The Criminal Soulmate

Chapter Ten

Silence enveloped the motel room about an hour after Leanna's return. The sun had set since, leaving them both in darkness and quiet. Dylan lay on his side, trying to calm his racing heart. Seeing Leanna wearing his jacket had evoked feelings deep inside him that he hadn't felt for nearly two years. He knew his heart was being stolen by the stubborn girl. And it terrified him.

The faint smell of food still lingered in the air, making his stomach growl. Though he really loved Japanese food, a part of him had felt the need to push Leanna away some more. It still surprised him that she hadn't run away yet. He wanted her to go, to leave this all far behind and start a new life where Morgan and Tom couldn't get to her. But she refused to give up on her dream of seeing her family again.

Steady breaths filled the room. After eating, she'd gone straight to bed. Dylan rolled over to his other side, just barely making out her sleeping silhouette. Her hair cascaded down her back. Dylan tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Leanna?" he whispered, testing to see if she was awake too. No answer came.

Biting his lip, he slowly crept out of the bed. Dull lights shone through the blinds from across the street. Dylan walked over to the window, squinting through the light shining in his eyes. A lone restaurant sat across the street. Its fluorescent sign flickered every few seconds. Even from here, he could tell no one sat in the dining room.

Another low growl reverberated in his stomach. Dylan couldn't control himself. He turned back to Leanna, risking a step closer.

Once again, he whispered out to her, "Leanna?" And like before, there was no answer.

Dylan sighed, no longer able to ignore the hunger eating away at him. He grabbed his jacket from one of the two chairs sitting at the small table. Discarded food containers still sat on the table.

It wasn't until he'd left the motel room that he noticed the shadow of a lone vehicle parked around the corner from the restaurant. He took a closer look at it, pausing when he saw it was a police car. Dylan felt his heart speed up again. Leanna did seem a bit on edge when she returned to the motel less than two hours before.

Dylan ignored his nerves, shoving them far down. He'd faced situations like this before in the past. Authorities still hadn't ever suspected him.

A bright, melodic chime echoed through the building when Dylan pushed the door open. Two men in uniforms stood at the counter. They mumbled a few words before turning and heading back outside, nodding at Dylan as they passed by him. He gave them a friendly smile, ignoring the sweat beginning to gather at the nape of his neck.

Three people stood at the counter, conversing with one another in a language Dylan didn't understand. Based on their frantic speech, he guessed it must be something serious. One of them, a younger woman, stopped when he approached. She smiled, hurrying away from the other two to the cash register.

"Welcome," said the woman, shoulders slightly shaking. "How can I help you?"

Dylan mumbled a hi to her, searching the menu for food that looked appealing to him. He'd made up his mind, ready to order, when he noticed the older man staring at him. He thought nothing of it, until the man took a step closer to him.

"Is that your jacket?" asked the man.

Dread started to overtake him.

"Uh, yes? Why?"