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Everything is coming together nicely. The jeweler called to say Marley’s engagement ring is ready to be picked up, and he has been able to secure matching wedding bands for us. I’m eager to surprise her at the wedding with the rings. I wasn’t sure he would be able to get them ready in time. I showed her pictures of the design but prepared her we might have to use substitutes until the real ones arrive. I can’t wait to see her face when she sees the ring.
My cell phone rings, drawing my attention from more enjoyable things. Agent Morris. I answer the call, both dread and hope blooming in me. I close my eyes as I answer, praying the man is calling me with good news.
“Robertson,” I answer.
“Luke, I have news,” Jim says, his tone giving me chills. Whatever he’s about to tell me, it’s not good. Not for Marley. “The informant has found information the target they’re planning to hit. The Stars and Stripes celebration on the fourth. It’s a huge event that draws thousands of visitors to the area, but more than that, the President is scheduled to attend this year. From what the informant has been able to gather, they intend to have several bombs scattered throughout the crowds with multiple forced vectors.”
“Forced vectors?” I ask, but I already know the answer. I just need to hear him confirm it.
“Yes, persons to carry the bombs to their intended locations,” Morris continues. “He confirmed your woman is one of those vectors, along with a few others. Mostly individuals opposed to the group or that the members have a grudge against. These people are insane, ruthless, murderers, but they are also highly intelligent, organized, and disciplined. Their plans are very meticulous. They have a detailed schematic of your home and office, Luke. They know your schedule and Marley’s. The informant learned they were pissed when she stopped working at the bar and began going to work with you every day. It seems they were going to drop her as a vector, but something changed a few days ago. They gathered new intel, but the informant hasn’t been able to find out what that is. She’s now top of their list to abduct. They will strike soon to secure Marley under their control. I’m preparing to send a couple of agents out to take Ms. Morrison into protective custody.”
“No!” I exclaim. “You can’t just come and take her away. We will keep her safe, Morris. I have eyes on her twenty-four-seven. They won’t get her, not this time.” I hope I’m making the right decision. The memories of Marley’s abduction still fresh on my mind. The fear, the worry, the overwhelming sense of failure. I let her down before, but I’ll be damned if I let it happen again. She is my responsibility. I won’t trust her safety to anyone else, certainly not the fucking federal government.
“I’m sorry, Luke,” Morris counters. “But this isn’t your decision to make. I have to take her into protective custody. The higher ups believe if we can remove her and the other vectors from the equation, it will foil their plans or, at the very least, delay them long enough we can find their headquarters and take them down for good.”
“Jim, I won’t allow it!” I yell. “She is my woman. Mine to protect. No offense to you, but I don’t trust you or anyone else to keep her safe. Definitely not the FBI. You know as well as I do, there are double agents and moles who, for whatever reason, arewilling to sell out their country for money, fame, or power. I know you are a good man and would never to do anything to knowingly jeopardize her safety, but haven’t you wondered why these fuckers have been able to run under the radar this long?”
“Luke, I’ve known you for years and always valued your skills and intelligence, but you’re too close to this situation to see it clearly.” Morris sighs heavily before continuing, “I know the agency has issues. I won’t deny it, but this is over my head. The order is coming from the top. The agents will be there in a couple of hours to take her into custody. Don’t do something stupid and end up in jail over this or worse, the morgue. Let us handle it.” With that Jim ends the call. I sit staring at the phone, pissed as all hell.
What the fuck am I supposed to do? What’s the right decision? If I keep her from going with the agents and something happens to her, it’s my fault. I will have failed to protect her once again. On the other hand, if I allow them to take her, they might not be able to keep her safe. She could still be taken, and my nightmares could still come true. I don’t fully trust that the FBI doesn’t have a mole in their system. This being the very reason they’ve been unable to deal with these fuckers before now. I need to run this by my brothers. Four heads are better than one, any day of the week. I pull up Bo’s number on my phone and call.
“Yo, bro!” he answers with his usual lack of decorum. I roll my eyes, but don’t comment. I’m more focused on what’s important: keeping Marley safe, than my brother’s poor choice of grammar.
“Call the rest of the guys,” I growl into the phone. “Meeting in the conference room in ten minutes. Don’t be late!” I end the call. I head out toward the conference room, pausing to knock on the women’s restroom door. I just need to see Marley for a second after the call I’ve just gotten, reassure myself she’s safe. There’s no answer. I knock a little harder, but still, no one comes to the door. I push open the door carefully and call out, “Daisy?Marley?” There’s no answer. I call Daisy immediately, knowing that Marley has left her phone on her desk.
“Good grief, Luke!” Daisy laughs into the phone when she picks up. “We’ve only been gone a few minutes. You will be fine without her until we get back.” What?? They left Invictus?
“What the hell do you mean get back?” I demand, fear racing down my spine. “I thought she was trying on dresses in the bathroom. Where the hell are you?”
“Calm down, Luke,” Daisy cajoles, but I hear concern entering into her voice. “We’re just down the street atStyling Chic Boutique. We won’t be long.”
“No! Get back here now!” I exclaim in fear. “I never said you could leave the office. You don’t understand the danger she’s still in, Daisy! You may have killed the men who held you hostage, but there are others in their organization who are still gunning for Marley. Fuck! If anything happens to her, I won’t survive it.” Bo pokes his head around the corner, at that moment, to let me know everyone is assembled.
“Get your ass down the street to that Chic Boutique or whatever the fuck it’s called!” I yell at him, catching him off guard. His head jerks back. “Marley and Daisy are out there without protection.” Bo nods and hurries away. “Take the rest of the guys with you!” I call after him.
“Luke! Calm down!” Daisy is yelling at me through the phone, then suddenly stifles. “No! Wait Marley! He’s fine, just freaking out on me for bringing you here.” Daisy’s muffled voice returns to full volume. “Ace is with us, Luke. We won’t let anything happen to her. I promise.” My racing heart is refusing to slow down.
“Please, Daisy, bring her back, now,” I plead, hoping my sister will hear the urgency in my voice. An uneasy feeling is skirting up my spine. I need eyes on Marley. I won’t be able to do anything else until I have her in my sights.
“Okay, Luke, okay,” Daisy relents at my pleading tone. “Wewill grab the dresses and head back. Bo is here now, so we have plenty of protection. Just calm down.” I feel slightly better, but not one hundred percent at ease. Only having her here in my arms will ease the tension from me. At this point, I’m not sure even that will take it all away but enough that I can focus on the problem so we can eliminate it.
MARLEY
Earlier…
Daisy and I head down the street from Invictus Security’s main office building to a cute little dress shop with Ace in tow. I’m sure this is the last thing Ace wants to be doing right now, but he’s taking it all in stride, not seeming to mind tagging along. Daisy and I’d stopped by here a few days ago, when she first arrived, and asked the owner if she would be able to get me a few options to try on this afternoon. I don’t want a huge flashy traditional wedding dress. We are getting married at home on the boardwalk to the beach. I want something simple, yet flattering to my fuller figure.
We enter the shop as the bell over the door dings, announcing our arrival. Mrs. Grace hurries out from the back of the store with a big smile on her old weathered face. You can tell she’s lived all her life on the coast. Her tanned skin is leather-like from her years in the sun.
“Welcome! Welcome!” She calls to us. “Come, come I have your dresses already hanging up in the dressing room.” She motions to us with her hands. I think Mrs. Grace is as excited about the wedding as I am. “Here, young man, have a seat.” Mrs.Grace ushers Ace into a chair. “Now you, Ms. Daisy, help Marley with her zippers. My old arthritic hands aren’t as nibble as they used to be.”
Daisy and I head into the small dressing room. My eyes widen at the sight before me. There are five white dresses hanging on the rack. I’m eager to see what I’ll look like in them. Daisy pulls the first one down. It’s an A-line dress with gauzy, sheer long sleeves. It has lace on the bodice and more of the gauzy, sheer material over the satin dress underneath. It’s a beautiful dress, but I’m not sure it’s going to look good on me. I slip out of my clothes down to my bra and panties. I suppose I should be embarrassed to get mostly naked in front of Luke’s sister, but we’re both women, after all, and we’ve been held captive together. The bonds of shared trauma and all that.
I slip the dress over my head, Daisy helping me. Once we have it in place and zipped up, Daisy herds me out to where Ace is sitting. A raised platform is there with multiple mirrors angled so I can get a three-sixty view of myself in the dress. I turn to face the mirror and nearly shriek with laughter when I see myself. The dress poofs out from the waist making me look huge. It reminds me of one of those old-time southern belles. I look dreadful.
“Oh my God!” I exclaim, laughing. “I look like a one of those puff ball pastries you can buy at a gas station.” I can tell by the expression on Daisy’s face she thinks it looks ridiculous too, but she’s too kind to say anything too negative. Mrs. Grace comes over to look me over.
“Oh I agree, dear.” She chuckles. “Definitely not the dress for you. Go, go” —she shoos me with her hands— “go try on another one.” I lift the enormously long hem, making sure I don’t trip, as I step down from the platform and head toward the dressing room. Just as I’m taking the dress off, Daisy’s phone begins to ring. She fishes it out of her pocket, rolling her eyes when she sees who’s calling. I wonder who it is, but I don’t pry.
