The Unexpected Partner

Chapter 36

Throwing a few coins on the table, Shane turned around and headed for the door. Claire smiled apologetically at the restaurant lady and hurried after Shane.

Once they were both out the door, Shane looked around to find the hotel and headed straight to it. Now it was her turn to grab his arm. "Shane!" She grabbed his upper arm. She was a little surprised to see how hard it was. Is this his arm or a rock? She wondered.

"What?"

"Where are you going?" She knew it was a stupid question but still decided to ask.

"You just heard those men in there, right? The four brothers are in that hotel!" He pointed to the hotel down that street.

Claire let go of his arm, although she wouldn't have a problem holding it forever. "I know that, but you can't just barge in their room! We need to think about this!"

"What's there to think about? I am going to knock on every door and arrest them."

"These men are not going to open the door to anyone, they are smarter than that!" She looked sternly at him. "I agree with you that we need to arrest them, but we need a plan."

"We?" He asked, confused. "You are not getting involved with this."

"Oh yes, I am. This is as much your problem as it is mine."

He walked closer and looked deeply into her eyes. "You are not getting involved!"

"Yes, I am!"

Shane squeezed the bridge of his nose in frustration. Must she always disagree with me! He screamed in his mind.

"Look, nothing will happen to us, if we know what we're doing. We can help each other."

"Help each other? Really? Please enlighten me with your grand plan to help each other."

Although Claire did not appreciate the way he talked to her, she was a little amused at his sarcasm. Invigorated even. "Well, I would have to think about it."

He groaned, "Think about it? Jesus Claire, we don't have the entire day."

"Shut up!"

"Did you just tell me to shut up?"

"Yes. Shut up and let me think."

"That's not very nice." Shane didn't know why he felt amused and even a little turned on when she told him to shut up.

Claire ignored him and walked out of the street. She had enough of his bickering and just wanted some time to think. What can we do? She asked herself. How can we get them without making the hotel staff or the brothers suspicious? What if it's not even the four brothers that we're looking for? No! I heard the man in the restaurant, it's them! Claire cleared her thoughts; she had to think fast. She thought about many different ways of getting into their hotel room, but up until then, most of her ideas seemed illogical. Looking at Shane, she saw that he was already staring at her. Idiot.

Stone head. Shane glared at her.

"Give me a few more minutes; I'm thinking for the both of us."

He didn't reply to her, but instead sat down on the nearby porch. He decided to let her do the thinking and let him do the shooting.

After a few more minutes of thinking and contemplating different options, she finally thought of one that was good enough to enact. She walked to Shane and said, "I have a plan. You might not like it but it's a plan."

"Let's hear it."

"All right...so we go to the hotel...and we pretend to get a room."

Shane stopped her there. "You and me? Get a room together?"