“Now, Kim,” he shouted. They were out of time. Like they always seemed to be with Levi. Ariel was right. Levi was likely trying some shady shit, and he would want to cover it up. But if there was a body…
She cursed and ran for the car as the driver took another shot. Ezra gave her some cover but felt a bullet graze his left shoulder. It burned but he managed to fire again, sending the driver back into his hidey-hole.
“She’s in,” Ariel shouted. “And Walt says the police received a call about an accident. We need to move.”
He backed toward the car, firing off another couple of shots to keep the driver at bay before sliding in the open door. Before he could even slam it shut, Ariel was taking off.
He leaned over and covered Kim’s head, getting them both below the windows. Sure enough someone was firing as Ariel sped away.
“Nick and Brody are off,” she said in a low voice. “The other car isn’t following. They’re back trying to help the limo, which means they’ve been ordered not to follow.”
“Police are coming from your east,” Walt announced. “I’ll send you the best route to get to Damon’s garage. He’s got a car stored there. I’ll meet you and give you the address for the safe house. Ari, drop them off and then get to that restaurant. It’s the one by the Tate. Hayley’s waiting for you. I want you on CCTV asap. Nick and Brody are going back to their surveillance job, and I’ll send a car for Damon.”
Kim was quiet underneath him, perfectly still as he covered her. He’d expected she’d fight him, not let him protect her. She could be fierce.
“Will do,” Ari said. “Keep your heads down. Kim, it’s good to have you back.”
“It’s good to not be kidnapped and taken to a bunker somewhere,” Kim replied quietly.
He stayed where he was, covering her with his body. They couldn’t get up until they were well past that airfield. Levi might have men waiting there, men who would try to take her back. “Are you all right?”
He wanted to hold her, but now that he was here with her, everything that sat between them rustled around in his head again. She was trouble. She’d always been trouble. Even when she was trying to love him, she somehow managed to hurt him.
What the hell was he doing? He should send her to Tag and let him figure this all out. Even as he thought the words, he knew he wouldn’t do it.
“I am now,” she replied. “Thank you for coming for me.”
He went silent as they drove back into the city, wondering if he hadn’t made a terrible mistake.
Chapter Three
When the door to the storage unit closed, Solo was finally able to take a deep breath. “Thank you so much for helping extract me.”
She turned to Walt, a lanky, unassuming genius of a man. She’d met him during her brief stay at The Garden a few weeks before.
Had that really only been weeks ago? It felt like she’d aged a decade in that time. It hadn’t been so long since she’d been forced to run with Beck and the others when The Garden had been raided. They’d used the secret exit that had taken them into underground London to an apartment not far from this garage of Damon’s. They’d taken this same sedate sedan and fled north to a country home.
She knew that for Tucker and his now wife Roni it had been a harrowing time, but for her it had been something different. For her it had meant spending time with Beck, having a few moments where he didn’t look at her like she was some kind of demon sent to steal his soul. For those few days, they’d relied on each other again.
“Hey, I’m happy to help. I was working on a couple of experiments. This totally livened up the day.” Walt gave her a broad smile and gestured to the woman who’d come with him. “Steph came along to make sure no one needed a stitch up. Apparently she’s way better with a suture than I am.”
Stephanie Carter was a pretty woman with shoulder-length brown hair and big, kind eyes. She was a physician, one who still worked as a GP. The Garden had a plethora of medical professionals. “Well, you’re an epidemiologist, not a general practitioner. I brought my kit. Ezra, looks like you got hit.”
He’d been grazed. She’d checked it out in the car when they’d felt safe enough to sit up. While she’d been laid out on the back seat, Beck’s big body covering hers, she’d felt safe. She’d felt like he still loved her.
It was time to wake up and face the truth.
Beck took off his shirt. “It’s already stopped bleeding. I don’t think it needs stitches. Burned like hell though. Did Brody and Nick make it back all right?”
Steph opened the bag she’d been carrying and pulled out a first aid kit. “They’re both good, and I think this was exactly what they needed. They’ve been feeling so dad-like these days. It’s good to get the old adrenaline up over something that isn’t baby related.”
Her gut knotted. She hadn’t thought about the fact that Brody and Nick had kids. “I’m sorry I dragged them into this.”
“They wouldn’t have come along if they hadn’t wanted to.” Beck hopped on the stool that sat by the table. Damon had completely replenished this way station since they’d used it all those weeks before. He’d replaced the water and food and weapons they’d taken with them while they’d hid from British intelligence.
Now she would hide from her own agency.
“Well, please let them know how much I appreciate it.” She didn’t know when she would be able to repay them. Likely never. In fact, she might not be able to pay for anything. She
