3. Lucas

Chapter 3

Lucas

The room is a shitty little box with a single bed, a bathroom, and a TV that's mounted on the wall. Honestly, it's not the worst place I've ever crashed. It's got clean sheets, and there's not too much of a musty smell.

I collapse face first onto the mattress and let out a deep sigh. My feet are killing me. My back is sore. And I haven't had a decent night's sleep in weeks. I know Roman's gonna be pissed when he finds out, but the guy is beyond obsessed right now. He probably needs sleep even more than I do.

I'm sure it won't be long before he's banging on the door, demanding to know why I left the stakeout early. Well, screw him. I'm tired, and he's a hard-ass.

My eyelids flutter closed, and within minutes, I'm out.

I'm not sure how long I'm asleep before I wake to the sensation of fingers combing through my hair. A soft moan escapes my lips as the pleasant feeling stirs me from my sleep. It feels nice, I think, as my eyes blink open, and I see a large figure sitting on the edge of the bed.

A familiar figure.

My heart lurches into my throat as I'm suddenly wide awake. I bolt upright, scooting away from him and pressing my back against the headboard.

Roman raises an eyebrow. "Lucas, Lucas, Lucas," he says in a calm, patronizing tone.

"What are you doing here?!"

"That's a great question. But I have a better one. What are you doing here?"

"I...I..."

"Because as far as I know, the plan was to stay put and watch for our quarry. Which, judging by the fact that I'm here and you're not there, you seem to have failed."

My cheeks burn, and I swallow nervously. He's right.

"But it's okay. You've helped us out a lot more than you know," Roman tells me.

I furrow my brow, unsure how that's possible.

"It was a little twist of fate," he continues as he rises from the bed and looks at me with narrow eyes. "Random chance that I don't think anyone could've predicted, but your inability to follow orders has given us the perfect opportunity to end this mission."

"Oh, well, I'm glad." I'm not sure what else to say.

Roman snorts and shakes his head. "Can you please just...follow orders long enough for us to finish this and get back home?"

"I'll do my best," I reply.

"No," Roman says with a bite in his tone that makes me jump. "Do better."

Before I can say another word, Roman turns and heads for the door.

He doesn't say anything, but I know he expects me to follow him. I don't know exactly what's going on, but the fact that he's not that angry with me seems to be a good thing. And the promise of being able to wrap this all up sounds too good to be true.

I'm out of the bed in a heartbeat, and I practically chase Roman as he leaves the room. The night air is cold and crisp as we head outdoors. I pull the door shut behind us and jog to keep up with Roman's long strides as he crosses the parking lot.

"So, uh, what's the plan?" I stop short as the scent hits me. My gaze darts toward Roman, my eyes wide with shock. "He's here?"

"He's here," Roman confirms with a slight nod.

"Shit." I let out a low whistle. Talk about luck.

"Sebastian and Theo will be keeping an eye out near the entrance," Roman says as we reach the car I left parked near the office. "You and I will set up somewhere that we can keep an eye on the doors."

"Yes, sir."

Roman glances over at me and raises an eyebrow. I guess I've never been so polite or agreeable in the past, but I'm suddenly feeling very chipper. This whole nightmare will be over soon, and I can go home and actually sleep in my own bed again.

As we reach the car, Roman slides into the passenger seat and lets me drive.

"Do we know what room he's in?" I ask, as we head around the parking lot, and I park so we're facing the doors of the rooms.

"No." Roman shakes his head. "His scent's in the wind; it's hard to tell for sure without searching every room, and I'd rather not cause a big disturbance. But if he's resting here, then he must think he's put enough distance between us to be safe. Which means, he won't be going anywhere until morning."

"So, we wait?"

"So, we wait."

I let out a deep breath and sink a little lower in the seat. I'm not thrilled at the thought of sitting here all night, especially not with Roman, but the end is in sight.