Growing up, she hadn't had much of a team. Their dad’s death left her mom no choice but to work three jobs to cover all the bills and for her youngest brother Arthur’s care. She was the oldest, it was on her to step up and be the mom, not that it had ever worked for her other brother, Simon.
From the time he hit ten onward, he just got angrier and angrier. The way he treated Arthur was terrible, to the point where she’d moved Arthur into her room because she was genuinely concerned for his safety. Simon had zero respect for her, didn't listen to any of her rules, didn't do the chores she assigned him, didn't do his homework, and started doing worse and worse in school.
Then he started to get into trouble with the law.
It was a lot for a young girl to handle, and she’d hidden as much of it from their mom as she could because she knew how exhausted she was just trying to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. With so much on her plate, Teresa hadn’t had a lot of time for friends. There were girls she would talk with at school, but she was never able to hang out with them outside school, and there was no time or money for her to do extracurricular activities.
Besides, she’d realized from an early age that as soon as she was old enough, she had to get a job to help ease the burden a little, and she had to work hard so she could get scholarships to college. It was the only way she’d get the education she wanted, so she could get a well-paying job and take care of her mom and Arthur.
Which she’d done.
Which she was doing.
Having these people to do it with, these loyal and amazing people, had her tearing up a little.
Since her no-nonsense reputation said she absolutely was not going to cry in her office surrounded by her team, she quickly shoved away from her desk.
“I know there’s food here, but I want to go get something,” she told Chelsea.
“We could order food, or you could cook,” Tobias suggested. That he had dragged himself out of his apartment to come into work after just getting Isabella back, meant a lot to her. He should definitely be at home resting his back, like Isabella should be resting in bed, but the two of them had come when she called to let them know what had happened and that they needed to be careful.
As much as she would usually jump at the chance to do some cooking, it just reminded her of the fact that almost every single one of her many kitchen appliances had been destroyed by the person who broke into her apartment. That just left her feeling sad and empty, so she shook her head and reached for her bag.
“I know you guys are all just looking out for me, but the truth is, I need a little bit of fresh air and a few minutes to myself.” The admission was hard for her to make because she never asked for some time for herself. As a kid, there wasn’t time for her to check out. Chores always needed to be done, and Arthur was like an oversized toddler who had to be watched constantly so he didn't get into anything dangerous.
But today she was too tired to worry about being selfish. She needed this break if she didn't want to fall apart in front of her friends. And she absolutely did not.
“Okay, but don’t go far,” Ava said. “It’s not safe out there.”
“Definitely isn’t,” Isabella agreed. Even though she wasn't part of the team, she’d come with Tobias and remained sittingat his side while he worked, offering silent support not just to her boyfriend but to all of them. After all, Isabella had every bit as much reason to want the organ trafficking ring shut down as the rest of them since she’d been held captive by them for seven months as they exploited her nursing skills.
“I’ll be careful,” she promised. “Besides, I was only planning to go across the street to the deli that sells those croissants that I like. What does everyone want? I’ll get us all something. Then we can eat some breakfast together, brainstorm our next moves, and get back to work.”
Ten minutes later, she stepped out the front door of Prey’s main office building with a list of orders on her cell phone.
The fresh air immediately relieved her of a little of the stress she was carrying. There was no going back and putting it in the box. Micah had popped back up in her life and brought with him all those memories she’d long ago buried deep and forgotten about.
Well tried to forget about.
They were always at the back of her mind, of course, but she’d built a good life for herself. One where she was happy, where she excelled, and even had time to enjoy her hobby of cooking. She took care of her family, had money left over after paying all her bills to enjoy herself, had friends and a job she loved, and had everything she needed.
So why was she letting old memories of a long-ago boyfriend ruin that?
There was absolutely enough on her plate right now. Between the organ trafficking ring and all the other intel they still needed to gather for the other Prey teams to do their job, she had more than enough to keep her busy and occupied.
Yet it was Micah on her mind and not the traffickers as she checked both ways before darting across the street to her favorite deli.
His timing couldn’t be worse.
She had to keep her focus on the ring, finding who was running it, the mysterious woman in the skirt suit, both Ava and Isabella, and many of the other people they’d rescued, had mentioned. Just because Micah might be a part of her life going forward didn't mean he would be a big part.
He didn't live in the city and Nathaniel didn't live in the city. Chances were, once they had the trafficking ring dismantled, Ava was going to want to move to be closer to Nathaniel. That meant she’d only have to possibly see the man when she flew out to visit with her friend.
That was doable.
Wasn't it?
That was highly debatable because she didn't know how long she could spend around the man who had abandoned her when she so badly needed him, without the lid that boxed up her emotions bursting open.
