Chapter20
Waking up with Becks curled up next to me, completely living up to her kitten nickname, made it hard to remember all the problems we were facing.
All that existed was the soft bed beneath us, and the heat of our bodies. I wanted to roll over and find ten new ways to make her fall apart around me. More ways to convince her she would never want to leave my side.
But protecting her came first and foremost. Now that the Black Thorn knew how important she was to me, and that she was the perfect ammunition to use against me, getting us both to safety was the most important thing.
A few days ago, I would've wanted to run to someplace far and remote where no one could find us.
But now I knew the safest place would be back at the mansion. When Alek and I were together, we were strongest. I was painfully aware of how vulnerable I was out here in the middle of nowhere. Now my main focus had to be getting back to Miami.
Alek was making sure Layla was taken care of. Now I had to get a new car and get Becks on the road before Black Thorn could catch up.
So as much as I wanted to wake Becks up by eating out her sweet cunt, that would have to wait for another day. Or more likely later on today. I doubted I had the patience to resist the temptation much longer.
Becks nuzzled into my neck, and I pulled her in closer, breathing in her scent, not caring that I held her so tightly that all my old injuries hurt. It was more than worth the pain.
She stirred in my arms, and I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Ten more minutes," she mumbled as she burrowed further into me. "And gain more weight. You're too damn hard."
I chuckled at the compliment veiled as an insult. "I'll try for you, kitten. Now come on, we have to go steal a car."
She stiffened in my arms, apparently starting to come to awareness. "I can honestly say that has never been on my to-do list."
"Hopefully it won't be a regular thing. I need to make sure we aren't being followed, and I can't guarantee the cars from Alek's aren't being tracked. I want to get something fresh, just in case. We'll send someone to collect the other cars later."
I couldn’t care less about getting the cars back, but Becks wouldn't want to be wasteful. After giving her a deep kiss, I forced myself to get out of the bed and pull on my clothes.
It was harder for Becks to find where hers had ended up scattered the night before. I gave her a few minutes to freshen up in the bathroom, but I wasn't going to wait any longer than necessary.
I'd have to get food for us at some point, but the most important thing was to get out of here as quick as possible.
I was still mentally making plans on the quickest route out of here and the best place to pick up a car, when something turned in the lock and the door swung open.
My gun was pulled and safety off before Artem even came into view. I could shoot him in seconds. He'd be dead and gone, but my problems would still be here. Because if he had arrived, that meant he had backup. And if I shot him, what would happen to Becks?
"Come with me right now, and we won't touch her," said Artem as he leaned casually against the door. He didn't reach for a weapon. He didn't even look in my direction, as though I wasn't more than an ant at his feet. "Put up a fight, and we'll hit you where it hurts. Your choice."
Except the bastard knew it wasn't a choice at all.