“Lieutenant Martin went to bat for you, Maggie, he really did,” Declan insisted and he reached for her, but seemed to think better of actually touching her. “But the truth is, this case is bigger than you and it needs a specialized team to bring it home. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get credit for your input thus far.”
Her teeth ground together and she squeezed her hands so tight her nails jabbed painfully into her palm.
“My input?” she parroted, grating out every syllable. “I’ve been working this damn case for months, Declan.” It was a struggle to keep her voice even, but somehow, Maggie managed not to scream in the captain’s face.
Like it or not, he outranked her and that meant she had to take his shit, even if all she wanted was to stomp out of this room like a child. She may have hated this aspect of it, but ultimately she loved her job and for a while, she’d forgotten that. Thanks to Anatoly, she was starting to remember what it was about police work that she enjoyed and the purpose she originally set out to accomplish; helping people.
“You know what I mean,” Declan shot back, a frown creasing his brow.
Once, that gesture would have shut Maggie down entirely, made her back off lest she actually displease him. She’d learned from her mother that when a man was angry, it was the woman’s job to appease his wrath, but standing there now, she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why.
It had taken losing what she’d thought was a sure-thing and getting knocked off her feet to figure out that the last thing she needed was a man. She needed a companion, someone to share her life with, but that didn’t mean tiptoeing around their feelings. She’d never tiptoed around Anatoly and he still showed up for her. That more than anything decided her.
“This is my case and you all know it,” she asserted, just for the record. “And it was a sick fucking joke sending you down here to take it from me, but I’m not going to whine about what’s done. If you’re finished screwing me over again, I’ve got a copy cat to catch.” Maggie started to leave, but Lieutenant Martin cleared his throat, stopping her in her tracks at the door.
“About the padre…” He started to say and she could feel his words hit the back of her neck like the cold blade of an executioner’s axe. “They think he might be better suited to assist the task force.”
Before Maggie could recover from the gut punch, Anatoly was already speaking. “Nyet. I politely decline. If Father Abrams was murdered by copy cat, then I will focus efforts with Detective Boone.”
“I agree,” Maggie quickly added. “It’s not like Father Brusilev is the only clergyman in Anchorage.”
The two men exchanged a glance and Martin openly frowned. “I thought you hated the father…” he blurted.
“Yeah, well, right now, he’s the only one here who doesn’t suck.” Without a backward glance, she thrust open the door and finally stormed out.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Well, it hadn’t been the most romantic declaration, but Maggie agreeing that he should remain with her on the case made him feel like they had definitely built up a solid rapport. Kissing aside, he had wondered if she wanted him around professionally still. Now he knew she did, that he wasn’t a burden, and it left a warm spot in his chest long after the moment had passed.
As she slammed open the door and marched off without being dismissed, Anatoly followed. It seemed almost comical that he should once again be chasing after Maggie, but this time, he was merely following her lead. If her superiors in the department wanted him gone, they could track him down to deliver the news. It seemed only fair after all.
Stepping over the threshold himself, Anatoly caught a flash of blond hair rounding the corner toward the bathrooms and instinctively he moved in that direction, too.
Without a doubt, Maggie needed him and he was determined to be there for her from here on out. Never again would she weather hardship alone. The conviction in his own tainted soul at the realization surprised him.
In a short amount of time, she had come to mean more to him than he could reasonably put into words. Even if he tried to express himself in his native tongue, the words felt wholly inadequate.
It didn’t matter right now either. The last thing Maggie needed was a love confession on top of everything else this night had thrown at her.
Guilt and anger frothed together in his belly. He was incensed at the injustice of them not offering to make her part of the elite taskforce. Maggie had been right to advocate for herself; she had been working the case for months and knew it better than anyone. Surely that knowledge was an asset to them and yet they treated her like she’d failed.
Then there was all she had learned about the world just recently. Knowledge that put her in danger as much as it made her aware of the true perils she faced. Maggie hadn’t flinched and it wasn’t for a lack of understanding. She was perceptive enough to figure out that there would be blow back if both of them weren’t careful.
At least he didn’t have to worry about her getting herself into trouble by talking to others about it. She wasn’t foolish enough to tell her superiors their chief suspect was a vampire of all things.
As this was running through his mind, he continued to pursue Maggie right up until she went into the ladies’ bathroom. The door swinging shut in his face, the blue figure in a dress staring back at him, jarred him out of his thoughts.
He opened his mouth to call out but thought better of it and took a step back instead. The urge to knock came over him, but before he could convince himself to act, the door popped open suddenly and Maggie dragged him forcibly inside by the collar of his shirt.
A startled yelp escaped his lips as he stumbled into the women’s room behind her. He felt more than saw the door close them in together and his heartbeat quickened involuntarily, his body not catching on to the fact that she was likely distraught.
In fact, he expected to hear an anger fueled tirade spill forth, but to his surprise, after pulling him through the door, Maggie had gone still as death. She just stood with her back to him, her head lowered and her arms wrapped around herself, not moving, not speaking.
Concern turned to a righteous fury as he realized how hurt she really was. It took all of his self control not to give in to his vampiric nature and exact punishment on those who had dared harm Maggie. Instead, he stepped closer to her, sensing that she needed him here more than she needed him to exact retribution on her behalf.
Anatoly stepped around Maggie to stand in front of her and, placing his thumb and finger to her chin, gently tilted her face upward. He peered down into the dark depths of her eyes and saw the smoldering fire amidst the fresh wounds and old scars. They had taken more than a case from her; they had taken her dignity and confidence as well. That was why she had left so abruptly, to hide just how close they’d come to breaking her.
Except this time, when they came to exact another toll, Maggie wasn’t alone. She had someone who cared very deeply for her well-being and he would face final judgement before he let her lose faith now.
