Expecting to be pursued, Vail didn’t flinch when Gerald called out the order to stop him. He skirted past the edge of the house with Victoria cradled securely in his arms, moving with haste to get out of the open so the Saints wouldn’t have a clear shot at him if they decided to shoot. His lead wouldn’t last for long though. As soon as the hunters rounded the building, they would be able to start firing their weapons at him. He just hoped they would be cautious enough not to injure the Crest heiress that they would be hesitant to pull the triggers on their guns. He would soon find out just how corrupt the Order had become if someone chose to attack him in spite of the consequences.

Knowing the Saints weren’t far behind, Vail kept his eyes in front of him without looking back. For any human man, the effort of whisking a woman away from a group of seasoned killers would have been nearly impossible. It was not so for his kind, but it was still challenging. He focused carefully to stay balanced while he ran, leery of any misstep that might cause him to fumble and fall. Getting away from the Order mandated perfection, so he couldn’t afford to slow down or relax until their pursuers were well behind them.

As he sprinted between the trees, his mind raced to come up with a place where they could seek safety. There were plenty of taverns and other buildings open, but all public spaces would be monitored by hunters at this hour. If he came bursting in with a half-dead woman in his arms, they would undoubtedly kill him on sight. He considered the brothels, where he and Victoria could hide in solitude, but they too would be under watch. His only hope was that he could outrun the members of the Order long enough to slip into an inn without being seen or… there was also his own family’s manor.

If he brought her back to the Hygrace clan’s property, they would be safe, but there was also no way for him to conceal her from the rest of his family. His father would pick out her unfamiliar scent right away and hound him to find out what was going on. There was no guarantee that the leader of the dynasty would sympathize with them either. If he thought it was too dangerous to harbor the Crest heiress, Vail could do nothing to go against his wishes. In that case, she would be sent away. The only question was whether he would follow.

Risking a peek over his shoulder, he could see that the Saints were still stubbornly giving chase though it didn’t look like they had gained any ground. His superior genetics allowed him to outpace them even with the full weight of a human pressed against his chest. The only thing he couldn’t outrun however, was a bullet, and he was uncomfortably aware of what an obvious target he was to the men who were after him now and any others who might catch sight of him and join the hunt.

He clicked his tongue, disliking the encroaching walls that threatened to corner him. He could finalize his plan along the way. For now, the most important step was getting to the gate, so he could flee the Crest estate and try to lose them in the city.