by Emma Nichols
I rounded the corner to the kitchen and nearly ran into Maggie. “What are you doing in here? I haven’t cleared the house yet,” I grumbled.
“Well, you should’ve. It’s not a big house.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m guessing you’ve already ruled out the whole random burglar theory.”
“Before I even walked in.” I pointed to the dining room. “And if I needed further proof, I only had to see all the silver still here.”
“Oh, good. Then I can at least sell that and try to solve all our financial woes.” She sighed. “Come on. This way to Dad’s office.” Maggie motioned for me to follow her. We moved through the kitchen, past the formal living room, and back out to the foyer. I followed her up the stairs and tried to focus on the task at hand which was made infinitely more challenging by the way her backside swayed with each step.
I couldn’t help but notice the way she slowed as she reached the landing. She inhaled deeply and scanned the room. “Well. To think I’d made fun of my father when he bolted down all the important items in his work space. I stand corrected.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I hope this means they couldn’t get what they wanted.”
When I reached her side, my brows rose in surprise. This was the only room that had been touched. The monitor was broken, the door hiding the tower had been yanked from the hinges, but because it was secured and locked inside the compartment, the tower was still intact. There were huge dents in the file cabinet. The upholstery on the couch had been shredded. Everywhere I looked showed some manner of devastation. “He’s impressive,” I murmured as I studied his homemade security measures. “He’s hired.” I chuckled.
“The police should be here soon.” Maggie began to pace. “Oh, my word. We left him in the car. Look around. I gotta go check on him.” She waved as she rushed down the stairs.
I soon followed her and while she climbed into the car to talk with her father, I walked around to the trunk, popped it, and pulled out my leather cross-body bag with all the tools of my trade. When I was done, I wandered around to the passenger window and tapped on it. “Roll it down,” I directed as I pointed to the button in the handle. As soon as it was down a few inches, I asked, “Do you have a key for all those locks in your office?”
Malcolm nodded proudly. I expected him to reach into a pocket and pull them out. Instead, he provided instructions. “You’ll find them inside the safe in the office closet.”
I rubbed my forehead. “I take it back. We’re going to need to have a serious discussion about security.”
Maggie seemed to ignore me. Instead she frowned at her father. “What safe?”
“Open the closet door, then the safe is on the floor. The combination is my wedding anniversary.” He smiled proudly and folded his hands over his stomach as he leaned back in the seat.
“Wasn’t the closet door open?” Maggie frowned.
“I believe so.” I sighed. “And you don’t remember seeing a safe either, huh?” I sighed as she shook her head. “Did you hear that? Used his anniversary.” I swear I could feel a migraine threatening from how hard I worked to control my temper. “I bet it will take all of ten minutes to crack it.”
“I get it. Now what,” she grumbled.
“Okay, I have to pick a bunch of locks, then pack everything up. Want to help?” I eyed her curiously while doubting she’d want to leave her father.
“Yes.” She slid out of her seat and stood, her shoulders thrown back resolutely while she walked around the front of my vehicle to meet me. Then a police car pulled up next to the curb and a dark sedan followed. “As soon as I speak with the police,” she grumbled.
I laid a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t delay them too long. I know they will want to fingerprint the place and we don’t need to be stuck here all night.”
“I’ll hustle them upstairs as quickly as possible. Promise.” Then she glanced at her father. “Think we should get him out of the car? Maybe sit him in the living room at least?”
“Yes, bring him in with you.” I followed her line of sight. Malcolm seemed calm. The pill had worked a little too well. “I’m going upstairs to take pictures, grab some fingerprints, and figure out our next steps while the police do their thing.”
“Sounds like a plan, but won’t the police want to do their own forensic investigation?” Her brow furrowed.
I chuckled. “Of course, but my team will have the answers before theirs. Watch.”
Her head tilted. “This can’t be guilt,” she noted. “What’s your angle?”
“Who says I have an angle?” I tried to look as innocent as possible, but clearly failed miserably as indicated from the scowl on her face. “We’ll talk after. Let’s secure everything first, okay?” When she nodded hesitantly, I quickly strode up the sidewalk and into the house to begin my investigation.
Maggie
“Pack a bag,” Blaise ordered while we stood in the foyer.
His tone made me prickly. “Listen, I’m sure you do a fantastic job of managing your people, but I’m not one of your people. Hell, I don’t even like you.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
From the way his lips twitched, Blaise appeared to be trying not to smile. Finally, he gave up and smirked. “I’m really good at what I do. Oh, and you don’t have to like me, but if you want to stay alive and ensure your financial future, I suggest you do as I tell you.”
“Alive? Now my life is in danger?” My hand shook slightly as I tucked some loose hair behind one ear.
He gestured toward the door. “See this? They did it in broad daylight. These people don’t give a fuck. You think they’d hesitate to harm anyone who stood in their way?”
“Fine.” I threw my hands in the air. “Only…now what? I don’t have money to hire you, or pay for a hotel, or even to stash everything in a storage unit. Hell, I can’t even afford the dollar menu at McDonald’s right now. So, you can just mosey on out of here. Thanks for the ride.” I turned on my heels without even waiting for him to leave, and trudged into the kitchen to grab a glass of wine. Maybe if I could relax some, I could think more clearly and figure out what to do next. At the moment, I was at my breaking point. No matter how hard we worked, ever since my mother’s illness, we couldn’t get ahead. Fuck, at the moment, we were barely staying afloat. Feeling defeated, I pulled a glass from the cupboard, then opened the fridge and held it under the spigot for the white zinfandel.
There was a groan behind me. “Let’s forget for a moment you were about to drink wine from a box. Why aren’t you packing?” Blaise gently moved me away from the fridge and reached for my glass.
Of course, I wasn’t ready to give it up so easily. “Wait!” I pleaded as I gulped down the meager ounce in the bottom of the glass.
He sighed. “I’ll give you wine later. From a bottle, even. Now…pack.”
“Pack what? And why? And…and…and where do think we’re going to go?” My shoulders slumped, and tears prickled my eyes.
“Hey…” Blaise raised my chin and forced me to look at him. “Are you sad now?”
I squinted up at him, the very act causing the tears to leak out of the corners of my eyes and drip down my cheeks. I sniffled and shook my head slightly. “No. I skipped over sad and made a beeline for broken.”
Frowning, he shook his head. “No, you’re merely tired. You’re worn out. A good dinner, a nice bubble bath, and some sleep will fix all of that.” I opened my mouth to speak, but naturally, he interrupted. “You’re coming home with me.”
I stiffened. “I most certainly am not.”
“Yes, you are. Both of you. You’ll be safe. I need to see this through. It isn’t just about you and your father anymore; this is one of those times where I’m going to have to save the world.” Blaise shrugged like it was no big deal.
“Save the world often, do you?” I rolled my eyes.
“More often than you would imagine.” He chuckled. “So, pack up and we’ll get out of here.”
I stood there silentl
y, considering his words. The idea was tempting. I barely remembered what it was like to fall asleep carefree. My shoulders ached from being so tense every damn second of each incredibly long day. Before I could decide whether or not to acquiesce, two men dressed in black t-shirts, black cargo pants, and black lace-up boots strode into the kitchen. I knew they weren’t police. When I glanced at Blaise, he nodded at them. “Upstairs, in the office. Files in the locked cabinet, tower in the desk, and any flash drives you happen to find. You’ll need to get a little creative with the tower. I’ll be up in a minute.”
“You got it, boss,” the first man responded as he turned to walk away. The second man nodded at Blaise and followed the first.
When we were alone again, I stood there, struggling to make a decision. Safe sounded nice. I wrapped my arms around my body and stared at the floor. Suddenly, his hands were on my shoulders, kneading and rubbing my weary muscles. I didn’t mean to, but soon I found myself murmuring, “You win.”
His response surprised me. “We’re all winning,” he whispered in my ear.
Shivers ran down my spine and ignited a fire deep within me, places I’d long forgotten existed. I licked my lips as my lids fluttered shut. His hands started to slow until he was barely touching me, and I reached up to catch them as he began to pull away. “More?” My voice sounded pathetic to my own ears and I was filled with shame.
Instead, Blaise wrapped his arms around my upper body and rested his head upon mine. “Tonight. I promise. If you want, I’ll massage your shoulders until you fall asleep.” He turned me to face him and I knew my cheeks were scarlet.
“You’ll be at it a while. I’ve had this insomnia thing going on for the last few years.” I smirked. “You sure you’re up for it?”
Blaise stared into my eyes with such intensity that I couldn’t help but notice how vibrantly blue his own were, almost like two perfect sapphires. “I love a challenge.”
5
Blaise
“Will they follow us the whole way?” Malcolm asked, jerking his thumb over his shoulder to indicate the van of my employees.
“Yes, they have all your office equipment.” I nodded seriously at him in the rearview mirror.
“Well, it won’t do me much good without a keyboard and monitor.” He frowned.
I chuckled. “I have a spare computer. You can replace my tower with yours. Problem solved.”
His head tilted as he studied me. “You rather like solving problems, don’t you, Mr. Draco?”
“I do. I’m protective by nature, so the security business definitely agrees with me.” I inhaled deeply, hoping to relax some, but the brooding lady riding shotgun was making it a challenge. Historically speaking, I tuned out women, even as they were drawn to me. This time, the opposite seemed to be happening; she ignored me while I, for some unknown reason, pined for her. After several more minutes, I decided to make a concerted effort to initiate a conversation with her. “How do you feel about surf and turf for dinner, Maggie?” I glanced over at her. She’d remained silent since we’d left their house. “You must be starving.” My shoulders sank when she didn’t even look my way.
“I like surf and turf,” Malcolm murmured from the back.
“Dad, you’re allergic to shellfish,” she complained. Finally, Maggie looked at me. “I’m not. Sounds great.” Then she covered her mouth to stifle a yawn. “I’m sorry. Give me a chance to get my second wind.”
“We’ll be there in about half an hour. You can rest until then, if you’d like,” I offered.
“Maybe…I’ll lean the seat back a little.” She bit her cheek shyly.
“Good plan.” I turned on some soft music while she reclined.
Maggie hesitantly laid a hand on mine, which was delightfully unexpected. “Thank you. I know I’m difficult sometimes.”
“She’s a shrew,” Malcolm announced.
Yanking her hand back, she frowned. “Well, there you have it.” Then she rolled toward the window as much as her seatbelt allowed before finally closing her eyes. Within three minutes, she was snoring softly and I wanted nothing more than to feel her touch again.
“She’s not a shrew,” I muttered.
Malcolm chuckled. “No, she’s not. Maggie is a work of heart.”
“You mean art?” I questioned. The man had proven to prone to bouts of confusion in the short time I’d known him.
“No, I mean heart. She’s all heart that one. Ignore her tough shell. Inside, she’s as gooey as they come.” I saw his grin widen in the rearview mirror, a father beaming with pride. “It’s my fault, you know. All of it.”
“All of what?” I frowned.
“The way she is…so assertive. She took over when her mother became ill. She came home for Christmas, quickly figured out what was going on, and never went back.” He turned his head to stare sadly out the window. “Then, after her mother passed, there was no money to finish her degree. I lost my job.” Malcolm blew out a breath. “I had to take too much time off of work. They said I was slipping and I was no longer reliable.” He swallowed hard. “I couldn’t focus. You can’t imagine what it’s like, leaving the house, wondering if the woman who’s your whole life might be dead before you return. I didn’t want to be away from her for more than a second.”
“I can’t imagine,” I admitted, “but I completely understand.” I peeked over at Maggie, who seemed almost relaxed for the first time since I’d known her. She looked years younger. The longer I stared, the more acutely I felt something stirring in my chest.
“She’s something,” Malcolm mumbled. “I don’t know what I’d do without her, but I feel guilty for completely robbing her of the life she hoped to build.”
I wasn’t sure what else to say. Part of me wanted to question him about the life Maggie wanted, the other part of me wanted to hear it straight from her. So, I remained silent and concentrated on the road. I loved driving up the coast. It relaxed me, almost as much as flying over it did. Already, I had the itch. How would I manage with guests in residence? At least Maggie would be a distraction during the full moon. Soon enough, we pulled down my private drive and paused before the gate so I could punch the code into the keypad. Almost as soon as I finished, the ornate iron doors swung open, allowing us access.
“Quite the fortress you have here,” Malcolm commented as we drove into the courtyard and circled the fountain, coming to stop before the door. The van parked a few feet behind us.
Fredo walked purposefully to the trunk of the car and waited for me to pop it. Once I did, he unloaded it, pulled everything into the foyer, and then returned. By now, Malcolm had climbed out of the vehicle and moved to stretch his legs. “Follow me, sir,” Fredo directed. “I’ll show you to your room. You can get settled before dinner. It should be ready in roughly fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you,” Malcolm replied nervously. His eyes were wide and I felt certain the size of my home intimidated him. He glanced at Maggie, still asleep in the front seat. Clearly, she had become his lifeline, the one person he could count on to help him adjust to any new situation. This was the perfect time to start to break him of the habit.
“I’ll wake her. You’ll see her at dinner. For now, go with Fredo,” I urged.
He shrugged and reluctantly followed my butler.
I slid out of my seat and spoke to my men, who stood beside the car waiting for my directions. “Why don’t you unload and set all this up in the back office near the guest room he’s staying in?”
The men nodded and quickly set to work. They had lives to get back to and a Friday night to enjoy. I walked around the car, opened Maggie’s door, and squatted beside her. She stirred slightly, which had me fighting the urge to take her in my arms and carry her to my bed. She looked so peaceful laying there with her hands clasped and tucked under her chin. Her dark lashes fluttered slightly against her pale skin. I hated the idea of interrupting a happy dream. Then I saw her face scrunch up and she began to shake. This was my cue. Reaching past her, I unbuckle
d the seatbelt. Maggie grabbed my arm, her eyes wide with fear.
“It’s just me. I was going to wake you up so you could come inside,” I murmured as I stroked her cheek gently with the back of my hand, hoping to soothe her. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, which meant I needed to try harder. “You’re at my house. You’re safe. Let me show you to your room. We’ll get you moved in and fed.” I tried to smile warmly at her, but I was so grossly out of practice it felt awkward and probably looked equally as strange.
Maggie stared at me, and finally released her grasp on my arm. Her breathing slowed. A smile spread across her face. Finally, she spoke. “Thank you.”
I should’ve responded with “you’re welcome,” but I realized I was the one who should be thankful. Simply being around her seemed to be changing me in all the best ways.
Maggie
This man made me a blathering idiot and I was beginning to hate him for it. When had I ever worn a goofy smile? Dammit. I couldn’t afford to get soft on him, especially now that we were staying at his place. I’d seen how other women reacted to him. That wasn’t my style… or rather, it hadn’t been. Somehow, I managed to follow him through the house as he brought me to the room I’d be staying in without making a total fool of myself. Then, I handled dining out on the patio with all the fairy lights as best I could. There was a fire going in the outdoor fireplace, and lit candles flickered on the table. If my father hadn’t been there, it would’ve felt like a date. Who am I kidding? My father probably would follow me on dates, if I ever had any.
When dinner had ended, Blaise rushed off to answer a phone call. My father dove back into his work in his borrowed office. And I was left alone. I strolled over to the edge of the property and felt a rush of calm as the waves hit the shore far below the cliffs the house was perched on. A gentle breeze tickled my skin and goosebumps broke out. For a second, I considered wandering back to the room to grab a jacket. Instead, Blaise appeared and wrapped a shawl around my shoulders. My cheeks colored. “Thank you.” Apparently, this was all I’d be saying to the man for the duration of our stay. “How long will we be here?” I blurted out.
