Sky hadn’t called. Not that he’d wanted her to.
The phone lit up again just as Cullen had put it away, and he straightened his spine to see who it was this time. Whether it might be Sky, though he didn’t want her to call. It wasn’t. But it was Addie. Shit. He couldn’t ignore her, not with Frank Peterson on her heels.
“Hey, Addie,” Cullen answered quickly, before he could reconsider. “You all right?”
“Me?” She sounded incredulous. “Cullen, are you all right? What do you need? What the hell happened?”
Fuck. He knew he shouldn’t have picked up. “Yes. Nothing. I’d rather not go into it.”
“Well, you’re going into it whether you like it or not, because I just got a video from Frank that shows you beating the shit out of some guy at WorldROCK. Start talking, Cullen—and don’t try to bullshit me. I lived with Bar. I know all the tricks. Did you stop taking—”
Cullen cringed. “No, of course not. I’m fine. An asshole was hurting someone I care about, and that’s all it was.”
“What are you, twelve?” She sounded exasperated. “You couldn’t just restrain him like you usually do and call the police?” She was right, and he had no business arguing the point. Pissed off at himself all over again, Cullen gripped his phone so hard, it hurt his injured hand. On the other end of the phone, Addie sighed. “I also caught sight of Liam holding you back. How’s the shoulder?”
“Bye, Addie.” Cullen went to hang up the phone, his finger stopping a millimeter from the button. Why would Frank have a video of the fight? More importantly, why would he send the coverage to Addie instead of posting it on Denton Uncovered’s channel? Seeing the CEO of Trident Medical Group going berserk was going to hurt share prices. Snapping the phone back to his ear, Cullen heard his tone change. “Adrianna. Did Frank send any instructions along with that video? Did he threaten you with anything?”
“No.”
“Addie!”
“Cullen—don’t worry about it, okay? I can handle Frank. I’m more concerned about you just now.”
“Don’t you dare give in to his demands,” Cullen growled into the receiver, his pulse picking up all over again. “I’d rather the video go public than negotiate with terrorists. Do you understand me?”
“Did you forget who you’re talking to?” Addie’s sounded genuinely curious. “Because it will be a cold day in hell before I let you give me orders. You want a say in what happens? Get your ass back here, get your shoulder checked out, and go talk to that girl of yours. Then you can call me.”
Cullen opened his mouth to reply, but Addie—being Addie—disconnected the line.
33
Sky
“Are you all right?” Eli asks, drawing my attention away from where Cullen’s back had disappeared from view a few moments ago. To my right, Jaz is quietly telling Liam off, Kyan having taken Jaden somewhere. A dark ditch, hopefully.
I swallow, Cullen’s phantom green eyes still staring into mine, so much vulnerability lurking behind that steely gaze. No matter what he’d said, the pain raking through his body had been too real and too overwhelming for anyone to have to deal with alone. “Is somebody going to go after him?” I ask when I realize none of the men are following after him.
Eli shakes his head. Despite the coolness of the autumn air, perspiration has gathered along his curly hairline. “Not a good idea.” His voice is calm but the tightness around his eyes as they flick to the place where Cullen disappeared gives him away. He’s worried. “He’ll resurface when he’s ready.”
I snap myself around to face him. “Really? Just like that? You aren’t going to help?” I huff a breath, feeling my nostrils flaring in the breeze. Cullen is hurting, has been hurting for a long, long time. “You are going to let him just flounder in the deep end by himself?”
Eli cocks a brow. “You did.”
My jaw tightens, Eli’s accusation hitting me like a sheet of ice water. He blames me. Of course he does. I don’t expect anything different. Bros before hoes and all that.
Guilt rakes through me, tearing at my heart. But I can’t, I won’t apologize for refusing to become my mother. A sugar baby. A pet, bought and paid for, expected to stay blind to other women, to not question the sanctity of the military, to be controlled for the man’s peace of mind. Cullen wants me. Sometimes. But he doesn’t need me. Doesn’t trust me with his pain. Or with the truth.
My heart breaks for Cullen Hunt. But my staying with him would eventually tear us both to shreds. I swallow the bile gripping my throat and will my stinging eyes to keep the tears at bay. I… I fell in love with the wrong person. And now, there’s no good answer. No solution bar walking away.
I realize Eli’s expression has changed just as I hear Liam talking, plainly repeating his question not for the first time.
“I take it you are not, in fact, engaged to Jaden Harris?” Liam says.
“What?” I shudder. “No. I broke up with him before I left New York.” A chilly breeze blows over us, rustling the yellow leaves of the nearby aspen as if to help me make my point. “Jaden showed up at my apartment a week ago. Said he wanted me back. I said no and stupidly thought that was the end of it. I was an utter idiot coming here today. I knew he was covering WorldROCK and… Shit, I thought the place was big enough.”
“It’s not a secret you like rock climbing,” says Liam. “If he’s the asshole you claim he is, he may have been looking for you all along.”
If he’s the asshole I claim he is. Brilliant. Even after what just went down, Liam is going to give his fellow soldier the benefit of the doubt, despite the fact that he’s a stranger to him. I’m sick to my stomach of my recounts being doubted just because I’m not a penis-carrying member of the military club.
But I guess it is what it is. Turning my back to the Tridents I walk away.
“What happened during Fleet Week, Reynolds?” Liam calls after me. “And don’t bullshit me. I run a security company.”
I stop and, with my back still to him, smile without any humor. Like a final capstone rounding out the situation, Liam’s question falls right into the narrative they all want. And since they do, they can fucking have it.
“I conned my way into an exclusive party, seduced upstanding marines into pawing at me, and then tried to print lies about them to give my career a boost. Got caught, fired, and rightfully blacklisted from the industry.” My voice sounds too detached to be mine, but I’m past caring. Past arguing the truth. Whatever Liam thinks he knows about what went on that night, that’s what he’s going to believe. After walking down this particular road too many times to count, I’m… I’m done. “You run a security company, Liam. Go ask Jaden. He’s the one who turned me in. He’ll tell you all about it.”
This time when I start walking, I don’t stop for follow-up questions. Not from Liam and not from Jaz. Not from anyone. Pulling my phone out as I walk, I dial Rush, the cheap-ass phone service provider I’d been using here.