Chapter 26
T he elevator doors slide open to the garage level. Daniel checks both directions before taking my hand and leading me through the dimly lit concrete space. My heart pounds so hard I can feel it in my throat.
"This way," he whispers, guiding me toward a nondescript black sedan I've never seen before.
"Whose car is this?" I ask as he unlocks it.
"No one's. Untraceable." He opens the passenger door. "Get in."
I slide into the seat, my wedding robe rustling beneath the coat Zoe gave me.
Daniel starts the engine and peels out of the garage, tires squealing against concrete. We burst into daylight, and I instinctively duck down in my seat.
"They won't be looking for us yet," Daniel says, his eyes constantly checking the mirrors as he weaves through Manhattan traffic like a man possessed. He runs a yellow light, cuts between two delivery trucks, and takes a sharp turn that has me gripping the door handle.
"Are you trying to kill us before they can?" I ask, but there's no real fear in my voice. Strangely, I feel safer with Daniel driving like a maniac than I ever did.
He glances at me, the ghost of a smile touching his lips. "Trust me."
And I do. That's the craziest part of all this. I trust him completely.
We merge onto the highway heading north, Daniel constantly checking the mirrors. His hands grip the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turn white. The speedometer creeps well above the limit, but he handles the car with practiced precision.
"We need to drive for at least three hours," he says. "Get some distance. I have a place upstate where we can lay low for a day or two while I figure out our next move."
I nod, unable to form words. The enormity of what we're doing washes over me in waves. Relief mingles with terror, freedom with guilt.
"Are you okay?" Daniel asks, his voice softening as he reaches across to take my hand.
"I don't know," I answer honestly. "I feel... everything. All at once."
His thumb strokes the back of my hand. "That's normal."
"Is it?" I laugh, the sound edged with hysteria. "Is any of this normal?"
"No," he admits. "But the feeling is. When you make a big decision, when you change your life completely, it's overwhelming."
I look down at my lap, at the ridiculous silk robe. Baby's breath flowers fall from my hair onto the fabric.
"They're going to be so angry," I whisper.
"Yes," Daniel doesn't sugarcoat it. "But they love you."
"What about the Russians? The casino? All those families who depend on us?"
Daniel's jaw tightens. "Your brothers will handle it. They always do."
I stare out the window as the city gives way to suburbs, then gradually to more open land. Trees blur past, their spring green a stark contrast to the turmoil inside me.
"I've never done anything like this before," I say quietly.
"Run away?"
"Choose myself." I turn to look at him. "I've always done what was expected. What was needed. What was best for the family."
Daniel takes his eyes off the road for a moment to meet mine. "How does it feel?"
I consider the question, sorting through the tangle of emotions. "Terrifying," I admit. "But also... right."
He nods, understanding in his eyes. "That's how I felt when I decided to come get you."
"You could lose everything."
"So could you."
We fall silent, the weight of our choices settling between us. But his hand remains wrapped around mine, warm and steady. An anchor in the storm.
The highway stretches before us, leading away from the life I was supposed to have and toward something unknown.
I pull off the highway after three hours of driving, my eyes scanning for any signs of pursuit. The neon vacancy sign of the Pinewood Motel flickers. Not exactly five-star accommodations, but right now, anonymity matters more than comfort.
"We'll stop here for today," I tell Lu, parking the sedan at the far end of the lot where shadows provide extra cover.
She hasn't asked a single question about our destination since we left Manhattan. Just sat quietly beside me, occasionally reaching for my hand when I wasn't shifting gears.
I cut the engine and turn to her. She's still wearing the delicate white slip dress she had on under her wedding gown, her hair falling loose around her shoulders. Even exhausted and rumpled, she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
"Lu, this place isn't what you're used to." I gesture toward the single-story motel with its peeling paint and buzzing ice machine. "But they don't ask questions here. Don't care who you are as long as you pay cash."
To my surprise, she laughs.
"Daniel, I would stay in a barn if I needed to." She reaches for my hand, her fingers cool against mine. "I didn't run away from my wedding for the accommodations."
Something loosens in my chest. "Good to know."
I grab my duffel from the back seat, scanning the parking lot one more time before we head toward the office. My hand rests instinctively at the small of Lu's back, guiding her through the darkness.
The lobby smells like cigarettes and cheap air freshener. A bored-looking clerk glances up from his phone, barely making eye contact.
"Need a room," I say, keeping my voice neutral. "Just for tonight."
He slides a registration card across the counter. "Seventy-five. Cash only."
"Perfect." I fill out the form with false information, muscle memory from years of covert ops. The clerk doesn't even look at it when I hand it back with four twenties.
"Room 14. End of the building." He tosses a key attached to a plastic tag across the counter. "Check-out's at eleven."
I take Lu's hand as we walk back into the night air. Her fingers intertwine with mine like they belong there.
"You know," I say quietly as we walk toward our room, "I have enough money set aside. Offshore accounts they can't trace. We could disappear completely. Never worry about jobs or money again."
Lu squeezes my hand. "I wasn't worried about that."
"What are you worried about?"
She stops walking, turning to face me under the harsh glow of a security light. "That you'll regret this. Throwing away your career, your life, for me."
I cup her face in my hands. "Lu, you are my life now. Everything else is just details."
The key turns easily in the lock of Room 14. I usher Lu inside, checking the parking lot one last time before closing the door behind us.
One bed, worn carpet, faded wallpaper—but it's clean enough. I drop my duffel by the door and turn the deadbolt.
"We should be safe here for?—"
Lu crashes into me before I can finish, her body colliding with mine as her arms wrap around my neck. Her lips find mine with desperate hunger, her whole body trembling against me. I respond instantly, my hands sliding down to grip her thighs, lifting her up as she wraps her legs around my waist.
I press her against me. Her fingers tangle in my hair as I deepen the kiss, tasting her need and relief and fear all at once.
Without breaking the kiss, I carry her to the bed, lowering her gently onto the faded comforter. I pull back just enough to look at her—hair splayed across the pillow, eyes dark with desire, chest rising and falling with quick breaths.
"I want you," she whispers, her voice steady despite her trembling body. "But this time, I want you to be yourself."
I raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"The first time, you were so careful with me. So gentle." Her fingers trace my jawline. "You were worried about me the whole time."
A laugh escapes me. "How did you know?"
Her lips curve into a smile. "I didn't. Just guessed."
We both laugh, the tension in the room shifting into something warmer, more intimate. I lean down, brushing my lips against her ear.
"I wanted it to be perfect for you," I admit. "After everything you've been through."
"It was perfect." Her hands slide under my shirt, fingertips exploring the ridges of my scars. "But now I want to know what you like. I want to find out what I like, what I don't like."
I pull back to look at her, searching her eyes for any hint of uncertainty. There's none—just trust and desire.
"Try me," she challenges, her voice soft but determined.
I run my thumb across her bottom lip. "The things I truly like... they're not what all women prefer."
Her eyes widen with curiosity, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Tell me."
I shake my head slightly. "One step at a time, Lu." I lower my mouth to hers again, murmuring against her lips. "We've got all night to figure it out."
She arches up to meet my kiss, her body melting into mine as her hands pull me closer.