Coming Home (Morelli Family 6)

Nope. Mateo has the right idea. Lock her ass up in a pretty cage with presents and keep her away from other men. She’s never leaving my house once I get her there. Not ever.

When I pull back, she swallows, looking at me like I’ve betrayed her. It doesn’t matter and I damn sure don’t care—she’s betrayed me so many times, she deserves it. But she tries anyway.

I walk away, heading for the bathroom, but then I stop and glance back at her. Door’s locked, of course, and I only need to take a piss, but I don’t want her to try anything stupid. I pat my pants pockets, double checking I have my keys and my phone.

Lifting an eyebrow, I gesture for her to come over here.

Still faintly glaring at me, she walks over to stand in front of me.

“Sit,” I tell her, pointing to the bed.

She scowls at me, but I’m already walking past her. There’s a standard hotel phone and I don’t want her to get any funny ideas, so I unplug the handset and take the phone with me, cord dangling.

“Are you serious?” she demands. “You’re taking that to the bathroom with you?”

“I can’t do anything about the door, but you’re going to sit your ass right there on the bed. If you’ve moved so much as an inch when I come back out, you’ll wish you hadn’t. I’m only going to be a minute, so you won’t make it far, and believe me when I tell you I meant what I said. You bring anyone else into this, Mia, and you’re gonna be sorry.”

I probably shouldn’t have even drawn her attention to the phone. Now I’m gonna be worried about it all night. I open the cabinet under the sink and chuck the handset inside. Won’t be needing that while we’re here.

When I emerge from the bathroom, Mia’s still sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at it. There’s only one bed. One king bed in the middle of this boxy little room. The walls and ceiling are blinding white, the ground covered with cheap mauve carpeting. The bed is neatly made up and clean-looking. There’s a red bedspread with a generic motel blanket folded up and draped across the foot. Three fluffy white pillows are lined up along the headboard. I can’t wait to get into that bed and close my eyes. I didn’t plan to drive that long, but every time I told myself I could stop, I just wanted to keep going. I thought maybe I could push through and get there. Who cares if I have to sleep for two days once I get there to catch up?

I couldn’t though. My back aches from sitting in the seat for so long already. My legs are stiff. My shoulders are tense from Mia’s shit and watching my rearview mirror for signs of trouble.

“You can go to the bathroom if you need to,” I tell her. “We’re going to bed, so I would.”

“I’m thirsty,” she mutters, pushing off the bed and heading for the bathroom.

Aw, shit, I forgot the cupcakes in the car. I wait for her to close the bathroom door so she won’t notice, then I run out to the car real fast and grab them. At least she brought a snack. I think it’s funny they were for Meg. I wonder how she’d feel if she knew Meg told me where to find her. I haven’t decided whether or not I’ll tell her that. Not until we get home, at least. Just in case Mateo is a step ahead of me and he catches up to me on the road, I don’t want to get Meg in trouble. I like Meg. She’s a beast, but I like her.

And hey, I respect what she did. If I needed to get some asshole out of my way so I could be with Mia, I’d tell a crazy ex where to find him, too.

Now Mateo only has one loyal, attractive, loving woman to fuck instead of two—boo-fucking-hoo.

Mia comes out of the bathroom and frowns at the cupcakes. There’s a little chair and desk beside the bed, so I put the cupcakes down there.

“Breakfast,” I say simply.

She stares at the box for a minute, then tears well up in her eyes again.

Jesus Christ, she’s crying over cupcakes now?

“Can I please have my ring back?” she asks.

Fuck her bullshit ring.

“No,” I answer, coldly. I kick my shoes off by the door. She takes hers off, too, but she leaves them by the bed. She looks sad. I hate making her look sad.

My back still aches, and I’m fucking exhausted. I know I’m going to have to handcuff Mia to my own wrist to go to sleep. There’s nothing on the bed to cuff her to, nothing even next to it that’ll work, and I can’t have her trying to escape while I’m sleeping.