Page 43 of The Alpha: Part Three
“Yep.” I get out of the truck, ignoring the deep protests of my legs and back and go around to help her out. She actually does need help. The truck is huge and she has to sort of slide out and hang onto me to reach the ground. I suggested a step stool and she let me know exactly what she thought of that real quick.
I hold her hand and lead her into the store, going directly to the women's bathroom. She and four other women squawk when I walk in with her but I don't give a fuck. “I'm not looking at anything, ladies. I'm just here to help her if she needs it.” I make a big show of averting my gaze from anything that might be considered seeing something and follow Desie into the large stall at the back of the bathroom.
“I cannot believe you came in here with me, Michael. I don't know if I can go with you standing there.”
I turn away from her, facing the door of the stall. “You have to. You're not leaving our sight until we're home.”
I'm trying not to rush her, but when Seth sends a text asking if everything is alright I know it's time to give a gentle push. “What do you need?”
“To be in here alone.”
I sigh. “I'm sorry, but I can't let you out of my sight. Anything could happen. Think about waterfalls. Rain. The sink running. The damn leaky faucet in Mateo's kitchen that he won't fix. Water slides. The ocean.” I keep naming off bodies of water and anything that might spray or pour and eventually she goes.
She nudges my shoulder. “Okay. I'm done. Do you have to go?”
Actually, I do. And I'm not about to take her into the men's room.
We wash our hands and leave the store, with me leading the way and trying to make it look like I'm not anxious and we aren't rushing. A too-familiar SUV is parked in one of the spaces in the back corner of the lot and Ben gives me a tight look when I open the door to help Desie back into the truck.
“Same ones?” he asks quietly.
I nod and get in the truck.
“Have they been following us the whole time?” Seth asks after I shut the door.
“I think so. I wasn't completely sure, but I am now.”
He sighs. “I'm texting Lopez. He can't do anything, but he'll know where we are and that might count for something. I'll send Nathan some coordinates, too. Fuck.”
“I'm sorry,” Desie says softly.
“Don't, Desie. We're going to have to make stops.”
“But--”
“No buts,” I tell her, reaching over to tug on the string that cinches her hood. “We'll take care of you.”
She nods and gives me a small smile.
Ben gets into the passenger seat and shuts the door. “We ready? They're going to follow.”
“We're ready,” Seth says. “Nathan is watching our course, and Lopez knows where we are. I'm going to stay on the main road for a while longer.”
Seth pulls out of the parking lot and gets back on the highway, watching the rear view mirror closely. “Maybe...” he trails off, but then clicks his tongue. “Fuck. I can speed up, but we won't lose them. This thing isn't made for speed.”
“Just go the limit,” Ben says. “We shouldn't have to stop until morning.”
Seth nods and we travel on in semi-tense silence. Desie curls up against my side and falls asleep after a while as I absently run my hand over the parts of her I can reach. The people following us definitely know that we've got a pregnant female with us now. It's more than possible that they know which pack we are, considering the one guy recognized Ben before. With any luck they'll get bored when we just keep driving through the night.
They don't, though. We have to stop again mid-morning and the same SUV and the minivan pull into a gas pump diagonal from us. The guy who gets out to pump the gas smiles at Seth as he finishes filling up our tank. Seth's expression is dark when he gets into the passenger seat.
“Ben,” he says, buckling his seat belt. “Go.”
“Go?”
“Don't peel out, but get us the fuck out of here.”
Ben throws the truck into drive and doesn't spin a single wheel when he pulls back onto the highway.
