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She nods again, but her eyes are blank.

Not willing to take any risks, I lift her into my arms and start running.

We have to get out of here. This is a planned attack, very purposeful, and I don’t know how far they are willing to go. It could be a warning, it could be a full-on assassination attempt.

It’s obvious someone just targeted me, and in the process, he put Lara’s life at risk, too.

I run until I’m sure we aren’t being followed, then I duck into an alleyway and set Lara down on the road, pulling her face towards mine.

“Little one, look at me, are you hurt?” I ask, holding her face. My heart is racing, my breathing heavy and fast.

She blinks once, twice, then takes a gasping breath, filling her lungs as she snaps back into herself.

“The car rolled,” she stammers. I touch her cheek gently. She looks lost and vulnerable. I want to hold her and tell her it’s all going to be alright, but I need to get us out of here before anything else happens.

“I know, Lara. Are you okay? Are you hurt?” I demand.

She brushes her hands over her sides. “No. I don’t think so,” she says, barely a whisper. With my hand wrapped around her waist, holding her steady against me, I pull my phone from my pocket and dial Roan.

“Track my location, send a car. We’ve just been run off the road,” I growl into the phone.

“Are you somewhere safe for the moment? Who was it?” Roan asks.

“We both know who it was. Yes, we’re hidden, but I want to get out of here. Lara is with me.”

“A car is on the way, stay out of sight. Five minutes tops.”

I tuck my phone back into my pocket. Then reach out and pull Lara against my chest. I wrap both arms around her and hold her, resting my chin on the top of her head. She hides her face against my shirt. Her body is shaking.

Neither of us speaks. We stand together quietly, with her letting me comfort her, and me finding comfort in the act for myself.

I can smell her beautiful scent as my hand brushes up and down her back, tracing the contours of her spine.

It takes the car less than two minutes to get to us.

We climb into the back seat, and he takes off quickly, fearing that someone might be watching.

“Are you both okay?” the driver asks. He is one of Roan’s team members. He’s very thorough about who he hires for our security. “I was working nearby, scouting, when Roan called and told me to come get you guys.”

“Thanks for getting here so fast. I appreciate it,” I say.

Lara shifts closer to me on the back seat, and I slip my arm around her. She nuzzles her cheek against my chest, and warmth washes over me, filling my heart.

I close my eyes and lean my head against the back of the seat, taking a few deep, slow breaths.

I can’t believe Miron was so bold, especially so soon after a family dinner. It makes it obvious that it was he and his father. It’s not like anyone else knew where I was this evening.

He’s getting too bold. Too arrogant.

I have to find proof against him sooner rather than later. I’ll need to have a meeting with Roan tomorrow to discuss this. We can increase the number of men tailing him, and put an extra private investigator on him as well. I need to know everything. I’m running out of time.

What if Miron starts getting bolder and goes after my mother, or my sister, or Lara?

There’s no telling what he’s capable of.

I’m powerful enough to take him down with the flick of my wrist, but I have to have proof to present to my mother before I do a fucking thing. It will tear my family apart if my mother doubts my actions.

I let out a heavy sigh of frustration, and Lara wraps her arm around the front of my chest. She holds me, comforting me as much as I am comforting her. Again, I think about how she has the ability to make me vulnerable. I don’t even realize that I’m letting my walls down around her—they’re just suddenly down. And I’m sharing things about myself I wouldn’t usually share. Or letting her hold me, and allowing myself to feel comfort in that small, sweet gesture. With her arm wrapped around me now, my problems seem fewer.