Page 24 of Rehabilitated

I grab my water, taking a sip. “And if they spot me or track me here?”

“We leave through the back.”

“You’ve planned escape routes?” I ask, a bit surprised.

He looks affronted. “Of course. I’ve planned six.”

I blink. “Six?”

He shrugs. “I’ve had a few sleepless nights. But I don’t think it’ll come to that.”

The timer goes off, and Russo stands to grab the pizza. He sits down across from me a minute later, sliding half the pizza in front of me.

“What if they catch us and try to take me?” I ask, voicing my biggest fear.

Russo studies me for a moment, his jaw set. “I’ll kill them, Ever.”

“I don’t want you to have to do that.”

“Because you’re worried about them? Or me?”

“You. I don’t want that weighing on your conscience.”

“It won’t. I killed people when I was in the Marines. Killing the two people who have hurt and tormented my mate? Hell, I could do that without blinking. It would be a fucking dream come true to kill them for you.”

I shift in my seat, unsure how to feel about his words.

“It might come down to that,” I whisper finally. “I was hoping that my leaving would get them to forget all about me.”

“You’re impossible to forget, mate.”

We eat in silence, and I pass my plate over to Russo once I’ve eaten as much as I can. I smile slightly as he finishes the last of the pizza and stands to clear our plates.

“My brother lives nearby. I’d like the two of you to meet sometime,” he says.

My smile widens. “A brother-in-law?”

“Yep. Ansel. He lives just over there. If you ever need anything and I’m not here, you can go to him. We need to get you a phone too.”

Russo takes my hand. “Come on, baby. Enough for today. Let’s lock up the house and go to bed.”

That sounds like the best plan. I let him lead me around, then follow him upstairs and into our room. I head into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. Russo passes me some pajamas, and I change into them, watching as he goes into the bathroom.

When he comes out, he finds me waiting in bed. Without a word, he climbs in beside me.

His strong arms wrap around me, and my head settles against his chest. His heartbeat is slow and steady beneath my ear.

“I’ve got you,” he whispers.

“I know.”

Neither of us falls asleep right away. My mind is racing, but I can’t seem to focus on anything. Tomorrow is the full moon. Tomorrow, we’ll face the mating heat together.

And somewhere out there…

My old life might already be searching for me.

I close my eyes. Whatever tomorrow brings…