Chapter 46
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
MAYA
Tim interrupts the congratulations. "Okay, I got us a couple of suites at a nearby hotel.
With both Maya's truck and Derek's car, we should all fit.
Maya, I have a moving service set up to come pack your home tonight.
They'll ship your stuff to Ireland via Paris to throw off anyone.
I have a second aircraft set up in Paris while our jet heads to Australia.
As for your vehicles, they'll take a little longer, but I'll put them in storage for a while. Anything else?"
"What about our motorcycles?" Derek asks. Of course, he'd worry about his girl.
"They'll go into storage with the cars." Tim smiles at him.
"Okay, works for me. That was fast, let's get out of here." I walk into my room and start packing a quick bag.
I check my guns and pack them to go with me now. I'll let the movers pack the rest of my stuff. My guns though are necessary. I'm trying to reach the box in my closet with the ornaments from my mom when Duncan walks in.
"Baby, let me get that, what's in it?"
"Some personal stuff I need to have with me," I say quietly.
"What, baby?"
"It's the ornaments. Can you also grab that second box? It’s my mother and father's belongings I kept."
"Speaking of…" He walks to his bag and pulls out the angel he got me for Christmas. I smile and put it in the box with the rest. "She's been with me most of the time the last three months. I had to steal her from Joshua's office."
"What? Why?"
"He thought removing everything that reminded me of you would help me wait you out. He also thought it would throw off your stalker that I gave up."
"Did it work?"
"Not a day went by that I didn't think of you. Your stalker also still threatened me."
"Same here, I'd run on my treadmill and see you when I looked out my windows. You went with me everywhere."
"I love you, baby."
"I love you too."
We load up in the vehicles to head to the hotel. Joshua, Ana, Duncan, and Ian ride with me. I drive again as Duncan doesn't know DC that well. Derek has the rest of the team with him in his Charger.
We avoid the new doorman so he can't tell anyone where we're going. Just in case. Derek and I decided to take two different directions to the hotel in hope that if we have a tail they'd not know who to follow. We left all our cell phones and the bug that was attached to Ana at the condo.
When we arrive at the hotel, Greg is waiting for us. I knew he wouldn’t be able to wait until our meeting. He'll try to go with us now, but because of his job, he won’t be able to.
Greg helped us get adjoining suites and even had a bag with him to stay with us.
He used his Secret Service badge to get our rooms under an alias and I was able to pay cash.
The first suite will have Duncan and me in the king bed with Ana in the queen and Joshua on the pullout.
The second is for all the guys and they get to determine sleeping arrangements.
Derek, Greg, and I sit down and talk calmly about the future. They'll go with Joshua and me in the morning. I stand and hug both of them, they've become so much to me. Without Derek, I don't know where I'd be, we've been through so much.
"Sexy, it was nice to see you finally show Carl up. All those times you let him win and tonight you actually showed him what you could do. I'm proud of you. You're family and have been for many years, I'm not worried about tomorrow or the next days. Okay?"
"Derek, I'm taking you away from everything you know. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes, I can't let my sister go off with a group and not want to protect her too."
"I'll go along for as long as I can. I'm due a vacation off the grid. Besides, I need to get to know this man who intends to marry you," Greg says as he smiles at me. I kiss his cheek.
"Thank you both, I love you."
"Derek, Greg, I'll protect her with my life," Duncan says from behind me. They look over my shoulder to him.
"I know, Big Guy. I want to get away from everything here.
I need it. I can't live my life every day to remember them.
They'll always have a piece of my heart, but I need to learn to live again.
Tomorrow, after our meeting, I'll go say goodbye and finally start a new life like they'd have wanted.
They'll always be with me here"—Derek taps his heart—"but I need to get on with my life finally.
Watching Maya has helped me see how much I don't live.
" I love him so much. I hug him close to me again.
"I'm moving to London to take over the new task force there. I need to get away from here too. Thank you, Maya, for showing Derek how to live. Duncan, thank you for teaching her how to live," Greg says as he takes both Derek and me in his arms.
"Tomorrow, I'll go with you," I say to Derek.
He looks at me surprised; in all our years together I've never gone to their graveside.
I only blow kisses to my parents when I'm in Tel Aviv.
I don't do cemeteries, but for him, I'll try.
He's my brother. We both look at Greg and he shakes his head.
He won't go with us, but he's happy that I'm going with Derek.
Our meeting with the superiors is at 10:00 a.m., so we decide to take a nap while the others relax until the meeting.
Duncan and I disagreed about him coming to the station with me.
Finally, Joshua talked him into staying with Ana while he came with me.
I see that Duncan is afraid to let me out of his sight, but I just can't let him hold me too tight.
Even though I'll marry him and I love him, I need to be me.
I'm strong, independent, and not afraid to love him anymore.
"You know that he's going to be climbing the walls before we get back, don't you?" Joshua says.
"Yep, he'll be, but he needs to let me have some space once in a while."
"It's not about space, Maya, it’s about him almost losing you yesterday. It's going to take him a while to not feel protective of you."
"How do you know?"
"Experience. Someday we'll discuss my past. Not today though, let's get this over with." I know he's partially talking about his Angel, but the rest I don't know.
We pull up in front of the station and I straighten my clothes.
I wore a simple double-breasted pants suit in black, with my gun in its holster on my hip.
All the guys are wearing different suits.
Joshua is wearing a dark suit with a tie, Derek is in a suit with a vest and tie, and Greg is in his standard black suit.
We all look very striking and sure of ourselves.
Joshua assured Derek and I this was what we needed to project so this would be easier for us.
I turn to see Derek sitting behind me looking like I feel.
I remember the day we signed up, our graduation, and the day we finally became partners.
I know this will be the last time I walk through those doors.
"Officer Aaron, Officer Williams, your union rep is waiting for you in Conference Room One with the chief. Officer Aaron, a delivery was left for you, I put it in the meeting room too." I nod to the officer at the door.
Joshua, Derek, and I walk down the hall to the conference room.
Greg stays back because of the conflict of interest with Derek.
Joshua looks at me, knowing that the delivery isn't going to be good.
We walk into the conference room and I see the bouquet of yellow carnations and the card.
I walk over and lift the card carefully, using the sleeve of my jacket so I don't leave prints.
Yellow carnations for the disappointment I feel toward you. No man but me will have you. I couldn't have your mother, but I will have you.
Love always,
Sir
Before I can react to the card, my chief and the union rep walk into the conference room.
The chief knows what's been going on, so he calls for a tech to come in and take the offensive note and bouquet from the room.
I feel rattled and worried I won't be able to go through with this.
I love Duncan and want to be with him, but I worry about the danger we're all in now.
"Officer Aaron, Officer Williams, please have a seat. Who’s this?" my chief asks after the tech leaves.
"This is Joshua Donovan, he's one of the owners of Securities International." Derek and I sit across from them with Joshua standing behind us. I feel like we're in trouble, although I know we didn't do anything wrong.
"Officer Aaron, can I ask why Mr. Donovan is here?"
"I'm here to represent my business partner and to support her in this situation. Furthermore, Mr. Williams works for both of us too," Joshua states.
"Officer Aaron was acting on your behalf yesterday?"
"Yes. I believe she spoke to you already about resigning to take a more permanent position with our company. By my investigation, Maya represented all parties fully and only acted with deadly force when was necessary. Derek did nothing wrong but support his partner and boss."
"After speaking with Mr. Nelson and searching his apartment, we have determined he’s been following you for a while.
With the confession you turned over and the evidence of his behavior, he confirmed that he was hired to shoot Duncan Preston and Officer Williams, but not who hired him.
We’re confident that he will tell us. He also confirmed that he was working with a Jonathon Davidson.
We have also found out that Mr. Nelson hired the men who were killed and taken into custody yesterday.
Interpol along with the London authorities have been contacted.
The Philly police have cleared you and Duncan Preston, although they're still trying to identify the perps who attacked you and Mrs. Davidson.
Officer Aaron, you're clear of any charges.
Are you sure you want to leave? You and Officer Williams have been an asset to the Secret Service and us. "