The thing that bothered me most about the little fist fight in my room was that it was a fist fight. If these goons were Stephano’s, then why the hell wouldn’t they come with guns? It seemed very amateurish, and I didn’t have time for that sort of thing.
It only took me about four minutes to knock both the men unconscious, grab our things, and get Roxanne and me out of the hotel room. Leaving a scene was something I could do very quickly; it was a necessary skill as both an investigator and a Navy Seal member.
Roxanne, on the other hand, didn’t feel very prepared to leave the hotel room as quickly as I did. She pulled on my hand and tried to go back into the room at least three times as we moved our way down the hallway toward the stairwell.
“How did they know we were here?” I asked as we made our way down the stairs.
“I’m not sure. Maybe they had me followed after I picked up my check today.”
“What? Tell me you didn’t do that. Tell me you weren’t that stupid.”
“Don’t call me stupid, Jackson. I was here all alone; I had no idea where you were. I didn’t have my cell phone. I didn’t have Chase’s contact information. I figured you had just abandoned me and split.”
I felt bad instantly. It hadn’t even crossed my mind that Roxanne would assume I had abandoned her. I simply figured she would think I went out to find Ana alone. I really didn’t think at all about her and the life she had lived. But when I stopped to consider her lifestyle, I realized she probably really hated me when she thought I had just left her.
“Wait? You get a paycheck?” I asked with a look of confusion on my face.
“Yes, I’ve been with Stephano for a few years. He pays me for my dances and the tips are extra.”
“Wow, okay, I learned something new today. I’m sorry you thought I had left you. I was just going to look for Ana. I left you a note. Did you see the note?”
“Yes, but you had been gone all day and I thought you would have been back. My mind played tricks on me and I just wanted to protect myself.”
“What did they say? Why did they come?”
“They just wanted me to give Stephano the cash he thought I owed him from screwing you on the side. I told them you were my boyfriend and that you weren’t paying, but that was when you arrived.”
“Okay, so they don’t know we are looking for Ana?”
“I don’t think so. They seemed only interested in money.”
We made our way to my rental vehicle and down the road to find a new hotel for the night. In Miami, there was every kind of hotel and motel possible. There were very large hotels like the one we had stayed at. There were smaller cheap hotel chains, and there were no-name motels that were super cheap.
I decided our best bet was to stay at a place that was as far opposite from our last hotel as possible. So, as we drove down the street and I saw a tiny motel that looked like it was from a horror movie, I decided that was where we should stay.
“I’m glad you weren’t hurt,” I said as I looked over at her.
Roxanne was clearly a much stronger woman than I had given her credit for. She wasn’t shaking or upset at all after the fight that had just happened. She sat calmly in the passenger seat as I looked at the motel from the street. It certainly didn’t look like a place I wanted to stay in, but I hoped that they at least had some clean sheets – that was all I really needed.
“Next time, don’t leave me like that,” Roxanne said as she punched my arm.
“Ouch.” I laughed.
We pulled into a sleazy hotel and paid cash for our room. I filled out the check-in form with a fake name and made sure to get a room with a clear view of the parking lot. Staying at a motel like that wasn’t ideal, but it was going to have to work for us. We needed a safe place and we certainly couldn’t go back to the fancy hotel.
I braced myself for Roxanne to throw a fit as we made our way up the stairs toward our room. I had never met a woman who could handle a rundown motel. They could handle almost anything else in the world, just don’t get them a dirty hotel room. That was always the last straw. Our room wasn’t glamorous, but it would be safe for the night.
Chapter Ten
ROXANNE
I couldn’t even stand to look at Jackson after what he had put me through. I thought he had left. It felt like such a huge betrayal, and I hated that it had hurt so badly. Jackson and I had only known each other for a few days, but when he hadn’t returned, I was so hurt and angry. Much more hurt than I should have been for someone I hardly knew.
I didn’t open up to people and I certainly didn’t let people hurt me, so it frustrated me how much I had given in to Jackson. There was such a connection between the two of us; it was like an electric pull that kept bringing me back to him. As angry as I was at him, I felt myself being pulled right back toward him at the same time.
My life wasn’t the kind where you got attached. I purposely avoided being close to people so I wouldn’t have to deal with heartbreak. Despite my intention of staying away from Jackson, I had become close to him – much more so than I wanted to. But there was just something between us that I couldn’t stop. There was a powerful connection like none I had ever had. As much as I pulled away from him, that connection pulled me right back into his arms.
There were feelings developing for Jackson – feelings that I hadn’t had in a long time. It scared the crap out of me and I wasn’t about to let any man scare me like that. I made a mental note to try and keep my emotions detached around him. I didn’t know him as well as I thought I did, and I certainly shouldn’t be falling for him.