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She hung her head. Staying just wasn’t an option. There was a whole world out there. She could go anywhere really. Work in any sort of law enforcement department. Hell, she didn’t even have to worry about moving at this point. She had nothing to move. It would be the easiest relocation ever.
Except, of course, she’d be leaving behind her heart. Dane Landry had gotten under her skin, and no matter how hard she wanted to deny it or say it wasn’t true, she knew deep down that she was going to mourn the loss of him for a long time.
And Hawai’i. She loved the islands. Other people said they got island fever, that suddenly they couldn’t get away, they felt claustrophobic for something new, but not her. Not so far. It was beautiful here, and the people were amazing. The energy of the islands spoke to her. She would miss that.
Mac glanced at the clock and did the calculations. Her parents would be home from work. They would want to hear all about what happened. They would want to see her. She could hop a flight home and spend a couple of weeks recuperating in her childhood room.
But she made no move to pick up her phone. Instead, she laid back on the bed and closed her eyes.
How had her life become such a mess? Too many traumatic events happening in too short a timeframe? She needed a chance to process things. A moment to breathe.
Dalton Sinclair. She could call him and ask him about working for NCIS in San Diego. She thought he’d put a good word in for her. They’d made a good team for the short amount of time they’d worked together. He was a good investigator, and now that she knew the truth, she’d trust him wholeheartedly, which would make for a nice change. And San Diego was warm and sunny. It was drier than Hawai’i and the water was colder, but she’d adjust. Maybe that was the smart play.
She yawned. She would think about it more after she napped. But the hint of that niggling thought popped to the surface once again, and she opened her eyes, mentally stretching for whatever it was that was taunting her. Did she have it? No. It was gone again. She sighed. It would come to her at some point. She just hoped it was in time. She had a sense of a looming deadline, and it made her stomach knot. They were all running out of time.
* * *
Her ringing phone jarred her from a deep sleep. She’d been having a weird, jumbled-up dream. Confused, she stared into the darkness and tried to place where she was. It all came back in a rush. The explosion. The Kahala. The second attempt on her life. She was at the hotel because she no longer had an apartment.
Her cell stopped ringing. They’d put the batteries back in their phones earlier since there didn’t seem to be a worry about being tracked anymore. She’d liked it better when no one could reach her.
She started to move but froze when every part of her body protested in agony. She was bruised from head to toe, and stiff from falling asleep in an awkward position. She rolled slowly to her side to grab her cell off the nightstand. The screen lit up, and she didn’t recognize the number from the missed call.
Tossing the phone aside she rose slowly, her body working like it was one hundred years old, not in her early thirties. Moving with slow, deliberate steps, she made her way to the bathroom. Her mind was on fire, too, thoughts swirling around in her head of the last few days. Cross, Casper, and Owens. It was all so much to take in, to sort through.
And her heart ached as much as her body.Dane. She would love to be curled up with him right now, but instead, she’d pushed him away because she was too weak to behave like an adult. It was stupid, but she felt like adulting was beyond her at the moment.
She flicked on the light in the bathroom, flipped on the shower, and started peeling off her clothes. The hot water would help fix her up, and maybe some Advil. She smiled wryly. She was becoming just like Dane’s team. Another misfit and broken toy.
The pounding spray was heavenly, and she stayed in the shower much longer than was necessary. Finally, she got out and toweled herself off. After brushing out her hair, she went through to the bedroom and turned on the lights. She rooted through the pile of clothes Cass had bought for her and pulled out faded jeans, a white tank top, and an off-the-shoulder black sweater. She also dug out a filmy cream-color bra and thong set. Cass sure knew her way around clothes.
She pulled on her underwear, did a few stretches to try and loosen up her muscles, and then pulled on her clothes. Her stomach growled. She glanced at the clock. It was 10:35 p.m. No wonder she was hungry. She’d slept for hours. Grabbing her cell, she saw that she’d missed another five calls from the same number. It wasn’t one of the guys because she’d programmed their numbers into her phone. It wasn’t work either, or it would come up as such. She gave a mental shrug as she slid her feet into a pair of black mules, grabbed her cell and her purse, and headed to the door. She opened the inner door and then opened the door to the hallway and let out a small scream.
“Sorry I didn’t mean to startle you.” Neil Ainsley stood there, staring at her.
“Mr. Ainsley.” She clutched a hand to her chest. “You scared the hell out of me.”
“Sorry. I did try to call. And it’s Neil.”
She blinked. “That was you? I didn’t recognize the number. Is there something you wanted?”
He smiled at her. “I wanted to check on you. Make sure you’re okay. John is concerned about you.”
Alarming tingles rippled across Mac’s back. Something was off. “I’m fine. Thanks for checking.”
“Have you eaten dinner? I would be happy to take you out for a meal.” Ainsley raked her body with his eyes. “You look like you’re dressed to go out.”
He, on the other hand, looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks. His hair was standing up in tufts and he was wearing the same clothes as he’d had on yesterday. He usually looked harried and harassed, but this was next level. And started alarm bells clanging in Mac’s head.
“You know, that’s very kind of you, but I’m okay, thanks. I’m sure you could use a night off anyway. Thanks for coming to check on me, though. I’ll be sure to thank Deputy Director Cross as well.”
Ainsley didn’t budge, just stared at her with a strange look in his eye. “I’m afraid I must insist. John won’t be happy if you’re not looked after. Let me buy you dinner.”
Her stomach rolled as the smile on her face froze into a grimace. Could she get back into the foyer and close the door before he blocked it? She glanced down. Not a chance. His foot was already lodged there. He was prepared for her to do that.Shit. Her instincts told her she was in serious trouble. “Mr. Ainsley—"
“Neil.”
“Neil. I really need to go. I’m meeting someone. If you wouldn’t mind moving.”
