Page 37 of Unraveled Love

No shit. That I’d already figured out.

I scrubbed my hand through my hair and groaned. This was all suspicion. We needed hard facts. “I’m not even sure what you want me to do with this.”

“Nothing more than you’re already doing. Keep your eyes on Addi at all times and a hand close to your gun. I’ll call Jaxon in and give him this new information.”

“Of course. But that means bringing Addi, and right now, I don’t want to risk her being seen at all. Where’s Banks located anyway?”

“They both reside in New Hanover county. It’s out at the coast in Wilmington. So at least he’s not a local guy.”

That helped. Some. “Any chance we can get together tonight? I don’t want to leave Addi alone, but I feel like we need to put our heads together on this new trail. When you talk to Jaxon, will you see if we can meet here?”

“I can do that. Count him in. I’ll bring in Briggs, too. He’s pretty good with technology and hacking, not as good as me, but he’ll do in a pinch.”

This girl. She was a damn firecracker. “Thanks for bringing the second string. I appreciate it.”

She laughed at my sarcasm. “We’re all the best—I’m just better. But you know that. Cort is still outside, right?”

“Right.” There was always at least one man guarding the place, even if we rarely saw them. They never came in but I saw their shifts change, and they’d knock on the door. Cort had stayed with us after we got back from the gun range.

“Okay. I’m calling everyone now. See you later.”

I dropped my head into my hands and rested my elbows on the kitchen counter.Shit.All of this kept getting uglier and uglier, spinning itself in so many directions I was sure we were all about to get sucked up into a cyclone and thrown every which way before this was over.

As long as Addi stayed safe, that was all that mattered.

But that meant I now had plans to make, and I had the perfect way for Addi to not only stay safe while I was gone, but protected, too.

* * *

I letAddi nap for an hour, ordered more food for dinner even though I figured once we talked she wouldn’t have much of an appetite, and then ducked outside and found Cort hanging out on the front porch, one ankle braced over his other knee and his phone in his hands. He looked relaxed, like he was outside enjoying the spring weather, but anyone who knew Cort knew he was observing every single movement and shadow and noise. After I filled him in on what was happening, I headed toward my room.

Addi looked so peaceful in bed, still sleeping the way she’d been when I held her in my arms, her cheek resting on my pillow where I left her. I faltered for a moment. She needed sleep after so many nights of screaming. I could do this without her. I could take care of her.

Ha.She’d probably have my balls in her hands in an entirely unpleasant way if I didn’t keep her fully informed.

Besides, she’d proven she could do this. She wanted to know everything.

Before everything went to hell in a handbasket, as my mom always said, I headed to the closet and tugged on new clothes. It’d be a late night, I had no doubt, so I grabbed athletic pants and a long-sleeve athletic top with a small zipper at the throat.

Dressed, I used the bathroom, splashed water on my face, and brushed my teeth before heading back to my bed to ruin the rest of Addi’s night.

I took a seat at the edge of the mattress and brushed hair off her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. She looked so peaceful, but so fierce, all that dark red hair splayed out on my gray sheets. Her soft features were such a contrast to the stress she’d worn for so long and the fear that had enveloped her over the last week.

God, I wanted to make it so she looked this peaceful even while she was awake.

Soon.

I leaned down and kissed her cheek, brushing my lips over the line of her jaw and over toward her lips, where I kissed her with a whisper of a touch.

She whimpered against my lips and her eyes twitched but didn’t open. I flinched when the hand at her side settled at my bicep. Without opening her eyes, she said with a dry, scratchy throat, “No more. I’m sore and well used.”

I huffed a laugh. “You need to wake up, honey. I’ve got news and we need to talk.”

That did it.

Her sleep vanished and her eyes opened with a flash. “What is it?”

“Take your time and get dressed. I’ll have wine ready for you when you get downstairs.”

---