Page 63 of Breach Point

As we settled into the vehicle, Michael's hand found mine in the darkness of the backseat. His fingers wove together with mine, squeezing gently as Miles started the engine and navigated toward the exit ramp.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe." Michael's thumb traced circles on the back of my hand. "Somewhere they won't think to look."

I held tighter to Michael's hand as the city blurred past. My fear remained, but beneath it, something pulsed electric and vital. For the first time in a year and a half, I wasn't merely surviving. With each mile that carried us deeper into danger, I was terrifyingly alive.

Chapter seventeen

Michael

TheSUVjostledoveruneven terrain as Miles navigated the final stretch of road carrying us into the Cascade Mountains foothills. From the back seat, I watched his hands grip the wheel with uncharacteristic tension.

"Left at the fork," Marcus directed from the passenger seat, GPS glowing in his palm. His frame was almost too large for the confines of the vehicle, shoulders hunched forward as if ready to spring into action at any moment.

Alex sat beside me, our thighs nearly touching on the leather seat. His breathing had shifted during the last mile—shorter, shallower. I recognized it as the rhythm of someone preparing for whatever came next.

I caught his eye in the dim light. The same man who'd stood in the rain outside my door now sat beside me as we drove into unknown danger. I brushed my thumb across his knuckles, silently acknowledging all we weren't saying.

Miles called over his shoulder." This road doesn't exist on most maps. Kevin said that's half the appeal. No one comes here who doesn't already know about it."

"Kevin's ex has good taste in hideouts." Marcus turned his head, surveying the pine forest outside his window. "Though I still think we should've gone with my contact in Vancouver."

"And cross the border with our faces possibly flagged? No thanks." Miles slowed as the cabin came into view. "This is far enough from everything without needing passports."

The wheels crunched to a halt on pine needles and gravel. Beyond the windshield, the cabin stood—weathered, with cedar siding darkened by years of mountain rain and heavy snows.

I spotted a flicker of movement behind the front window. "Someone's here." The hairs on my neck stood on end, as they always did seconds before a situation turned critical.

Marcus leaned forward to peer through the windshield. "I see the edge of a car bumper on the other side of the cabin."

Miles frowned, checking his phone. "It could be the cleaner I hired, but they should have finished by now."

I reached beneath my jacket, fingers finding the reassuring weight of my weapon. My eyes met Marcus's in the rearview mirror, our thoughts aligning without words. He gave an almost imperceptible nod.

I gripped Alex's thigh. "Stay in the car."

"I'm coming with you. I'm already part of this."

"We move together." Marcus decided for all of us, his tone ending further debate. "Miles and I take point. Michael covers the rear with Alex. Standard formation."

We exited the vehicle into the crisp mountain air, so different from Seattle's persistent dampness. The scents of pine and earth filled my lungs with each breath.

Miles led us toward the cabin, steps slowing as we approached the porch. The wooden steps creaked beneath our weight—an unavoidable announcement of our arrival. Through the front window, I spotted another fleeting shadow.

The door swung open before we reached it.

A woman stood on the threshold, slender frame backlit by the cabin's interior. She wore oversized flannel with the sleeves rolled up. A knit cap covered most of her hair, and dark sunglasses concealed her eyes despite the fading daylight. I noted her slight limp as she shifted her weight.

Her voice was measured and neutral. "You're early. I was just finishing up."

Miles moved closer. "You aren't the cleaner I arranged."

The woman removed her sunglasses, revealing eyes shadowed by exhaustion. Her gaze swept over us, landing on me last.

"I've been trying to find Michael since Tahiti, whichever one of you that is." Her eyes landed on me. "And I got lucky. A friend of a friend knew a guy who knows your brother Miles."

Marcus set his jaw. "Who the hell are you?"

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