Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
DUNCAN
Ileave Maya to take a shower and head up to Joshua's penthouse flat. I didn't want to leave her. I knew those bullets were meant for me, but they were close to her too. This person wants to hurt her in any way possible.
I can't believe she said for me to send her away. The thought of her not being a part of my life makes me crazy. When I enter the flat, it's a flurry of activity. Ian is getting sobered up, Joshua is pacing, and Timothy is tapping into his computers.
"Are you okay, Bossman?"
"Yes, how is Maya? Did she say anything?"
"She wants me to break it off with her, she's sure the initial bullet was meant for me because of her. Please tell me she's wrong."
"Well, it wasn't that bloke Lawrence you spoke about, but it could have been this Carl wanker.
She's right though, if you didn't bend back into the limo, you'd have had a head full of bullet.
It was not a really good sniper, though.
He'd have anticipated you bending down. Call Maya and have her come up here, I need to ask her questions.
The bobbies are gone. Are you done proving you're both alive? "
"Never. I thought she was gone and she was sure I was hit. Joshua, I can't breathe thinking about her being that close to a bullet. None of the other bullets hit her. Thank bloody hell!"
"Hey, Big Guy, she's constantly around bullets. You're going to have to get over that to be with her.” He looks over his shoulder. “Raul, just put Ian in the spare room and tuck him in. He’s not going to sober up anytime soon. Damn him and his fucking anniversary."
"Boss, his anniversary was months ago. I don't know what set him off tonight," Raul says.
"Okay. Duncan, ring Maya, now, I need to hear what she thinks."
"What's this girl going to tell us, Bossman? Besides, why is she pulling guns and knives? If she has a stalker, the shooter was after Duncan because of her," Timothy interjects.
"Just you wait and see, Timmy Boy, she'll impress even you. Don't tell her I said that," I say.
I'm so proud of my girl, even though I want her as far from danger as I can get her.
I call her and she's up within minutes. She's in yoga pants, one of my T-shirts, and barefooted.
Thank God she put a bra on. I'd have to kill these wankers if they saw that.
She walks right to me and steps up on her tiptoes to kiss me.
I know I'm in love with her, I'd give her anything. She's my everything.
Tonight when Alisa pulled that crap, I wanted to drop to my knees and beg Maya to take my name so no one else could claim either of us. I want her and I'm sure she wants me. Why else would she want to leave me?
Maya leans back down and laces her fingers with mine, then turns to the others. I immediately notice the slight bulge at her back. She's packing her gun.
"Timothy is at the computers, Raul over there is surveillance, and Ian is ballistics, but he's sleeping off a bender. Guys, this is my girl, Maya Aaron, an all-around bad arse." I smile at Joshua and then to her. She smiles back at me.
"Thank you, honey, but I don't want to prove myself to them right now. What do you need, Joshua?"
"What's your thought on the shooting?" He doesn't pull any punches, he straight up asks her the central question he wants answered.
"Okay...non-pro, probably using a single shot, sounded like a 770 30-06 instead of a professional rig.
They're easy to get and cheap. If I were taking the shot, I'd use a jacketed bullet with my SR-25, position myself on the roof of the building across the street, and I'd have made sure to anticipate Duncan leaning down.
It would have been a chest shot, none of this head shot shit if I wanted to kill him.
Like my Marine buddies say, go for center mass—more ground and less chance of missing.
Maybe he wanted to scare me by just injuring him, but this shooter also didn't consider any external factors.
He shot through glass and didn't take the wind or snow into account, correct?
I heard the glass blow, so he didn't use a cutter.
He also made sure his remaining shots were more a cover than to kill.
It reminds me of another shooting I was recently involved in.
I would say he doesn't have a collapsible gun, so you should be able to pick him up carrying a big case.
Regular scope, no modifications. I didn't see any lasers or red dots, so not a modern gun guy.
Returning to the comfortable, cheap aspect, he'd use a cheap scope. "
"Bloody hell," both Timothy and Raul say. I'm so proud of my girl.
"That was so hot. When she was talking guns and ammo, I forgot to think," Timothy says, smiling at her.
"Timmy Boy, she's mine," I growl at him. Damn this is the only woman I've ever gotten jealous over like this.
"Timothy, show her the surveillance footage," Joshua says.
As Timothy pulls it up, Maya points out a few more thoughts. The guy was definitely not a professional, he shot from a room across the street, and she's right about the gun. I watch her as she tries to get a clearer picture of the shooter.
"I think I know this shooter. Timothy, can you find out if someone has entered the country?"
"Don't insult me, gorgeous, of course I can. Who am I looking for?"
"Carl Nelson. He was just in DC, though that doesn't mean anything. He was on the ERT unit with me and does own many guns."
"I'm looking now."
"Okay, Maya, thank you. Duncan, you can take your girl and head back to your place. I'll call if anything comes up. Also, Maya, does the police know you're carrying either the guns or knives?" Joshua sits on his large sofa watching us. I can tell he’s processing something in his mind.
"Joshua, I have clearance to be armed in London. I've already declared myself and some of my weapons."
"Really? Can you use those knives with accuracy?" Maya reaches into the band of her yoga pants, pulls out a thin throwing knife, and throws it at Joshua. It plants into the pillow to his right.
"If I wanted to hurt you, it would be impaled in your arm. If I wanted to kill you, it would be in your throat. Again, I'm not whipping it out." She sounds angry.
"I'm sorry again for doubting you. I'm not used to anyone but myself being good with knives. How many do you carry?"
"Right now, I only have two and my gun. Normally, I can have five or more, depends on the situation. I have a spot in my vest and my boot so I can hide them at work."
"Bossman, what's the plan?" I try to change the subject. I don't want to know how much danger she's normally in.
"Duncan, take your girl, we can handle the rest, and just keep playing like nothing has changed. Maya, why don't you call your roommate and confirm with him that this Carl guy hasn't been by your condo today. Also, the day after tomorrow, we will call him about that inside person."
Just then, Maya's cell phone rings with the ringtone I've associated with Derek.
"Hello, D, what's up? I didn't expect to hear from you today." She pauses and I see the look of fear cross her face. "What? Oh my God! Derek, I'm so sorry." I signal for her to hold on. "Just a second, Derek, Duncan wants to say something."
"Baby, put it on speakerphone." She pushes the speaker button and my stomach clenches as I know this can't be good.
"Derek, do you want to repeat what you just said? If you can't, I understand. I'm in a room with the Securities International team. There was an incident here tonight too."
"Son of a bitch! This. Is. Done. I'm done standing in the back waiting for the next message to be your dead body. I won’t survive that, Maya. You know I won’t. But damn, my family is off limits. I'm calling Dad and having him come get you."
I need to lock down this anger I feel for this man. He practically just professed his love for her in front of my boys.
"Derek, stop! Duncan didn't hear the first part, tell him what you found." I hear the sigh come across the line.
"Duncan, what she isn't telling you is this has been going on for years.
In the past, she got letters, flowers, and small gifts.
When I moved in with her in Boston, she was being followed.
It stopped and they went away, except for every June.
You know what June is. But this latest shit is out of control.
Tonight I went to a place I go to every year at exactly eight at night.
This time, I found a single black rose lying on the ground where I usually stand.
I ran back to the cemetery and, in the short time I was gone, a dozen dead roses were left there.
Those are both apparent threats to me. I can handle that shit, but when I got back to the condo, there were another dozen dead roses outside Maya's door.
I entered the condo to find another bouquet of daffodils and yellow hyacinths with a note.
I've called the team here, but this ends now.
After the delivery to my father earlier today and now this, she's being targeted and so are those close to her. " He concludes with another long sigh.
"Derek, you need to go to a hotel. Get away from the condo. I already told your dad I was safe with Duncan for now. He needs to get away from me, too. Maybe I need to get away from all of you."
"No, Maya, I'm not leaving you, and you know how Dad feels about that," Derek snaps.
"Derek, what did the note say?" Joshua asks.
I can't speak, these two have a bond that I had no clue about. But the fact that this day of pain for him was turned into a horror is something I can’t understand.
"Who's this?" Derek asks angrily.
"I'm Joshua Donovan, owner of Securities International."
"Well, your team had better be good because Metro has a snitch. The note said, 'I love you and I'll kill anyone who comes between us. You're mine, Maya, no one else's.'"
"Derek, go to a hotel, now," Maya pleads.
"No, sexy, I'm not leaving you alone with all this. You know me better than that."