by Dale Mayer
He sighed as he stared at her. “You know you’ll have to stay here,” he said.
She looked at him, frowned, and said, “In your dreams.”
He grinned. “Feisty, I like that.”
“Well, it sure as hell isn’t a cabin in the middle of nowhere,” she said.
“Hmm, we’re not up for that yet either,” he said. “We need to nab James Dean first.”
“I think he’ll disappear into the woodwork,” she announced.
“You think so?” He pondered that and said, “The trouble is, we won’t know.”
“Well, I still need to get away and heal for a bit. Is there any reason we can’t go away for a few days anyway?”
“What about your father?”
At that, she immediately gasped and said, “You’re right. I can’t go anywhere.”
“At least not until we know how he’s doing,” he said gently.
She nodded slowly. “What’s wrong with me?” she asked. “We just brought him in, and I’m already trying to get away.”
“No,” he said. “Listen. You’re just looking to get out of this high-stress scenario. To get away from all the torment and the craziness to find a bit of peace and quiet. Don’t confuse that with anything else. You’re not trying to get away from your father. You’re trying to survive. You desperately need a respite from all the madness.”
She nodded slowly. “You’re right,” she said. “I guess that makes more sense than anything. I just … How do you deal with this, when it just never quits?”
“In some ways you get used to it,” he said. “And, in other ways, you never do. In my world, it’s what I do. So I’m used to it.”
She nodded. “It’s crazy,” she said. “You must be very good.”
“I … like to think so,” he said, flashing her a big grin.
She stared at him. “I still want to get to know you.”
“That’s a given,” he said immediately. He reached out, and she immediately slipped her hand into his. When the nurse started deep-cleaning the wound, Stacey gripped Killian’s fingers tighter, and he just let her. He gently stroked the hair from her face. “Don’t dwell on it,” he said. “It’ll be over soon.”
“Maybe,” she said. “But, man, oh man, in the meantime, it hurts.”
“It does,” the nurse said briskly. “But I’m pretty sure you were supposed to be staying home and taking care of that wound, not out in the woods getting new ones.”
“I was,” she said, “but my father’s life was in jeopardy.”
At that, the woman’s face softened, and she nodded. “The things we do for our loved ones.”
“There’s nobody else in the world, if I don’t have him,” Stacey said quietly.
Killian thought about that and realized just how true it was. “You must have felt very alone—in your marriage, I mean.” By now, the nurse had finished stitching up Stacey’s new wound and was now cleaning up the area once more.
Stacey sighed as the local shot of painkiller must have kicked in. She released her vice grip on Killian’s hand. He patted her hand now. “Yes. So very alone,” she said. “But that stage of my life is over, and you can’t imagine the joy of knowing that Max is gone and that I don’t have to deal with him or the fear of him ever again.”
“Nope,” he said. On that note, he pulled out his phone and sent off a message regarding the estate. If she wasn’t divorced, then somebody needed to be looking out for her interests, before James Dean—and whoever else was in this guy’s slimy circle of friends—tried to cut Stacey out of the material wealth that Max had left behind.
If any of it had been obtained legally.
If it were stolen, or related to arms dealing, it would all be seized by the government anyway. But Killian could count on the Mavericks to check into that. With that done, he pocketed his phone and looked down to see her watching him with a frown. He smiled, then leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “Just checking a few things.”
“Always working,” she groused.
“That is the reality of life with me,” he said seriously. “When I’m on a job, I’m on a job. When I’m off, I’m off.”
“Do you have the same intensity and focus when you’re off a job?”
He grinned. “Depends what I’m focusing on,” he said, waggling his eyebrows in a comical manner.
She burst out laughing. “Well, in that case,” she said, “you’re forgiven. And, when it’s just the two of us, will you turn that same intensity on me?”
“Guaranteed.”
The nurse burst out laughing. “You two are funny,” she said. “Been together for a while?”
“Actually, we haven’t,” Stacey confessed, “but we certainly hit it off.”
“It’s like that sometimes,” the nurse said comfortably. “Just don’t waste the opportunity. You’ve had one of those lessons in how fast life can change and how fragile it is. And remember what you said about how, without your loved ones, what is there? You remember that when it comes time to dealing with problems and other headaches in life.”
“Will do,” Stacey said quietly. “I’ve had more than a few lessons on hardships, and I’m all about finding the good things now.”
“You have to work at those too,” the nurse said. “But it looks like you two have a solid groundwork to make that happen.” She beamed at them. “Sit tight, and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Interesting how everybody else keeps telling us what we weren’t so quick to recognize ourselves,” she murmured.
Killian nodded. “Hatch has been urging me to hook up with you since day one.”
“I’m not sure what hook up even means anymore,” she said.
“All he meant was that he saw a special spark between us and that I should pursue it, after the case was done.”
“And I kind of took over and got ahead of his plan then, didn’t I?”
“Hey, I’m okay with that. Equal rights and all,” he said. “I’m not a sexist. You want to ask me out? Then go for it.”
She chuckled. “I’m pretty sure I asked you to go away with me.”
“And I’m a man of opportunity, and I’ll never look a gift horse in the eye, mouth, whatever it is.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “You need to shut up now, before you get yourself in trouble,” she said.
He burst out laughing. “See? And you don’t pull your punches either.”
“Of course not,” she said, smiling. “I spent a lot of time in fear. I don’t ever want to be afraid again.”
“No fear allowed,” he agreed. “You’ve got a problem with me? You tell me flat-out.”
“And you’ll never hit me, right?”
He looked at her steadily. “Sweetheart, I have never hurt a woman in my life. Even if they’re the bad guy.”
And it looked like she believed him, but he knew it would take more than just words to prove it. It was something she would have to learn slowly. Trusting again was a big deal, and she’d have to take her time. That was okay because he was up for seeing how they did along the way. She was special, and definitely they shared a connection between them that he didn’t want to let go of.
Only time would tell what would happen where James Dean was concerned. Killian wanted Dean cleared off this case and for her to be completely out of danger. On that note he pulled out his phone again, calling Jerricho directly, putting his phone on speaker, asking if they had checked the satellite feeds yet.
“Satellite feeds checked. James Dean left when the sirens arrived.”
“Good. Can the team track him, figure out where he went to?”
“They’re working on that right now,” he said. “We’ll put a guard on Stacey’s father, as he’ll be staying in the hospital for a while.” Then Jerricho hung up.
“And what about a guard around Hatch?” she asked curiously. “Or is he so invincible that he doesn’t need a guard?”
“Hatch’s coming with us,” Killian said. “He’s hurt,
but he’s not that bad.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want him injured anymore.”
“You may not want him injured, but, if you ever imply that he can’t do the job,” Killian said, “you’ll have a hell of a fight on your hands.”
She sighed. “All this macho stuff, I’m not really used to it.”
“Well, better get used to it,” he said, “if you’re hanging around with us.” And he leaned over and kissed her.
“What the hell was that?” she said in exasperation. “That was like a little baby kiss, like I’m a … I’m a kid with a boo-boo or something.”
“Oh, and how did you want to get kissed?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow.
She gave him an impish grin. “Like we’re all alone, like we have all the time in the world, and like you really mean it.”
“Well, I can give you one of those,” he said. “Like I really mean it.” And, with that, he gathered her up in his arms and kissed her passionately. When the nurse returned and cleared her throat loudly, he pulled back. He glanced at the nurse, who eyed the two of them enviously.
“You know that there’s a time and a place, and this is not it,” she said.
He looked down to see a bemused look on Stacey’s face.
“Wow,” she said. “I did ask for that,” she murmured. “And that was a hell of a kiss.”
“It was,” the nurse said. “And now you make me want to go home to my husband.”
“And that’s what you should do,” he said quietly. “Life’s too short for all of this pain without more pleasure.”
“When my shift’s over,” she said, “I’ll remember that. Now that those wounds are cleaned up and dry, I’ve come to bandage them, the new and the old.”
He looked down at Stacey and said, “I’ll leave you for a few minutes, while I go check on Hatch.”
“Good,” she said. “Especially if he’s coming with us, we’ve got to make sure that he’ll be okay too.”
He grinned. “He’d be thrilled that you care.”
“No, he just wants someone to argue with,” she said, laughing.
And, on that note, he kissed her forehead and headed out to check on his friend.
Chapter 12
“I could have told him that Hatch is doing just fine, but he looks like the kind of guy who wants to see for himself,” the nurse said to Stacey.
“That’s so true,” Stacey said, with a smile. As soon as her leg was bandaged again, she looked at the nurse and asked, “Is Hatch likely to be released?”
“It’s more a case of we won’t hold him,” she said, her lips twitching. “I’ve seen guys like that before. They come in, get patched up, and, next thing you know, they’re gone, even though any normal human being would need two days of recovery,” she said, with an eye roll. “Just something about them. They’re larger-than-life somehow. Stronger, smarter, faster. I don’t know. It’s … They’re just a completely different breed. Warriors,” the nurse added quietly. “And, when you get a chance to match up with one, like you obviously have, you hang on for the ride. It’ll be wild. It’ll be tumultuous, but it will be the ride of a lifetime. If you can make it last, they’re excellent partners, a true gift from God.”
“Are they?” she asked hopefully. “Because I’m coming out of a really ugly marriage.”
“I heard some of the details,” she said. “These guys focus and train, so they know exactly where to direct the anger they have, and it’s not at their women,” she said firmly.
“I hope you’re right,” she said, “because I really, really like him.”
“I’d say you’re well past the like stage,” the nurse said, with a smile. “And, if that kiss was anything to go by, you guys need some quiet time and space, where you can get rid of all that pent-up energy.”
“Well, that was the hope,” she said. “And now that my husband has been killed, I don’t have to look over my shoulder quite so much anymore.”
“Good,” she said. “So it’s time to get away for a few days, where you can heal that leg and explore the relationship, like you both obviously want to.”
“That’s the plan, but I also need to know that Hatch and my father will be okay too.”
“Your father is in good hands,” she said. “And, short of us finding anything more severe in the x-rays, he’ll stay here with us for a few days. As long as he’s under guard and there’s no other danger, he should be good to go next week.”
“That would make me very happy,’ she said quietly. “There’s just the two of us.”
“And we’ll do everything we can for him,” she said, with a bright smile. She stepped back, cleaned up her mess, and said, “Now I think you’re good to go too.”
Stacey slowly slid off the hospital bed, walked a few steps, and said, “I still don’t understand that phenomenon. How come I didn’t feel any pain at all, until the new wound was pointed out to me? I feel like such an idiot to only feel pain when I see the injury.”
“Because that’s when your brain connected,” the nurse explained. “Like so many things in life, you don’t see it until it’s pointed out to you, and then, when you do have it pointed out, it makes so much more sense.”
“I guess.” When the curtain opened up, she turned, and there was Killian. “How’s Hatch?”
“He’s fine, and he’s ready to leave with us.”
“Perfect,” she said. “Look. I’ve got pretty bandages now.”
He shook his head. “It would sure be great if you could stop getting hurt on my watch.”
“You’re not responsible for this,” she said. “That asshole cut me.”
“Oh, and, by the way, that asshole’s been picked up.”
She stopped and stared. “The one who kidnapped me from the ferry?”
“Yep, John Smith. An alias obviously but one all law enforcement is using to collect more data on him and to connect his cases all over the place. He’s not a very happy camper.”
“And why is that?”
“Apparently he kept a logbook with him, listing who and what he was up to,” he said. “So now the police have enough to charge him.”
“Was he in California?”
“No, the Vancouver police picked him up. He was trying to get on another ferry.”
“Jesus. Why? So he could kidnap another woman?”
“He did say something about your case, by the way. That you just fell into his lap, when he realized what was going on.”
“So he just had to jump in there and take advantage of the situation? God forbid he could have actually helped me instead.”
“Like I said, some people are like that.”
“That’s two down,” she said. “If only we could get James Dean.”
“Everybody’s out looking for him, so it will only be a matter of time.”
She looked up, then looked away.
“What is it?” he asked. “Come on. Something’s bothering you. What is it?”
She nodded, then took a deep breath. “Honestly I feel like the only way we’ll find him is when he comes after me.”
“We don’t know that he’s coming after any of us. Now that Max is dead, his life will get torn apart, including any connections between the two of them. The best thing James could do is to leave the country.”
“Do you really think he would do that?” she asked hopefully. Because, in her mind, if he just left and never came back, that would be perfect. She definitely didn’t want to be looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life. And, as she’d already told Killian, something was really scary about James Dean. Max was scary, but James Dean was terrifying. Maybe because she had witnessed Dean killing an armed man with his hands. “We can leave now then?”
“Yep, that’s what we’re doing. But you can’t say goodbye to your father.”
She winced at that. “Why not?”
“He’s getting scans done right now.”
She sagged in place. “Can we come back tonight?”
&nb
sp; “We’ll be at a safe house for now,” he said. “With any luck, you can talk to him on the phone tonight.”
She had to be happy with that. Moving slowly, they headed out the front exit, where they found Hatch sitting on the bench there.
He looked up, a little wan, a little tired, and grinned at her. “See? I’m here.”
“You shouldn’t be,” she scolded.
“Neither should you,” he said, motioning at her leg.
She winced at that. “I’ll heal better at home,” she muttered.
“Yeah, you and me both,” he said.
She rolled her eyes. Killian laughed and said, “Both of you, sit here for a minute, and I’ll bring the vehicle around.” He was gone all of two minutes, and, by the time he got back, the two of them were wrangling again.
As they got in the vehicle, Hatch said, “At least she has a temper.”
“Oh, does that make me somebody you approve of then?”
“I approved of you from the beginning,” he said. “It’s just been a matter of getting you guys to see it.”
“We see it already,” she said, “so why are you still hassling us?”
“I would hardly call it hassling you,” he said. “I just want to make sure that you are really who you say you are.”
She stopped, looked at him, and asked, “What do you mean?”
“Killian’s been hurt before,” Hatch said quietly. “And I want to make sure that you’re here for the right reasons.”
“I am definitely here for the right reasons,” she said. “He fascinates me.”
“Maybe, but what happens when that wears off?”
“Well, I’d like to think it wouldn’t,” she said. “He is the exact opposite of what I married before, so that should tell me something.”
“It does,” he said. “But Killian’s a good man, and he has a big heart. I don’t want to see you smash it.”
“No,” she said, as she opened up the passenger door. “I don’t either.”
“So, when somebody hands you their heart,” Hatch said, “you have a duty to look after it.”
She smiled. “Ditto, in reverse.”
“Are you guys getting in?” Killian asked in exasperation.
