Read Online Studenstein (Love-Bots, Book Two) by Daisy Harris - Free Book Online
Authors: Daisy Harris
Tags: Erótica
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days off?” The guy sounded more amused than suspicious. He knew perfectly well Royce was lying, but the way his lips twitched up in the corners said he was connecting the dots in a way that worked out more comfortably for his personal set of concerns.
Royce, on the other hand, folded his arms. He tucked his chin into his chest in a defensive posture. “Yeah, we get days off all the time. Just like…” He waved his hand around in the air, giving the guy space to fill in the blanks.
“Well, you two can have a room. But if anyone asks, you didn’t stay here. And you can only stay two hours. I can’t risk an overnighter.”
When Royce stuttered and seemed like he’d argue, Shani stepped around him. “That’s real nice of you. We won’t be any trouble.”
The guy nodded once. Truthfully, he didn’t seem like a bad guy.
“Jake?” A woman’s voice called from somewhere behind the curtain. The guy hurried to grab Shani’s credit card. “I’ll hold this ’til you two are done. Come sign when you get back.” He shooed them away with a few waves of his hand.
A woman, or more specifically a stein, stepped around the fabric doorway. An old and jagged scar crossed her face, covering a missing eye. It was obvious she was blind in the other as well, because she fumbled along the counters to the guy behind the desk.
Shani’s nerves strung tight as she watched the woman hobble. The scars on her face were healed and old, but there was no telling what this hotel guy was doing with her.
Jake shot her and Royce a warning glance and then went to the stein. He cradled her in his arms as if the broken woman was made of glass. “You okay, sweetheart? Another bad dream?”
The stein pressed into Jake’s side, but suddenly became aware that there was someone else in the room. Her face, mangled though it was, contorted in horror. “No,” she said so low and ominous she might have seen the devil incarnate. “No, please…”
“Shhhhh.” Jake pulled her into his side and patted her dull-blonde hair. “It’s okay. They’re just staying a couple hours and leaving. That’s all.”
Shani wanted to speak up, to reassure the woman that she and Royce were no threat. Hell, Frank at the underground might be able to help her—fix the vision in her one good eye. But somehow Shani knew talking would only frighten the battered woman more.
“We keep each other’s secrets in this town.” Jake breathed into the woman’s hair and patted her back. From what Shani could tell, she was little more than skin and bones. Shani didn’t know if it was because Jake didn’t know what to feed her, or she’d been programmed with a sped-up metabolism. Much as she wanted to ask, she held her tongue.
“Y’all go to your room now.” The clerk shooed them again and this time Royce grabbed Shani’s hand and tugged her toward the door. “And remember what I said. You got two hours, then I need you to hit the road.”
* * * * *
“Was it that bad for you?” Royce shut the door behind him, blocking out the mid-day sun from the dingy room. The discomfort he’d been feeling dissolved in a wash of self-loathing. Because it was only discomfort—he knew that now. Whatever that stein in the office had been through eclipsed any pain he’d ever felt. Even the weird buzzing that had started in his mind—like radio static—seemed inconsequential.
Shani lowered herself to sit on the bed. It had a green-and-brown nylon comforter with scattered stains. Across from it, a dented mirror hung on the wall. “I dunno.” She lifted her shoulders only to drop them again. “I dunno her situation exactly.” Shani blinked and stared around the room, looking utterly lost.
He paced a few steps in one direction, then swiveled and marched the other way. His body coiled tight as a knot, ready to rip to shreds the people who’d done these things. Unfortunately, they were probably all in jail before he was brought to life.
“Hey.” A hand grasped
Royce, on the other hand, folded his arms. He tucked his chin into his chest in a defensive posture. “Yeah, we get days off all the time. Just like…” He waved his hand around in the air, giving the guy space to fill in the blanks.
“Well, you two can have a room. But if anyone asks, you didn’t stay here. And you can only stay two hours. I can’t risk an overnighter.”
When Royce stuttered and seemed like he’d argue, Shani stepped around him. “That’s real nice of you. We won’t be any trouble.”
The guy nodded once. Truthfully, he didn’t seem like a bad guy.
“Jake?” A woman’s voice called from somewhere behind the curtain. The guy hurried to grab Shani’s credit card. “I’ll hold this ’til you two are done. Come sign when you get back.” He shooed them away with a few waves of his hand.
A woman, or more specifically a stein, stepped around the fabric doorway. An old and jagged scar crossed her face, covering a missing eye. It was obvious she was blind in the other as well, because she fumbled along the counters to the guy behind the desk.
Shani’s nerves strung tight as she watched the woman hobble. The scars on her face were healed and old, but there was no telling what this hotel guy was doing with her.
Jake shot her and Royce a warning glance and then went to the stein. He cradled her in his arms as if the broken woman was made of glass. “You okay, sweetheart? Another bad dream?”
The stein pressed into Jake’s side, but suddenly became aware that there was someone else in the room. Her face, mangled though it was, contorted in horror. “No,” she said so low and ominous she might have seen the devil incarnate. “No, please…”
“Shhhhh.” Jake pulled her into his side and patted her dull-blonde hair. “It’s okay. They’re just staying a couple hours and leaving. That’s all.”
Shani wanted to speak up, to reassure the woman that she and Royce were no threat. Hell, Frank at the underground might be able to help her—fix the vision in her one good eye. But somehow Shani knew talking would only frighten the battered woman more.
“We keep each other’s secrets in this town.” Jake breathed into the woman’s hair and patted her back. From what Shani could tell, she was little more than skin and bones. Shani didn’t know if it was because Jake didn’t know what to feed her, or she’d been programmed with a sped-up metabolism. Much as she wanted to ask, she held her tongue.
“Y’all go to your room now.” The clerk shooed them again and this time Royce grabbed Shani’s hand and tugged her toward the door. “And remember what I said. You got two hours, then I need you to hit the road.”
* * * * *
“Was it that bad for you?” Royce shut the door behind him, blocking out the mid-day sun from the dingy room. The discomfort he’d been feeling dissolved in a wash of self-loathing. Because it was only discomfort—he knew that now. Whatever that stein in the office had been through eclipsed any pain he’d ever felt. Even the weird buzzing that had started in his mind—like radio static—seemed inconsequential.
Shani lowered herself to sit on the bed. It had a green-and-brown nylon comforter with scattered stains. Across from it, a dented mirror hung on the wall. “I dunno.” She lifted her shoulders only to drop them again. “I dunno her situation exactly.” Shani blinked and stared around the room, looking utterly lost.
He paced a few steps in one direction, then swiveled and marched the other way. His body coiled tight as a knot, ready to rip to shreds the people who’d done these things. Unfortunately, they were probably all in jail before he was brought to life.
“Hey.” A hand grasped
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