Page 57 of Defender

It was time to go.Damien had a plane to catch.

* * *

CHLOEWOKEUPfirst and saw Ashton.

“Ah-ta.Ah-ta.Ah-ta.”She showed no signs of stopping as she climbed up onto his chest.

Summer pried her eyes open.She really, really, really needed to get a decent night’s sleep.She hadn’t been this exhausted since she’d been a single mother with a newborn.

Today looked to be another long day, involving taking an overstimulated toddler on an airplane.

She needed to be at the airport in a couple hours for her flight that left at eleven.Hopefully Chloe would sleep through part of the flight since it would be sort of her nap time.

Summer got Chloe’s breakfast together and Ashton supervised feeding the baby while she took a shower.She changed into the one other set of clothes she had that Lillian had grabbed from the safe house.At this point, she was just going to take whatever she had to Atlanta and buy the rest there.Good thing Joe paid her a decent salary.

She packed their items into a small suitcase as Ashton played with Chloe, chasing her around the couch.

Summer watched the pandemonium.“Good, help her get out as much energy as possible before she has to sit still on the plane.”

“Have you got everything ready?”

Summer nodded.“Yeah.I’m just not going to worry about it.I’ll beg, borrow or steal whatever I need in Atlanta.At least there are supercenters on every corner.”

Ashton grabbed Chloe up in his arms and walked over to Summer.“You’re going to be gone a few days.A week max.And if it will help, I’ll fly out there so you’ve got an extra set of hands with this munchkin coming back.”

Summer leaned into him.She was so tired and having someone to depend on, someone she knew loved Chloe very much, was nice.

More than nice.Something she could definitely get used to on a more permanent basis.

“I might take you up on that,” she said against his lips, standing on her tiptoes.

“Good, because I mean it.”

Chloe tapped them both on the cheeks with her hands and they pulled apart.

Ashton smiled.“Alright, let’s get you ladies to the airport.”

They were almost out the main door of Omega headquarters when Ashton’s phone began buzzing.

“Hold on,” he said, stepping to the side of the hall.“I’ve got to take this.”

It didn’t take long to realize it was some sort of emergency.The SWAT team—and Ashton—were needed.

She could tell Ashton was going to try to argue his way out of it.She touched his arm.“I’ll be fine.Chloe and I can take a cab to the airport.”

“No.I’m not sending you there alone.”

“Then send another agent with me.They only have to keep me safe for one thirty-minute ride.Nobody knows where I’m going.”She could see how torn Ashton was.She touched his cheek.“You’re needed, Fitzy.Something important.We’ll be fine.”

She could tell he was still hesitant but a few moments later when another agent came rushing down the hall and announced that Steve Drackett had sent him to escort Summer and Chloe, Ashton finally relented.

“Tyrone, you’re not to let them out of your sight for even one moment.Okay?This isn’t a drill.Isn’t practice.”

The large, dark-skinned young man nodded.“Yes, sir.I’ll walk them all the way to the gate.Even past security.”

“You won’t be able to bring your gun through without the proper clearance which we don’t have time for, so leave it in the car.But they will let you through security by showing your badge.”

“Yes, sir.I’ll be stuck like glue.”

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