Page 50 of Still Her

“Baby,” I say, getting her attention. Our eyes lock and she walks briskly towards me, and I help her close the distance.

“Hi,” she greets me, her voice gentle and sweet, her expression full of apprehension, although I can see a trace of hope in it. Our arms go around each other, hers around my waist while mine fold over her shoulders. I hold her close to me, pressing my lips against the top of her head and breathing in the flowery scent of her shampoo. “What are you doing up here?” she asks my chest.

“Worrying about you,” I say quietly into her hair.

“What do you mean?” she asks, looking up at me with her grey eyes sparkling from behind her lashes as they search mine.

“I went by the room… I saw the penthouse key.” Her eyes close at that revelation as I shake my head, explaining. “I lost it. I should’ve called or come to find you first thing, baby. I’m sorry. I swear, as soon as Matt got me up here, I called and checked on you.”

“It’s okay,” she assures in a placating tone as she shakes her head at me. “It was… something to process. I get it.”

“Baby, are you okay?” I ask attentively, tugging on a strand of her hair. “I should’ve been there… then again, maybe I shouldn’t have. Why didn’t you call me?” I take a look down at her in just her sweater and shrug my coat off, pulling it around her before folding my arms back around her.

“I was about to, and then I was afraid your phone would ring while you were on air and ruin the interview.”

“Mayzie, I don’t give a shit. I’m your husband first. You should be calling me when these things happen. I don’t care what’s going on, I am going to drop it and get to you as fast as I can, every time. I want you to remember that from now on.” I lecture but try to be gentle about it.

She takes a deep breath and looks up at me, her eyes starting to glisten. “Okay.”

“Thank you.” I wrap my arms back around her and tuck her close to me, kissing her head again. “Where did you go?"

"I went for a walk," she says with her cheek resting against my chest. “I had to get out.”

I nod. “I bet you did, sweetheart. Did you call Morris yet?”

“No. I wanted to do that with you.” I close my eyes, relieved that she wants and needs me for this. “Did you?”

“No. You were the first thing I was thinking of when I was done losing my damn mind.”

“We probably should. He’ll be pissed that we didn’t call sooner.”

“We will. Just let me hold you for a few more minutes.” She agrees with the idea by tightening her arms around my waist. We stand there, just taking in the city lights and the muted sounds of car horns honking beneath us, her wrapped in my jacket, her warm body against me making me impervious to the cold. After a moment, she looks up at me, resting her chin on my chest. I’m relieved to see a small, contented smile on her face. “Are you sure you’re okay?” I murmur down at her.

“I am now,” she returns, giving me that sweet smile I love and giving me a squeeze. I dip my head down and press a kiss to her pretty pink lips. When I draw back, her eyes are still closed and the smile is still in place, as if me kissing her put a little of her own essence back in her soul. After a moment, she gets a far-off look in her eyes and starts nodding, almost to herself. “I’m actually feeling ready to take this douche-bastard down.”

“Yeah?” I ask, playing along for the sake of my sanity. “My girl getting a little fiery?”

“Little bit,” she nods biting down on her lip for a second. “At least I am when I think about all he’s taken from us these last few weeks.” A shadow passes over her eyes. He really has. He’s taken away our peace of mind, and he will continue to hold onto it as long as he stays where he is in the scheme of things.

I continue to hold onto her as I gather every piece of strength, resolve, and faith that I have, from every corner of my soul before I reply, “He’s not going to take anymore.”

22

Mayzie

This timeit’s Detective Morris’s turn to show up at our hotel room dressed like a roadie, complete with a backwards ball cap that he yanks off as soon as he’s across the threshold, as if the thing was slowly setting his hair on fire the entire time he had it on. He told us on the phone that he was coming over in plain clothes, just in case Eli is, in fact, in the building, and either watching us or having us watched. Apparently, he decided that his plain clothes needed to look like a member of the road crew.

Sure enough, he has a hair up his ass that we didn’t call him the second I opened Eli’s care package. Too bad for him, he seemed to forget that certain human beings need a chance to process things like being propositioned by a colossal douche. He sits on one of the couches in the sitting area of our suite, leaning forward as he goes over the logistics of our next move. He faces Jack, who is sitting on the couch opposite him. His position sends an entirely different message than Morris’s, with his head resting on the back and his hands clasped on top of his head, as if his only focus is holding it together.

As for me, I’m pacing by the window with my arms crossed, unable to sit still on a couch.

“I’ve commandeered the presidential suite beneath Eli’s penthouse, as well as a card key to enter the room when we make the arrest.”

“If you make an arrest,” I correct with a cynical roll of my eyes.

“Whenwe make the arrest,” he challenges back before continuing. “Myself, two other members from Intelligence, and two uniforms will be in the suite below, listening to everything by way of a wire we’ll put on you.” Ron gives me a sweet empathetic look from where he’s perched on the arm of the couch Jack is on. He’s trying to keep quiet but let me know he’s pulling for this at the same time. I give him a small smile in return.

“Mayzie,” Morris continues, “at about five-thirty, I and another officer will come down to your room, undercover, to put on the wire and briefly coach you on what to do.”

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