Maggie took his hands in hers and pulled him down to eye level. "You are Sullivan Castle. You're a good man, a kind and generous man, and you've done a helluva job rising from the ashes of your life. Don't let Kingston win by getting in your head and messing with who you think you are. Who gives a damn who your sperm donor was?"
She pressed herself into his body, as if trying to get under his skin, as if trying to become a part of him. "Because that's all he was. He didn't raise you. He didn't influence you. You chose your own path."
Her words were a balm to his soul. He knew he'd still have more crap to deal with regarding his biological father, his mother's death, and Isabel's almost rape, but for now, he would focus on this woman who fought for him. Wrapping his arms around Maggie's tiny body, he brought her up against him, inhaling the fresh scent of her hair. "Thank you," he murmured in her hair.
Her quick inhalation of breath made him smile. She hadn't expected that. Good. He liked keeping her on her toes.
Dropping his gaze down to her lips, he said, "Now, let's see if you kiss as good as you fight."
* * * *
Sully's mouth landed on hers with a fierceness she hadn't experienced from him. He demanded, his lips prying hers open, his tongue darting in to take control. He commanded a response from her, and she obeyed.
His hands fisted in her hair as he drew her even closer. She could feel every hard inch of his body against hers. Where she was soft, he was like rock, and she loved the differences between them.
Anthony had been leaner, smaller. His build was more like a runner's. He was only about five feet, ten inches tall, and he was defined, but Sully was huge. Everywhere. His chiseled chest smashed hard against hers with such force, she could barely breathe.
His abs looked painted on, they were so perfect, and his strong jaw and height made him appear indestructible. But his heart—his heart was soft and vulnerable. He had been through so much. Carried so much on his shoulders. His mother's death, his sister's attack, his team, the victims he rescued. He carried it all. He needed her to carry some of the burden for him, and she was willing.
His mouth moved to her neck, and her thoughts flew out of her mind, leaving her to focus only on the pleasure he was wringing from her body.
"It's like kissing Superman," she said stupidly. Why had those words come out of her mouth?
Sully chuckled, his chest moving against hers. "Oh, yeah?"
She could feel the blush rising to her cheeks.
"Does that mean you're my kryptonite?" he whispered against her mouth.
"I thought that would make me your Lois Lane," she said, a smile stretching her lips.
"Nope. I can guarantee that you'll be my undoing, Maggie Thomas."
For a moment, she wondered what he meant. Then he moved his lips back to her mouth, and her thoughts fled her mind once again.
A knock at the door sounded, and Sully growled, taking his lips off hers but not moving away. "Someone is always interrupting." His voice was gravelly and utterly pissed off.
It did all kinds of funny things to her insides.
Maggie went to take a step back, but it was as if Sully couldn't handle the thought of her being away from him. He pulled her to his side, then shouted, "Come in, dammit!"
She tried to stifle the giggle that erupted, but failed. He looked down at her, and one corner of his mouth tipped up in a slight grin.
Isabel opened the door. When she saw the two of them standing there, with Maggie tucked up underneath Sully's arm, the worry on her face evaporated.
"Oh! What were you two doing?" she sing-songed. Maggie saw the relief on her face. Isabel had had no idea what state she would find Sully in when she knocked on that door.
"Nothing," Sully growled again.
"Riiigghht. Sure," Isabel said, the smile on her face lighting up the room.
"Do you have a reason for being here?" Sully asked.
"Well, I did. But I can see that I clearly interrupted something."
"And yet you're still standing here. So, you might as well spill it."
She laughed. "I was just, you know. Checking on you."
Sully’s face sobered a little bit, but Maggie could tell that the dark cloud that had hung over him earlier had lifted. "I'm ok. No one wants to hear that their archenemy is actually their biological, deadbeat dad, but it is what it is. I'm dealing with it."
"Is that why your knuckles look like you were hitting a brick wall over and over again?" Isabel asked.
"Yep," he said. "Anything else, little sister?"
"Yeah," she said, stepping farther into the room and moving to his other side. "I love you." Isabel slipped one arm around his waist, squeezing Maggie's arm as she did so. Then she rested her head on his shoulder, her hand falling to her belly in a loving gesture.
"I love you, too," Sully said back, placing a kiss on top of her head.
Maggie felt like an intruder on the sweet scene, but Sully pulled her more tightly to him, not letting go. They stood there for several seconds like that. It was as if she were finally a part of something. A part of a family.
It had been so long since she’d felt this content, and the feeling scared her.
But her son was still out there, in the hands of the devil. She was still stuck here inside this compound, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
When Isabel left, closing the door behind her, Maggie turned to Sully.
"What's next?"
He didn't have to ask her what she meant. He knew.
"We find your son."
Chapter 17
"Zach, please tell me that you've got something for us," Sully said as he faced his team. He knew that Maggie needed some good news, and he needed to be proactive rather than thinking about the son of a bitch he had as a father. Not that he was an actual father to Sully in any way, shape, or form. But Kingston's blood ran through his veins regardless.
"I've found several properties in Garmoni's name, or ones that can be traced back to him, at least." Zach put a map up on the wall behind him, and Sully turned around to view his findings. "He has several apartments in the area, as well as some businesses, mainly strip clubs and bars. But this"—Zach pointed to the Potomac River and the area near the wharf—"is where I think he has him."
There was a red pin dropped there. "Does he own a business there?" Sully asked.
"No, it's a house boat. From what you told me Raina said, we know he has four houses, but she didn't know about the rest of this. He does move him around, like she also indicated, but I think he uses this as his home base. I pulled up some footage from last night after the car bombing, and found this."
Zach played the security footage, and the team watched as a man that looked like Garmoni walked with several other large men and a small little boy. They turned the corner and disappeared.
"There aren't any cameras down that row, which is probably why he chose it. But I was able to make some calls and call in some favors, and I got the slip number. That's where I think we'll find Brady."
Sully turned his attention to Maggie, whose eyes were still glued to the screen where Zach had frozen the video on a picture of her little boy. Tears hovered on her lashes, and when she blinked, they spilled down her cheeks. Sully reached over and grabbed her hand, not caring that he was clearly showing a display of affection in front of his entire team. If they knew what was good for them, they'd keep their mouths shut.
"You ok?" he asked her quietly.
She nodded. "Let's get the bastard and rescue my boy."
"Zach, what's the security like?"
"Since I don't have eyes on the slip, I'd say let's send Lucas out in the helo with thermal technology to see if we can pick up heat signatures on the boat. Then we'll know what we're up against."
Lucas jumped up from the table. "I'll go now. If we want to get this done tonight under the cover of darkness, we're racing against the clock."
It was already evening, and Lucas was right—they needed to get a move on and get
to Brady tonight. If Lucas could get the bird in the air and obtain a count of the men they were up against, they could have Brady reunited with Maggie before dawn. Wouldn't be the first time they'd been up all night.
"I'll go with you," Gabriel said and followed after Lucas.
"Until they get back, everyone get some rest. Looks like it's going to be a long night."
Sully waited as everyone left the room, Maggie's hand still held tightly in his. When she looked up at him with those big blue eyes, he almost came undone.
"Let's get some rest," he said softly.
"I'm not sure I can."
"When you're in the military, you learn to sleep anytime, anywhere. It's a good skill to have."
"Since I was never in the military, it's not a skill I have," she said, with an eyebrow quirked.
"Maybe I can help you relax?" he asked, waggling his brows.
Maggie chuckled softly. "Maybe."
They stood and went upstairs, Sully pulling her behind him to his room. She looked a little shocked, but, right now, he needed her in his bed—close to him. In his arms.
Maggie didn't protest, just followed behind him as he closed the door. She sank onto the mattress and looked up at him, those big blue eyes holding questions he wasn't up to answering at the moment. Sully knew that they had about an hour before Lucas would report back, and then they'd need to devise a plan and execute. No time for what he had in mind for her.
He sat down behind her, rubbing her shoulders. Her head fell back, and he couldn't help himself. His lips found a spot on her neck, and he trailed kisses up to her lips. She turned in his arms, eager for the connection, but just as quickly as he'd started the kiss, he ended it.
Maggie whimpered, and Sully grinned. "Can't get enough of me, huh?" he asked huskily.
"Mmm," she answered back, nestling into his arms. He sat back against the headboard with her, his eyes closing as she tucked her head under his chin. Seconds later, he was fast asleep.
A buzzing in his pocket woke him, and he answered, rousing Maggie as he did so.
"Castle."
"We're back. You guys ready to go?"
"Be there in ten. I'll get the other guys."
Sully climbed off the bed. "You ready?" he asked Maggie.
She nodded, rubbing her eyes, the exhaustion of the last several days clearly starting to get to her.
"Look, why don't you stay here. I'll fill you in—"
"No way in hell, Sully. That's my son out there. I'm going."
He grinned at her determination. "I had a feeling you'd say that. Ok, let's go."
Sully sent texts to the rest of the guys, and, moments later, they were all gathered at the table again. Isabel was the only team member missing. As if in answer to his thoughts, Ethan said, "Izz is worn out. I told her to stay put, and I'd text her on our way back. That way, she can be here when we get Brady, in case we need her."
Sully dipped his head in acknowledgement, and Lucas dove in.
"Six guys on top, and we saw four more heat signatures down below. Not sure if they're guards or maids or what."
"So we should be prepared for ten," Sully said.
"That would be the safest bet," Gabriel replied.
"Five against ten. Not bad odds," Lucas said, a grin on his face.
"You need more guys, right?" Maggie asked, a worried expression pulling her brows together.
"Most likely, it's more like six to eight thugs against five of us. We've gone up against much worse odds in the past. That's two guys to one."
"But in the past, it wasn't my son at stake here."
Sully placed his hand on hers. "This is what we do, and we do it well. I'd never risk Brady's safety."
She inhaled deeply and nodded.
"Ok, Ethan, I'd love to have you up high with eyes on us the whole time, but I'm not sure we can get you on a neighboring craft. So we'll all suit up and go in. Let's split it up. Gabriel, Ethan, and I will go in by water. Lucas and Zach will go in by land. Stick to the shadows, and let's get in and out."
"Roger that," the guys echoed around the table.
"I'm going with you," Maggie said.
"Um, that's a negative," Sully replied as he walked to the door.
"Sully." She said his name so heart-wrenchingly that he didn't have a choice but to turn and face her. "He's my son. I need to be there. He'll be scared. Terrified."
Sully took a deep breath and blew it out, lowering his head and pushing his hands through his cropped hair.
"Fine. You stay in the van at the end of the wharf. You don't leave that van for any reason. Is that clear?"
"Perfectly," she said, her chin lifting in defiance. He wanted to kiss it.
They all moved to the set-up room, wearing Kevlar and enough firepower to start the next world war. Gabriel, Ethan, and Sully donned their wetsuits and scuba equipment. They'd take a separate van and let in down the river. When they were close, they'd radio their location, and Lucas and Zach would work their way to the boat.
When they were suited up, Sully glanced around. "Ready?"
The answering shouts brought a smile to his lips.
He loved this team. Loved this job.
Rescuing the innocent never got old.
Chapter 18
Sully swam up to the boat, his night goggles firmly in place. The quiet swishing of the water against the boat was a peaceful sound. Too bad all hell was about to break loose.
"We're in place," he said into his comms device.
"Roger that. Making our way there now," Zach responded.
Sully, Gabriel, and Ethan located a ladder at the back of the boat that went up to a platform from which people could jump off and swim, or launch tubes or skis. They floated just out of sight, not wanting to make their presence known until the other two guys were in place.
A double click of the comms meant that Lucas and Zach were ready to go. Sully gave the signal to his team, and they climbed up the ladder and onto the platform, staying low. They realized they had lucked out when they saw that the platform was empty. Apparently, Garmoni's security thought that they were safe enough with the water boundary. They had underestimated Castle Investigations.
The team crept up to the ladder leading to the main level, pressing close against the wall of the boat. On Sully's signal, they started the climb. Sully hated going in blind. There was no way to see who was up above them, but hopefully, luck would be on their side, and the three of them could get on the main level before anyone found them.
Ethan went first and motioned for Gabriel to climb up. After Gabriel gave the all-clear sign, Sully climbed up after him. Just as his head drew level with the deck, one of Garmoni's thugs rounded the corner of the boat.
"Hey!" he yelled, and Ethan didn't hesitate. Two silent shots to the head, and the man fell face first onto the deck.
Sully scrambled up the ladder, his gun raised and ready. He gave the signal for them to split up just as the first burst of gunfire sounded. Since his guys were all using silencers, that meant trouble for Zach and Lucas.
Rounding the corner with Gabriel right behind him, Sully found two thugs taking aim at Zach and Lucas, who were in a standoff. The two men hadn't realized that Sully and Gabriel were right behind them, giving them the upper hand. Sully gave the signal to fire, and he and Gabriel squeezed off a couple of shots. The two men didn't even know what had hit them as they fell to the ground.
Ethan met them from the other side.
"That's three down. Potentially seven to go. Let's go below," Sully said.
Sully led the way down the steps, into the house portion of the boat. The place was quiet. Too quiet. The living room, where the stairs led to, was completely empty. Sully felt a sense of foreboding. Something wasn't right.
He signaled to the guys, and each of them broke apart. Sully shoved open one door, glancing right and then left inside the empty room. He shook his head.
Ethan kicked in the second door, shaking his head as well. Nothing.
&nb
sp; They came to the final door at the end of the hallway. Sully pushed to the front of the group and opened it.
The room must have been the master bedroom. There was a large, king size bed in the center, and what looked like a bathroom off to the right. He moved inside, his gun raised in front of him.
A small duffel bag sat on the bed. Sully motioned to the guys to check the closet. Lucas opened the door and shook his head. Sully lowered his gun to peer into the bag. He drew out an article of clothing. A small, little boy's shirt. He glanced around, noticing a few toys scattered about.
He nodded to the bathroom, and they all silently moved in that direction. Sully slowly opened the door. It was empty. Except for the red clock that was counting down. It read one minute and twenty-seven seconds.
"Go, go, go!" he shouted at his team. "Bomb!"
The five men ran as fast as they could up the steps and to the side of the boat. Sully calculated that they had about thirty seconds before the boat blew. They needed to be farther away than thirty seconds would give them.
"Over the side!" he yelled as all five dove into the water and swam away from the boat.
They'd made it about fifty yards away when the boat blew.
* * * *
Maggie sat anxiously in the van, waiting for the guys to return. They'd been gone a long time, but she knew that it would take a while for Sully and the other guys to swim to the boat. Longer than it had taken for Lucas and Zach to reach the boat slip.
After about half an hour, she rolled down the windows of the van. She sat in the driver's seat in case she needed to get away. At least, that's what Zach had said she should do if there was any sign of trouble. But she wasn't a coward, and she would not leave them to fend for themselves.
Forty-five minutes went by, and Maggie had had enough. She opened the van door and paced back and forth in the parking lot where they had parked, across the street from the docks. She could see the moon reflecting off the water, its stillness in direct opposition to the turmoil of emotions she was feeling.
A loud boom ripped through the sky, and a large fireball shot into the sky, right where the boats should be.
Castle Investigations Box Set Page 113