him inside none too gently. The two of them in the backseat look like packed sardines because the enemy asshole is easily as big as Magnum.
Johnny opens the passenger door for me, and I slip inside, pulling my seatbelt around me and making sure it locks in place.
Once in the driver’s seat, Johnny starts the car. He places his hand on my thigh and squeezes. When he looks up, he makes the shh motion to me, and I nod knowingly. He doesn’t want the guy to figure out where this safe house is in case he gets away, even though I highly doubt that’s happening.
We ride in silence, which is an opportune time to get my thoughts together. Soon, my adrenaline crashes, and I start to shake. It’s like coming off the worst high. Johnny rubs my leg harder as I tremble beside him. He’s trying to calm me, but I either need to exercise it out or lie down with my eyes closed and zen it away.
We drive away from the city, and I can’t be too sure, but I’m almost positive I’ve seen the same houses a couple of times, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Johnny is not only taking the long way there but also driving around a few blocks in an attempt to throw the guy off. It would surprise me if the guy is even conscious beneath his blindfold, but who knows.
Forty minutes later, we’re in the thick of the forest when Johnny hangs a right, slowing the car. The ruts in the dirt drive bounce the car around, but eventually, we pull into a much more level gravel area.
A few black-clad bodyguards jog down the wood steps, approaching the car with guns drawn. Johnny turns the interior light on in the car, and they stow their weapons away, coming toward us in earnest now that they know we’re friends and not foes.
A guard wrenches my door open and hauls me to my feet. I step away from him as he does a cursory once-over, injury shopping. I wave him away, and by then, Johnny is beside me, pulling me to him.
The guards take over from there, leading our captive to a barn-like building to the west. I can’t imagine the horrors that await him there as I’m sure they’re way more adept at interrogation.
“Let’s get you cleaned up,” Johnny says.
The structure in front of us is a beautiful two-story log cabin. It’s so homey looking that the backdrop highlighting all the bodyguards stands out. This could be any family’s weekend cabin. Especially since it’s deep in the woods where no one else is around. I can’t even imagine where the nearest neighbor is.
Johnny leads me up the front stairs to a wrap-around porch. He pulls open a storm door, and I’m greeted with more wood inside, coupled with soft lighting and rustic fixtures. Don’t get me wrong, everything is new, it’s just designed to look old and lived in.
I immediately fall in love with the place. It couldn’t be more different from the tower. Instead of the sterile white and steel, it’s warm and inviting.
“Where are we?”
“Our safe house,” Johnny explains. “We only use it in emergencies, such as when we can’t access the tower.”
I run my hands through my hair, my fingers getting stuck in a rat’s nest. I give up and toss my hair over my shoulders.
“Up here,” Johnny says. He takes my hand, gently holding my fingers. “We’ll get you washed up, so we can see your injuries better.”
“What about you?” I ask, looking him over from head-to-toe. “Did you get hurt?”
He shakes his head. “Mag drew all the fire. I backed him up, trying to pick people off, so you could get away.”
“I tried,” I tell him. “The guy jumped me.”
He pulls open a door at the very end of the hall on the second floor, and we move into what must be the master bedroom. The huge space boasts an enormous bed in the middle of the room. Behind me, Johnny turns the light on and a fan whirs overhead. Beyond the bed, sliding-glass doors lead out onto a back deck.
“It’s pretty, isn’t it?”
“Gorgeous,” I tell him. It’s the perfect place I would’ve conjured up for myself when I just want to get away. To escape somewhere where no one knew me.
After a moment, he pulls me in the opposite direction. The harsh light of the bathroom illuminates a modern bathroom that somehow goes with all the other