Hostile Ground (The Arsenal #7) - Cara Carnes Page 0,127
She glanced over to where Olaf sat on the sofa playing a video game of some sort with Johnny. Her teammate waved, then returned his attention on the melee on the screen.
“Stacia?” Kristof asked.
Addy nodded. “Day after tomorrow.”
“Okay. That’s good.” He looked around. “Why the fuck am I so nervous about that?”
“Because you’re a good man and you want everything to work out for her and your cousin.” Addy touched his chest. “We’ll come back here and go to Stacia’s. Levi will probably fly us there. Zoey’s going with us.”
“We’ll come back?” Amusement glimmered in his eyes. “Are you kidnapping me?”
“I am. Turnabout is fair play.”
Kristof glanced back at Olaf and sighed. “I’m not sure me getting kidnapped is conducive to him acclimating.”
“Jesse will watch out for him. So will my team,” Addy said. She looked over at Johnny. The man glanced up and nodded. Yep, he’d heard. The man had hearing better than a bat.
“Give me a moment to pack. I need to chat with Olaf,” Kristof said.
Addy entered the room farther and sat on the loveseat facing the sofa. Olaf grinned big and waved. He set his control down.
“Hey, Addy. J and I were hoping you were gonna show up soon. Kristof’s been climbing the walls wondering what you were doing.” Olaf grinned. “Don’t tell him I said anything.”
“It’ll be our secret,” Addy signed back.
“You’re going away again,” Johnny commented. “How long?”
“Just for today and tomorrow. Then I’ve got something to do with Kristof the day after.”
“Right. Figured that’d go down soon.” Johnny glanced at Olaf. “I’ll hang with my buddy here.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you kidnapping Kristof like he did you? Shep said it was funny,” Olaf said.
“I am, if you’re okay with it,” Addy said. “We’ll be back the day after tomorrow and anyone on the compound can reach me.”
“Even if we have no clue where you are,” Johnny groused.
Addy smiled. Her team always noticed when she took a day off here and there and disappeared. Several of them had attempted to follow her more than once, but so far they’d never found out where she went. Or why.
That wasn’t something she’d ever intended to share with anyone, but trusting Kristof with it felt right. He’d shown her his retreat, so she’d share her sanctuary.
“I’m okay,” Olaf signed. “You make him happy.”
Addy’s heart swelled. She hoped things with Stacia went well so Olaf would have that happy in his life. And, wow. Didn’t she sound like a heartsick freak.
Love?
No. She was just happy.
Don’t read anything into this. Just take it a day at a time and enjoy it while it lasts. Kristof appeared in the living room.
“Hey, man. Can I talk to you for a minute?” Kristof asked.
Olaf stood and rolled his eyes. “I already told her I was okay with it.”
“Still want to chat,” he said. He set a bag down on the sofa. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Addy’s heart melted. He wanted to take his cousin’s pulse and make sure he was okay.
“He’s good with Olaf,” Johnny said.
“He is.”
“And you.”
Addy swallowed. “He’ll do.” She smirked at the sarcastic retort. Some emotions were easier to give her team than others. Glancing down, she added. “Thanks for giving him a chance.”
“He’s important to you and you’re important to us,” Johnny said. “We’ll make it work. That’s what family does. At least, that’s what Sanderson told us.”
Addy chuckled. Sanderson again. As if summoned by thought, Gage entered the cottage.
“I was just thinking about you,” Addy said.
“Oh?” Gage sat beside Johnny. “Heard you’re going away for a day or two.”
“And I’ve heard you’ve started forming Team Kristof.”
The man shrugged. He looked over at Johnny, as if gauging whether he should say anything in front of him. “It was you and me when you got here. Graves did his own thing. So that left you and me leading teams, trying to measure up to the Masons and find our own way. Hell, I didn’t even have a team back then. You and your crew dragged me through that.”
Damn.
“You put yourself on the line to get Zoey’s friend safe,” Gage said. “For that alone, I’d back Kristof because he’s important to you—even if you aren’t ready to admit it. But you’re a lot like I was when things were going on with Z.”
“And what’s that?” Addy asked.
“Terrified. Lost.” He glanced toward the hall. “Hopeful.”
Addy swallowed. She’d felt plenty of all those the past several weeks, more so the last several days.
“You’ve gone all in time and time again to help out your