Page 78 of Embattled Ever After

Maybe he should just let her go.

Again.

His heart ached at the thought and he wondered what he’d ever done to anyone to be so unlucky. Was that even the word he was looking for? Everything he ever did was a struggle, and honestly, he was tired of it. For once, he’d just like something in life to roll in his favor.

Duncan cursed at himself, unused to being so down. The road ahead of him seemed long and tedious, with no guarantees for the future, and he didn’t want to drag Alex down that road with him. If he let her go, she would have the chance to find someone more appropriate for her.

Fuck, he didn’t want to do that though.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Aiden tracked LeBoutinto the opposite end of the parking lot from the black truck. The blood spots were fairly easy to follow, so when they came to an abrupt end, he knew he’d found where the assassin’s getaway vehicle had been. He glanced around, wondering if there were any security cameras close. Didn’t really look like it.

Once he reached the end of the trail, he wasn’t sure what to do. There was no way to know what the man had been driving, unless security had picked something up by chance. He’d probably driven by the front entrance just to scope things out. Maybe it was worth getting into the hospital system to see what he could find.

Walking back to his own truck, he wondered what was going on with Duncan. The guy had a good heart and Aiden felt bad that he’d had a part in hurting him. He’d known he’d needed to protect Palmer at all costs, though, and he’d gotten a little reckless with his movements.

At some point he needed to go talk to them, but he wasn’t sure when. Denver PD had increased patrols of the hospital grounds, so maybe he would wait until Duncan went home. What a mess.

If he’d only gotten LeBoutin, maybe he could track back tohisboss. Aiden had a suspicion who it was, but he hadn’t been able to confirm it. They were running out of time. His partners were dodging their own shadows and still searching for answers.

Pulling away from the hospital, he headed toward Harmony House, one of LeBoutin’s frequented locations. There had been no hospital admissions anywhere around the city for a gun shot wound, so he might be looking for medical care in other places. Harmony had a pretty well stocked first aid room.

Assuming his homeless man persona, he waved at the woman at the desk and entered. It was a wasted trip, though. The first aid room was almost completely bare. Nobody was getting anything useful out of here.

That sent him back to the streets. He haunted the regular bum hangouts, and ranged a little further than he normally did. If LeBoutin was smart, he would bed down for a few days somewhere, depending upon his injury.

Aiden hoped Duncan’s sniper had gotten him good. Legalities tied his hands, though. He wanted to ask the man where he’d shot LeBoutin. Hopefully, he was gut shot and already rotting to death. If he died in a cardboard box somewhere, it would make Aiden’s life so much easier.

Unfortunately, he wouldn’t know that until another assassin came after him, cycled into service when LeBoutin no longer checked in.

Freaking smoke and mirrors, man.

***

Alex strode throughthe entrance of the hospital late the next morning, and she had to look at the spot where Duncan had fallen. The crack resounded through her mind. She forced her eyes away and carried on, trying not to think about what she would have done if she’d lost him too.

As she walked down the hallway to the elevator, she wasn’t sure what her reception would be. Last night she’d been pissed. If Iwantto come back. What the hell did he think she’d been staying there for? If she didn’t want to be there she wouldn’t be.

It was like he couldn’tbelieveshe’d want to be there.

She loved him, damn it. Where else would she be?

Granted, their relationship was in a strange place. But she’d thought they’d kind of moved on to being something deeper than just acquaintances. It hurt her heart that he’d told her to leave.

Get a grip, Hartfield. Take a breath and go in smiling.

The elevator opened on the fifth floor, and she immediately saw LNF people in the waiting room. Not seeing any of the girls she crossed to Flynn, sitting against the far wall with Harper. The big sniper still spooked her, so she looked at Flynn. Both men wore those wraparound sunglasses that obscured their eyes, but Flynn still seemed the more approachable of the two of them.

“So, what’s the word today?” she asked. “Anything happen?”

Flynn shook his dark head. “Not much, although he was hollering early this morning when they stood him up.”

Alex winced. Maybe it was good she’d come in late. She didn’t know if she could have kept her composure in the face of blatant pain like that. No, she should have been here to give him what comfort she could. “Yeah, they’re pretty adamant about getting patients on their feet after a joint replacement like that.”

Harper shook his head. “I didn’t like hearing it. We had to step out.”

She was surprised he’d spoken to her. “He’ll be better off for it.”

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