“I don’t have the cash lying around. I have to call my accountant.”
“Then you do that, and I’ll call you tomorrow with the details for the drop.”
She glanced at Ella again. Bile rose in Megan’s throat. She swallowed it down.
She was done with this FBI business. No matter their promises, they couldn’t protect Ella. It was now her responsibility to meet Fowler’s demands and make him back off. She would do anything Fowler asked to keep her sweet little daughter alive.
Anything.
Upstairs, Reid settled Ella in the twin bed, his arms shaking from the threat. When the laser sight had cleared, he’d whisked her out of the den and up the stairs. Megan hot on his heels. Jack and Lauren hadn’t returned from their hunt for Fowler, and Reid had to assume the creep was still outside. The safest place for Ella was in a room where she could sleep away from a window and out of Fowler’s line of sight. That happened to be Reid’s childhood bedroom.
Reid stood over her, his whole body vibrating with anger. Maybe fear. Probably both. Fowler could’ve killed Ella. Right there in the den. On Reid’s watch. He should’ve been more careful. Checked the windows for the tiniest of cracks in the window coverings.
He let out a breath. It came out in short bursts of tension. He was more shaken than he’d thought. More so than he would like. More than he would expect in this type of situation. Sure, life-or-death situations on the job had always brought a rush of adrenaline, but this was different. He was starting to care for Ella too—and that changed the stakes. He wasn’t prepared for the emotions that hit him when Ella put her hands on his face and with a sweet little smile told him she really liked him.
Nor was he prepared for the emotions still churning in his gut.
He had to get out of the room for his own good. He started to back away, but Ella grabbed his hand. Her tiny fingers curled around the edge of his palm.
“That was fun,” she said and smiled at him before shifting her attention to her mother. “Did Mr. Reid tell you about the game we played, Mommy?” Her grin widened.
Thank goodness he’d pretended to play a game when he’d snatched her from the sofa so she wouldn’t be afraid.
“He did,” Megan answered.
Her tone held residual fear, but she put on a brave front for Ella, offering a wobbly smile and sitting on the bed, patting her daughter’s knee with a trembling hand.
Ella didn’t seem to notice the tension in the room, and her unwavering gaze landed on Reid. “Maybe we can play it again tomorrow.”
Her innocence melted Reid’s heart, and he settled her hand on the bed. “We’ll see about that.”
He eased away before Ella could touch him again.
“I’ll see you downstairs,” he said and gave Megan one last glance.
In the hallway, he sucked in oxygen and leaned against the wall.
“I like Mr. Reid,” he heard Ella say. “He’s fun. Like Daddy used to be.”
“Time for you to get some rest,” Megan said.
“Why doesn’t Daddy like me?”
“He does, sweetie. He loves you very much.” The deceit in Megan’s tone was obvious to Reid, but Ella couldn’t understand those nuances at her age.
“Then why doesn’t he ever come to see me?”
“He’s just not able to be here right now.”
Reid tightened his hands into fists. How could any man treat his child that way? The longing and pain in Ella’s voice turned Reid’s stomach. He wanted to make up for the hurt and show her how a real dad acted.
Whoa. Slow your roll. He didn’t want to care about Ella like this, or Megan either, but somehow he was being sucked under and couldn’t seem to pull free.
He closed his eyes.
I want to keep helping them, but I don’t know if I can. Not without getting hurt again.
A verse in Jeremiah that Reid had clung to when Diane died came to mind.For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
