Page 48 of Blood Money

“Maybe.”

Slowly but surely, the full impact of Gray’s words seeped in. Two men tried to hurt her and Nicky.

Now they might be dead.

Chapter Twelve

As soon as Gray felt it was safe, they stopped at a rest area on the New York State Thruway.

Alex buckled Nicky into the brand-new child seat Gray had purchased yesterday morning. With Alex sitting beside him in the front passenger seat, he took his first easy breath all day.

They were safe. For now. Shit, but he’d almost lost them. The thought had him gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white.

His mind sped to that dark, dark place, so many years ago in Afghanistan. He’d never expected to ever feel that same helplessness again. The same depth and intensity of anger.

He felt it now.

When Alex’s text message had come through on his cell phone, all he could think of was getting to her no matter the cost. And when he’d seen those two goons following her, he’d been ready to take out some major Pyramid ass.

“Thank you for the car seat.” Alex’s voice brought him back to the here and now. “I never thought to bring that up.”

“I didn’t, either.” He glanced into the backseat where Nicky was fast asleep. “Cassie suggested it. Two months pregnant and she’s already in all-out maternal mode. She thought you might not have one since you live in the city without a car.”

“It was very thoughtful of her.” Alex smiled. “As soon as I found out I was pregnant everything I did and all I ever thought about was my unborn child.”

Gray imagined Alex’s belly swollen and pregnant with his child. His child? The unexpected thought had him nearly driving into the guardrail. He swerved back into the center of the lane.

Where the hell did that come from? And what’s with this crazy-ass protective urge to kill for her?

Was it basic cop instinct, or something else? Damn but his feelings for her wouldn’t go away.

Focus, Yates.

Now was not the time to lose professional perspective.

He looked at Alex. “Tell me exactly what happened from the moment you left your apartment this morning, and don’t leave anything out.”

“We were being followed even before we went down the stairs to the subway platform,” she said in a shaky voice. “I wasn’t sure at first, but there was something about those men. The one wearing a woolen cap seemed oddly focused on us.”

“Your instincts were right.” When he glanced at her, she licked her lips, reminding him how sweet they tasted. How lush and warm and wet they’d been when he’d kissed her so thoroughly less than six hours ago.

“They were walking together,” Alex continued in a trembling voice, “but when I noticed them again, they were coming from different directions on the subway car. It was like they were cornering us. Then they moved in closer. When Nicky and I were standing at the subway door, they came up behind us.”

“They’re gone.” Gray glanced at her, taking in her tightly clasped hands. He touched her cheek with his fingers. Her skin was soft, smooth, and warm. “I won’t let them hurt you.” Worried blue eyes met his, and his chest tightened. He jerked his hand away. “What happened next?”

She took a shuddering breath. “The man with the woolen cap whispered in my ear.”

“What did he say?”

“I remember exactly what he said. I’ll never forget it.” Again her voice trembled, but this time with anger. “He said to go with them and not to make a scene.”

Gray raised his brows. “Did you say anything back to him?”

“I said not to touch me, and not to touch my son. He told me that if I valued my son’s life, to do as he said.”

Gray sensed there was more to the conversation. “What did you say next?”

Alex jutted her chin. “I told him to fuck off.”