Page 82 of American Hellhound
It was hard to read his expression in the dim glow of the building’s security lights, but his voice was obviously worried. “Hey, you okay?”
Maggie thought she’d been holding up pretty well, all things considered, removed and disinterested, not allowing herself to think too hard about what was going to happen next. But a gust of cold nighttime wind funneled into the car, bringing with it the now-familiar, now-comforting scents of Ghost. And he was staring at her, hand braced on the roof of the car – he wascaringabout her.
She took a deep breath and suddenly she was crying, hot tears rolling down her face.
“Oh,” Ghost said. “Hey, hey.” He reached into the car and pulled her out and up, into his arms. “You’re alright, baby. You’re okay.” He smoothed her hair and held her close, right up against the strong beat of his heart.
“Why – why,” she stuttered, crying like a baby. “Why am I – I – I always crying on you?”
“That’s alright. I don’t mind.”
~*~
Ghost thought someone must have stuck a firecracker between his ribs, because his insides were a riot of sparks, and heat, and temper, and pain. Maggie’s phone call from the precinct had shattered all his illusions about this situation they were in, forced him to face what was really happening to his cold, shriveled-up heart. It had taken Collier a good fifteen minutes to talk him into letting Jackie go bail her out. And even then, the whole time he was borrowing money out of the safe, retrieving the car – he hoped Maggie fucked that bitch up – and riding back here at the speed of light, he’d been buzzing with violence. He wanted tohurtpeople. And he wanted, he realized now, to wrap her up and make it all better through sheer force of will.
The warm wetness of her tears against his chest was a welcome sensation. “It’s okay,” he said, over and over, rubbing her back. “You’re okay.”
Over the top of the car, Jackie watched them with sadness in her eyes.This’ll never work, her expression said, but she hated it for him.
Maggie took a deep breath, her body trembling in his arms. “I’m sorry.” She smoothed her hands across his damp shirt. “Shit, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” He hooked a finger under her chin and tilted her head back. Even with red, puffy eyes, she was beautiful. She also looked embarrassed, and ashamed, and that wouldn’t do.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” he assured.
That got a tiny smile out of her. “Yeah. Sure.”
“Not in my book, you didn’t.”
“You can be a character witness at my trial, then,” she joked halfheartedly, but he felt some of the tension bleed out of her shoulders.
“You hungry?”
“Not really.”
“Come on. You should eat.”
He held on to her all the way up the stairs until they reached the apartment, only letting go so she could go through the door ahead of him.
Aidan was in front of the TV with Collier and jumped to his feet. “Maggie!” He ran at her, grabbing her around the waist in one of his enthusiastic kid-hugs.
Ghost felt a tug at his sleeve and turned to find Jackie staring up at him with more of that poor-you, your-love-life-is-doomed look from down by the car.
“She seems like a nice girl,” she started, voice low.
“Jackie, thanks for picking her up, but justdon’t, okay?”
“She doesn’t belong in your world,” she persisted. “What are you going to do with her?”
He ground his molars to keep from insulting her. She didn’t deserve that, even if she was asking for it at the moment. Instead, he said, “Whatever she’ll let me,” and brushed past her into the apartment.
~*~
Maggie made another fruitless attempt to wipe the mascara smudges from her cheeks and finally gave up, setting the towel down on the counter. She looked like a raccoon with an allergy problem. But it would have to wait until she washed her face before bed. She didn’t have the nerve to go back out there bare-faced. Ruined makeup was better armor than no makeup at all.
If only she could hide in here the rest of the night.
She squared her shoulders and gave herself a stern, if raccoon-eyed, look. Whatever happened next, whichever direction her future took, tonight was the easy part. Tomorrow, and the days after, would bring the fallout, and the real struggle.
