Page 10 of Newton

"He's with Brielle," Rivet informs Jinx, having been the one to request that I step up and get Brielle away from Beth.

"Shit, okay," Jinx says, his voice in my ear through our mic system. "Boomer, I need you to head to the hospital. It's not that I don't trust Farmington PD, but they may need a little backup. We don't have any idea how many men Adair might have with him in town."

"Sure thing," Boomer responds. "I'll keep you updated."

"We're coming out," Rivet says just before she appears in the doorway.

Instead of walking toward one of the waiting SUVs, Rivet pulls Beth to the side, before reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone.

Although I can't hear what's being said, I watch Beth's face transform when she holds the phone away from her face. I know she's seeing Oracle for the first time since this entire ordeal started back in Santa Fe.

I turn back to watch Brielle as she watches the other woman, and although she's trying to act brave, I can see the pulse kick up in her throat.

Before long, Beth allows Rivet to escort her to one of the vehicles.

"She's refusing treatment at the hospital," Rivet says, her voice coming through my earpiece. "We're taking her back to the clubhouse."

We stay on the porch until their SUV pulls away.

Daylight allows us to watch them all the way down the street until they make a right several blocks down.

"Are you injured?" I ask Brielle.

"I'm fine," she says, but there's a familiar wobble in her voice, one I've heard from many women in the aftermath of being rescued.

"I'm going to take you back to the clubhouse."

"I have to get out of town," she argues.

"That's not my call," I explain, wrapping my arm around her waist in order to direct her toward one of the other SUVs.

I fully expect her to shove me away, to insist that I leave her alone, but she doesn't. Her fingers tangle in the front of my t-shirt. It leaves me wishing I had a jacket to offer her when a shiver runs up her spine and makes her teeth chatter. I know it's the beginning of an adrenaline crash, more so than the cold, but I still feel helpless as I escort her across the yard.

She continues to cling to me when I open the back door of the dark SUV, so I don't fight her. Rather, I climb inside the vehicle with her and pull the door closed.

"Newton needs a driver," Jinx says, no doubt having witnessed the entire thing.

"Got it," Scooter says, opening the driver's side door less than a minute later.

I pull away from Brielle only long enough to pull her seatbelt across her body and click it into place before snapping mine in as well.

I don't stroke her hair or whisper assurances like every cell in my body is urging me to. I know a lot of people might find comfort in that, but I also know Brielle has experienced more in her lifetime than a lot of the people we rescue have.

She wouldn't be interested in generic claims and promises. No one has been able to protect her yet, and this situation is just proof to her that Nathan's reach has no bounds.

What I do know is that every member of Cerberus would protect the clubhouse with their life if they were called to do so.

"Where do I take her?" Scooter asks from the driver's seat as he pulls away from the curb.

I don't answer him because I'm not the one making the calls, and he asked the question into his mic.

"Back to the clubhouse," Jinx answers, and for the first time tonight, I'm able to breathe a sigh of relief.

He could've easily been instructed to take her back to the shelter or to another safe house. Hell, Kincaid could've given the direction to leave the woman at the bus stop, proclaiming her to be more trouble than she's worth, even though that would be out of character for him. Kincaid could easily make this a Farmington Police Department issue. Hell, it's still possible Kincaid will only allow her at the clubhouse long enough for police and prosecutors in Ohio to make other arrangements.

He might not just throw her out in the cold, but he also isn't obligated to keep her on the same property where his wife, daughters, and grandchildren are either.

I pull her to me a little tighter when she begins to shake, trying my best to focus on anything but the warmth of her breath on my neck.

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