“Move.” Melody stepped through the door, her smile amped up to a ten. “Erin, I’m glad to see you’re doing okay. What did the paramedics say?”
Riley hovered in the door. He should go. There was never a reason for him to be here, but he couldn’t make his feet walk away.
Erin stared at the ground, ignoring him. He’d bruised her pride, and for that he was sorry. But this was all for her own good.
“Fractured or broken rib, it’s hard to tell.” Erin leaned a hip against the table and crossed her arms over her chest.
“I’m so sorry that happened.”
“I’m alive, right?” Erin glanced at Riley. She said the words with venom.
“And we’re going to keep you that way, right Riley?” Melody followed Erin’s gaze, meeting Riley’s eyes for a moment. He was in for it. “Did they recommend you go to the hospital, or are you okay to travel?”
“I’m fine to travel.” Erin smiled.
“Good. Good.”
That wasn’t what Erin had told him. Was she saying whatever it took to get out of here? Or had she skipped something when he asked?
Riley turned and leaned against the door. If he couldn’t make himself leave, he didn’t have to watch.
“What happened with Thomas?” Erin asked.
“Oh, dear.” Melody blew out a breath. “When Grant and the others went by your house to get the list of items they found Thomas there, going through your home office files. He’s in custody, but he hasn’t said anything.”
Riley was willing to bet Melody would have words over how this whole thing went down. She’d been intentionally left out of plans and used. But that wasn’t Riley’s problem. He’d been following orders. Sort of.
“Do we think he works for Allied?” Erin asked.
“We don’t know. He hasn’t officially worked for them in years, but...” Melody shrugged.
“That doesn’t mean he isn’t working for an off-the-books branch of the company.” Riley turned toward the ladies. There was still more going on than they realized.
“We don’t know that.” Melody held up her hands. She turned her attention to Erin. “Our concern right now is you.”
“I hate the idea that we’re leaving this mess behind us.” Erin stared at the floor, her smile gone.
Riley swallowed his words. He wanted to soothe her, ease the sting, but he couldn’t. Not without losing the professional distance he needed so badly.
“I held some things back from what we packed up at your house if you’d like to change?” Melody clasped her hands in front of her.
“That would be great.” Erin blew out a breath and lifted her chin. “What about the box? Do we get to take that with us?”
“Let me check on that. One moment?” Melody turned and stared at Riley as she strode out of the room. He wasn’t on just one shit list.
Riley stared at the floor, listening to the tap tap tap of her heels fading under the general noise of the bullpen out there.
“I don’t know what the fuck your problem is, but you do not get to take it out on me, understand?” Erin closed the distance between them until he had no choice but to look at her. She glared at him, all that passion and fury trained his way. “I’m fucked up. I know it. I own it. You? You need to get a handle on your shit.”
She jabbed him in the chest with her finger.
Riley glanced away.
Erin didn’t know him. Not really. She had no clue who he was or what his problems were. And they were none of her business.
She leaned in close and whispered, “At least I’m not scared of what I want.”
Did she mean him?
The initial burst of warmth withered away so fast it was hardly a memory. He disappointed people. He failed those he loved. He didn’t want to do that to Erin. She deserved better than him and what little he had to offer.
“Who the hell said anything about being afraid?” He wrapped his hand around her wrist and pushed it away.
“You just did.”
A chill so deep he shivered settled in Riley’s bones from the look she gave him.
He swallowed and took a step back.
She didn’t know him. Not really.
12.
SUNDAY. BAKHTIARI POLICE Station, Erbil, Kurdistan.
Erin watched Riley’s face. The muscles in his cheeks, around his mouth and eyes, were tight. The difference was in his eyes. The smile didn’t linger. There was no good humor. He couldn’t fucking look at her.
He’d felt something for her, even if it was just lust. But now he was scared and running.
She was beginning to remember why she didn’t date. Why it was better to be alone. After getting out of the army her tastes ran in one direction—to guys like Riley. And they were all a little battered. She got that. Her pieces didn’t fit quite right, but she made it work. Maybe Riley wasn’t there yet. It wasn’t her problem if he couldn’t figure his shit out.
And here she’d wanted to invite him to Miami for a long weekend. Fuck that. He was doing her a favor showing her this side of him before she let herself get any more wound up by him.
Erin needed that box. She couldn’t believe that everything they thought could help solve this mystery was gone. They might as well have killed her, too.
Melody’s heels signaled her return.
“You can go,” Erin said and took a step back, putting distance between her and Riley.
That little muscle at the corner of his jaw twitched. He wasn’t happy? That wasn’t her problem. She wasn’t the one who’d changed their colors and become an asshole. Sure, she was guilty of feeling too much, or letting her imagination get away with her, but at least she’d treated him with respect.
Riley didn’t move. He remained where he was, staring at her, partially blocking the door so Melody had to squeeze past him. Her gaze bounced from Erin to the box and away.
Bits of shredded paper fell from the gaping hole in the side of the box.
“Shit,” Erin muttered. Her heart fell. Whatever chance she’d had of figuring out why she’d been kidnapped was in that box.
Melody set the box on the table then slid the change of clothes off the top and turned toward Erin.
“When you’re done, we can leave. The officers are going to give us an escort to the airport.” She handed the change of clothes to Erin. “I’ve got a few things to sort out, so let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Melody.” Erin stared at the top of the battered box. When they’d left her office it’d been a near perfect white thing. Now the corner on one side was flattened. A hole the size of her fist was in another side and every time the box moved it rained paper.
Melody turned on her heel and strode out of the room. Oddly, Riley remained. He stood at the end of the table, a safe four feet or so away.
Whatever.
She didn’t need him.
Erin pulled the top of the box off and stared down at pages all twisted up and mangled. Her heart lodged in her throat at the sight of what was in the middle of that mess. What’d stopped the bullet. She reached in and grabbed the photo albums she’d tossed in as an afterthought.
The files she’d taken care and stacked neatly in their folders, working from one end to the other. Only, there wasn’t enough to fill the box. She’d put the various drives and discs on the other side, and her odds and ends got tossed into the middle of it all. The bullet must have hit the box, tore through the files before the photo albums stopped the slug from reaching Riley.
She could even tell where the bullet had eventually been stopped, lodged inside a cheap album she’d used because she was too busy to find something else that summer. She thumbed through the ruined albums. Some pages were melted together from the heat created by the bullet’s passing. Bits of paper puffed up in a cloud.
To think, if they’d done one thing differently, they might not both be there.
She glanced at Riley, staring at the albums. His wide eyes and raised brows said it all. Even he hadn
’t realized just how close they’d come.
They’d gotten lucky. Real lucky. The kind of luck that didn’t happen every day, and it’d struck twice for them.
Erin wanted to hug him, to squeeze him so she was positive he was still alive, but she didn’t. She covered her mouth and closed her eyes, saying a silent prayer. This went into the stack of things she’d never tell her parents. Maybe not anyone.
They were alive. That was what mattered. And now she was going to get to the bottom of why. Why had this happened? Why her? What had she done or knew that was worth all this?
The pictures could be replaced. She’d backed everything up a week ago. The files were another matter. She didn’t know what they were, so it was hard to figure out how to ask for copies.
“The drives all look okay.” Riley leaned over her shoulder and reached into the box. He rummaged around in the other side, picking up discs and drives.
The broken pieces of her mug clinked together. Another keepsake gone.
She glared up at him, more for her own sake. She needed to remember he wasn’t there for her. He was there because that was what he was paid to do. And he was an ass. The longer she held onto the hurt and anger, the more time she had to escape this before she fell apart.
“It could have been a lot worse. I need a bag or something I can put what isn’t damaged in, please.” She blew out a breath, her side throbbing.
Right, she couldn’t do deep breaths. Not for a while.
“I can do that,” he said.
“Do you know if anyone got my laptop?” she asked.
“Yeah, Melody said she had a lot of stuff packed up for you.”
“I’m going to want that for the plane.” Erin could spend the twelve plus hours traveling going over the drives. They still might have something useful in them.
Riley didn’t respond. She still felt a wall of cold coming off him.
An hour ago, she was telling herself to ease up, don’t dive too deep. They barely knew each other. And now he was treating her like a stranger. The rejection of a man she’d known for single digit days should not hurt this bad. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed the prickling to stop. She would not cry over someone like this.
She sucked down another big breath and the stab of pain caused her to hiss. She blinked several times, grateful for a reason that wasn’t her dumb emotions to blame her almost tears on.
“If Melody comes back by, tell her I’m in the bathroom.” Erin didn’t wait for Riley to say anything. She scooped up the clothes from the table and walked out across the bullpen where the officers were working toward the bathrooms.
Erin could do with a few moments to herself and a quick wash. Her frilly white top was dirty and shredded in the back where the bullet had hit her vest. The bright pink pants were torn from where she’d crawled around on glass. Some water on her face, a minute to herself, and she’d be fine. Once they were in the air, she could order a round of something strong to help deaden the pain both inside and out, but for now she’d have to soldier through.
She’d called Erbil home for so long that it felt strange to want to leave. A few years ago, she’d assumed this was where she’d live out her life, doing something that mattered. Eventually she’d find someone. Probably a foreigner. Someone who didn’t have archaic ideals about a woman’s place. With any luck, they’d have a happy life. But now all of that was reduced to shredded paper and misplaced wishes. She’d had a dream and a vision for herself before this, something that didn’t involve death. But it’d found her, nonetheless.
Erin retreated into the bathroom. She bent to check the stalls, ensuring she was by herself. Satisfied she was alone, she dumped her clothes on the vanity and covered her face with her hands.
It was easier to be hurt and pissed off at Riley. She understood what was going on with him. Everything else was so much bigger and scarier than what she could handle on her own. All she’d ever tried to do was her job. This wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right.
The bathroom door opened.
Erin turned and twisted the handle on the tap.
Melody took a few steps into the bathroom, hands clasped in front of her. Like every other time Erin had seen her, the woman was dressed professionally. This time in a dark gray pant suit with some sort of shimmery white shirt. The way Melody stared at Erin put her on edge. It was like Melody could see into the heart of Erin’s problems.
“Has anyone talked to my family yet?” Erin asked to say something.
“No, when I spoke with Riley he said you wanted to do that.” Melody took a few steps toward her until she was at the far edge of the vanity.
“I have to call them and tell them I’m coming home.” There wouldn’t be any ducking questions then. At least she’d have more pressing things to think about than Riley.
“I can arrange that.”
It would be good to go home and see her family. Figure things out. Chances were, she could squeeze some sort of severance package out of NexGen to tide her over for a while.
“Thanks.” Erin tucked the clothes under her arm and pushed her hand through her hair.
“How are you doing? Really? Did Riley do something?” Melody leaned against the sinks, hands at her hips.
That last question stopped Erin in her tracks.
Her silly heart clenched at the sound of his name.
She barely knew the guy. Her attachment was born out of a high stress situation and vulnerability. That was it.
“No.” Erin cleared her throat. “Everything’s fine.”
Melody didn’t respond, but Erin knew the other woman didn’t believe her. Hell, Erin didn’t believe herself.
“I’m just going to change.” Erin ducked into a stall and closed the door.
“Do you want a hairbrush? Toiletries?”
“That would be nice.” What she wanted most of all was to be alone for her pity party.
“I’ll be right back.”
Erin listened to Melody’s heels on the tile. The opening and closing of the door.
She leaned against the wall and stared at the ceiling tiles, counting them off one by one. She took comfort in the rhythm of the numbers, the logical flow of adding one more.
It was like the impact of the bullet had knocked her insides all around. She desperately wanted to hold onto something. Someone. She wanted out of here. Away from the secrets and lies. When she’d been in the army, she’d expected to not like every order. She’d trusted the commanding officers and done her part. Getting out had been about choosing her path and being done with the war and bloodshed. Instead, it was still there. Only now it was in the shadows, being covered up so no one was the wiser.
She couldn’t do this anymore. She needed to be free. To do something else with her life.
Erin pulled off her top and let it fall to the ground.
She’d let herself believe in ideals and things that didn’t exist. Was there anything good in the world?
Riley was good even if he was being stupid.
She wanted to hug that man. Hang onto him. But that would only push him farther away. Not to mention she’d create an even bigger crutch for herself than she already had. This was something she needed to do on her own.
Erin had to figure out what came next, and then she could worry about the rest.
The bathroom door opened and a staccato tap tap tap broke Erin’s peace.
“Erin? You still in here?” Melody asked.
“Yeah. Almost done.” Erin pushed the pink pants off. The delicate material hadn’t stood a chance.
She pulled on the t-shirt and yoga pants, grateful to shed a little of the day’s horrors. She blotted her unshed tears with tissue and flushed the evidence of her feelings. That done, she exited the stall.
Melody stood leaned up against another sink, already watching and waiting. Erin’s toiletry case from her condo was on the counter along with her hairbrush.
“Thanks for packing up my stuff like this,” she said.
“It
wasn’t a problem.”
Erin glanced at the other woman. No matter what happened, she wore a smile. It wasn’t even a fake smile. Erin could hear it in the way Melody spoke. She was quiet, unobtrusive. How often had the meathead guys on the team underestimated her?
“Is this what your job is normally like?” Erin grabbed the brush and attacked her hair.
“My job is rarely predictable.” Melody chuckled.
“Are all your jobs this...scary?”
“To a degree. Usually the scary stuff is over pretty fast, and then it’s just a matter of getting home. I’m sorry this has been such an ordeal for you.”
“At least we’re all alive.” Erin’s throat closed up and the dam she’d erected to hold back all her fears cracked. She dropped the brush into the sink and covered her face.
“I’m sorry. It’s okay.” Melody was there in an instant, offering Erin a tissue and stroking her back.
“I’m fine,” Erin snapped.
“Of course.” Melody took a step back.
“Sorry.” Erin squeezed her eyes shut. “It’s just... I’m starting to question everything. You know?”
“I’ve been there.” Melody’s smile disappeared behind a grimace.
The woman had stories. Despite the polished exterior she showed the world, there was more to her.
Erin and Melody turned to face the stalls, staring at nothing, neither speaking.
“Keep a secret?” Melody glanced at Erin.
“Sure?”
“I questioned everything, too.”
“That’s your secret?”
“No.” Melody smiled, but for the first time it wasn’t happy. “I was a hostage negotiator for six months. Grant and the team don’t know because...I don’t want to be in the field, but I still want to be part of something. Our boss knows, but he was kind enough to omit that part of my resume.”
“Wow. That’s not a small secret. What made you quit?” Erin cringed at the poor word choice.
Dangerously Taken (Aegis Group Lepta Team, #1) Page 14