Page 70 of Inside the Wicked

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.

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