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Carter nodded. “Mallory, can I call you that?” She nodded. “Mallory, I’m not just big, I’m well trained, and I’m armed. I promise no one will get to you.”
She released another deep breath slowly. Mallory opened her eyes, and the panic had lessened.
“You okay?” asked Monroe quietly. She nodded and wiped the stray tear winding its way down her cheek. “I’m sorry. I know you will protect me, and I hate I’m like this now.” Anger roughened her voice. “I hate that someone could do this to me.” She inhaled, then exhaled again. “I’m good.”
“You’re more than good. You’re perfect for me.” His words helped some. His closeness and sincerity helped a lot.
“Go do your thing. I’ll be here when you get back.”
“They’ll probably release you in the morning. Then we’ll blow this popsicle stand.”
She watched as his head descended to stop just before touching her lips. “Are you really going to be comfortable with me leaving Carter?”
Staring into his eyes, she whispered, “Yes.”
“I’ll be as quick as I can. Do you want me to bring you back anything?”
“A Dr. Pepper and chocolate.”
His lips twitched before he touched hers softly, then he deepened the kiss as though he, like her, was drawing sustenance from the other.
“I seem to have difficulty keeping my hands off you. I’ll be back soon.”
Her heart kicked up a notch. Her breath followed suit as she watched Monroe and Garrett stalk from the room. Carter pulled up the chair that Monroe had sat in earlier and stationed it so he could see her and the door clearly, keeping his body next to hers.
“I think I’ll try to nap. I feel tired all the time.”
Carter nodded. “Yeah, all of my Reynaud teammates have dealt with being held hostage or in situations we didn’t think we’d get out of alive, so we get what you feel and what you shut down to survive. There are no judgments here. Don’t put yourself under a microscope, either. It will take time to get past this. I learned that I don’t do well being the victim, so I let go of the horror as soon as I could. You will probably need a counselor to help you through it. I know a good one who is easy to talk to or to sit with. Ivy has used her.”
“Thanks. I’ll let you know if I need the number.”
“Good enough. Now nap woman. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
Another thing to be ashamed of. Not being able to take care of her own mental health without help. Didn’t that sound pathetic? Her over-active brain, with its rigid ideology on how she should live her life, was at it again. Time to go to sleep.
***
Jac got a phone call while Monroe talked about the Mallory situation and optional scenarios out with him. Jac placed his hand over the mouthpiece.
“It’s Sam Johnson, the FBI liaison. I’m putting it on speaker. Play your cards close.”
“Got it.”
“Hey, Sam, I have Monroe here. You’re on speaker, and my office is soundproof. Go ahead.”
“Right, I think you and your group are too close to this, and that is likely to cause a lapse in attention to Doctor Sasse’s safety.”
Monroe spoke up quickly and fiercely, forgetting all about playing it close. “I won’t let anything happen to Mallory. I think you would be too ‘business as usual’ with her, and I place the value of her life over mine.”
“That’s what I mean. You’ll play the sacrificial lamb before seeing other options, weighing the pros and cons,” said Sam.
Jac put his hand up to stop Monroe’s words. “I see it differently. Look, Sam. We’ve pulled your ass out of the proverbial many times, and it has involved some of our own people intimately. We will attach an entire team to protect Mallory. It won’t just be Merton. They are just as attached as they were to Ivy or Jessie, or Sharlee. So your excuse doesn’t hold water. We have a proven record of taking care of our women.”
Sam sighed. “I’m just worried there is someone else still out there. I mean, hell, this guy couldn’t have kidnapped so many without someone noticing them missing and connecting the dots. He would have made a mistake at some point. He had them fighting him, surely. The adrenalin alone…”
Jac answered with a sigh. “We both know crazy people do crazy-ass things.”
“Exactly why I need to make sure we have eliminated any threat before I say she is safe.”
