Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
“Are you sure you’re okay with this? Because if you’re not, I’ll find another solution. I promise.”
Molly sat on the bed, her free hand tucked beneath her thigh. Atlas’s question was strained and concerned, and not just for her. By the sounds of it, Wraith was badly hurt, and she wouldn’t prevent someone from getting medical attention because of her own fears.
“I’ll be fine. I know you wouldn’t even suggest leaving me alone if it wasn’t safe.” Also the truth. From the get-go, Atlas had been a steadfast protector. Now that Rex was caught, the threat was gone. Rex couldn’t hurt her or send someone to kill her if he was restrained.
“I still don’t like it,” he said, his tone filled with dread.
She pulled her legs up onto the bed and folded them into a pretzel. “We’re both so used to having someone come after us—me—that safety feels impossible. Hell, if Rex were dead, we’d still feel uneasy returning to normal life.”
He grunted in agreement. “You’ll be alone for about ninety minutes. I’d be back even sooner if we didn’t have to take Wraith to the hospital. Are you sure you’ll be all right?” he asked again, his voice low with concern.
A tremor rolled down her spine. The last time she’d been alone, she’d been strangled in her bathtub.
It’d be a long time before she was all right.
But she couldn’t let a man die, either. “Maybe I’ll go for a drive.
I could have Viper drop me off at my apartment.
I have my car keys, so I wouldn’t have to go inside. ”
“That would work.”
She’d certainly feel safer taking an evening walk on the beach or maybe stopping by a busy café than waiting in a hotel room by herself.
“Be careful,” she whispered. They were almost through this. Almost reunited. So close, yet so far away.
“Nothing’s stopping me from getting back to you, Mol.” His voice was thick with yearning.
Worry coiled around her ribs. “Ninety minutes?”
“You have my word.” The deep rumble of his voice touched something inside her. Atlas took her comfort and safety so seriously. He cared about what she thought and felt. Cared about her fears.
There was no other man like him.
“Call me when you land in the city and I’ll pick you up.”
“You got it. Ninety minutes.”
She chuckled at the second confirmation. They ended the call and she left the bedroom with a smile still on her face. Viper was dressed in his military gear. He was so large and imposing she couldn’t help but shrink back an inch.
“You okay with this?” Yet another man who cared about her safety. He shifted his weight and scowled as if he liked this situation as little as she did.
“I’ll be fine. Can you give me a ride to my apartment?”
His mouth firmed. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Why don’t you stay here?”
A crushing sense of dismay filled her. She shook her head adamantly. “No. I’ll feel more comfortable if I’m not trapped in one spot. I’m not even going inside my building. I just want to get my car and drive, maybe hang out at a café or somewhere else that’s public until Atlas returns.”
He swished his lips to the side. “Grab a sweater,” he said, clearly against the idea but not willing to fight her on it.
She chuckled. “It’s like eighty-five degrees out.”
He hiked up his eyebrows. “It might get breezy.”
She rolled her eyes. As if a breeze would kill her. She went back to the bedroom to grab her zip-up hoodie. Were all the Phantom Ops guys so darn protective?
She returned to the living room and followed Viper out the door. He led her to the parking garage, and she couldn’t stop her cheeks from heating as people stared. Not only was he a soldier—his gear and sheer size made him look murderous.
“Does everyone just stare at you like that?”
He flicked a glance her way. “Like what?”
“I dunno. Like you’re the terminator.”
He barked out a laugh. “Never really noticed, I guess.”
He opened the passenger door of the SUV and waited for her to climb in. Then he rounded the vehicle and turned on the engine. They rolled through the narrow space that seemed to shrink in height with every passing foot.
Finally, they were outside. Streetlights turned on below the dusky sky as Viper drove through downtown.
Being outside of the hotel made her tense. She’d been safe in that room, high above the ground with military men surrounding her.
Now, she was as vulnerable as an exposed nerve.
She puffed out her cheeks as they drew closer and closer to her apartment building.
“Just know, Rex is caught,” he said, breaking the silence. “He can’t get to you or send someone after you. You’re the least of his worries right now.”
“I know. I’m not worried about that, really. It’s just strange being out—returning to my place even though I’m not going inside.”
“Mmm. Yeah, I suspect you have PTSD.”
“Atlas mentioned the guy . . . um, you know . . . the one who attacked me. That he was ‘taken care of.’ Is his body gone? Did you . . . ?”
“We’ve got a team for those situations.”
“Really? Even here?” She couldn’t imagine a company taking care of murders. Wrapping them up as if nothing had happened.
“We’re equipped with the right people in every place we’re stationed. If you knew how big our operation was, even though it’s underground, you’d be surprised.”
He turned onto her road, and her building came into view. He steered into the driveway that led to the parking lot at the back. He pulled up next to her car. She reached for the door handle.
“You sure you’re gonna be okay?”
No. As a matter of fact, getting out of his SUV would be about as easy as jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. And there was nothing she could do about it now. “I’m fine.” She forced a smile.
He watched her intently. “Lemme see the phone Atlas gave you.”
She reached into her purse and pulled out the device.
“I know you’ve already got his number, but just in case”—he moved his fingers over the screen—“here’s mine.”
Gratitude welled in her chest. Too much. It was all too much. She’d never had so many people around her who truly cared. Who wanted to protect her. Alpha men who thrived on keeping people safe.
“Thank you.”
“I heard I’ve got ninety minutes to get there and back, so I’d better hurry.”
She chuckled and opened the door. “Be careful.”
“You too, doll.”
She shut the door and walked the short distance to her car. She took her keys from her pocket, hit a button on the fob, and opened her door. Dropping her purse in the seat next to her, she waved. Viper lifted his palm then rolled out of the parking lot.
She swallowed over the anxiety lining the back of her throat. Then she turned on the vehicle and glanced toward the building that had been her home for the last six months.
A place she couldn’t return to. At least not alone. The clock read 6:58 p.m. Shifting into drive, she steered out of the lot and onto the main road.
She had over an hour to kill.
Her stomach was too knotted to think about eating, but she needed to go sit somewhere— she’d go crazy just driving around. She really only knew a few areas. She hadn’t explored outside the downtown core.
She’d go to Gilligan’s Café. It was just a five-minute drive from her place and was usually packed, morning, noon, and night. She’d be lucky to find a table, but at least she’d feel safe. She turned onto the main street. Traffic was bustling.
Headlights, streetlights, and lit signs flashed past, overstimulating her tired eyes. Music hummed low through the speakers, and she turned up a familiar rock song. She wouldn’t think about Rex—as far as she was concerned, he was gone. No longer a threat.
Soon, Atlas would return. She didn’t expect to have an in-depth conversation about their future yet, but they’d at least spend some time together.
Her chest tightened. If he made it home safely.
She rolled to a stop at a red light. The café was down the street. Since the main road was busy, she’d hang a left and park on the side street.
The light turned green and she pulled into the intersection, swinging the car left. Headlights glared in her side-view mirror, making her squint. A spot opened up at the curb. She hit her blinker to—
Bang!
A vehicle smashed into her from behind. She was thrown forward, and her chest hit the steering wheel. Her car fishtailed, bashing into another parked car. A low whistle screeched in her ears.
She grabbed her head. Pain beat across her temples and anxiety filled her chest. She needed to call for help. Had people been hurt?
She groaned and dug into her purse for the phone Atlas had given her. Outside, someone shouted. The concerned voice grew closer.
A young woman patted her window. “Ma’am! Are you all right?”
Molly straightened and powered down the glass with trembling fingers. “Thank you. I’m okay. I just need to call—”
Crack!
The woman’s head snapped to the side. Blood sprayed. Terror coated Molly’s skin. A scream erupted from her throat.
A man dressed in black reached into her window and hit the unlock button.
“No!” she screamed, clawing at his wrist.
He yanked open the door and his hands reached in. He unbuckled her seatbelt and tore her from the seat.
“No! Help!”
He dragged her across the pavement. Two bystanders stood nearby, gaping at the scene but not interfering.
“Help, please! Call the police!”
A van door rattled open and greedy hands reached for her. The man pulling her threw her forward, into the open vehicle. Faces shrouded in black ski masks filled her vision . . . three men.
Her stomach bottomed out. “No!” she screamed, lunging for the door.
Rough, angry hands anchored her in place. Something cold and sharp stabbed the side of her neck. Shooting pain lit a path across her skin. Her body jolted and her limbs stretched. Her vision faded as the door slammed shut.
Atlas secured the torniquet around the top of Wraith’s thigh. Sweat dripped down his friend’s cheeks as he sat on the ground with his back against a tree. His skin was ashen beneath the red blotches on his face.