Page 18 of Alex

“It’s a chick,” Liam replied.

Alex buried his surprise at that piece of news. “Makes no difference to me,” he growled and hung up. Instantly he called Jack who promised to have a clean-up crew to them within the hour.

He looked down at Evelyn who was now tapping her foot, her arms crossed as she glared at him eyebrow cocked.

“Well?”

“All secure. Two men dead and one woman alive.”

“A woman?”

“Yes. I was going down to talk to her now. Are you coming?” He already knew the answer. Evelyn had never been one to get left behind, not then and apparently not now either.

“Yes, I am,” she replied trying to hand him back the weapons.

“Keep hold of them. We don’t know what we’re facing.”

“When did you become such a boy scout?” she teased, her nose wrinkling and reminding him of better times. Times when she was his and they had their entire future planned and it didn’t include getting shot at.

“When the woman I loved disappeared.” His voice harsher than he intended, Alex saw her face pale at his words. The blow he had delivered seemed to cause her pain as she sucked in a breath. He cursed inwardly at his inept response to her teasing. He wasn’t even sure why he had snapped at her. All he knew was he was angry and hurt and he’d lashed out like a two-year-old having a tantrum.

He saw her face close down as she locked her emotions away trying to hide how much his words had hurt her and failing. She had never been able to lie to him or so he had thought.

“Shall we go?” she asked as she moved towards the elevator.

Alex nodded knowing that now was not the time to apologise. Evelyn was angry and hurt now as well, and if he spoke, he would make things ten times worse.

* * *

Evelyn triedto ignore the stricken feeling Alex’s words had caused. Her guard had been down, and she had allowed herself to fall into a relaxed teasing place with him. She had known she’d hurt him, but she hadn’t realised how much or that he was still hurting. She deserved every ounce of his anger. That wasn’t what hurt, it was the fact he had said had loved. As in past tense.

She was an idiot to believe it could be any other way. Just because she had never stopped loving him didn’t mean he still loved her. Alex had a big heart and to think he hadn’t shared it with anyone else was foolish.

The doors opened and they stepped into the freezing cold underground garages to see Liam standing guard over a woman. Blake and Reid were guarding the exits, weapons in their hands, bodies poised as if waiting. Alert energy pervaded the underground garage where they had left their car earlier.

Her eyes took everything in as she zeroed in on the woman kneeling on the ground. Her head was bowed but not because she was injured, because she refused to look at them. She was slim but tall her head coming to Evelyn’s chest even knelt. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a low bun.

“Has she spoken?” Alex asked Liam from beside her as she shivered in the cold air.

“Not a word.”

Evelyn watched as Alex approached the woman, his demeanour was calm non-threatening. He was entirely in control and hot as hell. He stopped a few feet in front of the woman far enough out of reach if she attacked him, but close enough to read her intentions.

“Look at me,” he commanded his tone direct.

The woman looked up, her eyes moving from Alex to her and back in a slow movement packed full of hatred and anger. Whatever this was it was personal. No operator let that amount of anger show, not for a job.

Evelyn searched her memory for the face and came up empty. She was attractive in a cool kind of way. Probably in her early forties or late thirties if her guess was any good.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Michaela Kirk.” The way she spat the words it was clear her name should have some meaning to them. It had none for her, so she looked at Alex and Liam and saw no reaction. Not that they would show one.

“Should that mean something to me?” Alex asked his voice cooler than before.

Her eyes moved back to him and she immediately knew the name had meant something to him.

“You murdered my brother,” she hissed.