Page 13 of Fast Justice

Uh oh…Rowan glanced at Oceane, already knowing how that would be received.

“No.” Oceane darted forward to grab her mother’s upper arm and step in front of her, raising her chin. “We will not be separated.”

“Yes, you will.”

At that hard voice they all looked to the left as Commander Taggart strode toward them from the direction of the elevator, his expression set. “My men have been tasked with your protection. For everyone’s safety, you and your mother will be taken in different vehicles.” There was absolute steel in his tone.

Oceane shook her head, panic bleeding through in her expression, clearly believing this was a trick. That she and her mother would be separated for good. “No.” She spoke in rapid Spanish to her mother, whose eyes filled with horror at the news, then launched into her own tirade.

Taggart put up a hand to stop her. “I realize it’s not what you want. But it’s the way it is. It’s all documented right here.” He pulled out a letter from his back pocket and handed it to her. Oceane scanned it, her brows knitted together.

Malcolm finally looked over at Rowan as the two women continued arguing and pleading with Taggart, one in English and the other in Spanish, and she could tell by the resigned look on his face that he hadn’t volunteered for this assignment. She felt a twinge of sympathy for him, but as far as Anya’s safety was concerned, the woman couldn’t be placed in better hands.

“I want to speak to the agent in charge of our case,” Oceane said.

“You can speak to him on the way to your safe house,” Taggart answered, “but right now, you’re going. Individually.”

“My mother doesn’t speak English.”

“That won’t affect Agent Freeman’s ability to protect her.”

When Oceane opened her mouth to argue again, Rowan stepped in. “If it helps, I can guarantee these men’s word. You’ll both be taken to the same location, I promise, and you’ll both get there safely. Agent Freeman served in the military before joining the DEA, and with all his training and experience, he’s well qualified to be your mother’s security detail,” she said, without giving too much about his background away.

She could feel Malcolm’s dark stare boring into her, didn’t have the guts to meet his gaze as she continued. “Agent Lockhart works with him and is also former military,” she added, not wanting to come right out and say they were teammates, or in what capacity they worked together.

Most of what FAST Bravo did was classified. Oceane and her mother didn’t have the security clearance necessary to know more. The only reason Rowan knew what she did was because of her history with Malcolm and her involvement with the Ruiz case, and even her knowledge was limited. “You and your mother will both be in good hands with these men until other arrangements can be made.”

Oceane stared at her in uncertainty, a worried frown pulling her brows together. “You know Agent Freeman personally?”

“Yes.”At least, I used to.

The frown didn’t ease. “And if you were in my place, you would trust him to guard your mother, and not take us away from each other?”

“I would trust him with my life,” she answered without hesitation.

It was true. In Oceane or Anya’s shoes, Rowan absolutely would trust him to keep her safe. Malcolm was not only a former SEAL, he was a man of integrity and strength. He was a professional, and highly skilled at what he did. None of that had any bearing on why she’d chosen to end things between them. She’d had her reasons. Solid, practical reasons she didn’t want to think about right now.

While Oceane continued to study her, Rowan felt the continued weight of Malcolm’s stare pressing on her. Again, she didn’t look at him, not willing to risk it because she couldn’t bear to see coldness or anger in his eyes.

“And remember, this is only temporary,” she added, trying to sell this solution to her skeptical witnesses. “Maybe even as little as a few days until this all gets sorted out.”Until you give us something good on Ruiz and Nieto, or come to your senses and enter WITSEC.

Oceane exhaled a ragged breath, cast a worried look at her mother, then gave in with a nod, her shoulders relaxing a little. “All right.” She pulled her mother into a fierce, protective hug, murmured something soothing to her in Spanish.

During the lull, Rowan could no longer ignore the force of that magnetic stare locked on her. Steeling herself, she met Malcolm’s gaze and the breath stopped in her lungs at the mix of raw emotion burning there. Surprise. Frustration. Maybe even a measure of gratitude.

But he masked it quickly, breaking eye contact as he switched his attention to Anya and raised his eyebrows. “Ready?”

The woman nodded, cast a tearful glance at her daughter, as though afraid it might be the last time she laid eyes on Oceane, and followed Malcolm. Lockhart and Oceane went next, with Taggart on their heels.

Standing alone in the hallway when they disappeared around the corner, Rowan blew out a deep breath and rolled her head from side to side. Now her chest ached as much as her head. Why couldn’t she stop the longing Malcolm generated inside her? Why did watching him walk away hurt so damn much when it’s exactly what she’d wanted a year ago?

“You are amagician,” Val said as he stepped up beside her. “Thought for a minute there we were going to have a screaming match. How’d you smooth everything over?”

Rowan shrugged, her sore shoulder muscle screaming in protest. “Just told them the truth.”

But not all of it. Because the whole truth was, she missed Malcolm like hell.

Chapter Five

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