This is Effortless (Checkmate Duet 4)

“You weren’t lying when you said you could pack fast,” I say, trying to make a joke.

“I just feel like I’m being watched and it’s creepy as fuck. Ready?” She looks around the room, and I see her eyeing the long curtains by the window. I don’t hesitate and walk over to them and pull them away to show her nothing is there. I open the closet, which is empty, go to the bathroom and search around, and check the entire suite. She relaxes slightly, but continues toward the door. After packing my suitcase, I follow her, which honestly couldn’t come sooner. I’m just as happy as she is to be leaving.

We rent a car and when we sit inside she lets out a deep breath that I swear she’s been holding since she woke up in a strange room. I place my hand on her thigh and she places her hand on top of mine.

“Thank you,” she mumbles. She turns and looks at me, her head resting against the seat, finally looking relieved.

“You don’t have to thank me. I was just as scared and confused as you were this morning. I feared the worst.” I have a feeling this is only the beginning, but I don’t say that aloud.

“Before we leave, we have to go to the LVPD and file a police report. Actually, we need to go right now.”

“Okay,” she says meekly and I can tell she’s reliving every moment.

Mia can try to sabotage my relationship with Courtney, but it won’t change anything. As I glance over at Courtney, I know nothing could ever stop the way I feel about her. Not Mia, not even death itself.

COURTNEY

My head is pounding at the same rhythm as my heart, and I feel like I drank a truckload of vodka. All day I’ve tried hard to remember every step of what happened last night but after we left the bar and went to the room, my mind goes blank. I’ve heard about blackouts when people drink too much, but this was something entirely different and it terrifies me. If Mia is capable of carrying out something of this magnitude, what else will she do? Her unpredictability is horrifying and after last night, I have no doubt in my mind she would hurt me. When I remember the note and what it said, I gasp for air. The anxiety of it all is almost too much.

I can’t say filing the police report made me feel any better. It still seems like a blur so I had to go over the scenario a few times to make sure I had every detail. To make it quicker, Drew and I filed our reports separately. I know we’ll need to talk about it in detail together, but just the thought of replaying it again makes me tense.

The next few days were supposed to be about us—about Drew finding his normal—and now we’ve been slung into a clusterfuck of drama. I feel relief as I stare at the side mirror of the car and watch the Vegas Skyline disappear.

We’re gone. We’re safe. I smile as we pull out onto Interstate 15 and head toward California. That’s all I can think right now as Drew’s hand rests on my thigh.

“We need to talk about what all happened,” Drew says and pulls me out of my thoughts.

“I know. But right now, I just want to forget about it.”

“Forgetting about it won’t make it go away,” he says sweetly, but the truth still stings.

“Would you think I was crazy if I said I wanted to get blood work taken? I want to know what’s in my bloodstream right now.”

Drew searches my face and I can see that he’s gone into cop mode. “Absolutely not. When we get back to Sacramento, we both go.”

“Couples who get tested together, stay together?” I laugh, though it’s not a laughing matter.

“I’m so sorry, Court.”

I look at him, but he keeps his eyes on the road. There’s pain on his face, and I hate that he’s blaming himself or that maybe he feels some sort of guilt.

“This isn’t your fault. There’s only one person who’s responsible for this, okay? We were having a good time and it was ruined by a psycho bitch.”

For moments, silence fills the car and I think we’re both dissecting last night and how it was orchestrated so flawlessly. How was I moved to a different hotel room without anyone noticing? I understand it’s Vegas, but I was unconscious. I have so many questions that I’m not sure I’ll ever get answers to. God, I’m so glad to be leaving.

“Thank you.” Drew interlocks his fingers with mine. “You always keep me grounded.”

My stomach begins to growl and the sounds fills the car. We both start laughing. “Is that a hint?” He lifts an eyebrow.