45. Ellie
Chapter forty-five
Ellie
Every mile we put between ourselves and Starlight Valley calms my anxiety. I love our town and always thought it would feel like the best place to be. I’m sure it will feel that way again, there’s just too much at stake now.
“This is nice,” I say as Hunter and I step into our hotel room with Audrey and our few bags.
He raises his eyebrows at me. Nice is a stretch, but at least it looks clean.
We made the mistake of stopping at another hotel twenty miles ago. As soon as we stepped into that room, Hunter turned around and said he was going to get us a refund.
This room has that artificially fresh scent I like to avoid, but it looks clean, and we are exhausted. We only plan to stay here for the night, so it will do just fine.
Audrey fusses in her car seat, so I pull the blankets down to make space for me to sit on one of the beds and grab the nursing pillow. Hunter brings her to me, leaning down to kiss us both on the head once she’s in my arms.
Oh, this man just makes me giddy. It’s almost enough to make me forget the reason we’re here in the first place.
Almost.
“What are you in the mood for, Ells? I’ll order some dinner.” Hunter sits at the desk and pulls out his phone.
“Chinese?” I suggest. “Or if that’s not nearby, a burger sounds good.”
While Hunter’s looking at options, I remember one of the last times I was in a hotel room.
I’d gone on a business trip with Dylan. Practically begged him to go.
I’d never been to Chicago. And I still don’t feel like I’ve been.
I went to one dinner with him while we were there.
Otherwise, I stayed in the hotel room while he took care of whatever he was taking care of.
Again, I begged him to let me go with him.
Told him I wouldn’t be in the way. I just wanted to go out and do anything around the city.
He denied me and then scared me to death that I was gonna get murdered if I went out into the city alone.
That trip was the first time I started questioning my relationship with Dylan. I’d say I wish I had left him then and there, but I wouldn’t have Audrey if that were the case.
“There’s a Chinese place, and it’s got pretty good reviews. What do you want?”
He looks at me with such love in his eyes—like sitting in a random hotel ordering Chinese with me is the height of wonderful. He couldn’t be more opposite of Dylan if he tried.
“I love you so much. And I will never be able to accurately express the gratitude I have in my heart with words.”
“I didn’t know you liked Chinese food so much,” he jokes.
“Hunter!” A small laugh bubbles out of me and I feel myself lighten.
He stands and comes to sit on the bed in front of me and Audrey.
He wraps an arm around us, then cups my face in his hand and kisses me.
It hits me all over again that this is real.
He loves me, and it’s not the kind of love I thought we’d always had.
It seems like it would be weird to go from that to romantic love, but it really isn’t.
“I love you too, Ellie. You and Audrey are the air in my lungs. And I’m so glad you finally realized what was right in front of you.” Hunter grins and I laugh.
And it feels so good.
I peer around the wall into the hallway, making sure the coast is clear. Behind me, the ice machine drops a bunch of freshly made ice, making me jump.
When I volunteered to go get the ice, I didn’t realize how being thirty feet from the room, from Hunter, would make me feel. Is this my life now? Always looking over my shoulder. Wondering if Dylan is going to appear and try to hurt us or take Audrey.
Hunter assured me it wouldn’t be. It won’t be.
I take a deep breath and straighten. This is insane. I check the hall and walk unafraid—sort of—back to our room.
“So what’s our plan to rid us of Dylan?” I say once I’m inside.
I sit on the edge of the bed near where Hunter sits in the desk chair by the remnants of our breakfast. He picks up a very sad-looking sausage link and drops it back onto the plate.
“Well, first we’re gonna get to the safe house. I just got a message that it’s ready for us. It’s just fifteen minutes from here.”
“Good. Have you heard any more from Connor? Is there a plan?”
“He actually went over to Dylan’s company last night to look around since Dylan was otherwise occupied.” He grins at me, and I’m so thankful he is so good at putting me at ease.
“So is there gonna be a sting? Are you gonna catch him red-handed?” I gasp. “It just dawned on me. Red-handed,” I say, then add in a whisper, “Is that because of blood on a murderer's hands?”
“I’ve never thought about that. I guess.” He shrugs. “They’re actually working on setting something up. We hope to take care of it sooner rather than later.”
My whole body stills, even the air in my lungs. “We? So you’re going?”
“Yes. I need to see this through.”
“Can I go?”
“No.” He’s suddenly all business. “This is not me being controlling or discounting your wants. This is entirely about your safety. We’re all highly trained, and the fact is, we don’t know exactly what we’ll find.
If we’re right about our suspicions and they’re smuggling weapons, they will be armed and very dangerous. ”
I feel my bottom lip wobble. I no longer want to go, but I don’t want him to go either.
“I’m sorry, Ells.”
“Do you have to go?” I blink rapidly to try to keep the tears at bay.
“Connor and his crew are doing this as a favor to me,” he says, taking my hand. “I can’t ask anything of them I’m not willing to do myself.”