by M. Malone
She swept all the papers on her desk into a pile. She’d have to ask Georgia to rearrange things since she didn’t know how long she’d be gone. It would depend on how badly Matt was injured. Mara hadn’t been sure of exactly what she’d seen.
“Go where?” Charles watched as she pulled off her lab coat and threw it over the back of her chair.
“I’m having a personal emergency. I need to take a few days.”
“You just took vacation.”
Penny grasped her head between her hands and pressed hard against her temples. She wasn’t sure if it was possible to physically hold in rage, but she was trying. If Charles didn’t get out of her way, she was liable to turn green and come bursting out of her clothes.
“No, Charles. I used my vacation time to attend to a pro bono patient. That’s not a vacation. A vacation is lying on a beach somewhere, sipping mai tais and checking out cute cabana boys. I was doing my job on my personal vacation time. Something I should not have to do.”
He took a step back when she pointed at him, her finger almost jabbing him in the chest. His face turned a mottled shade of red as he watched her racing around the room, ignoring him.
“Well, yes, but it still counts as vacation time. I don’t think you have enough hours left to take more time now,” he stammered.
“That may be the case, but my boyfriend was injured while on the job. I need to be there.”
Charles stood up to his full height. “Look, Penny—I’m not heartless, but you can’t just run off.”
Penny pulled her handbag from her desk and slammed the drawer. “Watch me.”
“Now wait a minute!”
Penny whirled around. “I have busted my ass for this place since the day I was hired. It’s never enough. I’m doing too much or too little. I’m getting too much attention and the center isn’t getting enough. Or was it really that you weren’t getting enough? Well, you’re finally going to get what you’ve been angling for since the beginning. I quit. You get to be the star of the show now. Good luck with that. Trust me, it’s not what it’s cracked up to be.”
She burst into tears. “Now get the hell out of my office.”
Charles watched her uncertainly until she screamed “Get out!” Then he ran out the door.
A few seconds later Georgia pushed the door open. “I saw the snake go slithering off. What happened?” When she saw Penny standing in the middle of the room crying, she shoved the door all the way open and ran to her side.
“What happened? Penny? Are you okay?”
“I should have listened to you. You tried to tell me love is simple. I made it complicated and now he’ll never know how I felt.”
“He knows, Penny. I’m sure he knows.” Georgia held her and rubbed a hand up and down her back. The gentle touch broke down the last of Penny’s emotional defenses.
She collapsed into her friend’s arms. “It’s not enough.”
After Georgia calmed her down enough that she could drive, her friend walked her out to the parking lot to her car. She’d promised to call as soon as she had any news. The thought made her look at her phone again. Mara would call if she got any word on Matt. She hadn’t, so that meant he really was injured. If Mara had seen him walk out of the club alive, she would have let her know.
She didn’t bother going home to get any clothes. If Matt was hurt, she wasn’t taking any chances on getting there in time. If she drove fast enough, she could make the trip in about two hours.
As she raced over the darkened highways, she kept her eyes on the road ahead and tried not to speculate about what was happening. But it was pretty much impossible not to worry. Matt was supposed to be safe. Safety was an illusion and she’d fallen for it. She’d been so stupid to think that him getting out of the military meant they got to have a happy ending.
After an hour of driving, her phone rang. She snatched it off the seat. “Mara? Is he okay?”
“Eli sent us a message that they’re all alive but not out of danger. There’s a standoff situation in the building. He was separated from Matt, so we still don’t know exactly what happened. But the good news is that Matt is alive.”
Relief streamed through Penny. Her hands shook on the steering wheel. “Thank God. I’m on my way. Since it’s so late, there isn’t much traffic. I should be there in about an hour.”
“Okay. We’re at the Alexander farm. We decided to all wait together. I’ll send you the directions. It’s actually closer to you.”
“Great. I’ll see you soon.”
“Penny?” Mara’s voice sounded so small. She’d never heard her sound like that. Even as a little girl, Mara had always been vivacious and confident.
“I’m really glad you’re coming. Matt has never been happier than when he’s been with you. I feel like you’re my sister already.”
Penny’s eyes welled with tears. The road before her blurred slightly. “Thank you.”
“Okay, see you soon.”
A minute after they hung up, Mara texted the directions. Penny looked down at her speedometer and pressed harder on the gas until the needle inched closer to eighty-five miles per hour. Luckily the speed limit on most of the rural highways between northern and southern Virginia was seventy miles per hour, so she hadn’t been pulled over for speeding. She might be pushing it if she went any faster, but she was willing to take the chance.
Matt had gone through training classes and refresher courses and she’d been shocked to see the amount of weaponry he’d been issued. Apparently Elliott Alexander considered his private security force to be a sort of army. Matt had cases of weapons and he’d taken a mini-arsenal with him when he’d packed to leave for this assignment. She knew he was trained and excellent at his job, so she had to believe that whatever was going on, he could handle it.
“Just hold on, Matt. Whatever happens, just hold on.”
* * * * *
WHEN THINGS SUDDENLY went quiet, Matt peeked around the corner of his hiding place. He likely wasn’t going to get another opportunity, so he dashed from his spot behind the speaker and raced for the stage exit. He plastered himself against the wall before glancing around the corner.
It was clear.
Tank had sent a message that he had the girls blockaded in their dressing room, so Matt dashed down the hallway. He scratched at the door three times, keeping his eyes on the empty hallway behind him. There were three scratches from the other side and then the door opened. He didn’t move, allowing Tank to see it was him and he was alone.
Finally, the door opened all the way and he stepped inside. Kaylee let out a soft cry when she saw him. “Matt! I thought they’d gotten you.”
He smiled at her because he could tell she needed to see it. “It’ll take more than that to knock me out. I’m just glad you’re all okay.”
He turned back to Tank. “Where’s Eli?”
Tank made a frustrated sound. “He was here with us and then he left. He was talking to the police and decided to use himself as bait to draw the guys out. He hasn’t contacted me since.”
Matt cursed. “Well, whatever he did worked. The guys were right on me and then suddenly they were gone.”
They glanced behind them to where the girls sat in a huddle, talking quietly amongst themselves. Kay saw him looking and sent him a tremulous smile. He couldn’t let her down. She trusted them to keep her safe.
“Procedure is clear. In situations like this, we’re to stay with the client.” Eli had drilled that into his head. As much as Matt wanted to charge out there and look for his friend, he knew he needed to stay. Even if the guys came back and started shooting, he and Tank could keep the room secure. They had plenty of weapons between the two of them, and the other man was an excellent shot. Almost as good as Matt.
“Let’s secure the room.” The door had a flimsy lock, so he swiped all the crap off one of the girl’s dressing tables and used the furniture to block the door.
“There are no windows, which means no one can get in, but it also
means we can’t get the girls out if there are explosives,” Matt whispered.
“What are we going to do?” Sasha cried. The other girls looked at them expectantly. Matt decided to keep it simple.
“We haven’t gotten the all clear yet from Eli. So until we do, we’re going to stay put.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
PENNY ARRIVED AT the Alexander-Bennett Co-op after the most tension-filled two hours of her life. She’d spent the entire drive thinking about the last time she’d spoken to Matt. Wondering if she’d ever get to speak to him again.
If she’d ever get to tell him she loved him.
Eli had sent one message letting them know the guys were all okay but still stuck in the building and working with the police to hold off the two suspects. The relief they’d all experienced at hearing that was short-lived when they saw a news report speculating that there were explosives in the building. Penny had no idea what to think after that.
There were so many things they didn’t know. But Eli had promised to send another update as soon as he could.
The time spent waiting for Eli to check in again seemed interminable. Especially since Penny wasn’t sure he would. He was trying to catch killers. Calling them with updates had to be low on the priority list.
But Mrs. Alexander seemed confident that he would call, so she could only assume they had some kind of agreement. Matt had said that Eli had been running his company for almost a decade now, so surely this sort of situation had occurred before. She would have to trust that they’d have news soon. Otherwise she was liable to break down and weep like a baby.
Trent, Mara, Jackson, and Ridley stood across the room with their heads bowed. She could hear the soft murmur of their voices as they prayed. It was soothing even though she couldn’t hear the words. The patriarch of the family stood in the corner, one hand on the mantel of the fireplace. Penny noticed with sadness that one finger was stroking the picture on the end. She could only assume it was a picture of Elliott.
Julia Alexander walked into the living room. She’d excused herself to have privacy while she called some relatives. Julia was a petite woman. Her head only came to Penny’s shoulder. Her age had to be about the same as Penny’s own parents, but her light brown skin was remarkably free of lines.
“Would you like to join the prayer circle, honey?”
Warmth settled over Penny as Julia stood next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. With her soft, soothing voice and gentle smile, Julia instantly made Penny feel like she belonged there with the rest of the family. She could understand why Matt regarded this woman as a surrogate mother.
“I’m not very religious. I probably shouldn’t.”
Julia motioned for Penny to move over. “Why don’t I sit with you? I could use a little company.”
They sat and watched in companionable silence as the others prayed. Surprisingly, Penny found herself calmed just by watching.
“I wish I could believe,” she whispered.
Julia reached over and patted her arm. “Have you ever hoped for something that you weren’t sure would happen?”
“Of course. All the time.”
“Praying is an expression of hope. Even if you aren’t religious, we can all have hope for the things we want. For the people we love.”
Penny bit her lip and the tears she’d been holding back spilled down her cheeks. “It’s not just that I’m not religious. I feel like I made this happen.” At Julia’s surprised look, she explained. “It sounds so stupid, I know it does, but it’s true."
When Julia pulled her down against her shoulder in a soft hug, Penny didn’t resist. She could see Mara and the others watching from across the room and was even more ashamed. It was Mara’s brother who was in danger and even she was keeping it together.
“You didn’t cause this, child. Things happen. Things we have no control over.”
Penny looked up through her tears. “When Matt realized he couldn’t pass the fitness test to reenroll in the Army, I was happy. He was devastated and all I could think about was myself. Isn’t that awful? Now he’s hurt in a civilian job. It’s like fate is trying to teach me a lesson.”
“You think fate is punishing you?”
Mark ambled over and silently set a box of tissues on the side table next to his wife. Julia smiled up at him, then handed one to Penny.
“I told you it sounded stupid.” Penny tried to mop up her face, then blew her nose with an undignified honk.
“It’s not stupid. But it’s also not true.”
“How do you know?” Penny asked softly.
Julia squeezed her shoulder. “Because if being happy that Matt was out of the military brought on the wrath of the universe, we’d all be affected. I was happy, too.”
Penny looked up in surprise.
“You thought you were the only one? I think we were all happy. We love him for serving his country and doing it so well. Matt has the heart of a warrior, but he’s served his time honorably. Now I believe it’s time for him to be at home.”
“I felt so guilty. He was so upset when he realized he wasn’t going to pass. Being in the Special Forces was his dream.”
“I understand, but thoughts don’t make bad things happen,” Julia continued. “Because let me tell you something, honey. If that was the case, there’s some folks who’d be dead as a doornail!”
Shocked, Penny laughed. It felt wrong at first, then it rolled through her. The hysterical giggles finally stopped and she sighed. She was so tired.
“I never told him how I felt. I was worried that we were moving too fast, that if I felt too much too soon, it wouldn’t be real. Do you know how stupid that seems now?”
“I feel like I can speak here because I’ve known Matt since he was a teenager coming home with Jackson. He used to show up with Trent, Nick, and Jackson on the weekends, looking like a lost boy.” She looked over to where Trent and Jackson stood. “I adored my lost boys like they were my own. I used to send them all back to the dorm with cookies and clean clothes. So, I’ve known Matt a long time, and I saw the way that boy looked at you. He loves you. And unless I’m blind, you looked at him the same way.”
“I do love him,” Penny admitted. “I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to see it.”
“It takes as long as it takes.” Julia patted her hand. “Now, let’s take a moment to hope for him.”
* * * * *
THE SOUND OF gunshots had Tank and Matt on their feet. They glanced at each other while the girls huddled closer together, and he could hear one of them crying softly.
“He would want us to stay here,” Tank stated. It was clear the other guy didn’t like it any more than he did.
“I can go outside the door. Technically, I wouldn’t be leaving the client.”
Tank glanced back at the girls. “Do it. I don’t like not knowing what’s going on. Those guys could be building a bomb in the hallway. I feel like we’re sitting ducks if we stay here.”
Matt moved the dressing table from in front of the door. Tank stood to the side, his gun at the ready. Matt eased the door open to peer into the hallway.
“I don’t see anything,” he muttered in a low voice.
They opened the door wider. Matt stuck his hand out. Nothing happened. So he stepped out into the hallway. Something slammed into his side. He pushed it off and swung around. The man who’d tried to stab him earlier looked just as surprised to see him. He must have been running from something else.
Before the guy could react, Matt punched him in the face. He dropped like a stone. Matt took his weapon and unloaded it, tossing the gun to the side.
“Nice one.” Tank grabbed the guy by the shirt and dragged him in the room where he handcuffed him and pushed him against the far wall. The girls looked horrified to have the guy in the same room with them, but it was necessary. They couldn’t chance leaving him outside where his partner could possibly find and free him.
“Okay, I’m going back out. Maybe the other one will show u
p.”
“Or maybe I’ll show up.” Eli appeared in the doorway. Both Matt and Tank were so startled they drew their weapons, then immediately lowered them.
“Sorry, boss.” Tank went back to securing the suspect. He tied something around his feet so he couldn’t move even if he woke up.
Eli came farther into the room and closed the door. When he saw the man hog-tied in the corner, he immediately pulled out his phone. “My men caught one suspect. We have him detained. I’ll wait for further instructions.” Eli listened for a moment, then hung up.
“They’re sending a SWAT team in. They want us to stay put until—” Shots splintered the door behind them, then started coming through the wall. It was obvious the dressing room wasn’t solidly constructed because bullets were tearing through the drywall like it was tissue paper.
“Get down! Get down!”
Eli threw himself on top of Kaylee and took her to the ground. They all covered their heads as more shots exploded through the wall. When it finally went silent, they all drew their weapons.
“Girls, get in the bathroom,” Eli ordered.
Kay jumped up and ran for the bathroom, the other girls close on her heels. The door closed behind them. Matt, Eli, and Tank spread out in the room. If the guy crashed in, there was no way he’d be able to hit all of them. A second later, the door exploded inward.
“Drop your weapon,” Eli warned.
“Or we will shoot,” Matt added.
Matt watched as the guy swung toward him. His eyes were crazed as he realized he was outnumbered. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”
“What do you want from her? Why are you stalking her?” Eli asked. The guy swung back toward him. He was panicking, Matt observed. Having them talk at him from two sides was confusing him, dividing his attention.
“Nothing. He said this would be an easy job. He didn’t say anything about bodyguards.”
“Who? Who said it would be an easy job?” Eli’s face was twisted into a mask of rage. He’d been working for months trying to uncover the identity of Kaylee’s stalker. So far it had just been threatening letters, but it seemed the guy had graduated his efforts. He was no longer trying to get close to her. He was trying to kill her. He wanted it badly enough to hire out.
