Page 70 of Depraved Royals
26
Dani
The motel has a diner attached to it, and both seem quiet. Within five minutes of arriving, I have a room.
I lie on the bed and stare at the ceiling, wondering what I’m gonna do.
Can I turn my back on my family? If I have to, yes. But the thought is like a dagger in my heart.
My father has resources, and, of course, he’ll find me pretty quickly. If I somehow reach Kal, he’ll instantly be in danger because anyone working for my father would know what happened and likely shoot Kal on sight.
I love him. I have to find him.
The handle on the door rattles.
I jump to my feet. Scanning the room, I spot a heavy glass ashtray and grab it.
“What do you want?” I yell.
“Dani! Let me in!”
I drop my makeshift weapon and run for the door.
I can’t believe it’s him. With the entire world to run to, he’s here.
The deadbolt is sticking. Finally, I slide it free and fling open the door.
Kal’s eyes are tinged with red, and his skin is sallow. But he never looked better to me. I was afraid I’d never see him again.
He leans against the doorjamb, letting out a sigh of relief.
“Dani. You’re alright. I was afraid something had happened to you.” He looks around. “Why are you here?”
“What the hell?” I ask. “Kal, why the fuck are you here? How did you find me?”
Kal massages his forehead with his fingertips, avoiding my eyes. “You’re not gonna like it,milaya.” He reaches for me, and I’m enveloped in his arms, my cheek against his chest. I shudder as he reaches beneath my hair and touches the back of my neck.
“That tickles. What are you—”
He’s holding up a small patch of clear plastic that looks like a band-aid.
“I was tracking you,” he says. “I was worried my brother would try to kidnap you, or you’d just run away, seeing as you weren’t listening to me.”
I shove him away. “And when did you put that on me?”
“In your apartment, when we were fighting. Just before I took you to your parent’s house.”
“Kal, who even has something like that handy?”
He shrugs. “Me. I’m just that kind of guy. Part of mySpetsnazfield kit I carry around.”
“I forgot about that. You never said whether you were in the Special Forces.”
“And I never will. Now, are you gonna let me in?”
We enter the room, and I close the door, bolting it again.
“What are we gonna do?” I ask. “I can’t just run away with you.”