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Audrey stares at me, still looking confused. “I guess it never occurred to me that mercenaries could be daddies.” She snorts. “Which is stupid since Savannah’s pregnant.”
I grin, not even a little bothered by her slightly lacking assessment of my profession. “Mercenaries can be anything they want to be.”
Shifting my arms, I scoop her up and push to my feet, carrying her over to the bed to settle her into the spot she seems to prefer. “It’s actually kind of a cool situation. There’s a whole community in Fairbanks where almost everybody lives, so the kids all get to grow up together.”
I watch them and wonder what it might have been like to grow up around people who understood me. If it would have changed anything. Or if I eventually would have become the same—occasionally awkward—man I am now.
Audrey’s smile is warm as she slides under the blankets. “That does sound really nice.” She situates her head on the pillow as I climb in next to her. “It would be really nice to have so many other people around. Especially if everybody gets along.”
“For the most part everybody gets along.” I scoot in close. “Zeke does get a little pissed when I sneak into his house and eat all the cookies Savannah makes for him.”
“Maybe your parents and siblings don’t get you, but it sounds like you were able to find an extended family who does.” Audrey reaches up to smooth back a little of my hair. “That makes me really happy for you.”
My eyes almost slip shut as her nails gently scrape across my scalp. I love having my head scratched. All my muscles instantly turn to liquid, along with my brain, which is why I say, “They would all love you.”
“Actually,” she uses her free hand to grab my phone from the nightstand. “I got a friend request from someone I think you might know.” She swipes across the screen, pulling up the Instagram app. Sure enough, Heidi has requested to follow her. She chews her lower lip. “I didn’t accept it, because I didn’t know if it would mess anything up.”
“Is your account private?”
She nods. “People can find me and see my profile picture, but they can’t see who I follow or who follows me.”
“Heidi’s also a super skilled hacker, so if it was an issue, I don’t think she would have sent the request.”
My eyelids are getting heavy as Audrey continues sliding her fingers along my scalp.
But then they suddenly go still.
My lids are heavy when I look her way, but the look on her face has me wide awake. “What’s wrong?”
She’s still looking through Instagram, but now she has her messages open. “I got a message from a woman who said she knows someone connected with Trevor.” Audrey starts breathing faster, her expression pinched with shock. “She says she tried reporting him to the police, and no one did anything.” Again, she flips the screen my way. “She’s worried he might try to shut her up.”
I scan the lengthy message that confirms our suspicions. Sitting up, I gently take the phone from her hand. “It sounds like we’re going to need to get in touch with Becca.”
FOURTEEN
AUDREY
“I FEEL RIDICULOUS.” I’ve done the best I can with my hair under the circumstances, but even if it looked perfect—which it doesn’t—it still wouldn’t negate the fact that I’m about to go meet someone very important wearing day-old pajamas, a random pair of sneakers, and no bra.
“Luca will pick up your order as soon as the store opens, so you’ll be able to change as soon as we get back.” Maddox gives me a grin, his blue eyes looking me over where I sit in the passenger seat of the car Luca and Owen were finally able to retrieve from my neighborhood late last night. “And I think you look cute. “
I roll my eyes because he’s as ridiculous as my outfit. “You only think I look cute because you like me.”
The smile slips from Maddox’s lips. “You’re right. I do like you.” He shakes his head. “But that’s not the only reason I think you look cute.”
There’s an intensity in the way he’s staring at me now, and I’m not quite sure how to take it.
We’ve been thrown together in highly unusual and stressful circumstances. Of course we’re not going to act like our normal selves. I’m sure when this is all over Maddox will realize I’m just a boring little clothing store manager with so much baggage I should have my own luggage cart. And then he’ll move on.
And that’s okay. I want him to be happy. I want him to be surrounded by his chosen family so he feels accepted and understood.
Maybe I can figure out a way to do the same thing once I don’t have the dark and stormy cloud that is Trevor hanging over me. Making sure I’m too scared to get close to anyone.
“Have you figured out whether or not you know this woman Becca?” Maddox asks, redirecting both the conversation and my thoughts.
“She doesn’t have any pictures of herself on her Instagram, so without seeing her, I don’t know for sure.” All I have is a first name and her claim that she knows what Trevor and his associates are doing. “I can’t think of any Beccas, but I’m not the best with names.”
Maddox takes a deep breath, his hands tightening on the wheel as we make our way into Memphis. “I don’t know whether to hope she really has information, or hope she doesn’t.”