Safe with a SEAL, page 15
Wanda, on the other hand, stared right at Ian’s bare chest. “Where can I sign up for that class?” she quipped.
Jessie put a hand on Wanda’s arm. “Let’s keep looking for your cellphone. Maybe you left it in the bathroom.” The three women went into the ladies’ room, and Ian and Maddie leapt from the floor as if it were on fire. Grabbing up their clothes, they dashed into a changing room and dressed quickly.
“Oh god,” Maddie moaned, covering her face with her hands and leaning back against the wall. “I can’t believe we fell asleep.”
“I can. We had a long day yesterday, and we’ve been under a lot of stress. I’m surprised we didn’t pass out in the hot tub.”
“I’m so embarrassed.” She felt the heat of Ian’s body as he stepped closer. He took her wrists and lowered her hands from her face. She opened her mouth to say something, but he swooped in and kissed her long and deep, setting her soul on fire.
He lifted his mouth from hers. “I can never be embarrassed about anything I do with you. Last night was fantastic, and even though I would have preferred we hadn’t gotten caught, I’m not going to let that turn the memory into something to be ashamed of.” He took her hand and towed her out of the dressing room before she could respond.
Maddie hoped the others were still looking for Wanda’s phone and that she and Ian could leave the building without seeing anyone. No such luck. All three were standing in the reception area near the front door.
“Good morning, ladies,” Ian said. “I’d like to apologize for—”
“No need,” Jessie said, briefly holding her hands up in front of her shoulders. “We’re all adults here.”
“I, um, don’t know what to say,” Maddie muttered, “but would really appreciate it if you guys didn’t say anything about this.”
“We are all,” Candy said, looking meaningfully at Wanda, “perfectly capable of being discreet.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Wanda said. “I can keep my mouth shut. Besides, you two are a cute couple. But in the interest of discretion, don’t be surprised if I keep flirting with you, SEAL man. You know, in order to throw folks off the scent.” She waggled her eyebrows at him before thanking Jessie and Candy for helping to find her phone, and walked out the door.
“I guess we’ll be going now, too,” Ian said.
Jessie and Candy both smiled and nodded. Maddie mumbled a quick goodbye and hurried out. Ian caught up with her. “Hey, slow down. We need to talk.”
“We need to see if we can find Pugliesi,” Maddie countered. The last thing she wanted to do was talk.
“Maddie, don’t brush me off.”
She stopped walking and faced him. “There’s nothing to talk about. Things get hot between us sometimes, but that’s it. That’s all it can ever be.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Yes, I do. And I meant what I said inside. Don’t tell anyone at OASIS about this. I can’t afford to lose their respect.”
“I can’t believe you’re going to keep denying what’s between us. But for the record, these guys have been my friends for a long time now, so they already know a fair share of our history. It hasn’t stopped them from respecting you.”
“Hey, I’ve worked hard to gain their respect. I never wanted them to think I was just some dumb girl who got the job because of you.”
“Nobody thinks that.”
“Because, like I said, I’ve worked my ass off to show them that I can do the work without having to rely on anyone. Especially you. But if we get together, if we start having any kind of a relationship outside of work, I can kiss all of that goodbye. It’ll take about five seconds for me to become the office joke, and they’ll think less of me and my abilities. They’ll forget all about my own accomplishments and just think of me as your girlfriend.”
“No they won’t. They’re not like that.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet,” Maddie scoffed.
Ian shook his head. “Wow, you’re really a piece of work sometimes, you know that? Here you are spouting off all sorts of platitudes about wanting respect for your skills and not being judged by your gender, but then you turn around and do the same thing. You think just because we’re a bunch of guys, we think less of women and their abilities. We’re all a bunch of sexist pigs to you, aren’t we?”
“You’re not pigs, but this is the sort of thing women have to put up with all the time. Look at you even now. Following me around like you’re my personal bodyguard. Tell me something, if it were Fitz, or Jake, or Reeve who received some notes, would you be sticking this closely to them?”
“It’s not just notes, Maddie. Someone is trying to hurt you.”
“And what if they were trying to hurt one of the guys? Or what if they were trying to hurt you? Would you want them with you all the time? Acting as if you couldn’t take care of yourself without them there to protect you?”
His eyes narrowed. “Are you kidding me? We were all goddamn SEALs together. We’ve always had each other’s backs and we’ve always appreciated it. Not once have any of us felt that being part of a team made us any less capable of taking care of ourselves. You’re the only one that does that. You have no idea what being part of a team, especially an organization like OASIS, is all about. We look out for each other so we can do our jobs effectively. You need to get on board with that because I’m telling you now, this antagonism you constantly bring to the table is going to get someone hurt or killed.”
“I would never hurt anyone at OASIS.”
“I know that you would never mean to, but your lack of trust is beginning to cause cracks in your relationship with the team. And in our line of work, cracks can be deadly.”
Maddie said nothing, guilt creeping through her defiance.
Ian sighed. “Look, I know you better than anyone. I know how important it is to you that you be independent and that you’re treated with respect for your skills. But there is one skill you really need to work on — letting people help you. The guys can put up with all the rest of your crap. The sarcasm, the touchiness. Hell, they’ve pretty much grown to like it about you. But the willfulness to put yourself in harm’s way just to prove a point? That they don’t like. And neither do I.”
They were drawing attention from passersby. “Let’s go,” Maddie said. As they walked to the parking garage, Maddie mulled over Ian’s last words. “Okay, I’ll try being a better team player,” she relented as they climbed into the SUV. “But that doesn’t change what’s between us. We are not together.”
“Fine,” he sighed. “We’re not together.”
Before he could say more, Maddie’s phone buzzed with a text message. “It’s from Anthony. He must have found his phone.” She tapped the screen, opening the message. “Dammit.”
“What is it?”
“Genghis Khan is throwing up.”
“I bet he ate too much. That dog is bottomless, and the kids probably spoiled him with treats last night. It’ll pass.”
“You’re probably right, but Anthony says he’s scared. He’s a steady sort of kid, not prone to hysterics. He says his mom’s not home. I’ll feel better if we go check.”
“Boy, you’ve really grown attached to that little mutt, haven’t you?”
Maddie shrugged. “He makes the kids happy. And he’s good company. All he needs is food and some tummy rubs to content him. Plus, he never tries to take the remote control.”
“Loves to watch a good sappy movie with you, does he?”
“He likes what I like. And you know that ain’t sappy movies.” She sighed and began biting a thumbnail. “I hope it’s nothing serious. The kids will be crushed if anything happens to him.”
Ian accelerated. “Don’t worry. We’ll take him right to the vet.”
They pulled up in front of her house, not bothering to park in the driveway. Maddie hurried to the front steps before remembering Genghis had spent the night at the kids’ house. Ian joined her as she headed for the Magano place. Childish laughter drew her attention down the street. Anthony and Chrissy were just exiting the park, a perfectly healthy-looking Genghis Khan padding along between them.
Frowning, Maddie walked toward them, Ian two steps behind her. The kids smiled and waved when they saw her.
“Hey, you two,” Maddie said when they met two houses down from Maddie’s. “What’s going on, Anthony? Why did you text me that Genghis was sick?”
A look of confusion crossed his face. “I didn’t text you,” he said.
As she dug into her pocket for her phone, a thunderous explosion ripped through the air. She whirled around to see the entire top floor of her house disintegrate in smoke and flames.
“Get down!” Ian shouted, diving for the children and covering them with his body as glass and other debris rained down. Maddie scooped up the dog and tucked him to her chest as she huddled down beside Ian until the shower of debris subsided.
Doors up and down the street opened as neighbors began to investigate. Stella Magano burst out of her house, screaming for Anthony and Chrissy.
“They’re here!” Ian shouted as he rose to his feet. “They’re okay,” he said as Stella raced over and hugged her children. Anthony looked frightened but otherwise all right. Chrissy was crying and hugging her mother back. “Mommy, it was so loud!”
“Shh, baby, it’s okay now.”
Sirens sounded in the distance as Maddie straightened up and brushed a few bits of glass from Ian’s shoulder. “Did you get cut?” she asked.
“No. How about you?”
“I’m fine.” She held Genghis out at arm’s length. “And so is he.” She pulled the quivering dog closer for a cuddle. “It’s okay, pups. Thank goodness you weren’t home.”
With a lump in her throat, she turned back to look at her house. Flames roared up from the windows of the second floor, and her stomach clenched as she realized how close she and Ian had been to going inside. A few neighbors come closer, offering her a few words of condolences as the fire trucks screech to a halt in front of her house.
Fox pulled up behind the fire trucks and bolted from his vehicle. “Where’s your friend?” he shouted as he pointed to the car parked next to Maddie’s Jeep toward the back of the driveway.
Oh, shit! Mrs. Hunnicutt! Maddie shoved Genghis Khan into Ian’s arms and raced toward her house. A fireman stopped her as she bolted for the front door.
“You can’t go in there!”
“There’s someone inside! Mrs. Hunnicutt!” she yelled. “Can you hear me?”
Three firemen with full jackets and face gear on hurried through the front door.
“I saw that asshole Blake creeping through the backyards. I yelled at him and he ran off. I followed him until he went inside a bar called the Wagon Wheel,” Fox said. “I was going to go ask him what he was doing in the yard, but then I heard the explosion and I got a bad feeling so I came back. I’ll bet that’s why he was sneaking around.”
Maddie barely heard Fox as she waited for word on Mrs. Hunnicutt. Her heart pounded with terror as the seconds stretched into agonizing minutes.
“We need a gurney!” a fireman shouted from the front door. He stepped out and held the screen door wide as the other two came out, carrying Mrs. Hunnicutt. Two EMTs ran up with a gurney, and the firemen gently loaded her onto it. She didn’t move or open her eyes.
“Oh no,” Maddie croaked.
“Don’t panic,” Ian soothed. “She’s in good hands. C’mon. We’ll follow the ambulance to the hospital.” He handed the dog to Anthony before he and Maddie ran for the car.
Ian clung to the ambulance bumper as it raced to the hospital, only veering off to park as the ambulance proceeded directly to the emergency room doors. He’d barely pulled into a spot before Maddie opened her door and raced into the building, Ian just seconds behind her. After what seemed like an eternity, a doctor appeared in the waiting room and called Maddie’s name.
“Mrs. Hunnicutt figured you were out here and has authorized me to discuss her condition with you.”
Maddie’s knees nearly buckled with relief. Mrs. Hunnicutt was conscious and talking. That had to be a good sign.
“She’s awake. Fortunately, nothing is broken and she didn’t inhale a lot of smoke. We’ll keep her for observation overnight. She’ll most likely be sore for a few days, but it looks as if she won’t suffer any permanent damage in the long run.”
“That’s great news,” Ian said. “May we see her?”
“Yes. She’s going to be transferred upstairs soon, but you can come back and see her now. Follow me.”
Tears stung the back of Maddie’s eyes as she rounded a curtain. Mrs. Hunnicutt was awake, as the doctor said, but she looked so pale and small in the clunky hospital bed, her crescent scar even more pronounced on her round, pale face. A tinge of fear clouded the cheerful eyes Maddie had come to love.
“Thank goodness you weren’t there,” Mrs. Hunnicutt said, taking Maddie’s hand in her own. “I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”
“I’m fine, and the doctor says you’re going to be fine, too.” Maddie forced cheerfulness into her voice, but deep down she wanted to scream her rage and frustration.
“Nothing’s going to keep you down, is it?” Ian teased, but Maddie could hear the underlying tension in his voice. He was just as pissed as she was. “If you’re up to it, can you tell us what happened?” he asked.
“I came by to housekeep and leave you a casserole in the fridge. I was dusting the living room and heard a noise from upstairs. I went up to investigate. When I came out of the master bedroom, someone grabbed me from behind and threw me down the stairs.” Tears came to her eyes. “Whoever it was ran down the stairs and past me to the back door. Then came that awful explosion. I thought I was going to die!” She broke down into sobs. Maddie kissed the older woman’s hand before holding it to her chest.
“Hush now. You’re safe. And the doctor says you can go home tomorrow.”
Mrs. Hunnicutt accepted the tissue Ian pressed into her other hand and mopped her eyes with it. “But what about you? Where will you go? Someone blew up your house!”
“Shh, it’s all right. I’ll go to a hotel.”
“She’ll stay with me,” Ian said at the same time.
“Oh, good. Thank you, Ian. I’ll feel so much better knowing our girl is safe with you,” Mrs. Hunnicutt said, smiling up at him, ignoring Maddie’s words altogether.
She wanted to argue at his high-handed assumption but Mrs. Hunnicutt looked so relieved Maddie didn’t want to do or say anything that might upset her. “Okay. I’ll stay at Ian’s place.” She lifted her eyes to his. “I know he’s got a spare bedroom.”
Mrs. Hunnicutt turned to look at Maddie with a raised eyebrow. “Whatever you say, dear.” She shifted a little in the hospital bed and winced.
“Are you all right? Should I call the nurse?” Maddie asked anxiously.
“No, it’s all right. They gave me a pill for the pain.” She yawned. “I think what I need most right now is a little shut-eye.”
“Okay. We’ll go and you can rest. But I want you to call me if you need anything. I mean it. Anything, anytime.”
“You’re sweet,” Mrs. Hunnicutt said through another yawn. “I promise. I’ll call you if I need you.”
“I’ll kill him! I swear to all that is holy that if I ever get my hands on the son of a bitch behind this, I will kill him.” Maddie barely made it to the parking lot before delivering her threat to no one in particular.
“Mrs. Hunnicutt is going to be fine. You heard the doctor,” Ian said.
“But it could have been so much worse.”
“Things can always be worse. But that doesn’t mean they always will be. But you’re right. We need to find out who is doing this and put a stop to it.”
“Really, you think?”
Ian ignored her sarcasm as he checked an incoming text message. “Fox says he took a look in your backyard and found a note tucked inside the screen door. Apparently it says You’re not getting the message. Time to up the ante.” Ian’s blood scorched like lava through his veins as he thought of the explosion and how close Maddie had been to being inside the house when it happened. “Let’s go talk to Blake.”
“Do you really think a clod like Blake is capable of this? My money’s on McConnell. He was an combat engineer like my father, remember? He knows about explosives.”
“If necessary, we’ll look into that, too. But we should still talk to Blake. Fox said he went into the Wagon Wheel. If he’s still there, he’s at least halfway drunk by now, and he might slip up and tell us something useful. If we wait much longer, he won’t be coherent.”
“You’re right. Even if he wasn’t responsible for the bomb, I’d like to know what he was doing sneaking around my backyard.”
“Exactly. Let’s go.”
They drove across town. Smaller than the Steel Horse — Candlewood’s pseudo biker bar — the Wagon Wheel Tavern had been around for as long as Ian could remember. Ian fact, he was pretty sure his parents had frequented it in their younger days. Not long ago, a tip-off in the Iceman case had led Ian and Reeve to the Wagon Wheel. That had been Ian’s first time in the place in years, and he hadn’t been back since. As he walked inside now, Ian again marveled to himself at how little the place had changed. The same battered and scratched high tables encircled the small dance floor. The same ancient pinball machine that had been outdated years ago still stood in the corner near the restrooms. Ian wondered how it still functioned considering all the hand slaps and beer spills it had endured over the years.
A few patrons were having an early lunch at a couple of the tables. Being the sole occupant of the long bar against one wall made Blake easy to spot. He sat with his back to the door, his broad shoulders hunched over a tall glass of beer. Maddie took a step forward, but Ian caught her hand. “Let me talk to him.”
She yanked her hand away. “No way. He’s been giving me grief for too long. It’s time he and I had it out once and for all.” She stalked across the floor to the bar.
