Read Online The Inn Between by Marina Cohen - Free Book Online

fell. “Very funny,” he grumbled. Then he perked up. “Hey, listen—we can have lunch here. They’ve got hot dogs and fries.” He pointed to a kiosk at the far end of the pool.
    Quinn rolled her eyes and sank into a chaise. “I swear, there’s something wrong with you.”
    Josh left his towel and clothes on his own chaise and headed for the water. Kara followed. They hobbled over hot cobblestones. Josh jumped into the water first, making a huge splash. Kara slipped in after him.
    â€œHot, eh?” said a gravelly voice.
    Startled, Quinn looked up to see the guy with the faux-hawk hovering over her. She took a deep breath, relieved it wasn’t the man with the ball cap.
    He sat down in the empty chaise beside her. He wore a light blue bathing suit with yellow umbrellas. He must have gotten it from the gift shop. It seemed out of place on a body with so many tattoos. He held a tall glass of water with a lemon wedge stuck on the rim. “Nice place. Relaxing.”
    Quinn smiled and nodded.
    â€œThey could use some cooler bathing suits, though.” He chuckled.
    â€œYeah.” Quinn laughed nervously, smoothing down her neon-green skirt.
    He took a long-drawn sip through a pink straw. “Name’s Rico. What’s yours?”
    â€œQuinn.”
    He took his lemon slice, squeezed it, and plopped it into his glass. “So, Quinn. Who sent you?”
    She wrinkled her brow. “Sent me?”
    â€œTo this hotel. For rest. That’s why you came, isn’t it?”
    â€œNobody sent us,” she said. “We just stopped here. On our way.”
    Rico glanced around at the building and the pool. “Funny thing. I was at this party. I guess things got out of hand. Next thing I knew, I was here and they were telling me to relax. Enjoy myself.”
    Quinn kept silent as Rico told her about how he’d been in trouble a few times, but that this time his parents had probably had enough and sent him to this place to get straightened out.
    â€œQuinn!” called Kara. “Come on!”
    Quinn scrambled to her feet, relieved to get away from the awkward conversation.
    Rico got up as well. “See you around.”
    She fanned her fingers. “Sure.”
    Quinn took a few steps and the soles of her feet were on fire. She raised her toes and walked on her heels all the way to the pool. Lowering herself onto the cement edge, she dipped her feet into the cool water.
    The pool shimmered like a great blue jewel. The water was clean and fresh. No sharp smell of chlorine bit her nostrils like it did at other public pools. Perhaps it was salt water.
    â€œWho was that?” asked Kara.
    â€œSome guy,” said Quinn, glancing over her shoulder. Rico was halfway to the hotel doors.
    Sunlight danced on the tips of waves as they lapped and swashed gently against her shins. She gripped the pool’s edge with both hands, pushed off, sinking beneath the glassy surface.
    The world around her disappeared. Silence closed in on her as she sank deeper and deeper. For a moment Quinn forgot where she was. For a moment everything washed away—her fear, her worry, the constant pain of not knowing. And for a moment—just a moment—she thought she heard Emma’s voice.
    Quinn opened her eyes.
    Light rippled downward from the surface, casting distorted shadows into the depths. Kara’s body was high above. Quinn could see her legs gently paddling. Below, the water was dark. Bottomless.
    Quinn’s gaze ran the length of the pool. At the far end, a shadow rose. It seemed to have a human form, but it cut through the water sleek and fast like nothing human could.
    Panic pressed the oxygen from Quinn’s lungs. Bubbles exploded from her nostrils. The shadow torpedoed toward her. Whatever it was, it was after her.
    Quinn thrust her body upward. She made it halfway to the surface when an icy hand grabbed her left ankle. She kicked and flailed but the grip