A car pulled up, screeching to a halt beside them. She exhaled a sigh of relief at the familiar face inside. Luke jumped out.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” He ran toward them, his hand out as if he could stop him from shooting from there. “She’s with us!”
The man lowered his arm and she relaxed. “You can’t bring people in without some warning.”
Luke nodded. “Yeah. I got that.”
Atlas pulled up soon after and the man analyzed the cars then called someone from the warehouse who drove each car into the gated lot. Addison waited, her nerves twisting in her belly. This was the real deal. Nothing like having a gun pointed at your head for it to really sink in.
After the man shook hands pleasantly with Luke and Atlas, he arranged for one of his guys to drive them home. She spent the ride trying to decide what to tell Fox about tonight. Would he know by looking at her that she’d helped? She had a decent poker face but could she lie to him? If he asked her outright, she’d have to tell him the truth. Lying to strangers was one thing but to Fox? She loved him too much for that.
But there was an important part she just had to omit.
“Don’t tell Fox about the whole gun thing,” she said when they’d arrived at the house and exited the car.
Atlas arched a brow. “Do you think I want to be murdered by my own brother?”
Chapter 18
A hissed intake of breath caught his attention, and he forced his eyelids open past the painkiller’s haze. It was bright in the room and airy, but he itched and longed for a shower. From the corner of his vision, he could see Addison sitting on the edge of the bedside chair, her expression pinched.
“Oh!” She popped up onto her feet. “I didn’t mean to wake you. Should I go?”
Addison? He felt like shit. What was she doing here? Not that he was about to complain. He’d driven by her place a couple of times in the days before the job like some sort of pathetic stalker.
Maybe she’d finally decided her law-abiding life was the better path. She’d have been right, if that was the case.
Even so, he wanted to jump out of bed and block her path to the door, but multiple attempts to get out of bed in his weakened state had taught him to be more cautious.
“Wait,” he called, hating how frail he sounded. He groaned inwardly. A display of weakness was hardly going to appeal to a woman like Addison. Dr. Lewis had told him he’d lost a lot of blood, but he hated feeling like this, especially in front of her.
She paused at the door and turned back, concern in her gaze. As soon as he tried to rise she was back at his side.
“Lie down!” She put her hand on his shoulder and pushed him carefully back. His arm hurt like a bitch even through the drugs. The graze on his ribs was nothing compared to his arm.
“Sure, you disappear on me for a week then come back all bossy. I think you’re forgetting that’s supposed to be me, not you.”
She didn’t respond with the attitude he’d expected her to. Her lips were pressed in a solemn line, her spark gone.
“No sassy comeback?” he questioned.
“I don’t think this is funny.”
He felt like he was being scolded by a worried parent.
She gazed down at him, her expression intent. “You scared me.”
Scared? So she still cared about him? Her eyes welled with tears that filled him with hope.
But she needed to steer clear of this life. What if she’d been the one shot instead of him? The thought made him nauseous.
For a moment they just stared at each other in silence, but the thoughts in his head were conflicted and deafening. He wanted to tell her to leave but he also wanted her to refuse. Selfish idiot. She had to go while she still could. Before she died or ended up in prison.
“This isn’t the life I want for you, Addison,” he said finally. “Maybe this is the first time we’ve gotten shot at in the past ten years, but it doesn’t mean it won’t happen again. If it was you? If you got hurt, or worse? What the hell would I do?”
“You don’t think I have those same thoughts about you?” she bit back angrily. Some of her spark was returning. “Our work comes with risks, but so does crossing the street. You’re the one who got shot. Maybe I should be telling you to stop stealing cars!”
He glared at her, but she glared back. Hellion. Just the way he liked her—aside from crushed beneath him and begging to come.