Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Bob felt almost like his old self again. The past week and a half had been spent getting to know Marlowe without the pressure and stress of being fugitives on the run. They’d slept in, watched TV, visited with their friends, and spent three days with her brother, who’d shown up the day after they’d arrived in Newton.

It was obvious how close brother and sister were. They’d heard Tony’s side of how terrified he’d been when he’d learned of Marlowe’s imprisonment, and how he’d done everything legally possible to get her out. When that hadn’t worked, he’d turned to Gregory Willis. Apparently, the FBI agent had seen the advantage of Tony owing him a favor in the future. And, coincidentally, Willis also had a friend who’d been incarcerated for political reasons in Beijing in the past, and it had taken two years of negotiations to get him home. Turns out, he was especially sensitive to someone being locked up abroad for something they didn’t do.

The reunion between Tony and Marlowe was emotional, and everyone who’d witnessed it—basically all Bob’s friends, who’d also been visiting at the time—had been thoroughly moved.

The atmosphere changed a bit when Tony found out that Marlowe and Bob had gotten married while overseas.

The man wasn’t happy at first, assuming Bob had taken advantage of his sister’s desperate situation. Bob had managed a few minutes to sit down with him privately and reassure him that in no way would he ever hurt his sister. That Marlowe was his first priority. His sincerity must’ve gotten through to the man, because when he left to go back to his job and family in DC, he’d shaken Bob’s hand and told him to look after Marlowe. It felt like approval, which meant the world to Bob.

His stitches had already been removed, and while he was stiff and a little sore, and still needed to take the antibiotics he’d been prescribed for at least another ten days, he felt pretty damn good.

Marlowe was putting on some of the weight she’d lost, with the help of Carlise, June, and April. The three ladies had been awesome, coming over every day, bringing delicious meals, then staying to get to know Marlowe. Watching her click with his friends’ women had made a warm feeling bloom deep inside Bob. He wanted everyone to get along, because if they did, the chances that maybe Marlowe would want to stay increased. And Bob really wanted her to stay.

He hadn’t talked to her about Ian yet, but after a conference call with Tex, he knew it was time. Tex had finally found a post on a dark web auction site for the coins Ian was trying to sell, and it seemed there were some interested buyers. He’d also informed Bob and his friends that Ian was still in touch with a couple of locals who were on the dig in Thailand.

Without having to be told, Bob knew that meant someone could mention Marlowe’s escape to Ian—if they hadn’t already. And that would make the man justifiably nervous.

Marlowe needed to be brought up to speed, so she could watch her back and have a say in what happened next.

He hated to bring up bad memories, as it seemed she was settling into life here in Newton extremely well, but it had to be done. He just hoped the news wouldn’t scare her back to her family in DC.

The more time Bob spent with Marlowe, the more he wanted to spend with her. And it wasn’t about sex, although he was looking forward to getting the all clear from his doctor to make love to her again.

No, it was about waking up with her snuggled next to him. About teaching her how to cook, and laughing together when her attempts were complete failures. It was about watching Marlowe get to know his friends and their women, and seeing her blossom with her newfound freedom.

He also hadn’t realized just how lonely he’d been until Marlowe. Maybe that was the reason he’d felt so unsettled since leaving the service, always looking for ways to stay busy. Even though his days were much the same as they’d been before he’d gone to Thailand, they felt much more fulfilling now. He was looking forward to a future he hadn’t thought possible.

Bob had asked JJ to come over when he spoke with Marlowe about the situation with Ian West, and he was making sloppy joes for lunch in preparation for his friend’s arrival. Marlowe was currently in the living room speaking with Tony on the phone. He could hear her reassuring her brother that she was fine. That no, she wasn’t bored, and everyone she’d met had been welcoming and extremely nice.

The fact that she didn’t feel the need to talk to Tony behind closed doors, didn’t mind if he overheard her side of the conversation, was just another thing that made him feel closer to her.

Eventually she hung up and wandered into the kitchen. She hopped up on one of the barstools around the small island and rested her chin in her hand. “I feel bad,” she said.

“About what?” Bob asked.

“That you’re the one who’s injured, and you’ve been doing all the cooking.”

“Do you enjoy cooking?”

She looked surprised. “Um . . . not particularly. You know that.”

“Then why should you?”

“Because you were hurt. Because I want to help out around here. Because I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of you in any way.”

Bob couldn’t help but chuckle. “I was hurt, but I’m fine now.” Fine might be a stretch, but with every day that passed, Bob felt more and more like his old self. “And you do help around here,” he went on. “You folded all our clothes yesterday, changed the sheets on our bed, and you put all the dishes away. And as far as taking advantage of me goes . . . you aren’t. Not by any stretch of the imagination. I love having you here, Punky. I never thought much about living with a woman, but you make it so incredibly easy.”

“Kendric,” she complained softly. “You need to stop being so nice.”

“Why?” he asked, genuinely wanting to know. He stopped stirring the meat and turned to look at her.

“Because.”

“That’s not an answer,” he chided gently. “And I’m never not going to be nice to you. I want to spoil you. Look after you. Make your life as easy as I can make it.”

“Can I do the same for you?” she asked with a tilt of her head.

“Don’t you know? You already are. I’ve been a bachelor a long time. Done my own cooking and cleaning. Washed my own clothes. Mopped my own floors. Woke up alone, went to bed alone. Having you here? Sharing the daily chores? Lying in my arms when we sleep? It feels amazing. I’ll do whatever I have to in order to keep you happy.”

“I am,” she said without hesitation.

“Me too,” he agreed. Then he walked around the island and stood in front of her chair. Thanks to the high stool, her head was just about level with his own. He took her face in his hands and leaned in. “It’s been more than a week. How are you feeling? And be honest. You had that nightmare last night . . . Want to talk about it?”

Marlowe took his wrists in her hands and met his gaze. “I’m good, Kendric. I mean, yeah, I have moments where it feels surreal that I’m here. Safe, free. But honestly, I feel more settled and secure than I have in a very long time. I used to stress about what job I would be assigned to next. Where in the world I’d be. But knowing that next week I’ll wake up in the same place I am now . . . it’s a relief.”

Her words settled in Bob’s soul. “Good.”

“What about you?” she asked. “Have you been dreaming? I mean, I’ve been sleeping hard most nights, and I don’t want you to hide your nightmares from me. I want to help you if you’re having them.”

He hadn’t thought about it until right this moment, but Bob was amazed to realize that he couldn’t remember having one nightmare since he’d gotten home. Oh, he’d had dreams, but they involved either Marlowe and him naked together, pleasing each other, or faceless children running amok as he and his friends watched with tolerant and loving glances.

“I’m not,” he said in awe.

“You aren’t what?” Marlowe asked with a frown.

“Having nightmares. I haven’t dreamed about being a captive since we got home.”

She stared at him with wide eyes. “Really? You aren’t lying about that to try to make me feel better?”

“Yes. And no, I’m not lying.”

“That’s awesome,” she said with a huge smile.

“It’s you,” Bob told her. “Something about holding you in my arms, having you by my side, seems to calm the demons in my head.”

He wasn’t surprised when Marlowe shook her head. “It’s not me,” she insisted.

“You can think that, but you’re wrong,” he said firmly.

“Well, I’m glad either way,” she told him. “But I also don’t want you to hide them from me. If you have them, you have them. We’ll deal. Okay? Don’t be embarrassed or anything.”

Bob wasn’t sure he could be embarrassed about anything around this woman. “Same goes for you. I know how awful nightmares can be. They can wipe you out and make you feel as if you didn’t get any sleep. That happens, we’ll take a nap or something so you can feel rested.”

She smiled at him. “Okay.”

“Okay.” Then Bob leaned down and touched his lips to hers. They both moaned as the chaste kiss quickly bloomed into something more. Bob’s hand speared into her short hair and held her still as he deepened their kiss. Her fingers curled into his chest as she gave as good as she got.

When the doorbell pealed through the apartment, both of them jerked in surprise.

Bob pulled back and stared at his woman for a long moment. She licked her lips, which were plump from their kiss. The doorbell sounded again.

“We should get that,” she said.

“Yeah,” Bob agreed, but he didn’t move.

She smiled, then bit her lower lip.

“Tonight,” he growled. “Tonight, I’m going to show you how proud I am that you’re my wife. How happy I am that you’re here. How much I appreciate everything you did for me when I was out of it.”

“Did you talk to the doctor?” she asked, her eyes gleaming with interest and lust.

“No. But I know my body,” he said. When she frowned, Bob ran a thumb over her bottom lip. “I’ll be careful.”

The bell rang again, over and over, as if JJ was officially tired of waiting for them to open the door.

Bob would keep his friend outside forever. Marlowe’s response was more important right this moment.

“Okay,” she said shyly.

Possessiveness swept through Bob’s body. His dick immediately hardened at the thought of being inside this woman once again. Of coming home.

“Okay,” he agreed. Then he leaned down and kissed her again—keeping it short this time—before running his fingers over her cheek, then stepping away to answer the door.

“Keep your pants on!” he yelled as he reached for the knob.

As expected, JJ was standing on the other side of the door, grinning like a lunatic. “About time,” he told his friend.

“Whatever.”

“Smells good,” JJ said as he entered.

His comment reminded Bob that he needed to finish up their lunch. He shut the door behind JJ and headed back to the kitchen. One part of him didn’t want to have this conversation. He’d prefer to take care of Ian West himself, without any involvement from Marlowe. But that wouldn’t be fair. And she could protect herself better if she had all the same information they did.

Not that Ian had made any indication that he was going to seek her out, but Bob didn’t want to take the chance.

The three of them made small talk as he prepped their lunch, and Bob couldn’t take his eyes off Marlowe. She had a way of making everyone around her feel comfortable. As if they’d been friends their entire lives. He’d seen it happen with Carlise, June, and April, and she was doing it now with JJ.

When they finished their sloppy joes, Bob took their dishes to the sink and left them there soaking, and they all headed to the small living area. Bob sat next to Marlowe on the couch, and JJ took the armchair to their right.

“Have you heard from Ian?” JJ asked Marlowe, getting right to the heart of the reason why he was there.

Her brow furrowed. “No. Why? Is he okay? What’s happening with the coins?”

Bob wasn’t surprised she wanted to know if he was all right. Even after all the man had done to her, she still didn’t have it in her to really wish anyone ill.

“He’s fine,” JJ said.

“Darn,” Marlowe muttered.

Bob couldn’t stop the bark of laughter that left his lips. So much for him thinking Marlowe was as sweet as pie. Even JJ chuckled.

“Sorry, that was rude,” Marlowe said with a shrug. “But seriously, what he did was awful. Not only did he steal from our dig site, he got me in serious trouble when he thought I might tell on him.”

“Well, he’s home in Boston, still living in his parents’ house,” JJ said. “But our sources indicate that he’s trying to sell the coins and has a potential buyer.”

“No! We can’t let him get away with that!” Marlowe protested.

“We’re working on making sure those coins don’t end up in someone’s personal collection,” JJ said.

“How?” she asked.

He frowned. “We know he’s had some interest from a few people on the dark web, but the offers have been made through third parties, from people who are very good at covering their tracks. But not good enough. Our guy, Tex, has been able to get in touch with two people who put in bids, and when they realized their real identities had been discovered—and the authorities notified—their interest waned, of course.”

“But there are others who still want to buy the coins? For how much?” Marlowe asked.

“Yes, and the top offer at the moment is one million each.”

“Three million dollars? Holy crap!” Marlowe exclaimed. “I knew they were worth a lot, but I didn’t expect them to sell for that much.”

“Yeah.”

“So . . . how are we going to stop the sale from going through if we don’t know who the buyer might be?” she asked.

JJ sighed. “We’re working on that, with the help of our guy. The FBI is working on it too. But there’s a major issue with trying to make Ian turn in the coins instead of selling them, and it involves you.”

“Me?” Marlowe asked.

“Yes. The issue is that any trouble we cause for Ian, he can turn around and cause for you right back.”

“What do you mean?”

“He can tell the authorities that you’re an escaped convict from Thailand, Marlowe. If he finds out you’re involved in trying to stop the sale of those coins, he can potentially get you thrown back in prison—unless there’s solid proof that he planted those drugs in your tent.”

“Can we go to the press?” Marlowe asked. “I mean about the coins? Give them an anonymous tip?”

“Maybe. Although I’m not sure the story will get the publicity we want or need in order to spook the buyer enough to halt the sale.”

“Yeah, coins aren’t sexy,” Marlowe agreed. “It’s a problem for many of the digs I’ve been on. People are eager to offer grants when what we’re digging for is interesting and exciting enough to gain worldwide attention, but when it’s a bunch of random bones, or shards of pottery, or just a few coins, it’s often not worth their time or attention.”

No one said anything for a full minute.

Then Marlowe quickly straightened. It was obvious she had an idea—and somehow, Bob knew he wasn’t going to like it.

“What if I called him? Told him that I know it’s him who got me arrested and I want in on the sale to keep my mouth shut?”

“What?” JJ and Bob asked at the same time.

“I mean, I could tell him that if he doesn’t return those coins, I’ll go to the authorities and the press. Make the coins so hot, no one would dare buy them. Not only that, no one would hire him to work on their digs ever again. He’d be blackballed. I realize he can get me in trouble if he knows I’m no longer rotting away in that prison in Thailand, but if I can somehow get him to admit that he not only stole the coins, but planted the drugs in my tent, that should be enough to get me off the hook, right?”

“No,” Bob said.

At the same time JJ muttered, “That’s not a bad idea.”

“What? No!” Bob said more forcefully. “I don’t want Marlowe talking to that asshole ever again. And we’re talking three million dollars. That’s a lot of money, and people get weird and desperate when that much is at stake.”

“Kendric,” Marlowe said gently, putting her hand on his knee.

But the sight of Marlowe when he’d first met her was stuck in his head. How skinny she was. How despondent. She was a far cry from that woman now, and he didn’t want to do anything that might put her right back in that headspace.

And even talking to Ian could make him go to the authorities and inform them that he’d been contacted by an escaped convict. The threat of being extradited back to Thailand could bring on more nightmares like the one she’d had last night. Her whimpering had broken his heart, and all he could do was hold her and whisper over and over that she was safe.

He didn’t even want to think of how much they’d both suffer if she was returned to prison.

“We don’t know West. Yes, he’s young, but he’s not that young. And if you call him up and try to blackmail him, he could react violently,” Bob said.

“And if I don’t, he’ll sell those coins, they’ll be lost forever, and we won’t have any proof that he stole them in the first place,” Marlowe countered. “He’ll probably steal from another archaeological site again because he’s greedy, and he obviously has no morals if he didn’t think twice about sending me to prison for the rest of my life! Not only that, I need to clear my name. I won’t be able to get on with my life if I don’t. The threat of going back to prison will always be hanging over my head if I don’t get Ian to admit that he planted those drugs in my bags.”

Bob felt as if he was going to puke. He couldn’t deal with Marlowe being in danger. And if she contacted Ian, she’d be intentionally putting herself at risk.

But . . . he knew she had a point. And he hated it.

If he ever wanted a normal life with Marlowe, didn’t want to look over their shoulders for the rest of their lives, they had to deal with those drug charges.

“We can get Chief Rutkey and his officers involved, so it’s official,” JJ added.

“I can call him and have it all recorded. If I can get him to actually admit he’s got the coins, that should give the authorities enough for a search warrant so they can find them, right? Maybe if I rile him enough, I can even get him to admit to setting me up in the first place. That he put those drugs in my bags to get rid of me, so I wouldn’t rat him out.”

Just the thought of her talking to Ian West made Bob so crazy with fear, he clenched his teeth together until his jaw ached. He needed a minute to process the fact that Marlowe actually wanted to put herself in such a dangerous situation.

Without a word, he walked to the balcony door, wrenched it open, and stepped outside.

He heard JJ and Marlowe talking quietly in the room behind him, but all he could do was grip the railing and stare out into the trees as his mind spun.

Several minutes passed, and when Bob heard JJ’s voice behind him, he wasn’t exactly surprised.

“I know this isn’t ideal—” his friend started out.

Bob spun around and spat, “Not ideal? My wife confronting the man who had her thrown in prison without a shred of remorse? You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“The alternative is that we do nothing, and rely on Tex and the FBI to try to track down the buyer. There’s no actual proof West even has those coins, so the police can’t search his place. But as I pointed out, the second this asshole realizes she’s in the States, he can go to the police, turn her in. Get her rearrested. And this time, her brother might not be able to use his political connections and money. Might not find another reckless former Special Forces soldier who thinks he’s invincible to go in and break her out of jail.”

“Are you seriously trying to guilt-trip me into using my wife as bait?” Bob bit out.

“I don’t like the thought of Marlowe talking to that asshole any more than you do.”

“Right. But you’ll still use your disappointment against me to make it happen. Are we really doing this now?” Bob asked, more pissed than he was before.

“I guess so,” JJ said, his voice even and just as hard as Bob’s.

“Fine! I went behind your back. I worked with the FBI to go into foreign countries and rescue Americans who’d gotten themselves in trouble. And I was damn good at it. Do I regret lying to you and the others? Yes. Would I do it again if I hadn’t found Marlowe? Again, yes.

“I love it here. I love what we’ve built. But for years, it wasn’t enough for me. I was unsettled, and maybe as reckless as you accused me of being, but the demons in my head wouldn’t stop! I haven’t slept for shit since leaving the service, and when I was on a mission, I was too focused to think about my past. About what happened to me and my friends. The adrenaline and danger kept me amped up enough that I could forget, just for a while.

“Then I went to Thailand and met Marlowe. And the risks I’d been taking suddenly seemed stupid. I was also tired. Tired of lying to my best friends. Tired of being alone. And the nightmares hadn’t stopped. Going on missions wasn’t helping, not in the long run.

“If you can’t forgive me for going behind your back, I understand. I won’t like it, but I get it. But encouraging my wife to put herself in danger just to get back at me isn’t cool, Jackson. What if this was April? Would you be as stoic or calm if I suggested we put her in the middle of an op as fucking bait?”

A muscle in JJ’s jaw ticked as he stared at Bob.

“Right. You wouldn’t,” Bob went on, answering his own question. “You’d be just as pissed as I am right now. I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but there’s no way you’d just sit back and let April put herself in danger. Even if it was the best way to solve the problem. Even if you knew she was brave and strong and so damn selfless, it makes you feel like an ogre in comparison just being around her.”

Bob swallowed hard, then took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “I can’t lose her, now that I’ve found her, JJ. I can’t.”

“You won’t,” he said, stepping out onto the balcony and putting his hand on Bob’s shoulder.

“You can’t promise that. Neither can the cops. No one can. We don’t know this West character. All we know is that he has no problem throwing others under the bus to get what he wants. He knew what would happen when he called in that tip about the drugs,” Bob said. “He knew Marlowe would be taken to prison. And he didn’t give a shit. He had her arrested for life just so he could return to the States with those coins.”

“We won’t do it then,” JJ assured him. “We’ll find another way. And for the record,” he said, sighing deeply, “I’m not surprised you were doing what you were doing. I knew you were never completely sold on moving to Maine. Hell, you suggested New York City. That’s a far cry from Newton. I just figured you’d either settle in time or come to us with your concerns. That doesn’t mean I’m not hurt that you went behind our backs to work with Willis.

“Damn it, Bob—you’re one of my best friends. We’ve been to hell and back together. I hate knowing you were out there, in dangerous situations, without us to have your back. I’m not mad about what you were doing, just sad that you felt as if you couldn’t talk to us about it.

“And as far as you not sleeping goes . . . why didn’t you say something? You think I don’t have nightmares? That Chappy doesn’t? That Cal doesn’t relive what those fuckers did to him all the time? You aren’t the only one with PTSD. We could’ve talked about it. It probably would’ve been good for all of us. But what’s done is done. We’re moving past it. Got it? We’ll find you a new therapist and see if we can’t get those demons out of your head once and for all . . . without you having to go to the ends of the earth and putting yourself in danger in the process.”

God, Bob loved this man. He took a deep breath. “I wouldn’t mind talking with you and the others about what we went through sometime, getting it all out on the table, but I think I’ve finally found the cure to my nightmares.”

“Yeah? What’s that? You aren’t drinking, are you? Or taking medication?” JJ asked worriedly.

Bob snorted. “No way. It’s Marlowe. Somehow, holding her at night . . . she keeps them at bay.”

The look of longing on JJ’s face was so fleeting, Bob almost thought he imagined it. Almost.

“I’m happy for you. Both of you.”

“Thanks.”

“So . . . no more missions with Willis?” JJ pressed. “We can find something else that fulfills that need within you. I don’t know what, but we’ll figure it out. As a team.”

“No more missions,” Bob agreed. “I’m finally ready to slow down.”

“Good. Now, about that phone call . . .”

Bob tensed once more.

JJ dropped his hand from his shoulder and took a step back. “Talk to Marlowe before making any decisions. Listen to her side of things. She was put into a situation where she was completely helpless. No one would listen when she said she was innocent—she was as much a captive as we were, Bob. And even more than proving her innocence . . . I think she needs to take her power back.

“I swear on my life that if we do anything involving Marlowe, she’ll be covered at all times. Who better to have her six than four former Delta Force operatives? One phone call. If West doesn’t take the bait, we’ll figure something else out. Maybe let him sell one of the coins and get him that way. But there’s no need for him to know about you, where she is, or that she’s working with the cops.”

“He’ll suspect,” Bob couldn’t help but say.

“Of course he will. But I have faith that Marlowe can convince him otherwise. I think she needs to do this,” JJ said.

Bob closed his eyes. He hated that his friend was right. And he did have faith in his wife. If anyone could pull this off, it was probably her. But that didn’t mean he liked it. “I’ll talk to her,” he told JJ.

“Good. Now, I have to get going. Jack’s Lumber won’t run itself. We got a call from a woman this morning who had three trees fall on her property during the last windstorm. One barely missed hitting her house, and another is blocking her driveway. She needs them chopped up and removed.”

Bob frowned. “You need my help?”

JJ chuckled. “No. You might think you’re Superman, but you’re still healing. When you finish up the antibiotics and are back one hundred percent, I’m gonna work your ass off. Force you to take all the calls to make up for your stupidness.”

“That’s not a word,” Bob told him.

JJ flipped him off and headed back into the apartment.

Bob followed him and saw that Marlowe wasn’t in the living area.

“She went into the bedroom to give us some privacy to talk,” JJ said, obviously seeing Bob’s concern. “She’s a good one. You couldn’t have found a better match.”

“I know,” Bob said. He’d flown halfway across the world to rescue Marlowe, and had ended up being the one rescued instead.

“Call me later. If you decide to try the phone call, I’ll set up a meeting with the chief. The four of us—sorry, five—can sit down with him and discuss details.”

“I will. Thanks, JJ.” Bob wasn’t sure what he was thanking his friend for. Maybe because he’d forgiven him. Because he understood. Because he was empathetic. Because he truly believed JJ wanted the best for him.

“You’re welcome. But it has to be said—don’t do this shit again. We’re friends, Kendric. The four of us have been through too much together. You’re like my brother. If you need something you aren’t getting, you have to speak up.”

“I will.”

“Good.” He was at the door before he turned. “And that stuff about April? You were right. I wouldn’t be happy if she put herself in danger. But things are . . . complicated between us.”

“Then uncomplicate them,” Bob replied.

“It’s not that easy. I wish it was. Now go talk to your woman. She needs your support. Later.”

JJ was closing the door before Bob could even open his mouth. The fact that his friend had admitted there was something between him and April at all was a step, but Bob wasn’t sure if it was a step forward or backward. All he could do was wait and see, and be there for JJ if his friend needed him.

He turned the bolt on the door and headed for his bedroom. He and Marlowe needed to talk about her crazy plan. And once that was done, he wanted to make love to his wife in his—no, their—bed.

Nothing was going to keep him from worshipping the woman he loved. From showing her that even if they strongly disagreed on how to handle the situation with Ian, he would never stop loving her.