Chapter 12
[Hunter]
There is something about Addison Stone that is different from any other woman I have met.
She is smart and strong, beautiful and brave. She didn’t hesitate before jumping into the road to sweep Livy up into her arms,
protecting my niece from the oncoming traffic. Addison didn’t think twice about the harm that could have come had she not
moved quickly enough.
It was completely selfless. Even in my other work, I rarely find someone who dives into trouble without assessing all of the risks.
But this woman did, for a child she didn’t even know. And when I tried to reward her for saving Livy’s life, she refused me
offhandedly, as if saving a child is something that anyone would do.
But she’s wrong. Most people freeze when faced with impossible situations. It takes a special person to run towards the danger.
She’s exactly the kind of person I want standing by Livy’s side.
As I step out of the hospital, my assistant, Reggie, is waiting by the door. He is impeccable as always, as expected for an employee
of the Grant Group. His charcoal wool suit cost more than most people’s cars and is almost as fine as my own. He is the third son
of the Carter group and has been my best friend since our time at The Academy, where we were both sent as troubled youths.
He’s the only person who knows everything about me. The only person I can trust completely.
“Did she take it?” Reggie asks as he opens the car door.
“No,” I grumble, frustrated. “I even offered to give her more money, but she refused. I thought you said she had no money left?”
I had Reggie run a full report on Addison Stone after our chance encounter. So many people look for ways to sneak into our family, and I wanted to vet her before I offered her the position. There is something vaguely familiar about her, something I can’t
quite put my finger on.
But her maiden name of Archer didn’t ring a bell, nor did it explain the substantial trust fund that had been left in her name, a trust fund that was then used to fund her husband’s law firm, Stone and Associates. 500 million dollars left to Ms. Addison Evangeline Archer. Even after law school and purchasing a family home, there should have been more than enough for her to start her own firm and live comfortably for the rest of her life.
Except, after 5 years of marriage, most of it seems to have disappeared.
“Maybe she’s unaware of the state of her finances,” Reggie suggests, frowning. “It is likely that her husband took them over shortly after they married. According to the receipts, he has made the most withdrawals since they merged their assets. If my calculations are correct,” Reggie looks through her file as we drive back to the estate, “her contributions to Stone and Associates are three times that of her husband and the five other investors combined. Without her money, he wouldn’t have been able to
open a business in the Upper East Side.”
“How much does she have left?” I ask, and the number my friend recites is alarmingly low. There is no way she could take care of
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herself alone for even a year on that amount, never mind the rest of her life.
As we pull up to the front gate, a man in a black suit rushes out to open the door. “Mr. Grant,” he bows and I step out of the car.
“I’ll be in the office at 9,” I tell Reggie over my shoulder as the servant rushes ahead to open the main gate.
Reggie nods, just before the door closes and the company slides down the street.
Taking a deep breath, the scent of antique roses calms my nerves. My mind is full of visions of Addison, alone in that hospital, resolute in not accepting my help.
There is something about her that makes me want to protect her. Maybe it’s how she’s always looking around, waiting for the
other shoe to drop. What has happened in her life to make her lose trust in others? 1
Before I make it to the front door, Livy’s bright laughter rings out around us and I bend down to welcome her into my arms.
Wordlessly she squeezes my neck and I lift her from the ground, “Good Afternoon, Livy. Where is your nanny?”
Her large hazel eyes, more green than brown today, wet from recent tears, look up at me with such sweet innocence and I realize
it doesn’t matter where the nanny is, she’s likely going to be fired anyway. Livy wouldn’t be waiting for me at the door if the
nanny was any good at her job, especially not with tears in her eyes and cheeks flushed pink with anger.
Pointing behind her she scowls, her bottom lip sticking out like a plump strawberry. “Mean lady,” she grumps, her nostrils
flaring. She looks so much like my big sister when she shakes her ponytail from side to side that my heart aches.
I miss Janie.
“Where’s Auntie?” she looks over my shoulder, hoping to see Addison. Her frown deepens when she realizes I’m alone. “You
promised.”
Sighing, I walk her back towards the house. “Soon,” I swear, crossing my heart. “You’ll get to see her soon.”
Once we’re settled for the evening, I pull out my phone and call Reggie.
“Look into her husband, Michael Stone,” I request briskly.
“Done,” Reggie replies. There is a brief pause before he asks. “Are you available tonight for a raid? The Agency…”
“Send the van,” I stand swiftly, opening the door behind my closet where my black fatigues and body armor lie hidden. “I need something to take my mind off of things.”
Slipping through a hidden door, I escape into the night in an unmarked Jeep in an alley without cameras or windows. Less than 30 minutes later, I’m geared up and ready to go as I step out onto the hangar and start my other job—the one that nobody can on
about.
The one that Addison Stone almost guessed earlier today. I thought she was unconscious when I carried her from the warehouse,
but she recognized me.
I’ll need to be more careful around her.
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As I head out into the night, I look up at the stars and wonder how she’s doing.
Is she still crying? Does she have a friend?
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“I’ll visit her tomorrow,” I decide as I adjust the strap on my Kevlar vest. “Or send her something nice. She shouldn’t be alone.”
But that’s tomorrow. Tonight, I need to get to work.
“Agent Carter,” I greet my friend Reggie as he stands with the others, similarly geared, his brown hair slicked back and his usual
glasses replaced with night vision goggles. “Are we ready to go?”
“Yes, and that other matter,” he tilts his head to the side and I know he’s talking about investigating Michael Stone and his
business. “I already have feelers out. We should know more by tomorrow.”
“Good,” I smile, patting my friend on the back. “Now let’s get to work.”
