Oh God, what have I done?
I make it to the lobby and hail a cab to the airport. I break down in the cab and cry for what I give up.
I'll only ever love that man. I'll only ever want him, and I can't have him.
Duncan
How the bloodyhell did this happen? I'm sitting in a pub and going over it in my head. One minute I had her heavenly body pressed up against mine, the next I was watching her walk out the door with my heart. I feel like my heart is dying. I signal the barman for another shot of JD. How the hell does she drink this bloody crap? I turn to the door when I hear it open, hoping she found me. I have no idea where she went, the doorman said she jumped into a taxi and was gone. Of course, it's not her, but Joshua.
"Timothy just called. She jumped on a flight to DC right after leaving your flat. She sent a text to Derek to pick her up at the airport." Joshua looks like he doesn't want to be relaying this message to me. Why is Derek always there to pick her up? As if he can read my mind, his next words stop me cold.
"Derek called me right after that and said there's something more going on. He thinks that the attacker today gave Maya a message. He says that you need to stay away until he can figure this all out." She never said anything about a threat. I throw back the shot and wonder if there's evidence I missed. He continues, "Look, Duncan, from what Timothy found out, there really isn't anything going on between them. She's faithful to you. This Derek guy is just her partner. It appears what he said last week is true, they're like siblings. He and his father are the only people she interacts with socially in DC. We need to search your flat again and have Timothy pull the footage and take a closer look."
"I know she's known him since college. They lived together for years while she was in school. She told me, but like I bloody care. I told her I love her and she ran."
"You told her you loved her right after your life might have been threatened? You and I both know she struggles with the death of her parents."
"What's the difference? I love her. I'll protect her. Greg told me she'd push me away. I told him I wouldn’t let her. He laughed at me, guess he was right."
"This might be how she's protecting you."
"Don't make excuses for her! I know that. I thought she was going to give us a real try when she told me all that stuff on Christmas Eve." I signal for another shot. I know the alcohol is hazing my thoughts and not letting me see the full picture, but I've lost the one woman I never knew I needed.
A couple hourslater Joshua and Ian are trying to help me to my flat. He called in Ian when I guess I got a little out of hand. I want my woman back home. As soon as the door to my flat opens, I smell her and I'm instantly angry again.
"Bloody hell, I can't stay here. It smells like her, I need to goget her back. Pour me on a plane, mates, I'm going to get my woman and drag her home, kicking and screaming."
"Can't do that, bloke. Those bloody Americans won't let ye on a flight in this condition." Ian points out the obvious.
"Why the bloody hell not? They'll not keep me away from her," I slur.
"Well, mate, you're drunk."
"Hey, I helped you once, now you help me. And as for you, Bossman, I quit. I'm going to be a bloody American for my girl." They both look at me as if I'm crazy.
I've watched both of these men pour their hearts out to me and now they're not going to help me. Well, bloody hell, I'll leave on my own. I start to step around them and see Timothy walk into my flat.
"Okay, Timothy, take him down." I don't see the punch coming, but I know it's going to happen. We've had to do this to each other before. This is the first time I’ll be knocked out by one of them though.
When I come to the next morning, I'm in my bed and the pillows smell like her. I groan and roll out of bed. It had to have been a nightmare; she's in the bathroom or dining room. My cell phone is blinking and I look at the message.
Maya
Please don't come after me. Give me time and space.
Bloody hell, yesterday wasn't a nightmare. She left me. My girl is gone and doesn't want me to come for her. I walk out to the kitchen, pick up the coffee pot, and throw it at the wall. I then walk back into my bedroom and trash the room.
When Ian and Joshua find me later, I'm sitting in my spare room staring at her dresses she left behind. She also left herthrowing knives and all her jewelry. I'm holding the angel I gave her in one hand and the note that must have come yesterday. She ran out so fast, she left everything. My God, she's the most beautiful part of my life. I can't live without her.
"How did you two bloody gits make it through this hell?" They both just shake their heads and call a cleaning service.
"I'd say time heals the pain, but I'd be lying," Ian says.
"Here, I found this in here. She left because I was threatened. What did the footage show?" I hand the note to Joshua.
"She fought off the intruder, and he followed her to the airport. He didn't get on her flight, but a private jet. No name. My money is on Carl. You can't go to her yet, we need to figure this out first."
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
