Another moment of silence passed before Evie spoke. “He’s here. In Marble Falls. I don’t know where, exactly, but I found him through facial recognition at the bus stop and then the supermarket.”
Asher’s breath caught for a moment before he pressed his foot harder on the accelerator.
“Thanks, sweetheart. We’re heading to Marble now.” Hanging up, Luca called Bodie. When the phone continued to ring, he then tried Wyatt, but again no answer. Both men were at Marble Protection and both should have answered.
Asher tried not to panic. There were a number of reasons the guys might not be answering their phones.
But he had a bad feeling in his gut.
After Lexie had mentioned that her mother’s number was disconnected, Oliver and Kye had paid a visit to her house. But the house had been empty. Empty and trashed.
Asher hadn’t told Lexie the last part. It would do nothing but cause her stress. Stress that she didn’t need.
Evie had been searching for Albert and Gwen ever since. Asher’s instincts told him their absence had something to do with Lexie. He just didn’t know what.
Albert may not have the abilities or athleticism that Asher and his team had, but he could still be a threat.
There was only one reason he could think of why Albert would be in Marble Falls.
“Lexie is at Marble with Red and Jobs, Striker. She’s protected.”
Unfortunately, Asher knew that nothing was ever certain.
Luca clamped his hand on Asher’s shoulder again. “Our brothers will protect her with their lives.”
* * *
Lexie was tired. Tired and unsure and hurt. And her tea just wasn’t cutting it.
What she really needed was a steaming mug of coffee. An extra-large mug with ten sugars.
Unfortunately, she’d already had the one daily coffee she was allowing herself as soon as she’d woken. Why? Because she had naively assumed it would carry her through the day.
Which was an incorrect assumption.
If there was one thing Lexie didn’t understand about pregnancy, it was why women needed to limit their caffeine consumption. What a load of baloney. If there was ever a day Lexie needed coffee in an IV drip, it was today.
She couldn’t wipe Asher’s words from her mind.
She’d thought they’d been making progress in their relationship. Moving forward. Lexie had felt the relationship shift.
But maybe she hadn’t. Maybe she’d only seen and felt what she’d wanted to.
That one sentence had made her feel like maybe they were right back where they began.
And that was a terrifying thought.
Because not only did her baby need a father who was committed and stable and present. She needed a partner who was all those things, too.
It just brought back all the memories of their relationship before she’d become pregnant. The lack of commitment. Feeling unwanted. Used.
Lexie thought they were past all that. But now that she’d had time to think about it, she was reminded of the fact that something was still missing. Something huge.
Neither of them had shared that four-letter word with each other. Love.
Lexie lifted a pile of papers and stapled them. When she went to place the items down, she noticed there was no staple in the top corner.
Trying again, the same thing happened. Lexie attempted to staple the pages another three times, progressively getting more agitated. In the next moment the stapler was quickly taken from her fingers.
Lifting her head, she noticed Wyatt standing in front of the desk, but no stapler in sight.
“All okay over here, Lex?”
“Everything’s fine.” At least everything would be fine when the stapler decided to do what it was supposed to. When she saw the look of disbelief on Wyatt’s face, she continued, “The stapler isn’t working.”
“This stapler?” He lifted the piece of stationery before moving behind the desk. Opening a drawer, he began to load it with staples.
Lexie scrubbed a hand over her face, wishing for the coffee again.
“Want to tell me what’s wrong?”
Picking up her mug, Lexie grimaced as the warm liquid slid down her throat. “I’m a pregnant lady. I have many problems.”
If she got into all of them, she’d probably be there all day. And bawling her eyes out.
Wyatt leaned against the counter. “I’m guessing the main problem has something to do with a tall, brown-eyed man who likes to think he’s God’s gift to women?”
Lexie chuckled. Yep. He hit the nail on the head with that one.
“You always were the smart one, Wyatt.”
Shrugging, he didn’t argue the point. “As the smart one, let me give you my two cents. Some guys take more time than others. Rocket, for example, is a dive-in-headfirst, think-of-the-consequences-later kind of guy. And that’s how he approached his relationship with Evie. Striker, on the other hand, likes to come across as easygoing, when in reality, he’ll overthink every minute detail.”
Lexie shook her head. “I’m at a point where I need the guy to figure it out. I don’t have time for an overthinker.”
“He’ll get there.”
Would he? And even if he did, how long would it take? Lexie had waited. She was done waiting.
Unfortunately, just like Lexie, Wyatt didn’t have a magic eight ball with all the answers.
“Thanks, Wyatt.”
“Don’t give up on him too soon.” Wyatt handed her back the stapler before heading down the hall.
Shaking her head, Lexie went back to stapling the papers.
Asher didn’t just take his time, he moved at a snail’s pace. Every time Lexie thought they were getting somewhere, making progress, he would turn around and take ten steps back.
The sound of the front door opening drew Lexie’s gaze up. At the sight of a middle-aged man entering Marble Protection, her eyes widened.
The man was in bad shape. Really bad.
Black and blue bruises covered his face. One eye was so swollen it barely opened. Not only that, the man was limping, heavily favoring one leg over the other.
He looked like he’d been beaten to within an inch of his life.
Finally, when his eyes lifted to meet Lexie’s, her breath caught. She took a step back as recognition slammed into her.
Albert. Her mother’s partner.
Correction, ex-partner.
Lexie was so surprised at the sight of the man, that she just stood there. Silent. Confused by the fact that he looked like he was barely holding himself up.
Albert didn’t say anything. Nor did he stop at the desk. Limping forward, he neared the end of the counter, advancing toward her.
Lexie glanced behind her but the other side of the counter was connected to the wall. Albert was effectively boxing her in. Trapping her.
Words. She needed to say words so that Wyatt would come back.
“What are you doing here?”
What she really wanted to do was scream for help. But that might cause Albert to lash out. She couldn’t afford to risk being injured.
“They’re trying to kill me—and it’s your fucking fault.”
Calm. She needed to stay calm. “Who’s trying to kill you?”
Oh lord, she hoped Wyatt hadn’t gone out the back.
“I don’t fucking know, do I?” Albert shouted, so close that spit hit Lexie in the face. “They followed you and your boyfriend that night. Came back the next day to ask what you wanted. They offered me money. I wasn’t about to say no to that.”
So it wasn’t her mother who had given them information. It was Albert.
“Thought that would be the end of it,” he continued. The closer he got, the stronger the smell of alcohol became. “When your mother found out I outed you, she up and left me. Apparently, they’d offered her money that day, too, but she refused. Bitch should have taken the money.”
Albert limped forward another step. Too close for Lexie’s comfort.
She
eyed the small gap next to him. Maybe she could squeeze through and outrun him.
Yeah right, her pregnant belly, although not huge, still wouldn’t likely fit.
“Then this soldier boy came. Looked awfully like your lover boy. Beat me to within an inch of my life before I pulled a gun on him and shot until he was still on the floor.”
Anger flashed in Albert’s eyes.
“It’s your fucking fault!” he shouted.
Reaching behind him, Albert pulled something out. Lexie’s breath hitched at the sight of a gun.
Before he could aim it at her, he was yanked backward.
Wyatt shoved Albert against the wall, dwarfing the man. The gun slipped from his fingers onto the ground.
“Stay the fuck away from her,” Wyatt growled.
Bodie slipped behind Wyatt, reaching for Lexie. Placing his hands on her arms, he lowered his head so that they were eye level. “You okay?”
His touch felt warm against her chilled skin. “He didn’t touch me,” Lexie confirmed.
Relief flashed across Bodie’s face. “Good.”
“The pregnant bitch has put my life in danger!” Albert yelled. He fought Wyatt’s hold but made no ground.
“You better check how you talk about her,” Wyatt snarled.
Then the front door opened, and Asher ran in with Luca closely behind. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
Luca took ahold of Asher’s arm before he could reach Albert.
He drew his gaze to Lexie and did a once-over of her body. When he saw she was unharmed, he turned back to Albert.
“He asked you a question,” Wyatt said, pulling Albert forward and slamming him back against the wall.
“The fucker tried to kill me!”
“Who?”
“How the fuck do I know? Someone who was probably sent by the people in white suits.” Albert looked brave for a man facing men who could squash him in a second flat.
“How about I make you a deal.” Wyatt’s voice was now eerily calm, still holding Albert against the wall in a punishing grip. “You come with me, see if you can identify these people who paid you a visit, and we won’t hand you over to the police. Or worse, end you right now.”
Would they really kill him? Lexie doubted it. But at the same time, she didn’t entirely recognize this deadly side of Wyatt.
Albert sneered. “You wouldn’t kill me.”
“Let’s find out, shall we?”
Wyatt kept ahold of Albert’s arm and pulled him into the office. Luca and Bodie following closely behind.
Asher turned to Lexie, concern on his face. “Are you okay?”
She felt far from okay. Her bubble of safety had yet again been disrupted.
“I’m fine.”
20
Lexie was not fine. Her eyes were too wide and her body too tense.
Taking a step closer, Asher touched her shoulder. “You’re safe, Lex. None of us would let anyone hurt you.”
Silent for another moment, she finally raised her eyes to his. “Does that include you?”
Asher’s brows pulled together in confusion. He wasn’t entirely sure what she was getting at. “If you’re asking whether I would hurt you, the answer is no, Lex. You know I would never hurt you. And I would never let anyone else hurt you, either. Especially an asshole like Albert.”
Something in her eyes changed at Asher’s words. “I trust you to keep me safe physically. I had faith that Wyatt and Bodie would come out before Albert actually hurt me. Was I scared? Yes. But I know how protected I am at Marble Protection. What I care about is us. You and me.”
Asher still didn’t quite understand where she was going with this. “You and me are good.”
“Good? Really? Compared to what?”
Asher scrubbed a hand over his face. “Is this about last night?” He was struggling to catch up with the events. One minute, he was racing to protect Lexie from Albert, the next, he was arguing with her about their relationship.
“Tell me the truth, Asher. Would I be living with you and going out to dinners with you if I wasn’t pregnant? Would you have told me the truth about your background and what you can do?”
Ah, hell. Suddenly, Asher wanted to be anywhere but where he was.
It would be easy for him to lie. To tell Lexie what he knew she wanted to hear and save her from what would likely hurt her.
But that wasn’t how Asher operated. If it wasn’t true, he wouldn’t say it.
“No.”
As soon as the word left his lips, he regretted it.
He wished he was a different person. The kind who was able to lie to make life easier. If he was, Lexie wouldn’t be standing in front of him, looking all kinds of hurt.
She shook her head, a mixture of emotions passing over her face. First there was hurt. Then anger. Then something that almost resembled hopelessness.
Were those tears shining in her eyes? Lexie never cried. A car once ran over her foot right outside of Marble Protection and she hadn’t so much as shed a tear.
“I don’t know why I’m upset about that. You’ve always been honest and upfront with me. I shouldn’t have expected anything different. It must be in my genetics.”
Asher didn’t really know what she meant by that, but he didn’t have a good feeling about where she was going. “What do you mean?”
“Just look at my mother. She loved my father so much and just assumed that one day, he would love her back. But he never did. He left. And here I am, making the exact same mistake, pregnant and all.”
“I’m not going to leave you.”
“Really?” Lexie cocked her head to the side. “Weren’t you just giving Bodie your worldly advice last night, saying how love is fluid? Come on, Asher, can you really stand there and tell me that you see yourself with me forever?”
Running his hands through his hair, he took a step back. “Lexie, can we not do this now?”
Her bottom lip trembled at his avoidance of the question, but in the next moment, she tensed her jaw and crossed her arms over her chest.
“I’ve got to go help the guys,” Asher said quietly, feeling all kinds of pathetic for not being the man she needed.
Still, Lexie said nothing. A voice in his head told him not to leave. Yelled it. But even if he did stay, he didn’t know what to say, dammit. His honesty would just hurt her more. Because the truth was, he didn’t know what the future held. No one did.
Leaning down, Asher placed a kiss on her head. Then turning, he headed to the office, every step heavier than the last.
* * *
Lexie watched as Asher walked to the office.
And a small part of her broke. He’d left because forcing answers from a violent drunk was easier than being honest with her.
It was quite possible, the man was never going to be what she needed. What her baby needed. The sooner she accepted that, the easier it would be for everyone.
Blinking back tears, Lexie refused to give in to them.
She wasn’t upset about Albert. Albert was an old man who drank too much and had a loose tongue. What upset her was the six-foot-four tower of muscle who time and again let her down on an emotional level.
Deciding it was close enough to closing time for her to leave, Lexie drew out her phone and sent a quick text to Evie. Trying not to overthink it, she typed exactly what she needed from her friend.
Not ten minutes later, Evie entered Marble Protection. Walking straight to Lexie, she wrapped her arms around her. “Are you okay?”
Nodding against Evie’s shoulder, Lexie remained in the embrace for at least a minute longer than was acceptable before reluctantly pulling away.
“My mom’s ex came in, but the guys stopped him before he could do anything. Turns out he’s the one who shared the information about me being pregnant to the people behind Project Arma. But that’s not why I need to leave.”
“Asher?” Evie knew. Of course she did.
“Can we go out to the car in case he’s listening?
”
Evie quickly pulled her phone out and typed something before shoving it back into her pocket. Then, taking Lexie’s hand, she led them both outside. Once they arrived at the car, Evie got into the back with Lexie.
“I just messaged Luca to meet us here. Now tell me.”
Spreading her fingers across her stomach, Lexie rubbed her belly while she spoke. “It’s been building up, this argument with Asher. We’ve never been completely secure. The pregnancy brought us closer together, and I’ve probably been in a bit of a bubble since then. Anyway, last night, Asher made a comment to Bodie, saying that two people can’t guarantee they’ll change at the same rate. He said that love is fluid. At first I didn’t know what to think. Then it reminded me that he hasn’t actually made any promises to me about forever. He hasn’t even said he loves me.”
Saying that out loud hurt more than Lexie had thought it would.
Concern flickered across Evie’s features. “Not once?”
“Not a single time.” Cherishing her bump, Lexie wished bubs would kick. She felt like she needed a bit of sunshine. “To be fair I haven’t said it to him, either. But I’m scared.”
God, that was hard to admit, but it was true.
She paused for a moment before she continued, “I’m scare about Asher leaving. About not being enough for my baby.”
Not being good enough.
“Lexie, look at me.” She pulled her gaze up to Evie’s. “I’m going to remind you of something that you seem to have forgotten, just like you reminded me when I needed it. You are amazing. This kid growing inside your stomach is the luckiest baby on the planet to have you as its mother, and it doesn’t even know it yet. You are fierce and loyal and strong. Don’t you dare forget that. You can’t control Asher or what he does. You can only control your own actions and how you’re going to parent. Asher or no Asher, you are going to kill it, Lexie. No question about it.”
Without hesitation, Lexie leaned over and pulled Evie in for a hug. A huge, body-against-body, never-want-to-let-go hug.
Boy had she needed to hear those words. Out loud, from someone else, made it real.
She held Evie tight, just as Evie held her. It wasn’t until the driver’s door opened that both women eventually separated.
Asher: A steamy contemporary military romance (Project Arma Book 3) Page 16
