She smiled softly as a tear worked its way down her flushed cheek. “You look pretty good for a dead man yourself.”
I snickered. “You seem to be taking that news better than I figured you would.”
She shrugged. “I guess part of me never wanted to believe you were dead.”
Her eyes softened and, for just a moment, I thought she was going to kiss me. Her eyes darted to my lips and my stomach knotted tightly with my soul. My hand moved to her cheek, cupping it softly the way I did all those years ago.
Then, her eyes hardened. “What the hell are you doing here?”
She shoved me with a force that surprised even myself, and had I not caught myself I would’ve fallen right against the door of the janitorial closet.
“Lexi, I can explain.”
She snickered. “You better fucking start talking before I drag your ass out of here with my own two hands. I thought you were dead, for crying out loud!”
I rushed her and placed my finger to her lips. “We have to keep it down.”
She smacked her hand away from my face. “I’m not your sweet little girl anymore, Dean. Don’t fuck with me. Answer my questions or get the hell out of my face. You stopped talking to me all those years ago and I seriously thought you were dead!”
I chuckled. “It’s not like you tried reaching out to me after everything happened.”
“Well, I took a job here and moved after you fell off the face of the fucking earth. That’s what happened. I had no way to fend for myself. I had no money. I had no hope, Dean!”
She folded her arms over her chest, obviously waiting for my own response. But I stayed silent.
And for her own good, I didn’t talk about it. “Look, this isn’t the place to get into all of this right now, but I’m just glad you’re safe,” I said.
“And why did you think I wouldn't be okay? Because I don’t have you as my bodyguard all the damn time?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s because the man that practically choked you out is the man, I also just got into a shootout with earlier this evening.”
Anger flooded her face. “You’re the reason why these men are in the hospital right now?”
And when I didn’t answer, she shoved past me. “Fuck you and your bullshit, Dean. You were never good for me, and you never will be.”
I grabbed her wrist just before she threw the door open, and electricity sizzled up my arm. It stood every hair on the nape of my neck on end, and I watched as goosebumps fled across her skin. I knew she felt it. I knew it wasn’t just me. But she quickly pulled her wrist from my hand and hissed at me.
“Touch me again and be prepared to lose your fucking hand.”
I sighed. “Can you just tell me what the hell happened outside?”
“Why? So, you can go stalk the man and kill him for touching your woman? Is that it?”
I narrowed my eyes. “These men aren’t to be fucked with, Lexi. They could seriously hurt you.”
“Like you’ve hurt me?”
Her words broke my heart. “Lexi, I’m just--.”
She opened the door. “Why don’t you go ask your buddy, since you guys are so close that you’re exchanging bullets? You clearly know him.”
“Those guys sure as hell are not my buddies.”
She stepped out into the hallway and held her arms open. “Could’ve fooled me, Lazarus.”
I rushed after her as she walked down the hallway. “Will you just hold on for a second?”
She whipped around and lowered her voice. “What? What the hell could you still possibly want?”
