Page 49 of Pack Obsession

I nod, swiping at the tears I hadn’t realized were falling. "Thank you. For arranging this. I can?—"

"If you offer to pay me, I might actually get offended." He touches his earpiece. Then his thumb absently brushes away a tear from my cheek. "Logan, status?"

Static crackles, and I hear the incoming message.

"Company’s coming. Get out. Now."

Nash grabs my hand, and we’re moving through the kitchen, out the back, and into the car. The engine roars to life as headlights appear behind us.

Nash takes the first corner so hard, my shoulder slams into the door as I frantically tug at my seatbelt. The black Audi’s headlights flood our rearview mirror, uncomfortably close. My pulse is charging as we weave through evening traffic, panic drowning me. The city is a blur of neon and shadow.

"Logan," Nash’s tone is pure steel as he touches his earpiece. "I count two on our tail. Tell me you’ve got eyes up high."

The piece crackles then I hear faintly, "Third-floor parking structure ahead. Axel’s set up the welcome party. Get them to follow the breadcrumbs."

Nash’s mouth curves in a predator’s smile. "Copy that." He stares at me momentarily "Might want to hold on tight."

We blast through a yellow light just as it turns red. Horns blare behind us as Nash takes another corner, the Range Rover handling like it was built for this. Which, knowing these guys, it probably was.

I grip the door handle, my heart in my throat.

"Silver sedan!" I say a bit too loudly, my attention all over the road, my insights tight. That’s when the headlights rush up alongside us.

"Good spotting." Nash sounds pleased as he downshifts. "Keep watching. Your perspective helps."

We thread between two buses, Nash handling the massive vehicle like it’s an extension of his body. My grip tightens, my stomach in knots. The silver sedan tries to cut us off, but Nash suddenly has us sliding into an alley.

Nash’s grin is feral as he touches his earpiece again. "Axel, you’re up. Make it count."

We burst out of the alley into an intersection, my stomach’s in my throat. A massive black truck roars in from the left, t-boning the Audi with a crash that echoes off buildings. The car skids into a lamppost.

"That’s my cue," Logan’s response crackles through the earpiece. "Get her home. We’ll clean up here."

"Will they be okay?" I twist to look back at the wreck, worry churning my insides.

"They’re fine." Nash’s grip on the wheel relaxes slightly. "Probably having too much fun, if anything. Axel lives for this stuff."

We drive in tense silence until the city lights fade behind us. Only then do Nash’s shoulders lose their rigid set. He drives one-handed now, more relaxed.

"You’re insanely good at this," I say, studying his profile, my voice breathless and shaky. "The driving. The coordination. All of it."

My heart’s still pounding, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I replay the last few minutes of the chase in my head as we barely escaped. My fingers still dig into the seat, still gripping as if we’re about to swerve again.

Nash doesn’t even look rattled, his focus sharp and steady, like this is just another day for him. Meanwhile, I’m barely holding it together, my chest squeezing with the weight of what could’ve gone wrong. The fact that we’re still alive feels like some sort of miracle, and it’s all because of him and the other two Alphas.

"Had practice. Lots of practice." His mouth quirks. "Foster care teaches you to think fast and plan ahead. Never know when you’ll need an escape route."

"Several homes, you said?"

"Yep. Some better than others." He’s quiet for a moment. "Your brother, though," Nash continues before I can decide. "He did good with you. More than good."

"He tried so hard." The memory brings a sad smile. "Worked construction during the day, stocked shelves at night. Just to feed us and pay bills."

"That’s real family." Nash’s voice softens. "Not blood. Choice."

"Like you and the guys?"

"Yeah." He adjusts his glasses. "Found each other broken. Built something stronger. Logan gave me purpose, direction. Axel taught me to channel the anger."

---