money in the bank and less reason to worry about Justin catching up with her—that was a stroke of brilliance. Exactly when she’d needed the inspiration. She looked across at Fetch, a lying, bleeding, bikie, scumbag, too old and too smart to be a messenger boy. Who’d have thought it would come from him?
And really, what was there to go home to—bad hot water and naphthalene dreams. She’d left everything she owned behind already. The few things she’d taken weren’t worth going back for. The only one who’d miss her was Neil and though he’d be annoyed she wasn’t available to drive for him, he’d deal with it. Two weeks off from bucks’ nights with just an open road. It felt like a holiday, an incredibly well paid holiday. So what the hell, if her delivery boy wanted to start tonight, she was up for it.
“All right.”
His brows jumped. He slapped the dashboard, mighty pleased with himself. “All right!”
“Do you care which hospital?”
“No hospital.”
She opened her mouth to protest but he gave her a stop sign hand. “It’s fine. You’ve got a first-aid kit?”
“Yes, but—”
“Trust me.”
Oh my God . He was a lunatic. A very calm, very commanding, certifiable madman. Maybe that accounted for why he didn’t feel pain, or blood loss. “I hope you have a plan that doesn’t include sleeping in the car tonight.”
He rubbed his hands together. “I always have a plan. Let’s get out of here.”
Caitlyn started the engine and manoeuvred out of the busy car park. Fetch had her drive, at the regulation speed, for about forty minutes to Wetherton and pull in to the Wetherton Court Motel. It was one of those brown brick two stars with pretension to three, but it had a well-maintained garden and she hoped that meant it was clean and serviceable. She didn’t think this was going to be a tour of luxury hotels, but she’d put her foot down if he tried anything less respectable than this. She might live in a dump by choice, but he didn’t know that. She was not doing camping sites and caravans. And they were not sleeping in the Statesman. Ever.
“I obviously get my own room.”
He grinned like he was on holiday too. “Obviously.”
“We have some rules to sort out.”
“I thought you might want that. Can we do it tomorrow? I really need a new shirt.”
He really did .
She parked the car. He put his vest back on, climbed out, and disappeared into the reception, came back with two keys and handed her one. “Next stop, late night shopping.”
He got back in the car and she found the shopping centre five minutes up the road. As she parked, he consulted his watch. “Meet you back here in, say, an hour?”
“Make it an hour and a half.” She could shop and eat in that time and then she wouldn’t have to worry about seeing him again before the morning.
He nodded and held out a roll of money. It could’ve been thousands of dollars. “That’s too much.”
He shrugged. “Get whatever you think you need. Bring me back the change.”
She must’ve looked dubious, because he said, “And receipts, bring me the receipts,” as if it made a difference to the legitimacy of it all.
At the entryway to the centre they parted. She didn’t see him leave. He was there one minute and nowhere in sight the next. She’d known he could be quiet. She’d seen he was fast on his feet today, but that thin air act—that was just plain spooky. And a huge relief. She felt like she could breathe properly again; like her shoulders weren’t wedged up under her ears.
She didn’t want Fetch to know he’d tossed her a rope ladder to a new life. She didn’t want Fetch to know anything about her. Bad enough he was a good guesser. Well, she wouldn’t be giving him any more information to go on from here. He was just her high paying passenger, her ticket to ride.
She found the food court and ordered grilled fish and chips. She should’ve got the vegetables but the chips called to her. Tomorrow
And really, what was there to go home to—bad hot water and naphthalene dreams. She’d left everything she owned behind already. The few things she’d taken weren’t worth going back for. The only one who’d miss her was Neil and though he’d be annoyed she wasn’t available to drive for him, he’d deal with it. Two weeks off from bucks’ nights with just an open road. It felt like a holiday, an incredibly well paid holiday. So what the hell, if her delivery boy wanted to start tonight, she was up for it.
“All right.”
His brows jumped. He slapped the dashboard, mighty pleased with himself. “All right!”
“Do you care which hospital?”
“No hospital.”
She opened her mouth to protest but he gave her a stop sign hand. “It’s fine. You’ve got a first-aid kit?”
“Yes, but—”
“Trust me.”
Oh my God . He was a lunatic. A very calm, very commanding, certifiable madman. Maybe that accounted for why he didn’t feel pain, or blood loss. “I hope you have a plan that doesn’t include sleeping in the car tonight.”
He rubbed his hands together. “I always have a plan. Let’s get out of here.”
Caitlyn started the engine and manoeuvred out of the busy car park. Fetch had her drive, at the regulation speed, for about forty minutes to Wetherton and pull in to the Wetherton Court Motel. It was one of those brown brick two stars with pretension to three, but it had a well-maintained garden and she hoped that meant it was clean and serviceable. She didn’t think this was going to be a tour of luxury hotels, but she’d put her foot down if he tried anything less respectable than this. She might live in a dump by choice, but he didn’t know that. She was not doing camping sites and caravans. And they were not sleeping in the Statesman. Ever.
“I obviously get my own room.”
He grinned like he was on holiday too. “Obviously.”
“We have some rules to sort out.”
“I thought you might want that. Can we do it tomorrow? I really need a new shirt.”
He really did .
She parked the car. He put his vest back on, climbed out, and disappeared into the reception, came back with two keys and handed her one. “Next stop, late night shopping.”
He got back in the car and she found the shopping centre five minutes up the road. As she parked, he consulted his watch. “Meet you back here in, say, an hour?”
“Make it an hour and a half.” She could shop and eat in that time and then she wouldn’t have to worry about seeing him again before the morning.
He nodded and held out a roll of money. It could’ve been thousands of dollars. “That’s too much.”
He shrugged. “Get whatever you think you need. Bring me back the change.”
She must’ve looked dubious, because he said, “And receipts, bring me the receipts,” as if it made a difference to the legitimacy of it all.
At the entryway to the centre they parted. She didn’t see him leave. He was there one minute and nowhere in sight the next. She’d known he could be quiet. She’d seen he was fast on his feet today, but that thin air act—that was just plain spooky. And a huge relief. She felt like she could breathe properly again; like her shoulders weren’t wedged up under her ears.
She didn’t want Fetch to know he’d tossed her a rope ladder to a new life. She didn’t want Fetch to know anything about her. Bad enough he was a good guesser. Well, she wouldn’t be giving him any more information to go on from here. He was just her high paying passenger, her ticket to ride.
She found the food court and ordered grilled fish and chips. She should’ve got the vegetables but the chips called to her. Tomorrow
Similar Books
