Page 28 of Cruel Love

I put the fourth passport back in the bag, along with all the cash, a phone, and Dani’s fake ID. “After I leave, pack a bag,” I begin. “Take only what you need. Wear something neutral. Something that gets you lost in the crowd. Put on a hat and sunglasses. Don’t make eye contact with anybody.”

She shakes her head. “Fox...”

“Take the subway downtown,” I say. “Go to the impound lot on Olympic. Ask to speak to Pliskin. They’ll know what that means.”

“Fox, hold on.”

“They’ll give you a car. In the trunk, you’ll find extra license plates and a few other things. Then, get in and drive.”

“Drive?” she asks. “Drive where?”

I pause, taking a breath. “That’s up to you.”

Dani takes a step back. “No...”

“The less I know, the better. You’ll be safer that way.”

“Fox, I can’t.”

“You know what to do,” I say. “You’ve done it before.”

“You’ve done it before. I was just there.”

“But you remember what we did. Always take the longer route. Stop only to sleep and eat. Pay cash for everything.”

“Fox—”

“Pull off somewhere safe and change the plates every three-hundred miles. Trust your gut and do nothing to draw attention to yourself.”

“For how long?”

“Until I call,” I say. “I’m the only one with the number to that phone.”

“What if you never call?” she whispers, holding back a sob.

I bite down. “I will.”

Dani drops her head, wagging it back and forth as tears fill her eyes again. “I can’t do this by myself, Fox.”

“Yes, you can.” I step forward, reaching out to cup her face. “Dani, look at me.”

She struggles, her bottom lip trembling wild. Finally, she raises her head and I smile at her beautiful eyes. The whites shimmer in the dark as I rest my forehead against hers.

“When this is all over, I will come get you, Dani. I promise.”

Her tears fall down her cheeks. “Don’t you dare die on me, Fox.”

My heart lurches. “I won’t.”

“I can’t go through that again—”

“I know.” I kiss her forehead to try and stop my lips from trembling. “I’m coming back. You won’t get rid of me that easily, all right?”

Another line of warm tears tumbles over my fingers. She holds her breath to try and keep the rest back, but I feel them fall anyway. I pull her in, and she wraps her arms around my neck.

“Fox...” Her voice cracks, locked behind a sudden intake of air.

“Don’t worry about me, Dani,” I say, holding her close. “There’s a reason why these bastards haven’t been able to kill me yet. And Luka...” I lean back and wipe the tears from her eyes. “The man we’re going to see. He’s killed more agents than I have. So when I say don’t worry, I mean it. I’m coming home. We are coming home. You can count on that.”

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