Trouble Walks In (21 page)

Maddy was going to die, and all she could think of was Ronan.

As the door creaked open slowly, Maddy squeezed her eyes shut and prayed for the strength to fight. She fleetingly thought of self-defense classes she had taken in school, but with her hands tied, there was little she could do. She could kick or bite her abductor, but that would probably only enrage him, making her situation worse.

Heavy footsteps and the sound of something being dragged across the floor filled the small room. A chair? The little wooden chair she saw in the corner by the door. Was that it?

Maddy squelched the scream and tried to stop her body from shuddering, but it was no use. Pure unadulterated fear and adrenaline coursed through her like an electrical current. Even her teeth chattered. She could feel him, whoever he was, getting closer, and she instinctively pulled her knees to her chest and scooted closer to the wall, trying to get away from him in whatever way she could, no matter how small.

“Good, you're awake.” The male voice was soft and mild and vaguely familiar. “Now we can begin.”

Maddy's heavy breathing and her heartbeat thundering in her ears were the only sounds in the room. She flexed her hands, opening and closing them, hoping against hope that she could free herself from the ropes. It was no use. Digging deep for even an ounce of bravery, she sucked in a shuddering breath and opened her eyes.

It was the computer guy from 15B.

“Tom?” Her voice was shaky and barely above a whisper. “What the hell is going on? Why are you doing this?”

“Oh,
now
you know my name?” he asked flatly.

Confusion spiraled through her, and she shook her head. Maybe she could reason with him? Appeal to some shred of human decency that might be lurking beneath that cold, disconnected exterior? He was bigger than she thought she remembered, and slim but obviously not weak. He wore a Captain America T-shirt and khaki pants. His Clark Kent glasses completed the image of a computer nerd, but obviously someone far darker lurked beneath.

“Please,” she whispered. “Just let me go. I won't tell anyone what happened.”

“Yes, you will.” He pushed his glasses up his nose before resting his elbows on his knees and studying her intently, like she was a bug under glass. “The others said the same thing. That's always what they say, but it's a lie.”

Maddy swallowed the bile that rose in her throat.
The others.

“It was you,” she whispered. “You killed Lucille and Brenda…”

“Practice makes perfect,” he said, his voice void of emotion. “I wanted to be sure that it was exactly right when I got to you. It's not easy to strangle someone, you know. It takes real power. And I didn't get to take my time with them. Not really. But you and I will have plenty of that.”

Maddy's brows knit together, and she squelched the hysterical laugh that threatened to bubble up and boil over. He was
bragging
. The little sicko was trying to impress her with his strength? That was it. That was her opening. Maddy flicked her tongue out over her dry lips.

“I-I know,” she rasped. “I won't fight you. I know you're too strong for me. Just tell me what you want, and I'll give it to you. You don't have to hurt me.”

“You,” he said simply. Tom waved his hand toward her in a bizarrely casual gesture and leaned back in the chair. “I wanted you from the first time I saw you. People aren't like computers, you know. They're much more complicated. Unless, of course, you just take what you want. I got tired of women treating me like dirt, using me and then tossing me aside. Helping them with their papers back in school. Carrying groceries. Whatever. People take what they need and leave the rest behind. That's all I'm doing. Taking what I need.”

“I would have helped you,” Maddy whispered. “I would have—”

Tom jumped from his chair. It tumbled backward as he lurched forward and screamed in her face.

“You didn't even know my fucking name! I was in your apartment, fixing your computer, and you called me
Tim
. My name is TOM!” His calm exterior faltered, and his fair complexion flushed bright red. “So don't tell me what you
would
have done.”

Maddy squeezed her eyes shut and shrank from him, bracing herself for whatever came next. His breath was a mixture of sweet and sour, like old soda and stale mints, and it fanned over her in disgusting little waves. Her body was tensed to the point of pain, but she didn't dare move.

A small whimper escaped her lips when he trailed one finger over the exposed flesh of her thigh, but a sound outside made him stop. It was probably just a falling branch or an animal, but whatever it was, Maddy was grateful for it.

“Be right back,” he whispered. “And don't bother calling out for help. We're in the woods. Nobody will hear you. Besides, the sun will be down soon, and I always do my best work in the dark.”

Revulsion roiled through her at the clammy press of his wet lips against her cheek, and Maddy bit the inside of her mouth to keep from screaming. Tom left the room. Once the door closed behind him, she let out the breath she'd been holding, and it escaped in a heaving sob.

All she could think about was Ronan. Why hadn't she followed him after the party? She could have stopped him. She could have told her clients to wait a damn minute, but she didn't. It would prove to be the single biggest mistake of her life.

What was it he had wanted to talk to her about?

Maddy squeezed her eyes shut and pictured his handsome smiling face. She replayed their best moments together like a movie in her head. If this was going to be her last night on earth, then Ronan would occupy her final thoughts. Not the crazy person who had brought her here, or the horrible fate that likely awaited her.

It was not supposed to end this way.

“No fucking way,” Maddy rasped through a shuddering breath.

She shook her head and grunted as she tugged on the ropes again. She would not die here. Not like this. Maddy flicked a glance at the closed door and began pulling at the knot with her teeth. She would get out of here and get back to Ronan or die trying.

* * *

Ronan and Bowser crouched behind a huge pine tree, but the dog was restless. He had picked up Maddy's scent before the cabin even came into view. The bloodhound shivered as he leaned against Ronan, his large furred body tense and ready to pounce. Ronan didn't blame him one bit. The son of a bitch who had taken Maddy was just arrogant enough to think they wouldn't find him. He had no idea that Ronan, along with several feds and some of the local cops, now had the small cottage surrounded.

With his gun drawn, Ronan nodded to the three men positioned on the other side of the driveway. Snow drifted over them, but the two snipers in the brush remained stone still, waiting to take their shot. The windows were covered, and there was no way to see inside. Ronan couldn't think about what might be happening to Maddy because it would paralyze him. He slammed his mind shut to anything but getting her out.

He didn't have the luxury of letting the fear in.

This was search and rescue. It was his job. That's it.

Even as those words rushed through his mind, Ronan knew it was a lie. This wasn't just
any
job and the woman held captive within those walls wasn't just
any
woman.

Get it together, McGuire
. Ronan gripped his gun tighter and let out a slow, steady breath through his nose, attempting to slow his racing heart.
Focus.

Sanderson, the lead investigator for the feds, captured Ronan's gaze and gave him the signal.

Game time
.

All four men moved in swiftly and as silently as possible. Bowser kept his nose to the ground and ran a few feet ahead of Ronan. The sound of leaves and gravel beneath their feet sifted through the air. As they got closer to the rickety front porch of the dilapidated cottage, Ronan's heart thundered in his chest.

The feds were supposed to take point. That was the plan. But Bowser didn't get the memo. When the door burst open and gunshots erupted, Ronan dropped to his knees by the railing of the porch, attempting to get cover, but his partner leaped in front of him.

A howling wail of pain filled the air, and Bowser fell onto the steps like a stone.

* * *

The sound of gunfire and shouting filled the air, and Maddy froze. A dog barked savagely, and the sound was immediately followed by several more shots, a howling, haunting wail, and then…silence.

Had she imagined it?

Maddy's body shook with fear and adrenaline following the noise, and the horrifying quiet surrounding her. Then the footsteps came, moving fast and getting closer, echoes thundering through the cabin. Maddy held her breath, and a split second later, the door of the room burst free from its hinges and clattered to the floor.

For a minute, she thought she was hallucinating.

Ronan McGuire stood in the doorway like an avenging angel. He was in uniform, and his badge glinted in the fading light that streamed through the window, like a beacon of safety telling her everything was going to be okay. Wild-eyed, blood smeared on his cheek, and with his gun drawn, he looked ready to rain havoc on whoever got in his way. Perhaps he already had.

The fierce expression of concentration stamped into his features flickered and dissolved into one of desperate relief when he saw her. The man looked haggard and drawn, like he hadn't slept in weeks.

“Maddy.” Her name fell reverently from his lips. “Thank God.”

Ronan ran to her and tumbled to his knees by her side. He quickly undid the ropes around her wrist while raining kisses over her face. She sat up, and sobs loudly racked her body. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly.

“I thought I was going to die,” she whispered. “You found me. Thank God you found me. How? How did you—”

“That's what we do, Mads.” Ronan held on to her as though he would never let her go. “And you know how I love surprising you,” he murmured.

In spite of the ordeal or maybe because of the incredible relief that it was over, Maddy laughed and buried her face in the comforting warmth of his throat. It took her a moment to realize someone was missing. And she had heard a horrible howl.

Bowser.

Red and blue lights strobed outside, and another officer appeared in the open doorway. He was wearing a beige-and-brown uniform that looked more like the ones she had seen on state troopers than on NYPD.

“McGuire, they're taking him in now.” The older man looked at Maddy briefly. “Do you need the ambulance?”

“Yes.”

Maddy started to argue, but Ronan shot her a look.

“Yes, she needs to be looked at first. You guys can get her statement later.”

“Ronan?” Maddy gripped his arms and looked past him to the open doorway as he helped her to her feet. Her legs shook, and she feared they might give out on her. “Where's Bowser?”

“He took one in the chest. Stupid damn dog ran right in front of me.” Ronan's eyes watered, and he shook his head curtly before scooping Maddy up into his arms. “Doesn't look good. They're taking him to the local animal hospital.”

“You should be with him,” Maddy whispered.

Ronan strode out of the room, Maddy safe in his arms. She averted her gaze when she spotted Tom's lifeless body on the porch. A shiver of dread swept up her back when she thought about what could have happened. But it didn't, because of Ronan and Bowser.

“I need a blanket here,” Ronan shouted as they approached the front door of the cabin. “Now!”

An EMT ran over and draped a black blanket over Maddy.

“Ronan,” Maddy said gently. “Let's go be with Bowser.”

He stopped by the ambulance but didn't put her down on the gurney.

His dark brows furrowed and the hardness in his eyes softened, bringing down some of the defensive wall she knew he'd put up to keep it together. She pressed her hand to his cheek, the scruff rasping against her palm.

“I'm okay, I promise,” she whispered. “But I wouldn't be if it weren't for the two of you. So let's go.”

Maddy sprinkled the boiled ground beef over the bowl of white rice and mixed it thoroughly. Satisfied it had cooled off enough, she poured the concoction into a big dog bowl printed with
Bowser
in bright-red letters. Ronan was watching the game on the couch in the living room, and his newly retired partner sat right next to him. Maddy's white couch was quickly becoming a dingy gray.

She didn't care. That big dog and his gorgeous partner were her family. What good was a fancy, white couch if she couldn't share it with them?

“Come on, buddy.” Maddy brought the bowl over to Bowser's special spot by the dining room table and set it down. “Dinnertime.”

The enormous bloodhound whined with appreciation before gingerly getting off the couch and making his way over to the food. The stitches would be removed soon, but the poor dog had a limp that would likely be permanent, and the injury was bad enough to force him into retirement.

“You know,” Ronan said, “you're spoiling him rotten. He only needed that diet the first week after the surgery. It's been three weeks, Mads. He can have regular dog food.”

“No he can't,” she said in a silly voice. Maddy rubbed Bowser's ears before leaving him to his dinner. “Bowser saved my life and got shot in the process. The least I can do is give him a decent meal every day.”

“What about me?” Ronan grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the couch with him. “What do I get?”

“Me.” Maddy kissed him quickly before snuggling against his chest. “I still can't believe that you two got to me before…”

“Hey.” He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm more tightly around her. “It's done. You're safe and he's dead.”

“I know,” she said shakily.

“The little sicko wasn't that smart.” Anger punctuated his words. “With all his fancy Internet tricks, he failed to hide that property he owned upstate. Besides, the creep hardly ever left his apartment, but the days he
did
leave just happened to coincide with the dates the women went missing. He was arrogant and never thought a bunch of dumb cops would catch a smart guy like him.”

Ronan put his sock-covered feet up on the mahogany coffee table and played with her hair as she nuzzled deeper into his embrace. She felt safe with him and she always would. No matter where they were.

“It makes me sick to think how long he'd been spying on me.” Maddy shuddered and snuggled deeper into Ronan's embrace. “Using my GPS to track me and watching me through my computer camera. Creepy as hell.”

“I know.” Ronan kissed her cheek, and his arm tightened around her. “But it's over, and the feds triple-checked your apartment but didn't find any bugs or cameras.”

“That's a relief.” Maddy sighed. “And tell them they can keep the computer. I'm getting a new laptop. I don't want that other one anywhere near me.”

“Agreed.”

A comfortable silence fell between them, and Maddy rested her head on his shoulder. She giggled when Bowser belched loudly after finishing his food.

“Nice, buddy,” Ronan said through a laugh. “See? You're spoiling him. If you keep it up, he's gonna weigh three hundred pounds.”

“Bowser's really retired now?” Maddy asked. “There's no way he can go back on duty?”

“Nope. He's gonna miss it too.” Ronan's voice was quiet and edged with a hint of sadness. “But he's going to stay with me for the rest of his life. Most K-9s retire around eight years old anyway, and Bowser's going to be seven soon. It's just a little early, really.”

“So now what?” Maddy asked quietly. “For you, I mean? What
ever
will you do with yourself?”

She grabbed the remote and turned off the television before straddling Ronan on the couch. A lusty smile spread across his face, and his hands settled on her hips, tugging her against the quickly hardening evidence of his desire. Maddy braced both hands on the cushions on either side of his head and rocked her hips.

“I'll think of something,” he murmured. “I'm still a cop. But I'll have to switch departments unless I want to train with another dog.”

“You're a one-dog kind of guy, huh?” she asked playfully. “I hope that goes for women too.”

She leaned down to kiss him, but Ronan grabbed her face with both hands and held her there. His lust-filled gaze shifted to one of serious concentration as he studied her intently.

“What is it?” she asked gently. “What's wrong?”

“Hang on.”

Ronan took her by the arms and carefully helped her off his lap before he disappeared into the bedroom. A funny feeling settled in the pit of Maddy's stomach at the way he'd shifted gears so quickly at the phrase “one-woman man.” Maybe the bloom was off the rose, and Ronan had decided that being in a relationship wasn't for him after all. Was that it? Was that what he had wanted to talk to her about at the party? Maybe he had been waiting until things settled down to break it off with her.

“Oh shit,” Maddy whispered.

Unable to sit there and simply wait for him to deliver the bad news, Maddy hurried into the kitchen. She still had to clean up from making Bowser's dinner, and that would give her something to busy herself with. She pushed up the sleeves of her sweater and flipped on the water, waiting for it to get steaming hot.

“Shouldn't you wear gloves when you wash dishes?”

Ronan's deep male voice cut into the kitchen, but Maddy kept her gaze fixed on the rising dome of bubbles.

“I don't know,” she said quickly.

Dishes? He wants to talk about freaking dishpan hands? Jeez. Just dump me already and get it over with.

“Well, I think I heard that all that grease and dish soap isn't good for your rings and stuff.”

“I don't wear any rings, Ronan,” Maddy said with more than a little irritation.

“But what if you did?”

The steam that started to rise wasn't from the water but her waning patience. Maddy slammed the faucet off and spun around, expecting to see Ronan standing behind her.

Only, he wasn't standing. He was kneeling.

On one knee, to be more specific, and he was holding out a black velvet box with a stunning ruby-and-diamond ring inside. The bright-red stone sat in what looked like an antique setting and was surrounded by glittering diamonds.

It was absolutely exquisite.

Maddy's hands flew to her mouth, sending water and soap around the kitchen, which only made the satisfied smirk on Ronan's face grow wider.

“Is that what I think it is?” she whispered through her fingers.

“Madolyn Morgan, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

“You're proposing?” she asked through a laugh. Maddy dropped to her knees in front of him and punched him in the arm. “I thought you were breaking up with me!”

“No way, Mads.” Ronan shook his head and took the ring out of the box. “I'm not letting you get away. Why would you think that I was going to break up with you?”

“That night at the party, you were acting so weird and talking about what I deserved, and…just now…I said something about being a one-woman man…”

“I was gonna
propose to you
that night, but I freaked out when Bowser made a scene and you got so upset.”

“That's why you were acting all nervous!”

“Yes. And proposing to you on the kitchen floor is not what I originally planned. I can promise you, my other idea was way more romantic.” He grabbed her hand and held up the ring. “I love you, Maddy, and I want to spend the rest of my life surprising you. Will you be my wife?”

Maddy smiled broadly and drew in a deep breath. “On one condition.”

“Uh, okay.” Ronan's grin faltered but he remained composed. “Anything.”

“Let's get the hell out of this city.” Maddy linked her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Take me home,” she murmured against his lips. “Can we do that? Move back to Old Brookfield?”

“I thought you'd never ask,” he growled.

Ronan slipped the ring on her finger, and Maddy only had a brief moment to admire it before he hopped to his feet and tossed her over his shoulder. She let out a shriek mixed with laughter and Bowser barked, joining in with the fun.

“What are you doing?” Maddy giggled and smacked his backside as he carried her toward the bedroom. “Ronan! Was this part of your proposal plan?”

“Taking you to bed?” He held her knees against his chest and whacked her butt playfully. “You bet your sweet ass it was.”

“Why am I not surprised?” She laughed.

Ronan spent the rest of that night showing her over and over again just how much he loved her. In between lovemaking, they talked about the possibilities for the future. Ronan had already looked into transferring to the Old Brookfield police department, and Maddy shared her dream of buying the inn from Imogene and Bob.

With plans in motion and her head spinning with possibilities, Maddy lay in bed, exhausted and sleepy, her nude body draped comfortably over Ronan's.

The ring, a family heirloom, glinted in the moonlight that streamed through the window. It was perfect, and she couldn't have asked for anything better. The steady, familiar sound of Ronan's breathing surrounded her like a security blanket.

She was leaping into the great unknown once again. But when Maddy stepped over the edge this time, she would have Ronan by her side. Bowser snuffled loudly from the foot of the bed. Maddy stifled a giggle.

Ronan, and a big, hairy bloodhound.