Chapter 26
Ian
Ineed a key.
I knock again and call out, “Maggie, open up.”
It’s a little past seven at night, so she shouldn’t be asleep yet. I’m about to knock again when it opens to Maggie looking much sadder than when I left her this morning, reminding me of showing up at her place not even twenty-four hours prior.
My hand finds her hip as I search her eyes. “Maggie, baby. What’s wrong?”
“Can we go to the couch? I just need you to hold me for a few minutes.” She turns away from me and walks in that direction.
With concern barreling to the surface, I sit down next to her and open my arms. She wiggles over to me and curls into my side, and I hold her tight, my heart beating harder. Pressing a kiss to the top of her hair, I inhale the sweet scent of her shampoo.
“Did something else happen today?”
Her body snuggles closer as she takes a deep breath, then says, “Jenson, the marshal assigned to me, said it’s time for me to testify. The trial starts in two weeks, and I’m one of the first witnesses.”
“Okay, I’m going with you.”
She sniffs, a pout pulling at her lips. “I don’t know if you can.”
“Mags, I can do anything I want. I’m coming with you.” I wrap my arms around her tighter. “Unless you don’t want me, too. Which I won’t like, but I’ll respect.”
She’s quiet for a few breaths, and I’m nervous about what she’ll say.
I don’t like the idea of her going without me.
It gives me anxiety to think about. I want to be there.
I want to support her. To protect her. I don’t want to have to be hundreds of miles away, wondering what she’s doing and if she’s okay.
As she pushes up, her turbulent gaze finds mine. “I want you there more than anything. But Jenson, the agent assigned to me, might be an issue.”
My brow furrows. Reaching out, I grab her waist, and she lets out a surprised yelp when I lift her up so that she’s straddling me. To get her to look at me, my palms go to her cheeks, and I run the sides of my thumbs under her eyes, catching the few stray tears.
“Why would he be an issue?”
Maggie bites her bottom lip, then explains, “Well, he’s told me more than once that I needed to break things off with you.” Her expression turns pleading, emotion making her words come out shaky. “I listened to him the first time. But I can’t do that again.”
I blink a few times. It takes a few moments for my brain to fully process what she’s telling me.
She was forced into breaking things off with me?
The last tendrils of bitterness I was holding on to dissolve as I fully realize she truly did want to be with me.
“He was the reason you said that stuff last year? You were trying to push me away?”
She nods, looking miserable. “He said I needed to do it, or he was going to answer my door and tell you that he was my boyfriend and that I had been cheating on him with you while he was away. He told me I could get removed from Witness Protection and sent back to Chicago if I didn’t.”
My teeth clench in anger, and my jaw muscles twitch. Considering the fury making my vision blurry, my voice is eerily calm when I ask, “That man threatened you?”
Maggie tries to placate me when she rushes out, “I don’t know if it was really a threat. Maybe more of a warning.”
“He fucking threatened to send you straight back to people who want to do you harm with no protection!” Guilt immediately floods me when Maggie winces at my raised tone. My grip on her hips tightens, trying to relay my apology for yelling. I just can’t believe this asshole.
Her gaze turns pleading. “I know you’re right.
That isn’t all, though.” Maggie looks even more torn up when she continues, “He said that people shouldn’t get involved with people before the trial because sometimes they have to get moved.
” She shakes her head as her expression shatters, a sob catching in her throat. “Ian, I don’t want to leave.”
I smooth her hair away from her face and give her a chaste kiss. “Mags, you aren’t going anywhere. Don’t worry. We’ll work it out.”
She doesn’t look convinced, still crying as she asks, “How, Ian? What if they kick me out?”
There’s no way in hell that whoever the fuck this Jenson guy is will take Maggie away after I just got her back, nor will she ever be put back in harm’s way as long as I’m breathing on this earth. And even after I go, I’d haunt the hell out of anyone who tried to hurt her.
“Beautiful, you underestimate what I would do to keep you safe. Even if you were not in Witness Protection, there’s no way I would let you be sent back to Chicago. You would stay here with me, and my sole focus would become keeping you safe. Even more than it already is.”
Her expression softens as a tear drips down her perfect skin.
“What about your phone number?”
“He said he’ll get me one tomorrow.”
This guy sounds like a piece of shit marshal, but at least he’s taking care of this.
“Okay, good.” My hands slide up and down the outside of her legging-covered thighs. Touching her soothes the storm wreaking havoc inside me.
Her hands smooth up and over my shoulders, massaging the tense muscles there. I can’t stop the low groan that rumbles from my chest as she digs her fingers into me.
“You have huge knots. You need to get a massage,” she mumbles.
Between the bite of pain from her hands on my body and her straddling me, my cock starts to harden underneath her.
I shift my hips and joke, trying to lighten the mood. “I have something else you can massage.”
She gives me a look of rebuke and smacks my chest, holding back a laugh. “I can’t believe you just went there.”
When she tries to climb off my lap, my grip on her tightens, and I hold her to me. I’m not ready to not have her touching me.
I’m not sure exactly what my plan is going forward. But nothing will stop me from being on that flight with her. I need Carlos to come through with someone I can talk to.
Until then, I’m going to do everything I can to remind Maggie she’s safe with me and that I’m not going anywhere.
My head pounds as I try to answer emails.
I didn’t like leaving Maggie this morning, knowing she’s going to work today.
I asked her to call out sick, but she told me she isn’t going to do that since she’ll have to ask for time off for the trial.
I’m sure I’m overreacting, and everything will be fine, but it’s making me antsy.
It doesn’t help that I didn’t get much sleep. After we went to dinner, we had amazing sex. Then she fell asleep in my arms—naked and cozy on my side—and all I could do was lie there and watch her sleep.
Being with Maggie is beyond anything I’ve ever experienced before, but after she opened up to me, it’s been even more satisfying.
I can feel our connection on an even deeper level.
It still blows my mind that she’s back with me, and all the feelings I thought were just in my head during the almost year away from her are very much real and growing every day.
It’s quite a relief to know the reason she ended things.
It makes me feel even more sure that this between us was meant to be.
I blink my eyes a few times to clear the tiredness from them. I need a cup of coffee.
Coffee.
I glance at the clock, debating whether I could get to Maggie’s work before my meeting with a new client about a security system overhaul for their home and business.
Realizing I don’t have time to make it across town to Maggie’s coffee shop, I decide to walk down the street to the closest place. I need to do something to burn off this anxious energy buzzing through me anyway.
I can send Maggie a picture of my coffee to let her know I’m thinking of her. She’ll like that.
I step out of my office and immediately hear Ella talking with someone at the front desk in a raised voice.
“Sir, I can assure you, Mr. Sanders will be back soon. While your meeting with him will start a few minutes late, I promise we’ll make up for this inconvenience.”
The man scoffs condescendingly. “Lady, I’m not about to take the receptionist’s word for it. I need someone out here right now with some authority. This is ridiculous. I’ve been here for ten minutes already.”
Outrage has my body heat rising as I storm across the office. I stop when I’m at Ella’s side, and she looks up at me in surprise.
“Ian, I thought you were out on a site visit.”
“No, I was in my office when some asshole yelling at you disturbed me.”
Her jaw drops open, eyes widening. “I, uh, no, no, it’s all good. Jack and Nate are running a little behind getting back to the office, and I didn’t know you were still here, or I would have come to get you.”
The man glares at me. “Who the fuck are you to call me an asshole?”
Having had enough of this man, my tone is deadly when I say, “Get the fuck out of this office.”
He steps toward me, and I don’t hesitate to meet him step for step. I have about four inches and fifty pounds of muscle on this idiot.
“How dare you speak to me like that?”
He’s within inches of me as he pokes me in my chest. I instinctively grab his wrist and apply just enough pressure to get him to wince, but not enough to do any damage.
“Look, buddy, I don’t give a fuck who you are. You do not get to speak to either of us that way. Now, get—”
As I’m mid-sentence, the elevator dings open, and Jack and Nate step out into the office.
Both are eyeing me and the dickhead as they approach the desk.
Nate circles us and puts a hand on my shoulder.
But I give the man one last parting tweak to his wrist, causing him to let out a low whimper of pain.
As I release him, he clasps his wrist to his chest and throws machetes my way with his gaze.
Jack tries to smooth over the situation as best he can. “Mr. Hamilton, sorry we’re late. Traffic was terrible today.”
Hamilton pivots on his heels and hightails it to the elevator, calling over his shoulder, “Sanders, a word of the wise, fire both of them and save yourself from losing business. And possibly even a lawsuit.”
With that, he steps into the elevator. I give him a little finger wave and a cocky sneer. He harrumphs as the door slides closed.
Jack goes to Ella and wraps his arms around her, kissing her on the lips. “Gisella. Are you okay?”
With her arms around his waist, she looks up at Jack with a small smile. “Yes, dear. I’m fine.”
He huffs out a laugh and gives her another quick kiss. When his gaze shifts to me, any pleasantness that was there when he was talking to Ella evaporates.
“You. In my office. Now.” He releases Ella and starts toward his office without another glance my way.
Ella winces at me. I shake my head at her, letting her know not to worry about me.
“Jack, Ian didn’t do anything wrong. That guy was being a jerk!” she calls out after her fiancé, trying to reason with him in my defense.
Jack stops and turns back toward the reception desk. “I love you with all my heart. But not now, Gisella. Ian, my office. Nate, you too.”
Ella sighs beside me and pats my bicep. “Sorry, friend.”
“It’s all good. You know how he can get.”
She rolls her eyes with a laugh and sits back down at the front desk.
Jack and I have a lot in common. One of which is our less-than-sunny dispositions.
He’s gotten better since meeting Ella, and I’ve had my ups and downs over the last year, especially.
So, I can’t say I don’t understand his demeanor right now.
Nate is much more easy-going and jovial than either of us.
He and Tyler are a good balance to me and Jack.
While my surly attitude isn’t unusual, even I can admit that today, particularly, has been bad. I don’t think I realized how much worrying about Maggie testifying and being in danger is getting to me.
Jack’s settling behind his desk as the door closes behind us. He juts his chin at the chair in front of his desk, and Nate perches on the corner of his desk with his arms crossed.
“I feel like I’m in the principal’s office,” I mutter as I drop into the wingback chair.
“You kind of fucking are,” Jack bellows. “What the hell were you thinking? You could have broken a potential client’s wrist.”
My hands ball into fists. “That potential client was being a dick to your future wife. Was I supposed to just sit there and let him talk to her like that? Besides, he put his hands on me first, and I know how not to cause permanent damage.”
“Ian, that’s not acceptable.” His voice echoes around us.
My cheeks heat instantly. I wipe my hand aggressively across my lips as I try to form a coherent sentence that won’t cost me my job and my friendship. I can’t think of anything, so I go with the truth I’ve been holding in for way too long.
“You know what? Boss? Fuck you. I’ve worked my goddamn ass off for this company since I started.
It was just the three of us and Alice for a really fucking long time.
And what do I have to show for it? Being treated like some rookie.
Some fucking peon. While you two act like you’re so fucking superior. ”
Both Jack and Nate are staring at me, wide-eyed, shock overtaking their features.
“Not that I’m in it for the money—because I’m not, I have enough—but how many raises have you given me?
Even though I’ve been just as involved in growing this business as you two are?
” I raise my eyebrows and wait for them to answer.
When they stay silent, I say, “One. One raise, even though I’ve busted my ass.
” With that, I stand, head held high and adrenaline buzzing.
“So, boss? Go ahead and dock my pay, because I’m taking the rest of the day off. ”
I storm out of the office and slam the door behind me. Ella calls my name, but I ignore it as I head toward the stairs, not wanting to take the time to wait for the elevator. I know exactly where I’m heading.
I’m going to get a fucking coffee and a kiss from my woman.