A sliver of pain flittered across her partner’s face, but he stayed on course. “Did you see his reaction when you described Shaeffer’s murder? He knew exactly what you were talking about.”
She sighed. “Yeah. I saw it.” Mac would never understand how someone as nice as Henry Doyle could be mixed up with the mob.
“I don’t get it.” Coop looked down at her.
“What?”
“Doyle makes a living keeping guys like your uncle on the streets. How can you sit there and be all buddy-buddy with him like that?”
“I know it doesn’t make sense to you, but what I said about him was the truth. My uncle always seemed to, I don’t know, look past me when I was around. But Henrysawme. He always took the time to ask how I was, and not in the dismissive way most people do when they ask that question. He’d bring me a surprise, nothing big or fancy. A candy bar or something. But Henry acted like he actually cared. No one else around me during that time ever did.”
“Mac.” Coop raised a hand as though to pull her to him but she stepped back, out of his reach.
“I didn’t tell you that so you could feel sorry for me.”
His dark brows turned inward. “I don’t feel sorry for you. At least not the way you’re taking it.”
Mac grabbed her purse from the back of her chair and started in the direction where she and Coop parked.
“This is another reason why I never wanted you or anyone else on the team to know about me. Not any of it. The last thing I want is for you to look at me with freaking pity.”
Not him. Never him.
“Whoa, why are you getting so upset?” Coop and Trevor both caught up with her in two long strides. “I mean, yeah, I feel bad for what you went through when you were a kid, so what? That shit was rough, Mac. No one should have to go through what you did. Especially at sixteen.”
“Well, I did. And I survived quite well, thank you very much.”
“Stop.” Coop spun so his body was in front of hers. “Just…stop. I don’t pity you, okay? And I’m sure as hell not attacking you, so will you please take a fucking breath?”
“He’s right, Mac,” Trevor threw in his two cents. “You should listen to him.”
She looked up at him and realized he was telling the truth. There was no pity there. Only concern and another emotion she refused to acknowledge.
It couldn’t be love. She didn’t deserve it. Not from Coop. Not from anyone. Even so, she needed to apologize for being such a bitch.
“You’re right.” She puffed out a breath. “This whole situation, being back here…it’s messing with my head.” Though she was talking to both men, she couldn’t seem to look away from Coop. “You’re trying to help, and I appreciate it. I shouldn’t be taking my frustrations out on you guys. I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right, Mac.” Trevor spoke up from beside her. “We all have our own personal demons. Some of us have been lucky enough to have already taken them down, that’s all. But try to remember, none of us did it on our own.”
Mac shifted her gaze to the other man. She knew exactly what he was referring to. Not so long ago, Trevor had leaned on the team when he had to fight off one hell of a demon from his past. One that had used the woman Trevor loved as a tool for revenge.
Thankfully, Trev got to Lexi in time, and the two were now happily married and living their best lives. Something that never would have happened without the help from the team.
So let them help you for a change.
Admittedly, Mac had never been very good at asking for or accepting help from anyone. Maybe it was time she started working on that.
“You know”—she gave Trevor a feigned scowl—“it’s really annoying how sensible you are all the time.”
The handsome man smiled. “What can I say? It’s a gift.”
Coop rolled his eyes. “So, what now?”
Mac lifted her chin. “I’m going to my uncle’s house.”
“Not by yourself, you’re not.”
“Actually, I am.” When Coop opened his mouth to argue, she stopped him. “Let me rephrase. I’m goinginsideby myself. You two can follow from a distance. You know the code to the gate, so you can sneak onto the property unseen, but I need to go in by myself.”
