55
When at last Connie stopped, John pulled her in.
She was shaking now with the exhaustion and the cold.
He didn’t think about it; he swept her up in his arms and looked for a place to go. Behind was the palace, but the hotel was too far. She needed to get warm now.
He turned left and headed for the end of the building’s stone wall. It opened into a narrow street to the left. Shops and cafes lined the far side, but they were closed and shuttered at this hour. To the right, a broad square opened before them. The front of the building she’d been sick upon soared above them. An older couple came out a door at the top of a half flight of steps leading to the massive doors. He headed over and the couple held the door for him, letting a warm light spill down the stairs.
He nodded in thanks
