In seconds, we were out of there. In my rearview mirror, I could see the women in white running in the opposite direction, hell-bent on never returning to whatever hell they’d been through.
As soon as we got on the main road, I stopped at a payphone and made a call, giving the directions to the commune. I hung up before the operator could ask my name. With or without it, I knew help was on the way and that Abe was headed up shit’s creek. That was all that mattered to me.
Chapter Five
Daisy was silent as I drove through the night. I eventually turned on the radio to some AM station, barely listening to the man over the waves talking about our Lord and Savior. I kept the volume low, and at one point, about a half-hour into our drive, I looked over to find Daisy asleep, her head facing me, mouth parted.
After about three hours on the road, I looked for signs of a motel and gas station. I was running on a quarter of a tank and was getting drowsy myself. The road just kept on going, though, nothing in sight, until ten minutes later, I saw a sign.
I pulled into a Motel 6 and got out of the car, locking it, leaving my sleepy girl inside. The office was right in front of the car, so if she woke up, she’d be able to see me.
When I came back, though, she was still dead to the world.
I drove to room number fourteen and cut the engine. “Daisy. Rose.” I touched her cheek, and she opened her sleepy eyes, confused at first, then she gave me a drowsy smile. “Come on. I got us a room.”
I went around and opened her door for her, leaving the bags in the car. As soon as we got into the room, I turned on the light and looked at the bed. Not a double suite, just your standard single. One bed. Shit.
I turned to her. “Go ahead and use the bathroom, get ready for bed. I’m going to get our bags.”
She looked so lost standing there, her arms crossed, blanket still wrapped around her. But she nodded and headed to the bathroom, where she turned on the light and shut the door. I let out a deep breath and got our stuff from the car.
Jesus, what a night.
When I came back, Daisy was still in the bathroom, and I heard the shower running. Good. That would help her. I put her luggage on the small table-for-two by the window, then grabbed a clean shirt and some loose bottoms to sleep in. The shower stopped running, and I sat down on the bed, rubbing my jaw. I needed a good shave, but it would have to wait until morning. Instead, I sighed and took off my boots, setting them on the floor at the foot of the bed and out of the way.
Daisy came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, her long golden hair darker than normal and hanging in damp ropes. She looked at me, then away.
“Your suitcase is over there,” I said, pointing to the table. “Go ahead and change. I’ll give you some privacy.”
She nodded as I went into the bathroom. I took off my clothes and changed, wanting a shower but I didn’t want to leave Daisy alone for too long. She had faced an ugly reality, and I knew she’d need me soon.
I went back out into the room and flicked on the light at the sinks. A couple of toothbrushes in plastic, along with a small tube of toothpaste and miniature soap, were on the counter. As I was opening the toothbrush, I saw Daisy in the mirror, coming toward me. She had on a striped nightshirt that fell at mid-thigh, and wore socks on her feet. I smiled at her as I handed her the other toothbrush, and together we brushed our teeth, she at one sink, me at the other. It was strangely intimate, and I found I liked it.
A lot.
Silence filled the air, only the low hum of the highway outside. It was a comfortable silence, though, and I wondered what Daisy was thinking about in that pretty little head as I shut the curtains before going to the bed, turning on the overhead lamp. She stood at my side as I pulled down the covers and gestured for her to lie down. She wordlessly got in.
“I paid for a full 24 hours, so we don’t have to worry about when we need to check out,” I told her as I flicked the light switch by the door, checking the door lock and chain in the process.
When I slipped into the sheets, I turned on my side and looked over at her. She was on her back, her arm closest to me thrown over her head. She was deep in thought.
“You okay, darlin’?” My voice was light, quiet, concerned.
She shrugged. “I guess. Just… tired. Freaked out a little.” She let out a low laugh. “Gees. What a mess. Not every day you see anything even remotely like that.”
“True. But we got out of there. By now, the cops have handled everything. I’m sure your friends are safe, too.”
She only stared at the ceiling. “Sonny?”
“Yes, baby?”
“Will you hold me?” She said the words in a shy whisper, but it was music to my ears.
I reached above us and turned out the light, then pulled her against me so that her head was tucked under my chin, her back and legs cradled to my front. Her wet hair smelled
