Chapter Eighteen
As Jesse pushed open the door to Memphis’s room, he couldn’t deny the powerful need she invoked in him.
He’d prided himself on not needing anyone or anything to get by, but this one…
She’d worked her way under his skin so deep, it would take ten men and a team of mules to get her out, and even then, she’d probably kick their asses before she’d let them take her away from him.
She held out her hand to him. The back of it was bruised from IVs, but the softness of her skin flooded him with comfort only she could provide.
Why her? Why not any one of a dozen other meaningless hookups that’d passed through his life like ships in the night?
Why was she the one who’d anchored herself to his soul, refusing to let go no matter how hard he tried to push her away?
“How was your day, dear?”
“Ethan and Tomas are back with their families. Got the father and son who kidnapped them. Still looking for the girl.”
She winced at that last part, having spent more than five years working on the Marshals’ Missing Child Program team, tracking down children who’d been endangered or victims of crime or human trafficking. That assignment had led her to declare she was never having kids of her own.
“What can I do to help?” she asked.
“Nothing. You’re supposed to be resting and relaxing and growing new blood.”
Her smile was less dazzling than usual, but still a welcome sight, even if her paleness freaked him out. “How does one grow new blood?”
“Who the fuck knows? Just hurry up and get it done so we can get you out of here.”
She released his hand to run her fingers through his hair, straightening it as she went. “You look terrible.”
“You look worse.”
“Mama said I should find me a man who says sweet things to me.”
“You should listen to your mama.”
“You need to cross-check WIN and NCIC,” she said, referring to the Warrant Information Network and the National Crime Information Center.
“Look for suspected traffickers who might’ve been in the area at the time the kids went missing.
Identify all the father’s known associates.
Do the kid’s, too. Who knows what he’s gotten himself into with that dirtbag as his father? ”
“Stop,” Jesse said. “You’re not on this case.”
“I want you to find that girl before it’s too late. Follow the money. Check to see if the father received any big payments—and make sure to look at the son, too. Maybe the father had the money sent to the kid, thinking we wouldn’t check a minor’s accounts.”
“Deputy U.S. Marshal Costello, you’ve been ordered to stand down by your commanding officer.”
“Whatever.”
“This is why we can’t keep on like we’ve been. You say ‘whatever’ when I give you a direct order.”
“I’m on medical leave, so I don’t have to take orders from you, Chief Marshal Best, and if you’re smart, you’ll do the things I suggested and find that kid before she’s lost forever to a nightmare.”
“It’s all being done, so you can rest easy. But thank you for the help.”
“Are you sure they’re checking the kid’s financials, too? They might not think to do that.”
“I’ll make sure.”
“Do it now.”
Exasperated, Best pulled out his phone to send a text to Rinner about checking the Mayfield kid’s financials. “Done. Now get back to resting and recovering so you can get out of here.”
“They said I might have to do a stint in rehab to get my leg working again.”
“Can you do that at home? They could come in or something.”
“They said I can’t be home alone.”
He stared at her, unblinking, until she said, “What?”
“What the hell do you think? That I’d let you go home alone after this?”
“I don’t expect anything from you. It’s no problem if I have to go to a facility.”
“You’re not going anywhere but home with me, where you belong. That’s it.”
She raised her right eyebrow. “Another order, Chief Marshal?”
Jesse crossed his arms as he sat back in his seat, agitated and annoyed. “Call it whatever you want.”
“I’ll let you know what I decide to do.”
“There’s no decision. You’ll come home with me, we’ll get you therapists or whatever, and I’ll take care of you until you’re back on your feet.”
“What if I don’t want to go home with you? And besides, weren’t you the one who said we had to keep it below the radar at work? How we gonna do that if you take leave at the same time I’m out? You don’t think that’ll get them talking?”
“I don’t care if they’re talking. I’m taking care of you, and that’s the end of it.”
“You know you can’t actually tell me what to do when we’re not at work, right?”
“This is work! You’re in that bed because of work.”
“I’m on full medical leave and not under your direction.”
“So we’re going to fight about semantics when you could just say, ‘Thank you, Jesse, that sounds like a good plan’?”
“Now you’re telling me what to say, too? Last week, you were keeping me at arm’s length, and now you want me staying with you for who knows how long.”
“Last week, I was an idiot, and now I’m not.”
“And what brought about this miraculous transformation?”
Keeping his arms tight around himself, he crossed his legs and tried to find a way to say it without revealing too much. “I didn’t like seeing you bleeding all over the place.”
Memphis fanned her face. “Aw, is that your romantic way of saying you care?”
She was so goddamned annoying sometimes. “What if it is?”
“I’m not sure I’d know what to do with that information.”
“Don’t act like I haven’t always cared about you, because I have, and you know it. It’s just, you know… more so now.”
“Ah, because I almost kicked it. I see how it is.”
“You don’t see anything,” he said more sharply than he’d intended. “You were unconscious for most of it.”
She held out her hand.
He stared at it for a long moment, wanting to keep his distance while he still could.
“Take my hand, Jesse.”
With great reluctance, he did as she asked.
“I’m sorry for what you went through after I was wounded. I’m sure it was awful for you.”
“You have no idea.”
“Tell me.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I do. I want to know how it was.”
“It was fucking terrifying, okay? Is that what you want to know?”
“How so?”
Jesse blew out a deep breath, full of aggravation that she’d make him relive it.
“I’d never seen anyone lose that much blood and survive.
I was sure you weren’t going to make it.
And the urgency of the first responders didn’t do shit to calm my nerves.
They thought you were going to die, too, even as they did everything they could to save you.
We had to get you out of there fast and find a place where the chopper could land… Took fucking forever.”
He wasn’t going to fucking cry in front of her.
As he stood abruptly, he released her hand. “I’ve got to go.”
“Please don’t leave me, Jesse.”
If he didn’t get the hell out of there, he might never leave her side again. He stood, frozen with indecision, until she spoke again, more softly this time, as if her burst of energy was fading.
“Please.”
Exhaling loudly, he sat back down and took the hand she extended to him once again. When was she going to decide he wasn’t worth the bother? Probably any time now.
As she gave his hand a squeeze, he was glad it wouldn’t happen tonight. He’d bought himself a reprieve. Tomorrow, he’d remind her that she was coming home with him.
Archie couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone so long without sleep. He arrived at home completely tapped out, but so excited to see Harlowe that sleep was the last thing on his mind as he used his key in the door.
Inside, he was hit with the smell of something cooking.
He found her in the kitchen, standing at the stove, spatula in hand, her auburn hair twisted into a bun that made her look smart and sexy. “What’re you doing up? It’s four thirty in the morning.”
“I know what time it is, thank you. I got your text that you were on the way home, and I figured you might be hungry.”
He was starving and had planned to grab a PowerBar before he hit the sack.
“I only texted so I wouldn’t startle you.
” She was still unsettled after Offenbach had kidnapped and assaulted her during his reign of terror.
Thankfully, she didn’t remember much of what’d happened because he’d also drugged her.
“Which I appreciate, but I was awake, so I decided to make you an omelet and toast.”
His stomach growled loudly, making them both laugh. “That’s very nice of you, and it smells delicious.”
“When was the last time you ate something?”
Archie thought about that. “I have no idea.”
“You need to take better care of yourself.”
“Normally, I do, but when there’re kids missing, and one of them is the nephew of a close friend…” He shrugged. “None of the normal rules apply.”
“I’m so glad Sam’s nephew and the other boy were found safe.”
“Me, too.”
“Have they found the missing girl?”
Archie shook his head.
“I’m so worried about her.”
“I know. We all are. I didn’t want to leave while she’s still missing, but I was out of gas.”
She turned to him and put her hands on his chest, looking up at him with gorgeous brown eyes full of compassion. “I can’t imagine how hard it must be to leave when there’s a child still missing, but you’re only human. You have to take care of yourself so you can continue to help find her.”
“It sucked to leave, but I left things in good hands so I could get some rest.”
“This is ready, so have a seat.”
He glanced over her shoulder at the omelet that included some of the broccoli and peppers he’d gotten at the grocery store Friday night after work. “That looks good. Thank you for getting up to cook for me.”
“Oh please, it’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done for me, plus it helped to have something to do. Hearing about the missing girl has been a bit… triggering.”