The headlights shone over the fronts of the rooms on the bottom floor. I zeroed in on room 20B. I hit the brake, bringing the SUV to a skidding halt near the sidewalk.
I killed the engine, then shoved the door open. I glanced toward the office, searching for any headlights shining through the dimness under the awning. Every muscle strand and bone ached with each step I took toward the motel room. My head throbbed, but I bore the pain.
My hand gripped the doorknob and turned. I pushed it open and stepped inside the dark, silent space.
Shadow rushed me from the black void of the room, knocking me flat on my ass, then my back. She straddled my body, barking and growling. Her ears folded down, and she snapped at my face. I grabbed both sides of her head, holding her at bay as best I could.
Anna flanked the aggressive German shepherd. She trained the barrel of the Smith and Wesson at my head.
“Christ. Get her off me. It’s me, Cory,” I said, wrestling with the angered beast.
“Shit, Lawson.” Anna lowered her piece, stowed it in the waistband of her jeans, then reached for Shadow’s collar.
The German shepherd’s snout wrinkled, fangs snapping at my face. I leaned away and pushed up, trying to keep the large canine from tearing my throat out.
“Shadow, come on.” Anna pulled her back into the room, giving me some space.
I lay in the doorway for a few seconds, gathering myself. My heart punched my chest, and I struggled to catch my breath.
Cindy emerged from the side of the room near the window, slow and cautious. She extended her hand and helped me to my feet. I collapsed against the door and stumbled inside the motel room.
“What the hell was that all about?” I asked, slamming the door shut behind me. “And why was the door open?”
Anna sat on the edge of the bed, patting Shadow’s side to calm the beast down. Cindy turned the lantern on, giving us some light in the darkness.
“A couple of assholes got the drop on us outside, but we took care of it,” Anna replied, palming her arm. “I thought it might’ve been more trouble and was being cautious.
I leaned against the wall, keeping my distance from Shadow. The German shepherd stared at me from between Anna’s legs.
“Jumped you?” I looked at the Anna, noticing the bloody bandage wrapped around her right bicep. Streaks of blood stained her flesh, running past her elbow. “Where at and why did you leave?”
Anna removed her hand from the wound, then pointed toward the parking lot. “We went across the street to a thrift shop. Found some coats and other threads for us to change into. These three guys snuck in and well, let’s just say that between Shadow and myself, we handled it.”
“Not before they tagged you from the looks of it,” I shot back.
“Yeah. One of them got me with a blade before I could put a round in his head. It’s not the worst injury I’ve ever sustained. I’ll be fine.” Anna studied the wound.
I glanced over to Cindy, who continued trembling, and looked her over from top to bottom. “Are you okay?”
Anna nodded at her. “She stayed here.”
Cindy paced the motel room. She couldn’t sit and relax. I understood.
“When we got back, we turned the lantern off and laid low in case anyone else was out there,” Anna said. “We heard the vehicle rolling up hot on the motel room and thought we had trouble inbound. Glad it was just you. Thanks for scaring the shit out of us, Lawson.”
I limped over to the window, then peered out to the parking lot. I scanned it over, but spotted no movement in the falling gray ash.
“Looks clear for now.” I turned toward Anna. Shadow watched me like a hawk. Her ears twitched, her eyes glued to my every move.
“Why did you come barreling through the parking lot anyway?” Anna asked as she rose from the bed. “I take it you found more problems than solutions.”
Cindy paused, then asked, “Did you find Jessie? What did he say? Does he know what they want?”
I held my hand up, stopping the barrage of questions. “I found out enough before they arrived and killed Jessie. They almost got me too, but I lost them back in the city, I think. We probably need to move soon and see if we can find another ride. They put a few rounds through the windshield when I drove away.”
Cindy walked toward me, then asked, “What did they take? What did William die for?”
“Information from what Jessie said. They robbed the McCones and sold the data to some guy named Sanchez Domingo,” I replied, looking at Cindy, then over to Anna.
“Great,” Anna said under her breath, then turned away. She sighed and shook her head.
“I’ve heard of the McCones before from the news,” Cindy said, eyes wide. “They’re some sort of crime syndicate or something like that in Utah.”
“Yeah. A pretty nasty one at that.” Anna faced us. “McCone is almost as bad as Mr. Coleman. Sanchez Domingo is a ruthless thug as well. I think he’d kill his own family if it would further his agenda. He’s been wanting to take over the McCones’s territory and power for some time. That’s not a feud that we’d want to get in the middle of.”
“You’ve had dealings with both of them, I take it?” I asked, curious.
“I did a few jobs for Domingo a few years back. It wasn’t pretty, and he was explicit with how he wanted the job executed. Gruesome stuff. I’ll spare you the details. Things went sideways, and he didn’t care for it,” Anna answered, favoring her injured arm. “I haven’t done any assignments for the
