Wickingham Way (A Harbour Falls Mystery #3) (10 page)

Chapter Ten

A
few hours later, as the midnight hour neared, I found myself downstairs in the living room, pacing like crazy.

I was sure the rescue attempt was well under way by now, but I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something had gone wrong. Several hours had passed since I’d watch the guys leave Stowe’s house, and since then I’d heard nothing from anyone.

Not a word.

Naturally, that was driving me crazy.

I continued to pace. And if I didn’t quit soon I knew I’d probably wear a hole in the area rug beneath my feet. Dammit, I needed an update or something. But I couldn’t call any of the guys’ cells, I might interrupt something important. Erin’s cell, though, was another story. She was close to the location of the meet but not anywhere near Ruslan.

As I found her number and hit
send
, I reasoned that maybe she had heard something.

Unfortunately, there was no answer.

“Ugh.” I swore a few times, finally stopped pacing, and threw my cell onto the couch in defeat.

Standing in the middle of the living room, I considered my options.

After Adam had left, I’d thrown on a sweatshirt and sweat pants. So I was more or less dressed. Therefore, driving over to Harbourtown and trying to find this secret warehouse was always an option. I knew the guys had taken Stowe’s car, and I was sure I’d recognize the nondescript white rental if I saw it parked somewhere.

I grabbed my car keys off the coffee table, intent on taking action, but then I reconsidered.

What if Adam returned while I was gone?

If he did come home, maybe my father would be with him.
Hopefully
my father would be with him. And I certainly didn’t want to be out traipsing around over in Harbourtown—out on some wild goose chase—and miss welcoming my father back.

All I really wanted, when it came right down to it, was to see my dad again, to give him a hug. Just to know he was safe and out of danger would mean everything. Running out of the house and putting myself in harm’s way wasn’t the answer.

I sighed.

I supposed I was finally learning to make good decisions. With a second resigned exhale of air, I made one now. I set the keys back down on the coffee table and sat down on the sofa.

Just as my butt hit the cushions, the front door flew open. I jumped back up and raced to see who was coming in.

“Adam, Dad,” I cried out, elated when I ran right into my two favorite men in the world.

My dad had been rescued!

I threw my arms around my father—just as I’d intended to—and held onto him tightly.

“Madeleine…” my father croaked, too choked with emotion to continue.

After a good minute or two of hugging my dad, I finally let go. I stepped back and looked him over. Mayor Fitch appeared no worse for wear. His face was more drawn than usual, and his suit looked like it had been worn for several days, but otherwise my dad appeared unharmed.

“You’re really okay?” I asked as I ran my hands down the sides of his arms, the heavy wool suit jacket material rough beneath my fingers.

“I’m fine, sweetheart…thanks to Adam.” His eyes, the same hazel shade as mine, slid to Adam.

I’d never seen so much gratitude in my father’s eyes, especially directed at Adam Ward. I imagined my father must have been terrified, having been at the mercy of a criminal like Ruslan. Thank God he’d been rescued.

But my relief was short-lived.

When I glanced past my dad, Adam indicated with a motion of his hand that I should take my father upstairs. And quickly. I knew then something had gone wrong, something Adam didn’t want to mention in front of my dad.

“Come on, Dad, let’s get you upstairs,” I said. “You can clean up and change clothes, and then you can get settled in one of the spare bedrooms.”

My father said he had no other clothes to change into, but I explained that I’d packed some clothes and toiletries for him—in the hopes he’d be rescued—when Erin and I had been at the house. My dad thanked me and gave me another tight hug.

Once my dad was settled upstairs, I hurried back down to the entry area.

Stowe and Erin were coming in the front door when I reached the bottom step. But they were not alone. Erin and Stowe were supporting a slumped-over and very wounded Max Cleary.

“Oh my God, what happened?” I asked in a rush of words, freezing in place at the base of the stairs.

Max was hunched over but conscious. I saw him wince in pain as Stowe shifted. My neighbor was bearing most of the large man’s weight, while Erin was pressing a thick and heavy cloth to a bleeding wound on Max’s side.

“What happened?” I asked again. “How was Max hurt?”

“He was shot,” Adam replied before he turned away from me and took over for Erin.

“Let’s take him to the kitchen,” Adam said as he gingerly pressed the cloth to Max’s wound, just as Erin had done.

Erin led the way to the kitchen, and everyone followed. When Stowe and Adam lowered Max carefully to a chair at the table, I stopped in the doorway.

Adam glanced over at me and asked me to get more towels. “And some kind of antiseptic,” he added as I started to turn to go.

“Okay,” I called back over my shoulder, already on my way to retrieve what was needed from the linen closet upstairs.

A few minutes later, once all the supplies were gathered, Erin began to work on treating Max’s wound.

“I knew I should have come along to the warehouse,” she said as she ripped away Max’s shirt to reveal a nasty-looking wound. “I was no help six blocks away.”

Adam told me later it had been Stowe who’d insisted Erin stay out of direct danger. That was why she’d stationed herself in a car six blocks away from the warehouse. It was fairly obvious Stowe Hannigan was falling hard for Agent Lenehan.

I watched now as Stowe, at Erin’s right side, handed her various medical implements as she asked for them. I had to concede the two of them worked well together.

While Erin and Stowe continued to administer care to Max, Adam stepped back to get out of their way. In doing so, he ended up standing next to me by the counter.

“Will Max be all right?” I asked quietly.

Adam nodded, his eyes remaining on the man who wasn’t just his security guy but his dear friend as well.

“It’s just a flesh wound,” Adam said distractedly. “A bullet grazed him.”

“Shouldn’t he be seen by a physician, though?”

“Erin’s had adequate training. She can handle it.”

When I again expressed concern that Max should be seen by a doctor, Adam rolled his eyes. “Maddy, we can’t just wheel him into a hospital. There’d be questions, you know, and authorities would surely be notified.”

He shook his head as if I should have considered all of this before asking such an inane question.

Perhaps I should have, but I had not. I almost replied with a snarky comment, but it was clear Adam wasn’t in a very good mood, which told me something more than Max getting shot had transpired.

Despite his dark mood, I still longed to throw my arms around the man I loved. I wanted to tell him how relieved I was that he’d returned unscathed, unlike poor Max. And I wanted to thank him for rescuing my father. But I sensed now was not the time to smother the man with adoration.

While Erin and Stowe attended to Max, who was looking more coherent with every passing minute, Adam slipped off the leather jacket he was wearing and unholstered his gun.

When he began to unbutton his shirt, I asked, “What are you doing?”

“Getting this bulletproof vest off,” he responded as he slipped his shirt over his shoulders, tossed it to the counter, and removed the vest. “It’s heavy as fuck.”

In his state of undress, I couldn’t help but admire Adam’s smooth chest, his taut abs, and the sexy
v
of his tapered waist. I even caught Erin sneaking a quick peek. I couldn’t blame her. Adam Ward really was an incredibly hot man.

And he was mine. I sometimes had to remind myself of my good fortune.

Adam grabbed up his shirt and slipped it back on, his motions fluid. He must have felt my eyes on him as he buttoned up his shirt, for he glanced over at me from under his long, black lashes. When a swath of jet-black hair fell to his forehead, I reached over and smoothed it back.

Adam gave me a smile that unfortunately didn’t reach his eyes. And I knew then that Ruslan had gotten away. This was what was troubling Adam. He didn’t have to say it out loud; I
knew
.

Which meant Adam was still in danger…and I was still in danger.

Hell, just about everyone we knew could be targeted by Ruslan. If anything, the fallen crime boss would be angrier than ever now that my father had been snatched away with relative ease, Max’s injury notwithstanding.

Suddenly remembering that Nate had gone along on tonight’s mission, I asked Adam where he was.

“He went back over to the island to get Helena,” Adam said. “They’re going to stay in the safe house until Ruslan is neutralized. They’re leaving tonight.”

That sounded like a good idea, especially now that the couple was expecting a child.

Worried, I asked Adam, “Ruslan doesn’t know Helena’s pregnant, does he?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

Adam didn’t sound entirely sure, and I sensed from his dour expression that he was as worried as I.

Hell, a pregnant Helena would be a far better hostage than my father. Not only would Nate lay down his life for his wife and unborn child, but Adam would definitely jeopardize his safety as well to save Helena. The friendship between the three of them went back far and ran deep.

“How safe is that safe house?” I asked.

Adam didn’t answer, and Stowe and Erin, who had apparently been listening to my conversation with Adam, glanced over at us.

I asked my question once more but directed it to Stowe and Erin.

Stowe said he didn’t know, and Erin shrugged her shoulders. “Guess we’ll find out,” she said.

I found that response far from reassuring.

Chapter Eleven

L
ater that same night, after Stowe and Erin had taken Max next door to Stowe’s house to get some rest, I checked in on my father. I was hoping to talk with him and make sure he was truly all right, but I found him sleeping soundly.

I carefully closed the door to the spare bedroom and returned to the room I shared with Adam. The gorgeous Mr. Ward lay on his side, his broad-shouldered back facing me. The sheet rested just at his hip, but I couldn’t discern whether he was wearing anything beneath it. Adam usually slept nude, and I assumed tonight was no exception. But I had no plans to start anything physical, not with my dad right down the hall.

I tried to be quiet, but when Adam heard me tiptoeing around, he rolled onto his back.

In the bedroom, lit only by slivers of moonlight streaming through the blinds, Adam appeared contrite. He ran his hand down his face and said, “I’m sorry I was short with you earlier.”

I peeled off my sweatpants but kept my sweatshirt and panties on. Maneuvering my bra out of my sleeves, I tossed the lacy material to the floor and then crawled into bed next to Adam.

Since I was trying to behave myself, I was careful to keep my hands above Adam’s waist, even as I wound an arm across his body.

Adam chuckled when he realized what I was doing. He lowered my hand so I could feel the waistband of his boxer briefs. “You don’t have to keep your hands above the sheet, Maddy,” he said softly. “I kind of figured with your dad here it’d be wise if we both remained at least partially clothed.”

I snickered. “Good thinking.”

We both laughed a little, and it felt good to joke around. With my dad safe, my mood felt lighter than it had in days.

“Thank you for saving my father,” I whispered to Adam.

He turned onto his side so we were face-to-face. “Maddy…” He reached out and trailed his fingers down my cheek. “I love you, and I’d do anything for you. You know that, right?”

I did, so I nodded. And that was the point where something passed between us, some unspoken pledge that
this
was forever. I leaned in close enough to press my lips to his, and we kissed for the next few minutes.

It wasn’t kissing designed to lead to something more; it was just a communion of lips and tongues that expressed our growing commitment to one another.

When we finally broke apart, we resumed our face-to-face positions on the pillows.

As I combed my fingers through Adam’s silky, raven locks, I asked, “So, what happened tonight? How did Ruslan get away?”

Adam took a deep breath, and proceeded to tell me the story.

When the four guys had arrived at the warehouse, it felt to all of them as if something was off. The surrounding area was far too desolate, and the associate of Ruslan’s who was supposed to meet Stowe and Adam out front was nowhere to be found.

Nate and Max, who were staying out of sight, conducted a quick sweep of the exterior of the building. Adam and Stowe, meanwhile, climbed up a fire escape along the side of the building that led them to the uppermost floor. The new vantage point gave them a bird’s-eye view of the area surrounding the warehouse.

Still, there was still no sign of anyone. Adam and Stowe agreed that was odd. But nothing appeared blatantly amiss.

Adam suggested stepping into the warehouse, as there was a heavy metal door at the top of the fire escape. Stowe, though, was hesitant. Since there seemed to be no need for Nate and Max to remain hidden, Adam texted and told them to meet him and Stowe at the top of the fire escape.

Adam wanted their opinion on what their next move should be—go in or wait.

Not much was decided once Nate and Max arrived, as the four men got in to a heated debate.

“Stowe and Max thought it could’ve been a setup,” Adam explained. “So, there was talk of turning around and leaving, or sending me back to the car. But there was no way I was leaving without first checking to see if your father was in that warehouse.”

Even though I knew the story ended well, I still shuddered. When he noticed, Adam banded his arm around my back and pulled me close to him.

“What happened?” I asked.

“Max tried the door and it was unlocked, so the four of us went in.”

Adam explained that from that high up, they had a complete view of the warehouse interior. It was empty…except for a man tied to chair in the center of the ground floor. The captive man’s eyes were covered by a blindfold.

That man was my father. And my dad was being guarded by a man with a gun, but the man was not Ruslan.

Before anyone knew what was happening, the man with the gun glanced up to the catwalk five stories up. Soon as he saw Adam, he took a shot at him.

Luckily, he missed. But the stray bullet grazed Max, which was how Adam’s personal security guy had ended up injured.

The man made a run for it, his interest in guarding my dad no longer a top priority.

But he didn’t make it far. Stowe stopped him cold when he raised his gun and fired, killing the man.

“Jeez, Stowe sure is lethal,” I interjected.

Adam just nodded and then continued his explanation of the events that followed.

Stowe helped the injured and bleeding Max outside and back down the fire escape, while Adam made a call to Erin. He directed her to meet them outside the warehouse as soon as possible.

“So, my dad didn’t see that Max had been injured?”

“No, he was still down on the ground floor, bound and blindfolded. We didn’t want to make things any worse for him once we reached him. So after we made sure Stowe got Max to Erin, Nate and I went back in the building and rescued your dad.” Adam paused and blew out a breath. “Your dad was so shaken. He’d heard the shots, and he knew Ruslan’s minion had been killed, but he had no idea Max had been shot as well.”

I appreciated the thoughtfulness toward my traumatized father and told Adam as much.

“I just wish he’d not been dragged into this at all,” Adam continued. “The mayor is a good man. I’m sorry this happened to him, Maddy.”

Adam appeared distraught, but I didn’t hold anything against him. Hell, I felt guilty for knowing I was the one who
should
have been taken.

“Hey,” I began. “I’m just glad everyone is okay. I mean, I know Max is hurt, but he’ll recover.” Sighing, I added, “God, I don’t know what I would have done if either you or my dad had ended up hurt like that.”

I ran my hand along Adam’s shoulder and trailed down his arm, slowly and carefully, like I was searching for some invisible injury.

Adam cupped my cheek and kissed my lips. “Your father is safe now, Maddy.”

“Yeah, but are you?” I questioned, searching his stormy blue eyes for an answer.

Adam didn’t respond, but his darkened gaze said it all. He wouldn’t be safe until Ruslan was out of the picture…for good.

And that meant I was still in as much danger as Adam.