Sanctuary Found (Pelican Bay 2)

Jett, not so much.

I tucked my phone back into my pocket and drew in several deep breaths to try and calm myself. My legs burned from the hours I’d been walking, but not enough to make the lead weight in my chest go away.

I also couldn’t stop thinking about those moments where my secret had been exposed for the world to see.

Fortunately, “the world” had been too busy going crazy over the fact that Dallas had been so grievously misjudged and maligned.

But my near panic attack hadn’t gone completely unnoticed.

A fact I was both unhappy about, and thankful for.

Unhappy because somehow having Isaac to have been the one who’d not only recognized I was in trouble, but gotten me out of that room, was like a punch to the gut, though I didn’t know why. But I was also thankful because I’d been on the verge of completely losing it–something I’d only done once before that’d had dire consequences. Since then, I’d learned to recognize my symptoms more readily, and more importantly, I did all I could to avoid them. The people hadn’t been too much of an issue the night before, though being around crowds wasn’t my favorite thing in the world.

No, it’d been the gavel.

I hadn’t been expecting it. I still couldn’t believe I’d managed to hold out as long as I had when that thing had started its banging, but there was no doubt in my mind that it’d been Isaac’s voice and his gentle touch that’d kept me from completely losing it. While I hadn’t been so far gone that I’d believed my life was in danger, I’d hung onto Isaac like it had been.

Because I never would have gotten out of that room without him.

At least not of my own volition and without hurting someone.

I wanted to laugh at what those townspeople who kept talking to me like I was some hero would have thought after I’d ripped that room to shreds, believing I was back in the desert and Jett was screaming in agony as he called my name and pounded the end of his M240 machine gun against the roof of the overturned Humvee.

I wondered if Isaac had told Dallas or if Dallas had noticed for himself. I’d been too out of it to see if my brother had seen my reaction to the events that had occurred after the council had dismissed the case against him.

Didn’t matter.

I’d done what I’d come here to do. I’d never expected Dallas to actually forgive me or give me a second chance at being his brother. He was in a good place, better than I could have even hoped for. It was time for me to move on.

Maybe I’d head down to Oklahoma and check on Jett in person. I had enough money that there was no need to work anytime soon, so maybe I’d just explore the country a bit. Any place that didn’t have too many people in it would work for me. Maybe I could even convince Jett to come with me.

Yeah, because he’s so eager to talk to you on the phone. Of course the next step is being cooped up in a car with you for hours at a time.

God, my inner voice was a sarcastic asshole.

I automatically smiled as Newt’s voice rang in my ear, calling me out for the swear word. But my humor died as I considered whose job it would be to “punish” me for the oversight.

God, Isaac’s touch had been so soft the night before.

Soft, but still firm.

Such an odd contradiction.

He was such a contradiction. Such a unique mix of strength and vulnerability. I wanted to know what made him tick, but I didn’t know why I wanted to know that.

I mentally shook myself. Didn’t matter. I needed to focus on the next steps, and not the weird kid who wore makeup and smelled like lemons. With that thought in mind, I raised my head with the intention of crossing the road so I could turn around and walk home while still facing oncoming traffic. But when my eyes caught on a familiar truck parked outside the Sleep-EZ motel across the street, I paused.

The motel had been around forever and wasn’t known for its stellar accommodations. It was basically just a cheap place for truckers who were forced to travel the backroads instead of the interstate for one reason or another. Occasionally, tourists would stay at the place, but only if everything else in Pelican Bay and the surrounding towns was sold out.

So what the hell was Dallas doing there?

I supposed it could be Nolan.

Or both.

But still, the place was a dump. Even on the off chance they needed some alone time, there were far better places to go.

Realizing it was none of my business, I was about to continue on my way when I saw a man hurrying to the door the truck was parked in front of. He knocked a couple of times and then nervously looked around him. I wasn’t close enough for him to notice me or for me to make out his features, but he was clearly on edge. The door opened and he disappeared inside.