Page 77 of No Escape

It’s instinctual to know he means Omen and Valor.

The British MI6 operative, McCabe, placed us in the room next to them and failed to give us information about their backgrounds. He briefly warned us that she’d chosen to be locked in with one of the inmates and his bonded partner, but what we really need is the full story of what we’re up against.

They’re not CIA, MI5, MI6, or Russian special forces, meaning they belong to one of the criminal operations that dump their assets here.

“Maybe if I’m lucky, I can find something to punch.” Shaw scratches his jaw. “That’s what I really need…to punch something.” He shrugs. “Or someone.”

I sigh, glancing at the loft through the window next to the door. “Just don’t get yourself thrown in the hole. This might be the only opportunity we have to reach her.”

He rocks on his heels, nodding. “We don’t know shit about this place, meaning one of us has to do recon. Would you rather go, and I’ll stay with her? I’ll gladly stay with her.”

My head shakes, and I take off toward the door. “I’ll keep Saylor safe.”

* * *

Saylor’s sobbing fills the air as I kick off my shoes and make my way up the wooden ladder. She’s covered in blankets from her head to her toes, facing away from the opening of the loft. The line of pillows behind her likely helps make the space feel more enclosed and thus safer.

I crawl onto the mattress and stick close to the back wall of the loft. It puts her on the side with the edge, but I’m afraid if I don’t make her face me, she won’t.

Rolling onto my side, I scoot close to her front. Her bright red nose, eyes, and forehead peek out from the blanket burrito she’s got herself rolled up in, and my chest gets tight.

“Fuck, pretty girl.” I snake a hand behind her back and cradle her skull. “I hate seeing you hurting.” I always have, but before, I had to keep a respectable distance. She’s an adult now, and I intend to treat her like one.

“I really miss them.” She pulls her blanket-covered hand to her cheeks, brushing away the tears one by one while I try not to flinch at her words. It’s easy enough to tell who she means. “God, Leo,” she whispers, shaking her head. “I’m so mad at you, and at the same time, I’m so relieved to see you. It’s making me feel like I’m going crazy.”

“I get it, and I’m so fucking sorry.” I scoot even closer and move my hand to her back, tugging her into my chest.

She roots around my T-shirt, sniffling and huffing deep hits of my scent. “I can tell I’m having a panic attack. I just don’t know how to make it stop. My system thinks you smell like safety. That’s the only reason I’m smelling you. It doesn’t seem to remember you couldn’t even be bothered to say goodbye.” My jaw clenches as her entire body shakes. I think she’s trying to hold herself back from sobbing. “I-I j-just wish Valor and Omen were here so I would know they’re safe. My head is a mess of worrying about them and freaking out about seeing you and Shaw afterthree years.”

“They’ve been in here longer than you have. Those guys are more than capable of looking after themselves.” The pit of guilt that forms in my gut is extreme.

My instincts scream to make her feel better. I just have limited options on how to make that happen. Her stress pheromones are everywhere, and it’s got my impulses convinced there’s a looming threat. This place is far from safe, but there’s no active danger at the moment.

My mind files through all the little tricks I used to use to make her smile or to set her at ease. None of it will help with how hurt she is now. I’ve never felt so lost when it comes to fixing things with another person. There’s also never been so much on the line.

“I’m furious with you, likereallymad, even if I’m happy to see you. I don’t know if I’m making any sense.” The hitch in her voice as she speaks makes my chest tight. “I still don’t know why you fired me. Maybe you had a good reason, but it didn’t feel like it to me.”

I pull the blanket away from her head and push my lips to her forehead. “You’re killing me here, sweetheart. First of all, we didn’t fire you. We needed to step back before one of us beat the hell out of your father.”

“Don’t lie to me.” She hiccups, shoving against my chest with her hands that are still wrapped up in the blanket.

“I’m not, and okay, yes, there was more to it than that, but it was never about not wanting to be around you.” I exhale heavily. “I feel like a total piece of shit admitting that it wasn’t safe for us to be around you once you perfumed, but it’s the truth. Since the day we met, I’ve been able to tell that you would be a scent match. That alone was enough to fuck with my head, especially considering how old you were. Still, it was manageable until you presented.”

“What exactly are you saying? I can’t remember any of what happened that night. It’s a blur of pain and fear and hazy shapes.” Her gaze burns into my chin, but I can’t look at her right now. “The only parts I do know about what went down at the party were told to me secondhand…”

I stare over the top of her head at the wall of pillows. “You did nothing wrong. I need you to hear me when I say that.”

“We shouldn’t even get into all of that right now,” she says, sniffling. “It means a lot that you came to rescue me. I won’t turn down your help out of spite. It’s water under the bridge. You moved on, and I was sad, but I got over it.”

“Saylor, I’ve thought about you every damn day for the last three years?—”

“Don’t,” she says firmly. “Don’t do that. If you care about someone, you reach out. It’s that simple. Otherwise, it’s just pretty words.”

“I have a lot to make up for, but can you try to look at this from my side of things for a second? My dads raised me with a core set of moral values. You were way too young for me to be as attached to you as I was. Then you presented…” A whoosh leaves my lips as her scent replays in my mind. “Logic and morals only last for so long when you’re up against biology. We had to take a step back for all our sakes.”

“Because you were attracted to my scent?”

“Exactly,” I agree, praying she gets it.

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