“Dustin, why do you have a gun?” she spoke loudly, praying Mitch had picked up and could hear the conversation. Her eyes bounced back and forth between his unpredictable gaze and the black pistol held loosely in his fist.
A look of bemusement softened his unsettling expression. “Don’t worry, sweet Scottie. I’m not going to hurt you.” He took another step closer.
Like I’m about to believe a word this guy says.
In return, Scottie moved backward a few inches. Once. Twice. But when she tried the defensive move a third time, her bare heel struck the nightstand’s wooden base.
She was running out of room, and unless Mitch got here in the next few seconds…
I’m going to run out of time.
And since Mitch wasn’t here yet, chances were good he wasn’t coming at all. Which meant she’d have to find a way out of this frightening situation herself.
Think, Scottie. Think!
“Because you care about me.” She went with the only plan to come to mind.
Dustin stopped mid-stride and nodded. “You finally understand.”
“I do,” Scottie lied. “I see it now.”
“See what?”
“That we’re meant to be together.”
Just uttering the nauseating falsehood made her want to vomit all over the hotel’s fancy carpet.
Excitement flourished across his ever-changing face. “That’s right! We are meant to be together. That’s what I’ve been trying to say! You and I…Scottie, we’re?—”
“Soulmates,” she finished for him. “I know that, now.”
“That’s good, Scottie.” Dustin’s movements became slightly erratic as he switched gears to focus on the next step in his plan. “That’s really good. So…you’ll come with me, then?”
“Of course, I will, Dustin.” She lied through her fake-as-hell smile. “But I should probably get dressed, don’t you think?” Scottie looked down at her robe. “I mean, if I walk through the lobby looking like this, people are going to ask questions. And, I may be wrong in my assumption here, but I’m guessing you’d prefer we leave without a bunch of attention being drawn to us.”
Something akin to admiration lit up the man’s widening gaze. “I knew it.” His lips curved even higher. “Iknewyou loved me, too! That’s why you’re worried about the people in the lobby, isn’t it? You don’t want them to keep us from finally reaching our dream of being together. You’re…” He moved a bit closer. “You’re trying to protect me.”
“No, Dustin.” She stepped forward that time, playing to his delusional psyche. “I’m trying to protect us both. I mean…” She swallowed hard. “Now that we’re finally together, it would be a shame to let anyone come between us…right?”
“You mean that?”
Not even a little bit, you freak.
“Of course, I do.” Scottie let the curve of her lips grow. “I…I was only trying to push you away before because I know that’s what everyone else expects me to do. But?—”
“They don’t matter.” Dustin shook his head excitedly. “No one else matters but the two of us.”
“I know that, now.” She inched closer. “So I’ll change clothes, put a bag together with a few of my things, and then you and I can finally start that amazing life you just described.”
“You don’t need a bag. In fact, you don’t need anything at all. Because I already have everything you need waiting for you at home.”
Dear God.
With her heart feeling like it would leap straight out of her chest, she approached the man with the gun. Luckily, he was still holding it down, letting it hang loosely at his side. And—so far—he hadn’t made a move to point it in her direction.
“Great.” Scottie steadied her breathing and schooled her expression. “That’s…really great. Just give me like…two minutes, and I’ll be ready to go.”
Taking a huge risk, she began moving in small, slow steps toward the bathroom door behind where Dustin stood. His spine stiffened at first, sending her heartbeat skyrocketing into an even more frantic rhythm.