GOING HOME ISN'T EASY Part 7

Alexis Morgan
© 2022.

The guards had parked facing each other leaving just enough room for a single person to walk between the front bumpers. Logan hit the back end of the left side vehicle at full speed, spinning it out of his way and the guards diving for cover. Rylee felt the impact from her head to her toes, barely recovering from that jolt before the front end of their SUV plowed into the gate a few seconds later.

The second impact barely slowed their vehicle, and Logan hit the accelerator hard as he asked, "You okay?"

She nodded. "I think so. How about you?"

There was a trickle of blood on Logan's forehead right above his right eye. Most likely his face had hit the steering wheel, but it didn't look serious. "Are they coming after us?"

"Not so far." Logan glanced in the mirror, a maniacal grin on his face. "Looks like they underestimated our determination to leave."

She couldn't help but laugh at how happy he was about their success. "No surprise there, Logan. Both your father and your brother have always underestimated you. I bet that won't happen again."

She pulled out a tissue and dabbed at the blood on his face. "Pull over when you can so I can bandage your forehead."

"It can wait."

"No, it can't, Logan. You need to be able to see clearly if your father was smarter than we give him credit for and has another surprise waiting for us."

Muttering under his breath, Logan backed off the road onto a narrow drive a short distance later. He left the engine running, probably in case they needed to make a quick exit. He reached into the backseat and pulled out a small first aid kit. His voice was all growl when he shoved it into her hands. "Make it quick."

Ordinarily Rylee would have snarled back, but now wasn't the time. He was in full-on alpha vampire mode and determined to protect her anyway he could, even if that put him at more risk. She used antiseptic wipes to clear away the blood and then butterfly bandages to close the wound. As an extra precaution, she added a pad of gauze using surgical tape to secure it.

"You can take that padding off at our next stop. The wound is still seeping a bit, and you don't want the blood to get in your eyes."

Logan's expression softened. "Sorry I snapped at you. The need to put some distance between us and the estate is riding me pretty hard. Are we good?"

"Yeah, we're good. Let's get going."

He accelerated, sending up a cloud of dust as they fishtailed back out onto the road. She kept her mind off how fast they were going by tidying up the first aid kit. When she finished that, she set it on the back seat and then grabbed the small cooler Logan had set within easy reach.

Figuring he would want to keep both hands on the wheel, she drank the first blood pack herself, needing the boost to replace the energy that the adrenaline had burned during their encounter with the guards. Having taken care of her own needs, she took out a second pack and stuck a straw in the top. When she held it in front of Logan's mouth, he shook his head and clamped his mouth shut.

"Don't argue, Logan. We're both running on too little sleep and the adrenaline burns a lot of energy. Like I said, your father could have more surprises waiting down the road, and you need to be in top form."

He made quick work of emptying the pack "When did you get so bossy?"

Since he smiled as he asked the question, she gave him the honest answer. "I'm not the same shy girl you used to know. If I hadn't developed a backbone, my father would have married me off to some jackass like your brother long before now."

He reached over to give her hand a squeeze. "I'm glad you didn't let that happen."

Her pulse sped up at the warmth laced through his words. Before she could think of a response, he jerked his hand back to the steering wheel. "Looks like we've just run into that little surprise you warned me about."

She stared at the barricade blocking the road. It was manned by heavily armed paramilitary. The chancellors she'd been worried about had probably just put in an appearance. Her blood ran cold as their attempt to escape looked destined to fail.

"Thank you for trying to get me out of this, Logan." She reached out to trace his jawline with her fingertips. "Leave me and try to get away. I'm the one your father is after."

"Not happening, babe. There is no way I'm going to let either of us get taken back there."

"I don't want you hurt, Logan, and those people look like they're out for blood."

He flashed another one of his devastating smiles at her, his fangs on full display. "We're not dead in the water yet. I've got this. Trust me."

To Rylee's surprise, she did trust him. She relaxed back in the sea and folded her hands in her lap as she waited to see what kind of miracle Logan pulled off next.

*****

Having reassured Rylee, Logan stopped the vehicle and made a call. "Change of plans, Declan. We're about a mile south of where we were going to meet you, but the road ahead is blocked."

He listened to the man on the other end of the call and then leaned forward to stare up at the sky. A few seconds later, he spotted the helicopter Declan had borrowed from his younger brother's security company. "Yep, I see you. I'll retreat about half a mile to a wooded field. With luck, you can pick us up there. Safe flying, my friend."

Rylee immediately leaned forward to see what Logan was looking at and then turned to him. "Is that helicopter Plan B…or is it Plan C by now?"

"Yeah, I called a friend last night and asked for an assist. I was pretty sure Cormac would have put a tracker on my vehicle. Knowing him, more than one. There's a good chance that he did the same with our suitcases at some point. Declan is bringing duffels for us to use since we'll have to leave the luggage behind."

Gunning the engine, Logan did a three-point turn and headed back the way they'd come. "This next part is going to be a bit rocky so hold on tight."

He drove through a bend in the road, which would hide their next move from their pursuers. Then he swerved down a steep embankment to cut across a field. With luck, his dad's men wouldn't see where they'd gone, at least on their first pass. Eventually, they'd find the vehicle, but he and Rylee would be long gone by then. He did his best to avoid the ruts and rocks that covered the field, but it was still a rough ride.

Just as promised, Declan landed on the far side of the field. Declan's brother Ian always bought top of the line equipment for his security company and the small helicopter was no exception. It was fast, maneuverable, and nearly silent. Rather than drop down directly in front of Logan's SUV, Declan had flown past and circled back behind a line of trees on the border of the field. Logan drove as close as he dared and then parked.

To his surprise, Declan wasn't the only one climbing out of the helicopter to give them a hand with their luggage. His mate, Vivian, was right there beside him. Both were carrying the promised duffels.

Logan turned to Rylee. "That's Declan Lyell and his mate Vivian. They're both friends of mine. We're going to go to ground with their pack. Get everything worthwhile out of the SUV."

Rylee's eyes flared wide. "What do you mean pack?"

He grinned at her. "They're both wolves. The helicopter belongs to Declan's brother, who owns a security company. His other brother is the Beta of his family's pack, and his father is the Alpha. I helped Declan take over Vivian's pack. The former Alpha there had tried to force her to be his mate, so the two of you have a lot in common."

"I've never even met—"

He cut her off as he opened the car door. "We've got to get everything out of the vehicle and into the chopper. Save your questions for later."

Rylee frowned at him but at least did as he asked. Well, ordered, but at least she didn't argue. As she pulled the blood cooler out of the back seat while Logan retrieved their luggage and whatever else he'd had stowed in the back. The four of them made quick work of transferring everything to the duffels before stowing them in the helicopter.

When they were done, Declan stood beside him. "What are you going to do with the SUV?"

With no little regret, Logan made the only decision he could. "I hate to destroy a brand-new vehicle, but I'd blow it up if I knew the fire wouldn't spread. I'm pretty sure it's tagged, so my father and his henchmen could follow us wherever we went. I don't want to leave anything for my father to find that might prove useful to him."

Declan looked excited by the prospect. "Ian told me I could try out the new weapon system if I wanted to. It will destroy the target, but with acid, not fire. The next time it rains, the water will neutralize the acid, so the soil won't be contaminated."

Logan grinned. "Gotta love the way Ian's mind works. Let's do it."

After retrieving a box from the helicopter, Declan showed Logan how to set up the charges both inside the vehicle, on the engine, and along the roof. He held out the detonator. "That should do it. We should get airborne before you push the button."

All four of them boarded the chopper and strapped in. Declan quickly got them off the ground, hovering a short distance away from the SUV high enough that they were in no danger when Logan set off the blast.

"I promised Ian I would film everything. He wants to see how it works in the field. Once he had the camera focused, he nodded. Logan pressed the button and in just seconds, large parts of the SUV were already melting.

He shuddered. As weapons went, that was pretty damn scary. "I don't want to seem ungrateful to your brother for helping out, but that seriously creeps me out."

Declan laughed. "Yeah, I feel the same way. Gotta love the efficiency of it, though, especially because your father's people just put in an appearance."

Several of the armored vehicles were bumping their way across the field, but they came to a screeching halt as Logan's SUV gradually melted all the way to the ground. Declan waited until they knew for sure that the damage wouldn't spread or cause the field to burn before turning to leave.

Several of the armed guards took aim and fired. They had to know that the helicopter was already out of range, but maybe they wanted to tell their boss they'd done their best to stop Logan's escape. Of course, considering how the man felt about his younger son, Harry might be more concerned about having Rylee slip out of his grasp.

Logan suspected Rylee knew what he was thinking. She leaned her head against his shoulder and spoke softly, "Your father is broken inside, Logan. I don't know what happened to him, and it's no excuse for the way he treats you. But don't ever let his problems make you think less of yourself. You have friends who come running…or actually flying…when you need them. That speaks to the kind of man you are."

He tipped her face up toward his. "Thank you for that, Rylee."

Then he kissed her.