She mentally thanked Rowan for the personal items as she brushed her teeth, and by the time she was finished with the simple task, a deep weariness filled her.
The energy she’d expended over the ordeal had been both mental and physical. She’d gotten very little sleep during the days and nights in captivity, and the continuous stream of adrenaline she’d endured while in that classroom resulted in a bone weariness she could no longer fight off.
“Anything?” she asked as she stepped out of the bathroom.
“Nothing so far,” Evan replied. He was seated at the table eating a large sandwich. “The only thing that happened while you were showering is that Rowan got me some food.”
She sat on the edge of the bed. “Rowan’s an angel.”
“She is, and she’s really smart, too. She handles all aspects of the ground game. I swear if she hadn’t gotten between me and the chief of police several times, I might have shot him.”
He explained some of the issues he’d had with the chief, and as he spoke she found her eyelids growing heavier and heavier. “Get some sleep, Annalise,” he finally said. “You’re too tired to even pretend to be listening to me.”
“I’m listening,” she protested sleepily.
He got up and turned off the light over the table, leaving only a small desk lamp illuminating the room. “I promise I’ll wake you if something breaks,” he told her.
“Okay.” She stretched out on the bed without turning down the spread. It was so amazing to rest and know she was safe. Still, she offered up a prayer for Sadie.
“Hey,” he called to her softly. “You were great in there.”
She released a half laugh and a half sob of exhaustion.
“Annalise, are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.
“I will be once Sadie is home,” she replied drowsily.
“We’ll get her,” he murmured.
Almost immediately sleep claimed her. She slept hard and without dreams. She awakened to early-morning daylight drifting in through the parted curtains, and the scent of fresh coffee.
She bolted upright and her first thought was of Sadie. Evan sat at the table, his eyes red-rimmed and lines of exhaustion cut down the sides of his handsome face. “There’s fresh coffee in the pot.”
“Thanks. I guess you haven’t heard anything?”
He shook his head, frowning. “Nothing. It’s like they drove away from the school and disappeared off the face of the earth.”
She raked her fingers through her hair and then got out of bed. She poured herself a cup of the hotel coffee and joined him at the table.
“Feel better?” he asked, although his gaze shot to someplace just over her head.
“Much better,” she replied. “I certainly didn’t mean to sleep as long as I did.”
“I’m sure you needed it,” he replied.
Evan looked tired. He wore a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows and dark pants. His hair was slightly mussed and his beard was growing out, but that did nothing to detract from how appealing he was.
She sipped her coffee as the silence grew between them. The parted curtains gave her a view of a swimming pool outside. She peeked out and then stared down into her coffee cup. She wasn’t sure what to say, and she had a feeling he felt the same way about her.
Finally she gazed at him once again. “Evan, you look positively exhausted,” she said. “I know you spent all your time on the bullhorn and working the scene, so maybe it’s way past time you take a shower and get a little bit of sleep. I can watch the computer screen and let you know if anything happens.”
He leaned back in the chair and took a drink of his coffee. “Yeah, I guess that might be a good idea. I’m definitely reaching the end of my energy.”
“Evan, you won’t be good for anything if you don’t stop and take care of yourself,” she chided.
“Maybe you could ring me in an hour or two so I don’t sleep too long,” he suggested.
“I’ll have to use the house phone. Jacob destroyed my cell phone when he found it on me.”
He looked at her for a long moment, his eyes narrowed. “What else did he do?”
She ran her tongue over her lower lip where the swelling was barely noticeable. “I don’t want to talk about...”
“I’m sorry, Annalise. I’m sorry you had to endure that kind of abuse.”
“It’s over now. Isn’t it time for you to get some sleep?”
He took another drink of his coffee and then stood. “If you’re sure you’ve got this, then I’ll head back to my room and take a short nap. My room is next door on the right, room 108.”
“I’ve got this. Go get some rest.”
“Close and lock the door behind me,” he said.
When he left the room, she locked the door then resumed her seat at the table. “Sadie, where are you?” she whispered to herself as she stared at the computer screen.
If Jacob and Gretchen hadn’t put her in front of a computer yet, maybe it was because they were still traveling and looking for a safe place to land. They had to know they couldn’t go back to their compound, so it was anyone’s guess where they might be going.
She sipped her coffee and her mind filled with the thought of Evan showering. A bit of tension coiled in her stomach, a tension that had nothing to do with Sadie or what was going on with the crimes.
She shook her head to dispel the memories. It had been nearly three years since they had been together as a couple. That amount of time changed people. She didn’t really know him now.
She had no idea what he had done or who he might have loved since they’d been a couple. It
