Resilient Heart by Annabeth Albert

Author:Annabeth Albert
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance
Published: 2015-08-21T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Xander wasn’t by the truck. Mackey had taken his time walking back to the truck because he figured Xander needed a few minutes to cool off. But Xander was nowhere near the truck.

“Xander?” Mackey called, his voice echoing in the large parking garage.

Nothing. Nada. Only the howl of the wind with the early spring snow outside.

Okay. Maybe he hadn’t made it to this level yet?

Mackey went down a level, but there was no sign of Xander. He walked the level in case Xander had gotten confused, then walked the second level again. He checked by the elevator doors, then called for the elevator—no Xander.

Okay. Not time to panic. Yet. Xander had to be the garage somewhere. But he wasn’t on level three or four either. Mackey fished out his cell phone. Not surprisingly, Xander’s number went straight to voicemail. He hadn’t seen Xander use his phone in days—the one time he’d turned it on, he’d complained about all the texts from family and guys in their unit checking on him.

Xander was slowly but surely pushing everyone away. He’d been pushing Mackey away since before Mackey had confessed about deployment. Every muscle in Mackey’s body ached with the knowledge that there was no coming back from this—Xander wasn’t going to forgive him.

And why should he? Mackey had crossed an unforgivable line when he hadn’t told Xander about the commander’s inquiry. How could Xander want to be with him after that?

But it didn’t matter whether they could be a couple again. What Mackey needed was Xander safe. Had he headed out of the parking garage? Mackey peered out of the garage, scanning the sidewalks for sign of Xander.

Nope.

“Xander!” He full-on bellowed, sound bouncing back to him in a booming echo. A family getting into a minivan swiveled to look at him, but still no Xander.

He spotted the stairs and went to them, yelling for Xander. “Xander! I’m sorry!” Like that would make a bit of difference.

Wait. The stairs going up to the roof level. Oh fuck no. Mackey took the stairs two at a time, hoping he was wrong, hoping Xander had hopped on one of the NSA shuttles, hoping Xander had gone back into the clinic for coffee, hoping for anything other than Xander on the roof.

I don’t want to get better.

God, Xander had sounded so empty, so broken, and what had Mackey done? Dumped a load of his own crap and guilt on him. Last thing Xander needed. Mackey should have listened to his gut, turned Xander around and marched him back into the clinic. Demand he see someone right then.

“Xander!” he called as he came out of the stairwell.

Nothing.

Then he spotted him, on the ground, in a parking spot. Not near the wall. Thank God, thank you God. Whatever you need from me, you’ve got it. Just keep him safe.

“Did you fall?” He rushed over to Xander, crouching next to him.

Xander shook his head. He looked like a sheet of waxed paper—pale and easily crumpled.

“Why did you come up here?” Mackey asked carefully, not sure he wanted the answer.

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