“Good enough,” he said. “You don’t have to.”
“Yet I always feel like I’m trying to justify myself,” she said. “Especially in my industry because everybody’s crazy about fitness.”
“Well, you can be crazy but not stupid crazy about it.”
She burst out laughing. “Thanks. I think you’re trying to make me feel better. I’m just not sure.” He opened up the door, and they walked down the hallway to her room. She fished out her card and gained access. As soon as they stepped inside, she froze. “My God,” she whispered.
His arm went around her, and he pulled her back against his chest, holding her tight, while they both stood stock-still and studied her hotel room. “I never thought to check it earlier,” he murmured.
“Neither did I,” she said in a broken whisper.
The room had been trashed—the bed upended and cut open, all her clothing strewn around the room. Most of it looked to have been slashed as well. He pulled out his phone and quickly called management. She barely even heard the conversation. As she went to move forward, he just held her tucked up against him, so she couldn’t even wander through and take a look at the damage.
Maybe that was how it was supposed to be; she didn’t know. But she felt like she’d been violated all over again, her stomach clenching tight, the cinnamon bun rolling through her system. Everything was hurting; everything was on lockdown, and she felt her breathing heighten as she struggled to comprehend someone who could muster so much violence against her. And yet it apparently wasn’t even directed at her; it was about Levi.
Noah put away his phone, turned her around, and pulled her tight against his chest. She burrowed in closer, trembling. “Management is coming,” he said. “We won’t move.”
She nodded. “I can’t stay here though,” she cried out.
“And you won’t,” he said calmly. “We’ll get a suite, where the two of us can be in the same place.”
Relief flooded through her. “That would be so much better,” she said. She dropped her forehead onto his chest. “I don’t understand so much hate.”
“In this case, it’s probably grief and anger more than hate because, in reality, he probably has more of a hate for himself because he couldn’t stop his own child from dying.”
“So we’re assuming it’s the same person?”
“Well, I’d like to presume it’s the same person,” he said, “because, if it isn’t, it means we have somebody else after you.”
She winced at that. “No, I don’t need that either.”
“No, we don’t,” he said. “I’ll phone Levi and give him an update.”
“Great,” she said. “Can you just call him now?”
“Yeah, I can, but I’m waiting for the manager to come.” A knock came almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He shifted her back to the door, opened it, and stepped to the side, so the manager could come in.
He was horrified at the state of the room. He automatically turned to her.
“I don’t know what happened. I haven’t been here all morning, not since I was attacked in your garage,” she said, with enough bitterness for the manager to look at her and then over at Noah.
“We didn’t hear about that,” he said.
“Yes, you did,” Noah said. “Levi called.”
At that name, he nodded. “Ah, that incident, yes.” He shook his head. “Let’s get out of here,” he said. “We’ll fix this.”
“We’ll need a room right now,” he said. “Under the circumstances, I’d like to stay and keep watch, so preferably a two-bedroom suite, where she can rest and recuperate from this shock, before she has to give a presentation later today.”
The manager nodded. “I can take care of that,” he said and led them upstairs two floors to a large suite. Then he left, promising to come back with complimentary coffee and documentation on her new arrangements, so she could sign in here, without going to the front desk.
She looked at Noah and asked, “Did we just get bumped up so we don’t create a scene?”
“Well, we’ll create a scene regardless,” he said calmly. “But they’re hoping it won’t be too big.”
Slowly sagging into a large comfortable couch in the center of the suite, she said, “This room comes with furniture, huh?”
He laughed. “Yep, should be at least enough to make a difference in how comfortable you are and where you get choices to sit.”
She shrugged. “I don’t generally cause much fuss when I’m traveling,” she said. “I just need a room. I don’t need anything fancy.”
“This isn’t terribly fancy, even then,” he said comfortably. “Besides, you couldn’t stay where you were, so this makes sense.”
“I guess,” she muttered. “I’d still like it if it would all just go away.” It wasn’t long before the manager returned, pushing a trolley of coffee and desserts. She turned to Noah. “I need more substantial food than sugar.”
“We’ll bring in a meal,” he promised her.
The paperwork, notification, and new key cards were handed off. And the manager, with profuse apologies, disappeared.
Di looked over at Noah. “I get that it’s not his fault,” she said, “but, at the same time, it’s kind of sad.”
“Sad in what way?” he asked.
“Just that it would even happen.”
He looked around at the suite and said, “Pick a room and sit down and relax. I’ll get some food coming.” He stepped out in the hallway, leaving her to her own devices. She looked at the two bedrooms, two sections of bedrooms anyway, both kind of hooked around partial walls. She chose the one closest to her and sank down onto the bed and, with that, realized how exhausted and traumatized she was.
*
Noah stood outside in the hallway and called Levi about their change in location.
“How’s she holding up?”
“A little more shocked, this new layer of trauma adding to the other one,” he said, “which is pretty normal. I think she needs real food for one thing. The manager just brought up coffee and treats.”
“Well, get something into her, maybe get her a nap.”
“I may have to take her shopping,” he said. “I’m not sure if she’s thought that through yet, but I don’t know if any of her clothes downstairs are salvageable. I need to check.”
“Do that as soon as you get her settled.”
“That’s what I was thinking.” He hung up and walked back into the suite, finding her flat on her back in bed, staring up at the ceiling. “How are you holding up?”
“Barely,” she said, rolling her head to the side. “I need to see if I have any clothing left.”
“I could take a look for you.” She frowned, looking just too exhausted to even move. “You don’t have to come,” he said, “but I figured, if I could get down there while the manager was there, I could see what we can do about your clothing. The police still need to go over the room but I might be able to grab your belongings.”