Page 78 of No Escape

“I spent the last few months before I turned eighteen telling myself maybe that was it, but I didn’t want to let myself believe it. You know why?” She pauses for so long that I start to wonder if she’s going to continue, but eventually she does. “Because I knew it would hurt even worse if I was wrong. Spoiler alert—you didn’t magically show back up. I don’t even want to talk about this.”

I know why she’s trying to shut down the conversation.

Talking about it hurts.

It does for me, too, but I’m afraid I’ve got this one chance to make her understand our side of things.

“Shaw and I were already toeing way too close to the line. Popping back in a day or even a few months after you turned eighteen wouldn’t have made the situation any better. There’s a word for that—grooming. I can’t speak for Shaw, but even a toe over that proverbial line, and…” I curse under my breath. I don’t think I’m doing a very good job of explaining things. “You needed the chance to date, to go out and experience life with guys your own age. At least, then we’d know you had options. That’s not even getting to the facts about our profession.”

“Yeah, you kill people, got it.” She stretches up and nuzzles her nose into the crook of my neck. “I’ve heard my father talk about Shadow Security and why he hired your company over the others. I’ve never been afraid of you.”

Is that why it was so easy for her to overlook whatever those thugs do for a living?

“I know it hurt you when we left, and I hate that,” I tell her earnestly. “It felt like we had no good options. You’re older now. You better understand how treacherous the pull is between compatible alphas and omegas. Even with the best of intentions, all it would have taken was you perfuming at the wrong time… Once that haze gets deep enough, it would have been impossible to trust myself. An unbonded alpha functioning at baser level isn’t the same guy you spent two and a half years living with.” I kiss the top of her head and soothe my hand down her spine. “Can you at least try to see how fucked up the situation was for me and Shaw?”

“I hear what you’re saying, but it doesn’t make my heart hurt any less.” She sighs. “I just wish you had handled things differently. It is what it is. You can’t change the past. I get that. Did you talk to my dad? Is he freaking out?”

Fuck.

I really should have anticipated that question, but I didn’t. No part of me wants to get into the clusterfuck with her stepmother. At the same time, I don’t want to lie or omit anything.

Things are already precarious enough between us. “I didn’t. Easton—our boss at Shadow Security—handled speaking with your father. There’s some other shit about your stepmom that I really don’t want to get into while you’re upset, but I didn’t interact with any of them.”

Saylor goes rigid. “Is she okay?”

I barely hold back the scoff that wants to escape.

Little does she know the bullshit Samantha Callahan tried to pull. If the woman wasn’t such a high-profile target, I’d take her out myself just to be sure she could never fuck Saylor over like that again. The main problem is, Shaw and I are called in when a kill doesn’t need to be discreet. Not that I can’t plan an up-close hit, but I’m better with distance shots. It’s the way I know how to get in and out without leaving a trace.

“She’s fine,” I finally force myself to grind out. “Your entire family is, as far as I know, but I also couldn’t give a fuck less about your dad or stepmom. I took the call. Easton told me you were missing…” I squeeze her even tighter. “Shaw and I dropped everything. We were in Amsterdam twelve hours after we found out you’d been taken.”

“Is Avery okay?”

“Your friend is physically fine.” I grimace, remembering the verbal lashing Shaw gave her. “She was emotional and felt guilty, but she’ll live.”

“I still can’t believe you got yourselves locked in here to save me. Do we have a plan for getting out?” Her warm breath fans over my throat, and it takes everything in me not to shiver.

“The first step of the plan was to find you to secure your safety,” I say, hedging my words. In no way did we account for her already being involved with some of the inmates. “We have a couple of ideas for getting out, but you’re stressed to the max, and that can wait. Why don’t you rest for a while, and once Shaw gets back, we can have a conversation. I want to know everything from the moment they took you.”

“Okay, I really don’t want to repeat that stuff twice unless I have to.” She sighs, and her fingers land on my clavicle over the T-shirt I’m wearing. “It’s been so long, even seeing you is surreal. You look good. Almost exactly the same, just a little older. I like the beard. It fits your face.”

“Thanks,” I say, clearing my throat. Things have never been this awkward between us, not even when we first moved into her family’s mansion and realized we were basically taking over caring for a teenager. Sure, her father had a live-in private tutor and a housekeeper, but they were both pushing seventy and were quick to disappear to their bedrooms by eight on any given night. “Tell me about school. How do you like living in the dorms?”

It’s probably a cop-out question, but I feel like there are landmine conversations everywhere that we could stumble into if we’re not careful.

Shaw and I were delusional when we thought we could come in here and stake our claim. There are a lot of hurt feelings that need to be addressed, and that’sifshe even wants to give us a chance to make things right.

* * *

Saylor talks about her classes and friends, but before long, she starts mumbling and passes out.

I study her face like a total fucking creep while keeping my body pressed as closely to hers as possible. She fell asleep knowing I’m here, and my pheromones will help to soothe her anxious system. That’s why I don’t let myself feel guilty for not backing off once she begins to snore.

The door opens, and my head whips up.

Shaw comes into the room and frowns as the door closes loudly. I carefully extricate myself from the sleeping omega, even though it’s the last thing I want to do.

“Wait, don’t leave,” Saylor says sleepily as she grabs my arm.

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