Rescuing Macie Page 10

  “Every morning, I wake up in a momentary panic, thinking you’ll have left in the middle of the night,” Colt admitted softly.

  Macie felt awful about that. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. Just promise that you’ll never again leave my bed without telling me. If you have to get up and pee in the middle of the night, fine, but if you can’t sleep and are going to go read or work, wake me up and let me know. I can’t handle waking up to you being gone, Mace. Not after tonight.”

  “I promise.” It was an easy promise to make.

  “I’ll do the same. It’s much more likely that I’ll be the one leaving,” he said. “We get called to the base in the middle of the night for missions sometimes, and I always need to go in and monitor my men, but I’ll never leave without saying goodbye. That’s my vow to you.”

  “Thank you.” Macie couldn’t say anything else through the lump in her throat.

  Then Colt rolled them over once more and kissed her. It was a long, lazy kiss that felt comfortable and easy. She was exhausted from three orgasms and was on the verge of falling asleep when he pulled away.

  He smiled down at her, then kissed her on the forehead. “Sleep, hon. I’ll be right back after I take care of this condom.”

  Macie watched as Colt climbed out of the bed and walked butt-naked to the bathroom. He didn’t seem the least concerned that he wasn’t wearing any clothes. But why would he? For a forty-three-year-old man, he was in excellent shape. He didn’t exactly have a six-pack anymore, but his muscles were clearly defined and his ass was to die for.

  Smiling to herself, Macie closed her eyes. She soon felt the mattress depress, and Colt gathered her into his arms. He covered them with a blanket and kissed her temple. That was the last thing Macie remembered before falling into one of the best sleeps she’d had in a very long time.

  Chapter Eight

  “So you’re telling us that you can’t find her ex, and you can’t track down the men he associates with, who were most likely the ones who broke into her apartment not once, but twice?”

  Macie winced at the censure in Colt’s tone. They’d driven to Lampasas to grab some more clothes from her apartment and had stopped at the police station to talk to the detective.

  “It’s not as easy as the shows on television make it look,” the man tried to defend himself.

  Colt and the detective went into stare-down mode, and Macie shifted uncomfortably. She hated being the cause of this conflict. She didn’t really know the detective, but he’d been trying to find Teddy for almost a month.

  It was hard to believe an entire month had passed since she’d called her brother needing help. One month since she’d moved in with Colt. The happiest month of her life.

  Oh, there were plenty of times when her anxiety overwhelmed her, but somehow, with Colt by her side, things seemed easier. Less stressful. When she went to the grocery store, she worried less if people were staring at her. She went out to eat more because she could sit next to Colt, and if there was something wrong with the food or the service, he dealt with it. And when she’d had a major anxiety attack after one of her clients hated the website she’d spent days designing, Colt had been there to rub her back and reassure her that her entire career wasn’t over.

  It was nice having someone in her corner.

  No, it was more than nice. It was a miracle.

  And Macie was scared to death, every day, that she would do or say something to screw things up between them, and then she’d be alone once more. She’d have to move back to her apartment here in Lampasas and worry that the men who’d broken in hadn’t been caught yet.

  After staring at the detective for a full minute, Colt finally said, “You have my contact information if you find them.”

  “I’ll be in touch with Mercedes, as it’s her case,” the detective said firmly.

  Macie saw Colt’s jaw tighten.

  She hated confrontation. It was one of the things that could easily throw her into a full-blown anxiety attack. “Thank you,” she blurted, tugging on Colt’s arm. “I would appreciate that. I’m sure you’re doing everything you can to find them.”

  Colt’s mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but after looking at her, he obviously changed his mind. He nodded at the detective, wrapped an arm around her waist and steered her toward the exit.

  The second they were out of earshot of the detective, he leaned down and asked, “You okay?”

  Macie nodded. She could feel her heart beating way too fast, but she took a few deep breaths to try to control it.

  Colt held open the door for her, and his palm at the small of her back felt nice. Comforting. His touch reminded her of how they’d made love the night before. She’d been on her knees in his bed and he’d taken her from behind. His hand had caressed the small of her back, just as he was doing now.

  Just the thought of Colt making love to her was enough to help snap Macie out of her downward spiral. He was an amazingly generous lover, always making sure she got just as much pleasure out of their joining as he did.

  After Colt had gotten her settled in his Wrangler and climbed into the driver’s side, he turned to look at her. “I’m going to see what my team can do to find this guy.”

  Macie blinked. She’d been lost in her thoughts about Colt and her, naked in bed together, and his mind was obviously in a completely different place than hers.

  “You’re going to get Ford and his friends involved?” She wasn’t sure she wanted that. Macie had no doubt her brother could probably track down Teddy, but she wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep his shit together long enough to find out any information from him. Ford was pissed. Extremely pissed that Teddy had obviously targeted her as an easy mark. As someone he could use to hide his drugs, or whatever it was he’d stashed in her apartment.

  “No, not Truck. He’d lose his shit and do something stupid, which could hurt his career. I’m talking about the other Delta team I command.”

  Macie nodded in understanding. She hadn’t met the men he was referring to, but she knew of them.

  “Because Trigger and his crew don’t have any connection to you, it will be easier for them to look into this. I’ll talk to him tonight. Ask him to have Brain see what he can find.”

  “Why Brain?” Macie asked.

  “Because Brain is a sneaky son of a bitch and is smarter than anyone I’ve ever met in my life. The man could have been a brain surgeon or a nuclear physicist, but he chose to enlist in the Army instead. He’ll be able to use technology the cops don’t have to see if Teddy is even still in the area, and then the others can use his intel to track him down.”

  Macie bit her lip and stared at Colt.

  “What?” he asked, reaching out and caressing her lip with his thumb.

  “I…I don’t want anyone to get in trouble. Least of all you and your men. Maybe, if no one has been back to my apartment since that second break-in and the detective can’t find Teddy, he left town.”

  “Maybe,” Colt agreed. “But I’m not taking the chance that he isn’t just lying low, waiting for the perfect time to strike against you. We still don’t know what it was he was looking for. Maybe those thugs did find whatever it was when they searched your apartment that second time, but we don’t know for sure. And until I’m one hundred percent certain you’re safe, I’m not taking any chances.”

  Macie’s chest felt tight, but this time it wasn’t because she was on the verge of panicking. No one in her entire life had ever gone to as much trouble to look after her as Colt. Sure, Ford had done his best to take care of her when they were kids, but this was different. And strangely enough, knowing what Colt had done to get to his friend Gris, how violently he’d defended him, made her feel confident in his ability to keep her safe.

  “Maybe we should go back to my apartment and look through everything again?” Macie suggested.

  Colt shook his head. “No. Not today. You’ve had enough, and if we didn’t find anything the first time we lo
oked, then we probably won’t find anything the second time.”

  “Do you think Teddy knows where I’ve been staying?” Macie asked quietly. She’d been worried about it for a while, which was why she was more than content to stay in the house when Colt went to work every day. He had a security system, and it was easier on her psyche.

  Colt looked at her for a long moment before finally nodding. “Yeah, hon. I think it’s possible. If he’s smart—and I think he is, because he’s managed to elude the cops for this long—he probably had someone watching your apartment, and when Truck and the others showed up to get more of your stuff or to check things out, he could’ve had them follow us back to Killeen.”

  Macie bit her lip again. Then asked, “Am I putting you in danger?”

  With that, Colt leaned over and put his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her closer to him. Macie braced her hand on the console between them but didn’t try to pull away from him. “I can handle that punk Teddy. Brain got his rap sheet for me, and believe me, he doesn’t scare me.”

  “But—”

  “No buts,” Colt said firmly, interrupting her before she could even start to protest. He kissed her briefly, then pulled back to look her in the eyes. “I like having you in my house. In my bed. I like seeing your computer and files on my dining room table. I just plain like you, Macie. This isn’t a hardship for me. If I had my way, you’d stay even after this is over. So if you think I’m gonna let a punk like Theodore Dorentes hurt you, you’re crazy.”

  She liked everything he’d just said, but one thing stood out. “You want me to stay?”

  “Yeah, Mace. I want you to stay,” he confirmed.

  She should tell him he was insane. That she had way too many issues to be a good bet. That he’d helped her feel more normal recently, but her anxiety would always be an issue. That as a colonel, he needed a partner who was outgoing and social, which would never be her. That she always second-guessed people’s motives for doing anything.

  But she kept quiet. She wanted Colt more than she’d ever wanted anything in her life, and if he didn’t understand how fucked-up she was, then she wasn’t going to tell him.

  “I like you just the way you are,” he added after a moment, as if he could see what she was thinking. “There will always be people who misunderstand us, but as long as we’re good with who we are together, then fuck them.”

  She wished she was as confident as Colt, but she gave him a small nod anyway. He leaned forward and kissed her again. “You ready to go home?”

  Home. Yeah, she could totally get used to that. “Yes,” she said simply.

  Even though it had been a weird day, and Macie should be stuck in her head and dealing with her insecurities, she wasn’t. She smiled all the way back to Killeen.

  * * * *

  Colt sat in his office with his hands steepled under his chin as he looked across the desk at the seven men on the second Delta Force team he commanded. He’d asked to speak to Trigger, and told him why, and the next thing he knew, the entire team was there.

  “All due respect,” Grover had told him, “but if someone is threatening our commander’s woman, it’s all of our concern, not just Trigger’s.”

  Colt couldn’t get upset with the men for that. Besides, the more people he had looking out for Macie, the better, in his opinion. So he’d outlined what had happened at her apartment complex and who Teddy was. He explained that Macie was staying at his house, and hopefully would be moving in with him permanently, if he could convince her. He told his men about the Lampasas police not being able to find Teddy or the men who’d broken into Macie’s apartment, and he finally touched on the anxiety that Macie fought on a daily basis.

  Like the good men he knew they were, not one of the guys in front of him looked discomfited with that last revelation. In fact, Trigger asked, “That’s what happened at the reception, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah,” Colt said.

  Lefty nodded. “Brain noticed that she didn’t look well and was going to deal with it when you beat him to it.”

  Colt turned his attention to Brain and eyed the younger man.

  Brain smiled and held up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. “I knew she was Truck’s sister and just wanted to make sure she was okay. That’s all.”

  Colt nodded and tried to calm down. Brain wasn’t going to hit on Macie. He was being polite, that’s all.

  “Yeah,” he said, answering Trigger’s question. “The wedding and reception were hard for her. Social situations generally are, so I took her home and made sure she was all right.”

  The men all nodded. “So what’s the plan?” Oz asked.

  “Brain, I’d like you to see what you can do to find Teddy. Figure out where he likes to hang out, who his dealer is, and who his friends are.

  “Doc and Grover, if you can watch her apartment when you can, and see if you notice anyone lurking around, I’d appreciate it. We don’t know who the assholes were who broke in and threatened Macie, and I don’t like that they’re still out there somewhere. Lucky and Oz, I’d appreciate you doing surveillance of my neighborhood. There’s no evidence that Teddy or his friends have been to Killeen, but I don’t want to take any chances. We don’t know what it was that Teddy was looking for, so he might decide to try to get to Macie directly.”

  “And us, sir?” Trigger asked, referring to himself and Lefty.

  “I want you to come over after we leave here and let me introduce you to her.”

  “Sir?” Lefty asked.

  “I told you that she suffers from anxiety. She eventually needs to meet all of you. Needs to get comfortable with you. She’s already comfortable with Truck and his team, mostly because of the fact he’s her brother. But I want her to get to know all of you, as well. If I have my way, she’s going to be around for a hell of a long time, and the last thing I want is for her to feel anxious about seeing any of you. I’m going to need your help in social situations to keep her calm. I won’t be able to be by her side at all times, and if she knows you reprobates, then we can both relax.”

  “Done,” Trigger said immediately.

  “It’s not like I have plans,” Lefty added. “I’d love to get to know her.”

  “What about the rest of us?” Grover smirked. “I want to meet the woman who has our commander wrapped around her finger.”

  Colt stood and leaned over his desk and glared at his soldier. “Damn straight, she does,” he said in a low tone. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her. Remember that, soldier.”

  Grover immediately nodded. “Of course, sir. I didn’t mean anything by that.”

  Colt tried to get his temper under control. He knew Grover didn’t mean to be disrespectful, but his comment still rubbed him the wrong way. “She’s smart as all get out,” he told his men. “Beautiful. Resourceful. And she’s been through hell in her life. She’s sensitive about the things people say. She assumes they’re talking about her, even if they aren’t. Watch what comes out of your mouth, and be respectful at all times. Got it?”

  A chorus of “Yes, sir” rang out in the room.

  “Good,” Colt said with a nod. “If you have any concerns, anything at all, you call me first and the cops second. I don’t expect you to protect her with your life, that’s going a bit far, but I do expect that you’ll look after her as you would each others’ women.”

  “Sir,” Trigger said, “you don’t need to tell us that. We may not have wives like everyone on Ghost’s team does, but that doesn’t mean we don’t respect their women, and even want our own at some point. It’s obvious that Macie is important to you, and therefore she’s important to us too. She’s as much a part of this team as you are. You can count on us to do whatever it takes to make sure she’s safe.”

  Colt relaxed even further. He hadn’t realized he wanted and needed their support so much. “Thank you. Dismissed.”

  The team headed out of his office and Colt took a deep breath.

  He had a bad feeling a
bout the entire situation. Too much time had passed since Macie’s apartment had been broken into. Men like her ex didn’t have a lot of patience…so why hadn’t he made a move before now? Every day that went by was another day that his anger could fester and grow. The situation made Colt uneasy, and if he could, he would bring Macie to work with him every day, just to make sure she was safe.

  The only thing making him not lose his mind was the knowledge that Macie wasn’t the kind of woman to take risks. That was one of the one million and two things he loved about her. He dealt with enough risks and danger at his job. Knowing she had no intentions of leaving his house when he was at work made him feel better about the situation.

  He hadn’t ordered her not to. Hadn’t told her of his suspicions about her ex. She’d actually brought it up one night when they were lying in bed together, replete and relaxed after making love. She’d told him that she felt safer holed up in his house when he was at work because Teddy still hadn’t been found. She volunteered to stay safely behind his locked doors during the day and only leave when he was with her.

  He hated that she felt that way, but he hadn’t argued with her. Hopefully, after they figured out where Teddy was and he was dealt with, he could work with her on feeling more confident about going out on her own.

  Taking a deep breath, Colonel Robinson got back to work.

  * * * *

  Later that night, after he’d reassured himself that Macie was doing well, he told her that Trigger and Lefty would be stopping by. She looked unsure, but nodded.

  “These are my men,” Colt told her. “Do you think I’d let them into your life if I thought they would do or say anything that would cause you one iota of mental anguish?”

  “Well, no, but…that doesn’t mean I’m not nervous about meeting them.”

  “Hon, every single one of my men would do exactly what I did all those years ago if something were to happen to me. If I was captured by the Taliban, I know with a bone-deep conviction that they’d move heaven and Earth to free me…just as I’d do for them. But it’s more than that. Just as your brother would do whatever it takes to keep you safe, I’d do the same for him. And for Mary. And for Ghost and Rayne, or Casey and Beatle…or any of them and their wives and children. The bond we have goes deeper than simply soldier and commander. It’s because of what we do. How we rely on each other to have our backs in the most intense situations of our lives.”