Carol saw me.
Her face twisted with fury as she locked eyes with me, and a rush of adrenaline flooded through me. More and more, my fight-or-flight reflex was pushing me to fight.
Carol said something, but she was too far away for me to hear her. She started storming towards us, though, and I knew it wasn't a compliment.
Just as she came within a few feet, the elevator doors slid closed and cut off whatever scathing insults were about to fall from her filler-puffed lips.
I let out a long sigh of relief, and Steele tucked me under his arm in a hug. "She looked like a lovely person," he murmured, sarcastic as all fuck. "I see where Bree gets her... uh... spark from."
I snorted a laugh, then shook my head. "Carol hasn't liked me for a while, but it's Greg who really hates me. In this situation, though? I don't blame them. If not for me, their daughter wouldn't be in the hospital right now. She has every right to curse me out."
Steele's arm tightened around me. "You didn't crash that car into her, Hellcat."
I said nothing. My guilt over Bree's injuries wasn't going to move for any amount of logical thinking. Regardless of who crashed that car, they wouldn't have done it if I hadn’t been inside.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to find a message from Bree.
Bree Graves: Steele is so in love with you it's insane. You're adorable as hell.
"She's not wrong," he murmured, having read the message as well.
I just smiled, tipping my face back to kiss him before the elevator reached the ground floor. Words couldn't even describe how thankful I was to have him. To have all three of them. I wasn't in it alone, and that was a pretty special feeling.
It was a feeling I'd do anything, kill anyone to protect.
12
Now that my "engagement" to Archer had gone public, we were all fending off calls from every faction of the wedding industry, as well as from journalists wanting the inside scoop on Madison Kate Danvers marrying a rising UFC star and billionaire businessman.
That part made me laugh. Calling Archer a businessman seemed so wrong, even if that's what he was.
"You guys need a new manager," I commented, flopping down onto the sofa beside Kody as he battled Archer in some monster-versus-alien fighting game.
Kody shot me a grin. "More like you need one, babe."
"Uh-huh, maybe I'll see if Mrs. Jones wants the job? She seems to have enough time on her hands." I gave him a pointed look, and he groaned, tossing the Xbox controller aside as Archer won their fight.
"Where are we at on her?" Kody asked Archer. When Steele and I had arrived home the day before—and Anna forced us all to sit down to eat the creamy garlic chicken she'd cooked—I'd filled them all in on MrsJones4eva, and Archer had added it to his guys’ research list.
"Nothing, yet," he replied, tossing his own controller onto the coffee table. "But I also didn't prioritize her, so it might be a few days before they even look into her."
"Fair call," I commented. "She doesn't seem dangerous, in the scale from annoying online troll to psychotic serial killer."
"Hell of a scale, babe," Kody replied with a grimace, "but I'm inclined to agree."
Steele came into the den, wiping his grease-covered hands off on a rag. "Are we talking about Kody's fangirl?"
Kody scowled and threw a cushion at Steele, who caught it easily.
"Hey, don't get grease on the sofa," I scolded. "Steinwick will murder you if he finds out."
Steele dropped the cushion like it was made of magma. "Good point. I better go wash up." He started to leave the room, then shot me a suggestive look. "Unless you want to lend a hand?"
My cheeks heated, and I fought back a smile. Damn him.
"She's busy," Kody declared, dragging me into his lap and locking his arms around me like a straightjacket. "Fuck off and wash your balls yourself."
Steele just cracked up, the sound of his laughter echoing as he left the den and headed upstairs.
"Of course he's laughing," Archer muttered, mostly under his breath. "Don't think I didn't notice his smug, fucking grin after his early morning swim yesterday." He narrowed his eyes at me, but they were glittering with interest. He wasn't actually mad, but he was plotting.
I shivered in anticipation.
"Mmm yeah, that was definitely the most fun I've had in a steam room," Kody commented, innocent as all fuck as