I caught my breath at the valet desk. What was I going to do? My keys were still upstairs.

The man smiled at me expectantly.

“Brock Fleming’s car please. I’m his assistant,” I said on a whim and looked around the parking lot. There were several luxury vehicles and sports models everywhere.

“It’s right here up front, miss.” He pointed toward a white Audi R8 with a license plate that said “Hacker”.

My eyebrows shot up. I didn’t know much about cars like Drew did but I knew that specific car. It had been my dream car when I was younger. My dad had owned a red one.

This was a much newer model. I was going to make this baby purr.

He handed me the remote and I unlocked the doors. Sliding into the leather seats I turned the car on and revved the gas a few times.

The engine gave a throaty sound. Sex on wheels. That was an R8.

The valet was eyeing me now and I smiled like I was stealing it. Because I was.

Brock came running outside as I revved the engine again. He gave me a scorching look, then one that told me he was going to throttle me if I left.

I put the car in gear and squealed out of the parking lot. I slid around a corner and gunned it, headed in the opposite direction of Lakefield. I just wanted to drive at the moment. I slowed down significantly once I got to the highway and thought of where to go. I would need a destination for both of us. All of our papers were at the apartment.

I passed by different cars, picking up speed in the dark. I looked in my rearview and saw another car’s headlights gaining fast.

There was a ringing inside the car that I ignored the first time but it rang three more times. I looked at the screen on the dash and I pressed the button on the steering wheel to pick up the call.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Andi pull over right now. I’m right behind you,” Brock barked.

My eyes shot up to the mirror and I saw the car flash its lights.

“No. Leave me alone. I just need your car for about an hour so I can figure something out. I just need some time and we’ll be out of everyone’s life. I promise you’ll get it back.”

“Baby, just pull over and we’ll talk about this. You don’t have to leave anything. I don’t care about the car, I just want to talk.”

Speeding up I changed lanes around a corner and the back end slid to the side. The car behind me retreated slightly.

“Andi! Damnit, slow down! You’re going to kill yourself!” 

Instead of listening, I sped up down the long straight highway. I didn’t care right now what he thought or what he had to say. I was screwed and I needed to lose him if I was going to have a chance at thinking this through. The fact that I was in his car sucked but I just needed some time to work out a plan.

I looked in my mirror again and didn’t see his car at all. 

When I was able to exit the highway, I pulled over on the frontage road and slowed to a stop on the side. I was miles from the hotel. Which meant I would have to double back even further to get back to Lakefield.

Had I been thinking clearly, I would have just headed straight there. Drew was at camp for four weeks. I could just hide out for a little while and come back for him when I had everything in order but it felt too much like abandoning him.

First, I needed the papers, then I would withdraw everything from my bank account. I wouldn’t be able to fit much in this car, which was a shame because it meant I would have to ditch it. But if we packed light, we might be able to fit a small suitcase each.

Then what? Then spend money to get new IDs? Travel to Oregon this time? To the complete opposite side of the country. The complete opposite of everything we had built here.

I stepped out of the car and went around to the passenger side to lean up against the door. I was parked next to an open field. The shadows of the trees across the field moved slightly in the darkness. I took a few steps into the grass.

I grabbed my chest and let out a sob. Why the fuck was this so hard?

My heart hurt for the past I couldn’t change. For the friends I would have to leave. For Brock and what he said to me. It was a dream I couldn’t have. Especially for Drew, who had to depend on me, his crazy sister, to be both his sister and parent because our parents were pieces of shit.

I screamed at the trees and took a long inhale of air. I screamed for everything I couldn’t change and I wanted the world to hear it.

Tears slid down my face as I dropped to my knees in the tall grass.

Why was this my life?

There was a rhythmic chopping sound somewhere close but I ignored it and put my head in my knees, curling up in a ball. Eventually it got closer but I didn’t care. I just wanted to sit here on the ground for a few minutes longer before I had to do what I needed to do.

A light hit me and I looked up to see a helicopter hovering above me. I took in a few deep shuddering breaths. Brock or the police?

I stood up and started backing up to the Audi. The helicopter looked like it was going to land. The wind it was creating buffeted me slightly as it lowered closer to the ground.

I turned to get back in the Audi when another sports car pulled up and revved its engines before shutting off. I scrambled around the side of the Audi and yanked the door open.

Two arms reached around me and lifted me away from the door.

“Andi!” Brock growled.

I kicked at him and slapped my hands against his arms.

“No!”

“Andi. Stop. Now! It’s okay. Everything is okay,” he said, as he kissed the side of my face.

My body crumpled into him, too tired to stand anymore. He lifted me up in his arms and pressed my face into his chest, where I began crying softly. His hand gently caressed my face, wiping away my tears.

“It’s okay Andi,” he said softly. “Give me a second.”

I heard someone walking up to us but didn’t look up.

“I have to get a helicopter. That was badass riding in that thing,” I heard Gabriel say.

“Hey man. Thanks for the use of the car,” Brock said over my shoulder. “Keys are in the seat.”

“No problem. Drives like a dream, doesn’t she?” I heard Gabriel respond.

“Not like mine. See ya soon.”

I heard the other car pull away as Brock carried me to the passenger side of the vehicle.

He walked around to the other side of the car, set me on my feet and brushed the grass off of my dress. When he was finished he opened the door and gently put me inside. My eyes closed. I couldn’t look at him right now. Couldn’t see his frowning face and look of reproach that I knew was there.

I felt his hand slide along my cheek as his thumb wiped at my face.

“Andi, look at me,” he said softly.

“No,” I whispered. My body felt like it was going to start shedding more tears.

“Damnit, look at me.”

“No, Brock!” I yelled without opening my eyes.

“Andromeda! Open your fucking eyes right now!”

My eyes popped open at the use of my name. He was crouched beside my open door. His face was a little furious but his murky green eyes were concerned more than angry.

He reached in and grabbed my wrist.

“What is your full name?”

So, it was truth time again. Wonderful. Might as well tell him at this point. There wasn’t any way to hide it now.

“Andromeda Renee Wellington. My brother’s name is Andrew. I took him when I was eighteen and left. My parents are bad people and criminals. So, go ahead and turn me over to the police because apparently I’m a criminal too for kidnapping him.”

Someone in fatigues approached Brock. I looked up to see one of Holden’s security guys. When I looked back down, Brock’s eyes still hadn’t left my face.

“I’m good, Jake. I’ll drive her back.”

Jake eyed me. “Okay, do we need anything else?” 

“No,” Brock replied, still fixated on my face. “I’ll take care of this.”

Jake walked away and boarded the helicopter. I watched with tired eyes as it lifted and flew away.

Brock sighed and let go of my wrist. His hand ran over his hair making it stick up in a few places.

“So, what was your plan, Andi? Just drive off down the road until the gas ran out? Grab Drew maybe and head toward some other city where you have no friends and no support? Get a new name so I can’t find you? Your friends would be heartbroken, especially Kate.”

My eyes couldn’t meet his and I looked at my hands instead. “Brock, they’ll get over it. I’m a criminal, that’s probably the last thing any of them need in their lives. I need my papers and some clothes. Drew and I can start over somewhere else. I’ve done it before and I can do it again.”

He leaned in and his hand came to my face. Gently, he turned my head to look at him.

“No, you’re not leaving. Ever. Even if you did, I would spend the rest of my life looking for you. Every single day until I could drag you back here.”

“Brock—”

He raised his hand and put a finger on my mouth. “Look, I understand the need to get away to anywhere but the place that you’re currently at. I get it. It seems to me that the person you were at eighteen had a lot of courage to do what you did. I don’t know everything but I know that the same person sitting in front of me still has a lot of courage. You don’t have to leave to get away from whatever you’re running from. Just tell me and I’ll help.”

My bottom lip started trembling. “Brock, I can’t stay here. That man, Robert, knows who I am. And now, so do most of the people at the table.”

“No, they don’t. There was so much going on that no one even heard what was said. They asked why you left so quickly but not about what Robert said.”

A tear slid down my face. “Now Gabriel knows.”

His thumb grazed against my face, wiping the tear away. 

“Baby, the only reason he knows was because he was leering at you the entire dinner. I wanted to punch him, so it’s probably a good thing you did take off. Robert gets paid very well to keep his mouth shut. Gabriel won’t say a damn thing, trust me.”

I tilted my head and looked at him. “He wasn’t leering at me. What about all your girls at the table?”

“He was leering and he’s going to stop or I’ll punch him. Those aren’t my girls, they’re coworkers who probably want to be something to me but I’m already taken. My girl is sitting right in front of me and I’m seriously thinking about choking you right now.”

His girl? What?

“Brock— I can’t be your girl. That’s not something I can do.”

“Shut it, Andi. I asked and asked. I was trying to be a good guy with you. When I asked Kate for your number the night after we met at Muse, I was being nice. I was being nice when I didn’t bug your house, your phone or you. I was being nice when I tried to let you come to me. I’ve fucked up a lot of things. Relationships, friendships. But didn’t want to fuck it up with you.”

His murky green eyes narrowed. “I thought that maybe digging into your past would give me some answers. It didn’t, and I still asked.” 

Unsure of how to respond I remained quiet. It was nice that he did ask when I thought back on it. He could have very easily gotten my number and done what he was saying.

His jaw flexed and he let out a deep sigh. A look passed over his face that I couldn’t identify. It was like a mixture of sadness and guilt.

“So now we’re on this winding path and I have no clue where it’s going to end up,” he muttered more to himself than to me.

“What?”

His eyes popped back up to mine. “You could have killed yourself tonight. You were going way too fast. When I saw you take that turn I swear my heart stopped beating. You have to promise me never to do that again.”

I nodded once.

He growled, stood up, and shut the door.

He didn’t talk much when he got in and barely glanced at me other than to put my seat belt on. He was angry, I got it.

He drove back to the hotel at a moderate speed while fiddling with the temperature and then the radio. It looked like he was trying to keep his mind off things or just thinking too hard and becoming fidgety about it.

Now that he had explained about Robert and Gabriel, I felt a little embarrassed by taking off but I had done what I felt was necessary. 

If it meant Drew and I were in danger I would always do what I had to. No matter what Brock said. His insistence that I wasn’t ever going to leave was moot. 

We pulled up to the hotel several minutes later. Everything looked as quiet as it had been when I left.

“I don’t want to go back to the party,” I said.

“Well, you’re going to because I have to make a speech,” Brock said as he climbed out of the car. “I’m not letting you out of my sight at this point.”

I swung the door open before he came around the side. He held out a hand for me and pulled me out when my hand slid into his.

Pressing me close to his chest he said, “All bets are off now, baby.”

I looked up at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”

His mouth turned up into a smirk. “You go where I go unless you’re locked upstairs. I’m bugging everything you own and going to track every movement you ever make. You’re not going anywhere that I can’t find you. So, you might as well give up now and just do what I tell you.”

My heart skipped a beat and I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why?”

His eyes scanned my face as he looked down at me with hooded eyes. “You know why.”

“You can’t do that, Brock.”

His eyebrows arched and he started digging around in his pocket. He pulled out his phone and pressed a couple of buttons before lifting it to his ear.

“Yeah, I need a full track on Andi. The works. Personal project, just get it done,” he said, then paused. “I’ll do that later. Put it up in my office, feed it to me at the control room while I’m here and funnel it to my phone.”

I scowled at him as he looked into the darkening night. The light from the hotel played across his features. His jaw was set and his eyes distant. His emotions were locked down as he continued to listen to the person on the other end of the phone. He made very few facial movements and just processed what he was hearing.

“Yeah, good. Thanks for getting that together. I’ll be in touch.”

He switched the phone off and looked at me again. “All done. I told you not to test me, Andi.”

I looked down at the front of his suit and clenched my jaw. His hand came down and lifted my chin up.

“Yeah, I know you don’t like what I just did. You can be as mad as you want about it but it’s done. Wherever you go, I’ll be there.”

I stepped back from him, sliding out of his arms. “Please don’t do this. Don’t be an asshole. I don’t want to feel like I’m a prisoner or not able to do things without someone watching.”

He shrugged. “If it’s the only way I can keep you from taking off then it’s worth dealing with your anger over it. You’re staying here and I’m going to fix whatever is going on with your past.”

I gave a half-hearted chuckle. “Yeah? Are you going to create parents that actually love Drew and me?”

He blanched at my statement.

“There’s no fixing this, Brock. I don’t know who they got mixed up with but they were in deep enough that someone came over to rough up their kids one night before they were arrested. Me anyway, not that they cared. Think about that, I have.”

“Baby, is that what happened to you? Why you’re scared sometimes? Because someone your parents knew came and hurt you?”

His eyes bore into mine. They looked as furious as a raging sea, pleading with me to tell him everything.

“No, Brock. Some of it I guess. If we even poke our heads out, someone is going to get wind of it. I don’t want anyone knowing where we’re at. If they’re still dealing with the same people, I don’t want those people to find us. My parents— can’t ever find us. Ever. Especially Drew. He’s still underage.”

He blinked at me trying to understand and he couldn’t because I was intentionally holding back from him.

“Okay, your parents are criminals. I understand that. Are they in jail?”

I shook my head. “Not anymore.”

“So, they’re out. You took off when you were eighteen with your brother because of what happened with the guy that roughed you up.”

My eyes slid away from him. “That just provided me with an opportunity. It wasn’t everything that made me leave, just the last thing that I could take on a long list of reasons. I had to take Andrew with me though because I wouldn’t leave him behind. Not with them. Look, they could take him at this point and file criminal charges against me. Fake documents? Think the Feds or the police are going to ignore that I bought them? No way. You can’t fix it.”

His face was passive when he stepped forward and pressed me back against his car.

His hands slid up to cup the sides of my face and his mouth dropped down to mine. His lips brushed against me softly in a sweet and lingering kiss.

I inhaled his addictive scent. It had only been an hour since our interlude in the closet but I had missed his mouth.

I blinked. Gawd, no. I couldn’t miss anything about him. Could I?

“You’re the bravest girl I’ve ever met Andromeda,” he whispered against my lips. “Self-sacrificing. The things you had to give up, I can only imagine. I don’t know everything, as I said, but I do know that you’re stronger than most of the people I know. I’m going to take this from here though and you’re going to trust me.”

“Why would I trust you?” I whispered as my eyes closed.

“Because you’re mine,” he said, as his tongue skipped across my bottom lip. “People might be afraid of my friends to a certain point but they’ve never seen someone like me. I’ll pull down the entire world to protect you. I’ll pay anything, do anything, kill anyone, just to keep you safe.”

“Why?” I whispered.

I wanted so much to believe him. When I opened my mouth to tell him that, his lips came down on mine, crushing me against him. My resistance faded and my hands slid around his neck to tangle into his hair.

He pressed his crotch into me and I felt his hard bulge against my stomach. His hand slid down to lift the hem of the back of my skirt then stopped.

He broke off the kiss and set my skirt straight again. His forehead rested on mine for a minute then he let out a deep sigh.

“Speech. My assistant should be yelling at me to go give my speech.”

“Uh-huh,” I said, still recovering.

He kissed along my face softly. “Come help me with this. I need to get this stupid retreat started and I want you to be with me. Then it’s just us and I’ll show you what I’ll do for you.”

I nodded, not sure what he meant or what I felt about it but knowing that we needed to return. Everything else could be dealt with later.

“Bathroom first.”

Brock rolled his eyes. “Fine. Five minutes.”

“Ten,” I smirked.

Brock’s only reply was an eyebrow arch before we started walking back.