ALEX
Alex sucked in a deep breath as he stared at the closed door, wondering if he should go after her. He hated that she was doing this alone. Maybe he should have driven her to the airstrip, but Ava was fiercely independent. She would have insisted on going alone.
But he’d seen the worry in her eyes when she’d made the decision to comply with DHS. Despite the desire to continue their unconventional work against The Board, the latest interactions had taken their toll. From his kidnapping to the attack she’d lived through with Raven, things were getting worse. The strain was evident in every line of her face.
He knew she could handle herself, but he hated that she had to. Now that they’d taken their marriage from fake to real, the thought of being apart was unbearable.
Their fake marriage had stretched for years, but he worried their real one would be cut short.
He reached into his pocket, removing the velvet box thathe’d wanted to give her when he took her to the secret location he’d planned before all hell broke loose.
They hadn’t made it yet.
Why had he wasted so much time telling her? They could have had an established relationship by now instead of a budding one. Then, maybe he wouldn’t have felt so horrible with her leaving.
He shook his head. Who was he kidding?
Even when she wasn’t his, he’d hated to see her go. After he’d built this house, he’d flown her out here to see it, showing her the suite he’d built for her. He’d wanted to tell her then, but he didn’t.
He’d kept quiet, hoping she’d just end up staying and it would naturally come out. Neither had happened, and he’d collapsed on his couch after she’d left, a frown etched into his features.
He felt no different now, except the stakes were even higher.
A hand clamped onto his shoulder and gave him a gentle shake. “Let’s head into the living room, Mav.”
Alex slid his eyes sideways toward Kyle, a weak smile crossing his face. He wanted to be as far away from everyone as possible. When stressed, Alex preferred to crawl under a rock, game, and shut out the world.
But maybe that wasn’t the best idea.
Sierra stomped her way into the foyer, her eyes wide. “Hey, Brainy, he’s right. Kyle keeps telling us he’s been some sort of hero in all of this and we need confirmation of the veracity of his storyoryou to tell us he’s a big fat liar.”
Alex fluttered his eyelashes at the forward woman’s demand. “Uhhh, sure. Although, Doc’s pretty awesome, so he probably told you the truth.”
Kyle grinned at him as he guided Alex to the living room to join Grant and Julia.
Julia offered Alex a consoling smile. “How are you holding up?”
Alex slumped onto the couch with a sigh. “I’d rather Ava be here, but…I think this is the right move.”
Julia nodded. “I’m sure DHS handling this is best. It’s been a scary few days since we’ve been here, and I can’t imagine how it’s been for you two who have been living this longer than us.”
Julia clicked her tongue, her features morphing into a surprised expression. “Heck, I can’t believe Ava let you go to New Orleans to help us when she did. I couldn’t have handled everything on my own like that.”
“But we’re really glad you came to help us,” Grant said. “Without you…we may still be stuck fighting Lydia…or worse…we may have lost.”
“Grant’s right. We can’t thank you enough,” Julia said. “We only wish we could have done more for you now.”
Alex offered her a slight smile, his mind focused on Ava not the conversation at hand. “Sunshine, you’ve done so much. Your support was enough.”
“Plus, Ididdo a lot more,” Kyle answered, his chin raised. “Like I said…I was a veritable superhero.”
“Yeah, we’re still waiting on confirmation of your so-called superhero actions,Kyle,” Sierra said, crossing her arms as she slumped into a chair.
Kyle rolled his eyes. “Mav, you want to tell her how awesome I am?”
“Why do you call him that?” Sierra asked.
“Mav?” Kyle said.
