Page 238 of Unexpected Heroine

Of course, she doesn’t let it go. That would be better than I deserve.

Instead, she squeezes my shoulder. Just that tiny touch. A pinch of comfort from a friend and the feelings I’ve been trying to cage all night long threaten to burst free. I press my eyes closed in a hard line and do my best to force it all away.

All my regret.

All my sadness.

My fear and crippling self-doubt.

I stow it back in the old box in the depths of my psyche. If only I could keep it locked there forever. Thanks to Lettie’s love for me, burying my emotions isn’t as easy as it once was. Well, the love she used to have for me.

Only you could fuck up something that special, boy.

Mia leans close, her breath fanning over my shoulder. “Did you ever tell her about... you know?”

Inhaling briskly, I nod slowly and thrust open my eyes. “That’s what sent her packing.”

Mia rambles through some platitudes that I don’t much care to hear. Something about telling me to be patient and shit like that.

Even if I had the patience of Gandhi, I wouldn’t be able to wait out Lettie.

She said it herself the day she left me—my deceit was unforgivable.

While I’m sure she has a long way to go to heal, she’s already strong enough to know she doesn’t need me.

On my mental to-do list, I add removing all my remote surveillance shit from her phone. She doesn’t need me looking after her anymore. Hell, she probably never did.

Done being coddled, I shrug Mia’s hand off my shoulder, where it remained while she droned on. “Nah. It’s over, but that’s for the best. She’s safer without me. And it wasn’t serious anyhow.”

Only the last one is a lie.

Aaron comes in a few seconds later, tipping his head at me as he takes his seat a few spots down. The group begins chattering, thankfully leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I close my eyes, tune out the rest of the room, and attempt to clear my mind.

A few minutes later, the conference door slings open, and in come Sue, Lionheart, and Sawyer. Boss trails them, closing the door behind him. The room goes deadly silent as everyone adjusts to the vibe shift.

Even I notice the mood change. And that’s saying something since I normally can’t read a room with a map, a flashlight, and bifocals.

Big Al stands at the end of the table, his hands gripping his chair’s back. “Thanks for waiting, everyone.” After a beat, he inhales and settles his hands on his hips. “I’m sure you’re all wondering what’s up with the extra security downstairs and the increased safety protocol. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but we’ve got to be vigilant as fuck until further notice.”

Silence settles, tension crackling.

I keep my gaze trained on Boss, observing his bloodshot eyes and unkempt appearance. Throughout the night, I never noticed how utterly frazzled he looked. It’s unlike him to address his staff while in physical disarray.

He loves Madeline and Redleg. Knowing both are in grave danger has hit him hard.

A gnawing sensation under the top of my rib cage expands, quickly growing more incessant. With an open palm, I make a futile attempt to rub it away.

No longer beating around the bush, Big Al announces, “Lenkov is out for Redleg blood.”

His words detonate like a bomb.

Klein is the first to speak after an uncomfortable stretch of silence. “What happened, Boss?”

The veins in Big Al’s neck bulge and contract. “An attempt was made on my life last night. In the process, Madeline Mason, Leo’s mother,” he swallows, “Madeline was shot.”

As expected, rumbles and gasps echo around the room.

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