Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
Landon
Allora isn’t happy.
It’s been two weeks since our last conversation about using her as bait to draw out the kidnappers, and nothing has changed. Daniil thinks we should do it, but her father is on the fence and I’m dead set against it, so no decision has been made.
She hasn’t been cold exactly but I can see her starting to pull away. Not physically so much as emotionally. She doesn’t laugh as much, she’s bored, and every time she talks to one of her friends, she goes into the bedroom and shuts the door. Like she’s keeping me at something of a distance.
Maybe I’m being an overprotective ass, but what’s the alternative?
We’re at headquarters today to discuss the situation once again and she isn’t even in the room, opting to hang out with Luna in the lobby. She’s done arguing with me and everyone else and told me to just let her know what we decide.
I figure that’s not going to end well for me, but it’s my current reality.
“There you are.” Silver greets me when he comes in. “I have a surprise for you.”
“For me?” I turn questioningly.
“You mentioned loving motorcycles. And I stumbled onto one I thought you might like.”
“A motorcycle?” I repeat, following him outside with a combination of curiosity and confusion.
“What do you think?” Silver points, and Metal’s sitting on a gorgeous black and silver Harley-Davidson. It’s old and could probably use a little work but absolutely beautiful.
“I mean, it’s beautiful, but I can’t just take it.”
“You can. I got it in exchange for an old debt. Guy passed away, and I wasn’t going to harass his widow for five grand.
She offered me the bike and I took it. But here’s the thing—the debt is from fifteen years ago.
I wrote it off, never thought I’d get anything for it.
The bike was a bonus. And I do not need another one.
Truly. I have seven. Even the guys are starting to call me a hoarder. So, what do you think?”
“I don’t want to owe you,” I say carefully.
He shakes his head. “It’s not like that. You’ve been taking care of my daughter twenty-four-seven for nearly two months now. I gave Daniil some money but no way it covers two months of your unlimited services. Consider it a bonus. No strings attached.”
I glance at Daniil, who followed us outside, and he shrugs. “Up to you, buddy. I’d take it. She’s a beauty.”
I stare at the motorcycle trying to suppress a feeling I can only describe as longing.
It’s something I’ve wanted for a long time and I know Daniil wouldn’t encourage me to take it if he thought there was anything nefarious about the transaction.
“Thank you,” I say, shaking his hand.
“You’re welcome.”
It doesn’t escape me that Tex isn’t here. Metal and Thunder are standing there grinning, like they’re genuinely happy for me.
“I can help you get her running better,” Metal says. “Engine’s a little twitchy.”
Rage comes out and joins us, along with Chaos and Mark. They’re fawning over the Harley, asking questions and talking about how good it’s going to look once I’ve touched up the paint.
I’m so involved in what we’re doing that I don’t notice Allora at first. She’s standing about twenty feet away watching, and there’s an expression on her face I’ve never seen before. She’s not angry but there’s a flicker of disappointment that’s hard to understand. Like I’ve somehow let her down.
“Babe, come see what your dad brought me,” I call to her.
She walks over to us slowly. It’s obvious that she’s masking whatever she’s feeling, putting on an act in front of her dad and our friends, keeping her expression neutral.
“A motorcycle?” she asks, looking at her father. “Why would you give him this?”
He explains about the debt and how he doesn’t need another bike and how I mentioned wanting one.
“I haven’t paid nearly enough for the protection he’s providing, so I thought it would be a gesture.”
“I see.” She nods. “It’ll look good with a new coat of paint, some updated chrome.”
To anyone else, she seems politely interested, like a woman who’s not really into motorcycles but is happy for her man.
I know better.
She’s not at all happy, and I honestly don’t know what the problem is. Probably because it’s a gift from her father. But once we’re alone I’ll reassure her that there are no strings attached.
Metal turns a key and the engine comes to life, drawing my attention.
Without hesitation, I swing my leg over and settle on the worn leather seat, getting a feel for having this kind of power beneath me again.
She’ll be fun to ride, and if I can get Allora on the back, we can take a trip up the coast.
It’s exciting, and I’m so caught up in my thoughts, I forget about Allora again for a little while.
And the next time I look for her, she’s gone.
“What’s going on with Allora?” Rage asks me once Silver, Thunder, and Metal head inside with Daniil.
“I don’t know. Things have been…weird. She’s pissed about being locked inside all the time. Frustrated we haven’t made any progress on the case. Annoyed with pretty much everything right now. Mostly me, I think.”
He nods. “Understandable. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.”
“You know you can’t keep her locked up forever.”
“I know.”
“Do you?” He stops just outside the entrance and forces me to look at him. “This is me, man. I know you. You’re protective of the people you love—to a fault. Eventually, something has to give. We have to make a move or they will and we don’t want them to catch us with our pants down.”
“I fucking know!” I throw up my hands.
“Don’t you trust me to have your back? And hers?”
“I do. I just—fuck.” I put my hands on my hips and stare up at the sky. “She’s important to me, Elliott.” I rarely use his given name so he understands the power behind the fact that I’m using it now.
He smiles. “I know she is. That’s why we have to find these guys and make this problem go away. Whatever we have to do.”
He’s right.
No doubt about it.
But for the first time in a very long time, I’m scared. The thought of those guys taking her, hurting her—it terrifies me more than anything I ever felt in combat or anywhere else.
“Let’s go make a plan for New York,” he says gently. “And if they don’t move while we’re there, we come back and make it happen here.”
I swallow.
“Right. Let me go smooth things over with her and I’ll meet you in the conference room.”
“See you there.”
I find Allora at the reception desk.
“Luna needed a bathroom break,” she says, not looking up from something she’s writing on a pad.
“We’re, uh, getting ready for the meeting about security for New York. And beyond.”
“I know.”
“You want to be included, right?”
“Of course.”
I want to remind her that she’s bowed out of the last couple of meetings about her safety, but that’s probably not a good idea.
“Are you mad at me, honey?”
She finally looks up and lifts one shoulder in a mini shrug. “No.”
“But you’re disappointed about something.”
“I guess that’s one word for it.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I know.”
“I’m back.” Luna comes walking up before I can respond. Her hair is green today, with something glittery on her bangs, and I can’t help but smile.
“Nice hair.”
“Thank you.” She grins.
“Meeting is starting now!” Rage calls out to us.
“We’re coming.” I reach for Allora’s hand and though she closes her fingers around mine, I feel that emotional distance growing with every step we take.
She’s starting to frustrate me.
It’s not like anything that’s happened is my fault.
I rescued her, brought her into the fold at Shadow Security, and fell in love with her.
I think I’ve been pretty damn respectful of her situation and have bent over backwards to make her not just feel safe but to show her that I’m serious about us.
In return, she fights me on almost everything and I’m caught between a freakin’ rock and a hard place with her father.
I love her but I’m no longer confident that’s going to be enough.
Because I’m going to fight tooth and nail to keep her safe.
Even if it costs me everything…including her.