and I went to Room 205. She inserted the key and opened the door. “Jesus, Rory. How the fuck could you stay here?”
“I didn’t have a choice. It was all I could afford,” I said as I walked over to the bed. I pulled it away from the wall and stuck my hand behind the headboard. I felt around until my hand touched the tape that I had put there when Stephen and I had first arrived. I ripped off the tape and pulled out an envelope filled with cash. I looked at Adalynn and smiled.
“I can’t believe that’s still here,” she said with wide eyes.
“Do you think in a place like this they actually pull out the bed and clean behind it?”
“Good point.” She laughed.
“I taped it here when Stephen was in the bathroom. I didn’t want him to know that I had it because he would’ve stole it. I didn’t have time to grab it after he stabbed me.”
Adalynn looked at me with sympathetic eyes. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. Didn’t you have a suitcase or anything?”
“Yeah, but I’m sure Stephen took that when he left. I have to find him, Adalynn. He’s dangerous and he needs help,” I said as I looked down at the bloodstained carpet.
“Ian can help you find him. He has resources and connections.”
“I don’t want Ian’s help, ever. He’s helped me enough, and it’s time to move on,” I said as I opened the door and walked outside.
We gave the key back to the overly large man and got out of there as fast as we could. I reached into the envelope and pulled out some money.
“Here, I want to pay you back for the motel,” I said.
“Rory, no. You’re going to need all of that money for whatever it is you’re planning. Just forget about it and do what you have to do.”
I sighed because I knew if I argued with her, she’d end up winning anyway. So I thanked her and changed the subject.
“I met Ian’s father this morning.”
“Oh, he’s back from his trip? How’d it go?”
“He was repulsed by me and my name and , the sad part was, Ian didn’t even defend me.”
“Ian can be an ass and, as for Richard, pay him no attention. The man has issues and wouldn’t know a proper woman if one stepped on his face. Now, where do you want me to drop you off? Something tells me that you don’t want to go back to Ian’s house.”
“Can you just drop me off at Java Hut?”
Adalynn pulled up to the curb and before I got out of the car, she grabbed my hand. “I’m having a birthday party Saturday night and I want you to come. It’ll be your first Malibu party.”
“Thanks for the invite, Adalynn, but I wouldn’t fit in.”
“You will fit in, Rory. I want to celebrate my birthday with my new friend. Please come.”
There was a hint of desperation in her voice when she asked me. She had done so much for me and it wouldn’t be right if I turned her down. “Of course I’ll come. I wouldn’t miss your birthday.” I smiled.
“Great! You can come with Ian, or if you’d prefer not to, I’ll text you my address.”
“Text me your address and thank you again for taking me to retrieve this,” I said as I held up the envelope.
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you Saturday.”
I shut the door and Adalynn drove away. I walked into Java Hut and asked Ollie for a chai tea latte.
“Hey, Grayson, this is Rory. Rory, this is Grayson. Today’s his first day back from vacation.”
“Hi, Grayson.” I smiled as I held out my hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Rory. I look forward to working with you.”
Ollie handed me my tea and I went and sat down at the table. Jordyn came out from the back room and as soon as she saw me, she sat down across from me.
“What are you doing here on your day off?”
“I was out and about and needed some chai.” I smiled as I held up my cup. “Do you have a newspaper or something? I want to look for an apartment.”
“I have my iPad. You can use that,” she said as she got up from her chair.
She set her iPad down in front of me and pulled
“I didn’t have a choice. It was all I could afford,” I said as I walked over to the bed. I pulled it away from the wall and stuck my hand behind the headboard. I felt around until my hand touched the tape that I had put there when Stephen and I had first arrived. I ripped off the tape and pulled out an envelope filled with cash. I looked at Adalynn and smiled.
“I can’t believe that’s still here,” she said with wide eyes.
“Do you think in a place like this they actually pull out the bed and clean behind it?”
“Good point.” She laughed.
“I taped it here when Stephen was in the bathroom. I didn’t want him to know that I had it because he would’ve stole it. I didn’t have time to grab it after he stabbed me.”
Adalynn looked at me with sympathetic eyes. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. Didn’t you have a suitcase or anything?”
“Yeah, but I’m sure Stephen took that when he left. I have to find him, Adalynn. He’s dangerous and he needs help,” I said as I looked down at the bloodstained carpet.
“Ian can help you find him. He has resources and connections.”
“I don’t want Ian’s help, ever. He’s helped me enough, and it’s time to move on,” I said as I opened the door and walked outside.
We gave the key back to the overly large man and got out of there as fast as we could. I reached into the envelope and pulled out some money.
“Here, I want to pay you back for the motel,” I said.
“Rory, no. You’re going to need all of that money for whatever it is you’re planning. Just forget about it and do what you have to do.”
I sighed because I knew if I argued with her, she’d end up winning anyway. So I thanked her and changed the subject.
“I met Ian’s father this morning.”
“Oh, he’s back from his trip? How’d it go?”
“He was repulsed by me and my name and , the sad part was, Ian didn’t even defend me.”
“Ian can be an ass and, as for Richard, pay him no attention. The man has issues and wouldn’t know a proper woman if one stepped on his face. Now, where do you want me to drop you off? Something tells me that you don’t want to go back to Ian’s house.”
“Can you just drop me off at Java Hut?”
Adalynn pulled up to the curb and before I got out of the car, she grabbed my hand. “I’m having a birthday party Saturday night and I want you to come. It’ll be your first Malibu party.”
“Thanks for the invite, Adalynn, but I wouldn’t fit in.”
“You will fit in, Rory. I want to celebrate my birthday with my new friend. Please come.”
There was a hint of desperation in her voice when she asked me. She had done so much for me and it wouldn’t be right if I turned her down. “Of course I’ll come. I wouldn’t miss your birthday.” I smiled.
“Great! You can come with Ian, or if you’d prefer not to, I’ll text you my address.”
“Text me your address and thank you again for taking me to retrieve this,” I said as I held up the envelope.
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you Saturday.”
I shut the door and Adalynn drove away. I walked into Java Hut and asked Ollie for a chai tea latte.
“Hey, Grayson, this is Rory. Rory, this is Grayson. Today’s his first day back from vacation.”
“Hi, Grayson.” I smiled as I held out my hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Rory. I look forward to working with you.”
Ollie handed me my tea and I went and sat down at the table. Jordyn came out from the back room and as soon as she saw me, she sat down across from me.
“What are you doing here on your day off?”
“I was out and about and needed some chai.” I smiled as I held up my cup. “Do you have a newspaper or something? I want to look for an apartment.”
“I have my iPad. You can use that,” she said as she got up from her chair.
She set her iPad down in front of me and pulled
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