Chapter 24
“Ineed you to open up your door.” Even through the phone, Emma could tell Daisy had her serious voice on, and she felt a smile twitch at the corner of her mouth.
“Daisy, I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but you should be at home, resting.”
“Oh god, Emma. Don’t you start, too. Hank’s overprotective enough, I won’t survive if you start with that nonsense now.” A knock sounded at her door.
“Does he know you’re here?”
“Of course he does. He’s standing right next to me.”
Emma laughed. “Good. But if I let you in, he has to stay out in the hall.”
“No shit, Em. Now let me in.”
“Fine.” Emma unlocked the hotel door and opened it wide, taking in Daisy and Hank standing in the hallway, both looking at her with concern in their eyes.
“Oh good, you are actually alive.” Daisy’s snark almost made Emma smile. “Thanks for making me drag my enormous body down here to verify that with my own eyes, instead of responding to one of the hundred or so messages I’ve sent you since my shower.”
“This pregnancy is making you really sassy. You’ve definitely got a little girl in there.” Daisy rolled her eyes as Emma rubbed her bump. “And it seems like she’s going to take after her Auntie Em.”
“I couldn’t think of a better person for her to take after.” Daisy kissed Hank before shooing him away from the door. She walked into Emma’s room, threw her purse into the chair, and sat down on the bed with a sigh, kicking her shoes off before swinging her legs up and settling down under the blanket. “Now get over here under the covers with me and spill. Why are you blotchy faced and not answering my texts or calls?”
Emma turned back to Hank. “Gage is right next door if you want to go in there and have someone to talk to. The poor guy is basically stuck attached to me until Marco is caught. I think it’ll be a while before this one is done berating me.”
Hank laughed. “Yeah, good luck with her. She’s pretty worked up. And thanks, but I plan to sit right out here and stare at your door until you two are done.”
“Listen—”
“I know, I’m overprotective.” He raised his hands up by his head. “You’re just going to have to deal with it. Now get in there before my beautiful wife explodes and her anger turns to tears.”
Emma nodded, smiling at Hank as she closed the door. She walked towards the far side of the bed and crawled under the covers, bringing them up over her chin before she looked into Daisy’s eyes.
“What’s going on, Em?”
“It’s just been a tough week.”
“This isn’t just a tough week. I’ve seen you have tough weeks before. Normally, they end in the two of us out drinking and dancing, although I haven’t done the drinking part in a while. So don’t try to tough week me. Let me in. Please.”
Emma squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, before turning her gaze towards the ceiling. “I had to speak with a forensic artist yesterday. Apparently, Marco has only ever shown up in chatter by some sick nickname his family uses. He doesn’t exist in any legal record of identification and no one has seen him to identify him. Or, I guess, the people who have seen him always end up dead. I’m the only one who could help. So, that’s what I did. And now they’re working on running what I gave them through some fancy programs they have to try and find the identity he’s living under.”
“Wow, that’s…just wow.”
“Yeah. The FBI agent the team is working with seems to think I’m the way they get to Marco. I want to help, but Sebastian isn’t on board. I know he thinks I’m being too stubborn.”
“What? You?” Daisy mocked.
“I just want to do everything I can to help catch Marco, and he is totally against me being involved. I can’t just sit by and know someone else might be hurt because Marco is angry that he can’t get to me. Seb called me a little while ago saying the FBI Agent was flying in tonight to get concrete plans in place. He wants me to be at his apartment while the guys all go to Sal’s to talk, but I want to be there to plead my case.”
“Would he bring you?”
“No. He wants to hear the plan and said after he has a minute to sit with it, then we could talk. What if by needing to be involved, I push him away, Daisy?”
“I don’t think that’s possible for one single second. I’ve seen how the man looks at you. It’s the same way Hank looks at me any time I’m busy whipping up a batch of brownies in the kitchen. That man wants to devour every inch of you.”
“Daisy,” Emma rolled her eyes. “It’s more than that. There is this insane chemistry between us, but we had this disagreement because he thinks I’m not capable of keeping it together when I see Marco. He’s worried I’m going to fall apart and not be able to protect myself. But I know I can. I need to be the one who puts a stop to everything. I need it, and he just can’t understand why.”
“You know, Hank hasn’t really told me anything that’s been going on. I’ve obviously seen the news talking about the man who is wanted for the murders, but Hank keeps insisting for the integrity of the case that he can’t share the details. I even tried to use my pregnant wife powers of persuasion and it didn’t work. I haven’t wanted to push you, but I also want you to know that I’m here, and you can talk to me about anything.” Daisy gave a reassuring smile to Emma. “Are you ready to tell me what’s going on?”
“There’s so much, Daisy, I don’t know where to begin.”
“Who is this Marco Santoro guy and why is he after you?” she whispered.
“He’s the man my step-father sold me to in order to pay off the debts he had with the Santoro family.”
Daisy’s gasp was loud, and she moved closer to Emma on the bed. “Em, what?”
“Marco is my husband.” Daisy grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “My real name isn’t Emma Sullivan. I’ve only been Emma since I ran away from him.”
“Oh god. I don’t even know…I don’t know what to say. He wants you back? Is that why he’s here? Why he’s hurting other women who look like you?”
“I don’t think he wants me back. I think this time, he’s here to kill me. He’s already taken everything else from me, this is the last thing.”
“What do you mean?”
The two women sat in silence for a moment, Emma trying to gather the courage to tell her best friend her heartbreaking secret.
“Sebastian told me I should tell you when we were in Colorado, but I didn’t want to upset you near your shower, and I don’t want things to change between us. I love you so much Daisy, just like a sister, and nothing in my past, none of the pain, nothing I went through, changes that, or taints how much I want you and that sweet baby in my life, okay?”
“Em, you’re scaring me. I love you so much, too. Please, tell me.”
Emma took a deep breath in and felt her heart crack open all over again. “I have a daughter.”
“You do?” The shakiness of Daisy’s voice made the tears she’d been working so hard to hold back come pouring out.
“He took her from me the day she was born. He took her before I ever even got to hold her.”
“Where is she now?”
“I d-don’t know. But Gage is starting to search for her. We have nothing to go on, but I have this hope for the first time in forever that she’s just going to be back in my arms soon.”
“How old is she?”
“Seven. Her birthday was right before your shower.”
“You were just a baby yourself. And you did so much for me and the shower, Emma, I can’t even imagine how tough that was. I’m so sorry. I wish I had known.”
Emma nodded, pushing her face into her hands and letting the tears fall freely. Her sweet best friend just held her as she finally let herself acknowledge how hard it was to hold hope in her heart after so many years.
“Please don’t feel bad, Daisy,” Emma finally said as the tears stopped. “And please don’t let it put a dark cloud over your day. I wanted to be there to celebrate you and this little bundt cake. I only felt overwhelming happiness for you and Hank that day. Okay?”
“Okay.” Daisy sniffled and Emma pulled her into a hug. “I know things have been scary for a while, but the happiest I’ve ever seen you is when you are with Sebastian.”
“He was going to tell me that he loves me, Daisy. Can you believe that? I haven’t ever felt the things I feel for Sebastian with anyone else, but isn’t it too soon?”
“The heart knows what it wants, Em. It was clear from the very first time I saw you two flirting through your bickering. There’s something special about him.”
“I know. I made him out to be such a villain in my mind.” She laughed without emotion. “And now I know he’s quite possibly the most thoughtful, kind, caring man I’ve ever known. When I think about him, my heart feels like it’s going to shatter right out of my chest.”
“That’s amazing, Emma. I’m so happy for you.”
“He’s probably not going to say those three big words to me now that I want to help catch Marco.”
“I don’t want you to help, and I only know a fraction of how dangerous the guy is. If he’s here to hurt you, you shouldn’t be anywhere near him.”
Emma let out a fit of laughter.
“What? What is so funny?” Daisy asked.
“Seb asked me how you would react if you knew that I wanted to use myself as bait and I nailed it.”
“It’s because I love you.”
“I love you, too, Daisy. But you’re biased and can’t see that I need to do this.”
“I am biased. I don’t want my baby growing up without their auntie.”
“You and the little peanut have nothing to worry about. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Well, if you are a part of the plan to take this guy down, you promise me you’ll have Hank there with you when the time comes. I know you have all those handsome guys to protect you, but you’re family to Hank, and he protects his family with everything he’s got.”
* * *
“Hey Natalie,” her voice shook as she tried to mask her tears. There was something about crying earlier that afternoon with Daisy that had just opened the floodgates. She’d tried several times to shake whatever was aching in her chest, but hadn’t been successful. So, as much as she hated feeling weak, Emma let the tears fall.
Better she gets it all out right then, she decided, when she was alone in her hotel room. There would be no time to get emotional once the plan was in place to lure Marco out.
“Em. Is everything okay? You sound like you’re crying.”
“I’m fine. Did you need something?”
“Oh, I uh—well I was calling about Addie’s recital this weekend. I wanted to see if you maybe wanted to come watch. She’s so excited about it and I meant to have her ask you earlier when we were all together the other night, but got sidetracked. I totally understand if you’re not up for it.”
“That’s so sweet, Nat. Of course I’ll be there.”
“Awesome, Em. She’ll be thrilled. Now, do you want to talk about why your voice is shaking?”
“Life is just a lot right now.”
“Oh, honey. I’m sure everything is going to be okay.”
“I wish I had your faith, Natalie.”
“Listen, why don’t you come over tonight. Get away from your hotel room for a while and just let loose. I’ll get a sitter to take Addie out, and I’ve just restocked my ice cream and wine, so we will be all set with provisions. We can just laugh, or cry, or yell….whatever you need.”
“That actually sounds really nice.”
“Good. Okay. I’ll see you in an hour. Wear comfy clothes and be ready to spill everything!”
Rolling out from under the covers, Emma stepped out of her wrinkled pajamas, opting for yoga pants and a fitted shirt. Wiping her face, she knocked on the adjoining room door.
“What’s going on?” Gage asked. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to go to Natalie’s tonight. She’s forcing me to hang out with her.”
“I’m going too.”
“Gage, that’s not necessary. I appreciate that you are watching out for me but I’m okay. Natalie has a security system at her place. We’ll be fine.”
Gage just stared at her.
“Besides, you have the meeting tonight with Agent Wilson and I want everyone there to convince Seb I can pull my own weight and should be included.”
He was still staring at her. “Cap won’t like that. He’s been very clear that I’m meant to bring you back to his apartment while we had the meeting so that we all could attend, and still know you are safe.”
“I will honestly be fine at Natalie’s. She has that security system that you guys installed for her. I know for a fact it’s the same one Seb has at his place, where you were all going to leave me anyways. If you need to, you can follow me over there and check things out, but then you’ll have to leave. It’s a girl hang out. Not a girls and Gage hangout.” She smiled, hoping to persuade him to do as she asked.
“Okay. But I’m checking everything out when we get there. And I’ll stay outside for as long as I can before the meeting. I just want to make sure nothing happens to you, but also that Natalie and Addie are safe, too.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Emma sighed. “Thanks, Gage. Can we leave in forty minutes?”
“Sounds good to me. Oh, and Em?” he stopped closing the door. “I’m going to call Cap now and let him know what you’re doing tonight.”
“Yeah, I figured you would. Just try and get him aligned with this plan, okay?”
Gage laughed. “Sure thing, Em. I’ll try my hardest.”