Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
MAYA
Isent him the text as soon as I landed at my connection in Copenhagen.
Because I jumped on the first available flight, I got flown into Copenhagen and had to overnight there.
I need space and time to process this. I need to find out who this is and take care of them.
I look out the front of the airport and see Derek in his car. I've always liked his Charger.
I smile weakly at him. I have another couple of days off before I have to be back at the station. I hand him my gun and both of my big knives. I left my throwing knives in London.
"Take me to the closest bar and don't leave me, no matter what I say."
"You got it, sexy. Do you want to talk about it?"
"Do I look like I want to talk about it?" I turn to him and let him see the devastation in my gaze. I feel like I'm torn apart from the inside.
"Well, no. But as someone who's lost as much as I have, don't let it go if it's real."
"I had no choice."
"What?" His head swings my way.
"Don't worry about it. Take me to the bar." He's watching me carefully. I can't tell him about the note. I can't believe I left it at Duncan's. Hopefully, he won't find it.
I spend the next two days in a drunken haze, finally passing out before I have to check into the station.
I can't believe I left him. What an idiot!
I had it all and I let it go because I'm afraid. My father would kick my ass. Derek only listens and shakes his head. He’s lost more than me and thinks I'm stupid for giving up, as he calls it.
Greg calls me, trying to get me to talk too.
No one will ever know why I truly gave it up.
I feel like Duncan is all over my skin and all over my soul.
I go about my life and working out at the gym and studio as much as I can.
Sleep, as usual, evades me, except now it's worse.
I wake up with nightmares of Duncan yelling for me and me running from him.
I feel like I'm living a half-life. I ended up getting the job with Secret Service and so did Derek.
I spend money on my truck and avoid anything personal.
Carl calls me a couple of times, but I avoid him and end up blocking his number.
Lawrence also makes an appearance. Why won't they leave me alone?
I block him too. Marcus calls to ask me if I'm going to come up to Boston, I decline.
The one man I want to bug me won't. I don't even see him on the covers of the gossip rags; he must be working somewhere else.
James calls me a couple of times and I assure him I'm okay, just need some time to think. Two weeks after I left Duncan, James called to tell me he put my stuff in my safety deposit box again. James asks if I need to call our friend; it's his way of asking if I need to see my counselor again.
"Maya, darling, my son is stubborn like me, whatever he did, please forgive him. He loves you."
"That's the problem, James, he loves me. I kill everyone that loves me. I can't take him away from you."
"Maya, no. You didn't kill them. Do I need to call Derek or Greg and have them take you back?"
"No, James, I don't feel like hurting myself like that. The pain I'm in right now feels like death."
"That's love, darling." He hangs up and leaves me to think about what he said.
Duncan
I stay at my flat for a week, drinking and lying on my sheets, smelling her on my pillows.
The scent is fading. It's leaving me like she did.
I love this woman and she walked away from me.
I want to be with her. I contemplate leaving and going to DC to track her down, but Joshua says to give her space.
On the second week, my father comes to get her jewelry and knives to take to her safety deposit box. I put her dresses in my closet where they belong. I keep the angel on my nightstand. She belongs to me.
I ask Timothy to come to my flat and wire up my laptop to the cameras in her neighborhood and building so I can watch her. The only man coming and going is Derek. She goes to work and works out. I watch her running on her treadmill all hours of the night. Her nightmares have returned.
I'm watching her empty flat one evening when a sleek motorcycle pulls up to the garage entrance of the building.
I see the passenger get off the bike, I know it's my woman.
She has on a white helmet with some design on it and the guy is in all black.
They both pull off their helmets and my blood stops.
She's so sexy in all that leather. She hands him the helmet as she pulls off her pack and pulls out a set of keys.
She puts the pack back on and grabs her helmet.
I watch as she walks into the garage and he puts his helmet back on.
In moments, she's pulling out of the garage on her Harley and they both take off fast down the street.
I watch for a little while longer and decide to take a shower.
When I get out of my shower, I rewind the feeds and see nothing new.
I click to current and watch as they pull up on their motorcycles.
I switch to the garage feed and watch them park the bikes, get off, and head in.
She looks relaxed and smiles at him, but the smile doesn't light up her eyes, it's fake.
Father and Joshua come to take me out the third week for dinner. Ana calls to check on me, but she won't tell me if she talks to her or not. I finally go to the office the next day and immediately walk out the door and go straight to Joshua's office.
"I'll work in the conference room or tech room; I can't function at my desk."
"This is why office sex is wrong."
"Shut up, you git." I walk out and instantly decide to head to the gym. I'm beating the heavy bag as if I'm a madman when Ian walks in.
"Want to spar?" he asks.
"I could kill you."
"I'm game. You let me wail on you once. Time to return the favor, this is what being a mate means."
We gear up and then step into the ring where I proceed to hand him his arse. Timothy walks in, geared up, and steps in the ring next; I take him out. When Raul walks in, I know I'm going to hurt.
"Okay, mate, let's do this." He knows Krav Maga too.
"She knows Krav Maga, I can't fight you." The memories rush back of watching her defend herself at my flat.
"Yes, you can, pansy wanker. Nut up and try to beat me." He's pushing my buttons.
"I'm going to kick your Spanish ass, wanker."
"Name calling is beneath you, wanker."
I lunge for him but after Timothy and Ian, I'm worn out. He deflects and takes me down with multiple double-fisted punches to my diaphragm. I'm lying on the mat, wishing for death.
"Do you cede?"
"Never." I huff in pain.
"Then get up and fight me." He taunts me again.
"I cede to you, but I'll never give up when it comes to her." They all sigh heavily.
"That's what we thought. Now, give her space and let her come back to you," Joshua says from the door. He watched the whole time.
"Okay, what now?" I roll and look at him.
"Let her figure it out. When she realizes that the threats will continue even with you out of the picture, she'll come back."
"I actually think she will. She’s lost weight already, and no one will spar with her anymore," Timothy says.
"She's lost weight? I need to go to her."
"No, Duncan, she needs to figure it out. Give her time. We need to figure out who's threatening her."
"I don't know if I can wait much longer."
"I sent the cleaning service back to your flat, they're cleaning everything. The dresses are being moved to your father's house. We're removing her from your life for a while. It needs to look like you gave up on her."
"I need her. If you touch that angel, I'll beat you, Bossman."
"She doesn't want you right now and it needs to look like you're over her. I have it in my office, you can have it back later."
"All she needs to do is say it and I'll go to her. I'll give it all up."
"Yes, but until she figures it out, you can't force it. Ask Ian."
We head to the pub after we all shower. I'm ready to do what it takes to get my girl back. If it means I give her space, I will, but only for a little while. I wish she'd text me or call.
It’s been over a month since she left me.
Joshua has put me on Maya’s and Ana's details.
I mostly spend my time in the tech room listening to phone taps we've set up on both of them.
I'm listening in on conversations when her cell phone rings.
It's a standard ringtone, so I know it isn't a friend or her work.
Who's calling my woman? She answers, her voice is soft and sounds tired.
"Hello."
"Maya, darling, can I take you out tonight?" Lawrence's voice comes across the line.
"I already told you, Lawrence, I'm not interested. How did you call me, I blocked your number? Don't call me again." I hear the fire in her voice.
"I know you broke it off with the Neanderthal. I'll forgive you for slumming it. Come back to me."
"Never, Lawrence, he's the only man I want. There was never a you and me. Go to hell." She hangs up on him.
Wait, she wants me? Why won't she call me? Why are we suffering through this if she wants me? I start to plan, I'll be going to her soon enough. She's too stubborn to come to me. Moreover, I need to protect her.
She starts dialing another number, but the sequence puts a jam on my signal.
Interesting. My girl knows how to block out wires and traces.
I turn on the feeds to her flat and watch her pace.
Because of the block, I can't hear what she's saying, but I can tell she's relaxing as her pacing becomes less and less.
She finally sits down and continues to talk to this person.
I wonder if it's Greg. He wouldn’t want us to know, but he was just as confused by her as we were until we found the note.
I asked Joshua not to tell Derek or Greg about the threat.
If they confront her, she'll pull away from them too.
She needs someone. In my mind, I flash back to that night she and Derek went for their ride, she relaxed and looked less stressed.
I can't take them from her life. She might be mine, but they are her life.