Page 74 of Short, Lethal & Claimed

“In a heartbeat,” Jill said with absolutely no hesitation.

Absently nodding, Logan raised his phone as he swiped his finger across the screen, tapped the screen twice seconds before she felt the metal cuff wrapped around her ankle suddenly go slack with an audible click.

“Be ready in ten minutes.”

“Ready for what?” Jill asked as she shoved the comforter aside so that she could pull her leg free from the metal cuff before he changed his mind and-

“I’m taking you home,” Logan said, making her frown as she glanced up to find him watching her through silver eyes.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Jill demanded as she moved to stand up only to go still at his next words.

“The building is surrounded by vampires, shifters, demons, and Sentinels and the only thing that’s keeping them out right now are the shifters and demons that I paid to secure the building.”

“In less than an hour, the sun is going to rise, forcing the vampires to seek shelter and leaving the shifters and demons with no choice but to play nice for the humans. At that point,they’re going to find out everything that they can about this building, looking for a way inside. A few hours after that, they’re going to find out about the service elevator that leads to the roof and sub-basement that connects to the parking garage across the street.”

“While they’re trying to figure out their next move, I’m going to take you and the children down that service elevator and through the tunnel before it’s too late,” Logan explained as he pushed away from the door and walked away, leaving her sitting there, trying to wrap her mind around what he just said and once she did, Jill moved her ass.

She quickly reached beneath her mattress and grabbed the backpack that she’d shoved under there a few months ago. After a slight hesitation, she grabbed one of the stakes that she’d made and shoved it in the bag and quickly made her way to the bathroom.

Not really sure where “Home” was and not really caring, not when it meant that she was finally free and getting the children out of this mess, she tossed the backpack on the counter and made her way to the towel closet. After a quick search, Jill pulled out the clothes and sneakers that she’d asked for a few months ago so that she wouldn’t be forced to try to escape in a sundress and bikini bottoms and quickly got dressed.

Two minutes later, she was going through her bag and double-checking that the credit card and the money that she’d been helping herself to from Logan’s wallet over the last month was still in there before making her way to the living room. She grabbed several bags of blood and shoved them in her backpack along with a few snacks for the children.

“What’s going on?” came the sleepily mumbled question that drew Jill’s attention to find Logan carrying the twins into the living room with Shane stumbling after them, looking exhausted.

“We’re leaving,” Logan said as he placed the twins down on the couch and pulled the backpack that she hadn’t noticed before off his shoulder and quickly searched through it.

“Where are we going?” Caleb mumbled sleepily, hugging his teddy bear tightly against his chest as Logan made quick work of helping Emma change into the clothes that he’d picked out for her.

“We’re not going back to that compound,” Shane bit out as the scent of his fear reached her.

“No, you’re not,” Logan murmured absently as he tied Emma’s shoelaces before reaching into the bag and grabbed another set of clothes and tossed them to Shane. “You’re going home.”

“What are you talking about?” Shane asked as Logan began helping Caleb get dressed.

“I’m giving you a chance to leave this all behind and start over, but we have to leave now,” Logan said, tossing Caleb’s pajamas onto the couch. Swallowing hard, Shane reluctantly nodded as he quickly stripped out of his pajamas and pulled on the clothes that Logan picked out for him.

“What’s the plan?” Jill asked as she grabbed the kids’ discarded pajamas and shoved them in her backpack and-

“I’m going to end this once and for all.”

CHAPTER 37

Cedar Hollow, Pennsylvania

“Is this it?” Caleb asked as Logan waited until the iron gates finished opening before he pulled onto the cobblestone driveway.

“It’s your new home,” Logan said as he made his way past the circular driveway and drove towards the large stone barn that had been converted into a garage nearly a hundred years ago. “Do you like it?” he asked, pressing the garage door opener as his gaze flickered to the rear-view mirror to watch Caleb press his little face against the heavily tinted window and took in the large Victorian mansion that had seen better days.

“I love it,” Caleb whispered reverently.

His gaze shifted to the little girl sitting between her brothers as he asked, “What about you, min smael? Do you like the house?”

With a shy smile, Emma smiled, making his lips twitch before his gaze shifted to Shane. He noted the guarded expression on his face as he took in the iron gate that surrounded the property. “What about you, Shane?”

“It’s just another prison,” he said with a bored sigh.

“It’s your home, Shane,” Logan said, watching the muscle in Shane’s jaw clench before he shifted his attention to the small woman who’d barely murmured two words to him since they’d left the penthouse.

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