Page 45 of Shield and Savior

The process is repeated in three different parking lots as we get further out of the city. Once we’re in the suburbs, it gets trickier. These escape vehicles are moved around every couple of days because we don’t want to bring attention to the car by leaving it somewhere too long. I think it’s Macie who ends up moving all of them. Yet another reason why we need a car guy.

At the fifth switch, we pile into a green SUV. It no longer has any of the safety features of one of the normal trucks, but it’s far less conspicuous. And that’s a solid safety feature in itself.

The safe house is only a half an hour out of the city, but it takes us two hours to get there. As soon as Izzy starts to fall asleep, it’s time to switch trucks. I need to come up with ways to make it up to her. The most obvious is letting her sleep, which she can do when she gets locked in the safe house.

The final car only has half a tank of gas. It’s more than enough to get us there, but both Izzy and Drew are getting cranky, so I pull into a gas station. “Stay inside, lock the doors. I’ll be back.”

After pumping the gas, I dash inside, returning to the car with coffee for Izzy and me, two pints of ice cream, a banana with brown freckles (clearly a few days old), and a box of donuts. Yep, I’m carbo loading this family up to win over their support that way.

Neither of them ask where we’re going or why. That’s how much they trust me. I woke them up in the middle of the night, told them to pack and get in the car. They never complain the whole time.

Even Honey Badger bitches every once in a while when we swap cars to avoid the paparazzi, and she’s been doing this for a while.

Boss: Get them to the Safehouse 2. Specs will be by later with more food and supplies.

I send her a thumbs up emoji.

I don’t relax until I type in the code at the gate. Electric fences, cameras, sensors, a panic room—all hidden features you won’t find on the blueprints, and every one of them allowing me to breathe a little easier. Once the car is safely in the garage, I tell both of them to stay put one more minute. Drew doesn’t seem to mind, grinning at me with a chocolate ice cream mustache.

The house is a three-story colonial, decked out in cozy farm decor. I’m not sure who Alana hired to design it, but it gives an instant homey feeling. The base computer waits for me in the living room. I log in and get the motion report for the last two weeks. Any motion on the property is logged here. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it’s either an animal or us. So far, we’ve been able to keep the area secure. There was one time when a few stoners drove up. They drove away pretty fast after triggering the alarm system.

After a quick once over, I go back out, grab their bags and say, “All clear.”

Drew slides out of the car. “So this is like a little vacation? Awesome.” He has the ice cream spoon in his mouth and is ready to go exploring.

Izzy is a different story. She grips her coffee with two hands and doesn’t leave my side.

“Want a tour?”

“How long will we be here?” She looks at me with pleading eyes. “Forever?”

While Drew is busy opening up the fridge and all the cabinets, I kiss her forehead. “No, just a little while.” I give them a tour of the kitchen and living room. We head upstairs where there are three bedrooms. I point to the master bedroom. “Go put your stuff in there.”

Izzy squeaks when she sees it. Four-poster bed, sleek design, white and gray bed sheets, a dresser that matches the bed—the whole thing has an elegant but comfortable feeling. “This is so nice.”

She steps inside, leaving my side for the first time. Her fingers brush against the bedspread as she walks around. “It’s so soft.” Her smile is enough to make me breathe without effort. She points to one of the doors. “Closet?”

“Bathroom. Go check it out while I show Drew his room.”

He’s about to jump headfirst onto the bed when I stop him. “Go wash your face before you take a swan dive.”

He frowns at me but inspects the room. “Wait…” I walk over and push open one of the doors.

“I have my own bathroom? This place is the best!” Drew bounces around, running into the room. My lips curl as I hear the water running. Seconds later, he rushes past me and dives onto the bed, landing on a mountain of pillows.

Izzy’s footsteps pad on the carpet. She touches my back, and it’s more than fire. It’s like plasma from the sun. I fight every urge I have to keep myself from kissing her. She beams at me. “The shampoo and cleansers in that bathroom have been on my Sephora wish list for years. The moisturizer is like three hundred dollars a bottle.”

I twist around, my hands hovering in the space between us. As much as I want to touch her, I’m not sure if it’s the right time. Drew’s here, and I don’t want to overstep. “Why don’t you shower and take a few moments for yourself while I show Drew the entertainment area in the basement?”

She nods at me and returns to her bedroom, but she doesn’t close the door behind her. An invitation?

“Which do you like more, Xbox or PlayStation?”

“There’s BOTH?!” He stomps down the stairs, bellowing, “Come ON!”

Once in the basement, I turn on the big screen. “So, you’ve got all the streaming services here.” I try to play an R-rated movie, happy to see Alana already put the parental blockers up. “You can watch whatever you want.” I show him the remote. “This is how you switch between the TV, the Xbox, and the PlayStation.” I point to a docking station. “And there’s where you can hook up your Switch.”

He looks up at me like I’ve given him Christmas twice. “How did you get all this stuff?”

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