Silence. A moment passed, then two. “What’s the code word?” Ryder’s voice held no hesitation, he wasn’t letting me in without it.
I closed my eyes and let out a long breath. They were safe. “Cowgirl,” I said. “The word is Cowgirl.”
The bar scraped against the brackets on the other side before the click and hiss and light spilled into the hallway. I pushed at the door as Ryder pulled until I could see all three of them.
There she was. Barefoot and all sorts of pissed off.
“Theo.”
She didn’t walk, she launched herself at me hard enough to force me to stumble backward. Her hands frantically patted my chest and back, searching for… blood? I was still vibrating from the residual adrenaline, but the press of her body and the scent of her perfume mixed with the chemical all around me, wasthe thing that brought me down to earth. “You’re okay.” She continued patting down my sides and onto my legs. As soon as her hand hit the cut on my thigh, I hissed. “You’re hurt.”
“Not badly.” I shook my head. “I won’t even need stitches.”
She frowned at me as Ryder and Tiffany walked ahead of us. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” She lifted her dress off the floor and stomped ahead. “Because I am so pissed at you right now. We are going to sit down and you are going to tell me everything.”
Thank goodness she was ahead of me and didn’t see the small smile on my face. Because talking was not leaving. And that’s all I wanted.
CHAPTER 19
MAGGIE
After some debateabout armored SUVs, it was finally decided that with Fred out on his own, they were all safe for the night and Theo was happy to drive his own car home.
The drive was silent. The tension in the car was a living, breathing thing. There was rage and fear and I wasn’t sure which emotion belonged to which one of us. It could probably go either way.
Theo smelled of chemicals, no doubt the result of the remnants of extinguisher foam he could not get rid of. The contrast of that ruined tuxedo was a stark reminder of the man he was. The polished billionaire who was at ease with wealth and power. And then there was another side to him. A side I hadn’t seen before the lights went out. The brutal warrior who knew how to dodge heavy objects. A man who had a panic room at a swanky hotel and still chose to run into the face of danger. A side I never knew existed. A side that needed an explanation.
Theo pulled into his usual parking space inside his garage. For the first time I looked around the space that housed five cars. The Mercedes we were in took the middle space. It was the car he used the most. To the left was my car, the decade-oldJeep that had one too many dings. And to the right was the small hatchback waiting for Zoe to finally get her licence.
The other two cars got my attention. The black SUV at the far right of the garage. Imposing and not quite regulation. Likely armored, like the ones they had discussed. But it was the car at the far left that got most of my attention and made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
The unassuming Ford was never used. And while I had never given it any thought, I had to admit it stood out. All the other cars said something about the person meant to drive them. Including mine and Zoe’s. But that white sedan, that was at least a few years old, was meant to blend in. Meant to go unnoticed. Not something you’d find in the garage of a man who had his tailor on speed dial.
We stepped into the house and through the mudroom. Theo opened the door to the kitchen, allowing me to step through ahead of him. As we made our way to the foyer, Theo headed to the main staircase. No doubt he needed a shower after the night he’d had. That smell was awful. Yet, not my priority.
“Stop.” I spoke with a steadiness that surprised even me. Walking up to Theo, I folded my arms over my chest. His eyes dipped lower but I ignored him. “Who the fuck was that man?”
I didn’t need to explain what I meant. I could see in his eyes that he knew what I meant.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to fully face me. “He was the man you needed tonight, love. He was the man who kept Fred away from you.”
“No.” I stepped closer to him. I reached up and gently touched the split on his lip. It was bleeding again. “Hunter was the man who kept Fred from reaching me. You were the one who hunted him. You were giving orders. Nick let you take control of the situation.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t happen often.” He shook his head, his features relaxing. “I’m sure he would’ve stepped in if I did something reckless.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “I think you’re missing the point. I heard the statement you gave to the police. Which, I am not sure was the full story, but still. You used a water pitcher as a weapon. And had to dodge a knife and a fire extinguisher and you escaped with little more than a split lip and a scratch on your thigh.”
He pouted as he looked down at me. “I’m sure I have a few bruised ribs and this suit is ruined.”
“Oh, poor baby.” I dropped my arms and took a step closer to him. “You’ve been keeping secrets from me. From everyone, Theo. But especially me. I deserve to know who I’m falling for.”
“What?” His eyes lit up in a way that made my chest seize. It wasn’t the declaration I wanted to make, but the circumstances weren’t right for that. Besides, I was not ready to play nice. Yet.
“That's a conversation for another night.” I kept my voice firm. “Now talk.”
