“Well, yes, but I could have shot him in the leg.”
“He would have still killed you. You did what you were trained to do.”
“Yes.”
“Did you know that Colton works for Miles Kant?”
“How do you know that?”
“I have some friends who looked into him. I knew you were lying to me, but I prayed you’d tell me the truth soon. Kant threatened me, didn’t he?”
“He said you ride around and it wouldn’t take much to kill you. He threatened Mari and my mom too.”
“What else?”
“I know Colton took most of the pictures and was responsible for the rhino on my doorstep and my car, but I haven’t seen him in a while. Miles said he punished him.”
“Fuck, he could be dead too. What does Kant want from you?”
I start to tell him, but he holds up his hand. “Just a sec.” He walks over to the door and opens it. “Get in here, we’ve got to plan,” he says to someone outside. I watch as the man from the bus station makes his way into the room. He limps slightly but as he moves around the room pacing for a moment, I see he moves easier.
“When I sit too long, my leg gets sore,” he says as his hand lands on his knee. “I’m Carter.” He introduces himself.
“Sydney.”
“I know. Nice way to give me the slip at the bus station. Glad to see you’re safe. Tuck here would have destroyed the world if something happened to you.” He chuckles as Tucker moves up behind me. I look over to see that he laid Mari down in her playpen.
“We need to get them out of here and somewhere clean and safe.”
“Don’t want to take them to the clubhouse? I can see if S.I. can front a safe house for a couple nights.”
“Could you?”
“I’ll message the bosses now.” He moves away a bit and I stay in Tucker’s arms.
Tucker finally turns me to face him. He leans down so that his lips are next to my ear. “I took you bare, you could be pregnant with my child, and you ran from me.” His soft words against the shell of my ear cause my body to break out in goose pimples. I pull away and look up at him. I look him in the eye so he can see everything.
“I would have contacted you. I wouldn’t keep your child away from you. I just couldn’t risk losing you. I love you so much, Tucker.”
His hands go to my cheeks and hold me gently.
“Sydney, you were willing to take yourself and Mari, who calls me Daddy, away from me. She’s my child too. I want to adopt her. Fuck, I want to make you mine always.”
Tears clog my throat. He’s right, I was taking her away from him.
“I’m sorry.”
“You remember I was a SEAL, baby, right?” I nod. “I’m going to protect you. Let me do my job. What I was trained to do.” I nod again as he leans forward. He kisses my forehead and then pulls away. I want his lips on me, but I know if he starts kissing me, I won’t stop.
“Okay, so what is it that you have that Kant wants?” Carter asks as he turns back toward us.
“I have photos and video clips of him and Colton killing a rhino with Brigade men.”
“How?” Tucker asks.
“There was a night vision game camera set up in the area they killed it in. They didn’t know until later, someone must have been watching us approach the camera. I retrieved the footage before they attacked us.” I pull from Tucker’s embrace, but he stays close. The fear of almost losing me is still bothering him because he won’t let me move far from him. I pull the SD card from my purse and show them.
“We can copy it and put it on the internet, send it to news reporters before we turn it over to him,” Carter says. “I can have my team upload it for you.” He reaches for it, but I hold it against my chest. I know Tucker trusts him, but this is the only thing protecting my family.