Page 19 of Her Convict Wolf

“We need to get out of here, don’t we?”

Maxim nods and reaches for my hand.

* * *

I’min the backseat of an SUV, speeding along the highway heading south from Perdue. Maxim is sitting beside me, and a man I met fifteen minutes ago is in the driving seat.

Things have happened at lightning speed. After I said a panicked goodbye to Meredith, Maxim led me through the rear exit of Sinner’s, where an old black SUV was waiting. He introduced the blond, brutal-looking driver as Swede, and we took off. Now, Maxim is stripping off his clothes and pulling on a brand-new shirt and jeans, and I’m doing my damnedest not to look. Instead, I focus on not asking questions as the vehicle tears through the miles.

Another ten minutes pass and the driver turns off the highway, onto a dirt track. He parks up, and there, another SUV is waiting for us. Newer and shinier than the first, but again, nothing flashy.

“Come on.” Maxim jumps out and opens my door for me. I hurry to follow his instructions. Normally, I’d ask what the hell’s going on. But I asked him to get me out of Perdue, and that’s exactly what he’s doing.

This time, we climb into the front seats and leave the driver behind. The interior of this SUV is brand-new, with luxurious leather seats and high-tech controls glowing from the dashboard.

In a couple of minutes, we’re back on the highway again, and heading for a turnaround. We take a right, and as a long, straight road stretches ahead of us, I literally see the tension going out of Maxim’s shoulders.

Finally, he turns his searing gaze onto me.

“I’m sorry about before. I just needed to be discreet.”

“Figures,” I say.

He flashes a look of gratitude. “Swede is a long-time employee of mine. I asked him to come to Perdue and be on standby in case we needed him.”

I nod. “What is your business?” I ask hesitantly, thinking that the last twenty-four hours have been so intense, I haven’t even had the chance to find out what he’s been doing all these years.

“I run my own security company,” he says. “I employ five-hundred people, all over the country. Although, I’ve been, uh, hands-off the past few months.” He gives a wry smile. “Swede has been pretty much running things while I’ve been locked up.”

“Must’ve been a real tough time.”

He shrugs. “I planned for it.” He lays a hand on the dash. “You’re safe now, Emory. This vehicle is bullet-proof. The glass, the body, everything. It’s got an anti-tracking device fitted and a rotating license plate.”

“It’s also pretty darned comfy,” I say, pushing myself deeper into the soft leather seat.

“Only the best for you…” The smile drops from his face and he looks straight ahead again, like he thought that came out wrong.

I steal a glance at him. He’s so goddamn sexy and confident and in control. I swoon a little bit more. He’s always been my protector, my hero. But now I want more from him. And that’s so crazy. He’d probably freak out if he knew what I was really thinking right now. I’m just glad I didn’t make a fool of myself earlier this morning by trying to kiss him when he was comforting me.

“We going anywhere special?” I say innocently.

A laugh bursts out of him. “You always knew how to make me laugh,” he says. “I was always real serious. And being, you know, your father’s bodyguard, that was pretty serious as well. But you were like this little ray of sunshine that just lit me up inside.”

Warmth floods through me. I love that I have this effect on him. I promise myself I’ll keep looking for ways to make him smile.

“We’re going to a mountain town called Wilder’s Edge,” he says. “I’ve got a cabin there that not a single person knows about it. Not even Swede, and he’s the guy I trust most in the world.” He frowns. “Aside from you.”

My heart jolts. “You trust me?”

“Of course, Emory.” He says it like it’s stupidly obvious. “You’ve got a pure heart. You were like an angel among demons in your family compound.”

Our eyes meet.

“That makes two of us,” I say softly.

After a while, we leave the highway and the road starts to wind up a mountain. I feel the tension going out of my own body as well. I found some peace in Perdue, but it was still a question of when, not if, they’d come knocking. But now, I’m with Maxim. And I trust him with my life.

* * *

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