Page 28 of Seeking Salvation

Maya cocked her head. “You all seem surprisingly unfazed by all this and okay with the danger and yet Ti is losing his mind?”

“The difference between us and Titan is that most the other men in this room are married or engaged to strong women and we learned quickly, and sometimes by fire, that if you tell a woman she can’t do something she’ll dig her heels in so hard you’ll see those fuckers on the beach in Australia.”

“Damn straight.” Snow held her hand up to Charlie who slapped it with a whoop.

Bishop shook his head, but his lips carried a smile full of love as he looked at his wife.

“Did you really shoot him?”

Charlie nodded. “Yeah, I’ll tell you all about it at our next girls’ night.”

Maya almost staggered back at the statement, not realising until that second just how much she’d missed that close female friendship. Disappointment was hot on its heels as she remembered this was all temporary. The chances were she wouldn’t be here then.

“Yeah, I doubt I’ll be around for that.”

Charlie cocked her head. “Yeah, I think you will.”

Maya didn’t argue, suddenly wanting to get this settled so she could move on with her life and get back to reality, even if that reality now felt tepid and a little staid.

“As I was saying, Reaper will stay further back and Watchdog will monitor you with a tracker too. Do they make you do more than dance?”

Bás hesitated to ask the last question and she could tell it made him uncomfortable when Val placed her hand on his forearm.

“No. So far it’s just dancing.”

“Okay, good. Good. How do you feel about the plan? Is it okay or would you prefer more protection? I can send Bishop in too if you need more support.”

“It’s fine, except….” Maya paused, biting her lip and glancing at her sleeping nephew, not sure how to ask or suggest the next part. She’d come here to leave her nephew in the safe hands of his father but now his father was throwing himself headlong into danger, and she knew it was because he thought she needed his protection.

“Tyrique.”

Maya looked up at Snow and found the other woman watching her with understanding. It was crazy to think that, just yesterday, she’d felt a searing jealousy towards the woman. Yet now that was gone, replaced by a kinship, like they were part of some club she hadn’t asked to be part of.

Maya sighed, the tightness in her chest easing. “Yes. I brought him here so he’d be safe. If I take him back to the flat, I place him in the firing line again and I can’t protect him when he’s with a sitter. Those people won’t think twice about hurting him to make me dance to their tune.”

“Leave him with us, we can take care of him.”

Maya couldn’t hide the surprise from her face when the quiet enigmatic Watchdog spoke from the corner. Watchdog’s eyes didn’t even leave his screen as he continued to type like his fingers were on fire.

Maya shook her head. “That’s too much to ask.”

His head snapped up as he pinned her with his gaze. “Worrying about a child will make this more dangerous for both you and Titan. Leave him where he’s safe and can be cared for. It’s selfish to do anything else.”

She couldn’t deny his words but she bristled at the implication she was selfish. She barely knew these people, and they sure as hell didn’t know her. You barely know Titan either and yet you were prepared to leave Tyrique, her brain reminded her.

“Watchdog’s right. We can look after him.” Bishop agreed. “But he’s wrong about you being selfish.” Bishop gave Watchdog a glare that seemed to slide off him like his skin was coated in Teflon.

“Who would he stay with and where?” Maya glanced at her sleeping nephew, knowing his morning nap would be coming to an end shortly.

The people around her exchanged glances, a silent conversation happening around her. Bás gave a barely perceptible nod.

Watchdog stood, slamming the lid of his laptop closed and moving towards her as the others watched in amused silence. “Follow me.”

Maya stood with a huff and gathered the handle of Tyrique’s car seat over her arm. She was getting a little tired of being ordered around. “Will you quit with the demands and maybe try talking to me like I’m a human being instead of acting like a cyborg?”

Watchdog stilled and she almost slammed into his back as she heard a snicker of laughter from behind her, cursing when the movement jostled Tyrique.

Watchdog silently turned and took the carrier from her as if it weighed nothing and she let him. “Let’s go.”

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