Page 74 of Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad World

“And that’s why this team is over,” Katrina told him.

“It doesn’t matter the why, where, or how of it all,” Rochelle said, sounding weary. “Most of you are used to working alone and making your own decisions. I get why that would make it hard for you to trust the rest of us. But I can’t work like this, and I definitely can’t deliver a job to the standard Lake Benson expects with a team of renegades. We put our lives on the line daily with a job like this. You’re all aware that Benson Security attracts the cases other agencies won’t touch. Any mission we take could be the one that blows up in our faces. And I can’t sit here and swear that when I needed you, each and every one of you would be there.”

She stood and picked up her jacket from the chair beside her. “Eddie Hanson’s trial starts a week from tomorrow. Until then, I ask that you prioritize keeping Annabelle safe to testify—assuming she still wants to employ us?”

“I-I need to think a-about it,” Annabelle said, turning red.

“I understand.” Rochelle shrugged on her jacket and turned toward the door. “I’ll be in my room if anyone needs me. It’s been a long day.”

Noah pushed back his chair and stood. “Rochelle, I’m sorry.”

Defeated eyes met his for a heartbeat. “So am I, my friend. So am I.” And then, she was gone.

The room fell into a heavy silence before Annabelle spoke. “Katrina, would you mind coming upstairs with me? I’d like to talk things over with you.”

“Of course,” Katrina said.

Without so much as a glance at anyone else, the two women left the room.

“What happens now?” Evan asked, looking a little lost.

“Now, we take some time to figure out if we really want to be part of a team or if we’re only here because we don’t know where else to go or what else to do. That’s what I plan to do.”Noah walked toward the exit, more disgusted with himself than anyone else in the room. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.”

Abasi stood and followed him out. He didn’t say a word. As Noah turned to go upstairs, Abasi headed down to the front door. The door closed quietly behind him, leaving the building to echo with silence, the weight of their actions heavy on all of them.

When he got upstairs, Noah found Annabelle and Katrina sitting on the living room sofas, chatting quietly. From their expressions, they wished he’d gone elsewhere.

“Annabelle, can I have a minute?” He glanced at Katrina. “If you don’t mind?”

The women shared a somber look, and when Annabelle nodded tersely, Katrina gave her hand a reassuring pat and got to her feet. “It’s late, and I could use some rest,” she said.

As she passed Noah on her way to the guest rooms at the back of the loft, she paused.

“Besides Rochelle, there was only one other person on this team that I didn’t expect to go rogue, and that was you, Noah. Iknowyou. You’re a good man. One of the few I trust. We all make poor decisions, I get that, but please don’t prove me wrong about you.”

Noah wanted to give her some small reassuring touch, but he knew she wouldn’t welcome it. Katrina was always careful to keep her distance from any of the men in the group. The fact she stood so close to him, even without touching, reinforced her every word.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured.

She studied his face before nodding. “You need to fix this.”

“I’ll do my best,” he promised solemnly.

Katrina glanced over her shoulder at Annabelle and raised her voice. “I’ll be in my room if you need me.” And then she walked deeper into the darkened apartment.

Noah waited for the door to the guest room area to close behind her before making his way over to Annabelle. Even though the sofas were massive, he didn’t dare take a seat on one of them. Instead, he perched on the edge of the wooden coffee table. Annabelle had drawn her feet up under her and was curled into a ball in the corner of the sofa. She didn’t look him in the eye.

Behind Annabelle, near the window, Therese shimmered into view. Unlike Annabelle, she had no problem meeting his eye, and judging by her pursed lips and tense shoulders, she was still angry with him.

He couldn’t blame her.

Noah took a deep breath. “I screwed up,” he said. “I made promises to you and to Rochelle, and I broke both. I’m sorry, Annabelle.”

“It’s okay.” She picked at a loose thread on the cushion beside her. “These things happen.”

He wasn’t sure if Therese had been correct in saying he’d lost Annabelle’s trust, but there was definitely a wall between them now. One where she said all the right things but meant none of them. Yeah, he’d hurt her, without a doubt. And he hated himself for it.

“No, Bella, I mean it. I’m sorry for leaving you last night, and I’m sorry for being such a coward.”