“Well, I for one am glad you didn't have to defend yourself,” Ava said as she pulled back. “Nathaniel had a guy from his team over to hang out, but he left when we got the call from you about what happened. We assumed you’d want to jump right into going through footage from the building and surrounding streets to see if we can find these guys.”
So that’s what Micah was doing there.
When they were younger, he’d always wanted to follow in his dad’s footsteps and become a cop. Somewhere along the way, he must have changed his mind and decided to go into the military instead and become a SEAL.
That was not good news for her.
Not the SEAL part, but the fact that Micah was on the same team as Nathaniel. Ava was falling in love with the man, and that meant he was sticking around. If Nathaniel was sticking around, that meant sometimes his teammates might be around, too, and Micah already knew she was there.
Pretending she didn't know him didn't mean he hadn't immediately realized who she was.
Just because he was a horrible person who had walked away rather than stand by her side as she recovered from her ordeal, didn't mean he was going to walk away now and never comeback. Since she was certainly never going to walk away from one of her best friends, they might have to find a way to co-exist.
Although she had no idea how she was supposed to do that.
Already, she was a mess, and she’d just bumped into him and spent sixty seconds or so in his presence. Hanging out in the same place as him for hours on end would be next to impossible.
No, itwouldbe impossible.
“Teresa?”
A gentle touch to her arm had her jumping again, and she realized she’d zoned out, preoccupied with thoughts of a man from her past who had hurt her when she had much bigger things to focus on.
There was a dangerous organ trafficking ring out there that had already killed hundreds of people. They were ruthless and determined, and they weren't afraid to take risks. They knew that Prey was after them and were making attempts at threatening them into backing off.
Only that wasn't going to happen.
What she absolutely needed right now was something else to focus on so she could shove Micah Hart right out of her mind. She’d done it before, and she could do it again. The trafficking ring was the perfect distraction, and it was important work, something that needed to be done, and she had the time and resources to do it.
“Sorry, guess tonight was more of a shock than I realized,” she said, which was true enough even if it meant more than Ava realized.
“Of course it was,” Nathaniel told her.
“At least you're safe,” Ava said, taking her hand and squeezing.
That was true. She hadn't arrived home when whoever had trashed their place had been there, and while seeing Micah was a shock, she’d worked hard to get over him and shred every lastfeeling she had for him so they no longer existed. He couldn’t hurt her anymore because she no longer cared about him. Maybe he’d be back to see Nathaniel, but there was also a chance that now he knew she was there he wouldn't bother, since he obviously found being around her so repulsive.
“Safe and ready to get to work.” Teresa brushed past Ava and Nathaniel, heading for their office.
What she needed most right now was to do something practical, the busier she kept her brain the better. That method had been working well for her most of her life, and she prayed it wouldn’t fail her now.
Because for the first time in a long time, she felt vulnerable, and she despised that feeling.
April 29th
7:52 A.M.
Sleep was for the weak,Micah decided as he glanced up from his laptop, surprised to see light streaming around the edges of the curtain in his hotel room.
Seemed like he’d been up all night.
Forgoing sleep hadn't been his intention when he got to his hotel late the night before, he’d just been too keyed up by running into a woman from his past.
Notawoman.
Thewoman.
Because there were no other significant woman from his past other than Teresa Dash. Which was kind of pathetic, he supposed, given he was thirty-one and the only girl he’d ever had anything serious with was one from when he was a teenager.
