Tangled Mark

by Becky Harmon

  “Wait!” Mel’s sister said as she pulled open the door and collided with Brad. “Oomph.”

  “Sorry.” Brad placed a hand on her arm as they both righted themselves.

  “Yeah, sorry.” Her gaze focused on Nikki. “I thought you were leaving again and I wanted to catch you. You’re Nikki, right?”

  Nikki took a deep breath before stepping forward and offering her hand. “Nikki Mitchell.” She nodded at Brad. “My partner, Brad Morton.”

  “Shea Carter.” She shook their hands before her focus returned to Nikki. “She’s been asking for you.”

  Nikki couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face, and her breath caught as Mel called from inside the room.

  “Get in here, Mitchell.”

  Nikki pushed past Shea and crossed the room in two strides. Her gaze focused on the bruised face before raking down the body covered by the light sheet. She couldn’t see any signs of other physical injury, and her eyes returned to her face, meeting Mel’s stare.

  “Your face is a beautiful kaleidoscope of colors, Agent Carter.” Brad stepped to the other side of the bed and looked down at Mel.

  Mel grinned up at him. “You say the sweetest things, Agent Morton.”

  Shea handed her sister a plastic cup of water and then took a seat in the corner, leaving the agents to talk.

  “Have you been debriefed?” Brad asked.

  Mel shook her head. “I thought maybe that’s what you guys were here for.”

  “Nope, strictly a social call.” He smiled at Nikki. “But since we’re here, I could call in and see if we can take care of that for you.”

  Mel nodded at him before returning her gaze to Nikki. She nodded at the chair on her right side and Nikki moved around the bed. Brad squeezed her arm as they passed and he headed for the door.

  “I’ll step outside to call in. Be right back.”

  * * *

  Nikki pulled the chair next to the bed and sat down with her elbows resting beside Mel.

  “Thanks for coming,” Mel said, placing her hand on top of Nikki’s.

  “I checked on you earlier this morning,” Nikki said, clearly struggling for control.

  “I’m okay. Really,” Mel said, trying to reassure her.

  Nikki nodded, unable to find the words she wanted to say.

  Mel took a deep breath as she wound her fingers through Nikki’s. “I missed you.”

  Nikki nodded again as the welling tears started to fall. Mel pulled her hand from Nikki’s and cradled her face. Using her thumb, she stroked the tears away. “I tried not to think about you when we were locked up. I hoped you weren’t even aware that we were missing.”

  Nikki’s eyes widened. “I knew something was wrong before we even boarded the plane. You said you’d call when you were clear.”

  “And I would have.”

  Nikki leaned her face into Mel’s hand. “That’s why I had to get back to Israel and find you.”

  “Thanks for that, by the way.”

  “I wasn’t ready to let you go yet.” Nikki grasped Mel’s hand with both of hers and squeezed. “Your boss wasn’t real keen on me helping with the search.”

  Mel raised her eyebrows and took a sip of water, meeting her sister’s eyes for the first time. She could tell Shea was surprised at her show of emotion but she didn’t care. If she had her way Nikki would be around for a long time and Mel wasn’t about to let her reputation keep her from letting Nikki know how much she cared.

  Brad stepped back into the room. “Mrs. Bowden is coming to debrief you and Liam. She should be here any minute.”

  Nikki stood and joined Brad, her eyes never leaving Mel’s. “We should leave then.”

  “You’ll come back, right? I’m going to be ready to leave by noon.”

  Nikki glanced at Shea.

  “I’ll be leaving within the hour,” she said. “I have to get back to Tallahassee.”

  Looking around the room, Nikki realized for the first time that Mel’s mother wasn’t there. “And where’s your mom?”

  “She left this morning.” Shea rolled her eyes. “She had a meeting this afternoon that she couldn’t miss.”

  Mel shrugged. “So, can I get a ride?”

  “Yes, I’ll come back with my car after we visit Liam.” Nikki smiled broadly.

  “Later, Agent Carter,” Brad said as he pushed Nikki out the door. He glanced back from the door. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”

  Mel was still smiling as the door closed behind them.

  “That’s quite a catch, big sister.” Shea leaned back in her chair, stretching her long legs out in front of her. “You know what you’re doing, I hope?”

  Mel narrowed her eyes. “I know exactly what I’m doing.”

  “Are you in love with her? She’s certainly in love with you.”

  Mel rubbed her face before looking back at Shea. “Yes, I think I am.”

  “Wow. Big, tough Agent Carter is softening. Are we about to share our emotions, sis?”

  Mel pulled the pillow from behind her head and threw it at Shea. Shea stood and was preparing to whip it back at her, when the door opened and a woman in a dark suit strode into the room.

  Mel pushed the button to raise her bed until she was in a sitting position. “Mrs. Bowden, meet my little sister, Shea.”

  Bowden glanced at the pillow in Shea’s hand and smiled before reaching her hand out to shake. “Nice to see Agent Carter’s spirit is holding up.”

  Shea placed the pillow behind Mel’s head and fluffed it before kissing her cheek. “I’ll call you for details later,” she whispered into her cheek. Grabbing her bag, she headed for the door. “Take care of yourself, sis.”

  “Thanks for coming, Shea. Drive carefully.” She turned to Bowden. “Let’s get started. I want to get out of here.”

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Three days later

  “Stop.”

  “What?”

  “Do not come in here if you plan on fluffing my pillow, checking my bandages or doing anything else to make me more comfortable.”

  Nikki stood in the doorway, watching Mel make her demands. She loved the look of Mel reclined in her favorite chair with both dogs on the floor beside her. Her hair was still damp from a recent shower and one leg stuck out from under the blanket covering her. The bruises on her face were starting to turn a healing color of yellow and she didn’t moan every time she shifted in the chair. Mel had done nothing but sleep and eat for three days, and Nikki had done nothing but watch her. She wanted to talk, to hold her and to make love to her, but she knew they both needed time to recover.

  “What if I’m only here to see if you need anything?”

  “Nothing has changed in the ten minutes since you were last in here. I’m fine. I have a blanket, a drink, a snack and the television remote. What more could a girl want?”

  Nikki gave her a devilish smile. “Ask me that in a couple more days and I’ll have an answer for you.”

  Mel stood, dropping the blanket and the remote to the floor. “Why wait?”

  Nikki took a step backward. “No, no, no.” She put both hands up in front of her. “No. You need to heal.”

  “Are you kidding me? That’s why you have been keeping your distance? I’m not some fragile china doll.” She grasped Nikki’s hand, pulling her toward the guest bedroom.

  “Mel, wait.” Nikki pulled back on her arm, stopping their movement. “I don’t think this is a good idea. You’re still hurt.”

  Mel turned to face her and narrowed her eyes. “I have slept in the guest bedroom and refrained from touching you for the last three days because I thought you needed time.” She took a step closer. “Only to find out it was because you thought I was too injured to make love to you.” She took a step closer and pushed Nikki’s back against the wall.

  Nikki shivered as Mel placed a hand on either side of her head and pressed the full length of her body into her. Mel’s voice was soft and she moved her lips within inches of Nik
ki’s ear. “I want you.” She placed a lingering kiss directly below Nikki’s ear. “Now.” Her lips worked their way down Nikki’s neck. “Cupcake.”

  “Don’t call me…”

  Nikki’s words faded as Mel’s mouth covered hers, deepening her kiss until their tongues came together. Nikki felt a gap between them as Mel’s hands came off the wall and cupped each one of her breasts beneath her T-shirt. Her body responded immediately to the caress as the fabric slid over them. She wanted Mel naked and in her bed. She pushed off the wall and spun them toward the stairs, gently running her hand across Mel’s stomach, sensitive to her bruised ribs.

  “Bedroom, cupcake?” Nikki asked into Mel’s ear.

  Mel pulled her head back so she could look at Nikki. “Hey, cupcake.” She frowned. “That’s my line.”

  Nikki kissed her hard, deepening the kiss and leaving Mel gasping for air when she pulled away. “Bedroom, cupcake?” Nikki asked again.

  Opening her eyes, Mel captured her gaze. “Oh, yeah.”

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