Page 5 of Guarded By Them

“Rigged it?” I said in alarm. “With what? A bomb?”

“They wouldn’t have had time,” Rue interjected, and I was inclined to agree with her. The chances of them having found us, and the car, and having the equipment needed to do it was slim to none, but still, I was cautious. We hadn’t been in the apartment for long, but it would be another explanation as to why no one had come after us. They were already here, just waiting for a car bomb to do their dirty work for them. It would be far safer on their side, after all. They were less likely to end up shot.

“I’ll start the car,” I offered. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. It’s just a precaution, and we have to take them now.” Silly mistakes, such as catching the elevator when we should take the stairs, was enough to get us all killed.

“No, I’ll do it.” Ryan stepped in. “It’s my car.”

“I offered first,” I argued.

“You have more to lose. I’ve already lost parts of me.” His smile was self-depreciating, and I couldn’t help but smile back, despite the circumstances.

“Missing leg jokes now?” I threw at him.

He shrugged. “Why the hell not.”

Ryan had the keys in his hand, and I wasn’t about to wrestle him for them. He rounded the car, moving with that slightly lopsided gait that most people probably wouldn’t have noticed, but which I did, and so did the others. Ryan would have hated to think he looked any different on the outside than the rest of us. He was fiercely proud and hated to accept help in any circumstances. I loved him for that.

I put out my arm and pressed Rue back. There was about twenty yards between us and the car, and I hoped it would be enough. My stomach twisted, not liking where my thoughts were going. The car wasn’t rigged. There hadn’t been time, but still my thoughts went to the darkest place. I could see the bomb going off, of Ryan being killed instantly—not in a far-flung place, while shooting at a foreign enemy, but right here in New York. I could see the roof of the parking garage being damaged, and us running for our lives as it came down on our heads.

A hand slid into mine, and I looked down at Rue.

“It’ll be okay,” she told me.

I nodded and squeezed her slender fingers in return. I had to believe she was right. The possibility of things turning out any differently didn’t bear thinking about.

Ryan had climbed behind the steering wheel. I could make out the shape of him, illuminated by the overhead lighting in the garage, and the light inside the car, which had come on when he’d opened the door but was now fading. He paused, and I knew he was taking a breath, centering himself for what may be his last moment. My stomach was heavy with dread, and even though I knew it was highly unlikely, just the one percent possibility that we were correct was enough to make me sick. I glanced over quickly to Dillon, who was biting his lower lip, his gaze glued on the vehicle. My heart hammered as I turned my attention back to Ryan. He leaned forward slightly, and I knew he was about to turn the key. I sucked in a breath, my entire body rigid with anticipation.

The car engine started.

We all exhaled long breaths of relief.

“Come on,” I said, tugging Rue with me.

We ran toward the car. I climbed in the passenger side, Rue and Dillon sliding into the back. Doors slammed shut around us with bangs that made me jump. I hated feeling so antsy—it wasn’t in my nature.

Dillon gave his bike a longing stare as Ryan pulled out of the garage, up the ramp and out onto the street. The danger wasn’t over yet. We needed to get out of the city without being seen.

Would we ever come back to this place? I had no idea. I told myself it didn’t matter. We had each other, and we were all still alive. That was all that was important. We had enough money to keep us going for a while, at least.

We’d pulled into New York City traffic in the middle of the day. If we’d hoped for some high-speed getaway, it wasn’t going to happen.

“Shit, this is painful,” Ryan muttered.

I frowned at him. “You’re hurt? Is it your leg?”

He shot me a quizzical look. “No, I meant the fucking traffic.”

I laughed, and it felt good to do that again. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

I twisted around to check on Dillon and Rue in the back. He’d put his arm around her shoulder, and she huddled in against his chest. I experienced a brief pang of jealousy, wishing I’d been the one to take the rear seat with Rue, but then I looked back at Ryan, and I placed my hand on his thigh. “You were brave back there.”

He shook his head. “I knew there wasn’t going to be a bomb.”

I’d seen him hesitate, though. Just that fraction of a second where I’d thought there was a chance those were going to be his last moments, and yet he’d put the key in the ignition and started the car anyway.

Dillon leaned in from the back, in the gap between the seats. “Where the hell are we even going?”

I turned to him. “We need some help getting Rue’s passport together. I have a contact we can use. Once we have her ID set up, we can get out of the country.”

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