28. Rhett

Iknew we shouldn’t have risked more than a day in Ana’s apartment, never mind three. The small dose of happiness she gained from us being here, getting to show me the space she picked for us—I wanted to give her that for as long as possible.

I’m awoken by the buzz of my phone, and I snatch it up immediately. Ana stirs as I read the text I fucking feared.

Alistair’s men have come.

“We need to go, baby,” I whisper, pulling back the covers for her and getting changed swiftly.

Ana pushes herself up, rubbing her tired eyes. They slowly turn frightened as she registers my urgency. Fuck, I would give anything to never have to see that specific look of horror on her beautiful face again. She knows what’s wrong.

I’m dressed and helping her. She doesn’t protest, sitting on the bed and pulling on my black hoodie as I slip the fluffy socks she likes onto her feet and fetch her boots.

“Are they here?” she barely whispers.

“Nearly. You’re safe with me. On my life, Anastasia.”

I don’t use her full name a lot, but I need her to know how much I fucking mean it. I would take bullets for her.

She nods, standing and getting her coat while I reach into the dresser drawer and pull out two guns. I slide one into the back of my jeans and approach Ana.

“Only take it if it’ll make you feel safer, but I fully intend to make sure you don’t have to use it.”

Her eyes contemplate the gun I’m holding out. Only for a few seconds before her hand reaches for it. “I’m getting good at my aim,” she says quietly.

“I know,” I say, kissing her hand and taking it.

I fit my earpiece in and have Rix ready to direct us with eyes on the cameras.

“They’re just pulling into the garage,” Rix says.

“Cut the hallway and elevator,” I reply.

“All clear.”

We leave, jogging down the hall.

“Shit, stop. Take the stairs,” Rix says.

Pivoting, we push through the door to the stairwell.

“Fuck! Stop and stay fucking silent.”

Pulling Ana to me, I press a finger to my lips. Her brow furrows, trying to read my eyes for any signal. I hear the commotion then. They have to be coming up from both the stairwell and the elevator, knowing I could be tipped off.

“Your only way is up, man.” I hear the panic in his voice, and it’s not fucking helping.

Ana lives in the penthouse. Our only other exit is the rooftop, and then we’re cornered. I don’t know this building, but I’m praying to fucking God and Satan—whoever will grant us the mercy of a damn fire escape outside.

Emerging onto the roof, we race across it, and—thank fuck—I spy the escape down on the side of the building.

“Motherfuckers,” Rix says.

I stop, taking a pause for sanity before I lose it. “They’re climbing the fire escape too?” I confirm with Rix.

“They’re halfway up. You’ll have to try to hide.”

They’ll reach the top and scour every inch.

“How many?” I ask.

“Six outside, eight inside.”

I can’t risk Ana getting hurt while I take out that many. Especially if those inside hear the gunshots and race up to help.

“The building ...” I contemplate the insanity of my thoughts. “It has wraparound ledges?”

“You’re not seriously thinking ...” Rix trails off too.

We don’t have another option.

I pull Ana along, my adrenaline the driving force drowning everything out.

Back inside, we’re silent as we fall down a level. It’s the closest drop to the first ledge.

“Rhett, what are we doing?” Ana asks.

I can’t answer because I know she’ll panic. She might fight against me doing this, and I’m going to prolong that as much as I can. The window slides up, and I slip one leg through.

“Trust me.” I pull her to me, but she resists. “I won’t let you fall.”

The voices are growing louder up the echoing stairwell. My jaw tightens.

“Please, baby,” I coax.

She’s not good with heights. I understand the safety and prestige of a penthouse apartment, but right now, it’s the worst location.

Ana clutches me for dear life as she slips one leg through, straddling the windowsill with me. My toes barely touch the ledge, which is only the width of my foot.

“I’m scared.” She shudders.

“I’m right here, baby. Be brave for me, okay?”

Ana nods, but her full focus is on the task. I hold her tightly as she maneuvers her other leg through and then lowers until her toes reach the ledge, but her fingers don’t let go of the sill.

“I can’t,” she breathes in a panic.

“Yes, you can, little bird. Let go and shuffle along.”

It takes a few seconds that pound in my chest as we’re so close to being caught. When she’s across enough for me to fit through, I slide out, dragging the window down with me, until it’s only a slither open. Hopefully undetectable to Alistair’s brainless henchmen.

The wall has barely any kind of purchase, and our balance is everything in this desperate, reckless plan.

“If we died this way, that would be really disappointing,” Ana breathes.

Our fronts are pressed to the wall, and I risk slipping one arm around her for further support.

“They could make our story poetic,” I say. “Modern-day Romeo and Juliet.”

“You know Romeo and Juliet?”

“You made me learn about that Shakespeare guy for your debate, remember?”

“I didn’t make you read his plays.”

“I didn’t. There’s a movie, but it was deliriously dull. In fact, I’m still angry at their stupidity.”

Ana chuckles softly. “Don’t make me laugh—my balance isn’t great as it is.”

“I missed it,” I say. “Your laugh.”

She doesn’t answer for a few beats.

“What would you have done?” she asks.

I’m so proud of her for the calm she’s maintaining despite our ludicrous, life-threatening situation.

“When?”

“If you were Romeo and I was Juliet. What would you have done if you found me and thought I was dead?”

“I’d yell at you for the stupidity.”

“I faked it for you!”

I grin until my thoughts turn serious.

“You have so much to give, Anastasia Kinsley. That doesn’t die with me, and I demand you stay alive.”

“Pushy.”

“It’s my job I’m informally taking back. How else would I get you to follow me out of a twenty-eight-story window?”

“Your bodyguarding methods are very unorthodox.”

“In more ways than one.”

“In better ways than others.”

“Are we thinking about that top drawer again?”

Ana giggles, breathy and a little delirious given our precarious situation, but it’s a sound that calms me and reminds me there’s still goodness in this hellscape.

“You two are fucking adorable,” Rix coos in my ear.

I didn’t forget he was there—I just don’t care.

“They’re on the ledge?” another voice in the background says.

“Who is with you?” I demand. There’s never anyone around him when he’s working with me.

“Uh ... probably not the best time for you to hear that answer.”

Ana shivers, and I try to shuffle tighter to her.

“It’s probably Adam,” she says. Then her eyes flick up as mine snap down. “Shit, I forgot you don’t know yet.”

“Oh, I know already,” I grumble.

“It’s a long story.” She winces.

Rix says, “Okay, we’re going to get the all-clear soon. Hang tight a few minutes more.”

“Not like we have a choice,” I say.

“This was the most insane idea,” Ana says. She hasn’t moved a single inch from standing straight, palms splayed and cheek pressed to the wall.

“Not too late to choose the White House for refuge.”

“I’ve been through arguably more threatening things,” she says. “Silas could have been exactly like Matthew, and I walked right in.”

I don’t need to be reminded of that right now. I haven’t decided if I trust Silas or not. I’m leaning more toward absolutely no way in seven hells. But he got me out more swiftly than I’ve ever seen before considering the secure and highly guarded location. He’d strolled in as if he damn well owned the place and I have no doubt Alistair Lanshall is losing his shit over it.

“You have a whole lot of explaining to do, little bird.”

“All clear,” Rix says.

Thank fuck.

I shuffle along, taking Ana with me, back under the window. It’s going to be a tricky balance to get it open. I strain with my feet against the wall, push the window up, and manage to haul myself over. I don’t miss a beat, leaning out to grab Ana around her forearms.

“You need to hold onto me back, and I’ll pull you up,” I say as calmly as I can.

I know Rix has eyes on the place, but I can’t let go of my racing adrenaline that he could miss someone before I get Ana back onto solid ground.

“Don’t let me fall,” she says, voice laced with fear.

“Never. Look at me.”

Those stunning hazel eyes turn up, and I promise my soul to her in them.

“I’ve got you.”

Ana gasps, reaching up. It wobbles her back a fraction, and she whimpers, but I have her.

“Use your feet to climb if you can,” I instruct. She does so, and from there it’s a few effortless seconds before I’m pulling her through the window into my arms.

Our heartbeats slam together as I hold her tight, leaning back against the side wall.

“I can’t believe we just did that,” she pants.

Honestly, me too.Of all the wild and crazy scenarios I’ve found myself in over the years, this definitely shot to top of the list for spur-of-the-moment insanity.

She laughs, and I know it’s the high of adrenaline and the absolute fuckery of our lives right now, but I join her.

“You two had better get your asses down to the garage before you lose any more of your minds. We’re just about to pull up,” Rix says.

I take out the earpiece to have a moment alone with her after all that.

“You’re incredible,” I say, tucking her bed-tousled, windswept, deep red hair behind her ear. Not a thing has changed, and no matter what, she’s still the most perfect thing I’ve ever seen.

“All I did was follow,” she says.

I take her hand as we make our way down the stairs and untuck my gun as a precaution.

“You shouldn’t put so much trust in a criminal,” I muse.

“Bodyguard criminals are an exception.”

I catch a glimpse of the gun Ana’s holding too, and I can’t decide what I feel to see her so ready to fire with me. Escape with me. Run with me. Guilt, so much guilt, wraps around me, but only because I’m so damn proud and relieved she’s still here. I haven’t quite processed all she did to try to find me, because I’m sure owing her my life isn’t enough anymore, and I’m still trying to figure out how to give this woman everything she deserves and so much fucking more.

We pause in the doorway into the garage, and I lean out, gun raised, to check the area. It’s silent until a car comes down. We change our plates often, and the windows are tinted black, so I don’t immediately trust it’s Rix.

The back door opens, and my finger bears down a fraction more on the safety until a large black dog comes bounding out.

“Hey, boy!” Ana gushes when Shadow sniffs her out instantly.

I relax, watching her kneel and nuzzle into the dog.

“Let’s go!” Rix hollers.

It’s then I look up and see Adam Sullevan getting out the back and slipping into the front.

“You have seconds to give me one good reason why my hands shouldn’t wrap around his throat from the back seat,” I say darkly, pulling Ana toward the SUV.

“You’re not the only one with a ruse,” she says. “I mean, his is simply the asshole ruse, and I guess it was kind of genuine, but he apologized and has actually been a good friend since, well, you died.”

I cast her an unamused look as she slips into the car giving me an innocent smile.

“Too soon?”

I’m worried about her. I’m terrifyingly, obsessively worried about her. At least it keeps my mind off my own shit. I think she’s deflecting her trauma, and I can’t figure out the right way to mend us together until I know every piece of the story from her since the day I left. I want to believe it’s just time I need to give, but after three months away from her, time has become too precious to me.

“I’m glad you’re alive for Ana’s sake, Kaiser, but I’m not apologizing to you,” Adam says as Rix takes off.

“Good, because I’d shove it back down your fucking throat, Sullevan.”

He huffs a laugh, but his smile falls to fear the instant he looks back and catches my glare. Ana scoots over to the middle seat, and her hand on my thigh calms the beast wanting to reach for Adam. I was too lost in my drive to find Ana the first time I saw him, and now I have her, I have the headspace to loathe the fact he’s here.

“Be nice,” Ana says, tipping her head back and trying her best pleading eyes.

“This is my nice.”

I’ll admit, that look could get me to kneel on hot coals for her, but I haven’t forgotten a single word or look Adam gave Ana over the semester to pin him high on my list of people to give hell to.

“I missed your graduation,” I mutter absentmindedly at the thought of college.

“So did I,” she says nonchalantly.

That disturbs me, but I don’t let it show. Her smile is tinted with sadness, but she merely inches closer, tucking her arm around mine and leaning her head on my shoulder. It’s fucking bliss. After all the torment, I feared something would be amiss, different, when I got to her again. I’m going to find out what the fuck happened to her in that time of seclusion, and I’m going to burn every one of Alistair’s evil lairs to the fucking ground.

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