My nostrils flare as my lungs struggle to fill with air. The burn of their fight warms my chest. Darting my eyes around the room, I realize the only safe place to hide is behind the shower curtain. As noiseless as possible, I move into the bathtub and plaster my back on the sparkling white tiles.
Closing my eyes, I try to calm my nervous breaths. The hiss of my panicked pants echo around the outdated, but spotlessly clean bathroom. Not long later, Megan walks into the room. The smell of bleach intensifies, plunging the room into a muggy, uncomfortable heat.
“I’m waiting for you, my love. . . We will be together soon. . . you just have to be patient. . . Wait for me.”
I adjust my position so I can get a better view of Megan. She has a torn out magazine page in one hand and a roll of duct tape in another. She rips off a large section of duct tape and sticks a paparazzi photo of Nick and his bandmates onto the wall solely dedicated to pictures of Nick and cardboard hearts.
Megan's fidgety movements halt as her manic eyes dart around the bathroom. I plaster my back on the tiles and keep my body void of any movements. I don't even breathe as I'm afraid she may hear my inhalations of air.
After several terrifying seconds, Megan darts out of the bathroom as quickly as she arrived. I wheeze in a shaky breath; my burning lungs relish the fresh air even being riddled with toxic bleach.
Another twenty minutes pass before Megan leaves again. I rush out of the hotel room as fast as my quivering legs can take me. My eyes widen when I cross paths with Megan in the corridor of the hotel. She is carrying a full ice bucket in her hand. A sigh spills from my lips when I realize how close I came to having my escape foiled. Dangling on the front of the ice machine located next to Megan’s room is an out of order sign with the direction to use the ice machine one floor above. If that ice machine were working, Megan would have busted me exiting her room.
By the time I park Brandon’s car outside of my office, my erratic heart is still pounding out of control. Although I'm relieved Megan isn’t targeting Isaac, I’m beyond panicked at what Isaac’s reaction will be when he finds out Megan is threatening his brother. The whole drive back to the office, my mind replayed Isaac’s statement from months ago.“What about for someone you love? You wouldn’t get your hands a little dirty for someone you love?”
Isaac undoubtedly loves his brother, and deep down in my heart, I know he’d do anything in his power to protect him.Anything at all.
Brandon’s eyes lift to mine the instant I walk back into the office. He gulps before he rushes toward me.
“I should have never let you go alone.” He pulls me into his arms and squeezes me tight.
It is lucky I went alone as there was no way Brandon and I would have both fit in that shower!
“Did anyone notice I was gone?”
My eyes dash around the office. Surprisingly, the usually bustling space is relatively quiet for the late hour.
“No, they’ve been too busy with the local cops versus FBI turf saga that happens in every town we go to.” Brandon’s voice gains a hint of arrogance. “A local detective arrived on the scene not long after you left. Alex is worried he is going to quote ‘piss all over his investigation’ unquote.”
My heart swells, pleased Isaac sought legal help to deal with Megan.
Over the next three hours, Brandon helps me compile the longest and most tedious report I’ve ever filed. We both want to ensure we have dotted every “i” and crossed every “t” so the report doesn’t have any chance of being dismissed. Once the report is perfect, we head to Alex’s office to share our findings.
“Are you ready?”
After a quick breath to calm my nerves, I briskly nod.
Alex's head lifts from some reports when he hears Brandon's curt taps on the glass door. Brandon gestures for me to go first when Alex permits us to enter his office. Once we gain Alex's full attention, Brandon hands him the extensively noted documents along with several printouts of the photos I took in Megan's bathroom. The more Alex's eyes wander over the report, the closer his eyebrows become.
“How did you get these photos and information?” Alex asks, his tone surprised.
“I followed Megan to a Motel Six on the outskirts of town.”
I wait to be reprimanded for going out in the field unassigned. Astonishingly, no negative remarks leave Alex’s mouth.
“I'm very impressed with the caliber of this report,” Alex says with shock, his eyes darting between Brandon and me. “First thing in the morning, I’ll have two special agents assigned to Megan.”
“Really,” I interrupt in surprise.
As a grin stretches across Alex’s face, Brandon wraps his arm around my shoulders and squeezes me tight. “Good job, Izzy.”
My smile falters when I slide into the back of Isaac’s town car at 6 PM and Hugo tells me, “Unfortunately, Isaac is indisposed tonight, and he has asked me to take you back to your apartment.”
42
Isabelle
Iprobably shouldn’t have told Isaac that I loved him over the phone. If I waited and did it in person, I would have been able to gauge his reaction by reading his face or staring into his enthralling eyes. Now, I have the misery of wondering if my message was the cause of his sudden change in routine the past four weeks, or if he really is indisposed for the night.
