Paragon - Chapter 49: Chapter 49

She had told me that if we started running we would never stop. Yet here we were.
Two duffels filled with Quinn's clothes and cash. I didn't even have the time to retrieve weapons from my flat, it would be down to our will and wit alone from this point on.
But we were out of time now. I was expected to be there–stationed at a prison ready to fulfil my role tonight.
I felt her hand on my forearm and I met her serious expression.
"I like the uniform."
I sighed gustily with a half glare and smirk.
"We need to go. They will already know I'm not where I should be."
She hefted a bag onto her back and I swiftly plucked it off her shoulder along with the other while she protested. "Say goodbye to your phone and cards, Adams. We're off the grid now." I stated grimly, heading for the door.
She paused behind me. I heard her steps move quickly.
I had the door open and was already moving to the black cab waiting outside her house with classic mortal impatience. I'd have to get used to life without Paragon's luxury now–as long as Quinn was beside me I could.
I slipped him a twenty to keep the car running and this coaxed a smile from him and a nod.
I took the stairs quickly and searched for her. I found her scanning those picture frames and my heart tore. It was so easy to uproot my own life with no family to weigh down on me. All of my sentimental items were just that... I could leave them behind.
"Quinn..."
"It's fine–I'm fine–" She wiped her face quickly and made to move around me quickly. I stopped her with an arm around her waist and turned her to me. Her eyes betrayed her. I caught a stray tear with my thumb and tucked it under her chin. "You should take something. I can't guarantee my vault will not be compromised." I said softly.
She took a steadying breath and cleared her throat. "No, Fletcher. I think it's time we left."
She ducked under my arm before I could find the words and made her way out the door. I stared at that picture in the centre of her mantle. Her adopted parents smiled back proudly.
When I shut the ornate door it felt heavier than the first time.
Quinn didn't look back. She stared out the other side of the cab window with a determined expression. I passed the airport onto the driver and slipped in beside her. The warmth was instant as was the promise of her scent.
Our journey took longer than I liked. Each minute reminded me that Paragon were becoming more aware of my decision. My phone would have been ringing. Messages unanswered. Rogue immortal. Her hand in mine was the only thing keeping me in this reality. A duffel full of concealed cash and documents we'd burn after our flight was hardly news to me... But I kept thinking of how insane it must have been for her.
"You okay out front?" The driver blurted through the intercom ripping me from the thoughts.
"Perfectly." I returned, slipping cash through the window. He nodded and unlocked the doors.
I helped Quinn out in her classically unpractical shoes. Even if we were running for our lives she would do it in style...
"What are you smirking at?" She quipped, trying to grab the bags from the boot again.
I ignored her struggle and took them both easily over one shoulder. I briefly met her eyes before waving the cab driver off. Instead of answering her I bent forward and kissed her. A breath left her unexpectedly before I drew back just as quickly and nodded ahead of us.
"Let's not miss our flight, Adams."
"Lead on immortal."
My glare over my shoulder was met by innocence. Even at this time of night the airport was bustling with travellers and suitcases. The interior brightly lit so you would hardly know the timezone at all.
My body relaxed. If there was one thing immortals avoided–it was a public incident. No matter how desperate they were, they wouldn't make their move here. That did not mean it was beyond them. I kept Quinn close. She sensed my unease and my critical scan of every mortal around us.
"Our passports?"
"They're good. But they won't be beyond tonight."
"Our flight is out in an hour–it's the closest I could get."
"That's perfect."
I pulled Quinn's waist against me when a rowdy group of drinkers got too close. Her heartbeat skipped a moment before she relaxed against me.
"There's a lounge for business, I couldn't do this without a decent drink." She muttered, glancing at the side of my face with knowing look.
"It seems like you turn to gin around me a lot." I noted fighting a smile.
Quinn ignored me and dumped her jacket and few personal items through security. We cleared it quickly and I remembered my weapons would never make it either way. Good thing I was a weapon. People filed around us obliviously keen for their getaways.
Quinn leant against a wall waiting for me on the other side with a sly look.
"Oh, I think I'll need to pat you down for security reasons."
"I don't think I'd object." I quipped, pulling our bags onto my shoulder and casually placing my other arm around her own shoulders. She giggled like anything about this was remotely normal. God she loves me more than I deserve.
We found the executive lounge easily enough. I had to give it to the mortals, they knew how to take care of their frequent flyers. Quinn paced ahead while I presented our passports and tickets to a finely dressed mortal. His smile was as sharp as his suit.
"Do enjoy your trip, Ms Demarcus."
That would be the last time this passport was used. As would it be Quinn's.
They knew we were here now. They knew on which flight. I glanced at my watch. 45 minutes to departure. Less that fifteen to start boarding the plane. Then we could disappear with the currency in that bag and the massive landscape of South America.
I found her by the tall, wide glass overlooking the planes in the night. Flashing red and green stars before they vanished on high to different places around the world. There was something very beautiful about airports–only it couldn't quite reach this mortal.
She turned the glass in her hand slowly as I took a plush seat beside her.
"So we made it."
"Don't relax yet. They know I am rogue. It's all part of the hunt now."
She eyed me sidelong with a look more calm than she had any right to.
"It's either the staggering amount of time I spent dealing with threatening people or the staggering amount of time I spent thinking about a certain immortal that has me over this already..."
I almost choked on a drink I didn't have.
"I'm definitely not over being hunted by ancient assassins." I grit out low, eyeing a business man growling down the phone a few metres away. "Neither should you, mortal."
She smiled and set her glass down.
"We can disappear. They have never had to track two women like us."
I stared at her for a moment. No they have never had the privilege of meeting Quinn Adams. Nor the motivation of an immortal so totally lost in love to fight. I broke her gaze and tracked a plane moving down the runway. My thumb skimmed her knuckles and her eyes dropped to our hands.
"I can't believe I've left you speechless."
My lips smirked in the irony.
"You leave me in many things."
"Yes you are so flawlessly confident to everyone but me..." She drawled, enjoying it too much, "You can't even lie to me, Fletcher."
My eyes landed on her in accusation. "But you can to me."
"I've never needed to." She answered simply.
I sighed and took the gin from her hand before taking a small sip and letting the taste linger in my mouth. She raised an eyebrow in shock before I set it down.
"I didn't know you..."
"Could still enjoy things?" I uttered.
"I'm sorry–I didn't mean–"
"Quinn." She paused.
"I'm joking." I deadpanned, holding my expression. She shoved me playfully and took her drink back to take her own sip. My eyes lingered on the place her lips took and the way they curved at my attention.
"Even in that bar I knew you liked it."
"I still can't figure out how." I retorted, leaning back in my seat and leaving my arm across the back of hers. She decided on settling on my side and leaving her head against my shoulder.
"When we met in your station. You had that same sense of dry humour. That only goes with dry gin." She snorted. I grinned.
"Oh, I do love your observation skills, lawyer."
Her fingers went around my wrist and drew my watch up to our eyes. "Yes there are things I love about me too–being on time is one of them."
I sighed and nodded. But there was one thing she needed before then.
"You forgot something by the way." I noted casually, pulling the picture from the duffel and setting it into her hands. A small breath drew in a moment while she stared at the picture she thought she would leave in that moment for good. Of her adopted parents proudly looking on and a woman with a law degree. One I had freed from the frame and tucked away.
She shut her eyes and folded it carefully into her pocket.
"Sometimes Fletcher..." She sighed and kissed my lips. "You know just what to do."
I was stunned in place a moment before I watched her rise out the seat and pull my hand along with her.
"Let's get the hell out of here before some cold blooded old men have a different say." I stated.
She chuckled in response and sank the rest of her drink before leading us back through the shining floors.
I watched her take in the flights moving in the night once more before trailing close behind her. A dark guardian once again watching my ever fragile, independent and hot blooded mortal waltz through the airport like elite immortals were not even worth a second thought.
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