Page 17 of Protecting Bree
It was a weird feeling to be the center of attention, to be the one people were arguing about meeting first.
“I’m Bree,” she blurted, sticking her hand out toward Addison.
The other woman ignored it and stepped toward her, hugging her just as hard as her daughter had moments earlier.
Bree felt, more than heard, Addison’s breath hitch as she hugged her.
“Thank you. You have no idea what you did,” Addison said softly.
“I didn’t do anything anyone else wouldn’t have,” she protested.
Addison pulled back and ran her gaze up and down Bree’s body. “Are you okay? Ricky said you were hurt. That the man hurt you.”
“I’m okay,” Bree assured her. The genuine concern she sensed in Addison’s words felt like a warm blanket after basically being an outcast for so long. After being on the periphery of life.
Tears filled Addison’s eyes and she sniffed loudly. MacGyver wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. She went willingly.
“She cries at the drop of a hat lately,” he explained. “Pregnancy hormones.”
Bree smiled. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks. And I’m not crying because I’m pregnant,” she complained. “Okay, notentirelybecause of that. I just…you got hurt protecting my kids. I’m allowed to cry about that.”
“Mom, I’mfine. Yana’s fine. Can I please bring her to the kitchen to meet her now? Besides, I probably need to check on her anyway, make sure she’s not about to burn down the house.”
“She’s fine,” MacGyver said. “And she’s in the living room now, watching TV with her brothers.”
“Whatever,” Ellory said with a roll of her eyes.
Bree couldn’t help but laugh out loud. This meeting wasn’t anything like what she imagined it would be.
Ellory smiled at her and reached for her hand. “Come on. We’ll see if we can peel everyone away from the TV.”
Bree looked back at Smiley and saw him watching herwith a look she couldn’t interpret, but the pleasure in his eyes was easy to see.
She let herself get dragged into another room, where two boys and Yana were sitting on the couch, staring at the TV as if mesmerized. Her belly growled at the delicious scent of Italian seasoning coming from the kitchen. Whatever Addison and Ellory had been cooking smelled divine.
“Yana, this is Bree. She’s the woman who helped us when the bad man took us. Remember?”
Yana looked toward them, and her eyes widened. She made a little squeaking noise in the back of her throat, and she practically flew off the couch, toward Bree.
Surprised once more at the exuberant greeting, Bree went to a knee and held the little girl, who was shaking as she hugged her. “I guess she remembers,” she told Ellory quietly.
The preteen was beaming and nodding. “Yeah. We talked about what happened a lot with our therapist. And while everything was scary, the best part was when you appeared and helped us get away.”
“Thank you for saving our sister. I’m Artem.”
“And I’m Borysko. Yes, thank you.”
The two boys had stood, and each put a hand on their sister’s shoulder to try to comfort her.
Bree felt overwhelmed. She’d just been in the right place at the right time. And the only reason she’d been there at all was because she was a stalker. Had been spying on Smiley and his friends. Wondering what was happening and why everyone was racing to the shipyard. Besides, she hadn’t actually saved anyone; she’d just led the assholekidnapper away to give the girls time to get to the SEALs, who’d been desperately searching for them.
Yana lifted her head and looked at Bree. “Wanna see my dolls?”
Blinking at the abrupt change of subject, she nodded.
“Not her dolls again,” Borysko said in disgust.
