Fuck!
Cross held up his hand. “Ace, do I have to state the obvious? I know for a fact she doesn’t have the tattoo. She doesn’t have any.”
Ace arched his brow. “Bring her in anyway.”
“What?” Cleo seemed surprised by the order and followed after Ace as he walked toward the clubhouse.
“Relax, Cleo. I’m gonna bring her in so we can all talk.” Cross was keeping his tone even for Cleo’s sake. They’d get all this sorted out. “She’s not working, right?”
Cleo widened her eyes, and her mouth fell open.
He furrowed his brows. “Cleo?”
“She didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?” Cross snapped.
She darted her gaze between him and Wraith, rocking back on her heels nervously. “She left.”
“What do you mean she left? Where’d she go?”
“She went home, Cross. Why wouldn’t she tell you?”
What the fuck?
Chapter Eighteen
Addison stared down at her bag on the ottoman. It was almost completely packed. She still had to grab a few things from the bathroom. She’d covered all the check-out itinerary and notified the owner she was leaving early. Addison wouldn’t get her money back, and she was charged a few extra fees to change her flight, but those were the least of her concerns.
She’d been battling with her own guilt since last night’s call with Cleo. Lying, especially to her, left Addison with a sense of betrayal. But it was nothing compared to how she felt about ghosting Cross. She wasn’t even sure how she’d explain herself once she found the courage to call him. Or if he’d even be willing to listen.
When she’d come to Killcreek, she had one mission and one focus. And it wasn’t falling in love. But that’s exactly what had happened. For the first time in forever, she felt like she’d found someone who understood her, wanted her, and while he hadn’t said the words, loved her. Cross had done the impossible. He’d normalized all the guilt she’d been feeling, listened without judgement or disagreement.He gets me.
“One stupid mistake ruined everything,” She muttered.
Addison sighed, glancing around the room. She was halfway to the kitchen when the pounding on the door made her jump a few feet.
“Addison!” Cross shouted, followed by another round of beating on the door.
She remained silent, hoping maybe he would go away. She couldn’t see him.I can’t face him.Seconds passed by. Had he left?
“Baby, your car is in the driveway, so I know you’re here.”
Shit!
There was no use hiding. At least not her presence. But there was something she was desperate to mask. She roughly yanked the hair tie from her ponytail and shook out her strands, patting them down on the back of her neck. She slowly walked to the door, unlocked it, and rushed back to the kitchen doorway, putting as much space between them as possible. Her heartbeat picked up pace when the knob turned and Cross walked inside. He scanned the living room, zoning in on her suitcase, and his jaw squared. He glanced around, locking eyes with her. His anger was obvious. She just didn’t know where it came from. Was he mad she was leaving? Was it because she hadn’t told him? Or something else? She trusted Ava, who seemed genuinely concerned for her safety, but had that all been a façade?Does he know?
“What the hell is going on, Addison?”
She licked her lips, and her breath labored. “I have to go home.”
Cross’s gaze darkened as he glanced down and slowly scanned her body, as if he was inspecting her. That only amped up her anxiety. To the depth of her core, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. But he had his loyalty to his club. And she didn’t know where she fell on his priority list.
“Two nights ago, I was inside you. I leave for a run, come back, and Cleo’s telling me you left. What the fuck is going on?”
“It’s an emergency,” she blurted, grabbing the ends of her sweater and wrapping them around her tightly.
His brows hiked. “And you can’t pick up the phone and tell me?”
