Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
MAYA
I'm showered, caffeinated, and ready for my shift today. As I head across the parking garage to the SUV, I hear my name yelled. This is a secure garage and after the flower delivery, I'm on edge.
"Can I help you?" I turn to see a man about six one with shaggy brown hair standing by my truck. Okay, jackass, get away from my baby.
"Maya, you don't recognize me?" That voice sounds familiar and he looks familiar, but I feel like I need to be careful. Something about this man makes me feel uneasy. He walks out of the shadows toward me and in the months since he lost his job, I see he’s let himself go. His hair is longer and he is sporting a shaggy beard. He’s thinner and his clothes hang on him.
"Carl. What are you doing here?" I step back from him in unease. Great, I thought of him earlier and now he's here. He walks closer and acts like he's going to kiss me. I step back and put out my hand to shake. I don't want to touch him but know he will push the issue if I don't.
Something feels really off right now.
"Maya, it's been months. Now that we don't work together, want to have dinner sometime?" He tries to pull me in, but I yank my hand from his. Since he quit after the suspension, he has told anyone that will listen that I stole his job. I don't trust him.
"Sorry, Carl, I have a boyfriend. How did you get in here?" I decide Duncan is right, he's my boyfriend, and that should get rid of Carl.
"Oh, your doorman let me in. I told him we were old friends. You've got a boyfriend? The doorman said that was your partner, Derek."
"Excuse me. Are you checking up on me?"
"Well, I was checking to see if there was any competition. Can't blame a guy. Girl, you look smoking hot. Come to dinner with me."
"No, I'm seeing someone. I need to go. Bye." I turn to leave, but he grabs my arm. "Carl, you're going to want to let me go, remember I can hurt you," I say as I prepare myself to attack him.
"I seem to remember it was my hands on your throat, girly. However, you'll come around. I'll see you soon." He lets go as he turns to leave.
"What happened to you telling everyone I stole your job?" I demand.
"I forgive you, it wasn't your fault." He continues to walk away.
I feel like taking another shower. The garage that I've always felt secure in now feels like a black hole. I'm going to have to talk to the doorman.
Duncan
"Duncan, tell me why someone is searching your whereabouts?" Joshua's voice comes across my cell and I can tell he's upset.
"I don't know what you mean."
"Is your girlfriend checking up on you after yesterday?"
"No. What did they search?"
"Someone tried to find your London address and then did a search to see if you were still on the other job."
"I don't know why. My girl is fine."
"Are you sure? I've been doing some searching myself. IAD has questioned her, plus she has a BAU team on a case involving her."
"I'll talk to her when she gets here in a couple weeks. For now don't worry."
I hang up and go to sleep wondering what could be going on with Maya.
"Hey, bro, watch your back." Christopher's voice jolts me from my sleep. The last image I saw before I opened my eyes was Maya's body lying just like Christopher's across my body. Her chest heaving for air as her blood leaks from the gapping wounds.
I sit up and feel the pain again. I run to the bathroom and fall to my knees. I dry heave, smelling her blood and seeing her beautiful hair matted from it. My hands press on her wound and the blood seeps through my fingers.
"No! God no!" I mumble through my raw throat.
I feel someone in my space and look up to see Raul standing in the doorway. He soaks a washcloth and hands it to me, along with a cup of cool water. I rinse my mouth and wait for the judgment.
"How often does this happen?"
"Not as often as it used to."
Right after Christopher was killed, Raul helped me hide the PTSD from our C.O. He and the other guys in our unit all have our issues with that mission. That was a shitstorm of epic proportions.
"What set you off tonight?"
"Don't ask."
"I did." He bends over and helps me rise up on shaking legs. I brush my teeth and walk out to slip on a pair of sweatpants over my boxer briefs. Raul is sitting in the chair waiting to talk. I see the two tumblers of scotch. I know my stomach is going to protest it but my nerves need it.
"Joshua called and said that my girl might be in danger. I saw her in Christopher's place and he told me to watch my back."
"What kind of danger?"
"I don't know. She hasn't told me. For some reason there is an FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit with a file on a case she is involved in.
She has some kind of security on her that if you search her name they back trace you.
I accidentally tripped it by having Timothy do a search on her.
Then to top it off, Joshua says the Internal Affairs Division interviewed her.
These are things I think she should talk to me about. Right?"
"She's a cop?"
"Yeah."
"Was she the girl from the gala and hotel the next day?"
"Yeah, that’s her. She doesn't want anyone to know about us."
"Why? She embarrassed to be seen with you?"
"No. Our families know each other. She's worried that if we don't work out she'll hurt them."
"That was her in New York too?"
"She came up for the weekend. I want to be with her, but she won't give up her job and I can't give up mine."
"Lasses always make it trouble. That's why I'm going to stay single."
"Man, when you fall, it's going to be epic."
"Doubt it, haven't found a lass that was worth more than a quick shag."
"Like I said, it will be epic. Maya makes me feel like a better man. When I sleep with her, I don't have nightmares. She heals the open wounds I carry. But I know she is hiding a lot about herself."
"Maya? That's a nice name. Wait, why was she with the codger at the gala?"
"They were checking the ambassador's security detail. He's an old friend of her father's."
"She skilled?"
"Double black belt Krav Maga, sharpshooter, and knife fighting."
"Double black belt. I'm impressed. She could teach me some things." He nods his head as he finishes the last of his scotch. I look at my empty glass and don’t remember drinking it.
"Thanks, mate."
"That's what I'm here for. I'll see you in the morning. By the way, we all still struggle with it, you're not the only one."
He leaves the room with that parting shot and I realize how much I've shut the guys out lately. Well, no more, we are a team.