Chapter Twelve
Emily stared at the blank screen on the phone as she fought a new round of tears. Fear drowned her and she struggled to breathe, to think, to do anything.
“Talk to me, Emily,” Matt said.
She sniffled and squeezed her eyes shut. Moisture ran down her cheeks. “He hung up on me.” She took a quivering breath. “He said Steven had shown up at the hotel.”
“What hotel?”
“He didn’t tell me.” She wiped her face and swallowed. “I asked several times and he wouldn’t tell me.”
Her head ached fiercely and her eyes wanted to stay closed. They burned from crying and needed rest. Making her feel worse, nausea swam within her. She had to calm herself. She couldn’t break down in a fit of sorrow or rage. And she didn’t want to puke either. She had to be strong for the baby. She could do it. Couldn’t she?
She sniffled and then cleared her throat. “He wants us to gather everything from the suite and meet him in Baltimore. There’s a hotel we spent one night at before. He said he will get a cab to take him there.”
She tried to steady her breathing, but her stuffed-up nose wasn’t cooperating.
“I realize how much you want to help him, but if his plan is for us to meet him in Baltimore, then he’ll be there,” Matt said. “He’s doing what he thinks is best to keep you and the baby safe.”
Emily understood Andrew’s plan. She knew the importance of protecting the baby in her womb. But she loved Andrew and longed to help him as she had so many times since they’d met. It was in her blood to do something, to fight. They were a team. She wasn’t ready to let go of him yet.
“There’s only one way he can stop Steven. And even if Andrew kills him, heaven will return Steven,” she said before she sniffled.
“How soon will he return?”
“We don’t know, but Andrew thinks we will have enough time to get away.” She took a napkin from the glove box and then wiped her nose.
“Are you afraid he won’t be able to kill Steven?”
“Of course I am.”
“He’s killed others.”
“They housed demons. It was different.”
“He’ll do it. To protect you, he’ll be able to do it.”
“Well, if he doesn’t, he won’t meet us in Baltimore. Steven will kill him and he’ll go back to heaven.”
The thought made her want to cry more. She closed her eyes, hoping it would help ease her discomfort. With her elbow on the side of the door, she propped her head up. The throbbing in her skull fueled her nausea. If she didn’t calm herself soon, she would spew.
“How are you feeling?” Matt asked.
“Not good. I need to rest.”
She tried to shut off her thoughts and listen to the sound of the tires on the interstate. Of course, she couldn’t.
“I’d like to know how Steven found us,” she said.
“Andrew told me you were booking hotels under your alias.”
“I have been, yes.”
“Maybe someone figured that out and started sending your information to Steven.”
“Maybe.”
“Well, I’m glad Andrew showed me a picture of him.”
Emily lifted her head and faced him. “When did you notice him?”
Matt shook his head as he stared forward. “I thought I’d seen him earlier in Rockville, but when I went to check, I didn’t see him. The Square was very crowded, so I figured it was someone who looked like him. But then when we were heading to the church from the concert I noticed someone on a motorcycle behind us.”
“It’s pretty cold to be riding a bike.”
“Exactly. I lost track of it while Andrew was parking.”
“If Steven found Andrew in Rockville, then I bet he knows where we were staying. He had to in order to track us to DC. He had to be watching during dinner. Maybe we lost him when we went to the concert, but somehow he found us on the way out.”
“Well, there was only one main exit in the front. If he did find us, he could’ve gotten on his bike and waited for us to leave the garage. Again, there was one main exit.”
“And he knows we drive a Jeep. He probably knows the plate number.” She shook her head. “Fuck, he could’ve done everything you said. But I don’t understand why he didn’t make a move sooner. Why wait until we’re in a church attending mass on Christmas Eve?”
“Maybe he hadn’t planned to do anything yet. He was sitting in the back and watching. I don’t know if he noticed me or not. He never looked my way. Maybe when Andrew sent you off with me, he decided it was time.”
Emily sighed as she leaned sideways and put her head on the window. “Bottom line, he found us.”
“From now on, I think you should book hotels in my name.”
“That’s fine. We can still pay from my online account.” She closed her eyes.
“Try to rest. We’ll be there in fifteen minutes. I can get everything loaded into the car.”
“No, wake me, please. I need to use the bathroom.” It was a fib, but she needed to make sure he’d let her know when they arrived at the hotel.
“Okay, I’ll wake you, but you should rest.”
She gave a nod and tried to focus on the sound of the Jeep on the road. It was soft and steady and didn’t strengthen the throb in her head.
Flashbacks of their night surfaced in her mind. They’d laughed at dinner and shared memories together. They’d rocked at the concert and even danced a little. In church, they’d taken the holy sacrament together. Andrew had made her so happy. The night had been one of the best.
“Emily?”
She felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Emily, wake up. We’re here,” Matt said.
She opened her eyes and lifted her head. The Jeep sat idle in front of the hotel in Rockville. She soon realized she’d dozed off reminiscing the good time they’d had in DC. With a deep breath, she unbuckled the seatbelt.
Matt strode around the car. He opened her door and helped her out.
“I guess I fell asleep,” she said.
“You look like you need more.”
“Thanks. Love you, too.”
He chuckled.
Together they walked into the hotel. The bright lights almost blinded her. She kept her head at a slight downward angle as they passed the male attendant standing at the check in desk to her left. Since she felt like shit and probably looked the same, she hoped to avoid any attention or questions. Gaze lowered, she stayed close to Matt and followed his lead to the elevators. Following a short pause when he pressed the call button, one of the elevators chimed and the doors parted.
Emily leaned against the wall and closed her burning eyes.
“You really need to lay down in the car and get some sleep,” Matt said.
She straightened and opened her lids. “I will.”
The nap had soothed her throbbing headache, but the churning in her stomach seemed stronger. Emily knew how far she could push her body and right now she was running on fumes. But she had to get the gifts and make sure she didn’t leave anything personal behind. She estimated twenty minutes would be enough time to gather everything.
She followed Matt out of the elevator and to the suite. Her steps were slow as she dug the keycard from her pocket. Reaching the door, she slid the card into the slot. When the green light flashed, Matt pushed the door open for her.
She flipped on the light switch. "I’ll need your help as soon as you’re done packing your belongings." She headed to the bedroom.
“I won’t be long. Don’t lift anything heavy.”
Emily turned the light on past the door. Her laptop and purse sat on the bench in front of the bed. She grabbed her bag and continued toward the nightstand. A small custom-wrapped present with a red ribbon sat next to the box she’d wrapped for Andrew. They’d planned to exchange their gifts before going to bed.
Guilt began to weigh heavily upon her and she had to sit on the bed. She couldn’t help but feel responsible for the situation they were in. She’d wanted to spend as much time as she could with Andrew so they’d put off going to Texas. Instead of being selfish, she should’ve encouraged him to go after the demon named on his arm. But no, they’d moved around in search of a home for her and the baby. And now, the enforcer had returned and Andrew had to face him. If they’d pursued the demon, Andrew would be with her and they wouldn’t have run into trouble with Steven. They would’ve been able to fully enjoy his last Christmas on Earth.
A touch of fear snaked through her. What if she never saw him again? What if he never got to open his present?
No, she couldn’t think such grim thoughts. She had to have faith he would take care of Steven and meet her in Baltimore. Because he loved her so much, she knew he would fight as hard as he could to get back to her. She couldn’t allow fear to consume her. It wouldn’t be good for her or the baby. She had to be strong and hold onto hope she’d soon be with Andrew again.
With a deep breath, she gathered the wrapped items and tucked them in her purse. He’d gone to a lot of effort to find a present for her and she’d taken a lot of time to put together the album for him. She refused to open her gift without him. Until they could be together again, the two items would stay in her bag.
Christmas had started out so wonderful. Exchanging presents would’ve no doubt topped of the holiday. But the only gift she wanted now was a safe return of her husband. And once she had him, she’d have to convince him to seek the demon tattooed on his arm.