MAYA
Isent him the text as soon as I landed at my connection in Copenhagen. Because I jumped on the first available flight, I got flown into Copenhagen and had to overnight there. I need space and time to process this. I need to find out who this is and take care of them. I look out the front of the airport and see Derek in his car. I've always liked his Charger.
I smile weakly at him. I have another couple of days off before I have to be back at the station. I hand him my gun and both of my big knives. I left my throwing knives in London.
"Take me to the closest bar and don't leave me, no matter what I say."
"You got it, sexy. Do you want to talk about it?"
"Do I look like I want to talk about it?" I turn to him and let him see the devastation in my gaze. I feel like I'm torn apart from the inside.
"Well, no. But as someone who's lost as much as I have, don't let it go if it's real."
"I had no choice."
"What?" His head swings my way.
"Don't worry about it. Take me to the bar." He's watching me carefully. I can't tell him about the note. I can't believe I left it at Duncan's. Hopefully, he won't find it.
I spend the next two days in a drunken haze, finally passing out before I have to check into the station. I can't believe I left him. What an idiot! I had it all and I let it go because I'm afraid. My father would kick my ass. Derek only listens and shakes his head. He’s lost more than me and thinks I'm stupid for giving up, as he calls it. Greg calls me, trying to get me to talk too. No one will ever know why I truly gave it up.
I feel like Duncan is all over my skin and all over my soul. I go about my life and working out at the gym and studio as much as I can. Sleep, as usual, evades me, except now it's worse. I wake up with nightmares of Duncan yelling for me and me running from him. I feel like I'm living a half-life. I ended up getting the job with Secret Service and so did Derek. I spend money on my truck and avoid anything personal.
Carl calls me a couple of times, but I avoid him and end up blocking his number. Lawrence also makes an appearance. Why won't they leave me alone? I block him too. Marcus calls to ask me if I'm going to come up to Boston, I decline. The one man I want to bug me won't. I don't even see him on the covers of the gossip rags; he must be working somewhere else.
James calls me a couple of times and I assure him I'm okay, just need some time to think. Two weeks after I left Duncan, James called to tell me he put my stuff in my safety deposit boxagain. James asks if I need to call our friend; it's his way of asking if I need to see my counselor again.
"Maya, darling, my son is stubborn like me, whatever he did, please forgive him. He loves you."
"That's the problem, James, he loves me. I kill everyone that loves me. I can't take him away from you."
"Maya, no. You didn't kill them. Do I need to call Derek or Greg and have them take you back?"
"No, James, I don't feel like hurting myself like that. The pain I'm in right now feels like death."
"That's love, darling." He hangs up and leaves me to think about what he said.
Duncan
I stayat my flat for a week, drinking and lying on my sheets, smelling her on my pillows. The scent is fading. It's leaving me like she did. I love this woman and she walked away from me. I want to be with her. I contemplate leaving and going to DC to track her down, but Joshua says to give her space.
On the second week, my father comes to get her jewelry and knives to take to her safety deposit box. I put her dresses in my closet where they belong. I keep the angel on my nightstand. She belongs to me.
I ask Timothy to come to my flat and wire up my laptop to the cameras in her neighborhood and building so I can watch her. The only man coming and going is Derek. Shegoes to work and works out. I watch her running on her treadmill all hours of the night. Her nightmares have returned.
I'm watching her empty flat one evening when a sleek motorcycle pulls up to the garage entrance of the building. I see the passenger get off the bike, I know it's my woman. She has on a white helmet with some design on it and the guy is in all black. They both pull off their helmets and my blood stops. She's so sexy in all that leather. She hands him the helmet as she pulls off her pack and pulls out a set of keys. She puts the pack back on and grabs her helmet. I watch as she walks into the garage and he puts his helmet back on.
In moments, she's pulling out of the garage on her Harley and they both take off fast down the street. I watch for a little while longer and decide to take a shower. When I get out of my shower, I rewind the feeds and see nothing new. I click to current and watch as they pull up on their motorcycles. I switch to the garage feed and watch them park the bikes, get off, and head in. She looks relaxed and smiles at him, but the smile doesn't light up her eyes, it's fake.
Father and Joshua come to take me out the third week for dinner. Ana calls to check on me, but she won't tell me if she talks to her or not. I finally go to the office the next day and immediately walk out the door and go straight to Joshua's office.
"I'll work in the conference room or tech room; I can't function at my desk."
"This is why office sex is wrong."
"Shut up, you git." I walk out and instantly decide to head to the gym. I'm beating the heavy bag as if I'm a madman when Ian walks in.
"Want to spar?" he asks.
