by Kaylea Cross
****
Mal turned up the radio in his truck and tapped along to the rhythm of a favorite pop song on the steering wheel as he steered out of the FAST headquarters near the Pentagon.
“God, how can you stand this crap?” Lockhart asked from the passenger seat, tugging the brim of his ball cap lower on his forehead. “Why can’t you like country or rock, like normal people do?”
“Don’t like my tunes? Should have thought of that sooner and brought your own wheels to work, then,” Mal answered with a smirk.
“Trust me, I won’t make that mistake again,” Lockhart muttered with his trademark sarcasm. The guy was quiet, but funny as hell with his zingers. You had to pay attention, though. He and Granger together were something else, though Lockhart didn’t crave the spotlight the way Granger or Maka did. “You wanna grab a bite or something before you drop me off?”
“Can’t. Got plans.”
Lockhart glanced over, the corner of his mouth pulling up. “Okay,” was all he said, knowing damn well Mal planned to see Rowan. Most other guys on the team would have talked shit or grilled him for details, but not Lockhart. It was why Mal liked hanging around the former sniper so much. Lockhart knew when to keep his mouth shut. Unlike Maka, for instance, he thought with a smirk.
It had been another long but strangely satisfying day, having transferred Oceane and Anya into the custody of the U.S. Marshals before going to HQ to rejoin his teammates. They’d trained in the gym for a while before hitting the range together, and attended a meeting about the latest on Ruiz and Nieto.
Now he was free for the night, and he planned to run home and grab a quick shower before bringing Rowan some dinner. The woman never fed herself when she was busy working, and he would use any excuse just to see her again. Since he had the right security clearance and was on her short list of approved visitors, he could make it happen.
A familiar ring tone filled the truck cab on Mal’s Bluetooth system. Surprised that Taggart would be calling when they’d only just left HQ a couple minutes ago, he answered. “Commander. What can we do for you?”
“The satellite WITSEC safehouse was just attacked.”
What the fuck? “When?” Mal demanded.
“Fifteen minutes ago. They need a new temporary detail for Oceane. How soon can you guys get over there?”
But not Anya? “We’ll head there now,” Mal said, stunned but secretly glad it wasn’t Rowan.
Taggart gave them the address. “I’ll meet you there,” he said, and hung up.
Malcolm pulled a U-turn in the middle of the street and raced off in the opposite direction.
“How the hell did the perps find them, let alone manage to attack fucking U.S. Marshals?” Lockhart said.
“No damn idea,” Mal replied, driving faster.
When they arrived at the house ten minutes later, the road was choked with emergency vehicles. He and Lockhart jumped out, showed their ID and were allowed access to the backyard.
Paramedics were working on a marshal off to one side of the lawn, and they were rushing Anya toward the gate on a stretcher. She appeared unconscious. Her torso was covered with a bloodstained sheet, her brown skin an ungodly shade of gray and an oxygen mask placed over her mouth and nose.
Jesus Christ…
“Out of the way,” one of the medics yelled, the urgency on his and his partner’s faces making it clear that Anya was in dire danger.
Mal and Lockhart stepped well to the side, allowing them to pass. And when they turned around, he spotted Oceane in between two cops. They appeared to be holding her up as she watched with a tortured expression while her mother was hauled away. Her haunted gaze landed on them and the little composure she had left crumbled.
Her face twisted and she wrenched free of the cops’ supporting arms to lurch straight to Lockhart. Mal caught the flare of surprise on his teammate’s face an instant before she flung her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. Lockhart didn’t say anything, just held onto her.
“They won’t let me g-go with her,” she sobbed, the pain in her voice so raw that Mal winced inside. “I need to go with her.”
“They need to transport her as fast as possible and get her stabilized,” Lockhart said, his voice low, calm, but not unfeeling. “As soon as we get everything dealt with here, we’ll take you to the hospital to see her.”
Oceane lifted her head to stare up at him. “P-promise?”
“I promise.” He set her away from him gently, grasping her shoulders. “Now tell us what happened.”
It took a few tries for her to get it out. Mal listened in shock as she described the scene she’d arrived to, ending with her finding and shooting her former bodyguard in the house. His brain hummed as he tried to put the pieces together. WITSEC was the best protection program in the country for a reason. There was no way anyone should have been able to locate the women, let alone within hours of moving them here. And to be able to get the jump on so many highly trained federal agents and kill or wound them all? What the hell?
He glanced over at the sagging back door as forensics techs emerged from the house. It would take a while for them to sort out all the evidence. He hoped they would be able to ID the other attackers and get a lead from them or the bodyguard. They needed a damn break in this case if they were going to crack it open.
Two FBI agents came to take Oceane in for questioning. She balked, protested again about needing to see her mother.
Lockhart intervened. “I’ll go with you,” he told her. “And I’ll take you to her as soon as possible, okay?”
She looked up at him with swollen blue-gray eyes, and nodded. “Thank you.”
The special agent in charge of the investigation came through the open back gate, spotted them and headed their way. His eyes fastened on Oceane, who’d gone still. He stopped in front of her, his expression sympathetic, and Mal knew what was coming.
Ah, shit… Even with all he’d seen and all his training, it was always hard to watch someone he knew suffer.
“Miss Nieto, I’m so sorry to tell you—”
“No!” she cried, her face paling even more, eyes dilating with shock. “No, she can’t be gone!”
“I’m so sorry, she passed on the way to the hospital,” the SAIC continued.
Oceane made a high-pitched sound of distress and clapped her hands to her face as her knees buckled. Lockhart caught her just before she hit the ground.
Chapter Nineteen
Rowan had her files in front of her and her laptop open, but after the news she’d just received, there was no way in hell she could concentrate on work. Ruiz’s attorney had countered with another deal, but they weren’t taking it. The offer she and Val had made him the other day was the only one he was getting. His only other option was going to trial, with the possibility of life in prison or even the death penalty if he was found guilty.
And he was going to be found guilty.
Her phone rang, and when she saw Malcolm’s number her heart kicked hard. “Hey,” she answered with a sigh, leaning back in her chair to stretch her back. “You heard what happened?” She was still shaken by it.
“Yeah. I wondered if you had.” He sounded tired.
“They called my team right away. They’re checking the building right now and putting another marshal outside for surveillance. God, I just can’t believe what happened.”
“Yeah. It was bad.”
“Where is Oceane now?”
“The FBI wanted to interview her, but under the circumstances they’ve allowed her to go see her mother.”
Rowan blew out a breath and rested her forehead in her palm, stunned. “She was incredibly loyal to and protective of her bodyguard. She trusted him.” With her life. With her mother’s life. God, how awful.
“I know.”
Rowan had been furious when she’d thought Oceane or her mother might be involved with the bombing, but now she felt terrible for them both. To have to kill someone you cared about so much
, and then lose your mother right after, and in such a horrifically violent way? Rowan didn’t even know what she would do in Oceane’s shoes.
“The Veneno cartel members are all animals,” she said, her voice taut. Making Ruiz die in prison was a step. A small step, but an important one. It showed that even the top cartel hierarchy were vulnerable, and could be extradited to the United States.
“Not arguing.”
“WITSEC is supposed to be completely secure,” she said, getting angry now that the initial shock was wearing off.
“I know. It shouldn’t have happened at all.”
“And how did they find them so fast?”
“Exactly. That’s what investigators are trying to find out.”
“I asked my detail about Victoria but they haven’t told me anything yet. Is she safe?”
“Yes.”
“Are they going to move her now, in case everything’s been compromised?”
“No. The orientation center is on lockdown and they’re checking to make sure it’s still secure. I don’t think the location’s been compromised. Taggart’s sending Hamilton over to see her at a secret location now.”
Rowan sat up and leaned back in the chair. “Good.” She was an important source of insider info on the cartel. Names, faces she’d seen or heard during her research as a journalist and then her subsequent captivity. Not only that, but the woman had already endured far too much suffering. Rowan couldn’t stomach the thought of anything more happening to her.
With Victoria on the stand, they could bury Ruiz. She had a powerful presence about her. They had all her statements recorded and transposed, but hearing her testimony in her own words would be twice as powerful. And Rowan wanted Victoria to have the opportunity to look at the piece of shit responsible for her suffering and know she was helping put him away forever. Maybe it would even help her heal a little.
“You hungry?” he asked, abruptly changing the subject. “I know you haven’t eaten yet.”
She sighed, pushing aside the stab of guilt for thinking of something so trivial as food when Oceane was hurting so much. “I’m starving.”
“I’m gonna run home and shower, then I’ll grab something and bring it over. Be there around eight or so. That okay?”
“That’s perfect.” She needed to see him.
Burying herself back into her work helped the time fly by. The next thing she knew, he was at the door. One of the marshals assigned to her checked the door before letting him in, and Rowan’s heart swelled at the sight of him.
He gave her a smile, those dimples appearing in his freshly-shaved cheeks, his arms full of brown paper takeout bags. “Hope you guys are hungry. I brought Mexican.”
It was a nice touch that he’d thought to buy dinner for the FBI agents too. He was so mouthwatering standing there in his dark jeans and button-down shirt.
She wanted to walk right over there, throw her arms around him and kiss him senseless, but that would be hella awkward given their audience, so instead she took two of the bags from him with a thanks and started putting everything onto the kitchen table.
Her security detail thanked Malcolm for the food, filled their plates and made themselves scarce in another room. Rowan sipped at the wine he’d brought, drinking in the sight of him over the rim of her glass. What she wouldn’t give to be alone with him right now. All she could think about was what he’d done to her this morning, the way he’d pinned her beneath him. The feel of his hands, his mouth, the way he’d filled her…
He looked up and met her gaze, his brown eyes darkening at the look she was giving him. Then his mouth twitched. “So, you make any headway with work today?”
She was thankful one of them was able to play it cool. Her body was on edge, needy as hell, and it was damn hard to sit here and pretend otherwise. Still, she wasn’t up for an audience the next time she got sexy with him. “Some. Spoke to Val a few times, and my parents. My last update from Nick was that Kevin was awake and talking. He seems alert and like his normal self, so they’ve cut back the pain meds so he’s not all drugged up. Nick said he’d call back tonight if Kev’s up to it so I can talk to him.”
“And your parents?”
“They’re both at the hospital.”
“How’s your dad handling that, with Nick there?”
“Surprisingly well, according to Nick,” she said with a small smile. “A bit stiff at first, but he’s loosened up some since. He’s making progress.”
“About goddamn time.”
Rowan cocked her head slightly, smiling at him. “I love that you’re so accepting of Kev.” From what he’d told her he’d been raised in a strict, religious home. Sometimes that made people judgmental about things like sexual orientation.
Malcolm shrugged the broad shoulders she wished were naked and she was stroking her hands over right now. “He’s a good guy. Deserves to be happy.”
That put a knot in her throat. “Yeah, he sure does.” Setting down her fork, she reached across the table for his hand, grasped it and lowered her voice. “And so do we.”
A slow smile curved his lips, making those crazy sexy dimples appear again. They were so much more evident without all the stubble on his face. “I’m glad you see it that way.” He squeezed her fingers, his eyes promising untold pleasure the next time they got naked together.
“Kev somehow knew the way I still felt about you. The night he was injured, up in my office he warned me that we don’t get any do-overs in this life. He’d had the courage to go after his own happiness. I finally found mine too.”
Malcolm raised their joined hands to his mouth, turned them to press a slow, lingering kiss to the back of hers. “Then I guess I owe him a thank you next time I see him.” He lowered their hands to the table.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Why did you leave the Navy? You told me once that you loved being a SEAL.”
“I did love it. It was the hardest, most punishing yet most rewarding thing I’d ever done.” He sat back, thought about it for a moment. “I was starting to get numb. I saw it happen to other guys, and I wanted to get out before I didn’t feel anything anymore.”
God, she couldn’t imagine him being like that. “I’m glad you got out.”
“It was the right decision for me. And it gave me a solid background to try out for FAST selection.”
Suddenly the uncertainty of the days stretching out before her seemed like an eternity. An eternity of not having Malcolm. “So you’ll be back with the rest of your team now?”
He nodded. “Rodriguez is flying back tonight. His mom’s been real sick, but she’s on the upswing now so we’ve got the whole team together again as of tomorrow morning, and it’ll be good to have him back. He’s been on the team almost as long as me.”
It was obvious how much he loved his teammates from the way he talked about them. But her mind was trying to work out the logistics of where this new transition left her and Malcolm. “You’re going to wait for me, right?”
He eyed her in amusement, eyebrows raised. “You seriously worried I might not, after I waited this long?”
She shrugged. “Just looking for some reassurance.”
He lowered his eyebrows, leaned closer and dropped his voice. “I might wait for you, if you promise to make it worth my while.”
The sensual purr slid over her skin like the stroke of velvet, making her shiver. “I will.”
Another grin, and it was all she could do not to climb up onto the table and grab his face between her hands so she could kiss that delectable mouth. “Then you’ve got nothing to worry about, sweetness.”
Sweetness. She loved that so much. Until that moment she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed it.
Releasing his hand, she reached for her wine because her throat was suddenly dry. “So. How long until I can get out of here, do you think?”
“No idea. But however long it is, it’s too long for my liking.”
They spent the rest of the leisurely meal enjoying each other’s company, talking about various things, laughing at each other’s jokes. But there was so much that they didn’t say. Things that would have to wait until they were alone.
He helped her clear the table and tidy the kitchen afterward. When he shut the dishwasher door they stood facing each other a few feet apart in the kitchen, pent up sexual tension crackling between them, and no way to relieve it. “Well,” he said softly, hands braced behind him on the countertop, the pose emphasizing the powerful muscles in his shoulders and chest. “I should get going. I bet you’ve got a ton of work to catch up on.”
Ugh. Work. She sighed. “Yeah.” She had to talk to Val about the Ruiz counteroffer, then review the evidence they’d gathered so far and get it ready with the victim impact statements they’d gathered. If Ruiz rejected the offer they’d made to drop a few charges in exchange for a reduced sentence, then they would be going to trial soon.
“Gimme one second,” he said, and headed to the next room. She picked up the low murmur of his voice as he spoke to her security detail, then he emerged a moment later. “Walk me to the door?” he asked, a gleam in his eye.
She followed, understanding why he’d asked that when she realized no one could see them at the door from the next room. At least they’d been given some measure of privacy to say goodbye. She’d take it, because it was better than nothing.
He stopped at the door, waiting for her. As soon as she got close, he grasped her hips in his big hands and turned them so that his back was to the room. Shielding her, even from the possibility of prying eyes.
“We’ve got two minutes until they come to follow protocol and lock me out,” he said. “So I’m not wasting a single second.” Sliding one hand up her back to plunge into her hair, he brought his mouth down on hers.
His dominant possession sizzled through her like a lightning bolt. He wasn’t like Carter at all, didn’t want to control her anywhere but in the bedroom, and that was more than fine with her. Desire streaked through her, so intense it made her dizzy. She grabbed hold of his shoulders for balance, flattening her body along his.
