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Is that because I have her best interests at heart, though, or because I'm falling for her?
I push the thought away and focus on what needs to be done. "What's your plan, then?"
"We have a safe house outside of the city," Carson says. "We can take her there and keep her hidden until we can figure out what to do next."
"And what about the ACB? Won't they be monitoring the roads and checking vehicles?"
"They will," he admits. "But we have ways of getting around that. We uh...we've got a man on the inside who has a vested interest in Kendra's case."
I nod slowly, frowning as it sparks a sense of paranoia. "Let me guess...Jack Maddox?"
Carson snorts. "You know him?"
"He came by the other day acting as sketchy as could be," I mutter. "I don't trust him."
"Me either," he says. "But he's willing to help us and we don't have much time, Zane. The longer we wait, the harder it'll be to get her out of here."
"I know," I say, feeling a sense of desperation creeping in. I don't want to lose her, not after what we shared last night.
Carson blows out a breath. "I know you haven't wanted to work with the Enclave since what happened to Eve and Ricky," he says. "But I swear we've cleaned up our act."
I eye him skeptically. "Have you?"
Carson flinches, but he doesn't back down. "Yes. I've made sure that every operation we've carried out has been clean. No more innocent people getting hurt."
I snort. "Forgive me if I don't take your word for it."
Carson's expression hardens. "I understand why you wouldn't trust me, Zane. But think about it. Kendra needs our help right now, and we're the only ones who can provide it."
I shake my head. "I'll think about it."
Carson nods. "Okay. But please, Zane. Time is running out. Let us help her."
I don't respond. Instead, I head back to my bedroom to check on Kendra. She's still asleep, her chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm. I take a moment to just watch her, the way her hair fans out on the pillow, the way her lips are slightly parted as she breathes. She looks peaceful, and for a moment, I'm tempted to just stay here with her and forget everything else.
But I can't. Carson is right. She's not safe here, and the longer she stays, the more danger she's in.
I take a deep breath and head back to the front of the shop, where Carson is waiting for me. "Okay," I say. "You can take her with you. But I'm coming too."
Carson raises an eyebrow. "You sure about that? You don't exactly have a clean slate with the Enclave, Zane."
"I know," I say. "But I'm not going to let Kendra go with you on her own. I promised her I'd keep her safe."
Carson nods. "Okay. But you have to understand, Zane. This is going to be dangerous. We don't know what kind of resistance we're going to face, and we don't know who we can trust."
"I understand," I say firmly. "But I'm not going to just sit here and let you take her without me."
Carson nods in agreement. "Alright. We'll leave tonight, under the cover of darkness. I'll have someone come by to pick us up. Make sure Kendra is ready to go."
I nod, feeling a sense of dread settling in my stomach. This is a bad idea. A really bad idea. But I have to do it. I have to keep Kendra safe.
As Carson heads out the door, I can't help but wonder what kind of danger we're about to face. But I push the thought away. We'll deal with it when it comes. For now, I have to focus on getting Kendra out of here and to safety.
10
Kendra
Iwakeuptothe sound of voices in the tattoo parlor, Zane's side of the bed conspicuously empty. Two men are talking quietly somewhere else in the building, and I'm comforted by the fact that they sound calm and that Zane is one of them.
