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“You say to-may-toe… I really just came to carry the baggage.”
She walked down the hallway and then down the stairs with Holland behind her the entire way. Funny that she didn’t feel hemmed in, rather protected. When she made it to the bottom of the stairs, Keegan, Melody, and Captain all waited.
“I want to thank you so much for letting me crash here. I got really lucky picking Jo’s truck. I’ve gotten more sleep the last day and half than I have the last two years combined it feels like, and I appreciate it, appreciate you guys.”
Melody hugged her quickly and Keegan stuck out his hand for a shake. “We want to make an offer to you on your dog,” Keegan began.
Caesar picked that moment to lay down beside Baby.
“Let him stay with us until you’re out of trouble,” Keegan finished.
Could she do it—be without the dog who had saved her life so many times? Then again, wasn’t it best for Caesar who’d spent the last two years diligently protecting her?
She glanced up at Cap, who nodded.
“Just until my troubles are over,” she murmured and motioned Caesar to her side.
She went down on her knees and hugged her dog. “Be a good boy. Stay. Protect. Guard,” she told him. Caesar licked her face, stared at her hard for a moment as if telling her she better come back to get him, then he went and laid with Baby again.
Her eyes watered and she pushed the heels of her hands into them. God, this was so hard.
“Thank you,” she told Melody and Keegan. “I’ll be back for him soon.”
Keegan nodded as if there wasn’t a doubt in his mind she’d return. Melody hugged her again.
“Thanks, Tex,” Cap said as he shook the man’s hand. “I’ll be looking out for that information.”
Tex nodded. “I’ll get it to you as soon as it comes in.”
Then they were off. She was ushered by Cap into a blacked-out SUV while Holland got in the back with her and Kyle got in the front. Cap drove.
“Where’s Scope?” she asked. She hadn’t seen the other man since she’d been found.
“He’s already at the airport,” Holland reported.
“It’ll be good to see him,” she murmured.
Then there was no more talk as Cap drove them to the small airport on the outskirts of Pittsburgh proper. The route took about thirty minutes. Once there Holland guided her to a small jet that sat ready to go on the tarmac. Ava hated flying. No rhyme or reason behind the hatred; it just was what it was.
She climbed into the cabin and picked a seat. The inside of the jet was immaculate. She wondered whose it was.
Cap got on and sat directly across from her while Holland and Kyle took seats near the front. Scope got on, looked her way, smiled and saluted and took up another front seat. They’d have time to catch up later. Right now, she knew they were all on duty protecting her.
She absolutely hated that she was relying on someone else for her safety, but it really was her best bet. Alone she was ripe for the picking. With Cap and his men, she at least had a layer of protection should the Chinese or Russians come calling.
Plus, she would be privy to information now, and not sitting in the dark. She could react with knowledge and knowledge was power. She glanced at Captain.
“How long is the flight?” she asked.
“An hour at the most, then we’ll land at another small airport outside Chicago. You still hate flying, don’t you?”
“I’m not crazy about it but I’ll survive,” she muttered.
“Of that I have no doubt,” he murmured in response. “You did the right thing leaving Caesar.”
“I know, but it still kills me to do it.”
Captain nodded and laid his head against the headrest, closing his eyes. She’d forgotten that about him—he could literally sleep anywhere at any time. Her stomach almost revolted when the plane left the ground but settled back down when they were at cruising altitude. She watched him sleep and wondered if he’d really been searching for her the last two years.
