“It’s going straight to voice mail.” Alex’s head bent forward. “Eric and his family are quite concerned.”
The helplessness within Marcus grew even more. He wanted to be out there doing what he could to find her. The thought of her on her own, wounded and hurting made him want to tear out the wires and tubes attached to his body and leave the hospital in search of her. But just like the night he’d been shot, his body failed him.
“There’s one more thing,” Alex said as he held something out to Marcus. “Trent looked through her phone to see if he could find anything there. He came across some messages.”
Without Alex having to say anything more, Marcus knew what they were about. He took the phone from his friend and stared down at it for a moment before touching the screen to bring it to life. When he finally got to the message screen, he braced himself. Though his mind might question things, his heart told him that Alicia couldn’t be involved.
He wanted his heart to be right.
As he read the messages that had come in from an unidentified number, Marcus saw that the communication had been pretty much all one-sided except for the first couple of messages. His mind tried to look for another angle of how Alicia might have been involved, but his heart said to hand the phone back to Alex and let any such thoughts go.
“Do you know anything about that?” Alex asked.
Marcus nodded. “The Mastermind—Eli—mentioned having been in contact with her when we were talking that night. It appeared that he was trying to use her secrets to blackmail her into working for him.”
“And you don’t think he succeeded?” Alex asked.
“No.” Marcus said the word with confidence because his heart knew Alicia. Working alongside her. Living in the same home as her. Trusting her with his sister. Dancing with her. All of that had shown him who Alicia truly was.
He’d seen her heart when she cared for Meredith. He’d seen her passion when she tackled her job, determined to be the best assistant he’d ever had. He’d seen her vulnerability when she placed her hands in his to learn a new dance. And he’d felt their hearts connect when he’d cupped her face in his hands and watched her eyes spill over with tears.
“She had her reasons for keeping some things to herself, but it wasn’t out of maliciousness.” Marcus paused. “We need to find her, Alex. I need her found.”
Alex stared at him intently before nodding. “We’re doing the best we can. We’ll find her for you.”
Marcus had confidence in his team so he moved on to the next subject. “Tell me the rest.”
“This all started when BlackThorpe won a bid that Eli’s company was going after.”
Marcus frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense. After all, we won a contract to do the training for Eli’s company. They were bigger than us.”
“Right now, a lot of it doesn’t make sense, but from what I can tell, that contract we had with them was strictly for them to gain access to us. That worked well for them until we decided that we weren’t going to continue to work with them. If you recall, Alanna’s kidnapping came not long after we decided to cut ties with Eli.”
Marcus replayed each of the events over in his mind, shaking his head as he did. “How many people were involved in all this?”
“Just a handful, actually. We’ve spoken to most of them who said that they had been given assignments to gather information on specific people, not realizing that all of them were connected to BlackThorpe or what they were being used for. Eli Bennett was not a dumb man. He truly was a mastermind, and unfortunately, the ramifications of all of this are going to be felt for awhile. Our credibility has been damaged with certain people, and I’m not sure what it will take to fix that.”
That was difficult to hear. He and Alex had worked hard to build their company on credibility, skills and getting the job done. Had it all been for naught?
“Eli’s company is in shambles now too,” Alex said. “And there are some people who are having to consider how they ended up dealing with someone like him. Their own data is compromised because they’ve been working with him. Hopefully, we’ll all be able to salvage things. We’ll get through this.”
Marcus glanced at Alex. “Because God will help us?”
Alex’s eyebrows rose at Marcus’s comment. “Well, yes, but I didn’t expect to hear that sentiment from you.”
“I have a few things to tell you myself, but before that, I need to know about Jeff.”
With a sigh, Alex nodded. “Eli was able to get to Jeff again by threatening his family. Jeff said that once he’d gotten his things from the apartment, he’d found an email from Eli. I guess Jeff felt Eli’s abilities to get to his family were better than BlackThorpe’s ability to protect them. But even as Eli had Jeff doing things that would allow him access to your house—like rerouting the calls Derek placed regarding the power outage—he was also trying to help you out.”
“Like how?” Marcus asked, feeling sick at the thought that his own brother hadn’t trusted him. It was like no one he cared for, except Meredith, was willing to trust him.
“Eli suspected you’d have a panic room, given the level of security you had around your house, so he had told Jeff to investigate and to cut any landlines that he found. Jeff found all three landlines, but he only cut the two, hoping that when the attack occurred, someone would be able to get there and make the call for help. Jeff was sitting in the driveway operating the jammer and monitoring things when we arrived. He didn’t try to stop us and has, in fact, been nothing but cooperative with us since.”
Marcus was glad to hear that, but that didn’t stop him from wishing that Jeff would have just trusted him. He wouldn’t have ended up in this hospital bed if he had. And Alicia wouldn’t be out there somewhere, hurting and alone. “Is that everything?”
“That’s the overview. Lots of other details, but nothing that can’t wait until you are back on your feet. Although you will have to speak to the cops now that you’re conscious. We had no choice but to bring them in because of Eli’s death. Thankfully, they’re not being as difficult as they could be considering how we kind of took things into our own hands once the call came in from Derek.” Alex paused then said, “Well, there is just one more thing, but it’s more of an FYI. Meredith and Derek are both staying at our place. Meredith had no interest in staying at your place and has only been back to pick up some things for herself and Alicia.”
“Does she know that Alicia’s missing?”
“Unfortunately, she found out earlier when she went to visit her and found out she had signed herself out. Are you up to another visit from her? I know she’d love to see you.”
Marcus nodded. With what he’d heard about Alicia and then Jeff, he needed to be reassured that Meredith really was okay. He hadn’t been focused enough to make sure of that the last time she’d been in.
“Oh, here’s one more thing.” Alex reached into the pocket of the suit coat he wore and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Thought you might want to read this.”
Marcus took the paper from him with a nod. He had a pretty good idea what it was, and once Alex left, he opened it up and stared at the handwritten letter.
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing this letter to tender my resignation from BlackThorpe Security. As per our agreement with regards to the three-month probation period, this is effective immediately.
I apologize for the events that have led to this, and I want you to know how much I have enjoyed my time working for BlackThorpe.
Sincerely,
Alicia Leighton
The paper crackled as Marcus’s hands clenched. This was not the end for them. Professionally or personally. He needed her in his life. All areas of his life. She got him. The only other people that understood him like she seemed to were Alex and Meredith. Alicia seemed willing to put up with his attitude and she wasn’t scared by it, but Marcus had wanted to be better with her. He’d found himself treating her differently without even thinki
ng about it. He’d wanted to protect her…even from himself.
She fitted into his life so seamlessly, and that was amazing to him after he’d struggled to allow people to get close to him, especially because of Meredith. He just couldn’t imagine his life without her, so he had to at least try to see if she would come back to him.
He reached for his cell phone, wincing as the stitches in his stomach pulled. Trent had gotten him the answers he’d needed before, so Marcus hoped the man would come through once again.
~*~
You’re being selfish.
Alicia stared at the latest text she’d received from Tori. Was she? After a day alone in the apartment, she’d turned her personal cell phone back on to find a flood of messages. They had started out as messages of concern, but now—another day later—the messages from Tori had moved on to anger because Alicia wouldn’t communicate and disclose where she was.
The message she’d received from Eric had surprised her the most.
You don’t need to resign from BlackThorpe. Neither Alex nor Marcus have demanded that of you. We understand now that there were extenuating circumstances. Mom and Dad have shared that with us. You don’t have to be alone.
She might have believed what Eric said except that there had been no message from Marcus. And even with Eric’s reassurances, she found it hard to believe that Marcus would trust her again. He’d asked something very specific of her more than once, and she’d ignored those requests.
But maybe she was being selfish with her decision to leave Minneapolis. When she’d made the decision to step away from her life there, she’d thought it was the best thing, given the secrets she’d kept. Now, though, she couldn’t help but question her decisions once again. Though she had contacted Caroline to let her know that she was okay, any time she thought about contacting anyone else, fear sprang to life within her.
She was slowly coming to realize that it wasn’t good intentions that were fueling her decisions, it was fear. And it was the fear of rejection that overrode everything else.
Alicia’s shoulders slumped, hissing as the pain that caused in her side took her breath away. Moving slowly, she lowered herself to the bed and curled up on her non-injured side.
She’d spent the last day trying to plan out what to do next. If she decided to stay, finding a job would have to be at the top of her list, but she just couldn’t find the energy to tackle that yet. She had some money saved from her first few paychecks from BlackThorpe, but it wouldn’t last long since another payment to the lawyer would be due soon.
But maybe…just maybe she should stop trying to hide from what had happened. She couldn’t let fear direct her life. Everywhere she turned in her life, she was ruled by fear. Fear that people would reject her because of her mother led to her first lie. Fear that people would find out about her lie led to her next one. Fear that she’d lose her job had led to another one. Fear had yet to lead her to make the right choice.
It was entirely possible that fear could keep her from the job she loved. But more importantly, it could keep her from the man she loved. Though he hadn’t said the words, Alicia knew that Marcus cared for her. She’d seen it in his eyes and felt it in his touch. What she didn’t know was if he still cared for her after everything that had happened this week. And the only way she’d find out was if she faced her fear head on and returned to the life she wanted so badly but was afraid to believe she could have.
As she lay there, Alicia knew that fear, just like her lies, had no place in her life and her heart. She thought back to one of the Bible study lessons and the verses from that lesson that spoke of how God hadn’t given Christians a spirit of fear. So if fear wasn’t from God, then she should not be allowing it to motivate her decisions. Instead of praying about it all, she’d reacted out of fear.
Alicia didn’t know if she was strong enough on her own to let go of the fear, but she knew that she could trust God to give her what she needed. She had to do this because what if the job at BlackThorpe was what God wanted for her life? What if it was His will that there be a relationship between her and Marcus? If she continued to run, she’d never know, and she’d always wonder.
No fear.
No regrets.
~*~
Marcus stared at the two-story building, frowning as he took in the dilapidated appearance. The blue paint was peeling to reveal the beige siding in so many places it might as well not even have been there. Some of the numbers on the doors were missing. Others hung askew. His heart hurt to think that this was where Alicia had gone at the end of each day when she’d left BlackThorpe.
He knew why she lived there. Even with the salary from BlackThorpe, she likely couldn’t have afforded much better. But hopefully, that would change soon. He was there to see if he could convince her to come back.
“Wait for me,” Marcus said to Art who sat behind the wheel of the car. “I don’t know how long I’ll be.”
“I’ll be here,” Art assured him. “For however long it takes.”
Marcus opened the door and slowly lowered one foot and then the other to the ground. He’d taken medication before coming, but all it ever really did was take the edge off the pain. The doctors were surprised at how well he was healing, and had even discharged him sooner than expected, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still experiencing some pain.
With measured steps, Marcus made his way up the sloped asphalt parking lot to the building. As soon as Trent had dumped the GPS information from the laptop, he’d been able to trace it to this address. Marcus had dispatched someone to track when Alicia showed up so they could determine her apartment number.
Armed with that information now, Marcus headed for number seven, grateful it was on the first floor. Standing in front of the door, he paused to say a prayer that this reunion would go well. He had talked to Alex at length about things—like Alicia and the spiritual change he’d undergone—and he knew Alex was praying for him, but he still was nervous about this meeting.
Nothing usually made him nervous. He was a military man-- always confident and in charge—but suddenly, when presented with the possibility that Alicia would reject him, Marcus was nervous.
He reached out and rapped twice on her door, hoping his knock didn’t sound too loud or alarming. It seemed to take forever before he saw the curtain covering the window next to the door move. And then it was another eternity before she opened the door and Marcus was able to drink in the sight of her.
He’d missed her.
Alicia stared at Marcus, her dark eyes wide. Her skin was pale, and the dark circles under her eyes worried him. She wore a T-shirt that swamped her, coming to the middle of her legging-clad thighs. There was no sign of her injury though he knew it was there. As he watched, her gaze moved over him as if trying to see the damage he too had sustained.
“May I come in?” he asked.
He was grateful when she nodded without hesitation and then stepped back, her hand gripping the edge of the door. His gaze swept the room, taking in the double bed with rumpled blankets pushed up against the far wall. She had a small table with a couple of chairs, and a kitchenette with a bar fridge and a single burner stove.
If he had his way, she would never live in such a meager environment again.
She’d moved to stand off to his side, her hands clenched in front of her. “Would you like to sit down?”
“Yes. Thank you,” Marcus said as he moved to sit at the table. “I’m doing better, but standing too long can be painful.”
“It was that way for me too, but it’s gotten better.” Alicia sat down in the chair across from him. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
Marcus studied her, unable to get enough of seeing her once again. “I’m very glad that you’re okay too.”
She shifted in her seat, her gaze dropping for a moment before meeting his again. “I’m sorry for my part in what happened.”
“You had no part in what happened,” Marcus stated firmly. “We saw the text messages the bl
ackmailer sent you. We also noted that you didn’t interact with him. And I already knew the information that he was threatening to reveal.”
Alicia’s eyes widened. “You knew?”
Marcus hated having to tell her what he’d done, but he needed the air cleared between them. “Yes. When you came back from California, I was concerned about what happened. I had Trent do some investigating. He found out about your mom and the lawyer you’ve been paying.”
He’d thought she might get angry with him, but instead, she simply nodded and said, “There were just too many lies to keep straight. I’m sorry for not being honest.”
“I understand that you had your reasons for what you did. I had my reasons too, and they were all centered around wanting to make sure you were safe. The realization that someone had laid their hands on you was very difficult to accept. I want you to be safe. Always.”
Her gaze left his as her lips tightened and her brow furrowed. “Thank you for what you did to make sure I was safe.”
“I’m not done with that job yet, Alicia,” Marcus said, his voice low. “I need you to come back.”
Not want her to come back or hope she’d come back. He needed her to come back.
“You do?” The words were barely a whisper.
“I do.”
“But how could you want me back at BlackThorpe after what happened?”
Marcus shook his head. “The job is secondary to me right now. I need you in my life, period.”
Alicia lifted a hand and pressed her fingertips to her lips. “You do? Not just as your assistant?”
“Not just as my assistant. I still want you as my assistant, I’d be crazy not to. You’re the best one I’ve ever had. However, if you don’t want the job, I’ll find someone else, but I still want you in my life.”
Her gaze lowered as she rubbed a hand on her thigh. “I loved working as your assistant, but I loved being with you outside the office too. I always felt safe with you. Almost as if you…cared.”
A Sense of Security: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 6) Page 26
