Before That Night: Unfinished Love Series: Caine & Addison, Book 1 Read Online Free PDF Page B

aspect of things from a different angle than he can. And didn’t you say Gabe is graduating early from college?”
    He couldn’t stop the proud grin over that reminder. His baby brother was graduating a full year early from his engineering program at Embry Riddle, with honors. Not that he was surprised. That boy had always been the smartest one in the family.
    Well, with exception to their foster brother Drew, at least. The newest member of the Spencer family, the thirteen-year-old hacker extraordinaire their folks have been lovingly smothering like a baby bird for the past year—what with Caine, Max, and Gabe all living out of the house—could whoop all their asses in the intellectual department. Combined.
    “Actually, Gabe’s age and unlimited potential are part of the reason why I have reservations,” he confessed. “Gabe is a tech genius. There are half a dozen big corporations who want to hire him right after graduation, to pay him a ton of money to invent more of his crazy gadgets. He could be one of those billionaire inventors in a few short years. Hell, I can even see him working for the government, or making the next eco-invention that helps countries on the other side of the globe or something.”
    She processed that silently while she taped half a dozen brightly-colored eggs on top of the plastic grass covered Easter basket, two of which had been decorated and personalized by Addison’s siblings just before he’d sat down for dinner two hours prior. The Easter egg with Kylie’s bubble-letter name looked identical to the one Addison had made—the cute little thing liked to copy everything her big sis did—while Tanner’s egg was adorned with all the new-teen boy subtlety of bold tribal tattoo patterns, jagged orange flames, and crazy-looking alien eyeballs.
    She was so great with them; almost like their mom instead of their sister. He’d yet to learn about their parents or why the kids were here in the diner every night, but he seriously doubted anyone could do a better job loving those two lucky kids than she did. Coming from a close-knit family himself, Caine always enjoyed watching Addison interact with her brother and sister as they finished up their meals before she drove them home to turn in during her dinner break, usually around nine after the dinner rush, before it got too late for the kids to be up.
    When she would return to work after her break, the hour or so he’d get to spend talking to her before he’d head over to the station to get changed and ready for his midnight shift was now easily one of the best parts of his day.
    “Maybe Gabe doesn’t want to make truckloads of money or change the world,” she remarked finally. “What’s so wrong with him using his smarts a little closer to home? Helping folks keep their family and possessions safe is a noble profession. Again, right up your alley.” The soft, unbridled smile that ghosted her lips wasn’t at all the like big flashy one she gave the customers. No, this one was more introspective. More real.
    Just for him.
    “Too dangerous.” For a brief moment, he wasn’t sure if he was still only talking about his brothers’ business venture, or if he was also describing Addison’s smile.
    She stared at him for a beat. “Is that what the hesitation is about? You’re worried about your brothers’ safety if they work in security?”
    “No, that’s not it exactly.” How could he explain it to her? While his time on the force had involved some of the greatest good he could imagine being a part of, he’d also seen enough during that time that had changed his entire world view irrevocably. Not for the better.
    He just…didn’t want his brothers to come to see the world the way he now did, didn’t want their shadows to chase them the way his now did.
    Per usual, Addison never pushed. But he felt his defenses dropping all the same. “I’m worried about what they’ll go through if all these high tech security systems they