Chapter 14

Grady and I end up in the back of Kane's SUV. He drives the high-end vehicle like it's stolen, which I'd think would be a great way to get us pulled over, but I keep my mouth shut.

Grady stretches a hand over, grabbing mine. I stare at the contact and blink as he squeezes my fingers. "We're okay. I'm not about to let anyone separate us."

My eyes fly to his, and I keep my voice low. "You could have told me who you were two years ago."

"Nah, you weren't ready to hear it back then," he says. "You would have run from me too. I couldn't risk losing you."

I sigh, glancing out the window next to my head.

He's probably right.

I don't pull my hand away, but it doesn't make me any less angry.

I'm not even sure that's what I'm feeling.

Are anger and betrayal two different emotions?

How can I still love him so much when I feel majorly betrayed?

Ugh, maybe my brother is right.

Emotions are weakness.

"Listen to me, you've got nothing to be embarrassed about," Grady says very close to my ear. "You needed to prove to yourself that you could do it alone, and you have. You made a life for yourself. The only thing I did was keep you safe while you built that life. I don't want to control you. I want to be your partner in crime."

I bite my lip as my eyes ache like I might burst into tears.

Without him, I'm not sure I wouldn't have caved by now.

I probably would have run back to Ranger with my tail between my legs, but I've always felt safe with Grady. Even if he wasn't around, I knew he was only a phone call away.

He hasn't played games, either.

If I call, he answers.

I tilt my head to look into his blue eyes, and he brings his other hand up to run his fingers over my cheek. "I'm still… I don't even know what words to use, because I'm not sure what I'm feeling."

"You can be mad. Just don't shut me out. You and me, we're a team. Do you think I get just anyone's name tattooed on both sidesof my throat?" He chuckles, giving me a quick peck of a kiss. "I love the hell out of you."

"I love you too."

Kane sighs heavily and clicks away on his phone, drawing my attention to the front. He grabs an earpiece from somewhere, shoving it into his ear. "Do your thing and get me there without hitting any traffic cams."

I don't know where he intends to take us, but I need to stop by my apartment to warn Lyra. Possibly grab some of my clothes and other stuff.

I squeeze Grady's hand, silently asking for him to support me.

Leaning forward, I spew all of that at Kane. "...she has no idea who I really am, but she's at risk just because we lived together."

"Did you catch that?" Kane asks, but it's clear he's not talking to me. He pauses, listening to someone's reply.

"Is that my brother?" I ask, really unsure if I want it to be Ranger or not.

"No," he says, looking back at me for a second. His face twists into a grimace, and he focuses back on the road. "This is one of those situations where the messenger ends up shot. I'm putting you on the car speakerphone. Go ahead, Merrick. Repeat that for the ones in the back."

"Jesus Christ," the guy replies. "Listen, I've been trying to figure out how Andretti found you after all this time. At first, I assumed Kane was followed or our communications were compromised, but I'm good. So is Kane. I couldn't see him being tracked without realizing it. The more I dug, the clearer it became that they knew about you before Kane was even in Vegas. When was the last time you saw your roommate?"

"What?" I gasp, holding on to Grady's hand for dear life.

"Lyra," Grady growls, cursing under his breath.

"I don't think I saw her today," I admit. "Maybe yesterday or the day before? It's been a rough night. Everything is kind of blending together."

"She was in their apartment two nights ago, maybe three," Grady says. "Yeah, I think it was three nights ago. I only remember because I saw her the next morning, asleep on the couch, when I left."

"I'm not sure how they found you at this point," Merrick says through the car speakers. "But I do believe they gained additional information from your roommate. There was a five thousand dollar deposit made to her bank account on Monday afternoon, and another twelve thousand dollars went in on Friday. That's unusual. It stood out to me immediately. Then there's the fact that she left your apartment this morning just after ten a.m. and hasn't been back since. I highly recommend no further contact. Also, toss both your phones."

"Shit." Grady shakes his head, digging in his pocket. "Sorry, Anni Girl. He's right." He holds out his hand.

"My phone is in my car back at your house," I admit. "So is my purse. I have literally nothing."

Holy shit.

The feeling of déjà vu almost takes my breath away.

"I'll handle getting you both new papers," the guy says. "I need to know any places that have your current picture on file, besides the DMV. I'm talking if you've got a library card and they asked for a photo, I need that information. It's the only way I can be sure every piece of your current identity is scrubbed."

"Mine is just my ID and my club security badge," I say.

"My actual photo is only on file with the club. Even my ID was the real Grady Wells," Grady says.

I frown.

I'm going to miss calling him Grady. I get that it isn't his real name, but I think he'll always be Grady to me.

"Any preferences on names?" Merrick asks.

"Can I keep Grady?" my alpha asks, chuckling. "I feel like people underestimate a Grady, where that never happened with Raiden. How about you, baby? You want to stick with something Ann-based? Or you want to go back to the real you?"

"I'm pretty sure Sparrow is still wanted in connection with Marco Andretti's death." The level of detachment I feel about that is unreal.

"Yeah, I've cleaned you out of as many records as I can get access to, but honestly, I wouldn't recommend you ever go back to Boston. There's a benefit to everything being digital nowadays, but I haven't figured out how to wipe people's minds yet." The tech guy laughs at his own joke. "Sparrow is unusual, but you'd probably be fine in another state. Your old DMV photo was wiped last year. I waited until the case went cold and swapped you out for another Penn State freshman?—"

All this information is frying my brain. "Why don't you choose? I have no preference."

"Got it," he replies. "All right, I think we're clear on the ambush going unnoticed, which is kind of a miracle considering, but not a single 911 call has been placed in reference to that address."

Grady laughs. "I told you I picked my neighbors well."

"I won't dispute that," Merrick replies. "I could have locationally blocked the system, but that's kind of a one-time-only pass. Once I use that trick, it's gone forever, and I'm saving it for a situation that really calls for it."

My eyes widen.

Blocking calls to 911?

Jesus Christ.

What type of people has my brother started working with?

"All right, so I've got a cleanup team en route to the Wells house," he says. "And Kane, I'm sending your route to your GPS. Get settled, and don't leave until you hear from me or Ranger."

My eyes ache.

I clench them closed as my stomach rolls so violently, I think I might vomit.

I'm not ready to start over again from scratch.

I'm even less prepared for a family reunion.

A window rolls down, based on the whooshing sound that fills the air. I'm guessing Grady just chucked his cell phone.

He slides over, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. My eyes stay closed as I fight the nausea.

"Don't worry," he murmurs against my ear, like he can read my mind. "You're not alone and, as long as I'm alive, you never will be."

I nod, exhaling heavily.

That means a lot, but it was naive to ever believe I could stay hidden forever. Everything feels so chaotic and out of control. The emotions are so overwhelming, I feel physically sick.

I was fond of my life in Vegas, and in the blink of an eye, everything I worked so hard to build is gone.

We stop at a house that I mistakenly think is our destination. Once the garage door closes, I take off for the stairs that lead inside, but Kane grabs my hand.

"Sorry, princess. This is just a vehicle swap." Kane runs his thumb over my inner wrist. "You're looking a little green around the gills. Are you okay?"

"I'll live," I reply, forcing a smile.

"I know this is stressful, but I need you to trust me this time." Kane stares straight into my eyes as he speaks. There's a look on his face I've never seen. My nostrils flare, catching his electric scent. Sometimes when I used to smell him, it would feel like there were magnets trying to draw me to him. It's hard not to give in to the urge to melt into his chest. "I need you to trust me this time, princess," he says again, more firmly.

My heart races.

My brain screams that he's only here to do the job my brother sent him to do, but my impulses are convinced he's a compatible alpha that I should claim for my pack.

It's such a bizarre feeling that I take a step back, nodding to appease him, since he's still staring at me. "I'm not going to run."

"Please don't," Kane says, brushing his fingers over my cheek. "I can't protect you if I'm not around."

"Come on." Grady steps up, holding out an arm. The look on his face is hopeful. It feels like he needs reassurance that I won't pick Kane over him.

He should know better.

Kane and I have history, but Grady is who I trust.

Not that I'm over the way he lied to me, but I can see his side too. I think if I had opened up to him, he would have done the same in return.

Maybe that's naive.

I don't know, but I aim for Grady.

Kane releases me without a word and moves to grab the bags from the back of the SUV. He immediately begins tossing them into the trunk of the black car we'll be moving into. It has dark-tinted windows, and it's pretty nondescript, which is exactly what we're going for.

Once he's done, we climb inside, and he pulls out of the garage. The drive takes close to thirty minutes just based on my estimation, but time could be passing exceptionally slowly because I feel like crap.

Kane follows the GPS instructions, and we turn into an area that screams wealthy people live here. There's every possibility I'm in a shit mood because I almost scoff as we pull up to a security gate manned by two officers.

Kane handles everything, and they quickly allow us entrance. The long drive through the multi-million-dollar mansions doesn't help me feel any more comfortable. We pull up to a second wrought-iron gate, and Kane stops at a keypad. He enters a code and the massive gate slides open.

"This isn't ostentatious at all," I mutter.

"Didn't you grow up exactly like this?" Grady asks, running his finger over my inner wrist.

"Yeah. Maybe that's why I hate it now."

Kane pulls the car into a huge garage at the back of the house. "All right, let's see who Ranger sent us to." He tosses open his car door and climbs out.

"I am on your team always," Grady whispers close to my ear. "If you want to take him out, you and I can try our luck on our own."

It might be inappropriate to admit exactly how much that means to me. I've never met anyone willing to defy my brother, but Grady isn't afraid.

I nod to let him know I hear him, but now isn't the time. If we were going to go that route, we should have offed Kane during the first car swap. Even the thought makes my stomach wobble uncomfortably, and I know I'd never go through with it.

Kane opens the car door next to me. "Come on, princess."

Grady unhooks my seat belt, and I twist to climb from the vehicle as he does the same on the other side.

Kane closes my door, ignoring our belongings in the trunk. He guides me toward the door that leads into the house from the garage, but it opens before he has to knock.

My jaw falls when I see who's standing on the other side. "Ward?"

"It's a family reunion. Just not the one I imagined." Grady laughs. "How ya doing, Grandpa?"