Chapter Six
Early the next morning Ryan and I trudged out of our houses, bags slung over our backs. The sun wasn’t even up yet and we were already being loaded into a work trailer. It was the kind of trailer a contractor might have to carry his tools around; it wasn’t fancy, but that was the point. They didn’t want anyone to figure out the cargo it held.
The trailer was backed into a barn and Damien turned to me, wrapping his arms around me for a moment and hugging me close.
“Stay safe, okay?”
“I’ll stay as safe as I can,” I murmured, running a hand through my hair.
He nodded and released me so I could get in the trailer. A small group of women had gathered and were sobbing and offering Ryan gifts for the trip. Some of the trashier ones even offered him copies of Playboy. I rolled my eyes but was silently thankful for the food they handed him.
Jealousy started to rear its ugly head, but I ignored it and settled on the floor, crossing my legs and leaning against the side of the trailer. I didn’t like getting up this early and I was thankful that it was going to be a long ride. I didn’t really have any intention of talking to Ryan, so I planned on sleeping.
I pulled my blanket out and put It over me, sighing softly, ignoring the stare Ryan was giving me.
“You’re just going to sleep?” he asked incredulously.
“Sure. What else would I do?” I murmured, closing my eyes.
He just shook his head and pulled a book out of his bag. I opened one eye to see what he was reading and my heart stuttered just a little. He was reading a book by one of my favorite authors, Joe Hill. Hmmm, at least he had good taste in books. Not that it mattered.
I dozed off shortly after we left. I didn’t dream. I never dreamed. Sleep was just a warm comforting silence, an escape from my day. When I was awake my brain was always going. It was always running laps around itself, and it seemed that there was always something on my mind. I was the type of person who fell asleep thinking and woke up thinking. It was a curse.
I slept the entire four and a half hours it took us to get to Gatlinburg. I woke up briefly once when we stopped for gas, but I fell back asleep right away. When I woke up for good, Ryan was standing over me, shaking me gently.
“Hey. Wake up,” he said.
I blinked at him, opening my eyes and staring into his face blearily. He was so beautiful and I actually found myself smiling a little. He cocked a brow at me.
“You alright? You have a creepy smile on your face.”
I sat up straight, quickly wiping the smile off my face. “No I don’t,” I answered quickly.
I grabbed my bag and started to stand up, but I moved too quickly and stumbled. I would have fallen flat on my face if Ryan hadn’t caught me. His arms were strong and it took every ounce of will in my body not to lean into his touch. I forced myself away from him and he frowned.
“Are you alright? You’re acting strange.”
“How would you know how I normally act?” I grunted, throwing my bag over my shoulder.
He frowned but followed me, opting to stay silent, which was probably the smart thing to do. The men who’d brought us here said their goodbyes and handed Ryan the keys to the cabin and the car that had been left for us. The cabin was a short walk up the hill and I started without him, tapping my foot as I waited at the door.
When Ryan opened the cabin door my jaw nearly hit the floor. I had been expecting something dank and dingy like an abandoned bunker or something. Instead we were greeted with a warm vacation home, complete with a fire place.
All of the furniture looked relatively new and very nice. There was a kitchen, and as I walked through the cabin I had the sudden urge to relax and actually enjoy myself, which surprised me more than a little. I thought I would feel guilty being up here having a good time.
Ryan set his bags down and looked around, whistling a little. “I didn’t really expect them to put us up in a place like this,” he admitted, looking around.
We started exploring the cabin and he followed me upstairs. My palms got a bit sweaty when I realized there was only one room. Ryan poked his head around and sighed. “Well. Looks like I’m sleeping on the couch.”
Something about him being a gentleman made my blood boil. I didn’t want to have any reason to like him. “It’s okay. I’ll sleep downstairs.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he murmured. “Those guys are after you. You’re more of a target if you’re downstairs. At least this way there’s a door between you and them. Gives you more time to prepare to fight.”
I was about to start arguing with him but he turned away and headed down the stairs, pulling his shirt off. The sight of his smooth, tanned, muscular back made me feel wet. I had to grab the door handle to stay on my feet. My eyes lingered on the simple black tribal tattoos that decorated his back and the scars from countless fights.
As he walked away from me, I knew right then that I wasn’t going to be able to able to keep it together long.