The Mayor was dead. There was nothing they'd be able to do about it now. Law enforcement could handle it. With any luck, the men had fucked up and left fingerprints or something, and they were on file somewhere. Either way, he intended to be long gone with Adele by the time they cleaned up the scene in there and regrouped. He could take on one or two himself. Four would be pushing it, especially with Adele at his side.
Knowing the one tasked with getting here would be out to drag her to the room where she'd see her father as they were cleaning things up, he rounded the corner, heading straight for her. Taking her arm, he led her from the small upraised dais she'd been on, giving a slight shake of his head as she tried to ask what was going on. They didn't have time for it. He'd explain later. Right now, they needed to get out of there.
He'd parked his Night Rod at the side of the street, out of view of the cameras. If they could make it there, he could get her to safety, then get in touch with the club. With the new clothes he was wearing, he hoped he wasn't shedding as much scent as normal, so it'd make it harder for them to track him to the bike, at the very least.
Adele looked worried, her gaze going from watching where they were walking to his face, but to her credit, she didn't ask questions and kept up with his pace. Spotting an exit sign under the stairwell leading to the second floor, he veered off that way, propelling them into fresh air. A quick glance around to get his bearings and he started off, heading towards the area where he'd left the bike. He could smell the other shifter in the air, but the scent wasn't strong enough to mean he was right on top of them. He was likely moving, scouting the perimeter. They'd emerged at the perfect time.
Once they'd safely reached the bike, he handed her the helmet. He didn't need it, not really. He'd heal. Besides, her long blonde hair was far more noticeable if any were out looking for them. The white dress couldn't be helped, but he gave her his suit jacket to cover up with somewhat. It was the best they could do, under the circumstances.
With the familiar feel of the engine purring between his thighs, he made certain she was holding him tightly before he took off, weaving between the lanes of traffic. He vaguely heard a shout behind him, but it was far enough away that he knew they didn't get a clear view of him or the bike. Now that he wasn't on foot, they wouldn't be able to track them through the city. It was the one good thing about this fucked up situation, he supposed.
He rode until they were out of the city center before he stopped at the local Walmart, pausing in the side of the parking lot that was still well-lit but off the road and out of view of most of the cameras.
“Go inside. Grab something more comfortable to wear, a toothbrush, whatever you'll need for a few nights. Some food you'll eat, stuff like that. Make sure it'll fit on the bike, though. Here, use cash. Don't use a card that can be traced.”
He handed her a couple twenties as he said it, then waited for her to head inside before he pulled out his phone. He needed to let the club know what had happened, and he didn't want her to hear father was gone that way. Besides, where they were going, he had bare necessities, and nothing for a female. He couldn't go back to his apartment, not with his scent left around the square and at their home.
If the pack was any good at tracking, they'd find his apartment fairly quick. They'd find the clubhouse too, but they wouldn't dare to attack it, not with the rest of the members stationed there. Unless they were suicidal, in which case, he figured the rest of his pack would be sure to oblige them.
Nah, he knew where he'd be taking her. It was somewhere only he knew about, which made it perfect for privacy. It was far enough away that they wouldn't be able to track him this far through the city, no matter how damn good they were at it. He just needed to let Knox know he'd be indisposed. Dialing the number, he kept a careful watch on the front of the store as he waited for it to be answered.
“Prez. There was a situation. Yeah, the Mayor is dead. I got Adele out, but we're going to head to a safe house. We were right, he was in deep. They were paying him off.”
As he listened, he spotted Adele coming towards him with a few bags, and hurried to end the conversation. “He asked for more. They didn't appreciate the request. They alluded to selling the females. We just gotta figure out where they're going. I'll leave that up to you guys for now. I'll get her to safety. I doubt she had anything to do with it, but I'll make sure before anything else happens.”
Ending the connection, he took the change she handed him, ignoring the look of worry and fear on her face. She wanted to know what happened, why she'd been pulled out so fast. He couldn't tell her that until she was safe. He couldn't risk her running off, trying to get back to her father. Trying to alert law enforcement or do something fucking stupid. Once they were at the safe house, he'd sit her down and explain what happened. Until then, she just had to deal with the silence.
Riding down the interstate headed west, he took the exit toward Morrow Lake, driving along the lakefront properties there until
