by J. M. Madden
Duncan nodded. “Good. I have to run to KC for a bit. They found Willingham.”
John sat back in his chair in surprise. “No fuckin’ way…”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but I need to get to the bottom of this guy.”
John wheeled away from the desk. “Absolutely. Go dig. And let us know what’s going on. There’s nothing here we can’t manage while you’re gone.”
Shannon walked into the office and handed Duncan a slip of paper. “Your flight is booked. I only made it one way because I didn’t know what kind of time frame you were looking at. You have two hours to get to the airport.”
He took the paper and folded it away into his wallet. “I don’t know either, but I’ll keep you posted on what’s going on.”
Duncan walked out of the office building knowing he had a team at his back that would take care of everything.
* * *
CHAD’S NIGHT RELIEF came in the smiling form of Zeke Foster tapping lightly at the front door. Chad let him in, giving him space to get through the entry. The big man reached out for a manly shoulder bump and Chad was surprised. Zeke was one of the more standoffish guys in the office.
“Hey, big man.”
Zeke grinned down at him and Chad had to take a second to remind himself what the guy had looked like before. Just a couple months ago Zeke had gone in and had another reconstructive surgery, smoothing out some of the scar tissue on his face. Ember, his kind-of girlfriend at the time, had gone ballistic because Zeke hadn’t told her he was going in. “Ember still as awesome as ever?”
Zeke shook his head in wonder. “More so every day. I don’t know what she sees in me, but I’m never letting her go.”
Chad grinned, truly glad that his buddy had had such a change in his life. Not too long ago they’d been hanging in the bar window-shopping. None of them actually had the balls to do anything about the women they saw. They’d been publicly shot down too many times.
Ember had been different though. She’d never looked at any one of them like they were to be pitied, though the group had been pretty rough. Something about her and Zeke together totally worked. She saw the good guy he was at heart.
Chad sighed at the contentment he could see in his buddy’s face, but he couldn’t be petty about it. Zeke Foster truly deserved that happiness.
The big man rested a hand on his shoulder. “You okay, boss man?”
Chad nodded, forcing a grin. “Heck yeah, I’m just wondering where I can get a wingman now. You’ve changed your hours to be with Ember and her son more, and Ortiz left for the rich and famous with Grif.”
Zeke snorted. “Sorry, dude.”
Chad could tell he wasn’t, though. And if he had the kind of home life Zeke was now getting used to, he wouldn’t either.
“Ms. Malone has gone to bed, and I think I may just sack out on the couch for tonight. If she wakes up and finds you in her house, she’ll freak. I didn’t have a chance to tell her you were coming.”
Zeke grimaced and his massive shoulders shifted. “I’d have t-t-tried to get here earlier if you’d let me kn-know sooner.”
Chad waved his words away. “Don’t worry about it. If you hear her getting up, wake me to run interference.”
Zeke nodded and turned for the back of the house. “Can do, boss man. Get s-some sh-shut-eye.”
Chad laid on the couch that night prepared to jump up at the slightest noise, but all was quiet. He debated taking his leg off to let it breathe, then decided against it. Toward dawn, he finally let himself slip away.
Chapter Three
LORA GRIMACED AT the sun beaming in the window behind them, then immediately wished she hadn’t. Her face throbbed, and as she shifted she realized her hip did too. She hadn’t moved all night; that was why. She’d slept like the dead. Mercy sprawled like an angel beside her, sheets pushed away. Her long, blond eyelashes left little crescent moon shadows on her round cheeks, and her soft little mouth hung open as she breathed.
Moving slowly, she brushed a finger down her daughter’s ivory cheek. The long restless day and semi-sleepless night had given her some perspective over the situation. Derek wasn’t going to stop trying to get Mercy. Neither was his mother. Unless something truly drastic happened, her ex was going to be an albatross around her neck for a long time to come.
The thought made her want to cry.
She forced herself out of bed, groaning. Every damn muscle in her body ached. Her head throbbed and her sprained arm pulsed with pain. Advil and coffee were at the top of her to-do list. Pausing at the bedroom door, she leaned her ear close but couldn’t hear anything.
Was the investigator still here?
His misguided guilt seemed genuine, so he probably was.
She tiptoed out into the hallway, her heart pounding, straining to listen. She thought she might have heard cloth rustle in the living room, but she wasn’t sure. Padding down the hallway, sticking to the wall, she peered into the room.
Morning sunlight shafted into the room, trying to chase away the darkness. The tall, brown haired investigator had sprawled on her couch, making it look tiny. His cowboy boots were still on, legs hanging over the arm, and he had a frown on his face, so he didn’t seem comfortable. She tamped down her concern. A few years ago, she’d have gone out of her way to make sure a guest in her home had everything they needed, but the fact that he was even in her house right now was as far as she was willing to go. Yes, he’d been hired to do a job. That didn’t mean it didn’t chafe.
As she turned for the kitchen, she held her breath to move quietly.
“Ma’am?”
Lora screamed and jumped back from the monstrous form in the kitchen doorway, tripping over a pair of shoes as she backed away. Her feet tangled and she smacked against the wall, but miraculously kept her feet. She held up her injured hand as her left scrabbled for a weapon, knowing he was too close to her to get away.
But the monster didn’t move.
“Lora, hey, it’s okay.”
Chad had lurched to his feet and now approached her slowly, hands held out, blinking sleep from his eyes. “This is Zeke Foster. He’s one of our investigators. My night relief.”
Lora panted as her eyes flicked in the semi-darkness of the room. The shape in the doorway hadn’t moved. As she watched, his hands raised as well.
Gulping air, she tried to ease her racing heart, but she’d been on a hair-trigger for too long. She leaned against the wall, quivering, and fought angry, frantic tears.
“He got here after you fell asleep. I stayed last night to try to talk to you first, but I didn’t hear you come down the hallway. I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “I just overreacted.”
The investigator stepped closer and she fought not to tense.
“I can’t be here twenty-four hours a day. Zeke will probably be my relief on most days.”
The man in the kitchen doorway took one small step forward into the light and Lora had her second shock. His face was a map of scars and at first she had to wonder if it was a trick of the fickle light. But the longer she looked, the more clear he became, and the bigger he seemed. He loomed in her doorway, almost brushing the top jamb with his blond hair. Stacked with muscle, he still seemed intimidating to her, even with his hands up.
She looked at the other investigator, Chad, and caught his gaze. Kindness gleamed from his blue eyes. “I know, he’s a big SOB, but he’s a good man, I promise you.”
In a little over a day she’d begun to trust his words, because the sick knot of tension in her stomach began to ease. Her eyes returned to the giant’s shattered face.
He rubbed his hand over the marks, almost self-consciously. “I kn-know it’s shocking. S-sorry.”
Her heart clutched at the stutter.
“I w-was trying to find your coffee.”
Lora blinked and stood away from the wall, straightening her t-shirt. “It’s in the cupboard below the coffee maker,” she whispered.
Chad stood watching her. “Are you okay? Can I get you one of your painkillers? Or an icepack for your face?”
Shame overtook her. She hadn’t even stopped in the bathroom before coming downstairs. The damage from yesterday had to be even prettier today. “No, thank you. I’ll get some Advil and coffee and I’ll be fine.”
Chad seemed to take her at her word. He gave her a small smile before he turned for the kitchen.
Lora escaped to her room and bathroom. The bed was still in disarray from Derek attacking her. She hadn’t wanted to deal with it last night, but she would today. Everything would be set back to rights today. The alarm clock on the floor blinked twelve o’clock, and she wondered what time it actually was. She would have to call off work. Mercy would not be going to school either. If Derek tried to get her, it could be disastrous.
When she flicked on the bathroom light, tears came to her eyes. It physically hurt, but she also couldn’t believe how far she’d fallen that she was so unconcerned with her looks. Her looks were what had grabbed Derek’s attention to begin with. She huffed in exasperation. It was too early in the morning to think about right now.
She used the bathroom and washed her face, looking at the shower longingly. Maybe later. After she’d gotten used to having weird people in her house.
Gritting her teeth, she ran a brush through her long hair, trying to drag out the snarls. She peeked under her bangs at the stitches at her hairline. Once they came out, the scar wouldn’t even be noticeable. Though her face was a mass of bruises right now, they would fade over time. And as long as the swelling went down, she could cover most of it with makeup. She’d gotten very good at that over the years.
Feeling better, she grabbed clothes from her closet and changed, finding more bruises. Her stomach ached and she thought she remembered him punching her at some point.
Standard MO.
When she entered the kitchen, Chad sat at the table, but the big man had left.
“I told Zeke to go home for now. He’ll be back tonight.”
She nodded and poured herself a cup of coffee, inhaling deeply. In spite of the burning heat, she took a sip. Not bad.
Lora moved to the opposite side of the table from Chad. He didn’t move or even look at her as she settled into the chair, just sipped at his mug of coffee and looked out the window to the backyard.
She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry I reacted the way I did earlier. I didn’t know anybody else had come inside the house.”
He glanced at her and grinned. “No biggie. Zeke’s had people react to him like that before, so he probably didn’t think anything of it.”
Lora frowned, feeling even guiltier at the misassumption. “It wasn’t because of his scars. I didn’t even see them at first. He was just this big shape backlit by the sun. I though…well, I thought it was one of Derek’s goons or something.”
Chad looked at her for a second, then away. “Okay. I’ll let him know.”
She looked at the arm curled on the table in front of him, curiosity eating at her. All three of the men she had seen had some kind of … deformity. Injury. She wondered what the heck had happened to them.
His eyes caught hers. “How are you feeling otherwise?”
Her cheeks heated, even through the bruise, making it ache. “Sore. Like an elephant tap-danced on my face.”
Nodding, he quirked a brow. “No offense, but you look like an elephant tap-danced on your face.”
She snorted in surprise, gasping as the split in her lip tugged in a smile.
Anger flashed in his eyes and she jerked back, startled at the change.
The investigator noticed her reaction and shook his head. “I’m sorry. It just pisses me off to no end that a guy would do this to a woman. I’m a Texas boy. Our women are treated with the respect they deserve. I want to take your ex out and beat the shit out of him, then hang him by his balls for the vultures to eat.”
Her throat tightened with emotion and she had to look away. Very few people had ever stood up for her and it was shocking to hear those words uttered out loud. She dragged in a deep breath. “Well,” she whispered, “if you ever do let me know so I can be there to help.”
The man across from her laughed out loud, nodding. “Agreed.”
A curl of amusement swirled through her, taking her by surprise. It had been so very long since she’d felt any kind of light-heartedness. Even when she played with Mercy, she had to stay on guard. Because she was the only one to stay on guard.
Maybe having the guys around would let her relax just a bit.
“So, how will this work when I have to go back to work? I called off today, by the way. Obviously.”
She made a motion with her hand then turned her face away from his scrutiny.
“Well,” he drawled, “we’ll have to stay somewhere in the vicinity of both of you, so another guard will have to be brought in. If we’re moving a lot, I may just make it an even four, what we call a fire-team.”
Lora cringed at the thought of other men being around. “Mercy is the priority. I want her to be protected at all costs.”
Chad blinked at her. “And you don’t need protection?”
She shook her head. “I would take this and more every day as long as she’s safe. I don’t want the family anywhere near her.”
He tilted his head, as if trying to figure her out. Lora let him see the determination in her face.
“Well, if we have anything to do about it they won’t touch either one of you. How ‘bout that?”
He grinned at her and Lora felt her own tight mouth ease. The man had serious charm.
The humor in her died away and she shoved away from the table. “I’m going to go take a shower before Mercy wakes up.”
Without giving him a chance to respond, she left the kitchen. It wouldn’t do for her to be friendly with them.
Chad watched Lora leave the kitchen, her narrow back straight as an arrow. He thought they’d kind of been connecting, but apparently not. It was always best to have some cooperation from the party you were protecting. Having a group of men basically overrun your life probably didn’t make a person particularly friendly, though.
Something occurred to him and he pulled his phone from his pocket, swiping the code in then pressing a speed dial button.
Palmer answered on the second ring.
“This better be a fucking emergency,” he growled.
Chad glanced at the digital readout at the corner of the screen and cringed, but it was too late to hang up. “Morning, Gunny. I didn’t wake you, did I? It’s after six thirty.”
“I’m awake now. What do you want, Lowell?”
Chad choked on a laugh as he heard Shannon grumble in the background.
“I was wondering how far along you were in the hiring process for the woman pilot. Did she pass her background?”
Palmer sighed on the other end of the line. “With flying colors.”
Chad laughed at the pun. “You’re awful sharp for this early in the morning.”
“Why do you need to know?”
“Because I think it would be a good idea to have a female involved with this case. I haven’t sat in on any of her interviews. How does she strike you?”
“No nonsense, sharp, built like a brick shithouse. Probably won’t take any of your crap. Diagnosed PTSD years ago, but she got counseling early and has done well, according to her files. Her bird was shot down in oh-seven in Anbar Province. Busted her up pretty good. She’s got rods in her back but it doesn’t seem to be slowing her down.”
“Huh. And…”
“And her file is on Duncan’s desk, waiting for approval.”
“So she’s ready to go, then? Okay, I’ll call Duncan.”
“Hold on, Lowell. He’s not around right now and it’s not a good time to bother
him.”
“Why?”
“Somebody in Kansas City found that homeless dude he’s been looking for. I thought for sure he’d done himself in, but apparently not.”
Chad sat back in his chair, shocked. “Damn, I didn’t think he’d still be kickin’ either. How the hell did he get to KC?”
Palmer snorted. “A trucker found him in the back of his rig about froze. Dropped him off at an urgent care.”
Shit. He hoped the guy was okay. Damn. Duncan had final approval on all hires. “I’ll at least send him a text message to let him know what’s going on and see if we can bring her in temporarily.”
“She’s not a usual MP, Chad. She’ll have to be given a crash course in everything.”
“So what’s with the puns today? Seriously?”
Palmer barked out a rough laugh. “Didn’t mean to that time.”
“If she’s half as good as you say, I need her here. Lora cringes every time we’re around her. She freaked when she saw Zeke in the kitchen. I think having a woman here with her will make things easier.”
Palmer hmm’d on the other end of the line. “If you say so. Contact Duncan. If he says she’s a go we’ll get her moving.”
“Okay, Gunny. Thank you. Tell Shannon I’m sorry I woke you up.”
His partner snorted and hung up on him without another word.
Chad typed off a text to Duncan and shoved his phone in his pocket. When he looked up, Lora’s little girl stood at the kitchen doorjamb. She was about the cutest thing he’d ever seen with her messy blond hair and rumpled PJs.
He grinned at her, trying to remember if he’d cussed while talking to Palmer. “Good morning, sunshine. Your mom’s in the shower.”
She blinked at him, clutching that multi-colored stuffed animal to her chest. “I know. I heard her.” Watching him from the corner of her eye, the girl padded to the opposite side of the table where Lora had just left and climbed onto the chair. “We’re late for school.”
Glancing at the clock on the wall, he realized they probably were. “I think your mom decided to stay home today. Is that okay? An extra day to watch cartoons?”
She glanced at the living room, then back and shrugged.