Laurie nodded her agreement against his shoulder.
“No, I know that. I do.” She buried her face in his shoulder.
Satisfied, Dante gave her a gentle squeeze. He didn’t know what else to do to make her feel better, so he just held her.
Max went outside to walk around the house, and Cheyn moved upstairs to go back to bed.
David settled by the window again. Dante turned on the TV for some mindless noise. He flipped through until he found an old movie, with Barbra Streisand roller-skating around and singing. It was exactly what they needed.
“Let’s just watch a movie for a while, okay?”
Laurie nodded.
Dante put his arm around Laurie’s shoulders, tucking her against his side.
Laurie’s head rested on his chest. She fit perfectly beside him, though he tried not to notice, and they passed much of the afternoon that way.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Laurie
That night, Dante appeared at Laurie’s door, sleeping bag in hand.
“Can I come in for a minute?” He nodded toward her room.
“Of course.” Laurie stepped back.
She felt a jolt of nervousness. Dante looked at her, and she stared up at him. Something inside her trembled. He ran his hand through his hair. He looked at the rumpled bed and then his eyes darted away.
“Have you thought about what I said last night…with sleeping in the room with you?”
“Oh, yes.” She looked away, thinking.
Laurie felt her cheeks flush. It seemed to happen around him frequently. She forced herself to look at him.
“If you’re uncomfortable with it, then I don’t want—” He coughed and cleared his throat.
“No, no. You’re just going to end up in here anyway. Might as well start out in here, I guess.”
Laurie felt her temperature rise exponentially. The thought of Dante sleeping in her room stirred something in her. She was suddenly hyper-aware of her surroundings. She ran a dull fingernail along the spine of the book in her hand. She could feel the heat of his gaze on her, warming her skin. Laurie could even hear the soft hiss of the wind as it blew past her window.
“If you have any objections, I don’t want to—”
“No, it’s fine. It’s completely fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure.”
Laurie laughed nervously. Dante let out the breath he was holding. They looked at each other for a minute, and then they both looked away.
“I’ll lay out my sleeping bag.”
“Do you have anything more comfortable to sleep on?”
“No. I’ll be fine. I’ve slept on the ground in this and it was just fine.”
He gave a half smile and she got the feeling he was lying.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’ll sleep better on the floor, knowing you’re okay, then in my bed worrying.”
Laurie smiled a little. He did care deeply about the people he protected. She wished it was more than that, but she knew it wasn’t.
“I’m sorry you have to go to all this trouble.”
“No. Don’t worry about it. No reason to be sorry. What position would you like me in?”
Laurie stared at him for a minute, wide-eyed. Dante froze.
“I mean…um. I mean, on the floor.” He waved the sleeping bag at the floor. “Is there anywhere specific on the floor you’d like me to sleep?”
“Oh, oh.” Laurie giggled a little and Dante let out a nervous chuckle. “No, it doesn’t matter.”
“Okay. Sorry. I guess this is a little awkward.” He gave her a bashful smile.
“Yeah, just a little.”
“It’s much easier when you’re calling out for me in the middle of the night.”
Laurie looked up at him again, putting her hand over her mouth.
Dante winced. Then he cringed, his brow furrowing in embarrassment as he turned scarlet.
“I hope no one is listening to this conversation.” Laurie started laughing uncontrollably.
“Oh God. I’m sorry! Jesus! I’m such…ugh.” Dante closed his eyes and threw his head back, jamming his hand through his hair.
Laurie’s laughter got to him, and he started laughing too. They laughed for a few minutes, standing in the center of her room. Laurie held her waist, almost doubled over.
Dante still held his sleeping bag in one hand, wiping tears from his eyes with the other. Laughing felt so good right now.
“Maybe we should just go to bed.” Laurie sat down on her bed.
“Right.”
Laurie slipped between her sheets, throwing her covers over her.
Dante spread out his sleeping bag in the corner opposite her, against the wall. When he was finished, he turned off the light.
“Good night.” Laurie tossed her hair over her pillow.
“Good night.”
Both of them lay awake for a while, not moving. The sound of their breathing seemed to echo in the room. They stared at the ceiling, until Laurie rolled onto her side to look at him.
“Dante?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think they’ll find Kaimi soon?”
“I’m sure they will—”
“I mean for real, not just to make me feel better.”
Dante paused. He rolled over on his side, facing her. Much of him was in shadow, but enough light filtered in from the window so Laurie could make out his face and the clean lines of his jaw.
“There are a lot of places he can hide on the islands, Laurie. He has many friends, people willing to hide him. But they will find him. He can’t hide forever.”
Laurie nodded. She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling again. Dante rolled onto his back as well, listening to the faint sounds emanating from the TV downstairs. Max and Cheyn hated silence during their watch. He and Laurie listened until sleep took them both.
***
Dante
Dante woke up hearing a low moaning sound.
“No, please.” Laurie tossed on the bed.
Dante rolled over. He watched through half-veiled eyes. He didn’t want to wake her up unless he had to, and he hoped she would pull out of it.
“Please, don’t. I promise I’ll testify. I promise, just don’t make me leave, Mr. James.” Laurie clutched at the sheets.
Dante’s blood started to boil. He had never hated a victim’s family before, but this was a good time to start. He opened his eyes. The moonlight streamed through the blinds, falling on Laurie’s bed in rectangles.
Her hands knotted and twisted in the sheets. She had already kicked her blanket off, and it sat in clumps and waves at the foot of her bed.
He watched Laurie’s face contort in pain, as she rolled to face him.
“No! No! Please! He’ll kill me!”
Dante got out of his sleeping bag. He couldn’t listen to her like that. He sat down beside her on the bed, and leaned over to whisper in her ear.
“Laurie, no one’s going to hurt you. Evan James can’t make you leave. I’ll keep you safe.”
She whimpered a little. He took her face in his hands, stroking her flushed cheeks with his thumbs. She sniffled, but quieted. He didn’t think she woke up at all. He waited a little while, and her breathing returned to normal. He brushed the hair back from her face. Then he untangled her hands from the sheet. They were relaxed and limp as he placed them on her stomach. He gave her a last look, filled with a mixture of longing and concern, as he stroked her arm. Then he went back to his sleeping bag, yawned, and fell asleep.
Another hour passed and Dante woke up abruptly to Laurie begging and pleading, clutching at her sheets again.
“No! No! Dante! Please! Don’t!”
Then she let out a piercing wail. He was up and at her side.