Dane

"Lila, don't worry—"

​​

"You didn't think to mention this earlier?"

He grimaced. "Well, I thought we had more time—and there was always the possibility that Harry would come through on the charges with the files Chris got to him yesterday. But now John's saying the signs are that both my father's people, and the Police, are aware that someone's watching them. That means we're flying blind. So, John's advising that we disappear now."

"When?"

"Now."

"Yes, but I mean tonight? Tomorrow? Next week?"

"No, listen, Lila, he's saying our options to gather information on these people have been closed. We don't know what's going on and that's the worst position we could possibly be in. So when I say now, I mean now. I mean that you and I pack bags and get out of here in the next few minutes."

Her jaw dropped. "You're—what? Leave everything? The business? Chris?"

"Everything."

She gaped at him. "How are you so calm right now?"

Dane smiled, "Because I just got a glimpse of being somewhere, far away from here, with you, with no one breathing down my neck, and I gotta say, it looks pretty good to me."

She blinked and stared at him, sat back, still staring and he waited.

Then the warning buzzer rang on the door and Dane leapt up like a shot.

He was at the door, peering through the peephole in seconds, but then he relaxed. "It's just a delivery. You take it," he said quietly, shifting away from the door so Lila could open it. He hid behind it while she took the box from the receptionist and thanked her, then re-locked the door.

When the door was closed she looked at rather-large box in her hands, then at Dane. He smiled. "I asked John to send a few things," he said.

She pinched her brows, but walked to the island in the kitchen to open it, and her face lit up. "Oh, Dane!"

Inside was a dozen different pregnancy tests, two large bottles of pre-natal vitamins, several tubes and lotions, a box of a very nice smelling soap and…

"What are those?" Dane asked, pulling away slightly.

Lila's lips thinned as she lifted the box and read it, then tried not to smile. "Nipple pads, apparently," she snorted.

"What the hell?!"

"Just… nevermind," she laughed. "Even if I do need those it won't be for a while. I think maybe your help got a little over-enthusiastic."

"Fucking John."

But Lila had gone quiet and picked up one of the pregnancy test boxes. She read it quietly, then, without tipping up her chin, looked at Dane.

He tried to keep his face relaxed. "There's no time like the present."

Lila looked down at the box again, then nodded. "You're right."

"Are you nervous?" He circled the island and pulled her into his arms.

"I am, actually," she said.

"It doesn't matter, either way. I'll still love you," he said, trying to keep the hope out of his voice. "Just… we just need to know what we're dealing with. That's all."

She nodded and her throat bobbed. "Well, I guess I should just… do it, right?"

"Do you need help."

She did give him a look then. "Uh, no."

He smiled and kissed her, then let her go. She kept reading the box as she walked through the living area and towards the bedroom.

"How long will it take?" he called after her.

"Just a minute or two," she said without looking back.

He wanted to follow her, but knew that would be weird. Should he wait in the bedroom, or the living room? He wanted to see her face as soon as he could—didn't he? But he didn't want to put pressure on her—

His phone buzzed again and he cursed when he saw it was John again—and the phone was locked down. His stomach dropped as he accepted the call. It couldn't be good.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Dane. We're code red. Get your things and get the fuck out of there."

"What? What happened?"

"Harry Quinn is dead."

"WHAT?!"

"It just came over the scanner, an officer down, but they gave his badge number and… fuck, Dane, they're saying it was an accident. No details, I don't know. But he's confirmed deceased."

"No. Fuck!"

"That's not all. Dane are you moving? You need to get moving while I fill you in."

"I'm moving." He was, jogging through the Penthouse to the Fireplace alcove and swinging the door open. "Tell me."

"Charges are no longer pending, they're active. They enacted the search warrants overnight—they just hadn't put anything in the system, like they knew we were watching—and they've added a charge."

"What is it?"

"They know about your dad and they're trying to pin it on you."

Dane swore and stumbled, running across the bridge, but then he remembered. "The file—Chris got them Harry, didn't he? Who would get them now? Shit, they'll bury them won't they. But we can get them to someone else—"

"I have a hard time believing Chris is going to draw a lot of attention to those files, Dane. They finger him for your dad."

"Yes, but—"

"Without Harry, you're up shit creek. You know that. You had motive and opportunity. And you fled. I'm assuming your prints would be all over wherever he was found."

"Shit!" Dane was inside the apartment and running, pulling everything he'd brought and throwing it into the big duffel bag he'd used, including his other gun. He grabbed his phone and shoved it in his back pocket. "Do I ditch the phone Chris gave me? Did they get that number yet?"

"I don't know. The logs are still not updating. It's all very suspicious."

"Well, Chris wouldn't have given them that."

"Your confidence in your brother exceeds mine."

"He's already proved that in a pinch he's got my back, John."

"Has he, though?" John asked quietly.

Dane set his teeth. "Yes, he has. I know you're just looking out for me, but I promise you, John everything that's happened in the last few days only makes me more certain."