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They walked as far as the highway, where they found a convenience store, and sure enough, their car was parked in the back. After they washed of the smoke and dirt in the bathrooms, they went out to assess the situation.
Anna’s purse was still there, with her ID—but the weapons they’d left behind were gone, along with Anna’s tablet. Also, the distributor wires had been cut and the tires slashed. The vehicle wasn’t going anywhere.
Gage arranged for it to be towed. He had money stashed in his boot that he used to buy Anna a sweatshirt and a coffee. She was looking pale enough that he also bought two candy bars, but she waved them off, so he and Spencer wolfed down the food. Scotty had struck up a flirty conversation with two young women who were there to fill up their tank, and he was able to sweet-talk them into giving the whole group a ride back into DC.
Sitting up front between the women, Scotty kept conversation moving, talking about SEAL training, which he made out to be more like something from comic books. It had the women wide-eyed and gasping. Anna fell asleep on Gage’s shoulder. Wedged next to Kyle, Gage held still so he wouldn’t wake her.
Gage gave them directions to an intersection just a couple of blocks from Anna’s place, where they got out with heartfelt thanks before walking the rest of the way. There was probably no reason not to let the women know where Anna lived, but better safe than sorry. When they got to her apartment building, Anna glanced up and shivered. Gage turned to Kyle. “I’m going up to her place so she can get together some clothes and pick up her cat. Then she’s staying with me.”
Kyle put a hand up. “No. Let Scotty and Spencer get her things—we can’t be sure her apartment’s safe.” He looked at Anna. “You okay staying at Gage’s?”
She nodded. She hadn’t said much, and Gage figured shock was setting in. Kyle led the way to a coffee shop on the corner, then kept watch outside. Anna sat at a table with a coffee between her palms, not drinking it. Gage drained his coffee and went back for seconds before the guys showed up at last with her stuff.
Scotty had Romeo in a cat carrier, and the cat was emitting low growls that warned someone was going to lose a finger for this indignity.
At the sight of her cat, Anna perked up. Kyle pulled Gage aside. “You think your place is safe enough?”
Gage shrugged. “Can’t let her go back to hers.”
Scotty nodded. “No, definitely not. Not until a cleaning crew’s been through. There’s also police tape all over the place.”
Kyle pulled out his wallet and counted out five hundred dollars. “Check into a hotel. It’ll keep you both off the radar.” Gage held out a hand to refuse the money, but Kyle pushed it at him. “Don’t disobey an order.”
Eyebrows lifted high, Gage asked, “And what will you three be doing?”
Spencer slapped his arm. “Seeing if there’s any trail we can pick up and follow. But that will be after food, sleep, and very long showers.” He nodded at Anna. “Look after her. Make sure she’s okay.”
Gage nodded, though he wasn’t sure any civilian could be okay after going through something like that. Some folks could adapt…some broke. He was going to put Becks in that latter group, but he didn’t yet know where Anna fit.
He took her to the Jefferson. A hundred slipped to the doorman meant not so much as a twitch over the cat carrier. Inside the room, he checked the windows, drew the blinds, and ordered two steaks from room service.
Anna had opened the cat carrier and was cradling Romeo, who mewed pitifully. The big bruiser didn’t fool Gage, who was getting looks that could kill from the cat.
Looking up, Anna offered him a shaky smile. “I can’t thank you enough for coming to save me.”
Gage sat down on the edge of the couch in the suite’s sitting room. “Sorry it wasn’t sooner.”
“How long was I there?” Anna put Romeo down and rubbed her eyes. The cat sat down and started washing his private parts.
“Not long, but that was still too long,” he told her.
“Yeah,” she agreed. “I just want to wash that place off of me. Do you think I have time for a shower before the food gets here?”
“Sure,” he said. “Go right ahead.”
She nodded, rose, and headed into the bathroom. He heard the door shut and lock. He wasn’t offended. She’d need that for a time—a door she could lock herself.
When room service came, Gage tipped lavishly. Kyle’s five hundred wasn’t going to come close to paying for all of this, but combined with Gage’s own emergency stash, he’d make do until he could access his accounts again. Anna emerged wrapped in one of the huge, white terry robes the hotel provided for guests. She looked pink-faced and fresh again, but she picked at her food, and Romeo got most of her steak. Gage ate his like it was his last, since you never knew when it might be.
Anna’s eyes were closing, so Gage came over and scooped her up in his arms. He glanced at Romeo. “Go ahead, cat. Make something of it.”
Romeo sniffed the back of Gage’s hand, put his tail up, and stalked off to claim a silk-covered pillow on the couch. Gage carried Anna into the bedroom. She stirred, but he got her onto the bed, the covers pulled down and then up over her. He straightened, and she caught his arm. “Stay.”
“You sure?” He jerked a thumb in the direction of the sitting room. “Romeo and I can duke it out over the couch.”
Smiling, she shook her head. “Stay. Please. I need…I need something good to wipe out all the bad.”
He took her hand. “Nothing wipes it out. But having more good than bad helps. Let me shower first.”
