Page 23
He paused outside their room, pressing his ear to the door to listen intently. She wasn’t sure why, but then he said, “Stay back. I’ll go in first.”
Bracing herself against the wall, she watched as Doc pulled his weapon, then used his key card to unlock the door. She held her breath as he slowly advanced through the doorway, his weapon held ready. She glimpsed him rotating from side to side before he disappeared into the room.
The seconds ticked by slowly. She strained to listen, anticipating the sharp crack of gunfire.
It never came. Instead, Doc returned to the doorway, beckoning her inside. “Grab your stuff.”
“Okay, but I’m really thirsty.” Rather than going to her room, she stopped at the kitchenette sink to pour herself a glass of water. Then she dropped into the closest chair to drink.
She didn’t understand why she was so fatigued and dizzy. Other than she must be a wimp compared to Doc. Once she got her memory back and was able to return to her normal life, she silently vowed to get in better shape.
“Are you okay?” Doc frowned at her.
“Fine.” She forced a smile. “I probably need to eat something though.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. We’ll grab fast food on our way out of here.”
Sipping her water, she eyed him over the rim of her glass. “What about the tickets? Didn’t you say Rex was sending them?”
“Yeah.” Doc blew out a breath as he swept his gaze over the suite. He looked as if he wished they didn’t have to leave either. “We’ll take the rental car and buy new phones, then grab something to eat. Hopefully by then the tickets will have arrived. Rex mentioned we should ask at the front desk.”
“Okay.” She drained the rest of her glass of water and pushed herself to her feet. At least they were taking the rental car.
After carefully folding the newly purchased clothes and placing them back in the bag, she joined Doc in the living room. He took the bag from her fingers and crossed to the door. Only after checking the hallway both ways did he step out.
They didn’t talk on their way back down to the main level. He led the way outside using the side exit. The interior of the rental sedan was stifling in the sun, but within minutes, he had the air conditioning cranked high.
The cold air on her face felt good, then it made her shiver. She turned the vents away and rested her head back against the cushion. Maybe her lack of sleep combined with the head injury was wreaking havoc with her equilibrium.
Their first stop was a big box store to purchase replacement phones. He pulled into the parking lot and shifted into park.
“Do you mind if I stay in the car?” She didn’t want to admit how weak she still felt.
Doc hesitated, then nodded. “That’s fine. This will only take a few minutes.”
True to his word, he was back in the Chevy Malibu, dropping the bag of phones in her lap. “We’ll need to get these charged and activated.”
She flushed, feeling stupid for not knowing how to do that. He patiently walked her through the process as he drove to the closest fast-food restaurant. When they got their food, Doc headed for the far corner of the parking lot so they could eat.
Her chicken sandwich tasted okay, but surprisingly, the french fries were even better. Maybe she’d needed salt. She’d requested a soft drink, too, hoping the extra sugar would help. She felt a little better after eating. All she needed now was a nap.
Doc got rid of the garbage, then checked the first phone. “We’re almost there.” He sat for a minute, his gaze thoughtful. “We should probably head back to the hotel to check out and to see if the tickets have arrived.”
“Where are we going to spend the night?” She frowned, looking back at the long line of vehicles in the drive-through lane. “The chances of us getting another hotel room are slim to none.”
“I know. We’ll need Rex to help us with that.” Doc shifted into reverse and backed out of the parking space. “Are you familiar with the suburbs around Lexington?”
“Ah, Cumberland Hill rings a bell.” Had she been there? Fiona had no idea. “But I don’t think there will be hotels in the suburbs.”
“Probably not,” Doc agreed. It occurred to her that his question had been a test to see if her memory had returned.
A flash of annoyance hit hard. “If you want to know what I remember, just ask.”
He arched a brow at her cranky tone. “It was a simple question.”
She knew there was nothing simple about it but bit back another sharp reply. He was putting his life on the line for her. Best to avoid making him mad.
Doc fiddled with the radio, choosing a news station. They both listened as he drove back to the Derby Suites Hotel.
