Page 13 of Seeking Salvation

Maya chuckled. “Yeah, he is a little gross. I blame his father.”

Titan felt his eyebrows rise. “Are you saying I’m full of shit?”

“If the cap fits.”

Titan shrugged. “My friends would probably agree with you.”

“Can you take me to Tyrique? I really need to see him.”

“I will and then we’ll talk, okay?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“No. I want to help you and you’re gonna let me.”

Maya stood, her hand slipping from his grasp. He immediately felt the loss and closed his fist to stop the feeling from making him act on it and pull her back.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Good enough.” Titan looked around the room at her meagre belongings. “Grab your stuff. You can stay at mine tonight.”

He’d move into the small house he’d bought in Longtown and rarely stayed in to protect the integrity of Shadow. It wasn’t huge or as secure as the compound, but it was more secure than most homes and he doubted anyone had followed her here. Nothing he’d seen had suggested that they had, which begged the question, if she could get away, why not keep running instead of going back? Something else he’d ask her when she was less likely to run.

Chapter 4

The drive back to Longtown where she’d left Tyrique was made in silence with Ti giving her the occasional wary look. She had no idea why she’d agreed to come, just that it had felt like the right thing to do at the time. As she got closer to their destination, she felt her arms ache to hold Tyrique again. Leaving him had been a huge mistake but she was just so out of her depth with this and now she was dragging his father into it.

God, why had Rose gotten involved with these people?Her head ached and she massaged the bridge of her nose.

“There are some painkillers in the glove box if you need them.”

Maya glanced across to find Ti watching her as he waited for a light to turn green.

“Thanks, I have a doozy of a headache coming on.”

“Stress, most likely.”

“Yeah, I guess, and crying always gives me a headache.”

Her cheeks felt hot at the thought of crying all over him the way she had. But his big warm body had felt so safe, so much like home and she hadn’t been able to control it.

“You obviously needed it.”

“I guess. I still don’t like it.”

“Independent or stubborn?”

“A little of both if you were to ask my parents.”

Ti looked over at her. “What do they think of all this or haven’t you told them?”

Sadness washed over her like a wave, almost drowning what little energy she had left. “They’re dead too. A few years now. Everyone is gone except me and Tyrique.”

“And me. We’re family now, Maya.”

The soft sincerity in his voice had her body tightening on an ache. Her heart wanted something impossible, even as he offered it, but she wouldn’t throw his kindness back in his face. “Thanks.”

Sitting up straighter when she recognised the town where she’d left Tyrique, she marvelled at how pretty it was. A mix of old and new homes, farms with land, and trees as far as the eye could see and then, as they got closer to the main part, a quaint pub, with a bakery, butcher and old-fashioned paper shop on the main street.