“Yo, Lexie, what’s a graffie—?”
Jason hollered from the top of the stairs. An instant later, he barged into the family room with Gabriel in his arms and came to an abrupt stop. “Shit, sorry.”
Mac dropped his hands and stepped back. A deep blush raced up Lexie’s neck into her cheeks as she turned away from him and reached for her son.
“Giraffe. Gabriel has a favorite book and stuffed animal.” She cradled him close to her. “He has trouble sleeping without it.”
“Oh, crap,” Jason said, and headed into the foyer. “I asked your friend Cole to pack up a few things for Gabriel when I picked him up.”
He lifted a big grocery bag off the floor by the door and carried it into the family room. Gabriel took one look at the bag and squirmed out of Lexie’s arms. Once his feet hit the floor, he pulled the bag down and yanked out a book and the same stuffed animal Mac had seen at the bank.
Jason knelt eye-level with Gabriel. “So that’s Graffie? Why don’t we go read it together so your mom and Mac can continue discovering why they bug each other?”
“Keep it up, bro, and I’ll be doing the pounding,” Mac muttered between his teeth.
Jason let out a loud laugh and picked up Gabriel, lowering him so Lexie could give him a kiss on the cheek before he left the room as quickly as he’d appeared.
When Mac turned toward Lexie, she managed to place the table between them. “Jason’s ribbing was for my benefit. He—”
“I can’t do this, Mac.”
“Do what?”
Heaviness emerged between them. He had no trouble reading between the lines. He’d just experienced the hottest kiss of his life and couldn’t accept that there wasn’t going to be more. “It wasn’t just a kiss.”
“No, it wasn’t.” Her eyes were on everything but him. “I made a promise to Gabriel and I won’t break it.”
“What promise?”
Lexie’s upper teeth skimmed over her bottom lip. “My mom had boyfriends in and out of our home my whole childhood. It was… horrible. I promised Gabriel that first day I would never put him through that.”
Mac moved toward her, but stopped when she took a step back. “This doesn’t have to be like that, Lexie. You can’t close yourself off…”
“For my son, I will do anything. He deserves that kind of love and devotion from his parent.”
Because it wasn’t what she received from hers. Mac knew little about Lexie’s childhood, but there were deep, hardened scars there.
She headed around the opposite side of the table toward the stairwell. “About Rico, I’m sorry I treated you so badly. That’s going to be with me for a while.” She paused, her expression so intense it was as if she were trying to read his soul. “The day I stormed into your office, you should have been honest with me.”
Mac brushed a hand over his neck. The tension in his shoulder muscles was killing him. “Maybe I should have. I promised Rico—”
“Just help me out of this mess with Ryan and you don’t owe Rico another damn thing.” She darted up the stairs.
Everything in him ached to charge up after her. What he would do when he caught her, he didn’t have a clue. That unforgettable kiss muddled his mind, and his body throbbed like hell to have Lexie against him. There was definitely something between them. He didn’t know what the hell to call it —lust, protectiveness, survivor guilt—but he was done walking on eggshells. He and Lexie were far from over.
Eleven
Bright sunlight seeped in through the blinds, spreading warmth over Lexie’s face. With her eyes still closed, she burrowed her head deeper into the pillow, drawing the soft, lavender-scented comforter over her shoulder. The treasured peacefulness of a moment ago slipped away, and the nightmare of yesterday took its place. Everything came back fast and hard.
Sitting up in the bed, she reached a hand out for Gabriel. Then the sound of a child’s laughter, followed by the smoky scent of frying bacon hit her. She threw back the comforter and slipped out of bed. Ten o’clock? How did she sleep past eight?
Without taking the time to run a brush through her hair, she charged downstairs. At the bottom step, she came to an abrupt stop. Mac sat on the floor, his long legs extending out under the coffee table in the family room. Gabriel sat on one of the sofa pillows next to him, singing along with his favorite Disney movie. Two bowls lay empty on the coffee table.
Mac turned toward her but said nothing. A flash of awareness jolted through her, her body reacting immediately to things that she prayed she kept buried, even forgotten.
There was a time when the needs of her body took over all reason. If she had listened to her inner voice instead of her libido, she would have never married Rico. She would have seen right through him. Instead, she fell heads over heels in lust with the man in her first bar at twenty-one. He was a badass FBI agent, and she was a wet-behind-the-ears engineering student in her third year of college. It wasn’t love at first sight because she didn’t know what love was.
“You’re thinking too much.”
“Mommy, we’re being quiet, and Mac likes marshmallows in his Cheerios, too.”
She made her feet move and joined her son on the floor. “What is a bowl of Cheerios without marshmallows? How long have you been awake?”
Mac cleared his throat as a sheepish look spread across his features. “I peeked in to check on you a half hour ago. Gabriel was sitting up in bed reading his book.”
“I let you sleep, Mommy.”
She gave her son a hug, but kept her eyes on Mac. “Thank you, Gabriel. So, if there is bacon, why are you eating cereal?”
“Cereal is only an appetizer. Dad is making a big breakfast.”
Lexie swallowed a lump the size of Texas down her throat. “Your father is here?”
“Mom and Dad flew in last night. They hadn’t met their grandbabies until this morning.” He glanced through the kitchen arch. “Dad, this is Lexie.”
A man with the same build as Mac filled the doorway. Handsome. Lexie couldn’t help staring. Mac’s father was an older version of Jason, with the kindest eyes she had ever seen.
“Rico’s wife. Of course. I’m Thomas.” he said with a wide grin. “I’m so happy to finally meet you. Rico was a good man and I miss him. Really sorry for your loss.”
For the first time in two years, those words didn’t make her cringe. She rose, strolled to the entry, and held out her hand. He put the spatula down and drew her into a hug instead.
Lexie couldn’t remember the last time she allowed a stranger this close to her, but Mac’s father wasn’t really a stranger. Rico had admired him and spoke of him often. Dropping her guard, Lexie wrapped her arms around Thomas and hugged him back. The feeling that hit her seconds later almost brought her to tears. This was what a father’s hug felt like. Her childhood dreams didn’t do it justice. While everything in her wanted to stay in the moment, she forced her hands down to her side and broke contact.
“I have the most beautiful granddaughter in the whole world,” a woman said behind her.
Mac’s mother. God, she must look a sight. Lexie ran a hand over her hair before she turned and planted a smile on her face. What was she thinking, coming downstairs in someone else’s home without changing first?
“You must be Lexie. I’m Mary McNeil.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. McNeil.” Lexie wasn’t sure how she got the words out of her mouth. It took only an instant to recognize that Mac’s mother wasn’t anything like hers. A kind warmth appeared in her expression as she glanced at her granddaughter.
“Please call me Mary. I’ve wanted to meet you for some time. Rico was family.” She studied Lexie for an instant, then said, “Have you met my Abigail?”
The smile Lexie gave the infant was from her heart. “We got to know each other well last night. I changed her and rocked her to sleep while Sarah nursed Jake.”
Gabriel approached and eyed the tiny infant. Lexie picked him up so he could see Abigail better. “This is
my son, Gabriel.”
“Gabriel and I also met. He’s a real charmer.”
“Breakfast is on. Come and get it while it’s hot.” Thomas’s deep baritone voice filled the room.
“Seriously, love. Inside voice.”
Mac moved to Lexie’s side and held a hand out to Gabriel. “It’s man-eating time.”
Gabriel didn’t hesitate. He squirmed out of her arms and took Mac’s big hand in his. At the table, Mac squared a couple of large books on the seat cushion and lifted Gabriel into place. It was like they were old friends. “Should I get Sarah and Jason?” he asked his mother.
“No, Sarah is nursing Jake, and Jason is in the shower. Eat.” She then nodded to Lexie. “Come sit next to me. I spend way too much time with men. Need some girl time.”
“I should go change first,” she murmured.
“You’re fine. Sit,” Mac’s father said, and handed her a plate.
Her stomach rumbled, loudly. Four sets of eyes stared at her. Thomas reached for the platter of eggs and gave her a bigger serving. She couldn’t help but laugh.
Mac’s phone buzzed on the counter. “That had better be Díaz with the okay for us to get back into the building.” He grabbed the cell on the third ring. “McNeil.”
Lexie’s stomach roiled as she fought to stay calm. She couldn’t go back into that building. Mac kept his voice low, but she could hear each short, harsh-sounding question. The muscles in his neck and shoulder tensed. He then pinned her with a stare. Her fork dropped to the table, and she rose, her knees so weak, she grabbed onto the edge for balance. “What’s happened?”
With the phone still at his ear, he took her hand and led her out of the room. Her silence lasted until Mac closed the door to the den.
“Mac, you’re freaking me out.”
He nodded toward the loveseat. After ending the call, he eased next to her. “The agents covering Cole and Marcus didn’t call in. An agent was dispatched to make contact.”
“And?”
“One agent is dead. The other agent and Cole are on their way to the hospital. I know nothing about their conditions.”
“Oh, God.” She swallowed the bile that churned into her throat. “And Marcus? What happened to Marcus?”
“The men who stormed the condo took Marcus with them. Lexie, that’s all I know.”
She jolted from the sofa and paced in the front foyer. “I don’t understand. Who would do this? Ryan? Why?”
“Because your friends can ID him.” Mac blocked her path and drew her into his arms. She didn’t want to be held or comforted. This was her fault, but as much as she wanted to pull away, she couldn’t.
“I need to get to the hospital.”
“No. You need to get into a safe house.”
“I have to see him.” She leaned her head on his chest and whispered, “You don’t understand what they mean to me. Your family is wonderful. Cole and Marcus are my family, Gabriel’s family. If that were Jason, would you let someone shove you into a safe house?”
“Do you get that bastard is out to destroy everyone in your life?”
“Am I under arrest?”
“No, you’re not under arrest.”
She was being totally unreasonable. Mac was trying to protect her, and she was acting like a royal bitch, but she had to know Cole was okay. “Take me or I’ll find my own way there.”
“What about Gabriel? Do you plan to take him with you into whatever hell we don’t know about yet? The bastard killed one of my men, Lexie. This guy isn’t playing around.”
“We’ll take care of Gabriel.” Mary McNeil stood in the doorway. She placed her hand on Lexie’s arm. “I know we just met, and trusting strangers with your child isn’t easy.”
“You’re not strangers. Rico cared a great deal for you, Mrs. McNeil.”
“I raised five hard-headed children. Taking care of your son for a few hours will be a piece of cake. Thomas and I won’t let anything happen to him.”
Lexie’s heart warmed, and she put her palm over Mrs. McNeil’s hand. “Thank you.”
“Lexie, you are supposed to be dead. Think about this.”
“I went along with that plan for Cole and Marcus. I’ll be down in three minutes. I’m seeing Cole with or without you, but I’m going.”
Twelve
The drive to Brackenridge Hospital took years from her life. There was no news on Cole or the agent in surgery. As they pulled in front of the hospital, Mac’s body tensed, his shoulders stretching the seams of his dress shirt, and if he didn’t loosen the tightness of his jaw muscles, he would break a molar. It was pure, unleashed anger at its best.
“Lexie, there is a connection between you and Ryan that we are missing.”
“If I knew what he wanted, I would have told you.” She shifted in her seat and faced him. “I don’t lie, ever! I want this bastard found.”
“Are you sure you haven’t seen him somewhere? Maybe a friend of a friend or…”
“The first time I ever laid eyes on him was at the café. I can’t even put my finger on what creeped me out about him.” She bit down on her lip to keep the tears at bay. “He seemed to be too familiar, like he could read my sins…but I don’t know him.”
Mac squeezed her hand as he glanced toward a man and a woman who stood near the entrance. “You stay close and do exactly what I say.”
Lexie could only nod. Mac and the agents were there to protect her. They moved through the hospital corridors with precision. Mac’s badge got them through the line in the emergency room, and then they stood in a small hallway outside Cole’s glass-enclosed cubicle. The curtain was closed around the bed.
Every second that ticked away on the wall clock peeled another layer off her nerves. Mac positioned himself right behind her, not touching her, but his very presence kept her raw emotions under control.
Something had changed between them overnight. While everything in her begged to lean against him, the warmth of his body, his strength giving her strength, she didn’t give in. Rico taught her that, too.
The medical personnel left the room. One of the doctors approached Mac.
“Agent?”
“McNeil.” Mac held out his hand and the man shook it.
“Agent McNeil, my patient needs rest. You have two minutes.”
“We’ll respect that. How is he?”
“Banged up pretty badly, but he’ll recover fully.”
Mac’s hand went around her waist. If she made a sound at the doctor’s words, she didn’t hear it. Her heart pounded like a freight train between her ears. “Can I go in now?”
“We go in together, Lexie.”
Mac eased the door open and stood to the side so she could enter. But Cole was her best friend, and his pain and her guilt lay on her shoulders. There was no other path.
“Cole? It’s Lexie.”
A moan followed a breathless, “Lexie? God, is that really you?”
“Yeah, it’s me,” she said, and drew the curtain back. Her heart dropped to her stomach. “Cole, what did those bastards… I’m so sorry.”
Her friend’s nose was broken, his eyes black and blue, and his lips swollen, cut, and red. It hurt to even look at him. His arm was strapped across his chest and held in a sling. Through the faded gown, Lexie could just make out a bandage covering his chest. Tears spilled onto her cheeks and she didn’t care. “Why did they do this to you?”
She rushed to his side and gently hugged him. Another groan escaped his lips and his shoulders shook. She raised her head. His eyes clouded with moisture.
“Cole?” Her voice was weak, airless.
“I thought… the agents said you never made it out of the building. We thought you were dead.” He pulled her hard against his chest.
“Mac got me out. I tried to tell him what faking my death would do to you and Marcus. He was trying to protect me.”
Mac stepped into view. “And I will continue to protect you, Lexie, even if you don’t like how I do it.”
Cole peered behind Lexie’s shoulder. “This is the guy?”
Lexie almost punched him. How could he tease her at a moment like this? She lowered her voice to a whisper and said, “He isn’t the guy. He’s a friend.”
Cole tilted his head as a slight smile touched his lips. “You’re in so much trouble. You will not get this one out of your—”
Lexie placed her hand over Cole’s battered mouth, trying not to hurt him. “Not funny.”
“I think it is,” Cole said, hugging her tightly one more time before shooting a look toward Mac. “If you are protecting Lexie, then get her out of here. The men who did this thought we were hiding her and killed your agent because Marcus and I wouldn’t give up Lexie.” The last words came out in a raspy whisper. “Even after he knew I knew nothing, he had his men beat the crap out of me, like putting me in the hospital would draw Lexie out of hiding. You have to protect her, Agent McNeil, and please find my partner, Marcus Aziz.”
“Who is the man?” Mac asked.
“I don’t know. Three men crashed through the door, taking the agents by surprise. They fought like soldiers. Hell, I’ve only seen moves like those in the movies.”
“The leader, can you describe him?”
“If you’re asking if I recognized one of the men as Ryan Smith from the dating site, he wasn’t there. He may have been the one giving them their orders.” Cole took her hand in his. “I’m so sorry for signing you up on that site. If all of this is from that, I’ll never forgive myself.”
“No, Cole. Don’t. You and Marcus are the best friends I’ve ever had, and you just wanted me to be happy. Whatever is going on didn’t begin with you posting my profile on the site. Ryan used it as an instrument to get close to me.”
Mac’s stance grew rigid. “Smith could be an alias. We need to come up with a facial composite on this guy. Are you up to working with our forensic sketch artist?” he asked Cole.
In the Shadow of Pride Book 4 Page 9