"Thank you," Maggie said. She opened her mouth, then closed it. Opened it and snapped it shut.
"What is it?" he asked, sighing in frustration. The sooner he got her out of his office, the sooner he’d be able to breathe again.
"I'm sorry. It's just—I, um—I kind of need to go out of town this weekend. I have something I need to take care of, and—"
"Out of the question."
"Wait, you can't just keep me a prisoner here, Sully. I have responsibilities."
"What kind of responsibilities?"
"Last time I checked, they weren't any of your business."
"My answer is still no," he said, looking away from her. Her eyes were all shiny, and he was terrified that she was about to cry on him. But there was no way he was letting her out of this building without him. He didn't think that The General had any reason to mess with her, but her simple proximity to him made her vulnerable. He wasn't going to chance it.
"Sully—" she started.
"Maggie, there is a crazy man out there trying to ruin us. He's tried to kill Scarlett, her sister, Cate, Izz, and Ella. I will not allow him anywhere near you."
The look on her face was one of confusion, and then anger.
"I have things I have to take care of. Personal things that are none of your business. But if you won't let me travel, then I at least need to run some errands. I've been in this warehouse for too long. I need to get out."
Sully realized she was right. Except for a few trips she'd taken with the girls and their husbands, Maggie hadn't been able to venture beyond the warehouse courtyard in two months. He sighed.
"I'll ask Lucas and Scarlett to take me," Maggie said.
"I'll take you," he offered. The thought of her being in danger made him shudder. Now that the FBI case had been dismissed, he wasn't sure what The General's next move would be, but he knew that he would up his game.
"You don't have to do that," she said.
Did she not want to be near him anymore? Sully should feel relieved. He couldn't give her what she deserved. And he wasn't stupid. He knew that he had feelings for her, and that she returned those feelings. It was evident in the way she'd kissed him that night.
She'd kissed him as if he were her world.
But he couldn't be.
As long as The General was free, anyone associated with Sullivan Castle was at risk.
And even if he wasn't, Sully would never be good enough for her, and he knew it.
* * * *
Maggie had to leave the compound. She also needed to be far away from Sullivan Castle. Working with him the last couple of months had been sheer torture. He ignored her most of the time, and when he had to acknowledge her existence, he was aloof and matter-of-fact, acting as if he were completely unaffected by her presence.
Well, she was certainly impacted by his.
It had been three months since she'd been to visit her brother and him. She hadn't stayed away this long since her first few months after she'd moved to D.C. But if she couldn't get to North Carolina to see them, she had to at least find a way to get money to them. She sent it every month to help with expenses.
Maggie's brother knew of her current situation, at least, and had told her they were fine. But he was her responsibility. She needed to get this check deposited and get a money order off to them today. She wouldn't be able to do that with Sully tagging along.
"Really, it's no big deal. I'm sure Scarlett and Lucas wouldn't mind escorting me."
"Not going to happen, Pixie. I take you, or no one does."
She huffed, and not just because he was a stubborn ass. He'd started calling her Pixie after that kiss on the night of Ella and Zach's wedding. She didn't know what had come over her. She'd caught Sully staring at her the entire night, but not once would he ask her to dance, or come by and just sit and talk. Instead, he'd avoided her.
Finally, she'd had enough and followed him to his office. Taking him by surprise, she'd launched herself into his arms. The kiss had been hot, and Maggie wasn't sure what else would have happened—after he'd tossed her up onto his desk and sat down in the chair so that they were more at eye level—if the stupid FBI hadn't interrupted their make-out session. Damn, what a shame!
"Fine."
Maggie stomped out of Sully's office and towards the elevator that would take her up to the third floor, where the private rooms for the team were housed. Since they'd all moved in there, the place was a little crowded. Not to mention filled with newlyweds who were having a hard time keeping their hands off each other.
It was doing nothing for Maggie's nonexistent love life. Having everyone else's happily ever after shoved in her face was depressing, and just made her want Sully even more. If only he weren't so damned stubborn.
She threw open the door to her room and grabbed her purse and coat from the chair by the small desk that sat against one wall. The room had been Isabel's. It was the largest room, with the biggest bathroom. Once they'd all moved back in, Maggie had tried to give the room back to Isabel and Ethan, stating that she would take one of the smaller ones. But they'd declined. Sickeningly so. Something about getting cozy or something like that. Maggie had tuned them out.
Jealous? Yep, she sure was.
And infuriated, because she knew she could have that same happiness with Sully. Well, that is, if she could trust him with her secrets, and if he'd have her after he found them out. But he hadn't earned her trust yet.
With her life? Absolutely.
But with his? Not yet.
When she exited the room, Sully was standing in the common area with his arms crossed over his enormous chest. He was an intimidating figure—six feet, four inches of solid muscle, closely cropped hair, and crystal blue eyes that saw way too much.
He lifted an eyebrow at her, no doubt amused by her stomping around like a five-year-old, and Maggie was certain that she'd seen the tiniest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Whatever. If he could act like he was immune to her, then she could do the same.
She brushed by him, her bare arm brushing against his. She shivered, and Sully's face took on a full-blown smirk.
Ass.
Maggie approached Sully's Jeep, a four-door black Wrangler that had tires as tall as she was. She glanced up at the door, wondering how the hell she was going to get up there. She'd only ridden in his Jeep one other time, and one of the guys had picked her up and placed her in the front seat. She really didn't want Sully doing that. Not only would it be embarrassing, but she also didn't want him touching her right now.
Well, she did. But not to lift her into a freaking Jeep.
Sully walked around to the door on his side and launched himself inside. The passenger door popped open, and he glanced down. One side of his mouth lifted in an amused smile, and he coughed, covering a laugh.
"Need help, Pixie?"
"I've got it," she said, determined to pull herself up into the Jeep. She reached for the Jeep's door handle, but it was literally over her head. There was no way she'd be able to pull herself up gracefully that way. Screw graceful. She'd just have to pull herself up onto the floorboard of the Jeep and then crawl into the seat.
She leaned over the edge of the Jeep's floor and swung her leg around.
"You know, I don't mind helping. All you have to do is ask."
Maggie glared at him. Over her dead body would she ask for his help right now.
Sully laughed, not bothering to try to hide it this time.
Once she got her leg into the Jeep, she was able to swing the other one up. This put her on her knees on the floor, and from there, she crawled onto the seat. By the time she had buckled her seat belt, she was breathing heavily, and sweat had popped out across her brow.
"You are the most stubborn person I've ever met," Sully muttered.
"Hello Pot, meet Kettle."
Chapter 2
The ride to the mall was uneventful. It was lunchtime in the District, which meant that traffic was slightl
y thicker than it would have been an hour earlier or an hour later. Since traffic was unpredictable and always an issue, however, it wasn't a huge shock to either of them.
Riding in the jacked-up Jeep, though, was an experience in and of itself. Maggie was small—hence Sully's nickname of Pixie for her. It fit. She was short and curvy in all the right places, and the pink hair just pushed it over the top.
Changing her hair color had started out as a necessity five years ago. She’d dyed her naturally blonde hair to black, and then she'd moved to red. The red had faded to a pinkish hue, and Maggie had loved it. It suited her personality perfectly.
When she'd left five years ago, she'd been nothing but a shell. But time away had given her courage to find herself, and the pink hair was an outward expression of the life and creativity that was brewing inside her.
Sully pulled into the parking garage of a nearby mall. Maggie knew there was a mailing center nearby, and her bank was right across the street. She was hoping she'd find a way to ditch him. Getting the money order wouldn't be difficult. It was mailing it off that would be a problem. He'd want to know why she was mailing money, and whom she was mailing it to. Maggie knew that she could just tell him it was for her brother, but that would still bring up questions she wasn't willing to answer right now. Not yet.
They went up the escalators to the food court. They hadn't eaten before they left, but she needed to get the money into her bank account first. When they reached street level, she turned to Sully. "Can I walk across the street to the bank, please? I need to deposit my paycheck."
"Don't they have an ATM or something you can use?"
They did. But the ATM didn't spit out money orders.
"I don't trust them."
He quirked a brow and shrugged. "Let's go."
She put her hands up to stop him. As if. He was two hundred fifty pounds of solid muscle. No way she'd be able to keep him from doing anything he wanted to do. But being a gentleman, Sully paused.
"You don’t have to go with me. I don't need a babysitter. Plus, it's money and stuff. So isn't that private?"
"You're just making a deposit. Depositing a check I just wrote for you. What's the big secret?"
She sighed. "Fine, let's go."
They walked across the street and stood in line at the bank. After a few minutes of tense silence, she was finally next. She glared at Sully when he tried to come to the counter with her, and he grinned, holding his hands up in surrender.
"I'll wait by the door."
"Thank you," she said, and silently sighed in relief.
Handing the check to the teller, she asked her to deposit it to her account, and then proceeded to move a third of the amount into a money order.
"Would you like it made out to someone in particular?" the teller asked.
"No, just leave it blank."
"Sure thing." The teller processed her deposit and money order, stuck it in an envelope, and slid it across the counter to her.
Hurriedly, Maggie slipped the envelope into her purse and turned to the door.
"All set?" Sully asked.
She nodded, and they made their way back to the mall across the street.
Now all she had to do was lose him long enough to get to the mailing center on the bottom floor.
Piece of cake.
* * * *
Lunch with Maggie was awkward. They hadn't sat across from each other at a table—well, ever. Except when she’d been serving him dinner at the café, but then she'd only sat down for a few minutes each time to catch up on all the team members. It had been easy conversation. Before he’d known that she felt about him, the same way he felt about her.
Maggie had been his obsession for several months after he'd met her, when Lucas's wife Scarlett had been searching for her kidnapped sister. He'd made a trip to Maggie's house shortly after she'd almost been taken herself, by thugs who were using her to get to Scarlett. The team had asked her to stay home for a few days while they sorted things out, and he’d wanted to make sure that she didn't need anything.
From his conversations with Scarlett, he’d known that money was tight, so he'd also sent her money to cover the days she'd been without work. Then his obsession had continued as he made his way to her diner almost nightly. They had food at the warehouse, but it didn't come with a side of pink-haired pixie.
He loved her sass and her Southern charm. But mostly, he just loved how she made him feel as if he were the most important person in the world.
But keeping her at arm's length was crucial to keeping her safe. If The General thought she was special to him, he'd use her against him, and Sully refused to put her at risk that way. So he'd deny himself the pleasure of her lips against his.
"Earth to Sully. Where'd you go?" Maggie asked as she stood to collect her trash from the table and throw it away.
"Sorry. My mind was elsewhere."
"What was the groaning about?"
Wait, he hadn't groaned out loud, had he? Surely not.
Maggie burst into laughter. "You should see your face right now. I was kidding."
Had he mentioned that she was a ball-buster, too? He'd learned early on that she liked to make jokes, especially if they were at his expense. Since he wasn't one for laughing much, and no one but his teammates had the courage to give him a hard time, he'd found the quality endearing.
Sully threw his trash away and faced her. "Where to now?"
"I need to get some personal items. Think you can give me some space?" she answered.
"No can do. Sorry."
Maggie growled, and Sully fought back a laugh. She was adorable when she was angry, but he'd never tell her that.
"Fine," she huffed and took off toward an underwear store.
The place was pink. Everywhere. And Maggie's hair fit in perfectly. He heard several of the ladies that worked there compliment her, and she smiled each time and thanked them profusely as if they were best friends. Maggie never met a stranger.
She picked up several bras and a few pairs of panties that didn't seem to have much fabric to them. Sully was suddenly feeling very warm, and he kept pulling at the collar of his fitted black t-shirt. Had it shrunk? Did they have the heat on in this store?
Maggie turned around and caught his expression. She giggled and walked over to him, looping her arm through his. They hadn't touched since that night they'd kissed. Not like this. And he felt the electricity zipping up and down his arm.
"You're such a guy," she said.
"Thanks. I think."
"I need to try these on, so you can't come back with me."
Sully hadn't thought through that. He opened his mouth to protest, but she put a finger over his lips. He stopped, the touch of her hand to his mouth sending chills down his spine. He turned towards her slowly and took her hand in his. Maggie's eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed.
So she felt it, too. The energy. The attraction. The invisible line that she'd crossed.
He removed her hand from his lips and held it, not letting go. "I won't come in there with you. Be quick. I'll be right outside."
Then, without quite realizing what he was doing, his hand lifted hers to his mouth, turning it palm up, and placed a kiss there. He folded her hand as if to make sure she held on to his kiss and gently replaced her hand by her side.
Maggie's eyes never left his. When she'd stood there for longer than socially acceptable, staring at his face, he quirked a brow, and she shook her head as if to clear it.
"Yes." She cleared her throat. "Of course. I won't be long."
Practically sprinting away from him, Maggie reached the fitting rooms and spoke to the attendant. With a quick glance over her shoulder, she disappeared inside.
Sully checked his watch. It was early afternoon. He decided to check in on Zach to see if he'd found any chatter. If he had, Zach would have called him already, but Sully needed an excuse to stop thinking about the woman that was driving him insane.
Zach picked up on the first ring. "
Harper."
"Anything new?" Sully turned away from the fitting rooms momentarily to eye a scrap of lace hanging near his head. He’d never understood how women could wear these contraptions. Sure, they looked pretty on, but could they really be comfortable?
"Nope. Still plugging away, scanning the dark net. Looking for ways to hack into his server so we can gain access to his email. So far, nothing."
"Let me know if you find anything."
Without waiting for his reply, Sully clicked off and turned back towards the fitting rooms.
Sully stood propped against the wall for several minutes. He'd watched two women go in and come back out. He checked his watch. Ten minutes had passed. How long did it take to try on bras and panties?
After five more minutes had passed, worry gnawed at his gut. He strode over to the fitting room attendant.
"I'm looking for my…" He paused. What should he call Maggie? Calling her his employee would be the height of creepy. "My girlfriend. She came in here a few minutes ago. Pink hair. Tiny, fairy-like creature."
"Sure, I remember. She left ten minutes ago."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. She handed all of her items back to me and walked out that way," she said, motioning to the other side of the fitting room. Another exit opened up to another section of the store.
Maggie had tricked him. She'd left him standing there like a total ass and ditched him.
But why?
"Thank you," he said. "She must have forgotten I was waiting for her."
The lady gave him a “whatever” look and turned back to hanging bras on hangers.
Sully rushed out of the store, but he had no idea where to look for her. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed her number, but she didn't answer. He started walking, peeking into every store as he passed by. He didn't bother with the larger department stores since it would take too much time to go inside and look around.
He couldn't figure out why she would leave him like that. What did she need to do so badly that he couldn't be around her when she did it?
Castle Investigations Box Set Page 100