No one spoke. Sully was too angry to even attempt conversation, even though he really wanted to know how Maggie was doing.
It was late, well past midnight, and Sully knew his guys were tired. He was tired. As they exited the van, Sully said, "Meeting at eight a.m. Get some rest. Zach?" Zach turned to look at him. "That means you, too."
Zach winked at him. "Roger that, boss."
Gabriel paused before going up. "Hey, man, when you were talking with the police, Cate texted me. She's found out some info on Christy Knox."
Sully sighed. He was bone-tired. But if it was urgent, he'd make time. "Did Christy contact her?"
Gabriel shook his head. "Not yet."
"Think it can wait till morning?"
Gabriel nodded. "Just wanted to give you a heads-up."
"Thanks."
Putting his hand on the small of Maggie's back, he directed her to the elevators, down the hallway, and into her room. He wasn't even going to pretend to sleep in his own room tonight. He needed to be close to her. Needed to make sure she was ok.
He closed the door as Maggie pulled off the blanket and laid it on the bed. He slipped out of his jacket and tossed it on a nearby chair. The fedora was long gone. He wasn't even sure where he'd left it. Whether it had fallen off in his rush to get to Maggie at the Blue Note, or been knocked off when he'd dived on top of her as the car exploded, it was long gone.
Maggie turned to him, tears intensifying the blue of her eyes. Her face crumpled, and he rushed to her, scooping her up in his arms and sitting down with her on the bed.
"Shh," he said softly as she cried on his shoulder. He wanted to make it all better. Wished he could take away the pain, fear, and sorrow she felt.
"What if he hurts Brady?" she asked.
"He won't. I'm sure he won't." Sully wasn't sure of any such thing, but what else could he say?
He pulled back, taking Maggie’s face in his hands. "How's your cheek?"
"Fine. Bruised. I'll live. I've had worse."
Yeah, he didn't want to be reminded of that.
Lightly, he kissed her bruised cheekbone. "We need to get some ice on that."
Maggie nodded. Sully went to stand, but she tugged him back to her. "Not yet. Stay."
Sully pulled her against his chest and lay back against the headboard. He pulled the pins from the wig and took it off, tossing it across the room. Maggie sat up slightly and giggled at the pile of hair lying on the floor.
Sully then took the pins out of her hair and let it down, running his fingers through it and massaging her scalp. She moaned softly, and it made his insides flip-flop. His hand traced along the side of her face down to her neck, shoulder, and arm. Goose bumps erupted on her skin, and she shivered.
"Cold?" he asked, with a grin in his voice.
"Nope."
He chuckled and kept stroking her arm. As if in utter contentment, she sighed loudly and snuggled against his chest even more, relaxing completely. After several minutes, her breaths evened out, becoming deeper, slower.
Glancing down at her face, Sully saw that she was asleep. He flipped off the bedside light that had been left on when they’d arrived, and the room went dark. Closing his eyes, he gave in to the fatigue that he'd felt all evening, and slept.
* * * *
Maggie awoke to the sound of her shower running. She was still in her dress from the night before but was nestled under her covers. The side of her face felt puffier than it had the night before. She'd fallen asleep instead of putting ice on it.
That's going to do wonders for the swelling, she thought.
The water shut off, and, a few minutes later, Sully stepped out, clad only in a small towel.
Maggie’s heart rate picked up, and she couldn't help but stare.
The man had more muscles than she'd ever seen up close. He was as perfect and chiseled as the statue of David, his muscles bunching as he walked towards her. Leaning over her on the bed, he placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Morning," he said huskily, his voice hoarse from sleep.
Maggie licked her lips. "Morning."
"I have a team meeting at eight. Come on down when you feel like it. I'd like to hear what Garmoni said to you last night. And I need to let the team know what I found out as well."
"I forgot that you followed those guys into the bathroom."
"It wasn't a big break, but it's a start," he said. She glanced at her phone. Seven-thirty. Then she crawled out of the bed. Underneath his towel, Sully was pulling on his pants from last night. He zipped them and then turned around, his chest still bare. A lone drop of water was trailing a path down his chest to his belly button.
Maggie wanted to trace that path with her lips.
"See something you like?" Sully asked, jerking her attention to his face. Blushing, she rushed to the bathroom, closing the door behind her before she did anything to further embarrass herself.
After a quick, cold shower, Maggie stood in front of the bathroom mirror, cringing.
Her cheekbone was purple where Anthony had hit her, and her eye was slightly swollen, but it wasn't as bad as she'd imagined. She didn't have time to bother with a lot of makeup, so she put a little tinted moisturizer on, with a touch of concealer under her eyes and along her cheekbone. It helped, but the bruise still shone through.
When she went back to her room, Sully was gone. To change his clothes, she assumed. Maggie went to her closet and pulled out gray leggings, her favorite band t-shirt, and a long cardigan sweater. She slid her feet into black combat boats and zipped up the sides.
The outfit made her look like a punk kid, but it was comfortable, and today, she needed comfort.
Everyone was already seated at the conference table when she got there. It was a little after eight, and Sully was already talking about two guys named Avila and Castaneda.
"I think Christy Knox is in trouble."
"Who's Christy Knox?" Maggie asked as she took her seat.
Cate spoke up. "She used to be the madam for a high-dollar escort service. She had information on The General and some other politicians. Most of it was circumstantial, and none of the stuff on The General reached a criminal level. Still, she went into protective custody.
"I confirmed this morning that the marshals that were assigned to her were all killed. She's missing."
"According to Avila, she escaped into the woods. Quite good at it," Sully said.
"She grew up in the Tennessee mountains. Small town. I'm betting she had lots of practice in the woods before she became the slick businesswoman we all know," Cate said.
"How'd you find that out?" Zach asked.
"You're not the only one with skills," Cate answered with a wink.
"Do we know where the safe house was?"
"Western Virginia. Tennessee-Virginia line," Zach said. "Our guy called this morning. They have people in the woods searching for her."
"Good. Cate, keep your phone close by. I'm still convinced she'll try to reach you first."
"Hasn't left my side."
"Maggie, what did Garmoni say last night?" Sully asked, his normally commanding voice taking on a softer edge.
"Not much. Just confirmed that he had Brady and that he wanted me back. And that I would pay for leaving him," Maggie said quietly.
Sully cursed under his breath. "Did he mention where he was staying or what he was doing here?"
She shook her head. "No. I think his main objective was to mess with my head."
"I’m sorry," he said.
"If you need to talk, let me know. I'm here," Isabel said, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand. Isabel's background in psychology made her the perfect confidant for the team. Maggie had a feeling that they'd all confided in her at some point. And maybe she would, too. She had never been able to get any sort of counseling after her hospital stay. She'd had Brady to care for, no insurance, and no job. Counseling had been a luxury she couldn't afford.
"Thanks," Maggie replied. "I may take you up on that."
Just then, Cate's phone buzzed on the table. The whole room went quiet. "Unknown number," she said quietly, and then answered. "Hello?"
Her face relaxed.
"Oh my gosh, Christy. We've been so worried about you."
Cate looked at Sully, her eyes wide.
"Stay there. We'll send someone to you as soon as we can…Gabriel and I will come ourselves."
Cate hung up the phone. "She walked all night. She's in the next county over."
"I'm not comfortable with you two going there alone," Sully said.
"We don't have a choice. She doesn't trust anyone else."
"It's not safe—"
Cate straightened her spine, determination ringing in her voice.
"She's been shot."
Chapter 15
Sully sent Lucas with Gabriel and Cate. He didn't like having half his team away from the compound, but Christy needed Lucas's medical skills, and she wouldn't trust anyone else.
He was anxious to hear what had happened at the safe house. How had the person found out where she was staying? Why would the marshals have let them in?
The FBI had called after Christy did, and informed them that there had been no forced entry. Whoever had led the assault on the house had been friend, not foe. Only someone high up on the food chain would have been allowed inside that house. And it wasn't Avila's men.
Maggie had gone into her office shortly after the meeting was over. She'd been quiet, and Sully wanted to talk to her about Garmoni's threats. He wanted to assure her that he wouldn't let the creep anywhere near her.
Every time he went into her office, however, someone else was in there. At first, it had been Isabel, and the two women had been talking quietly. If anyone could help Maggie sort through her emotions, it was Izz. Shortly after Isabel left, Scarlett and Ella had walked in, giggling and laughing.
It tugged at his heart that Maggie had such loyal friends. When the girls left, poking their heads in the doorway one last time and laughing about something that he was sure concerned him, he got up to talk to Maggie—only to find Zach hanging out at her desk, his feet propped up and his laptop resting on his thighs.
He looked completely at ease, but Sully was tired of waiting.
"Harper. Out," he barked.
Zach didn't move, just raised one eyebrow in question. "Problems, boss?"
"Yeah, I need to speak to Maggie." Zach crossed his arms. "Alone."
Zach looked at Maggie as if asking permission—what the hell was going on?—and when she nodded, he slowly got to his feet. He passed by Sully and clapped him on the shoulder.
Sully shut the door, then sat down in the chair that Zach had vacated.
"How are you doing?" he asked.
"I really wish people would quit asking me that. Do you know that I have not been alone for a single minute since I got down here?" Her face was tight with suppressed anger.
"I think everyone is just worried about you."
"I’m not a fragile doll. I won't break."
"No one thinks you're a fragile doll."
"Then why haven't I been left alone?"
"I didn't plan it. I think…" He sighed. "I think everyone just loves you. They're trying to show you that."
"Oh," she said, her mouth closing with a pop. "I didn't realize."
Sully shrugged. "You've wrapped us all around your little finger."
Her eyes glinted with a mischievous gleam, and she stood, rounding her desk and standing in between his legs, her hip propped up on the desk. "Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah," he said, eyeing her suspiciously.
"What about you?" she asked, bending closer and placing her hands on his thighs. He could smell the honeysuckle shampoo she used, and the sweet smell of the lotion she put on every morning. He inhaled deeply. As long as he lived, he would never grow tired of the way she smelled.
Placing his hands on her hips, he turned her and pulled her onto his lap. "What about me?"
"Do I have you wrapped around my little finger, too?"
Instead of answering her with words, he kissed her. She tasted of toothpaste and a hint of coffee. Not too overpowering. His tongue brushed against hers, and a soft moan escaped her lips.
Sully tugged on the braid that she'd put her hair in that morning. It fell across her right shoulder, and when her head tilted back, he placed his lips at the base of her throat. He could feel her pulse jumping under his tongue.
A throat clearing broke through his Maggie-filled haze. Maggie pulled away, her lips red and swollen. Sully looked up at the door to find Lucas smirking.
Maggie hopped off Sully’s lap, and he did mean hopped. It was as if she had springs attached to her feet. She smoothed down her shirt and went back to her side of the desk.
Sully stood slowly. He should probably feel embarrassment at being caught kissing the pink-haired pixie by one of his employees, but he just couldn't muster it. He'd found each one of his guys in compromising situations with their significant others at some point or another, and he figured the tables had finally turned.
Lucas's smirk bloomed into a full-fledged smile.
"Did you find her?" Sully asked.
"Yeah. That woman has to be one of the strongest I've ever met—next to Scarlett and Emery, that is. She walked ten miles with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Went in and out, but still, she lost a lot of blood."
"Is she at the hospital?"
"No. I stitched her up in the van. She refused to go. And I didn't think it was a good idea, either, if The General is after her. I'll keep an eye on her. If she starts to exhibit signs of distress, I'll take her in."
"Good. Do we have a room for her?"
"Yeah. Izz is taking care of her now."
"I'll want to talk with her after she's rested."
"I figured. Give her a few hours to rest. Her sentences are pretty incoherent at this point."
"Thanks, Lucas."
"No problem, boss. I'll let you two, um, get back to work." He said those last words with a snicker, and Sully elbowed him in the ribs. Lucas grunted and laughed.
Sully slammed the door and slowly turned to find Maggie grinning at him. She was no wilting flower.
"Your team loves you," she said quietly, the smile still plastered across her face.
"Yeah, well, we've been through a lot together."
He loved each one of his guys like a brother. Damn, and Ethan actually was his brother now. He'd lay down his life for every one of them. Didn't mean he wouldn't give them crap, though, and they did the same to him.
"Do you miss your brother?" he asked, settling into the seat across from her. She seemed to want to keep her distance this time, and she sat down behind the desk.
"I do. We were close until Anthony came between us. Will raised me when my parents died. Gave up a full ride to the University of Georgia and went to another university at night so that he could be there for me."
Her face brightened when she talked about her brother, but there was a sadness, too.
"When I met Anthony, I'd just completed high school. I had a full ride to Georgia Southern. I blew it off in order to be with him. My brother was furious. Told me if I was going to waste my opportunities, I could leave. So I did."
Sully felt the anger rise inside him. He knew her brother couldn't have known what kind of monster Anthony Garmoni was, but it still made him angry.
"Will had no idea about the depth of evil that Anthony had inside him. He only knew that he was no good. When Will came by the hospital that last time, he didn't leave my side. He slept in the chair next to me. I woke up at one point with Will's head in my lap. He was sobbing, apologizing."
Maggie took a deep breath as if to clear the tears from her throat.
"When I told him about the baby and how we would need to move out of state, he didn't even hesitate. And when I asked him to keep Brady safe and to raise him as his own, he did."
"That's what family does," Sully said.
"Yeah, but I want to give bac
k. I know he loves Brady, but Jenna is just a couple months away from giving birth to my niece. I want them to have that moment to themselves, without having to raise Brady, too."
"You want him here with you."
Maggie nodded, the tears spilling over her lashes and trailing a path down her pale pink cheeks, one of which was still marred from that asshole Anthony's slap last night.
"We'll make it happen. I promise."
"If anyone can do it, it's you."
Sully just hoped he could keep that promise.
* * * *
It was several hours before Christy felt like talking. The team met in the common area so that she could stay reclined on the couch. Sully and the guys brought a few chairs up from the conference room, and they all—wives included—sat in a circle to hear Christy's story.
Cate sat on the couch with her. Christy didn't seem like the warm, touchy-feely type, but Cate sat close to her as if to reassure her that someone was on her side. They had a connection that had begun when Cate had gone undercover as an escort. Christy had known from the beginning that Cate wasn't who she said she was, and had positioned her strategically to find out the information that Cate had been searching for.
"How are you feeling?" Sully asked, once everyone had settled in.
"Like I was shot and then ran ten miles through the woods last night," Christy answered, her brow quirking up and a smile twitching up on one side of her mouth.
"Other than that?"
"Other than that, I'm feeling stronger. Thanks for coming to my rescue."
"Can you tell us what happened?"
Christy sat up a little straighter on the couch. "It was after ten last night. I had just finished a glass of wine and had told the guys good night." Her eyes welled with tears, but she swallowed hard and kept going.
"Harry and Tucker were sitting in the living room, watching the hockey game. Jeremy was sitting at the kitchen table. After I’d told them all good night, I was on the stairs on my way to my room when I heard the knock at the door. I froze since there was no good reason anyone should be at the safe house after ten at night."
The room was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was focused on each word that was coming from Christy's mouth. Maggie could feel the fear in her voice.
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