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“You wake him, T, and I swear to God, you’ll be the one up all damn night,” my brother started.
“We have to run.” I moved fast, cutting across the room, looking for my son’s bags…where the hell were all the bags?
Nick rose instantly. “What do you mean, run?”
I stopped and lifted my gaze to my brother’s. “Ben just called. There’s trouble, trouble with Kat. He said to go underground, some place where no one can find us.”
There weren’t any arguments. He didn’t even need clarification, he just reacted. “Princess!” my brother roared. “We have to leave now!”
Ali flinched on his foldaway cot. I left the bags and his nappies and toys behind, moving to him as he opened his eyes and unleashed a wail. He was so small…so fucking small and vulnerable. If my heart sped when Ryth was near, it fucking ripped in two when I touched him. He was every good fucking part of me and Nick and Caleb and Ryth all wrapped up in a tiny body. There was no way I wasn’t protecting him with all I had.
I have to look after my own.
Ben’s words surged to the surface as I slid my hands under Ali’s perfect little body and lifted him, cuddling my son against my chest.
“I’ll get the bags.” Nick rushed to a cupboard in the corner of the room and yanked out three stowed getaway bags.
“His nightlight.” I turned around. “Don’t forget his damn nightlight.”
He wouldn’t sleep without it. Nick unleashed a snarl and lunged for the damn thing as I clutched Ali to my chest and raced for the kitchen. I grabbed everything I could. His formula, his bottles, his sterilizer and his pacifiers. Still, there was so goddamn much.
Ryth dumped three packed bags onto the floor, then glanced my way to our son first before swiveling around. “I’ll get the rest. Nick has the guns.”
I gave a nod, shoving teething jelly and any other medication we might need into another bag. Nick’s heavy steps invaded the kitchen. “I can’t get hold of C.”
“Leave him.” I swept all the plungers and thermometers and the thousand other things we had for emergencies with the sweep of my hand. “We’ll call him from the car.”
Nick gave a nod and headed out, carrying the guns and the weapons to the rear of the Range Rover. The car was registered to a false name, as was this house. But still it wasn’t enough. It was never enough, not while Haelstrom Hale still lived.
I have to make sure Kat and the baby are safe…
Something was happening. Something Ben wouldn’t talk to me about. Whatever it was, it was bad. My thoughts returned to Laz as I carried Ali toward the four-wheel drive and loaded his bags onto the back seat. I cradled his head as I lifted him into his car seat as Nick returned, carrying more bags. “You take Ryth and Ali, head to Margrave Street Warehouse. It’s as safe as we can get right now. I’ll get rid of the Mustang and follow.”
Click.
Ali’s seat belt snapped tight. I checked it once…twice…three times just to make sure. Still, it didn’t ease that tightness in my chest.
“Hey.” My brother grabbed my shoulder, drawing my gaze to his. “We’re going to get through this.”
“They can’t take her again, Nick,” I whispered my worst fears. “I won’t let them.”
“That’s not going to happen, brother. We’ll kill them all before they even come close to Ryth or our son.”
I slowly nodded, but an ache settled in the back of my throat, One that refused to budge.
“Okay,” Ryth said breathlessly as she heaved three bags of our clothes into the back of the four-wheel drive. “I packed most of your clothes and all of Caleb’s, not like he has many anyway.”
She wiped her hands on her jeans and lifted her gaze to us, stopping cold. Concern raged. “What is it?”
I shook my head.
“Nothing.” Nick answered for us as he stepped close to her and brushed his thumb across her cheek. “We just need to get you and the baby to safety is all.”
“As long as we’re together,” she said, “That’s how we stay alive. We stay together.”
She was right. She was always right. I shoved my hand into my pocket and pulled out my cell as I stepped away, hurrying for the house and the last remaining bags. But what I really wanted was my brother to answer his goddamn phone. I pressed his number and listened to the cell ring.
And ring.
