Page 72 of Dragon Daddy Protector

“I’m not angry about you calling Matthew anymore. I understand why you did it.”

Relief washed over his features. “I’m glad. For a minute, I was worried I’d gone too far. I never want to break your trust, Evan. It just felt vital that we move before it’s too late.”

I nodded. “I think it was the right move, but next time, how about a heads up?”

He ducked his head and gave me a sheepish smile. “Sure thing, alpha.” Then he went back in.

I took one last look around, my eyes lingering on the shadows before heading upstairs. Mariah was already asleep, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. I undressed quietly, careful not to wake her, and slid under the covers.

As I lay there, listening to the sound of her breathing, I vowed to do whatever it took to keep her safe. My family was my world, and I would go to any lengths to protect them.

It was pitch black when I guided my car through the city streets. This was the quietest time of day in New York, the early hours of the morning before it sprang to life again. Mariah and Sofia were nestled in the backseat, with Jax beside me, working away on his laptop.

The trip out of the city limits was uneventful, and I thought we might be in the clear, but I kept watch on all the vehicles around us. We made it through the tunnel and were speeding along the highway, making good distance and good time as the sun rose behind us.

That’s when I noticed it.

“Jax,” I said, keeping my voice low and calm, not wanting to wake Mariah. “I can’t be sure, but I think there’s a car several vehicles back that’s tailing us.”

His jaw clenched, and he started typing even more furiously.

“What are you doing?”

“Hacking into their GPS.”

I shook my head. The things he did never ceased to amaze me.

After a minute, he stopped pounding the keyboard and hissed through his teeth. “I can’t find who it’s registered to, which is a bad sign. But according to their travel history, that car's been behind us since we left the city.”

Shit. I gripped the wheel tightly as my foot pressed on the accelerator. “Hang on. I’m going to see if I can lose them.”

Chapter 22

Mariah

“We’re definitely being followed.”

I sat up at the tense tone of Evan’s voice, my brain still foggy from sleep. My heart kicked into high gear as I blinked awake.

“I’ve seen that guy before,” Jax muttered. “He's definitely one of my father’s men.”

“Fuck.”

I swallowed hard as I sat up.

“Stay down.” Despite the tension radiating from him, Evan’s voice was low and calm, likely trying to keep my anxiety at bay. My chest tightened, and I could feel the pressure of my dragon stirring within me, pushing at me in a way I’d never felt before. “Don’t let them see you.”

I caught his eye in the rearview mirror as his jaw clicked.

“There are at least two of them,” Jax said.

“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, my unease growing. This was the last thing we needed right now, especially with Sofia in the back seat. We’d been so careful about leaving. “How did they track us?”

“Tomas may be crazy, but he isn’t stupid. I just don’t know how we missed them.” Evan’s grip on the steering wheel had turned his knuckles white. “It’s going to be okay.”

I trusted him to keep us safe, but my mind raced with all the possible outcomes of this situation. Tomas was smart. What if he managed to get to me? Capture me and the baby? My hand came to my stomach, and nausea threatened, but I tamped it down. Now wasn’t the time to freak out.

“Is Tomas with them?” My voice wavered slightly.

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