“I know, it’s late,” I say in reaction to his expression of the time. “Glad you’re awake, though. I need you to read the map for me. It’s hard to do on my own when it’s this dark out.”
He yawns. “Yeah, sure. How did you manage? It’s had to have been dark awhile.”
“I used the map as much as I could without crashing. Once we got into Colorado and on Route 34, it was pretty much a straight shot. And thankfully, there’s signs on the major roads letting me know I was at least still headed in the right direction.”
He doesn’t respond but instead ducks his neck to peer out the window. He spots a street sign and repeats it to himself, while locating it within the circle Justin made for us. Liam yawns again before pointing up ahead.
“Okay, we need to turn up there. That should be Main Street. We’re going to take that around to Lake Way Road and hang a left toward Crimson Ridge. Justin lives in Escape Estates which looks to be right outside of town.” He squints at the map.
With minimal lighting, I coast around a curve, leaving beautiful greenery in my rearview. We approach a one-way sign on to South Main Street, following it as Liam suggested. The town is quiet, though not completely dead like I was expecting for such a low population. There’s a park to our right where a few teenagers linger about. On the left, we find a small storefront with a diner, hardware shop, and many other establishments. There are cars parked in spaces in front of a bar, and I instantly crave a hard drink. We pass Panacea Inn, a small but well-kept motel, next the post office as we merge onto Lake Way Road.
When the hospital comes into view, I shoot a glance at Liam’s shoulder, making a mental note to check it as soon as we settle in. He hasn’t mentioned any pain or discomfort, but I’m not entirely surprised by that. He was never one to whine or allow his pain to show through. I take the exit toward Crimson Ridge. More trees surround us, blanketing us in darkness. The sign up ahead tells us we’re three miles from Escape Estates, and my body relaxes. We reach the gated community, and I drag the vehicle to a slow halt. Liam searches the center console for the folded piece of paper with Justin’s instructions.
He opens it. “Okay, JP says the gate code is fifty-four, fifty-four.”
I punch in the numbers, and the gate pries apart. I release the brake, slowly entering the grounds.
“Damn,” he says, looking around at the lavish landscaping. “Okay, the note says to take the third exit at the roundabout and go left three blocks down.”
I do as suggested and pull into his driveway. Liam climbs out and walks up to the garage where he keys in another password. The door lifts, and I pull inside. I shut off the engine at the same time the garage closes behind Liam. I glance around, taking in how neatly placed everything is. There’s a tool for every task imaginable, large or small. The sound of the back door opening grabs my attention.
“Come on, let’s get inside,” he says while grabbing our belongings in one hand. “Aye. Reach in my front pocket, please. The key and alarm pin are in there.”
I slam the driver’s-side door and shuffle over to him. He tilts his pelvic bone toward me, and I stuff my hand inside his blood-stained jeans. My breath hitches at the feel of his thigh against my palm, and it doesn’t help that he’s staring in my face as I do this. I clear my throat and avert my gaze and feel around the seemingly never-ending pouch. My fingers graze the key ring, and I lift it out. When I do, the piece of paper plops out with it, falling down to the floor. I kneel to pick it up and proceed to lead us in through the kitchen. The security system blares, requesting we deactivate it. Loud beeps ring through the air as I enter the code. Liam slides pass me, using his foot to shut the door. I rearm the house and search for a light switch.
I find the lighting panel on the wall that leads into the rest of the house but quickly shut it back off. Justin’s kitchen faces the back of the home, and there’s a big, beautiful window above his sink that overlooks the yard. I don’t know how well Justin knows his neighbors or if they are aware he’s out of town, but I appreciate the placement of this window. I wouldn’t want to risk the chance of someone spotting us and bringing unwanted attention.
Liam doesn’t seem to be fazed at all by my indecisiveness when it comes to the lights. He sits the bags on the island and skirts right pass me, surveying the space. He guides us into the living area, and I glance around at the furnishings and decor. The blinds are closed, but there’s a soft glow shining in from one of the many streetlamps.
“I think the rooms are back here.” He points down the hall and heads that way.
I follow closely behind, nearly stepping on his heels when he stops. Liam checks the door on the left, and I check the one on the right.
“This is the bathroom,” I say.
“I think this is Justin’s room,” Liam adds, and I peek in behind him.
We move forward to the last door on the right. The room before this appeared to be more lived-in, while this one houses only the essentials: a bed, one nightstand, and a TV in the far corner.
“I’ll take the sofa.” Liam breaks our silence.
I look around, spotting two doors we’ve yet to approach. “There’s two more rooms. You need to sleep in a bed. If you want that wound of yours to heal, you need proper rest,” I say when he turns to face me.
“I’ll be fine. We’ll be safe here, but I want to be able to hear what goes on and I can’t do that from the back of the house,” he finishes.
His concern makes sense, so I choose not to fight the matter.
“Well, at least let me change your dressings.”
“Can I shower first?” He glances down at his filth-ridden attire and raises a brow.
I smile softly. “Sure, try to keep it dry. I’ll clean it with antiseptic after you’re done.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Liam pushes his back into the doorframe, allowing me to slide past him, but his attempt isn’t so successful. The entryway isn’t big enough for the both of us. I suck in a breath as if it will make me slim enough for him to get by without our bodies touching. A shiver trails my spine when my breasts brush against his hard chest, and I swear I feel him lean into me. Choosing to ignore it, I bite my top lip and continue onward. He lingers in the threshold for a little while longer before finally tapping his knuckles against the frame and retreating back toward the bathroom.
Minutes later, the shower cuts on, and the door closes. The water flow is calming, and for the first time since all the chaos started, I can breathe. I know things are far from over, my gut tells me so. But this is the safest I’ve felt since Liam showed up at my home. Flopping down on the mattress, I fall backwards, my body melting into the plush blanket. My stomach rumbles, reminding me that it’s been hours since either of us has eaten anything. I wonder what’s available in the kitchen but I’m welded into place, paralyzed by the sleep that’s calling my name.
I close my eyes. “I’ll lie here for just a minute. Then I’ll eat,” I promise myself, though I’m sure it’s one I’ll break. Soon, every muscle is relaxed, and I pass out to nothing but darkness.
Birds chirping wakes me before the light shining into my window does. I squint, lifting my hand to shield me from the bright sun rays. It takes a few seconds for my sight to adjust, and I realize where I am. I look down at the covers draped up to my chest and try to remember when I got under them. The only thing I do recall is falling asleep, fully dressed on top of the blanket at the foot of the bed. I yank them off to see I am still wearing the clothes we traveled in.