My life is going to be constantly on the run. I don’t want to drag Maisy into that every time I think I’m being followed. It could all be in my head, as far as others think, but I know this time it’s not. I’m sure Andrus has found me. I don’t know how, but I have a feeling he was involved in the sale of us back in Tennessee. Atlas never told me who the ultimate buyer was, just that he was a very bad man. It could have been him.
I know what I need to do. There was so much I didn’t discuss with Atlas that I should have. I wish I could trust him to help me, but deep down I know I can handle this better on my own. That’s why I have to change my plans with Maisy.
As the day progresses, I become increasingly sure of the plan. I’ll take Gurgi with me because I can’t stand the thought of being away from him. I found a car service that will drive us from here to California. It’s going to take a lot of the money I’ve saved up. I can’t go to LA because Maisy will look there first. But the longer she’s with me, the more chance we have of Andrus finding her.
I’m thinking about sending a message to Atlas, telling him where Maisy is so Cronus can come get her and keep her safe. I pause at the thought. Why is it so easy for me to believe that Cronus will protect Maisy, yet I can’t believe Atlas could protect me?
My phone pings with the final invoice from the pet-friendly car service. I’m about to pay it when a shadow falls over me. Gurgi stops, turns, and then sits, waiting. How do I know it’s him? My whole body tingles. My breath catches.
“Stormy.” Atlas’s voice cracks, and I turn to him, closing the app.
“Atlas, what are you doing here?”
He chuckles deep, and the sound makes my core spasm. I look around him when I hear Maisy’s voice and see Cronus has her in his arms again. He’s moving toward an SUV. Well, there’s one thing taken care of. Now I just need to get away from Atlas.
“Come on, baby.” He reaches for my arm, and when Gurgi doesn’t even grumble, I know I’m not going to win this one.
Atlas leads us to our truck. When he sees our packed bags, he just shakes his head.
Titan
* * *
Standing here in front of her, I’m torn between pulling her into my arms and kissing the fuck out of her, or dragging her across my legs and spanking her until her sexy ass is red with my handprints. She was going to run again. We just got here, so I know it wasn’t because of us. My grip is firm but gentle on her arm. Cronus said he’d handle their employer, tell him they quit, and then we’d head to the building he secured.
I want to say more to her, but I can’t. I don’t know what to say. I did tell her family that I saw her, but that she ran before I could talk to her more. Yes, it’s a lie, but I wanted them to at least know she’s alive. I explained that, from the looks of it, she was away from the traffickers but seemed to be on the run. I know the truth, but I don’t want to tell them.
My girl allows me to help her into the passenger seat. I open the back door for Gurgi to jump inside. He didn’t try to stop me from taking her, which reassures me that he’s okay with me.
“How did you find us?” She turns to look at me as we pull out of the parking lot.
I’m about to answer her when my comm clicks on.
“You have a tail, guys. I’m taking care of it, but you were right, Titan.” Thanatos’s voice comes across the link.
“Fuck.” I glance in the rearview and side mirrors.
Without missing a thing, my girl whips around and looks behind us.
“Did you know?” I can’t keep the bite out of my voice as she turns to look at me before turning back to watch for our tail.
“I figured it out last night. I’ve been feeling like I was being followed for days, but last night I saw them.” She pauses. “It’s why we were leaving today.”
“Goddamn it, Stormy. I told you I’d protect you. Why can’t you trust me?” I look in the rearview as the car behind us skids to a stop, hitting another vehicle.
“Taken care of. See you back at the warehouse,” Thanatos says, and I thank him before turning back to my girl. She’s now facing forward.
“How did you do that?” she asks. “How is that you and these men act more like a military unit than an MC?”
I can’t give her the answers to those questions, but instead of ignoring them, I give her a partial truth.
“We’ve all served in some form. Me, not in the military, but tomorrow I’ll be able to answer all your questions. Okay?” I take my eyes off the road for a moment and take her in. She’s lost some weight. Her hair now has longer braids mixed into the dreadlocks. She has it all up in a bun on top of her head. “You look beautiful. A little too sexy for my liking around other men, but still beautiful.”
Her skin blushes that shade of pink it does when she comes, and it instantly makes me hard as a rock.
A couple of blocks off the strip, I turn into an industrial area and pull through a gate into a large warehouse door. This first floor is empty except for our vehicles. The second floor has apartments for each of us. Only a small team came with us. Cronus wanted to keep a low profile, and a large group would make us stick out.
Something has been bothering him, and I’m not sure what. After we questioned Diego several more times, we still never got the name out of him. He died in the Hole along with his guards. The only additional information he gave us was that Maisy’s friend Syndall died a few months ago. He knew this because Ahriman told him. We still need to confirm that when we capture Ahriman, and we will. I’m not letting him get his hands on Stormy ever again.