Page 67 of Defending Mateo
If she agreed to it.
Because she’d be giving up everything to make this happen.
“Azure won't let you go, not ever. You understand that, right?” he asked, trying to keep his words gentle.
There was fear in her eyes, but acceptance as well. “I didn't think they would. I mean, I hoped, but I didn't think it was likely, not after what Griffin told me about only letting you rent me for the night and using me to keep you on a short leash.”
Holding her tighter, because all the ways this could go wrong were running through his mind, he touched his forehead to her temple. “There is a way to get them off your back for good.”
“What?”
“Fake your death.”
Ally jerked back to look at him. “That’s your plan? To fake my death?”
“There was a guy who was working here undercover with me, only I didn't know he was one of the other Prey plants at the time. His name was Nathan, and he fell for one of the women Azure kidnapped. When he realized, he talked with our boss, Falcon, about a way to get her out. Their plan was to fake her death, pretend Nathan lost control and killed her, inject her with a drug that would simulate death, then tag her so that when her body was dumped, Prey would swoop in and rescue her.”
“That’s what you want to do to me?”
“No. Griffin would never buy that I lose control and hurt you.”
“Then what?”
“Then I'm going to break you out of here. When he realizes I'm gone, Griffin will assume that you told me the truth about only letting me rent you, and he’ll send people after us. We’ll fake our deaths in the shootout, and I’ll go down as a lesson as to what happens if you betray Azure.”
“But that would mean you need to fake your death, too,” she said, brows puckering.
“That’s exactly what it means.”
“But you'd have to give up the job you took on to bring Azure down.”
“There are two other undercover operatives still here.”
“But everyone will think you're dead.”
“You're not the only one who doesn’t have any friends, little mouse. I haven’t had contact with my family since I turned eighteen and walked out the door, and I don’t let anyone else get close to me to call them a friend. Besides, I’ll still be able to keep working for Prey, we’ll just both have new identities and have to move out of the city so we’re not spotted by anyone from Azure.”
Tears shimmered in her stunningly blue eyes. “You'd really do all that for me? Fake your death? Start over somewhere new?”
“I'd do anything for you,” he said simply. The smile she gave him was pure magic, and he would have loved to soak it in, but they couldn’t waste any more time.
“So, how are we getting out? I assume we can't just walk out the front door.”
“Wecan't,” he agreed. “But I can.” When her brows furrowed in confusion again, he elaborated. “I’m going to go to the gym, grab a bag of weights, then bring them down here, dump them in the bed, cover them with blankets, and then put you in the bag.”
“How big is this bag?” she asked dubiously.
“Big enough to fit you, although it’s not going to be comfortable. You only need to stay in it until we get to the car.”
“You have a car parked here?”
“No, but I’ll take one of Azure’s, then dump it and change to another one. As soon as we get in it, I can use a phone to call Prey.” When he said it out loud, it all sounded so simple, but so many things could go wrong. Too many. Enough that he didn't want to dwell on them.
“Okay,” she said, offering him the precious gift of her trust.
“I love you, little mouse, and I will get you out of here. I swear it. I won't let you down again.”
“You’ll get us both out,” she corrected, and he just smiled and dropped a kiss to her lips before lifting her off his lap and setting her on her feet.
