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be useful if I am vomiting and ill. I certainly cannot fight in this
condition."
"Who said you'd be doing any fighting?" The thought hadn't crossed his mind.
Not that he didn't believe Bella could holdher own . He'd seen her fight
plenty, and been on the receiving end of her ire. But lately she seemed more
fragile, far too mortal for his tastes. Before, he would have cared if she'd
gotten maimed or killed. In fact, when she'd hadhim pinned to the floor in
Nathan's bedroom, ready to drive a stake through his heart, he would have
laughed his ass off at her demise.
Sex, no matter how meaningless, changed things. Who was he kidding? If she
got so much as a stubbed toe on this trip, he'd call the whole damn thing off,
Oracle or no.
"I am a Movement trained assassin. I will do my part in a physical skirmish."
She didn't sound confident about it.Probably because of all the vomiting.
"Come on. We'll find a Motel 6 or something and call it a night."
He helped her to the car with an arm around her shoulders. For someone who'd
just been squatting on the floor of a gas station bathroom, she smelled fine.
"You throw up lilacs and perfume in there?" he joked, but her sense of humor,
nearly nonexistent to begin with, had taken a nosedive since her unfortunate
stomach bug.
"I do not feel like talking," she snapped as he opened the passenger door for
her.
He slammed it closed behind her, and waited to retort until he'd rounded the
car and dropped into the driver seat. "Good.Because every time you open your
mouth, puke comes out."
He pulled out of the parking lot a little less gently than he normally would
have, not because he wanted her to barf all over the dashboard, but it
wouldn't hurt to put the fear of it into her.
By the time they checked into a motor lodge a few exits down the highway,
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Bella was sweating and pale again. She pushed past him and rushed through the
shabby room to the bathroom.
In the light of the floor lamp, Max examined the two beds and took the rough,
brown flannel blanket with the most suspicious stains and draped it over the
window, tucking it behind the blinds rod. Hopefully, that would keep the sun
out, once it rose.
In case it didn't do the trick, he stripped the bed the rest of the way and
laid the sheets on the floor next to the bed farthest from the window. He'd be
trapped between the wall and the platform box springs all day, a lot like
lying in a coffin, but better that than being a human fire hazard.
More disgusting retching sounds came from the bathroom. It was amazing Bella
had anything left to choke up, considering how her output had far surpassed
her input. "I' in gonna go get our stuff out of the car. Will you be okay for
a sec?"
More heaving, then a muffled, "I will be fine."
"Yeah.Okay."
The air outside seemed colder and newer.It could have been fromleaving, the
musty stink of the motel room, but it smelled more like morning. The exact
moment night clicked over to day had happened while he'd been inside.
He was sorry he'd missed it.
He pulled his duffel bag and the leather satchel containing Bella's things
from the trunk. Out of paranoid instinct, he scanned the parking lot for vans,
semis and hearses that could contain other vampires. There was no doubt in his
mind the Oracle knew they were coming.
He also noted the length of the awnings over office and motel room doors. He
did a quick mental calculation of the shadows they might cast, though the time
of day would be an uncertainvariable, and the space between each in case he
and Bella needed to make a quick getaway.
He just hoped it wasn't at high noon. If so, Bella would have to finish the
"mission" by herself.
Of course, there was a small chance they would escape detection altogether,
tail the Oracle to wherever she was going, race in with metaphorical guns
blazing and save the day. He was sure he had a better chance of winding up
living in the suburbs with Bella and their furry kids, mowing the lawn on a
sunny July day.
He didn't like the feeling of being adrift, not knowing exactly what to do or
how things were going to go down. He never thought he would miss Movement
briefings so much.
Cursing, he reached for his cell phone. Carrie and Nathan were probably busy
wearing out their bedsprings, but Max felt no remorse at the thought of
interrupting them. "Hello?" Nathan answered, sounding tired, but awake.
"It'sHarrison . You're still up?" He checked his watch. "It's only midnight."
Nathan paused. "Where are you?"
"Just crossed theIndiana border intoOhio .I thought you guys would hit the
sack right after you got home." Max intentionally softened his suggestion of
what he thought they'd be doing there. Ever since he and Carrie had done what
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