Dark Sexy Knight (A Modern Fairytale) Read Online Free PDF Page B

said Glenellen?”
    “Uh, yep,” she said, suddenly feeling self-conscious as she realized how close they were to her destination. Their temporary lodgings at the Thrifty Inn embarrassed her. She wasn’t anxious for Colton to see the dumpy motel they called home.
    The fact of the matter was, however, even the Thrifty Inn, at $56.84 per night, had become a hardship for them. Verity didn’t have a working credit card, and her cash was almost gone. She was hoping to buy a little more time tonight by telling the front desk manager, Florence, that she and Ryan had gotten jobs and she’d be able to pay their whole bill in a week or two. Well, if she was really honest, she was hoping to dodge Florence for a few more days and then tell her. That would be best because, until TLOC paid them, she wouldn’t be able to cover their bill.
    Turning around, she placed a hand on Ryan’s leg and shook it. “Wake up, Ry. Almost there.”
    His eyes fluttered open, and Verity made sure that she kept her eyes on his because she didn’t want him to wake up disoriented and frightened. She saw the uncertainty pass over his face for an instant before his blue eyes settled on hers, and all worry slipped instantly away.
    “Hey, Ver’ty.”
    “Hey, handsome.”
    “We home?”
    She nodded. “Almost.” Then she turned to Colton. “You know? I could use a few things from that Sunoco station right there. Just drop us off? We can walk from here.”
    “I’m tired, Ver’ty,” said Ryan from the back. “I don’t wanna walk back to the motel.”
    Colton flicked his eyes to the Econo Lodge across the street from the Sunoco. “You staying over there?”
    She swallowed, willing Ryan to let her get away with one little, tiny lie. “Yep.”
    No such luck.
    “No, we ain’t, Ver’ty. We’re stayin’ at the Thrifty Inn, friend,” said Ryan, leaning forward and pointing right. “It’s down there a ways, right next door to the Methodist church. Nineteen forty-four Glenellen Street. Nineteen forty-four Glenellen Street in Decatur, Georgia. You told me to remember it, Ver’ty, just in case we got separated apart. You forgot, but I remember. Nineteen forty-four Glenellen Street in Decatur, Georgia.”
    “That’s right, Ryan.” She nodded, her shoulders slumping as Colton turned right onto Glenellen. “May as well just take us home.”

CHAPTER 3
     
    What a dump.
    Colt was shocked that the words on the tip of his tongue didn’t sally forth as he pulled into the weed-covered parking lot of a run-down, ramshackle, by-the-hour, no-tell motel about a half mile down the road from the Sunoco station. He’d seen some crappy roadside motels in his day, but this one had to take the cake.
    U-shaped and two stories tall, the motel rooms had identical once-red, sun-faded doors, some with numbers, some with letters, some with door knockers, some without. A chipped, aqua-painted railing with vertical bars outlined the perimeter of the upper level, while unkempt cement patios added zero charm to the lower. Running his gaze over the parking lot, he saw a few sketchy characters hanging out by the fenced-in, empty outdoor pool, and another couple of men leaning against a soda machine that had seen better days. He looked up to see a mother holding her shrieking baby on the second-floor balcony, gesturing to one of the men by the pool to get his ass upstairs.
    As Colt pulled into a parking space, he glanced at Verity’s profile, noting the bright red color of her face, the uptilt of her chin, and her rod-in-the-spine posture. She was embarrassed. He’d stake his life on it.
    He cut the engine and turned to find her sweet blue eyes looking up at him, guarded and defensive.
    “It’s temporary,” she whispered.
    “Here we are,” said Ryan cheerfully, reaching for the door. “Thank you for the ride, friend.”
    Colt watched as Verity’s brother exited the car and carefully closed the door behind him, ambling over to a ground-floor room not far away and