CHAPTER 21
Addyson woke up before dawn,feeling like she hadn’t slept a wink between tossing and turning. Her mind replayed her fight with Liam. She turned on the bedside light and gazed at the image by her bed. Picking up the photo of her and Sam’s wedding day, she wondered if Liam’s words held some truth. Did she stop living the day her husband died?
Pushing back the covers, she padded to the bathroom and turned on the shower, hoping it might reenergize her. Zeus lay on the bed, watching her. She stepped into the hot water and let it run down her back. Liam’s spicy soap lay next to hers, making her recall their shower together.
She closed her eyes, reliving the memory of him pushing her against the wall, lifting her legs to wrap around him as he thrust in. An instant jolt of electricity shot through her body, as if waking her for the first time. Addyson’s fingers roamed over her belly until they found her nub, and she rubbed it in tiny circles, recreating Liam’s touch. A soft moan escaped her as her body grew taut, waiting for the rush to come.
Frustrated, she rubbed harder and turned toward the lower shower head to give her an extra sensation of his hands exploring her body. The climax refused to spill over, and shewhimpered as the need grew worse with every stroke. Something was missing, and her thoughts grew hazy as she searched for an answer. She clenched her eyes tight and saw the fog, while she pushed her fingers inside of her.
“Liam,” she called desperately.
As if he heard her through the dense haze, he appeared in her mind, watching her as she frantically touched herself.
“What do you need, Addy?” he said, watching her in her mind.
“You,” she whispered. “I need you.”
His gaze intensified, and she cried out as her body jerked and spasmed around her hand.
She opened her eyes and almost sobbed at realizing Liam wasn’t there. Addyson pushed him away because she refused to let go of Sam.
Regret flooded her, and she knew she couldn’t let him leave without knowing she loved him. Rushing to soap her body, Addy finished in record time. Stepping out of the shower, she dried off, then ran to her closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
Zeus watched her with curiosity as she hopped into the bedroom and flopped on the bed when the pants refused to slide up her body, still damp from her shower.
She brushed her messy hair into a ponytail and glanced at the clock. Not knowing where they planned to leave, she needed to drive to the facility.
“Come on, Zeus. Mom needs to find Liam. Be a good boy and go potty fast. I have to reach him,” she said desperately as she ran down the stairs. Opening the patio door, she let him outside and searched for her tennis shoes. She slipped them on, and her heart raced as she let Zeus back inside and locked the door.
“I won’t be long,” she called as she opened the garage door and jumped inside her SUV. She set the security code from herphone as she backed out. When she got home, Addy decided to change it. Sam was a part of her past. He’d always have a part of her heart, but Liam held her future.
She backed out of the driveway and tore down the country road, determined to get to the facility before the team spun up.
She bit her lip as she pictured scenarios of how he might receive her after their fight yesterday. Her stomach flopped, but she grew tired of always remaining passive. She’d handle his rejection because it meant she felt something for the first time since Sam’s death. Liam’s love released her from all the bonds she placed on herself to keep her heart safe. He sat patiently by her side while she stubbornly hung on to Sam’s memory. At the very least, she’d return the favor by giving him the time and space to forgive her.
She turned onto the road and saw the trucks pull out of the parking lot and follow each other. Addy slowed, thinking she was too late. Her heart sank, and pain struck her chest as she pulled over, watching them disappear from sight.
“Now what? Come on, Addy, think,” she chastised herself. Taking out her phone, she tapped Liam’s name and then stopped herself. He deserved more than a voicemail or a text apology.
Pulling back onto the road, she pressed the gas pedal to the floor. Her heart pounded as she grew closer to catching up. The school bus pulled onto the mountain road and slowed her down. It stopped, picking up kids, making her cry out in frustration. She couldn’t miss her opportunity when she came this close. Tapping her fingers against the steering wheel, she watched impatiently as the kids boarded the bus. It started moving, and Addyson followed it, hoping it planned to turn. Unfortunately, it didn’t, forcing her to follow it off the mountain, and it stopped picking up the kids. When they reached the road toward town, the bus turned left, and she turned right. Giving it more gas, shesped toward the airport, where she helped pick up some of the victims from the Texas team.
She spied the Serenity Securities convoy and let out a relieved sob. Addy didn’t miss them. Driving onto the edge of the tarmac, she slammed the SUV into park and jumped out.
The guys carried equipment on board. They appeared in mission mode, methodically loading the weapons and gear. She saw Cole unload a dog she didn’t know, and then Liam appeared with a German Shepard she knew as Apollo.
Addy let out a breath and took off running. “Liam,” she called. “Liam.”
* * *
Getting out of the SUV,Liam secured Apollo’s leash and covered the dog’s head with the snood Cole gave him to shield him from hearing loss. Then he covered his ears to protect his cochlear implant.
The plane’s engine roared to life as the pilots did a safety check.
Apollo halted and gazed down the tarmac.
“Come on, boy,” Liam said, giving him the hand signal to follow. Apollo let out an alert and growled, immediately catching his attention.
He followed the dog’s gaze and saw Addy running toward him. He glanced at Cole, who smiled and held out his hand to take Apollo’s leash.
