Page 17 of Rebel

“How did they get out?”Rebel asked, arms folded across his chest.

“Does it matter?”I countered, a flare of anger cutting through the fear.“They’re out.They’re coming for me, just like they said they would if I told anyone what happened.”

“It matters,” Charming said, his voice deceptively calm.“We need to know if someone helped them escape, or if this was some bureaucratic fuckup.I doubt they escaped because they were just that good.”

“I need to check with my sources,” the stranger said, already moving toward the door.“I’ll be in touch.”

He slipped out without another word, leaving the three of us in a silence that felt heavy with unspoken questions.

Rebel broke it first.“We need to move her.If he thinks they’re coming for her, that means they have a way of tracking her.This location could be compromised.”

“No,” I said, the word sharper than I intended.Both men looked at me with surprise.“I won’t run and hide.”

“This isn’t about your pride, sweetheart,” Rebel said, his tone patronizing.

“It’s not about pride.”I stepped closer to him, close enough to see the flecks of gold in his hazel eyes.“It’s about survival.I’ve spent weeks looking over my shoulder, jumping at shadows.I can’t keep living like this.”

Actually, it was closer to four to five weeks since I’d left the base and headed west.But I didn’t think he really cared about exact dates.A generalization seemed good enough in this situation.

“So, what?You want to make yourself bait?”Rebel’s voice rose slightly, his cocky facade slipping to reveal genuine concern.

“I want to end this,” I replied, my voice steady despite the fear churning in my gut.“One way or another.”

Charming handed my phone back to me, his expression thoughtful.“It’s not that simple.”

“It never is,” I agreed, pocketing the device.

“I need to make some calls,” Charming said after a moment.“Rebel, stay with her.Don’t let her out of your sight.”

Rebel nodded, his jaw tight.

“And, Rio,” Charming added, his gaze locking with mine.“No heroics.You’re under our protection.”

I didn’t respond.I wasn’t sure what I could say that wouldn’t sound like a lie.The truth was, I didn’t want to be protected.I was tired of being a victim.The men who attacked me had taken enough from me already -- my sense of safety, my peace of mind, my job.

Charming seemed to read some of this in my expression.His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t press the issue.“Give me five minutes.”

Rebel guided me back to the common area, his hand a steady pressure at the small of my back.The space had filled with more club members in the short time we’d been gone, their conversations creating a low hum that set my teeth on edge.Too many people.Too many unknown variables.

“Breathe,” Rebel murmured close to my ear.“You’re safe here.”

“Am I?”The question wasn’t entirely rhetorical.

Rebel’s expression hardened.“No one gets to you without going through me first.And trust me, darlin’, I’m not easy to get through.”

Despite everything, a small smile tugged at my lips.“Always the cocky one, aren’t you?”

“Only because I can back it up.”He winked, but the humor didn’t reach his eyes.“Stay here while I talk to Charming.I mean it this time.”

I sank onto the couch, suddenly exhausted despite the adrenaline still coursing through my system.Rebel hesitated for a moment, looking like he wanted to say something else, then turned and strode back toward Charming’s office, even though it hadn’t been five minutes.

Left alone, I became acutely aware of the glances cast my way.Some curious, some wary, a few openly hostile, but those were from the women.I was an outsider, a complication they hadn’t asked for.I couldn’t blame them for their suspicion.

Fifteen minutes stretched into twenty.The waiting was almost worse than the fear.My mind conjured a dozen scenarios, each more catastrophic than the last.What if Charming decided I wasn’t worth the risk?What if they handed me over to the police for “proper protection” -- or worse, back to the Army, the same people who had failed me before?

“You look like you’re planning a murder.”

I started, head snapping up to find a club member I’d seen but never spoken to standing in front of me.Tall, with a beard that couldn’t quite hide the scar on his chin.

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