In the kitchen, she opened the cupboards, realized nothing was worth keeping, and closed them again. The refrigerator held eggs, cream, leftovers from Axel, and a small container of berries. She left the food. It would spoil.
Then she turned to the green onions on the windowsill and stopped in front of them. The white roots filled the lower halfof the jelly jar. New green shoots rose from the cut ends, thin and bright. She’d trimmed them over eggs, soup, toast, anything cheap that needed flavor.
She reached for the jar, watching the water shift against the glass, but she knew she couldn’t take it with her.
Reese set the jar back exactly where it had been, picked up both bags, and left the apartment. The hallway was empty when Reese locked the door behind her. She then carried everything downstairs into the cool, pale morning.
The Corolla sat in the lot with dew on the windshield. Reese loaded the bags into the back seat and got behind the wheel. The car started on the second try, the familiar tick under the hood joining the idle.
She backed out slowly and drove out of the parking lot as dawn broke over the roofs. She drove along Main toward the highway, passing the dark bakery and Steel Protection. Axel’s second-floor window was already lit. She eased her foot off the gas, and the car slowed.
He was awake, probably arranging the safe house he thought she might accept.
She could park, go upstairs, and finally say the words she’d refused to tell him. But her throat tightened until it hurt. The baby shifted in her belly, and Reese gripped the steering wheel with both hands.
“Just us,” she said.
That wasn’t true anymore. Reese had built a life here, and leaving it hurt.
She pressed the gas, and Axel’s light disappeared behind her. Reese didn’t look at the diner when she passed it. She didn’t think about missing her shift or Axel not being able to find her.
She got on the highway, and the town disappeared in her rearview mirror. Reese didn’t look back.
Chapter
Eighteen
Axel putthe folder on Dom’s desk and remained standing while his alpha opened it.
“Reese Walker is my mate,” he said. “We matched on mate.com three weeks ago. I should have told you sooner.”
Dom turned the first page and continued reading. “I know.”
“You know?”
“You’ve been acting differently since her intake.” Dom did not look up. “Sit down and walk me through it.”
Axel sat and explained the situation. Dom knew about everything up until last night. Axel had found a new people-search site that had posted a listing for Reese Walker. The public page showed her current location.
Axel had sent the takedown demand and filed the search-engine cache request. But he couldn’t make either copy disappear immediately.
“There’s one thing that isn’t in the file,” Axel said. “She’s eighteen weeks pregnant. The baby is due in November. Shehasn’t told many people, but it changes the risk if Wade finds her.”
Dom placed the pages in a neat stack and leaned back. “What do you need?”
“The cabin at Crystal Lake. I want to prepare it and take her into protection until we know more.”
“Use it. Take whatever equipment you need from storage.” Dom closed the folder and rested his hand on it. “Let me know if you want a security rotation.”
“Thank you,” he said, standing from the chair. One step down. Two more to go. First he needed to prepare the cabin, and then he’d come back and take Reese formally into protection. He could have done it last night, but he was hesitant to push the issue before he was sure about the cabin.
Crystal Lake was forty miles outside Fate Mountain at the end of a gravel road. The cabin was located on the south side of the lake near a dock. There was no cell service for miles. That made communication more difficult, but it also made the cabin harder to locate and monitor.
Axel opened the front door, walked into the cabin, and assessed each room. He turned on the water and ran the taps until they flowed clear and cold. He turned on the heater and tested the chimney.
The cabin had a stone fireplace, an old leather couch, and a full kitchen. Axel had stayed there twice during other security situations. There were shelf-stable rations, but he’d have to stock it with fresh food when he returned with Reese.
He made the bed with clean sheets and added the extra pillow she liked between her knees. Axel walked the perimeter next. Dom would set the security rotation once Reese was there.
