Page 14 of Wanted

My gaze starts at his feet. I can barely make out the dark jeans he’s tucked into his heavy boots or the black T-shirt. When I reach his midsection he sits forward in his chair, bringing hiselbows to rest on his thighs. Long hair spills over his shoulders, almost obscuring the view of his face.

But it’s when I peer up farther to meet his stare that my breathing stops altogether. His eyes…they’re glowing?

This has to be part of my dream.

I shake my head and squeeze my eyes shut. I count backward from ten all the way to one. I know once I reach one and open my eyes again, this dream will be over.

“One,” I say, slowly opening my eyes.

He’s still there.

But that glow I swore was present seconds before is gone. I knew my mind had to be making things up. Now if I just close my eyes and countdown again, once I reopen them, he’ll be gone.

I close my eyes. Even as I count, though, I can feel him silently watching me. Before I even make it to five, I open my lids and meet his stare head on.

“I-I don’t know who you are, but if you d-don’t get out right now, I’m going to scream at the top of my lungs.”

Though my voice shakes with fear, I hope it holds enough base for him to know I mean it.

His only response is a tilt of his head to the side.

“Get out right now!” I say forcefully before grabbing my cell phone off the nightstand. “I’m calling the police.”

I put in the code to unlock my phone, but before I press the “9” he says, “Put your phone down.”

My finger pauses, hovering over the “1.” Common sense tells me not to listen to him, but it’s as if my body responds to his command without my permission.

“Put it down.”

I hesitate again but then remind myself it’s the middle of the night and a strange man has somehow entered my motel room.

“Get out of my room!” I insist as I stumble to my feet.

He slowly, yet gracefully, rises to his as well. My breath catches. It’s the same man from the bar.

He’s huge.

At five-eight, I’m not exactly short, but he has at least an additional six inches over me. I hadn’t noticed how imposing his size was earlier. Probably because I was more focused on the owner, and I’d had heels on.

“Stay back.” I hold out my hand with my phone out in front of me as a method of keeping him away.

He takes another step closer.

“I’m warning you.”

I check my surroundings and grab the lamp from my nightstand, snatching it so fiercely that the plug yanks out of the outlet.

This makes him stop, standing fully erect.

“Get out of here right now.” I wield the lamp like a baseball bat. I try to push the thoughts out of my head that if he wanted to, this guy could do whatever he wanted to me. This lamp isn’t going to stop anything.

But I vow to kick, scream and do my best to gouge his eyes out if he comes any closer.

“I mean it.” I hold the lamp higher as he takes another step. “Get out.”

“No.” His voice is low but unbendable.

I part my lips ready to scream until the entire motel is awake and alarmed.