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"You better shut the fuck up before I cut your tongue out."
Fredrique didn't say much after that.
"Grace, call your security guys. Marks's men should be arriving soon, but let's get some handcuffs up here."
As she nodded and went over to the phone, all he wanted to do was hold her, but there was no way he was letting the man under him get loose.
Within minutes, two uniformed security officers came into the room. Smith got off Fredrique after they'd handcuffed him and immediately went to Grace. He curled himself around her, surrounding her with his body, and when her arms came around him, he felt a relief that made him light-headed. Breathing in her scent, feeling her living warmth against him, he thought it was nothing short of a miracle.
* * *
With the arrival of Lieutenant Marks and his men, Grace's office turned into a bull pen of cops. Fredrique was carted off, looking dazed and stammering about there having been some kind of mistake.
"Could you give us a sec, fellas," Smith said over Grace's head to the police and security officers milling around. The men in blue were waiting to take her statement, but he needed to be alone with her.
When they were by themselves, he was surprised to feel her stiffen against him.
"So you saved me, after all," she murmured, pulling away. "Burst through the door... and saved me. Just like a bodyguard should."
She went over to the windows, moving slowly as if she didn't trust her legs. The hand she raised to her neck was trembling and she looked at her fingers curiously, as if she was only just now realizing how badly she was shaking.
Smith frowned, thinking about the recovery she had in front of her. She wasn't physically injured, but she was going to be rattling around in her own skin for a while. He'd seen it before. Had been through it himself.
"Grace, you're going to need help getting over this. I can recommend someone you can talk to."
"I'll be fine. Although it's kind of you to worry." She stood rigidly while looking out at the twinkling city. "Would you mind calling the police back in? I'm feeling rather tired and would like to go home."
The words were formal, her voice a false calm that told him she was two inches from the cliff.
"Grace—"
"And by all means, you should go now. You've more than served your purpose. You've saved me."
There was a little hiccup after that last word.
"I'm not going anywhere."
Her hand went to the base of her throat. " There's no reason for you to stay."
"What I'm trying to say is—"
"Or are you going to have me arrested for what I did to Tiny?"
Smith frowned. "We'll talk about that later."
"There is no later for us."
“Yes, there is." He went over to her and turned her around. "I don't know how it's going to work but I can't leave you. Walking away from you this afternoon felt wrong, like I was leaving a part of me behind. I don't want to be without you. I don't know if I can ... live without you."
Her eyes were wary. "What about Black Watch? What about your past? "
"Like you said, we'll work it out together."
"Oh, really?" She stepped out of his reach. "You were very worried about it before, that's changed?"
He shook his head. "Nothing. Everything."
"Now there's an answer." She smiled sadly. "Actually, that's just what I would have expected you to say."
He frowned. "Grace, I—"
Her voice was tired as she cut him off. "I'm sorry, John. But I don't think there's anything you could say that would convince me that all of the problems you saw between us have disappeared."
"How about this." He waited until she looked up. "I love you."
Her eyebrows rose and her mouth opened slightly.
"I love you. And I don't want to live without you." He paused. "I won't pretend I've handled any of this well. But I promise to improve over time. And I am trainable. That's how I made it through the Army."
He offered her a lopsided smile, hoping like hell she would believe him. Believe in them. Now that he finally saw everything they had together, he prayed that he wasn't too late.
Grace just kept staring at him. As the silence stretched between them, a cold dread formed in the pit of his stomach. She'd told him it would take a hell of a lot to open her heart to him again and he wondered if his love was enough.
He was getting ready to beg when she lurched forward.
With an awkward lunge, she grabbed on to him, almost taking him down on the floor with the force of her body.
She held on to him so hard, he thought he wouldn't be able to breathe and didn't care if he suffocated or not.
When her hold loosened, he bent down and kissed her softly.
