Punching the numbers again, he listened as her phone rang, but no one picked up. Where the fuck can she be? The possible answer to that question made his blood run cold.
Taking a curve a little too fast, he forced all thoughts from his mind other than getting to Sylvie and David. The little boy, whose face had peered up at him so innocently, desperate for some male attention, reminded him so much of himself. I never got it much from my dad, but thank God for Grampa.
Sylvie moved to the front of his mind. When he first recognized her, he remembered her as a shy, quiet, young woman. Beautiful but, being married, he gave her no more than a passing thought. In fact, to be honest, he mostly felt sorry for her just for being married to such a dick.
Then, slamming into her the other day, spilling his coffee all over her blouse, he had been struck with her beauty. Assuming she would be horrified at his offer of a shirt, he had been impressed when she had accepted it.
She had grown into an even more beautiful woman and her strength of character shown through. Maybe it was because she was a mom. Maybe it was because she found the strength to kick Ed to the curb. Maybe it was just life’s maturity. Whatever it was, she had something that drew him in.
Dialing again, his breath left him in a whoosh, surprised to hear David answer the phone.
“Hello? Mr. Hanover?”
“Where are you? Why hasn’t your mom been answering her phone?” he asked, forcing his voice not to growl.
“Mom was at the fence, talking to Mr. Curtis. I heard her phone vibrate, but I’m not supposed to answer it.”
“Is she still over there?”
“No, she came in and is taking a shower. I kept hearing her phone vibrate, so I decided to see who it was. She gets upset if it’s…well…um… I saw it was your name, so I thought it would be okay if I answered.”
The idea of her in the shower slammed into him, but with a quick shake of his head to refocus, he said, “I’m on my way back. You stay inside the house and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Coming into town, he slowed just enough to not draw the attention of the police, glad that her house was close. Knowing his men were not far behind, he jerked into the driveway.
Fighting the desire to run and break down the door, he slowed his breathing, forcing his mind to carefully analyze what he was seeing. A few neighbors were out mowing their grass, while some children played basketball in one of the driveways. There was no evidence of a strange vehicle in sight. Her car was parked in the same place as when he left earlier in the day.
Fuckin’ hell, she didn’t even have her fuckin’ phone with her. What the hell would she do if someone was trying to get to her?
He quickly notified his team that he was at her house and told them he would meet them later. As he climbed from his truck and stalked toward the front, the door opened and there she stood. Hair sleeked away from her face, still damp from the shower. Dressed in comfortable yoga pants and a blue T-shirt, she looked delectable.
Tilting her head to the side, Sylvie watched Mace’s powerful body move toward her. “David said you called—”
He placed his hand on her stomach and gently pushed her backward, till he could kick the door closed with his booted foot. Seeing David lurking behind, he leaned in close, and said, “You gotta keep your phone with you.”
She looked up at his granite jaw, wondering what was happening. “I was right here. I didn’t go anywhere,” she responded, her words coming out in a breathy rush.
“I’ve been trying to call you for an hour.”
Focusing on the tone of his voice, her eyes widened, and she asked, “What’s wrong? Something’s wrong?”
Deciding to keep her in the dark, for now, about the identity of the man David saw, Mace said, “I just wanted to get back so that I could start my shift. From now on, I want someone on you at all times.” He inwardly cringed at the double meaning of his words, the idea of him on her, in bed, flashing through his mind. What the fuck is wrong with me? I’ve never felt so blown over by any woman before.
Sylvie felt the heat of blush rise up her face as Mace’s words settled in. Knowing he was talking about security, she felt foolish for having thought, even for a second, about him on her for a completely different reason. Blowing out her breath, she nodded quickly and forced a smile to her lips. She may have gone a long time without sex, but she refused to let this man know how desperately he affected her.
10
Wanting to deny the attraction he felt, Mace searched for reasons to not talk to her, but Sylvie had insisted he stay for dinner and it would have seemed rude to refuse since she had fixed food for him. But, with dinner, lively conversation, and discovering what a well-mannered and intelligent child David was, he had to admit that he was comfortable…as long as he forced his mind off her delectable lips.
He had informed her that as soon as one of his men came to watch her house, he was going to have to leave to take care of some work, but would be back as soon as he could.
Sitting in his SUV, on the street, he noted the quiet night of the neighborhood. The neighbors all turned in early, the children’s balls and bikes left abandoned in their yards, and everyone safely ensconced in their houses.
Headlights came down the street and he recognized Tate’s truck. As he pulled alongside him, they both rolled down their windows.
“The others are ready for you,” Tate informed him. “They’ll meet you there.”
With a nod toward the house, he said, “All’s quiet. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“You don’t have to hurry on my account, boss. I’m good.”
“I know, but I told David that I’d take him to school tomorrow. I don’t want to break my word.” If Tate thought there was any other meaning to his words, he did not let on. Driving away, he watched the house become smaller in his rearview mirror, strangely looking forward to when he would be back.
Twenty minutes later, he pulled his vehicle onto a narrow street, parking behind a dark van. Moving swiftly, he entered it, seeing Bray, Rank, and Drew already inside.
“Bray, welcome back. You up to speed on this one?”
“Thanks, boss. Absolutely. I reviewed the details on my flight back. Babs has my report from my last mission as well.”
“Good man,” he nodded and finished getting ready. Quickly donning dark pants and zipping up a dark hoodie jacket, he buckled on his equipment belt. “Report.”
“Ms. Gardner’s office building is two blocks away and the building in question is on the other side of the street. We clocked seven men keeping an eye on the perimeter.”
Lifting his eyebrow, he silently questioned.
“Not professional. Haven’t identified any of them yet, but they may be construction workers or rent-a-cops paid to keep an eye on the building now. Or, could be mob soldiers. One way or another, we’ll have no problems.”
“Clay shutting them down?” Clay often stayed in the compound, altering the traffic and building security cameras, generally making sure they could get in and out of a place without detection.
“He says we are a ‘go’.”
Slipping out of the van into the darkness, they moved to the building behind Sylvie’s office. With no trouble, they made their way inside, heading to the basement. Jogging through old city tunnels, they moved beyond her building and into the basement of the construction site across the street.
Using night vision goggles, they easily found the staircase and quickly ascended to the fifth floor. Moving down the hall, they ascertained that there was no security inside the building. Mace hung back, allowing Rank to take the lead.
Entering the room that would have been across from Sylvie’s office, they carefully searched. “David said that Charles was standing in the room, pacing and talking on his cell phone.”
“Who do you think the other suited man was that David saw? And was that planned?” Bray asked, theorizing out loud.
“If they struggled, I wonder what happened to his ce
ll phone,” Rank commented, kneeling on the floor, his light sweeping over the area. Shaking his head, he added, “This room has been swept clean.”
Mace moved to the room next to it and found it covered in sawdust and footprints. Moving back to the others, he said, “Someone cleaned this room, making sure to get rid of any evidence of a struggle.”
“What about the police who came here to look? Either they were rookies, stupid, or dirty,” Drew shook his head.
Making sure the room was just as they found it, they slipped back down the stairs, to the basement and through the tunnels to where they exited the building.
“You going to be at Ms. Gardner’s tomorrow for the security?” Rank asked.
“Yeah. I’m taking David to school and making sure she’s settled. Once we get the security up and I’m sure she’s safe, then I’ll be back in.”
Within the hour, he was back in front of Sylvie’s house, watching as Tate drove down the street. Shifting in his seat, he found a more comfortable position. He chuckled, thinking about the many nights when he was in the Special Forces, sleeping on the ground with a rock for a pillow. His SUV was infinitely more comfortable than those days.
He cast his gaze toward the house, seeing a single light in an upstairs window. It was late, but it appeared Sylvie was not sleeping. A few minutes later, he noted another light in the downstairs come on.
Inside the house, Sylvie found sleep was elusive. Unable to keep from peeking outside, she noticed when a truck replaced Mace’s SUV. Tossing and turning provided no rest and the next time she looked out, hours later, she saw that Mace had returned.
Restless, she thought about the man who had invaded her home and her thoughts. At first, he appeared cold and hard. Almost scary, in fact. But, after having watched him play ball and gently coach David, he did not seem frightening. Over dinner he had relaxed and she caught him smiling more than once.
Ever since David was born, she had taken on the independent role of single mom. Sighing, as she rolled over once more, she realized how exhausting that was. She discovered how nice it was to have someone else help make a major decision with her. Ed never did that. As always, when her thoughts drifted to her ex-husband, she wondered about the young, idealistic—hell, naïve—woman she had been when she met the former soldier.
Grimacing, as she always did when she thought of him, she flopped onto her back, refusing to give him time in her mind. Looking at her clock, she accepted that sleep was not coming. Rising from bed, she pulled on her robe and walked down the stairs, belting it about her waist.
Pulling back the living room curtains, she pressed her face against the window, peering into the darkness. She wondered if Mace was sleeping but, then again, if he were on duty, he would not be. Walking to the door, she threw it open and stepped onto the front porch.
Mace watched as the front door opened and Sylvie stepped out. Standing underneath the porch light, her long hair fell about her shoulders. The blue flannel robe, loosely belted at her waist, did little to keep his mind off the curves that lay beneath.
Surprised to see her, he quickly alighted from his SUV and stalked up the front walk. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, he looked up, seeing dark circles underneath her eyes in stark contrast to her pale complexion.
“Are you okay?” he asked. She nodded, without speaking, her eyes never leaving his. The air seemed to crackle between them. “Is something wrong?”
Emitting a small snort, she said wryly, “Now what on Earth could possibly be wrong?”
Unable to keep his lips from curving into a smile, he rested his hand on the railing. “Yeah. I see what you mean. But, knowing someone is outside your house, keeping an eye on everything, should make you rest easier.”
“I know,” she admitted, tucking her hair behind her ear. “The reality is, though, having the need for a security person to be outside my house is what keeps me awake.” She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her robe and looked down at her feet for a moment. Lifting her chin, she held his gaze, and said, “I feel bad about you being in your car. Would you like to come in?”
Seeing him about to protest, she quickly added, “You’d be more comfortable on the sofa.”
“I’m not sure that would be a good idea,” he said, the battle between wanting to spend time with her and letting his guard down warring inside. “But, I wouldn’t mind a cup of coffee.”
Her smile beamed and she nodded. “Then at least come on in and keep me company while I fix it.”
Walking up to the top of the steps, his gaze caressed her face before he whispered, “That, I can do.”
Locking the door behind him, he followed her into the kitchen. She turned suddenly, jumping when she almost ran into his body. His arms shot out to catch her and she rocked back, looking up in surprise.
She blushed and said, “I keep running into you.” His eyes bore deeply into hers and she looked down to avoid the intensity of his gaze. “Good grief, you’re wearing boots and I still didn’t even hear you behind me.”
“Army training,” he said, offering a simple explanation.
“You were in the Army?”
Nodding, he watched as she filled the coffee carafe with water before turning to look at him over her shoulder.
“When?”
“A few years back.”
She spooned the coffee into the filter before switching it on. Turning to face him fully, she leaned back against the sink. Continuing her line of questioning, she asked, “Where were you stationed?”
“Quite a few places during my tours. I started out at Fort Benning.” He was not surprised when her eyebrows lifted.
“I was there. Actually, that’s where David was born.”
“And David’s father?”
A look of disgust crossed her face as she crossed her arms in front of her. “He was in the Army,” she admitted. “I’m afraid it didn’t quite work out the way he hoped.”
“Is he still in the Army?” he asked, wanting to see what she would say about him.
“Hardly. Ed had big plans, but had little ability to follow them through.” Lifting her shoulders slightly, she added, “And, when his great plans fell apart, he tended to take his frustrations out on me.”
Stunned at the revelation he had not anticipated, he felt anger coursing through his veins. There had been no record of domestic violence, which meant she never reported it.
Sylvie turned back toward the counter and, reaching up, pulled down two mugs. Unaware of the rage building on the other side of the room, she walked to the refrigerator, taking out the creamer.
“He took his frustration out on you?”
Mace’s voice, almost an octave lower than his already deep voice, caused her to turn and look at him. She sucked in a quick intake of breath, wondering what had compelled her to give out that detail. It makes me sounds so weak. I hate that Ed still has the ability to make me feel weak.
Shrugging once more, she said, “It’s in the past. Things happened. I didn’t like it. And I wasn’t going to have it around my baby. So, I ended the marriage and he didn’t seem to mind.” Heaving a sigh, she added, “It’s not that I thought ending a marriage was something to be taken lightly, but I could not allow his abuse to be focused on David.”
Leaning forward, his clenched fists resting on the counter, Mace asked a question that he already knew the answer to, but wanted to hear what she had to say anyway. “Does he pay alimony? Child support?”
Her eyes jumped back to his, taking in his visible anger, but not understanding it. “I’m sorry, Mace. I don’t think that’s any of your business.”
“Fair enough,” he agreed, but did not like it. “But, can I ask, is he still involved in David’s life?”
To avoid answering the question, Sylvie turned back to the counter, the coffee now ready. Pouring two mugs full of the rich brew, she asked over her shoulder, “Cream? Sugar?” When he didn’t answer she turned her head to look at him. The hard set of his jaw was still evident
and she got the feeling that he was not used to someone not answering him.
She pushed his mug forward on the counter toward him, before moving the cream and sugar closer as well. Fixing her coffee the way she liked, she leaned back against the counter and took a sip. “I can see that you’re not happy with my silence,” she said. “I’m afraid, Mace, that you’ll find I’m not one to give in so easily.”
Mace sucked in a deep breath through his nose before letting it out slowly. Admiring her fortitude, he reached for his coffee cup and sipped it black. “That’s good coffee. I like it strong.”
Her lips curved as she took another sip, “Thank you. That might have been the only thing that Ed ever complimented me on…my coffee.”
They continued in silence, for a few more minutes, each to their own thoughts and sipping the hot brew.
Sylvie looked at Mace, and said, “I know I’ll never get to sleep after drinking this, but it’s comforting.” Seeing him nod his agreement, she found herself uncharacteristically wanting to talk more. Nodding toward the kitchen table, she walked over and took a seat, pleased when he did the same.
“I’m not sure why, after all these years, I’m still prickly about my ex-husband. The truth of the matter is, I’ve always been embarrassed that I chose poorly. I had a happy childhood and remember my dad always telling me that I should wait for a prince. The problem was, at twenty-one, I had no clue what to really look for in a man. Ed was very charming when we dated, full of big promises of Army glory. He talked incessantly about joining the Special Forces and how it was going to be nice to have me on his arm at all the functions we would attend.” Snorting, she continued, “I was young, naïve, impressionable, and fell for his dashing manner and confident words.”
“What happened?” Mace watched her focusing on her coffee as her fingers tightened around the cup. Mentally bracing, he waited for her to reply.
“He made it through boot camp but became angry that he was unable to apply for the Special Forces right away, insisting that he was more than ready. I was unaware of how much he drank, but it was affecting his work and the security of what he needed to be doing. He would take his anger out on me, verbally, but not physically…at least not at first. I became pregnant and rejoiced in thinking that a child might make him satisfied. Instead, it just made him angrier. One day, shortly after David was born, he came home, had been doing grunt work all day long, and he was furious. He didn’t like what I had fixed for supper and he slapped me across the face, calling me horrible names—”
Vote Then Read: Volume III Page 297