Page 52 of One Way Out

“You know how blood-borne pathogens work,” Valor grumbles, wrapping his hand around Omen’s neck and pulling him back into the spray. “And they almost put me down? I’ve never ripped someone’s throat out with my teeth. Maybe we should get you a muzzle. You’re not a vampire, you know.”

“Right, well, I crossed that one off my bucket list,” Omen says drolly. “Let’s hope I never have a need to revisit it again. Whatever you’re imagining…it’s worse. Trust me on that.”

“Stick your tongue out,” Valor grumbles. “This might actually give me nightmares.”

I chuckle, shaking my head.

They’re a riot.

They remind me of a bickering old married couple, which is how people usually describe me and Leo.

My hands fist and flex as I try to get rid of the leftover adrenaline.

Ending Amato went relatively smoothly.

I would have preferred to handle him and his men before Saylor ever arrived, but we had no idea if the facility guards would call to confirm that everything was good before coming into the warehouse. Even with the multitude of variables, we managed a mostly clean op.

In no way did I expect Saylor to almost shoot me, but she had no idea I was waiting to pop around the back of the SUV to put an end to Amato. Technically speaking, it’s an exaggeration. The bullet wasn’t within three feet of me, but with inexperienced shooters, it’s always a risk having a gun in their hands.

Once we settle down back in the States, I’m going to give her lessons. She did incredible for her first shot, and with a little honing, she’ll always know she can kill an adversary without having to wait for one of us.

My gaze moves to Leo and Saylor. He’s got her wrapped up in his arms with one hand on her chest, and he’s whispering close to her ear. It looks like he’s trying to ground her to cut off a panic attack. I’m tempted to double-check that she’s all right, but I’ve already had my turn to check her over. Leo has always been better at centering her when she’s on the verge of a meltdown, anyway.

She’s still shaky, but that’s to be expected, and at the very least, she’s calmer than she was ten minutes ago. There’s no telling how she’ll handle the two-hour drive we still have to make tonight to get to the new safe house.

There’s no way around it, so it has to be done.

“Does no one have a towel or something I can dry off with?” Omen asks, sounding especially perturbed.

I snort, rip off my T-shirt, and toss it to him. “This is the best I can offer.”

He raises an arm, plucking it from the air one handed. “I appreciate it. It’s cold, and thanks to my partner, I’m now soaked. I believe he’s trying to kill me off via pneumonia. One less bloke for you to share the omega with. Huh, Valor?”

“God, you’re insufferable lately,” Valor mutters, dropping the hose and heading to shut off the faucet. “I don’t remember you being this much of a pain in the ass before we went into the facility.”

I laugh. “Okay, who wants to help me light the blaze?”

We’ve already searched everyone’s pockets and Amato’s vehicles. Omen’s and Valor’s passports were nowhere to be found, meaning we have no choice but to wait for Easton and Calder to come through. It’s not ideal, but in the long run, it’s probably safer than using documents procured by a known criminal.

We just have to hope the facility doesn’t come looking for us before we have the chance to get the hell out of Germany. We swept for electronics like recording devices and came up with nothing, but I’ll still feel a hell of a lot better when we’re stateside.

For now, we need to incinerate any DNA the three of them might have left behind in the facility van and get the fuck out of here before the cops show up.

* * *

Saylor’s entire body shakes against mine.

She’s not crying.

It’s the adrenaline crash that comes after combat.

I hold her to my chest as Leo spins around in the middle row of the SUV to see what’s happening. She’s still warm to the touch but not to the level it’s concerning. Her body adjusted, prioritizing survival over the heat or suppressant withdrawal symptoms, but I’m worried the cortisol kick will be even worse because of it.

Adrenaline comes first in a life-or-death situation. It speeds up a person’s heart rate, helps them hyper-focus in the moment, and increases athletic and skills-based performance.

All of that is well and good when you’re honed in during the emergency, but after so long, your adrenal glands switch over to cortisol. A little cortisol is fine. It helps block out non-essential bodily functions, like needing a bathroom break or noticing you’re tired or hungry, but long term, that shit is not good for the human body.

The two hormones together can wreak havoc on a person’s nervous system if they’re not prepared for the crash.

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