by Geri Foster
After raising his head, Mac looked at Victoria and smiled. “Yeah, we’re talking about the same woman.”
Victoria huffed out of the room and Mac practically applauded. What a pain in the ass. How in the world did poor Stanley put up with her?
Mac looked back to the computer screen. “Stanley, can you print off all the pictures of those guys?”
“Sure.” A few clicks later and the sound of the printer filled the quiet of the room.
As Stanley selected the pictures to be printed Mac saw another familiar face. “Stop!” Blinking, Mac leaned closer. “Where did you take this one?” He touched the screen.
Brows furrowed, Em studied the screen. “I don’t remember. Probably the same as the others. That’s the only night I took pictures of people. The rest were buildings and stuff like that.”
“This is about two miles from the Kremlin.” Mac said. “I’ve been there before.”
“I guess so. Like I said I was just using up film.”
“I need that one too, Stanley.”
***
After what seemed hours of arguing, Emily convinced Mac that they were going their separate ways, even if it involved the police, CIA, and the FBI.
They stood outside Stanley’s home, not knowing what to say. Too much had happened to ever go back to what they were.
Finally, Mac broke the silence. “You take me home. Drive the car to your house. When you get there, call Falcon and have them pick up the Taurus.” Hands in his jean pockets, Mac looked around. “Make a list of all your expenses and I’ll turn it into Frank. He’ll be glad to reimburse you.”
Realizing how she hated good-byes, Emily lowered her eyes, and got into the car without speaking. They’d never see each other again. She’d make sure of that. They truly were strangers, not meant to share a life. She knew no more about Mac this morning than when he’d stepped into the hotel room.
Well, everything happened for a reason. Besides, having a man hanging around would only complicate everything. As they drove toward the freeway Mac said, “That Stanley is a pretty smart character.”
“Yes, he is.”
“When are they getting married?”
“Next month.”
“Hmm, they make an odd couple.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, he’s kind of nerdy and she comes on pretty strong. If you know what I mean?”
“I know.” Emily replied. “I’m amazed she let you out of the house without your address and phone number.”
“Doesn’t Stanley mind her openly flirting with other men?”
“Probably not.”
“He sure was looking at you.”
She shot him a questioning glance. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know. I got the feeling he wanted to reach out and latch on to you.”
“He doesn’t, believe me.”
“He sure...”
Emily turned to him. “Stanley doesn’t want anything to do with me. He’s madly in love with Victoria. I know.”
“How?’
“What do you mean, how?”
Mac shrugged. “How do you know he’s madly in love with Victoria?”
“Because he broke up with me to marry my sister.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Mac slammed on the brakes, causing the car to skid to a halt in the middle of the side road. Dumbfounded, he turned to Em. “You dated Stanley?”
Apparently unfazed by his question, Em lifted her pretty chin. “Yes.”
Unbelievable! Grumbling, he faced forward, and gripped the steering wheel. “Did you sleep with him?”
Oh shit, that’s a pathetic thing to ask a woman.
The answer presented itself when Em turned pink from neck to forehead.
“That’s none of your business.” Nostrils flaring, she tightened her mouth and stared out the windshield. Even from the opposite seat Mac heard her teeth grinding. So, he’d hit a nerve.
Since Moscow, Em deliberately had given him a hard time, and here she’d dated a geek like Stanley. Mind you, not some hunky guy you’d expect to be on the cover of GQ, or some calendar pinup fireman or police officer, or even a good looking attorney.
Hell no!
Not one of those. Instead, she’d fallen for a nerdy little professor with a paunchy gut, telescopic lens glasses, wearing clothes that didn’t fit from Goodwill.
Oh boy, that pissed him off.
Mac pointed behind them. “You’re telling me that Mr. Genius is the reason you’ve signed off on men? He’s the one who broke your heart so badly you didn’t want anything to do with the male race again?”
Her sober expression and tight lips confirmed the truth. All respect for Stanley evaporated. No way would Mac believe any man with a half a brain would take Em’s flighty, egotistical, come-fuck-me sister, over her. Side by side, Em was twice the woman Victoria ever dreamed of being, and nine times prettier. That brilliant asshole just morphed into a god dammed idiot.
From his standpoint, Stanley and Victoria deserved each other. The big question was how could Victoria do that to her sibling? Surely some universal female law existed that once your sister had dibs on a guy, he was off limits to the rest of the family? What possessed Victoria to make a play for a man whose only claim to fame was intelligence?
And Mac knew a sorry SOB when he saw one, and that described Stanley perfectly. That guy really cared for Em at one time, and now he’d lost her forever. How could a man be that stupid?
Em.
They left her to live with them being husband and wife for the rest of her life. How sad, how awkward, and how damn cruel. No matter what Em said, Mac saw regret in Stanley’s eyes. That man had shit in his own nest, and ended up making a lifetime mistake. One he’d never forget.
Had Em fancied herself in love with him? Mac’s gut tightened and a sigh of regret silently slipped through him. Mac wanted to slam the smartass’s head against a concrete wall.
“Stanley is a dimwit, okay? And an idiot.”
“He graduated from MIT. He’s very intelligent.”
“Well, brains aren’t everything.”
“I like men who are smart.
Mac continued driving. Well, if she thought Stanley so freakin’ smart, she needed to rethink the whole idea of men.
He drove to the next intersection then slammed on the brakes again. Em braced her hands against the dashboard. She looked at him.
“Holy shit, is that ring on her finger yours?”
Em reared back, her eyes wide. “What?”
“Did that son of a bitch give her your engagement ring? Because if he did, I’m going back there and show him my new invention.”
Shaking her head, she rolled her gaze upwards before drawing her brows together. “Stanley would never do that.”
“Then where is your ring?”
“I don’t know.” She thought for a moment. “I assume he returned it to the jeweler.”
“So, he traded one ring in for another? One sister for the other.”
“I don’t know why this matters to you.”
“Because you think I’m a jerk? Well, in my opinion, we just left the throne of the King of Jerks. Any man that would ask a woman to marry him, and then turn around and dump her for her sister, is an asshole.”
Gritting his teeth, Mac wanted to go back and hurt, really hurt, Stanley. Instead, he put the car in gear and headed toward his place. In less than ten minutes they had pulled into his apartment complex. He took the pictures with him.
Em came around to the driver’s side then slid behind the wheel and adjusted the seat.
“Look, I live in 207.” He pointed to the second floor. “If you need anything let me know. The security code for the gate is 7741. I’m still not sure you’re safe, so Frank has a couple of local agents parked outside your house to keep an eye on you. Also, you are going to be followed until we figure this out.”
Emily put the car in gear but kept her foot on the brake. “I’ll be fine.” She wou
ldn’t meet his gaze.
Mac knew their time together had run out.
“It’s been exciting, but I’m glad to be back to my nice, boring, but normal life.”
Mac leaned down, but before he could reach her lips she rolled up the window halfway. Mac stepped back. His gaze fell to the ground as he wondered if he too had made the same damn mistake as Stanley.
He reached in and stroked a strand of her hair. “Listen, Em,” he started. “There is a special guy out there just waiting for a woman like you to rock his world. Forget Stanley. You’re too good for him.”
He withdrew his hand and Em pressed the accelerator, pulled out of the parking lot and turned left. Mac realized he didn’t know where she lived. But he did have her cell phone number and hell, as a spy, he could find almost anyone. If he ever wanted to find Emily Richards, he wouldn’t have to work too hard.
His problem would be leaving her alone.
Once in his apartment, showered and wearing a clean set of his own clothes, Mac picked up the phone. Frank answered on the second ring. “Mac, I don’t like this shit with Emily. What in the hell happened?”
“You know what a bastard I am.”
“Mac,” Frank breathed out. “Emily’s life is in danger because you acted unprofessionally. I should pull you in for that.”
Mac didn’t reply. Frank couldn’t worsen his pain.
“I’ll call her tomorrow and try to piece things back together. In the meantime, what else did you learn at Stanley’s? I can’t believe all this is over a couple of damn snapshots.”
“It’s not. You know who else Em took a picture of?
“Who?”
“After looking at all the frames I saw one of our old buddies. Do you remember Youssef el Jabir?”
“The Bomb Maker?”
“Un huh.”
“Jesus, were they all together?”
“No, but the photos proved his location. How can he do that and be on every watch list in the world? Interpol wants him, Germany wants him, and Israel has a bounty on his head. Everyone wants him. Dead or alive.”
“Youssef el Jabir is responsible for killing thousands of innocent people,” Frank said. “And he was in Moscow at the same time as Marino and Belskavia. Marino has the money, Belskavia the material, and el Jabir is the best bomb maker in the world....”
“That’s what I’m thinking,” Mac said.
“God, this is big. Can you scan me those pictures?”
“Sure.”
“I’m calling the President and the National Security Council. This could be another 9-11.”
“I’m going to be working my contacts. Where is Archuletta?
“At the airport in Columbia.”
“We need him in Moscow.”
“I can make that happen, but I’m not sure that’s safe.” Frank said.
“When have we ever played it safe?”
Frank grunted then said, “I’m worried about Emily.”
“So am I. But I know you have her wrapped up like a Christmas present.”
“Yeah, I do. No thanks to you.”
***
Emily turned onto her street and a strong sense of homecoming washed over her. The brick house she’d bought seven years ago rendered a sense of security and warmth that she seriously needed today. Even at a distance, the gold Texas star hung above her garage sent a surge of heritage and pride through her body. Looking at her neighborhood, Emily smiled at the prospect of being home.
Releasing a heavy sigh, she allowed the past few days to run through her mind. She was lucky to be alive. She couldn’t count how many laws they’d broken, or how close they had come to death.
She pulled into her driveway and got out of Falcon’s SUV. It felt as if she’d been gone months instead of days. Glad the ordeal between her and Mac no longer existed, Emily wanted to take a shower, change clothes, curl up on the couch and take a long nap. But first she had to stop at her neighbor’s and get her dog, Hershey.
With it being Friday, in the middle of the day, and everyone at work, the side streets and the neighborhood quietly welcomed her home. Emily filled her lungs then let out a sigh of contentment.
But she couldn’t ignore three cars with Falcon agents outside. They were across from her front door, down the street, and around the corner.
Sadly, she hated Big Brother watching, but it would be impossible to convince Frank she didn’t need to be guarded.
She got out of the car, slammed the door and jogged across the street to her friend’s house. Debbie welcomed her back into her own, private world.
“Come on in,” her friend said, as she pulled her into her arms for a hug. They both walked toward the back of the house. “How was Moscow?” Debbie asked, smiling. “I see the Russian’s didn’t frisk you off to Siberia.” Debbie looked closer. “Or did they? What happened to you face?”
If you only knew.
“Nothing but a minor misunderstanding.”
Debbie paused. “But you got the contract, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did, and made a lot of money in the process.”
“Cool.”
They high fived and entered a small, cluttered kitchen. A pot of chili simmered on the stove and a pitcher of iced tea set on the counter. With three boys, Debbie rarely had a quiet, sane moment.
“Where is Hershey?”
“He’s out digging holes in the yard.”
They laughed. Emily knew that rascal would be up to no-good. “I’m sorry I was late.”
Debbie laughed, deepening the creases around her eyes. “Don’t mention it. The kids had so much fun with him, I was afraid if you came when they were home, they wouldn’t let you have him.”
“Well, I certainly thank you for watching him so he wouldn’t have to spend an extra weekend in the doggie hotel.”
Debbie waved her hand. “After what Whiskers did to your couch while we were in Disneyland last year, don’t mention it. Besides, he wasn’t any trouble at all.”
Debbie walked over and opened the backdoor. “Here Hershey. Here boy.”
The large brown Labrador came bouncing into the house, sliding on his rump when he lost his footing on the slick tiled floor then struggled to make his way to Emily. He barked jovially when she bent down and slapped her knee. “Come here, boy,” she called out. “Come on.”
Hershey managed to get his feet under him, bounced toward her, and slammed into her thighs, practically knocking her down. “Hi baby,” Emily crooned. He licked her face then whimpered and squirmed with excitement. She buried her face in his silky fur, glad to be where she was loved and appreciated. Leaning back, she ruffled his ears, grateful for his warm welcome.
“Come on, boy. You ready to go home?”
Debbie met them at the door with Hershey’s dog dish. “Sorry he finished off the bag last night.”
“That’s okay. I have to run to the supermarket anyway. Thanks again, Debbie. When I get rested up I’ll come back and tell you all about my trip.”
“Hey, I’m glad you’re home.”
With Hershey leading the way across the street, Emily took her keys out of her purse and opened the front door. The wonderful comforts of home and familiarity greeted her like a parent with open arms to a lost child.
Today, she needed this normalcy more than any other time in her life. While Hershey trotted all over the house, Emily put her briefcase in her home office, along with her laptop. Further in the house she dropped her purse on the counter and went straight to her bedroom.
She turned on the shower and stripped. These clothes had to go. Something familiar would feel wonderful. She wadded up the jeans, knitted top and flip-flops and threw them in the trash can. Absolutely no memories allowed.
In the shower, she shampooed her hair and scrubbed her body clean. Rinsed and left the shower to dry off. Hershey waited for her outside the bathroom door. “I know you’re hungry,” she crooned. “Give me five minutes and we’ll go to the store and buy dog food. Are you hungry, boy?”
Hershey barked and wiggled his body.
“Real hungry?”
He barked twice, prancing and dancing all over the place.
She laughed for the first time in what felt like weeks. “Okay, in a minute.”
Emily blew dry her hair then applied a small amount of make-up. She slid into a pair of black jeans, a white frilly blouse, and a pair of sandals with a small heel. Being in her own clothes felt wonderful.
Once in the garage she called Hershey to get in the car for a trip to the store. The shower, clean clothes and her friendly dog made Emily almost forget about Mac. As she pulled out of the driveway she looked at the black SUV and made a mental note to call and have the car, along with all memories of Mac, picked up.
***
Mac paced the carpet again. He urgently had to get those phone calls, but he wanted Em to be safe. What if something happened to her? What if Marino got his hands on her? Unable to stand her being away from him, he fought the urge to pick up the phone, but couldn’t muster the nerve. What would he say?
His hand hovered over the phone for a moment before he walked away. Running his fingers through his hair, Mac reminded himself Em had her own life to live, and Frank had her secure.
Closing his eyes, he tried not to think about last night when their hot bodies lay entwined, and he’d entered heaven. Her lips were so ripe and eager. Her body pulled at him like a magnet to metal. God, he needed her.
The phone rang and Mac jumped.
“Hello?” He’d hoped it would be Em’s voice on the other end, but it was an informant he’d contacted earlier. He hung up, confident his hunch had been right on target.
He decided to check in with Frank to see if Brody had found out anything.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
After leaving the grocery store, Emily tossed the bag of dog food in the trunk, and wondered why she didn’t have a smaller dog.
One that ate less.
Inside the vehicle, Hershey barked and wagged his tail with excitement. Even though he could be a pain at times, she adored the fact that he loved her so completely.
Maybe it was the goofy way he shook his head and tail in sync, or maybe those big bright, orange/brown eyes, but... she’d taken him in and loved him ever since that visit to the animal shelter. Life would be unimaginable without him.