CHAPTER 5
"Patient is thirty-five weeks pregnant, experiencing active stress-induced contractions!" the lead doctor announced, placing a portable fetal monitor onto her bare stomach.
The rhythmic, rapid beating of their unborn baby's heart filled the quiet interior of the vehicle, loud, strong, and surprisingly steady.
Nathan climbed into the transport behind her, sliding the heavy reinforced door shut as three armored Escalades surrounded their vehicle.
The convoy accelerated rapidly, tearing out of the diner parking lot and speeding down the dark, rainy stretch of Interstate 80.
Through the rear bulletproof glass, Emma watched as the Moonlight Junction Diner burst into bright, orange flames against the desert night sky.
"My life..." Emma whispered, tears pouring down her face beneath the plastic oxygen mask. "Everything I built for nine months is gone."
Nathan sat down on the bench beside her, taking her small, cold hand into his warm, firm grip without saying a word.
"You built a hiding spot, Emma," Nathan said softly, his thumbs gently wiping away the tears streaming down her dusty cheeks. "Now I am building you a home where no one can ever touch you again."
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"I don't want a fortress, Nathan," she wept, looking into the eyes of the most dangerous man in the American underground. "I just wanted to be normal."
"You were never normal, my love," Nathan murmured, leaning down to press his lips against her damp forehead. "You were always mine."
