In Safe Hands

by Victoria Sue

  Maverick understood unrealistic expectations. “Was he on drugs then?”

  “I don’t think so,” Deacon said, “but if he was, he hid it well. He’d just left the Army, and he was struggling, but I didn’t know. I know he did two tours in Iraq and that it was hell, but when you don’t know what someone’s normal is, it’s hard to tell any difference.”

  “Army?”

  Deacon nodded. “I don’t even know what he did because he didn’t seem to want to talk about it. He’d already left.” Deacon paused. “He was driving to San Francisco the next day to start a new job. He’d gotten a post with a security company similar to what you were trying to set up with Jamie. Ex-military personnel.”

  “When did you hear from him next?”

  “He visited one more time when I needed him.” Deacon smiled but didn’t elaborate. “We texted, but I was doing exams.” Deacon slowed for a light. “It was so hard. It was like the elephant in the corner, and he didn’t talk about leaving or what had happened. He told me he reached out to Mom after Dad died, but the letter was unanswered. I told him we weren’t talking either, and he said as soon as I finished school, if I wanted to move to San Francisco, I would always be welcome. Anyway, the contest happened literally the week of finals, and before I knew it, we were in New York. Five crazy months went by with the texts getting less and less, and eventually I got a call from a rehab center in Daly City. Mikey had been admitted, but his insurance was for shit, so I immediately flew out. He was a mess. Whatever he had started on had progressed to heroin. I got him admitted to the best place I could find, but we had an interview scheduled the next morning and production for the show started the next week. It was ten days before I got back, and he seemed a lot better.”

  Seemed? Rehab took a lot longer than that, but Deacon wouldn’t have known.

  “He begged me to take him home with me, but I couldn’t. I didn’t even have my own place at that point. All the band was living in a huge apartment Sony was paying for, and we were writing as many songs as we could.” Deacon fell silent, and Mav tried to process everything. He couldn’t imagine what Deacon had gone through.

  “The next I heard was a letter telling me he had sorted his life out and was working. It was the time he got Molly, but he never told me.” The regret. The bewilderment was in Deacon’s voice.

  “Do you know why?”

  Deacon was silent for a few moments. “It killed him to ask me for help, and it nearly destroyed me that I couldn’t bring him back with me. I want to say I wasn’t in a position to help, and that’s true to a big extent, but….”

  “You hadn’t forgiven him?”

  “What sort of a brother does that make me?” Deacon whispered.

  “A young one?” Mav offered. Deacon didn’t reply. “We all have regrets.” Mav had. “And hindsight is a wonderful thing, as they say. For what it’s worth, I think your brother didn’t say anything because he wanted to go back to being the protector. The man you could look up to. He wanted to succeed before he came back to you.”

  “You mean he felt he had to pretend?” Deacon looked aghast.

  Mav shook his head. “When my mom died, it nearly destroyed our family with guilt.”

  “She was sick?”

  “Yes, but that’s not exactly what I mean. My sister felt guilty because she was away at college when my mom first got sick, and I felt guilty because she and my dad were having problems and I spent a long time pretending it wasn’t happening.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Twelve when Dad lost his job and Jamie went to college.” Mav looked at Deacon. “The same age you were when Michael left.”

  “But I was older when Michael had problems.”

  “And you did your best to help.” Maverick clasped Deacon’s hand. “When you found out about Molly, did it ever occur to you not to take her? A single guy? And you had enough issues of your own.”

  Deacon smiled. “No. Molly was like having a part of Mikey back.”

  “There you go, then,” Mav said. Deacon had tried, and then he had let her go because he thought she’d be better off somewhere else.

  “Did you ever find out what happened after he got Molly?”

  “I called a few times after I didn’t hear anything for a while, and in the end I got hold of a friend Mikey used to work with. Apparently, Molly’s mom had cheated on him, and it had sent him over the edge. She left him, and he went back on drugs. Then she died, and Mikey got Molly. He straightened up and was good for a few months, but then the company went under and Mikey lost his job. He left Molly with a babysitter, and when he didn’t come back to collect her, she called the cops. He’d been going to a job interview, and they called him to say it had been filled. Instead of going home, he shot up and OD’d.” Deacon shot him a worried look. “What do you think happened to Manny?”

  The complete change of subject took Mav a little by surprise, but then Mav didn’t blame Deacon one little bit for needing to talk about something else. “Jones?” Mav had no idea. “I guess they’re looking at who else he pissed off. If his treatment of you was anything to go by, I can’t see it being a short list. I was going to let Jamie settle in at Richards’s, then call her. She has a lot of friends still on the force even though she left years ago. She’s always been heavily into fundraising for them and the like.”

  Deacon turned down a pretty street with large trees on either side. All the houses were set back. All the mansions.

  “Wow,” Mav murmured.

  “Uh-huh,” Deacon agreed, and of course, he pulled to a stop outside the one that had the biggest set of black gates, then lowered the window. Deacon pressed the call button on the bottom of the panel. Mav took in the security cameras.

  “Can I help you?” the tinny-sounding voice echoed from the microphone.

  “It’s Deacon Daniels to see Molly.” There was a silence, and even though Mav was expecting a refusal or another question, the gates started sliding open. Deacon looked as surprised as Mav was.

  Deacon put the truck in Drive, and they passed through the gates up to the house. It was nice, if you liked that sort of thing. Very colonial. Big white wraparound porch and shutters at every window. A three-car garage sat to the side, and by the time Deacon pulled up on the gravel drive, the door opened and a woman in full nurse’s uniform stepped out. She just missed grabbing the hand of a redheaded hurricane who slipped past her. “Danny!”

  Danny? Not Deacon? Maverick gaped as the whirlwind launched herself, and Deacon literally had a second to jump down and open his arms before they were full of what had to be Molly.

  Maverick got out of the truck just as Molly realized there was someone else.

  “Molly, come here.”

  Mav and Deacon both turned at the order. Another woman stood at the door in expensive-looking tailored pants and a matching beaded shirt. She certainly didn’t look like she was about to play with a toddler, especially one as fast as the one now clinging to Deacon. Maverick looked at the woman for a few seconds. He had the strangest feeling he had seen her before, but it could have been the news about the court case.

  Molly immediately shrank closer to Deacon, making it clear what she thought of the order. Deacon transferred Molly to his hip, and she clung on like a limpet and buried her face in the crook of Deacon’s neck. Deacon faced the woman but didn’t take a step any farther forward. “Hello, Mom.”

  Okay, so that had been kind of obvious, and Mav really hadn’t needed the confirmation. He stayed completely still and waited for an introduction or a request. He wasn’t completely certain he would get either.

  “Daniel,” his mom acknowledged, which answered the question over his name. “Your visits are supposed to be on a Thursday.”

  “Which I—”

  “But seeing as how it was Molly’s party,” she interrupted, “I am allowing this one.” Then she looked at Maverick like the conversation was over. He ignored her and waited for Deacon to finish it. She really should have gotten
her current backbone twenty years ago. Too little too late.

  Deacon was silent for a beat, and then he looked at Maverick. “Maverick, this is my mother, Anne Fellhouse. Mom, this is Maverick Delgardo, my protection detail.”

  Mav nearly snorted. That sounded like a line out of some film, not that bodyguard was any better. Jamie would have to come up with a name.

  “Mrs. Fellhouse,” Mav said very smoothly in his deepest voice and stepped forward, extending his hand. Her couple of blinks showed he still had some charisma despite the scar. He didn’t dare look at Deacon.

  She allowed him to take her hand, then looked at Deacon. “You might as well bring her in,” she said dismissively and turned.

  Then Mav looked at Deacon, and the hurt that flashed in those blue eyes made him want to hit someone. She hadn’t protected him when he was a child, and now she still wanted a pound of flesh, and Mav didn’t understand why. Kids needed as many adults who loved them as they could get. Why did it need to be fought over?

  Deacon nuzzled the top of Molly’s head. “How about we go inside?”

  Mav caught the nod of her head, but she still didn’t look up. It didn’t look like she was going to let go of Deacon anytime soon either.

  Anne Fellhouse wasn’t as confident as she was making out, Maverick decided fifteen minutes later. She hadn’t suggested Maverick should be anywhere other than with them, but then she seemed to have decided to ignore him. Or not exactly. Deacon seemed to be her main focus, which surprised Mav. He had expected it to be Molly. He couldn’t quite decide whether to be pleased or not.

  The nurse/nanny/whatever tried to pry Molly from Deacon’s arms a couple of times, but that proved pointless, so Anne had suggested she go to the kitchen.

  They even had a maid or housekeeper-type person serve coffee, and milk for Molly. Deacon and his mom were still looking at each other like one was carrying explosives.

  Maverick eyed the immaculate room and turned to Molly. He picked up the discarded doll off the floor and turned the toy around. Molly watched him but made no move to take it. He picked up the alphabet picture book from the side table, and that immediately garnered interest. Then he spotted her teddy bear and picked it up, and Molly held out her arms for it. “Are you learning all your letters yet?”

  “Hardly,” Anne said dryly.

  Deacon hugged her. “You wanna sing the ABC song for Maverick?”

  “You know the ABC song?” Mav teased, pretending to be doubtful.

  “She doesn’t—”Anne started, but Molly launched into the rhyme and sang it perfectly. Anne watched in astonishment.

  Mav leaned over and high-fived Molly. Or nearly—he had to raise Molly’s hand and show her when she didn’t know what to do.

  “Goodness,” murmured Anne.

  Deacon smiled at Molly. “I bet Grandma sings with you all the time. She can teach you—”

  “No,” Anne Fellhouse interrupted.

  “But, Mom—”

  “Absolutely not,” Anne said flatly. There was another silence while they stared at each other, and Mav was confused. There seemed to be real resentment, anger, and he had no idea why.

  “Good job, kiddo,” Deacon said after a few seconds, but he clearly wasn’t surprised. After all, up to nearly four weeks ago, Molly was learning all her letters with him.

  “Drink your milk,” Anne murmured, but the cutie-pie wrinkled her nose.

  “She likes it with a small spoonful of Nesquik chocolate,” Deacon said with the air of someone who had said that before.

  Anne frowned. “I’m not sure how healthy all that sugar is.”

  Deacon nodded. “It does have a high fructose content, but it also delivers 40 percent of her calcium needs. It’s definitely better than the syrup and even better than her not getting any milk at all.”

  Maverick tried really, really hard not to smile, to the point of lowering his head.

  “I need to go pee-pee,” Molly whispered very loudly to Deacon and tugged on his arm.

  Anne frowned again. “Rachel will take her.” She looked expectantly at the door for Rachel—Mav assumed the nurse slash nanny—to immediately appear.

  “Danny,” Molly wailed immediately.

  Deacon chuckled. “You got it, sweet pea.” And he stood up.

  “I really don’t think that’s appropriate,” Anne interrupted, but she didn’t make any attempt to stand up.

  “Just tell me where it is, Mom,” Deacon said with infinite patience when Mav would have lost his cool at the assumption. He wanted to ask if she was that worried why didn’t she take Molly herself, but he kept silent. Scoring points might make him feel better, but it wouldn’t help Deacon or Molly.

  Anne looked uncomfortable but just waved her hand. “On the right,” she clipped out, and Molly giggled as Deacon swung her up. Mav heard Molly launch into the rhyme once more as they disappeared, and he wondered if Molly had inherited her uncle’s singing talent. He’d bet that wouldn’t go down well with the old cow sitting in front of him.

  Silence settled over the room, and Anne eyed him carefully. “Protection detail?”

  Maverick nodded. “Ma’am. Your son thought it was wise with the recent court case and all.”

  “But Shelley Young’s dead,” Anne returned bluntly.

  And Deacon, not having any relationship with his mother where he could confide in her or ask advice, clearly hadn’t said he had a current problem. “You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Fellhouse,” Maverick said, completely changing the subject. With the half smile gracing her lips, he wasn’t sure whether she knew what he was doing or was completely oblivious.

  “Why does my son need protection?”

  Maybe not completely oblivious, then. “I’m sorry, but you would have to ask him,” Maverick replied honestly. Anne looked like she was going to ask another question, but Deacon came back into the room, holding Molly’s hand. Molly took one look at her grandma and turned into Deacon again with her arms up, obviously asking to be picked up.

  Maverick watched Anne’s face as Deacon chuckled and swung her up. Anne seemed confused. Maybe she genuinely didn’t understand the connection between Deacon and his niece. Maybe she believed all the stories about him? Who knew?

  Molly chattered on to Deacon a mile a minute, and Anne just sat and sipped her coffee. Rachel appeared at the door like she’d been summoned. “It’s time for your nap, Molly,” Anne said, and Deacon looked at her, his reluctance that the visit was brief obvious on his face. Molly glanced at her grandmother and then turned and buried herself against Deacon. Molly’s opinion on the matter was evident.

  Maverick caught the hint of sympathy on Rachel’s face and the confused expression on Anne’s. He stood up. “You got a castle up there, Your Highness?” There was no way he wanted another uncomfortable five minutes with Deacon’s mom.

  Molly’s eyes widened. “No.”

  “You got a blanket?”

  Molly nodded, eyes alight with possibilities.

  “Then you got a castle, sweetie.” And he held his hand out, which Molly took immediately, then stretched out her other arm to Deacon as he set her down.

  It was a funny procession. Trying to get through doors without letting go became a game. Then the stairs, and of course Molly noticed he had difficulty climbing them.

  He followed Rachel into what was definitely a bedroom fit for royalty, with the Disney Princess bed and decorations. Seeing her looking at his leg, he lifted his pants until she could see the metal joint on his ankle. He rapped it with his knuckles, and she giggled. “See? Brand-new.”

  “Because you got an owie?” she asked.

  Maverick, impressed with her reasoning, bent down nearer to her height and nodded, keeping it simple. “Yes, honey.”

  Molly stared at his cheek and put her hand against the scarred flesh. “Did you get an owie there?”

  He heard the gasp from Rachel. “M—”

  “It’s okay.” He stopped Rachel and forced himself to stay still while Molly
’s little fingers traced his cheek. Then his breath caught as she leaned forward and pressed her lips on the torn and ugly skin.

  “There.” Molly gently patted his face. “All better.” Mav couldn’t have spoken if his life had depended on it.

  “I used to have awful trouble getting her to sleep,” Deacon told Rachel, who seemed to have difficulty wrenching her eyes from Mav and Molly. Mav knew Deacon was trying to distract her, and shot him a grateful glance.

  Molly yawned but then shook her head. “No nap.”

  Deacon grinned, obviously used to this. “But I’m tired.” And he made a big show of yawning.

  Molly clasped his hand and dragged him wordlessly to the bed. Mav watched in amusement as Deacon lay down and Molly snuggled in close.

  “I’ll come back in five,” Rachel whispered and took a step to the door. Mav snagged her arm carefully.

  “Thank you.”

  She nodded. “Maybe Mr. Daniels could meet Molly somewhere else?” she whispered, and glanced back at them both. “There’s a small café close by. I couldn’t… that is if Mrs. Fellhouse—”

  “We understand,” Mav assured her. It was a sweet offer, and maybe Deacon’s mom would be persuaded in a few weeks. It would certainly be less awkward for both of them.

  “Sing the bye-bye song,” Molly asked.

  Maverick sat down quietly and listened in awe as Deacon started singing. He’d heard the song but wasn’t sure from where, but what kept him still and determined not to interrupt was the happiness on Molly’s face and the pure joy on Deacon’s.

  Deacon’s voice grew to barely a whisper as Molly closed her eyes. After another minute where Deacon just watched her sleep, he kissed her gently on the cheek and climbed carefully out of the bed.

  “Daniel.”

  They both looked around, and Anne stood there with Rachel behind her. “I’d really like you to leave now. It’s important that Molly’s routine isn’t disturbed any further.”

  It was like a slap in the face.

  Anne turned to Maverick. “Mr. Delgardo? If you would please wait in your vehicle? I wish to talk to my son in private.”