It never does.
Another flood of tears rushed their way to the surface, and this time, Cera did nothing to stop them. Instead she sat in her crappy car parked in front of her crappy motel and let them spill out onto her cheeks. Several drops of moisture splashed down onto her jean-clad lap below.
God, I’m tired.
So. Fucking. Tired.
Tired of the running. The hiding. Of feeling crazy, and then worrying that maybe she really was.
Most of all, Cera was tired of searching the face of every person who passed by, wondering iftheywere the one hell-bent on destroying what was left of her pathetic life. Because her stalker literally could be anyone.
Man. Woman. Someone from her past. Someone she’d never met.
It was the crux of the problem, and what terrified her most.
No one—not her or the cops—knew the name of the person behind the harassment and threats. And without a name or at leastsomesort of starting point…
Sin was supposed to be that place. Jax Monroe was one person in the city who might have been able to help me.
The heavy weight of defeat had her chin dropping to her chest and her bottom lip trembling. Slumping back in her tattered seat, Cera’s head spun with the need for a new plan. But the only thing she came up with was a fresh onslaught of tears filling her weary gaze.
All I want—the one and only thing I’ve allowed myself to truly dream of—is to wake up one day with a smile on my face and a bright, sunny day filled with possibilities.
That was it. That was all she wanted.
Not money or mansions. Not cars with flawless interiors or paint that held not even the slightest spec of rust. No, what she wanted more than anything in this world was a peaceful life filled with joy, happiness, and laughter.
But on those rare nights when her subconscious took over and her wildest dreams appeared, Cera would see herself filled with all those things and more. Including true love.
Like any man worth his salt would ever be with someone as messed up as you.
A set of guarded blue eyes flashed through her mind. They were familiar eyes, belonging to a tall, sexy blonde with muscles for days and a suspicious, closed-off demeanor. A man who’d stared back at her with a mixture of intense apprehension and intrigue as she’d turned and walked away.
What are you doing? You don’t have time to sit around daydreaming about a man you’ll never see again. Now get your ass in gear and get moving!
Cera lifted her head and sat up straighter. Using both hands, she hastily wiped the dampness from her cheeks and rubbed her raw and gritty eyes.
Her subconscious was right. She didn’t have time for tears or senseless dreams. There were things to do. So many things. And this little pity party she was hosting was getting her nowhere fast.
Internal pep talk over, she opened the door and climbed out from behind the wheel. She needed to come up with a plan. Her savings was all but depleted, and the hours at the grocery store weren’t enough to cover the expense of relocating yet again.
That meant, for now, there was no other choice but to suck it up and push through the fear.
You’ve done it before. You can do it again.
And she would. Because really, what other choice did she have?
Cera glanced at the scar on her left wrist as she reached back inside the car for her purse. Using the vehicle’s interior locks, she gave the door a frustrated shove, the metal screeching to a close behind her.
A gentle breeze raked through her long hair as she made her way to the metal staircase leading to the motel’s second floor. Several strands blew into her face, forcing her to tuck them behind one ear in order to see.
Reaching her room near the end of the concrete walkway, she inserted the key into the slightly loose and tarnished knob. Her lips parted with surprise when the door slowly and effortlessly inched forward without a single turn of the wrist.
What the…
Cera’s stomach dropped, a rock-hard ball of trepidation filling her insides as she pressed a trembling palm against the door’s smooth surface. She always checked to make sure her door was locked before she left.Always.It was a deeply engrained habit solidified during her teenage years, and one she never,everforgot.
With the air in her lungs frozen and her heart racing with fear, she slowly pushed the door open as she inched across the room’s metal threshold. A strangled gasp became lodged in her throat, the scene before her momentarily impossible to comprehend.