“Give me back my fucking weapon, Lexie.” He held his hand out and nodded to the army of police milling around. “You’re lucky you’re not in cuffs for running around with a gun in your hand.”
She raised her head and scanned the rooftops. “Ryan isn’t in the garage. He’s here somewhere.” She shook her head and jogged across the street. Jason moved beside her.
“Lexie, you’re really pissing me off.”
“Sorry, but are you going to help me or have a macho hissy fit?”
He let out a grunt that she had heard so many times from Mac. As she slowed to a walk, her mind matched what she remembered seeing at the ranch. At the next intersection, instead of crossing the street, she turned south and set off in a slow jog.
“Where the hell are you going?”
Jason’s frustration was almost comical, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. He could have taken the gun at any time, but he was trying to be so patient with her, which went against his grain. Mac was the patient brother—or at least, he pretended to be.
She didn’t slow her jog but glanced back at Jason’s expression. Warmth settled over her heart. It was going to be nice to have a big brother like him to piss off.
“Ryan had aerial views of these buildings on his wall. He had an escape plan that didn’t include him getting trapped in the parking garage.”
“Did you tell Mac this?”
“No. I just figured it out.”
About halfway down the block, she gasped and came to an abrupt stop. “That’s it. There was something odd about the buildings, but I just couldn’t remember what it was. The church steeple didn’t fit. That’s where he’ll hide out until the heat dies down. Who would think to look for him there?”
“You.”
Lexie gave a quick nod and set out in a hard run. Jason caught up to her just as she reached the front of the church. This time when he grabbed her, he wasn’t gentle.
“That’s far enough. If Ryan is here, then you’re not. Give me back my damn revolver and jog back the way you came. Find a cop and stick to him like glue until Mac comes for you. Got it?”
His stare bored into her until she took a step back. “Yeah, got it.”
Before she could hand over the gun, several shots came from the side of the church.
Mac!
As Lexie sprinted through a narrow iron gate, she heard Jason call for backup. She eased her back against the brick wall of the church. Jason closed in behind her and jerked his weapon from her hand, shoving her behind him.
The walkway opened into a small reflection garden. Mac stood about five yards away from a priest with only a fountain separating the two. The man turned and a chill settled in her bones. Ryan. He was disguised in a priest’s black robe, including the white, crisp collar. Of all the places he could have chosen to hide, it turned her stomach that he chose this beautifully serene place.
“One step, Mick Ryan, and I’ll drop you where you stand.” Mac’s voice filled the quiet.
“Then shoot me, McNeil. I’m not going to rot in some hole.”
Jason stepped out, his gun aimed at Ryan’s back.
“I really don’t want to kill you, Ryan. If you have proof that al-Qaeda operatives are being smuggled into the United States, then we need to work together to stop that.”
A low frustrated mumble escaped Ryan’s throat. “Don’t patronize me. I killed a federal agent. Just do us all a favor …”
“Then what you know dies with you. It won’t erase what you have done, but if you really care about the country you tried to protect, lower your weapon and talk to me.”
“I tried that road and no one would listen.”
“You never tried me.”
Lexie’s heart dropped into her stomach. It was one thing to accept Mac’s job and learn to cope with the danger he lived with daily. It was another thing entirely watching a crazy bastard only yards from the man she loved aim a loaded weapon at his heart. If Ryan fired, Jason would kill him, but that wouldn’t stop Ryan’s bullet.
She had never before experienced an urge to run toward a fight. Even as a young girl, she knew it was better to hide in the back of a closet or under a bed than to face her mother. Survival was a strong instinct, but at the moment, she wanted nothing more than to charge Ryan like an angry, injured bull and shove his crazy ass into the pond that surrounded the fountain.
The walkway quickly filled with law enforcement. They slipped by her, blocking her view of Mac, and entered the garden. Ryan was finally trapped.
“Move your men back, McNeil. This is between you and me.”
“No, it isn’t. They stay and you will lower your weapon.”
Ryan let out a harsh laugh. “You’re just as bad as the men I’m trying to stop. You and your kind turned your noses to the wall and allowed terrorists to walk across our borders like they owned the place. Know one thing, McNeil. Killing me won’t stop this. Others just as angry as I am will take my place. The mission will continue without me.”
Ryan raised his gun and started to pull the trigger, but Mac fired first. Ryan’s weapon dropped to the ground, and he grabbed his shoulder as blood seeped through his shirt.
“Hydra only grows if I shoot you in the head, asshole.”
Ryan screamed out obscenities as the men raced toward him. An instant later, it was all over as the agents cuffed Ryan and led him away. As he passed, Lexie met his glare. He struggled for a moment, trying to reach her. The men shoved him down the walkway, and she couldn’t help but close her eyes and take a deep, cleansing breath. Silence and peace returned to the garden.
The air around her shifted and she opened her eyes. Mac stood inches from her, his arms crossed in front of him and lips compressed into a tight line.
“Are you okay?” His voice came out in a harsh whisper.
“Yes.”
“Your shoulder?”
How had she forgotten the bullet that grazed the back of her left shoulder blade? “Now that you mention it, it hurts like hell.”
“Lexie, you’d better have a damn good reason for being here.”
He planted both hands on either side of her. He opened his mouth, then closed it. She couldn’t help stepping an inch back against the wall. Mac was one angry special agent-in-charge.
“Answer my question, Lexie,” he said through clenched teeth.
What question?
She searched for Jason. She could use a big brother to calm the beast, but he was nowhere in sight.
“It’s just you and me.” His eyes grew hard.
Lexie shot her arms out and shoved him in the chest. “Don’t give me that look. Damn it, I was the one who figured out where Ryan was. You should be thanking me.”
Mac moved in close, his breath caressing her lips. He didn’t kiss her.
Lexie’s need to touch him, to feel him, exploded in her like a volcano. She cupped the back of his neck and leaned in for a kiss, but he removed her hand and pulled away.
“No. Not until we get a few things straight.”
She let out a huff of air. “What things?”
His thumb brushed the tender area under her ear as his hazel irises morphed into pools of deep gold. “Things like when I leave you with several agents, you will never, ever swipe one of their guns and come running after me.”
“Jason’s a big—”
He moved fast, dragging her hard against him as a growl came from his throat. “And when I tell you to stay put for your own safety, you will respect me enough to do what I say.”
Lexie didn’t dare break their connection. “But there may be times when I—”
“Damn it, this isn’t up for negotiation. Do you think I didn’t know the second you hit the walkway? You have any idea what that did to me?”
Lexie’s shoulders slumped as her heart dropped into her shoes. “I tried not to make a sound. I didn’t want to distract you.”
“I felt you, sweetheart. We needed Ryan alive. He’s a murdering bastard, but he has int
el we need. But for you, I would have thrown it away and killed the bastard to keep you safe.”
A sob over came her and she buried her head into Mac’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her until she was all cried out.
“Lexie, if we are going to work, we need to trust each other.”
“God, Mac, I trust you with my life―and Gabriel’s life.”
“Promise me you will never do something so dangerous again.”
She studied him for a long time before she spoke. “I promise, but you have to make a promise to me, too.”
“What?”
“Stop being so pissed with me. I may react before thinking a time or two, but it’s always for a good reason.”
He dropped his hands and stepped back, running his fingers through his hair. “A time or two? You never take even ten seconds before you—”
“That’s who I am, Mac. If I can accept who you are”—she glanced back to the garden where he played Mexican standoff with Ryan—“and what you do, you have to accept and love me for who I am. I’m willing to compromise, but I won’t change who I am for you―not even for your love.”
This time, it was Mac’s eyes that filled with tears as he reached for her hands and placed them against his heart. “I don’t want to change you. I meant it when I said there wasn’t a damn thing wrong with you.”
He leaned in and kissed her gently.
“What are you willing to compromise on?” he asked with a grin.
“If you want the right side of the bed, you can have it.”
“I sleep on the left. What else?”
“That’s all you get, McNeil. I’m compromised out for this month.”
He let out a laugh and then covered her mouth with his. Lexie instantly moved into him and lost herself in the feel and taste of him. She loved this man. And one day, she may even admit that she would do just about anything to make this relationship work.
She didn’t know how long they stood there, but a man’s voice sounded behind her. Mac broke the kiss, moving her behind him.
A priest stood by the fountain. “Is there something you two need?”
Mac showed him his badge. “Not right now,” he said, and pulled out his wallet. He removed a business card and handed it to the priest. “Do you hold weddings here?”
“Yes, we do. It’s a popular place for small, intimate gatherings.”
Mac took Lexie’s hand. “Good to know. We’ll be in contact soon.”
The priest nodded, then glanced at the card. “I’ll be here when you are ready, Agent McNeil. Weekdays are mostly free on the schedule. Maybe sooner rather than later.”
Lexie placed her arm at Mac’s waist, enjoying the feel of his heat on her palm. “That’s the plan.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Two weeks later
The sun slipped behind the horizon, bathing the canyon rim and forest just beyond Mac’s property line in deep reds, oranges, and purple hue. Lexie’s head rested against his chest as she cradled sleeping Jake in her arms while Sarah put Abigail down for the night. Jason kicked a ball across the yard for the umpteenth time to Gabriel. His little feet tried to kick it back, but the ball would only roll a few inches. Gabriel wasn’t discouraged. He would simply pick it up and run across the yard to his uncle with a gleeful, “Again.”
Lexie couldn’t remember a time when she felt so content. She had never allowed herself to dream of a moment like this because she thought it was out of her reach.
Sarah opened the sliding glass door and stepped out on the deck. Lexie didn’t want to let the infant go, but she rose and handed Jake over to his mother.
“I’ll put this little guy down and then we can start the burgers.”
As soon as Sarah disappeared back into the house, Mac drew Lexie back down next to him. “Now that Jake’s gone, you’re all mine.” He gently brushed a strand of hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear. There was something in his expression, but he didn’t say anything for a long time. When he finally spoke, his tone clutched her heart, filling it with dread.
“There is something we need to talk about, Lexie.”
“What?”
“Rico. We have to get him out between us.”
“He’s not, Mac. What did I do to make you feel like he was?”
“It’s not what you have done, but what you don’t do, sweetheart.”
“I don’t understand.” She eased away from him.
Mac shifted so they were face to face. “You don’t talk about him. In fact, you avoid his name anytime I bring him up. He was my best friend, Lexie, and your husband. I don’t want you to be afraid of talking about him around me.” He glanced out into the yard and they both watched Gabriel play with Jason. “I want to be Gabriel’s father, but one day, he’s going to want to know Rico.” He paused a moment then said, “Rico wasn’t what he should have been to you, but he would have loved that little boy. Gabriel needs to know that.”
Lexie didn’t think it was possible, but her love for Mac just leaped into a whole new plane. “I didn’t want you to think … it’s just that what we have is so different than what I had with Rico.”
“I feel what you feel, Lexie. I’m not threatened by Rico. I miss the guy like crazy and loved him like a brother. It’s okay that you loved him.”
She laid her head on his chest. “Part of me will always love Rico, but I’m so in love with you, Mac, I have no words.”
His lips found hers again for a brief kiss. “Those are damn fine words, Lexie.” He studied her for a moment as a smile crossed his lips. “I have your birthday present. Do you want it now or later … much later?”
“You gave me my present.” She lifted her beautiful Black Hills gold locket around her neck. Mac had even placed a picture of him and Gabriel inside.
“That was from Gabriel and me. This present is just from me.”
His eyes glistened. Lexie turned in his lap and faced him on the chaise lounge. “Is it something that your family can see or is it going to turn my cheeks a deep shade of pink?”
“It’s decent, but personal.”
She scanned the yard. Gabriel was happily engaged. The bubbly excitement for another one of Mac’s little surprises spread through her. “Now would be nice.”
“Close your eyes first.”
He took her left hand in his and slipped a ring on her fourth finger. Her heart skipped a beat. He brought her hand to his lips, raining soft butterfly kisses over her fingers.
“Mac?”
“Open your eyes.”
She glanced down at her left hand as tears clouded her eyes. He brushed her cheeks with the back of his thumb. The ring wasn’t a traditional engagement ring, but an everlasting knot ring with an emerald tourmaline stone in the center. She had never seen anything quite like it.
“Well?”
How did she explain what it felt like to feel loved for the first time in her life? And how did she explain to the incredible man in front of her what was going through her heart, how much she loved the ring and him?
The smile in his eyes changed to concern. “You don’t like it … or too soon?”
“No, God no! I love it, Mac. I just don’t know what to say.”
He wove his fingers into her hair as he took her mouth for a scorching kiss. Need slammed into her as a moan escaped from deep in her throat. Words were no longer needed. She showed him what was going on in her heart the best way she knew how. When he finally broke away, it took both of them a few moments to catch their breath.
“I just need one word.”
“What?”
Mac tapped his finger over the ring. “Your answer.”
“You never asked her the question, moron,” Jason said, holding Gabriel in his arms. He gave the chaise lounge a nudge with his foot. “Go on, say the words.”
“And make sure you speak a little louder so I get it all,” Sarah said from the door way. She held her phone out, taping the whole thing.
Mac shook his h
ead. “If you two don’t get the hell out …”
Lexie placed two fingers over his mouth. “Please just ask me, Mac,” she whispered as her heart danced the rumba.
Mac’s expression softened, and he took both of her hands in his. “Lexie, you’re not the only one having a hard time with words. I have always known what to say except when it came to you. What’s in my heart isn’t always what comes out of my mouth.” He moved in close so their foreheads barely touched. “It’s taken us some time to get to this point, but it finally seems right. I love you so damn much, Lexie. Will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife? I’ll be true to you for the rest of my life and then some. One lifetime with you isn’t going be enough for me.”
She didn’t have to think about it. “Yes, yes, and yes.”
Mac signaled to his brother. “You, Sarah, and my little man, get lost.”
He didn’t wait to see if they listened but lowered his lips to Lexie’s. “I’ll make you happy, sweetheart.”
“I know.”
She had no idea what she ever did in this life to deserve Mac’s love. This time, she wasn’t closing any doors but opening herself completely.
She had no idea how long they laid intertwined in each other’s arms. When Mac finally broke the kiss, she opened her eyes slowly, and his expression jarred her out of the moment.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know,” he said, sending an angry look over her head. Lexie turned and found Sarah and Jason standing in the doorway. This time they weren’t smiling.
“There is someone at the door for Lexie.” He looked past her at Mac. “You need to go with her.”
It took a moment to remove her legs intertwined with Mac’s. “Who is here?”
“You need to see for yourself.” Still holding Gabriel, he stepped out of the doorway. Sarah followed him.
Dread settled in the pit of Lexie’s stomach. Mac reached for her hand and they headed into the cool interior, crossed the great room, and approached the half-open front door. A well-dressed older woman Lexie had never seen before stood in the foyer, her purse clutched to her chest as if she needed the protection.
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