Most of the team took up every available seat in Miguel’s hospital room while they enjoyed dinner together and kept him company for a little while. The only person missing was Caitlyn, who was on a date.
Madeline’s thigh and ankle both throbbed, but the soreness had improved considerably after the first couple of days.
“I wish I could’ve brought him in alive,” Miguel said, referring to the terrorist suspect he’d had to shoot.
“We all read your report,” Nick said. “You didn’t have a choice.”
Dash nodded. “The guy had a gun to the kid’s head. You had a split second to make the right call and you did. You saved a life.”
“But I wanted to bring him to justice,” Miguel said. “Squeeze him for information that could’ve ended up saving even more lives.”
“We’re just glad you’re going to be all right,” Madeline said.
“And you as well.” Miguel glanced at her leg.
“I’m okay. Compared to you getting shot, this is like a scratch,” Madeline said, downplaying her injury, not liking the attention, but it was also true.
Unlike Madeline, it would be a week before Miguel would be back on his feet and another two before they’d see him in the office.
“I read your report, too,” Miguel said. “You almost didn’t make it out of the Survivalist Zone.”
A shiver ran through her thinking how close Chloe had gotten to almost ending her life. But thanks to Jackson, that disturbed woman had failed.
For once, Madeline was glad he didn’t listen to her and had gone rogue. If he hadn’t already been on his way out to the site to help her before he’d gotten her text message, he never would have made it there in time to save her life. For a second time.
“Jackson and I ended up making a good unofficial team and saved his daughter.” She smiled, though her chest ached from not having heard from Jackson.
Not that she had any expectations. No strings attached.
Yet deep in the recesses of her heart she had hoped, foolishly, that once Emma was safe, he might still be interested in her.
But there had been nothing but silence between them. Even thinking of it now, no call, no text, something inside her withered.
Shoving the thought aside and tamping down the prickle of disappointment, she turned to Liam. With his head hung and pushing his food around in his take-out container, he hadn’t spoken much.
“Liam, have you and Lorelai not worked things out yet?” she asked.
He clenched his jaw and shook his head. “I messed up. A part of me was afraid to go through with it and walk down the aisle. I mean, look at my parents. Even Lorelai’s folks are divorced. But now that the wedding is off...” Shrugging, he slapped his container closed. “Careful what you wish for because you just might get it.”
“This isn’t all your fault,” Madeline said. “A relationship takes two people, and I will admit to you, because I’ve already done so directly to Lorelai, that she was becoming a bit of a bridezilla.”
The others in the room nodded emphatically.
“It’s going to be okay,” Nick said.
Dash patted him on the back. “Whatever is supposed to happen, will.”
“If you miss her and want to work it out,” Miguel said, “then you can. One thing I know for certain is that life is too short to let an opportunity for love pass you by.”
ON THE DRIVE HOME, Madeline couldn’t get Miguel’s words out of her head. He was right. Life was too short to let an opportunity for love and happiness pass by. But it took mutual interest, mutual attraction, mutual desire on the parts of both parties. She couldn’t force something that wasn’t there, no matter how much she wanted Jackson.
Funny, she’d gone all these years content to be on her own, and after knowing him a few short days, he’d turned her world upside down. Had her reevaluating what she wanted, needed. Made her consider facing her fear of attachment rather than running from it.
In her condo, she kicked off her shoes and poured a glass of wine since she no longer needed her pain medication. She pulled the pins from her hair and took down the loose twist. Sipping a glass of cabernet, she figured she’d take a bath and curl up with a book tonight.
The doorbell rang.
She groaned, realizing it was that time of year again when kids went knocking door-to-door selling candy to raise funds for their school.
“One minute.” She set her glass down, grabbed her checkbook and opened the door.
Her heart flipped over.
Jackson and Emma.
The two of them stood hand in hand, smiling. No, beaming at her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, hearing the words that left her mouth and regretting them when his smile faltered. “I mean, I’m surprised you’re here. But glad.” Jump-up-and-down ecstatic.
“We both wanted to see you,” Jackson said. “Can we come in?”
“Of course.” She opened the door wide. “Please.”
“How are—?” she and Jackson said at the same time and laughed.
“I’m good,” she said. “Your ribs?”
“Still healing and Emma is sleeping through the night now and back in her own bed.”
Emma held out a card. “This is for you. I made it.”
“Thank you.” Madeline took the piece of folded construction paper and stared at the flowers and rainbow drawn on the cover. Inside was a smiley face inside a heart. Emma had scribbled, “Thank you for saving me.” Emotion clogged Madeline’s throat and she couldn’t speak as surprising tears wet her eyes. “It’s so beautiful. I’ll treasure it.”
The little girl gave Madeline a hug, and she bent down to tighten the embrace.
“Emma, why don’t you go sit on the sofa for a minute while Madeline and I talk?” He handed her a kiddie tablet, and she went to the couch.
“How did you know where I lived?” Madeline asked.
“Caitlyn took pity on me and told me. I hope that’s okay. I wanted to talk to you in person, not over the phone or at your office.”
She owed Caitlyn one. “It’s fine. I don’t mind.”
“I wanted to come sooner, but I needed to focus on Emma. Make sure she was all right.”
“She’s your number-one priority. I get that.”
“I can’t stop thinking about you. I know big, important things about you, but I want to know more. Everything. The name of your third-grade teacher, your favorite dessert, your happiest memory. What your go-to takeout is.”
“Sushi. Spicy scallop roll and tuna tataki.”
“That’s a start.” He stepped closer. “Caitlyn also mentioned that you’re taking a couple of days off. I was wondering if you’d like to come to dinner with me and Emma, tomorrow night. In Paris.”
“Paris?” She owed Caitlyn big-time!
“Why not? You’ll be on vacation and I’m not currently employed.”
“You’re not going back to ETC?”
“I don’t know. I want to take some time. Spend it with Emma. And you.” He cupped her jaw and caressed her cheek with his thumb.
She was surprised by the sudden twist of desire that stabbed through her, all the way from her scalp to the pit of her stomach. It took her breath away, and she wanted him with a force that frightened her.
“What do you say about Paris?”
“I’d love to, Jack.”
Look for Trapping a Terrorist by Caridad Piñeiro, the final book in the Behavioral Analysis Unit series, available next month.
And don’t miss the previous books in the series:
Profiling a Killer by Nichole Severn
Decoding a Criminal by Barb Han
Both are available now wherever
Harlequin Intrigue books are sold!
Keep reading for an excerpt from Surviving the Truth by Tyler Anne Snell.