I couldn't keep it from her anymore. Tempest would need to know soon enough. I took a deep breath in to focus my thoughts. “My boss wants me to bring you in. He wants to interrogate you himself.”
Tempest began to move out of her chair, looking for a door to run for. That was what I was afraid of. Even after our night together, she still thought I was just a bad guy. A guy that would give her up at the first chance he got.
“I'm not going to do it, Tempest. I'd never hand you over to them.” I put my hand on hers. “We have to go on the run. It's the only way to get out of this alive.”
Tempest settled back in her seat. Her clammy hand entangled mine. “But we'll have to look over our shoulders for the rest of our lives.”
I nodded. Living on the run wasn't going to be easy. “Better than being buried six feet under.”
Tempest was scared, her chest expanding and contracting faster. “Where are we going to run to?”
“I don't know all the details yet. But I know that anywhere else is better than here.”
Tempest took one last bite of breakfast and stood up. “What are we waiting for? Let's go right now. I don't even have anything to pack.” She looked so brave standing there, ready to go along with anything I asked.
“I have a few loose ends I need to take care of before we go. I want you to stay here and wait until I come back.”
Tempest shook her head back and forth. “No way. I'm coming with you.”
“The O'Malleys won't be looking for us yet. I already told Ian this morning that I'm going to bring you in. He won't send his thugs out for us just yet. He has no idea I'm going to betray him.”
Betray. That was a tough word to swallow. Ian and I'd been through so much together. I owed him everything. And now I was going to go against his orders—for her.
“Don't worry. You'll be safe here. I'll only be gone an hour at the most. If I'm not back within two, then you need to leave without me.”
Tempest shook her head again, her brown eyes wide. “I can't leave without you. I won't.” I admired her defiance.
“You'll have to. Get out of town as fast as you can and don't look back,” I replied. “But don't worry, I'll be back. Try to think of some places we can run off to while I'm gone.”
Tempest nodded with tears streaming down her cheek. I wanted to reassure her that everything was going to be all right but I wasn't sure myself. The O'Malleys had ways of tracking people down. Even with our head start, they could be on us in days. I'd have to be smart about it. But first I needed to get to my stash.
I kissed Tempest passionately one last time. It could be my last. “Don't worry, I'll be back for you. Just promise me you'll run if I don't make it back in time.”
She looked up at me with doubt behind her eyes.
I squeezed her shoulders. “Tempest, promise me.”
She sighed. “I promise.”
I turned and walked out of the door without looking back. My throat choked up. I needed to get back to her as soon as possible. Nothing would stop me.