Dane

Dane was still at the office after nine. Every time he thought he had just one more detail to sort out, it led to two more. And his tension was rising. He'd had a feeling all afternoon. So when his phone dinged at 9:16pm with a text from Harry Quinn, adrenalin shot through him like lightning.

​​

WE ARE GO FOR LAUNCH.

Dane blew out a heavy breath. He didn't know whether to cheer, or weep.

He replied with shaking thumbs. WHEN?

WHENEVER YOU CAN GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.

Dane's breath sped up. He'd been thinking he had two days for prep, then probably more with Harry for planning. But if they were ready to move…

GIVE ME TOMORROW. MAYBE THE NEXT DAY. I'LL CALL YOU WHEN I HAVE THE DETAILS LINED UP. SPEAK TO NO ONE.

Harry sent back a thumbs up sign and Dane sucked in a breath. It was happening. It was really happening.

Holy Shit, he was going after his father.

With trembling hands, he tapped the screen on his phone, flipping out of the conversation with Harry and into his thread with John.

WE NEED TO MEET RIGHT NOW. I'M COMING TO YOU.

Then, without waiting for a reply, he slammed his laptop shut with a click, threw it in the briefcase, and grabbed his jacket as he darted out of the room, punching the call for the priority driver as he jogged down the hall.

His stomach trilled with nerves. He was going to do this. He was really going to do this. Holy fucking shit.

A piece of him was ecstatic to finally stop running and hiding, to face this monster head on. But the other side of him… the side that remembered his childhood, and Talia… that side was sick with a sense of impending doom that threatened to bring up the dinner of coffee and Doritos he'd thrown down two hours earlier.

He hit the button on the elevator, but it wasn't there and he was to nervous to wait. Stalking to the stairwell door, he shoved it open and started down.

He was going to do this, and it was going to end one of two ways. Either he and Lila would finally be freed from his father, or one of them would be the target of his father's revenge.

Okay, God, he thought to himself as he took the stairs down to the car park two steps at a time. Right about now is when you can decide she's worth a miracle. I know I don't deserve her, but you obviously like her, so… keep her safe. Please.

Hopping with nerves, Dane stalked into the carpark just as the car rolled up to the curb. He yanked the car door open and slid inside. Yosif smiled at him in the rearview.

"You're still on?" he asked, surprised.

"Double shift today. It's okay, boss. I got you."

Dane nodded. "We're going to see John. The usual place."

"Yes, sir!"

As they rolled through the building parking levels then out onto the street, Dane found his mind spinning around Lila, wondering what she was doing. He had a flash in his mind of her that afternoon, arched back in his lap, her mouth open and he had to shift in his seat.

He bit his lip, his fingers tapping a nervous rhythm on his thigh.

They didn't know what was going to happen over the next couple of days. And much as he didn't want to think about it that way, was it possible he'd seen her for the last time?

Her tears when he'd left made him feel like that.

Swallowing hard, he cleared his throat. "Wait, Yosif, I do want to make one stop before we head to John's…"

*****

Lila

She felt like she was going to jump out of her own skin.

After Dane had left, she'd laid on the couch and just cried for a while. She couldn't explain why she was so certain it was the last time she'd see him, but some sick sense of dread wouldn't let her breathe.

By the time she'd come up for air, her nose was plugged, and her eyes swollen. She'd taken a shower and tried to clean up, but in the end she just couldn't relax. She put away the groceries Dane had brought, almost crying again when she saw her favorite coffee brand on the grounds. How had he even known?

When that short task was done, she'd turned a circle in the kitchen, cursed herself for being a pathetic loser, and forced herself to turn on the television. There wouldn't be news of Dane yet, of course. But she'd try and find a sappy movie, or something.

She'd flipped through countless channels and streaming services, but couldn't find anything that could hold her attention.

She'd thought she'd never sleep again, but at some point her eyes had drooped…

When the quiet knock came on the door, it was like a starter's gun going off in her ear. She leapt off the couch with a gasp and ran for the door. If he was here, that was good right? Nothing bad had happened.

Heart pounding in her ears, she ran across the floor in Dane's too-big socks and slammed herself up against the door to look through the peephole. Sure enough, it was Dane—standing too close to the door, and peering down at the peephole. He looked like he'd aged ten years in the few hours they'd been apart, but she swallowed a little sob as she unlocked all the doors and threw it open.

"What happened? Did you—"

She threw the door wide, beaming at him, but froze as he turned—his face too lined, his hair too light at the temples—and slapped a hand on the door. Lila blinked and took a step back.

"Hello, Mrs. Daniels." Even his voice was almost the same. "My name is Douglas Daniels. I'm your father-in-law."

Lila sucked in a breath to scream, but his hand shot out, lightning fast.

*****

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