28. Marcie
28
MARCIE
“G et your stuff. You have five minutes.”
“What do you mean I have five minutes? What’s happening?”
“Jackson and Katie were nearly abducted. Someone shot Jackson. Katie has a head injury and is unconscious.”
“Oh, my God!” I screamed
Priest grabbed hold of my upper arms, jerking me toward him so our noses were touching.
“Listen to me, princess. Are you listening?”
I nodded.
“We don’t know who is involved with this stalker, but we know for a fact there are two accomplices. One is the security guy that Declan says creeps you out.”
“Danny?”
“That’s not his name.”
“What do you mean? He would’ve had to give his legal, government name to get hired.”
“There are ways around that if you know what you’re doing. Now, a man I admire and respect more than I do my own damn self is in the thick of it, as is his husband, and I’m here. Which means, my job is to protect your pretty little ass so they can focus on what they need to do. You follow?”
I swallowed, nodded once, then repeated the actions.
“You with me?”
Cameron’s voice carried through the house as he yelled, “Priest, pick her up and carry her ass out if you gotta, but we’re leaving now. I don’t want her or us anywhere associated with her name should someone come looking.”
“You heard the first sergeant. Let’s move.”
“What about my dad?”
“He’s in a locked ICU. He’s fine.”
Priest’s hand clamped around my wrist, and he dragged me through the house. I took two steps for his one since my short legs were barely able to keep up with his longer strides. Cameron came into view, but I didn’t see Gavin.
“What about Gavin?”
Cameron cursed, then said, “He’s at practice. The team’s leaving from the arena for a set of away games. Now, get your ass out to the car.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but Priest tugged my wrist as he bent over, my belly hitting his shoulder. When he stood, I found myself with my ass in the air while I stared at his.
Thank God, I had on leggings and not the dress I had thought about wearing.
“Oh my God! Don’t you dare drop me!”
“Get the door,” he ordered, and Cameron’s legs appeared behind us as he pulled the back door of the house closed.
“At least lock it!”
He ignored me, and I prayed they grabbed my phone because I could lock the house down from the app.
“Do you have my phone?”
“Fuck!”
Cameron raced back to the house, the door flung open so hard it bounced closed. Priest raced toward the waiting SUV, setting me down next to it. He opened the rear door and helped me in as Cameron came out of the house with my phone in hand.
Cameron got in the front passenger seat as Priest slid into the driver’s seat. The sound of the doors slamming still echoed throughout the cabin when Priest took off backward out of the driveway.
“Here’s your phone. I locked the back door, but I didn’t set the alarm.”
My hands shook as I reached for the phone Cameron held out to me. I swallowed around my heart, firmly stuck in my throat. It took a couple of tries to enter my passcode and unlock my phone, but when I did, it wasn’t the security app I opened.
I went straight to my text messages. Seeing texts in my group chat with Declan and Hayden filled me with relief like I’d never experienced before.
Hayden
I don’t care what Priest and Cameron say to do. You do it.
Declan
What Papi meant to say was… we are fine. Katie’s vitals are good, but she took a whack to the head and was knocked unconscious. Jackson’s not doing so well and is headed straight into surgery.
Hayden
Papi said what Papi meant to say, mi sumiso malcriado.
Marcie
Umm… I don’t know what that means.
Declan
Hey, sweetness. Are you okay?
Hayden
It means my bratty submissive. Are you okay, colibrí?
I smiled at the difference in their texts. Their response to my message allowed my heart to slow and drop back into my chest where it belonged.
Marcie
I’m okay. Scared to death, but okay.
Declan
We’d call, but we’re at the hospital. We’d planned to fly out tonight, but now I don’t know when we’ll arrive.
Marcie
I’ll get a ticket to New York.
My phone rang as soon as the text showed delivered. Hayden’s name and the photo of Squirt holding my spot popped up on my screen.
He didn’t give me the chance to say anything.
“Take me off speakerphone.”
My eyes widened at the mean, barky tone, but I did as he said, then put the phone to my ear.
“Hey.”
“Don’t hey me. You will stay in Nashville, where I don’t have to worry about you getting snatched.”
“Why would…”
“Because you and Katie look enough alike that the shooter could mistake you from a distance.”
I scoffed. As if. Katie was model gorgeous, a little heavier and curvier than a model, but nowhere near the curves or extra weight that I carried.
“But Katie might need me.”
Hayden swore, a turn signal dinging told me they were in the car. “There are plenty of people here to deal with whatever Katie might need. What Declan and I need is for you to keep your ass in Nashville so we’re not fucking worrying our asses off about you.”
“That’s not gonna keep me from worrying.”
I worried my lip, unsure of what I should do. Were they right? Did Katie have enough people there to take care of her? She told me to stay with my dad instead of traveling to New York, even though his showed signs of improvement.
“You’ll let me know if I need to come, right?”
“Colibrí, Papi will always let you know when to come.”
Heat flared in my face, and my eyes widened. I glanced at my phone, then at Priest and Cameron. I couldn’t tell if they heard him because Priest was staring out the driver’s side window, and Cameron was staring straight ahead.
Declan, on the other hand, could be heard cackling like a hyena through the phone.
“Umm… okay. That sounds… yeah. That sounds good.”
We hadn’t even had sex yet. Like, not actual sex, and the man could fluster me like no other.
“Sweetness, we’ll….” More laughter. “Let you know if you need to hop on a flight. I promise.”
“And y’all will keep me updated about Katie and Jackson?”
“Yes. Absolutely.”
“Speaking of coming…”
“No one was talking about that but you.”
“Hmm… strange, I distinctly remember you asking me to tell you when to come.”
“That’s… no. That’s not… Gahhh! That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
“Colibrí, I’m only doing what you asked. And the answer to when you should come is only when I give you permission. I own your orgasms.”
Did he mean… surely he doesn’t mean…
“Umm…”
I glanced back at the guys in the front seat, but they seemed completely disinterested in my conversation.
“Hayden… Do you remember that first float after we got married?”
“Fuck. Okay. New rule. You can play with yourself and get off by yourself, if you ask permission, but you’ve gotta tell me what you used.”
They needed to get to Nashville fast because there’s no way I could do that. I sucked at controlling my orgasms: Case in point, getting off in the family room of my boss’s dad’s house when filled with people.
“Umm. Yes. I can do that.”
“Yes, what? I don’t think I heard you right.”
“Yes, Papi,” I mumbled.
“Let us know when you get settled.”
I nodded, still flustered from the talk about orgasms and even more so when Declan switched the topic.
“Did you hear Daddy, colibrí?”
“Yes, Papi.”
“Good girl.”
I couldn’t bring myself to look. Not even when Priest said, “Did Hayden tell you why you’re staying in Nashville?”
“Yes. He said it’s because I look too much like Katie. He’s worried they’ll snatch me instead.”
“Good, so we won’t have an issue with you getting upset that you’ve got a contingent of people watching your ass if you leave the house.”
“I don’t see why y’all are so worried…”
“You’re close to the same height. Your hair is close enough to mistake for hers, and you have a similar enough build…”
“Priest, I think Cameron needs his vision checked.”
“Nope. His assessment is spot on.”
“I’m at least thirty pounds heavier, she’s leggier, in much better shape, more toned than soft. My back and arms are the only skinny-ish parts of me…”
Priest laughed. Actually fucking laughed. I stared at him aghast that he would laugh at me.
“Jesus, you’re an asshole,” Cameron said, and I had to agree, even if I did it silently.
“No, I’m not. The princess is delusional. As if the Sarge or his boy give a fuck about any of that. And just so you know, Marcie, you’re fucking beautiful. Your body is perfection, but if you don’t believe me, then I suggest you let Papi know what you think of yourself. I’m sure when you come will be the least of your worries.”
My face flooded with heat. How did he know what we talked about? And why would he think it would be okay to mention it?
“Priest, that’s enough. That’s not your place.”
“I won’t let the girl put herself down. Hayden would have all our asses if he knew we stood by and let her belittle herself.”
“It’s called being self-aware.”
“No, ma’am. It’s called being brainwashed by the media to think men only find sticks and twigs attractive when that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Knowing it was pointless to argue with him, I bit my tongue and watched the scenery pass by. They hadn’t brainwashed me. I had accepted I wasn’t what the world considered sexy and attractive. But I was smart, and loyal, and willing to be a good partner. So, physical attributes weren’t necessary.
Right?