Free Taken: The MISTAKEN Series Complete Third Season by Renna Peak Page A

on her lips made me hopeful that I was at least a part of whatever was making her happy—at least for that moment. I wanted to hold onto that moment—that pure, blissful moment for as long as I could. Because I knew once we started running, there weren’t going to be as many of these moments. But I knew I would give them to her as often as I could.
    Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked a few times, almost as though she didn’t really believe that seeing me there next to her was real. It was like a dream, at least for me. It was exactly how I had pictured it in my mind—having her eyes flutter open like that. The way she looked up at me. The way her skin felt against mine.
    She smiled at me after she realized I was really there. “Is it dark outside yet?”
    I would have paid money to see her smile like that. I knew I would do something to make her look at me like this every single day for the rest of her life. I returned her smile—the first honest-to-Christ happy moment I’d had for so fucking long.
    “No, sweetheart. Not yet. But I think we’re okay. Just get your things together and we’ll go whenever you’re ready.”
    She sat up, holding the covers over her chest. My heart fluttered—it was so fucking adorable that she still did that. It reminded me of our first night together, and most of the times we had been together since then. Something about how she was still just a little shy around me made my heart melt every time…
    She let out a sigh, her smile falling just a little. “We just can’t let anyone see you. It’ll be easier once it’s dark. We’ll go—we can drive all night if you want. I’ll explain everything as soon as we get in the car.”
    “Anyone like who? That little prick saw me—I almost killed him just outside your door.”
    The smile returned to her face, making my heart skip a few beats in the process. “He’s no one. And I love that you’re still jealous.”
    “And that boss of yours thought I was here to steal his shitty motel out from under him. As if anyone would want to buy this hell hole.”
    The smile fell instantly from her face and she turned to me, suddenly pale. “What did you say?”
    My eyes widened at what looked like sheer terror on her face. “I said this place is a shit hole…”
    “Before that. Before that. Jesus Christ, Brandon, you didn’t. You didn’t go in there. You didn’t talk to him.” Her eyes began darting around the room, almost panicked.
    “I just asked about his place. About the shop. I told him you’d done a fantastic job with it. Which you have, by the way.”
    She jumped out of bed and grabbed our clothes from the floor, tossing my jeans and shirt at me. She pulled her t-shirt over her head. “Fuck, Brandon, get dressed. How long has it been? How long? How long since he saw you?”
    My heart began to pound, thrashing again in my ears. I wasn’t even sure what I was afraid of, but the way she was acting … the panic in her voice. I stood, pulling on my underwear. “I don’t know? Two hours? Maybe three or four?”
    I saw the tears spring to her eyes and felt my own begin to sting at mine. I never cried. I didn’t cry and I didn’t know what in the fuck I had done or what in the hell was going on with her, but the way she was pulling on her clothes, running around the tiny room was scaring the shit out of me.
    “No. No, no, no. No.” She turned back to me--her movement was almost jerky. Her breath was raspy.
    “You have to go. Now.” She pulled on the rest of her clothing, tears beginning to spill down her cheeks.
    I nodded, pulling on the rest of my clothes. I shoved the velvet box back into the pocket of my jeans—there would be time for a proper proposal later. “You’re coming with me.”
    “No. You need to go. I’ll call you. I’ll text you—I promise. You have to go, though. Right. Now.”
    I shook my head, shoving my feet into my shoes. I still had no idea what the rush was—what in the hell the big hurry