Wounded Courage (Lucky Thirteen)

by S. M. Butler

  “This isn’t right. You’re… screwing my sister, man! I don’t want her to get hurt. You’re right… she’s been through enough. And if she gets attached to you…”

  If only. But Hardy had a point.

  “She’s always had a thing for you,” Hardy said. I blinked. “I thought she’d gotten over it, but this just proves that never happened.”

  “I don’t want to hurt her. I love her.”

  “You didn’t tell her yet, did you? About what LT said?”

  I swallowed. “No, I didn’t tell her.” That was the real reason I’d hit the gym instead of coming back to her right away. To run the frustration off. To figure out a plan. “She was upset, and I didn’t think it would be good to upset her more by telling her Lt. Nelson has extended her stay here indefinitely. I think that needs to come from her brother, from her family.”

  “I know.” Hardy pinched the bridge of his nose. He was as frustrated as I was. “Fuck, I know! Goddamn, Murphy!” Hardy snapped, still taking care to keep his voice down. I didn’t blame him. “What are we going to do?”

  “She’s in so deep with Simon Giroux. She’s right, though. He won’t kill her. It’s the others we have to worry about. Nelson’s going to shit a brick if we do this.” His grey eyes, so like his sister’s, flicked toward the closed door.

  I nodded. “Yeah, but it’s the only way.”

  “So we’re doing this? Getting her out?” Hardy sighed, running his hand down his face. “We’re fucked after this, you know.”

  “If we do this right, you’ll be fine. I’ll be the one in trouble. It’s my responsibility.”

  “Then we’re both fucked,” Hardy grinned.

  “Asshole,” I said, but my heart wasn’t in the insult. I didn’t want to let Addison go on her own, but I recognized this was unfinished business for her. And right now, Giroux would protect her where we couldn’t.

  Hardy swiped his hand over his face again. He glanced at me. “Do you make her happy?”

  I was startled by the question. “I… think so.” Honestly, I wasn’t sure. I loved her. I craved her, but I had no idea if I made her happy. We’d had fantastic sex, but I wasn’t about to tell Chris that. He’d murder me.

  “Does she love you?”

  Yet another question I didn’t know the answer to. She said she did, but did she really? Suddenly, I was feeling very unsure of myself, and exposed.

  Addison

  Sunlight streamed through the small window in my room, hitting me directly in the face. My head pounded, and my mouth felt like I had stuffed a shitload of cotton balls into it.

  I stared up at the ceiling for a long time, feeling the soreness of most of the muscles in my body. My leg had a dull throb where my gunshot wound was. After a couple months, it was healing really well, but it was a constant reminder of why I couldn’t stay there. Something I so did not want to think about right then.

  Murphy didn’t understand. He couldn’t understand. One did not refuse Simon Giroux and I was never meant to deal with him alone. Alex was supposed to be there with me, guiding me, shielding me from his family’s brand of crazy, protecting me from all the enemies he’d made over his lifetime.

  Alex. That bastard had to go and get himself killed. I fingered the locket around my neck. I had been impulsive. Ridiculous and immature, getting involved with the Giroux family, but it was what it was. I couldn’t take it back.

  I didn’t want to admit it, especially while I was feeling the delicious aftereffects of making love with Murphy. I wanted to stay, to be by his side, to sleep with him night after night. But I couldn’t. I wasn’t the type of girl that Devyn was. Devyn had waited months, not knowing if her husband was alive or dead. She’d been patient, and understanding, and had dealt with twins by herself.

  I wasn’t strong enough for that. I couldn’t just wait at home. I wasn’t that girl.

  I was a doer. That was how I got into this. And that was why I couldn’t stay. It was getting more and more dangerous for me to stay in one place, and eventually, not even the US military would stop those that wanted me dead from doing just that.

  I sat up, wiping the sleep from my eyes. I had to be honest with Murphy. I wasn’t completely sure of what I’d told him the night before. It was all a haze, but I knew that my time here was ending. I had to face the demons I’d let into my life. I stood and slipped on a pair of cargo pants. I changed into a clean shirt, and glanced around the room.

  I picked up the notebook from under my pillow and stared at it for a moment, like it would magically manifest itself as a full blown automatic weapon that would destroy everything Giroux. But I wasn’t that lucky. No, it was a weapon, but it was one that I had to fire myself.

  I tucked the notebook in the side pocket and buttoned it shut. Murphy and Chris had done what they could, but I couldn’t ask them to give up their careers to protect me. I’d made my bed. I’d made my decisions before I ever saw them. And I had to leave.

  I packed the small bag I’d gotten from Chris before we’d boarded the plane to San Diego and slung it over my shoulder. Each beat of my heart slammed it against my sternum, creating an ache in my chest.

  The main halls were empty, creating the suffocating silence around me. Where was everyone? I hadn’t seen Murphy or Chris or anyone. The common room, where I’d been drinking with Dylan and Jesse was empty, newly cleaned of the alcohol and beer bottles we’d left behind.

  Finally, after walking forever, I heard the voices. Several male voices. They were coming from inside one of the meeting rooms. I slipped in close to hear them without disrupting whatever they were doing. Inside the room, all I could see through the slight crack in the door was the lieutenant. I recognized him by his uniform, something the Murphy’s team didn’t wear at all. I wasn’t sure what his deal was, but I knew he didn’t like me.

  “So what is the situation with Addison Hardy?” The voice of the lieutenant sent chills through me. I leaned in toward the door. I wasn’t sure if they’d seen me and I was relieved that he was the only one I saw, which meant no one else could. “Why is she still here?”

  Still here? Where else was I supposed to be?

  “She has vital intel on Giroux Enterprises that could be helpful.” Master Chief came into view, handing a file to the lieutenant. “Based on the current movements provided by the NSA’s team, we think that the Giroux family is looking for her. Actually, we think they’re waiting for her.”

  Yes, yes they were, and the Giroux family was not known for their patience. I rubbed my hand over my necklace. They knew where I was at. They weren’t dumb. They knew the team that infiltrated Alex’s place, and they knew I was gone. It was a simple “put two and two together” deal.

  “Did we locate the accountant yet?”

  The accountant? He didn’t know anything about Alex’s side work with me. No one did. I did remember that guy. He was a squirrelly little geek about twice my age. He used to ogle me when he didn’t think Alex was looking. Fucking creeper.

  But they wouldn’t know that, because I’d never mentioned Alex’s accountant. So they were basing this information on something else. The accountant wouldn’t get them anything on Simon, though. Simon was careful.

  “Not yet.” That was Jesse’s voice. “He’s gone into hiding too. We have some leads—”

  “Okay, so we’ll proceed with our original assumption that Addison Hardy is involved with the Giroux clan on a high level. We’ll hold her indefinitely at a more secure location.” The captain looked to his left. “Master Chief Collins, please make the necessary arrangements to have Addison Hardy transferred. And make sure it happens this time.”

  I bit back the gasp that wanted to escape me.

  “Sir, I think that’s premature—” Chris’s voice broke through. Chris was there?

  “I understand what your objections are, SO3 Hardy. I sympathize, but your sister is involved with the mob. We have to proceed based upon the current facts. She needs to be questioned more thoroughly. If she won
’t be cooperative with our auxiliary team, then we’ll have to send her to Whitemore.”

  “Sir, my sister is not a criminal. She doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment from the people that rescued her.”

  “Mr. Hardy, I included you in this meeting as the next of kin only. You are not involved in this investigation, due to your personal bias of the situation.” The captain set down the file he was looking at. “Addison Hardy will remain in custody until further notice. Any intel she has on the Giroux family is invaluable, but due to her unwillingness to cooperate, we will have to take it to the next level. She will be transferred, and if she is not cooperative there, I will have her sent to Whitemore.”

  Breathing got shallow and rapid. Anger and rage subjugated me, held me as captive as they wanted me to be. I wanted to scream and yell at them. I wanted to sit in a corner and cry. But I had to get out of there, before they could carry out my sentence.

  I started to back away, running my fingertips along the wall when I ran into a warm wall. Before I could turn to see, a hand covered my mouth and pulled me in through an open door. Iron hands held me as the door shut, plunging me and my assailant into complete darkness.

  Panic made my world hazy, but I wasn’t about to let my attacker gain the upper hand. I slammed my elbow back, straight into his gut. He oomphed, but his grip didn’t loosen like I’d hoped. I managed to twist around, but he pushed me back against the wall, and pinned my arms over my head, holding his hand over my mouth again. His voice was low and whispered. “Addison, stop fighting me.”

  Murphy. My body relaxed in his embrace, his hand holding my wrists and his other over my mouth to keep me from yelling. Slowly, his hand came away from my mouth, but he didn’t let go of my hands.

  “What are you doing?” I whispered.

  “Trying to help you. You’re dead set on making that difficult though.”

  “You scared me half to death!” I hissed back. Instantly, my chest ached for him, my stomach doing circles in time with my heart beat. Why did I not want to be with him again? I was having a hard time remembering.

  “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t let you go into that meeting.”

  “What is going on?” I demanded. “They’re talking about sending me away.”

  “You would have been put under guard as soon as you went in there. They could have deemed you a flight risk.” He wasn’t even breathing hard after our brief scuffle.

  But now I had a problem. First Alex, and now Murphy. Why did guys I was involved with always want to put me under guard? “I am in a prison. You told me I wasn’t. You promised I would be safe.”

  “You’re not in a prison yet.” Murphy’s body pressed against me, his hips against mine, his strong arm holding both mine in place. “Listen, we knew this might happen. We have to get you out of here now.”

  I stared at him, or I would have been if it hadn’t been dark. Surprise wasn’t strong enough for what I felt. Shock? That didn’t feel right either. The Murphy I knew was all about duty and honor, and having the courage to do what it took to do the right thing. This wouldn’t be the right thing. This would be helping a suspected criminal to escape. His career would be over.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “And I don’t have time to explain. But as soon as they get out of that meeting, you’re going into an interrogation cell. You have to go.” Hearing Murphy so finite about it… this was what I’d been planning all along, wasn’t it? Escape from this? So why was I suddenly reluctant?

  “Murphy, I can’t outrun the United States military.”

  “I know. That’s why I’m going with you.”

  I wished for light so I could see his face, but I could almost imagine it. So serious. So dutiful. Yet, insanity lurked in the depths of his mind. Go with me? What was he thinking?

  “Your career will be over, Murphy. You can’t do this.”

  “We all make our own choices.”

  “I can’t let you do that.”

  “Well, it’s not your choice to make and it’s already done.” A small moment of silence passed, and then he added, “Trust in me, Addison. I promised you I would keep you safe.”

  He let my arms loose, and then in the darkness, one of his large hands intertwined with my fingers and squeezed. He brought them up to his lips and the gentle kiss I felt was enough to make me want to melt into the floor.

  I wanted to read his eyes, see the brilliance of his icy blues. I wanted to be reassured by the honesty in his eyes. “You’ll explain, yes?”

  “Once we’re out.”

  I had no idea what to do, but one thing was clear. I did trust Eamon Murphy. I’d trust him with my life, with my safety, and no matter what, with my heart.

  ~*~*~

  Murphy took me by the hand and led me out into the hall. My leg was already starting a complaint, just based on how tense I was feeling. I’d gotten to the point where I could walk normally on it, but it still gave me fits if I was too active.

  He glanced back toward the meeting room and whispered. “Chris is stalling for time. Because as soon as that meeting is over, they’ll be coming for you. I’m getting you out before they dismiss.”

  I nodded, and allowed him to pull me along. I studied him in silence as we walked quickly down the corridor. Murphy had dressed for battle. His pistol was in a holster on his thigh, he had a black pack on his back. He was dressed in all black, from the dark jeans he wore to the plain black hoodie. The hood was pulled up, creating dangerous shadows over his face.

  He let go of my hand, but only so he could grip my upper arm, close to my elbow. His presence was quiet, full of grace and lethal promise. His face was hard—schooled into an expressionless mask. But I knew my Murphy.

  We were only about a hundred yards from the exit when the alarms started blaring.

  “Oh, fuck. He couldn’t do it.”

  “Who couldn’t do what?”

  Murphy didn’t answer. His demeanor flipped, and the hardened warrior I’d been terrified of at Alex’s home surged forward to replace the man I loved. “No more stopping. We have to go.”

  “Wha—” Murphy didn’t even pause. He dragged me along with him, and when my leg threatened to give out, he supported me so we didn’t have to slow down. It was an all out sprint for the exit.

  I started to head for the elevator when we reached it, but Murphy shook his head. “Too slow. Stairs.”

  “Murphy, I can’t—” I stopped, because he scooped me over his shoulder like a fireman and took the stairs two at a time. At the same time, he balanced me with one hand while he dialed his phone with the other. When had he even pulled that out? He was like Superman or something.

  I tried not to focus on it, tried not to focus that they were after me. I focused on Murphy, on the warmth of his body, on the strength that emanated from him as he carried me.

  “Murphy…” We reached the top of the stairs and he set me down. “Where can we go from here?”

  “Car’s waiting outside.”

  I blinked. A car? What?

  The crash of the stairs’ entrance below opening spurred us back into action. I took off in front of him, my leg aching but I couldn’t let him carry me the entire way. I wasn’t a baby and I could take care of myself.

  Murphy pulled out his pistol as we paused outside a door that led toward the outside.

  “How many freaking doors does this place have?” I complained.

  “Enough to lock it down appropriately.” He swiped the lock with his keycard, and it opened on command. “Come on.”

  He pulled back on the gun and let it go. A bullet clicked into the chamber. Suddenly, it all felt way too real.

  I touched his arm. “No killing. I can’t handle it.” Truth was, I didn’t want to see him kill people he’d worked with, trained with, for so long, just for me. He nodded, but didn’t say anything, or otherwise acknowledge it. I wasn’t sure if it was acknowledging that he heard me or that he wouldn’t kill. The footsteps on the stairs in the distance were
getting louder.

  He pushed the door open, going first so he could scope it out, and then waved me through. We moved quickly through that section, to where the outside door awaited us. I’d never been to this exit before. I wasn’t even sure where it went. He rested his hand on the door when he whirled around and raised his gun to eye level.

  “Stop!” Jesse’s voice sent chills through my body. “Put the gun down, Murphy!”

  “Nope, can’t do that, Richter. You know that.”

  I turned slowly, nearly bursting into tears when I saw the kid. “Jesse.”

  “Come here, Addison.”

  I almost did. Murphy put a hand on my arm and shook his head. I shrunk back and stepped behind Murphy, my hands on his back. “I can’t do that. I have to leave here. It’s not safe.”

  “I can’t let you leave,” he said. The pain in his expression, the sheer determination in his face rocked me. I almost stepped toward him, but then Murphy fired a single shot at the ceiling. A camera exploded above us, and then he fired another one on the other side, glass falling to the floor.

  “Clear?” Jesse whispered.

  “Clear,” Murphy said.

  “Okay. Car’s here. According to radio chatter, you have two minutes before they call in air or the auxiliary team. Be gone before that happens.” Jesse met my eyes, and smiled. “Be careful. I’d like to have another drink with you.”

  “We will,” Murphy said, pulling me along toward the door. “We have to go.”

  Jesse nodded back, a silent agreement passing between them. “Okay. Go. Now.” The sounds of approaching footsteps, a lot of them, spurred us into motion. Murphy threw open the exit and ran, pulling me behind him.

  Gunshots hit the dirt around us. I screamed and clung to Murphy, a steady hand on my arm. A car sat into the dirt lot, and Murphy bolted for it, dragging me along with him. He threw open the door and all but threw me in. I twisted and looked out the back window.

  There had to be a dozen men out there, firing weapons at us. But they didn’t permeate the outside of the car.