lives.” Lorelei didn’t meet his gaze when she spoke, and Vinnie wondered if she was trying to find out if he was single.
No. He couldn’t go there. He couldn’t think about it. He already crossed a line with her. He wouldn’t do it again.
“Well, we’re here for dinner. Let’s eat, then we can find a hotel,” Cade said.
They filed out and into a local restaurant that had great reviews online. The hostess led them to a booth, but Vinnie stepped in and asked for a table since Lorelei was on crutches and sliding into a booth wouldn’t be easy.
Cade and Karli sat on one side of the table, with Vinnie and Lorelei on the other side. He propped her crutches against the wall behind them, out of the way of the foot traffic, then made sure she was okay before he sat next to her.
He should have let her ride back with Cade and Karli. Then he’d already be home and away from the temptation that was Lorelei Sloane.
Their server came over and took drink orders, leaving them with a list of specials and a few recommendations to consider.
“I’m getting tired, too,” Karli said after they ordered dinner. “This was a good place to stop.”
“We need to see if there are hotels available,” Cade said, pulling out his phone. “Oh, the place we passed on the way here has space. How do we want to do this?”
It was the question Vinnie had been dreading since Cade mentioned stopping for the night.
“I wonder if they have a suite with a few rooms. Something where we could stay in the same space,” Karli suggested, looking at Cade’s phone with him. “What about this one?”
Cade tapped the screen, then nodded. “Yeah, that should work. Two bedrooms plus a living room and kitchen. I’m going to go ahead and book it so we can just go there and check in.”
Vinnie was partly grateful they didn’t ask his opinion and partly annoyed. Two bedrooms plus a living room. He didn’t have the money for a place like that, but he would figure it out.
Vinnie didn’t say much through dinner. He focused on his food and silently observed Lorelei. She seemed increasingly uncomfortable as they sat there, but he wasn’t sure if it was pain or something else. All he knew was he was ready to get the hell out of the restaurant by the time the check came.
“We got this,” Cade said, grabbing the check before Vinnie or Lorelei could object.
“You don’t have to do that,” Vinnie argued.
“You’re driving your own vehicle and taking us back. The least we can do is cover your expenses on the way,” Cade told him without looking up from his wallet. “That means we’re paying for the hotel, too.”
“No. I can’t accept that.” Vinnie was not a charity case. Not anymore. He paid his own way. He didn’t rely on others to support him.
Karli reached over and grabbed his hand. Vinnie looked at her and saw all the emotions she’d kept hidden for days. “When Lorelei went missing, I knew something was wrong. It wasn’t like her to disappear. But I don’t have the skills to do anything about it. I’m an art therapist, not an investigator or anything like that. I barely slept. I was borderline insane.” Karli drew a breath and let it out, her emotions spilling over and a tear racing down her cheek. “When we heard you found her, I nearly collapsed with relief, even though she wasn’t okay. She was alive. And that’s because of you. It doesn’t matter to me that Lorelei doesn’t know who I am, I love her. She was my best friend when we were little. Life took us in different directions and we haven’t been as close in the last few years, but she’s family. Losing her was unimaginable. And because of you, it wasn’t a reality. So, us paying for a few meals for you and a hotel room for all of us to stay in and your gas and whatever else is not charity. It’s gratitude. It’s not much in the big picture, but it’s us saying thank you for not giving up on her and for doing what you did and bringing her back to us.”
“And if you ever need anything, we hope you’ll think to call and ask us because this isn’t enough. There’s no limit,” Cade added.
Vinnie wanted to argue, but he understood it. He’d felt that same level of gratitude before. He still did. It was something that never went away. Something you never lost. When someone changed your life, you never forgot it. “I’m happy I arrived when I did.”
“So are we. Now, no more arguing, we’re paying. Cade’s good for it,” Karli teased.
Cade just shrugged. “Business is good.”
Vinnie had never been on the receiving end of gratitude, but it felt good. Even better knowing Lorelei was safe, and he’d never let anything happen to her again.
Lorelei looked at her cousin differently after Karli’s declaration. To hear the emotion in her voice, and to see it, told Lorelei her relationship with Karli was another thing she wanted to change. Karli and Cade dropped everything to be there for Lorelei. They stayed, they were riding back with her instead of flying, and they were paying for everything.
Lorelei never considered the cost of their trip until that moment. She had no idea if she had money or credit cards somewhere, or where her handbag was or anything. She was just rolling through life without a thought to how she was going to pay for things.
Or a thought to what her disappearance did to the people who cared about her. Karli told Lorelei her parents had passed years ago, explaining why no one arrived saying they were her parents, but there was other family. Karli asked them all to give Lorelei time and space, but Karli didn’t stay away. She pushed aside her fears and pain and sat by Lorelei’s bed every day, helping her change and eat and use the bathroom and do everything.
It was a level of safe Lorelei needed. A level she only felt with Vinnie.
Vinnie.
Lorelei looked at the man next to her and wondered what drove him to find her. There were others looking for her. Karli said someone had checked her apartment the day after she disappeared. But Vinnie didn’t give up. He kept searching. And he found her.
Vinnie didn’t say much through dinner, only responding when someone asked him a question directly. After dinner, he drove them back to the hotel. Cade went inside to check them in while Karli helped Lorelei out of the SUV and Vinnie collected their luggage.
Cade came out with two keys and handed one to Vinnie, then picked up half the luggage. He led the way inside, past the desk to the elevator to the right of the lobby.
The suite Cade booked was huge. Each of the two bedrooms had a king bed and a private bathroom. The living room, kitchen, and dining room were all part of one open space. A balcony looked onto the Hudson River.
Lorelei was drawn to the balcony and the view. She pushed open the door and let the warm evening air wash around her as she hobbled outside. The noise of the city and the voices inside the room faded away as Lorelei stared at the water.
Why was she drawn to it? Why did she want to see it? She tried to figure out if there was anything familiar about it, but her mind was maddeningly blank.
“Are you tired?” Karli asked, joining her on the balcony. “It’s beautiful out here.”
Lorelei nodded. “Yeah. Um, I’m okay. I’m starting to hurt a little so I’ll probably stay up until I can take another pill, then try to sleep. I wish I could shower.”
“Maybe we can tie a bag around your cast?” Karli suggested.
“That’s what Dr. Jones said.”
“Want me to find something? I’m sure the kitchen has something. Maybe a trash bag?”
Lorelei nodded. “Thank you.”
Karli turned to go back inside, but Lorelei grabbed her hand.
“And thank you for being here for me. Paying for all of this. Giving up your time and being away from work and everything. I know I don’t remember you, but I know all of that is huge. And it means a lot to me.”
“You would have done the same for me. You did when I was missing. You came to find out what was going on, and you stayed. You were chasing a lead on who’s behind all the shit that’s been going on when you disappeared.”
Lorelei sucked in a breath. Something was trying to break through. A memory or a thought or something.
But just as quickly as it snuck up on her, it vanished.
“Did you remember something?” Karli asked.
Lorelei shook her head. “Something was there, but I… no. I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry? You can’t control it.”
Lorelei smiled at her cousin, knowing it was true even though she wanted to control it. She wanted to tell her brain to come back. To remember. To be her again.
“I’ll go look for a bag and some tape. Then you can shower.”
Lorelei nodded, turning back to the view. Lights flashed in the distance. Cars raced by on the street below. The bellow of a boat echoed all around. Something was familiar, but Lorelei didn’t know what.
Karli came back a minute later with a trash bag and a roll of tape. The two of them went to the bathroom in the room where Lorelei’s things were.
“How do you want to do this? Do you think you can get your clothes off around the bag?”
Lorelei looked down at her cast and knew the answer was no. “Maybe I can take off my underwear and put my shorts back on, then it’ll be easier so I don’t mess up the tape.”
“I was thinking the same. Let me know when you’re ready for me to come back in.”
Karli left Lorelei alone to change, which Lorelei did as quickly as she could. She was sweating by the time she called Karli back in, unable to take care of her top and bra on her own.
“I hate that you’re in this much pain,” Karli whispered.
“I’ll heal. I’m alive and have the opportunity to.”
“Thanks to Vinnie.”
“Yeah.”
Karli bagged and taped up Lorelei’s cast. Karli started the shower and helped Lorelei get her bra off before leaving the bathroom so Lorelei had some privacy to finish undressing and take her shower.
Lorelei used her crutches to get close enough to the shower to use the bars on the wall. She put her back to the water and hopped into the shower, doing her best to keep her cast out of the direct stream. The handicap bar on the wall allowed her to keep her balance while the water ran over her body and soothed some of the aches she had.
The longer she stood there, the more tired she felt. The day took more out of her than she realized. Days stuck in a hospital bed meant she didn’t do much. Her energy levels were low, but she wasn’t putting out any either. Sitting in a vehicle wasn’t taxing, but it was more than she’d been doing.
And she was worn out.
Lorelei washed herself and used the shampoo Karli gave her to clean her hair. When she was done, she turned off the water and Karli came back in.
“Do you have your towel?”
“No. I can’t reach it.”
“I’ll grab it and bring it over. I should have thought of that before. Sorry.”
“We’re figuring this out together.”
Karli chuckled and draped the towel over Lorelei’s back. Karli helped Lorelei move away from the water on the floor and dry off. “I found some clothes that should be okay for you to sleep in. Do you want to go to the bedroom and get dressed?”
Lorelei nodded and yawned. She wrapped the towel around her body and used her crutches to move to the bedroom. Karli used another towel to dry the bag, then removed it from Lorelei’s leg before helping her into her clothes.
When she was dressed, Lorelei swung her feet up onto the mattress. She winced when she tightened her muscles and her ankle let her know she was still injured. Six to eight weeks in a cast was going to be tough. “How in the hell am I going to do this for two months?”
“It’ll get easier. And I’ll come over every day to help you. Or you can live with Cade and me. That offer will always be open.”
“I know.” Lorelei felt guilty for choosing to live with Vinnie instead of her cousin. Especially after what Karli said at dinner.
“I need to stop trying to talk you out of staying with Vinnie. I apologize. You feel a connection to him. Aside from the obvious attraction, you trust him. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m not going anywhere. And I’m thankful he’s willing to stick around and make sure you feel safe.”
“Me, too.” Lorelei chewed on her lip. “Is it weird he’s the only one I feel completely safe with?”
“No. Not at all. You’ve been through something traumatic, and your brain is protecting you. Vinnie is a good man.”
“Okay.” Lorelei’s eyes were closing.
“Do you want your painkiller?”
“Yeah. I almost forgot.” Lorelei made a move to get up, but Karli told her she’d bring it in.
Karli came back with one pill only. “I don’t want you to get up during the night and forget you took it, so the rest are out in the kitchen.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Get some sleep.”
Lorelei nodded, falling asleep before she could ask where Vinnie was going to sleep, and if he would stay with her.