“Why does he do anything? He figured that you couldn’t see him and he’s not into harming women. So he left you.”
“That’s a really weird coincidence but I guess it’s better to know?”
“Definitely better to know,” Cash said.
“So he’s just . . . going around and . . . removing people?”
“Yes,” he said. “And I think that’s as much as you need to know. I can’t believe he’s sticking around, though. The Fox won’t be happy and I’ve told him he’ll need to talk to him.”
Why wouldn’t the Fox be pleased? Wait. Who or what was the Fox?
Maybe she was better off not knowing.
He set her down on the sofa, and she immediately stood up. “Ouch, I can’t sit on my bottom.”
“Well, that’s all part of the punishment,” he told her, pointing at her. “Wait here. I’m going to go see if the package is on the porch. I think I heard something.”
She stood there and watched him walk away. Happiness flooded her. She wasn’t certain if anything could be more perfect than this moment.
Then she heard voices coming from out front and got up to peer out the window. She could see Cash standing on the front lawn with another man. This man had his longer hair pulled back off his face and had a full beard. He seemed older with tattoos on his lower arms and neck.
Who was he? Should she go out there?
There was a strange noise behind her and she frowned slightly, turning.
Hmm. There was nothing there. Maybe she should just ignore it. But that was old Addie. New Addie was brave.
And sometimes sassy.
So she wandered out into the kitchen. Unfortunately, she spotted the danger too late, just as something came at her, hitting her on the head.
Pain engulfed her and then the world went black.
60
“Aidan? I wasn’t expecting you,” Cash said with a frown.
Aidan put his hands on his hips. “No? Were you ever going to call and tell me what the hell was going on? Because I had to hear everything from Greer and Hack. All I get is a text message from you asking me to keep an eye on Bonnie while you go out of town and that’s it! No follow up explanation. You don’t answer my messages or calls.”
Cash winced. He actually had a good point.
“Do you know how worried I’ve been about you?”
Fuck. Cash hated that. The last thing he wanted was for Aidan to worry about him. He’d done enough of that over the years.
“Fuck. Yeah, I messed up. Life got . . . crazy.”
“Yeah, you want to explain that crazy to me? And why you didn’t even let me know that you were back from Las Vegas?”
“Sure, but not out here,” Cash said. “You better come in. Ahh, did Greer tell you about Addie?”
“The girl that you found hiding in the back of Crystal? That you’ve apparently been guarding at a safe house? Who everyoneseems to have met but me? Yeah, you could say that. Would have rather heard about her from you.”
Cash had already said he was sorry. He wasn’t saying it again.
“Well, she’s inside. She’s living with me now. She’s mine and I love her. So you’re going to have to take your irritation down a notch. No raising your voice, no scaring her. Got me?”
Surprise filled Aidan’s face. “You love her? You’ve known her less than two weeks.”
