Chace reaches it first, scanning the lot before opening the rear door. He holds it there for us without a word.
Bootsteps echo across the concrete before I can guide Sera inside.
I recognize the cadence before I see the man.
Captain Dune emerges from the shadow of a support column, his uniform crisp, his expression steady.
“I’m glad to see you both together and in one piece,” he says, and there is something beneath the professionalism in his tone—something personal.
I extend my hand. His grip is firm, unhesitating.
“Thank you,” I reply, and the gratitude is not hollow.
His attention shifts to Sera, and I see the regret flicker briefly across his features.
“I apologize for not getting to you sooner, Mrs. Baker.”
Sera glances at me, confusion softening her expression as she tries to place him in the blur of that night.
“I’ve come to take the dogs back to your home,” he continues. “Get them settled somewhere familiar.”
He gives a low whistle. Klause responds immediately, Artemis following without hesitation.
Watching them move toward him, disciplined and obedient, eases something in Sera’s expression.
I hadn’t realized how much comfort their presence provided her until I see that small change.
Shit, should I ask them to stay with us?
We are in Vegas and you are still a little fucked up—getting them back to LA isn’t a terrible idea…
Hah. Fuck you, guidance counselor. I do have a voice of reason after all.
Dune gives me one last look—one that carries more weight than words—before turning and calling the dogs to heel. Within moments, they disappear into the dim stretch of the garage.
Why do I want to fucking cry? It’s not goodbye forever.
Stupid fucking super-soldier woofers.
“Come on,” I say to Sera, trying to reassure her with a smile that wavers.
I guide her into the SUV, my hand firm at her waist, and slide in beside her.
“Why did Captain Dune take Artemis and Klause?” she asks.
“I can honestly tell you, I don’t really know… but I do know that Chace has us going to a different venue in Vegas. Maybe they have a no-superdog rule? Scared they’re going to hunt downand eat a bus full of tourists. Well… Klause, anyway, because he is not right in the head.”
She chuckles, and it fills me with renewed warmth.
“Klause is a darling.”
“He’s a darling that I find stares at my balls a little too much.”
There it is again—an amused sigh as she leans into me, the slight pressure niggling my former puncture wound.
The door shuts with a solid thud as Chace closes it, sealing us inside. Niko takes the front passenger seat, and in the side mirror I watch the second vehicle adjust into position behind us as the remaining men redistribute.
Engines shift. Tires roll. We pull out smoothly.
