Jud would be best for now. He’d mentioned my training operatives on hand-to-hand, but I’d rather see if that’s something Maksim might do.”
She ran her fingers along his temple. “You want him here.”
“Or up north,” Kristof said. “Jud mentioned it was a good location for someone used to privacy. Remoteness.”
“It is,” she whispered. She rested her head on his chest. “We’ll find somewhere for him. Stacia is coming here tomorrow.”
Kristof tensed. “She is?”
Addy nodded and smiled up at him. “She’s anxious to see Olaf.”
“What if he isn’t ready? I haven’t broached the idea with him yet.”
“Zoey said Sinclair thought it was best to not wait.”
“You trust this doctor,” Kristof said.
“I do.”
“Then I’ll trust her as well.” Kristof wrapped his arm around Addy. Although he realized they should go into her bedroom, he couldn’t imagine moving right now.
A soft knock on the door dragged Addy from slumber. She smiled at the man sleeping beside her as she slipped out of his arms and pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. They’d woken in the middle of the night and eaten ice cream straight from the carton, then made love twice—once in the shower, then again in her bed.
Love.
She kept the emotion tightly wound within her, buried deep where no one could break the tentative connection she’d formed with Kristof. New relationships had enough troubles without everyone knowing.
Sure, she wanted to share what she felt for him with her friends, but they’d wait. More importantly, they’d understand. Romance hadn’t ever been her forte, nor his.
She opened the door. “Marshall.”
“I know it’s early, but I wanted to show you something.” He motioned toward the steps. “You got a minute?”
“Yeah, sure. Let me put some shoes on.” Addy kept the door open and stepped into a pair of sneakers near the door. She moved out onto the porch and closed the door. Hopefully Kristof would sleep until she returned.
She followed Marshall down the steps and along the trail leading behind a cottage. Surprise registered when she glanced to the left and saw the Mason’s familial home. “What’s up?”
“We didn’t expect The Arsenal to grow this fast when we started it up,” he said. He slowed his progression and looked at her. Intensity resonated within his eyes. “We’d intended to be ranchers and do missions on the side as time allowed.”
Addy chuckled. Riley had blown that idea out of the water after the compound was attacked during Vi’s troubles. “Guess your little sis had other ideas.”
“Yeah. And you and the other women rolled us straight into a different playing field with your arrival.” Amusement sounded in his voice. “Not sure any of us ever thanked you for all you did back then. You disbanded Hive and vetted all the potential assets without hesitation.”
“It was the right thing to do,” Addy replied. She took a cleansing breath as the situation shifted into unexpected terrain. She hadn’t expected to discuss her brother or Hive.
“You blended in with such ease I never checked your pulse,” he said. “None of us did. You took on a team and fell into step right alongside our teams without hesitation.”
Nervousness crawled within her stomach. “What’s this about, Marshall?” Did he have a problem with Kristof? With her?
“I should’ve taken your pulse,” Marshall said. “We got so wrapped up in taking Mary’s and Vi’s backs and keeping Rhea and Bree safe that we forgot they weren’t the only ones who came here in a shitstorm.”
“I’m not like them.”
“No, but we know better than to assume someone’s okay just because they’re trained to handle situations.” Marshall grasped her shoulder. “We fucked up, and I’m sorry.”
Surprise rolled through Addy. “Not sure why you think you fucked up.”
He offered a thin smile that didn’t reach his eyes. She’d seen the same one on his brothers often enough to recognize it. Marshall was the quiet shadow behind The Arsenal. She never really knew exactly what all he did while no one was watching.
“One day you’ll understand why I’m apologizing. The fact you don’t right now hurts because that means we haven’t had your back.”
“You have,” she argued.
“For ops, yes. For the personal baggage you brought with you, no. You’ve left that stowed away.” Marshall touched her face. “You aren’t a visitor here, Addy. Everyone else came here and unpacked, made this place their new home. Bree and Rhea are nested in the basement. Mary and Vi have unpacked. I never stopped to notice you weren’t anywhere close to settled.”
“Marshall.”
He turned and continued a few feet