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Her eyes flickered to a neat set of hooks on the wall of the lounge near the door. The employee lounge they were in was in the basement, just down the hall from the huge gym. Just outside the door was the parking garage.
The keys to the Black Tower Security vehicles glinted on their hooks, a tempting invitation to run. Neat labels with vehicle names were displayed above each hook.
Could it be that easy? Would Anthony ever forgive her for leaving? Her heart wrenched at the recognition that he would be hurt. But he would also be safe, and that had to mean more, didn’t it?
“Will you stay in here for a little bit, Lia? I’m going to go grab a few things.”
She smiled awkwardly as she passed familiar faces in the hallways on the way back to the living quarters. Could they tell she was acting suspicious? She packed quickly, taking only a few things and leaving a hastily written note for Anthony on the small dresser.
No one paid her any mind as she returned to the basement. She grabbed a set of keys for an older sedan and told Lia to follow her. The weight of the keys pressed against her palm as she headed toward the garage. She focused on the only goal that mattered—securing a future for herself and Lia, without endangering Anthony.
She hated that there was no car seat, but Kaylie buckled Lia in the middle seat and promised herself she’d drive safely. The guards at the exit of the compound gave her a friendly wave as she left, and her breathing returned to almost normal.
She glanced at Lia, who was quietly observing the passing scenery, unaware of the tumultuous emotions that gripped Kaylie’s heart.
She didn’t know where she was heading. Kaylie wrestled with the conflicting forces within her—the desire for freedom, the fear of dragging Anthony into the darkness, and the unyielding need to protect the precious life she cradled in her arms each night.
As Black Tower Security faded in the rearview mirror, Kaylie kept her eyes forward. Anthony might be willing to give up everything for her, but she was going to forge a different path where he wouldn’t get tangled in the sins of her past, even if it meant leaving behind the fractured fragments of her connection with him.
Like most of her life, it was a broken trail of what-ifs and might-have-beens.
But this time, she’d take with her the memory of the searing kiss. And the way Anthony’s unreadable expressions somehow filled her with warmth, and the intoxicating feeling of being treasured. No, she’d never forget that.
And those memories would have to be enough.
CHAPTER
TWENTY
Tank navigated the city streets with the ease of a man who had spent a lifetime blending into the shadows. His errand, just a small drop for an informant on the west side of DC, was nothing to worry about. The morning air was crisp, and the city buzzed with life as he moved through the labyrinth of shadowed alleys and bustling streets.
His mind wandered back to the experiences of the last week. Kaylie's expression as he took the life of the man in front of them haunted him, etched with a mix of fear and horror. Anthony couldn't shake the worry that, in their eyes, he had become a monster—a creature no different from the looming threat of the Moreno family.
And then, not forty-eight hours later, the kiss and the emotional conversation on the rooftop. He replayed the moment their lips met, an undeniable connection. However, the subtle withdrawal he sensed in Kaylie afterward gnawed at him.
Had his violent actions made her realize that he wasn’t as harmless as she’d thought? Tank couldn't shake the feeling that the darkness inside that he tried so hard to bury was now casting its long shadow over the fragile threads of their budding relationship.
Anthony's thoughts oscillated between the attack at the house and the roller coaster of emotions on the rooftop. Movement ahead forced him back into the moment. A flicker of unease ran across his spine, a sixth sense warning him that something was amiss.
The echo of footsteps behind him quickened, and instinct kicked in as he turned sharply into a narrow alley. The soft hum of the city was replaced by the confined space of brick walls and dumpsters.
The hairs on the back of his neck prickled with the realization that he wasn't alone. Three figures materialized from hidden corners of the alley. Tank's muscles tensed, instinctively preparing for a confrontation.
Without a word, the trio of men surrounded him, cutting off any escape route. This certainly hadn’t been in the plans this morning.
A subtle nod from the leader, and the tension erupted into motion. Tank’s training kicked in, a ballet of precision and controlled force. The confined space became a battleground, the sound of blows and grunts echoing against the brick walls. Tank fought with a fierce resolve, every muscle honed by early years of survival in the criminal underbelly and decades since as a cog in the military machine.
In a swift motion, Tank's fist connected with the jaw of one assailant, the crack of bone echoing in the confined space. The man stumbled backward, momentarily disoriented. A surge of adrenaline fueled his movements as he closed the distance, determined to neutralize the threat.
Meanwhile, the second man lunged at him. Anthony deftly sidestepped the attack. In a fraction of a second, he seized the opportunity, wrapping his arm around the assailant's neck and pulling him into a relentless headlock. The man struggled, gasping for breath, but Tank's grip only tightened.
As they all caught their breath, a tense standoff unfolded. The injured attacker regained his footing, eyeing Tank with a mix of caution and aggression. The one caught in the headlock fought desperately to break free, his struggles growing more frantic.
Tank, his senses sharp and focused, reached into the concealed holster at his waist. The cold steel of a firearm met his fingers, a calculated reminder of the lethal force at his disposal. The third assailant, sensing the shift in the balance of power, hesitated for a moment.
With a swift and fluid motion, Anthony pulled the gun from its holster, leveling it with precision at the remaining mercenary. The alley fell into a weighted silence, the standoff frozen in time.
"We're done here," Anthony declared, his voice cutting through the tension.
