FOUR

I sighed as I lay awake. It had been a month since my life had been turned upside down. Now I just moved from hotel to hotel every few days with Warbler. He shifted beside me. Our cover story meant we had to always book a double bed. Turns out he’s a clingy sleeper. I often wake to find him wrapped around me. Right now I’m on my side with him spooning behind me, chest pressed to my back and an arm around my waist. I don’t mind, it’s nice. I hadn’t shared a bed with anyone since college. Stefan never stayed the night for obvious reasons. I was so dumb.

Lightly I picked up Warbler’s arm and slid out of bed. Looking back at him, I smiled. I knew nothing about him, not even his real name but I felt like, if I let myself, I could fall for him, it was a scary thought. I leant over and pressed my lips to his cheek lightly. We hadn’t kissed since the last time in the car the first night. Not properly anyway, a light kiss on the lips or cheek in public was all. Not that we were in public much. We stayed in the hotel rooms pretending to be newlyweds. He was waiting for something, I knew, but for what I wasn’t sure. 

I slid the balcony door open and stepped out to take in the view of Chicago. The chill air was starting to get to me when a warm pair of arms settled around my waist, making my jump.

“Relax,” Warbler mumbled, pressing his chest to my back and kissing the skin where my neck met my shoulder.

“What are you doing?” I asked, but when he only mumbled sleepily I figured that he was barely awake. “I miss New York,” I mumbled, settling back into his arms and revelling in the comfort and normalcy of it.

“You’re freezing,” Warbler commented, lifting his head from where it had been resting on the back of my neck. I made a noise of acknowledgement. He released me only to turn me round and tug me back into the room.

He pulled me over to the bed then down on top of him. I gasped slightly as he flipped us over so my back was pressed to the rumpled covers.

“What are you doing?” I asked again.

“Giving up,” he answered as his eyes locked onto mine.

“Giving up on what?” I asked nervously as I felt myself start to react to his body above mine, heat started to rise on my cheeks.

“Resisting you,” he said before crashing his mouth to mine, kissing me with a force and passion he had never used before. I gave into it and allowed myself to get lost in the feel of him as I clung to his shoulders.

Eventually the need for air forced us apart.

“Oh,” I sighed. Warbler grinned.

“You’re gorgeous Kurt, I thought so from the moment I saw you. You’re so strong too, you’ve handled this whole situation so amazingly well.” I stared up at his face as he spoke, his hazel eyes meeting my blue ones. Which were swiftly welling up with tears. “Kurt?” Warbler asked, his voice filled with concern.

“I can’t,” I choked out, pushing him off of me. He went easily, allowing me to move away from him quickly. I walked away from the bed a few steps before turning back to him. He sat on the edge of the bed, looking sleep rumpled and worried. I sighed again.

“I don’t know you,” I whined, I hadn’t meant to whine; it just came out like that. “I’ve been practically living with you for a month; I know nothing more than how you take your coffee.”

Watching Warbler’s face fall almost had me running into his arms but I held my ground. I liked him but I wouldn’t throw myself into a relationship, or fling, with someone I didn’t even know the name of. “I was cheated on, had my heart broken then my whole life was ripped away from me. I can’t know if what I feel right now is real.” Ok that was probably a lie, I was fairly certain what I felt was real.

Warbler stood and slowly approached me. Stopping in front of me, he lightly gripped my upper arms. Looking up at me he spoke softly. “I understand.” He paused before going on. “I know how I feel. I know I’ve broken every rule in the book and fallen for the guy under my protection. I think I fell in that first hotel room. I resisted because your safety was far more important. But now I need you to know how I feel.”

“Why now?” I asked, dreading the answer.

“Because I’m ending this.”

“How?”

“I going to get to the bottom of what’s going on. This isn’t going to be safe, we’ll move on tonight, I’ll book you into another hotel and then leave.”

“No,” I gasped, flinging my arms around his neck, “don’t leave, please,” I cried desperately, knowing he was walking in to danger was too much to handle right then.

“I have to do this Kurt, we can’t keep running, if nothing else we’re running out of money.” I sniffed slightly at his words before pulling back to look at him.

“When you come back you can take me out on a date,” I said. He smiled up at me.

“I’ll take you on the best date of your life.”

“But now it’s like three in the morning, let’s go back to bed.” He pulled me back over to the bed and I followed, giggling slightly. This time I curled up to him, resting my head on his chest, the feeling of him stroking his fingers through my hair lulled me too sleep.

When morning came Warbler left the hotel to make a phone call. Someone he thought he could trust, I really hoped he was right. When he was gone, I showered and dressed. The clothes were atrocious, I couldn’t wait to get back my own wardrobe. Since his announcement last night I had felt nothing but despair but now some hope bloomed, if this was all over I could go home, to my bed, my clothes, my hair products. Not to mention the promised date.

For the first time since Stefan had rung me I turned my phone on. It wasn’t like I could have called anyone anyway. I read through some of the texts, I noticed as the month went on Dad had stopped texting, even Rachel’s had petered out but Stefan was still texting me every day. I read through his most recent one.

Well seeing as your Dad tells me your fine and the police aren’t looking for you I guess you’re actually in Ohio. Whatever happened between us Kurt shouldn’t have mattered professionally. In light of your long unauthorised absence from the office you’re fired.

“Bastard,” I said to the air. I couldn’t believe he’d fired me. Well when he found out what happened really, he’d be sorry and begging me to come back. Not that I would but maybe he’d give me a decent reference, it’s the least he could do. I nearly sent him a petulant reply but didn’t because we weren’t out of the woods yet.

A thought dawned on me suddenly in the middle of my Stefan-hating inner monologue. I re-read the text. My Dad had told him I was fine but my Dad doesn’t know that. Unless someone told him which meant that the people we were running from knew where my Dad was. I flashed back to Warbler reciting the information he’d gotten on me from my DNA that first night. His organisation had my DNA. Why had I not thought of that, why hadn’t he thought of that.

“I’m going to kill him,” I muttered as I scrambled for the hotel phone. I dialled my old home number and waited and waited. My heart was in my mouth, tears forming in my eyes, if something had happened to my Dad because of me I could never live with myself. He was the most important person in my life.

“Hello,” my Dad’s gruff voice greeted me.

“Dad,” I sighed in relief.

“Kurt?” My Dad’s voice was suddenly urgent.

“Yes Dad, it’s me. I’m ok. Are you?”

“Yeah I’m fine kid, how’s the holiday?” His voice sounded wrong.

“Holiday? I’m not on holiday, Dad’s what’s going on.”

“Nothing, how’s Stefan?”

“Dad?”

“He’s been calling by here a lot.”

“I know, look Dad I just need to know you’re safe.”

“I always liked that kid.”

“Dad please just,” I was desperate now. This whole conversation was wrong, my Dad never spoke this much on the phone, he just listened to me babble and he’d always pick up when something was wrong with me but now he was ignoring it. “Say Mum’s name if you’re safe or Carol’s if you’re not,” I said quietly, wondering if someone was listening. There was a pause, which was really the answer I needed. He was trying decide whether to lie to me for my own safety. My Dad never lied to me.

“Carol’s fine, you should just enjoy the rest of your holiday.” I choked out a sob.

“Ok,” I replied and put the phone down before my Dad could tell me not to do anything stupid. I was about to do something very stupid.

There were tears coursing down my face as I looked around the room. Warbler hadn’t returned yet, I briefly wondered whether I should wait for him but something told me he wouldn’t let me go.

Going home might be the last thing I would ever do but my father was in danger. I had to save my family. Quickly I sprang into action. If I was going to get away from Warbler I needed to go as soon as possible. If he caught me I was screwed.

I scribbled a note on a piece of paper.

They’ve got my Dad.

Warbler would follow me, maybe he’d even get there in time to save me. I look around and see the car keys. Perfect. I grab them but nothing else.

As I leave the room I keep my eyes out for Warbler. I make it to the car and breathe out a sigh of relief. I turn the key and start to drive. I don’t see any sign of Warbler as I drive through the city. Soon I’m out of Chicago and heading to Ohio.

I’m glad we hadn’t moved very far over the month. Warbler had said they’d expect us to go as far as possible. I drove as fast as possible without stopping. I parked the car around the block from my Dad’s house then walked the rest of the way.

I went in the back way, slipping through the back door into the kitchen. Once inside I steeled myself and called out.

“I’m here.”

“Hello Kurt, you’ve given us quite the run around,” I knew the voice that spoke. Sparrow stepped into the kitchen.

“Where’s my Dad?” I asked.

“He’s safe, his wife too.” I sighed in relief at this news.

“And now you’ve got me,” I said.

“Indeed I do.” He grinned widely at me.

“So do it then, kill me what are you waiting for?” I was starting to shake. He noticed.

“Are you scared Kurt?”

“I don’t want to die,” I replied truthfully.

“Lucky for you, you don’t have to… yet.”

“What?”

“You make the perfect bait.”

“For who?” I asked, stepping back. Right into some one’s chest. A cloth was pressed over my nose and mouth as the sickly sweet smell of what I assumed was chloroform hit my senses.

“Warbler,” the man answered as the world turned black. My last thought was pure and utter dread.