by Lisa Kessler
Hearing her say those words meant more to him than he could articulate. He cleared his throat and pulled into the flow of inexperienced drivers.
“She’s a great little girl.” He clenched his jaw keeping his eyes on the road. “She got dealt a tough deck of cards. She deserves better.”
Mel had never met a man like Nate. He’d been raised by a bastard who made him feel ashamed and unworthy, but instead of being bitter, he did his best to protect others from his own fate. He would probably deny it, but she saw the way he loved others—Maggie and his partner—with tenacity and compassion. But he wouldn’t allow himself to commit to it, to really jump in with both feet. At least not when it came to her.
Sadly for her, she was already slipping in.
And she’d been glowing all day. Today, teachers and students alike commented on her smile, her skin, her hair, all without realizing the only thing that had changed was that she’d woken up in Nate’s arms.
Hearing about his loyalty to this little girl who had lost so much, only made her feel like she was falling faster. And without a safety net. She hadn’t admitted it out loud to another soul, but there was no denying it would be so easy to love Nate Malone.
He pulled to the curb in front of the elementary school and turned off the engine. “Thanks for coming with me today. I…” He stared at the dashboard. “I think Maggie will love you.”
Hearing him say the word set off a million butterflies in her stomach. Oh shit. Maybe she was further gone than she wanted to admit.
“Thanks for inviting me along,” she said.
She got out and walked into the office with him. When he approached the desk, the receptionist grinned up at him and played with her hair. “May I help you?”
Mel smiled watching the flirtation unfold. Nate saw his scars, but women saw a chiseled detective with eyes that could melt you where you stood.
“I’m here for Maggie Keen.”
The receptionist finally noticed Mel and toned down her smile a notch. “You must be her parents. Are you here to tell the class about your job?”
He didn’t bother to respond to the first part. “Yes. Do we need badges?”
She pointed to a clipboard. “Sign in here, please. Both of you.”
While they filled out the sheet, the receptionist wrote up two stickers that read MAGGIE KEEN. She offered one to each of them. “Put these on. She’s in room twenty—down the hallway and to the right.”
They stuck the badges on their shirts and headed for the classroom. Nate stopped outside the door. “Can you wait out here for a second?”
Mel nodded; worried she’d made a bad decision agreeing to come along.
He squeezed her hand. “I’ll be right back.”
True to his word, he came back, a little girl with a head of strawberry-blonde curls in tow. She gazed up at Mel but didn’t say anything. Nate cleared his throat. “Maggie, this is Mel. I invited her to come with me today so she could meet you.”
Mel knelt down, eye level with the girl, and held out her hand. “Great to meet you, Maggie.”
The little one looked up at Nate and back to Mel. She finally took her hand. “Mel is a boy’s name.”
Mel chuckled. “It’s really Melanie, but my friends call me Mel.”
“Maybe we can be friends…?” Maggie’s voice was still tentative.
“I’d like that.” Mel resisted the urge to hug this little girl who had seen too much tragedy in her few years. “I saw your artwork at Nate’s house. You draw much better than I do.”
Maggie flashed a smile, and the gap-toothed joy made Mel grin. “Thanks. I like drawing.”
“Do you mind if I come in while Nate talks?”
Maggie’s eyes sparkled. “You can sit with me.”
Mel straightened, her gaze locking on Nate’s. He smiled at her, but it was somehow different. Tender? She swallowed hard.
Maggie let go of Nate and took Mel’s hand instead. “Come on. I’ll show you my desk.”
Nate mouthed Thank you as she passed by with Maggie, and he followed them inside.
The teacher stood behind her desk. “Okay, everyone, come find a seat on the carpet up here. Maggie has brought her…”
“Uncle Nate,” Maggie announced formally. “He’s a police detective.”
The class came to life, racing to the carpet. Maggie tugged Mel after her. They found a spot, but Mel noticed that none of the other kids sat near them. As a teacher herself, it was easy to read their behavior. Maggie didn’t have any real friends here.
Nate started talking, and all the chatter faded away. He told them about his job helping people and solving crimes. He never pulled his gun free of the holster, but he did take off his badge and let the kids pass it around. When he asked for questions, anxious hands popped up.
He answered the first few, everything from have you shot anyone to does your car have lights on it. Finally, he called on a boy near the back of the carpet.
He looked over at Maggie, his eyes narrowing as he smiled and faced Nate again. “Why didn’t Maggie’s dad come to talk to us?”
Shit. Before Nate could come up with an answer that didn’t include her dad being in prison, Mel leaned forward, staring down the kid. “Maggie’s got so many people who love her that when her dad couldn’t come, we all arm wrestled to see who would get to come to her class. Uncle Nate won.”
The class giggled, tension released, and best of all, Maggie grinned. Mel was a damn miracle.
The bell rang, and the kids raced to collect backpacks and homework. He walked over and offered Mel a hand. He pulled her to her feet. “You were amazing. Thanks.”
She shook her head. “I work with kids. I’m used to shutting down the ones who think they’re better than everyone else. Sad to see it starts so early.”
He nodded, keeping an eye on Maggie. “I had to call in a couple favors to get her into this school. She’s only been here a few weeks.”
“Time to have a barbeque at the park and invite some nice kids,” Mel said.
He raised a brow. “It’s not her birthday.”
“You don’t have to wait for a birthday to make some new friends.” She chuckled.
Maggie ran over with her FBI Training Academy backpack on her shoulders. “Thanks for coming to my class, Uncle Nate!”
“I wouldn’t have missed it.” He scooped her up, making her squeal with giggles. “Ready for ice cream?”
“Yes!” He set her down, and she grinned up at Mel. “Will you come with us, Mel?”
“I’d love to.”
Maggie raced ahead of them, and Nate caught Mel’s hand, his fingers lacing with hers. She smiled up at him. “Thanks for introducing me. Maggie’s a sweet kid.”
Maggie babbled about school and the teacher all the way to the ice cream shop. When they got out, she raced up to grab Nate’s hand, and then reached her other hand out to Mel. Their three joined shadows stretched out in front of them, making Nate’s chest ache. This was the shadow of a family.
One he never had.
One Maggie was missing.
He looked over at Mel. Her attention was on Maggie while they talked about their favorite ice cream flavors. Could life ever be this simple and safe?
Inside, they each ordered a cone and savored their desserts. Maggie’s lips were outlined in Rocky Road as she glanced between him and Mel. She tilted her head at Mel. “Are you in love with Uncle Nate?”
He almost choked. Mel nudged him under the table and smiled at Maggie. “Why do you ask?”
“Because he’s good and he’s lonely. He needs someone to love him.”
He should’ve seen this coming. Why had he thought bringing Mel would be a good idea?
Before he could save himself, Maggie went on. “He should take you to min-ature golf. I told him he has to do fun things to have friends.”
Mel grinned. “Speaking of fun things, I was telling Nate it might be a blast to have a barbeque at the park, and you could invite some kids from your class
. Maybe make some friends of your own.”
Maggie bounced in her chair. “Could we have a piñata?”
Mel nodded. “And we’ll stuff it with candy.”
While Maggie and Mel plotted, he sat back in awe of this woman who’d completely detoured Maggie’s inquisition. His muse was pure magic.
And the more he cared about her, the more his blood pressure rose. She’d given him nothing to fear, but the urge to run raised its ugly head anyway. He would never be worthy of someone like her. She’d realize it eventually. He should save himself while he still had a chance.
He finished his cone and cleared his throat. “We should probably get you back to the Gaineses’ house so you can get your homework done.”
“Can I come to your house? Mel’s a teacher. She could prob-ly help me. Mrs. Gaines says our ‘new’ math is impossible.”
Mel chuckled and rested her hand on Maggie’s shoulder. “I’m an English teacher. I’m useless when it comes to math homework, but I promise we’ll get the barbeque planning started and bring you invitations for your classmates soon, okay?”
“Okay.” Maggie didn’t sound excited, but at least she didn’t complain about going back to her foster home.
When they got out of the car, Mrs. Gaines opened the door and waved. Maggie hugged Nate tightly around the neck and whispered against his ear. “Take Mel to golf. She likes you.”
He laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”
She pulled back and met his eyes. “See you soon.”
Maggie squeezed Mel in a fast hug and then raced up the walkway and into the house.
Mel smiled up at him. “Let me guess, you got her the FBI backpack.”
“You saw the way she grilled us at the ice cream shop. She’ll be an excellent agent someday.”
They got back in the car, and Mel rested her hand on his thigh. “I hope you don’t mind the barbeque. It wasn’t my place, I know. It’s not like we’re a couple and Maggie’s not our little girl. I didn’t mean to overstep my bounds. I just want to see her make some friends at her new school.”
He leaned over and kissed her. She moaned, opening her mouth as his tongue brushed her lips. He slid a hand into her hair, wishing he could say the words brewing inside him and praying she’d feel them.
Then her cell phone chimed. Horrible timing.
She pulled back, desire in her eyes. “Damned phone.” She checked it and frowned. “E-mail from Callie. She needs me at the theater.”
“What happened?”
Mel shrugged. “She doesn’t say. Just says that it’s urgent.” She glanced his way. “I know you’ve got stuff to take care of. If you can drop me back at school, I’ll take my car over.”
His birthmark started warming with a dull throb. “I should go with you. Just in case.”
She frowned. “She didn’t say it was dangerous. She probably wants to show me how to set the new security cameras or something. With Callie everything is larger than life and urgent.”
“No.” The throbbing intensified. “Something’s wrong.”
Nate turned the car around and raced in the direction of the theater.
He stayed in the shadows of the wings of the theater with his gear. Getting in had been trickier since the muses had installed cameras, but nothing a little black spray paint couldn’t fix. He blackened two of the cameras, hacked into Callie O’Connor’s e-mail, and now he waited for a response.
Finally, an e-mail popped in his phone saying that Melanie Jacoby was on her way. Perfect.
He checked the pressure on the sprayer, his nerves on high alert. When the acid ambush hadn’t worked, he’d decided on a less artistic end for the Muse of Tragic Poetry. He’d douse her in gasoline and set her on fire. He’d cross another muse off the list and burn down the theater all in one evening.
And if the fucking detective was with her, then so be it. He’d kill him, too.
Killing an officer would bring backlash from law enforcement, but he was beyond caring. The detective had a sixth sense when it came to Melanie Jacoby’s safety; swooping in to save her at the condo after finding her dead roommate, having the bomb squad defuse the C-4 explosives, and then intercepting him before the sulfuric acid could be put to use.
A car pulled up outside. He reached for his gold mask and put it on. He tightened his hold on the spray trigger.
Glory was only a moment away.
CHAPTER 15
By the time he parked the car, Nate’s birthmark was aching, burning. There was definitely danger up ahead.
He drew his weapon. “Wait here.”
Mel got out and slammed the door. “You’re not going in there without backup.”
Dammit. He glanced her way. “It’s my job. Get in the car so I know you’re safe.”
“You call John and wait for him to get here so I know you’re safe.”
“This isn’t a game, Mel.” He tipped his head toward the car. “I can handle this.”
“I’m sure you can, but you’re right that this isn’t a game. Either you take me as your backup or you wait.”
He tightened his grip on his Glock. “We’ve already had this discussion. Why are you fighting me on this?”
“Because sometimes I think I care more about your welfare than you do.”
The burning on his shoulder moved to his chest. Had anyone other than his partner ever cared about his welfare?
He clenched his jaw. Focus, Malone.
“Fine. Stay behind me, and when I say take cover, you hide and stay there.”
She nodded, and he prayed she meant it. He sent a text to John, too. Whatever happened, backup was on its way.
Nate slid through the opening in the chain-link fence and held it open for Mel to follow. There was no vision when he touched it this time. Maybe he was overreacting. He scanned the rotten rooftop, his weapon aimed and ready. Nothing.
He tipped his head toward the building and headed for the shadows. Mel followed close behind. At the inner door to the theater, he stopped. Glancing at her, he lowered the gun and reached for the handle with one hand.
Light exploded in his head. A man in a robe. His hood was up, faceless. He carried a metal canister with a pump on the top, like a sprayer for weed killer, and ran down the aisle to the wings of the stage. Right side.
And then the vision was gone.
“He’s got a sprayer of some kind. Could be acid or God knows what. Wait for me here, okay?”
That hell-no wrinkle formed between her eyebrows. “You can’t go in there alone. Wait for John to get here.”
“The second that robed psycho hears those sirens blaring, he’ll run. This is our chance to catch the guy.”
She pressed her lips together, and then sighed. “Fine. But I’m coming with you. Someone has to call 9-1-1 if things go wrong.”
He shook his head. “Mel, you’re the one he wants. Stay here.” He searched her eyes. “Please.”
She groaned, rolling her eyes. “You had to say please.”
He almost smiled. Brushing a kiss to her cheek, he whispered, “I’ll be back soon.”
By some miracle, the door hinges didn’t squeak. He kept his Glock raised and ready as he crept down the aisle toward the stage. One beam of light came through a hole in the roof, like a cosmic spotlight on center stage. He was banking on the hooded guy still being off in the right wing of the stage. With any luck, Nate could come in behind him.
That was the plan anyway.
Life-and-death situations slowed his pulse, bending time. His focus grew as the tension mounted. He made his way up the steps on the side, his attention on the dusty curtains on the wings.
A faint thump froze him where he stood. Nate scanned for any sign of movement. Nothing. He steadied himself and continued. Once he ducked behind the first velvet curtain, the light vanished, plunging him into darkness. He held his breath, sliding his foot forward.
Click. He spun toward the sound. Three steps and there was a small flicker of light. A flame? “Put it down.
Hands up,” he said.
The robed man turned around, the light reflecting off the gold mask. “Where is she?”
“None of your damned business. Now put your hands up where I can see them and walk slowly toward me.”
The lighter clattered to the floor, taking the light with it. Nate ran blindly after the footsteps. By the time he got out of the wings, he jumped down the staircase and chased after the hooded man, praying Mel was hiding. He pumped his legs faster, widening his stride, but he’d never get to the doors to the lobby before the man in the Kronos mask.
His perp stretched his arms and hit the doors, but they didn’t open. He fell backward. Before Nate could make a grab for him, he scrambled up, clamoring through the back row of broken, dusty seats. Nate pursued the worm in the hood, but his frame was bigger than the perp’s and it slowed him down.
Sirens screamed in the distance. If they got here in time, he could flush the guy into the parking lot and he’d be trapped.
The gold mask turned his way before the guy pushed through the door. Nate plowed through the last few seats and opened the door. No perp and no Mel. His heart hammered. Had the masked bastard grabbed her?
“Mel?”
“I’m okay. He went that way. Outside.”
Nate didn’t hesitate. When he burst into the sunlight, the hooded man was already slipping through the cut in the fence. Nate sprinted for the opening, but the Kronos worshipper had a monumental lead. By the time Nate was through the fence, the stranger was out of the parking lot on foot. No car this time.
When Nate got to the street, the guy in the robe was gone. Nate scanned both directions. Nothing.
He bent over. “Fuck.” He straightened and looked both ways again. “Dammit.”
Two black-and-whites screeched into the lot. John jumped out of the first stopped car and hustled over. “What the hell happened?”
“Mel got an e-mail to meet her friend here, and I had a bad feeling. I was right.”
John looked past him. “Is she here?”
Nate nodded. “Inside.”
John walked away while Nate gave one of the officers a description, but if the guy took off the mask, it wouldn’t help. He still hadn’t seen the guy’s face.
