CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jake continued to lecture Mac on the importance of her safety until she had to return to Baylee before the show started. When she got back Baylee jumped up from his father’s side and threw himself into her arms. “Mac!” he screamed, “You missed it! Nick broke McDonalds!”
Mac smiled at the excitement that was bursting from Baylee and Jake watched curiously as she let the child drag her over to the couch next to Brian where he could happily climb into her lap. “What’d he do, eat all the cheeseburgers?” she laughed as she let him snuggle up against her.
“Even better!” the wide-eyed boy responded. “When he jumped in the ball pit it broke and all the balls spilled all over!”
“Man, I always miss the really good stuff, don’t I?” Mac glanced at Brian with laughter sparkling in her eyes despite the attentive look she was giving his son, and the smile he returned caused Jake to do a double take.
“Not all the good stuff,” Nick grumbled from across the room. “I can’t believe you got to meet the Avenging Angel!”
Jake was a little confused when everyone in the room groaned until Mac said, “Are you still whining about that? I already told you every single detail I can remember.”
“Yeah, but you don’t even like him! And now you get to meet with the FBI?! I bet you don’t care about that either.”
“I’m not especially looking forward to it, no,” Mac muttered, glaring at the smirk on Jake’s face.
“Aw, come on Mac, you get to have a meeting with the FBI! That’s like working with James Bond!”
Jake stifled a giggle, but he still managed to earn the attention of everyone in the room, and, after ignoring the death look he was receiving from his ex-partner, he shrugged at Nick, “James Bond works for MI-6,” he explained with a shrug, “That’s like Europe’s version of the CIA. FBI does more undercover ground work stuff, like Saundra Bullock in Miss Congeniality.”
Nick frowned for a moment, but then grinned from ear to ear. “Even better! Undercover badass hot chicks!” Nick ignored both Mac and Brian’s comments about watching his language in front of Baylee. “I like the way you think, dude. Hey Mac, your friend’s all right.”
Brian didn’t think so. He wasn’t impressed at all with the Mr. Know-it-all attitude of the man who kept smirking at Mac like they were sharing some kind of inside joke. And he especially didn’t like way Mac responded to all of his looks. No, Brian didn’t like this Jake guy at all, and he couldn’t help scooting just a little bit closer to Mac so that when he rested his arm on the back of the couch it was almost as if he were putting it around her. It wasn’t exactly staking a claim, but Jake still noticed the subtle hint, even if Mac was completely oblivious.
Brian glance up to catch Jake looking at him and their eyes narrowed at each other until Nick once again gained everyone’s attention. “Hey Mac!” he gasped as if he’d just had the most brilliant idea ever. “Can I come with you to meet the Feds?”
Mac reached up to rub her temples because Nick was starting to make her head hurt, and when Brian immediately asked her if she was alright she decided she’d had enough of just about everyone. “Don’t you guys have a concert to do or something?”
Nick and Brian both frowned, but seeing as how she was right, all the guys slowly began pulling themselves up from their seats to get ready. As Brian walked out of the room he noticed Jake take his seat next to Mac and seethed with jealousy when she elbowed him really hard about something he was harassing her about. Brian couldn’t take his eyes off the pair until Nick threw an arm over his shoulder. “Is it just me or is she totally flirting with him?”
Brian blinked a few times, completely annoyed by Nick’s crass observation and Nick smirked when Brian’s hand’s balled into fists so tight that his knuckles went pale. “I’m just messin’ with ya Bri,” Nick laughed, pulling his angry friend down the hall, “Are you sure you’re not nailn’ her?”
***
Between the arrival of Jake, and all the talk of the Avenging Angel and the FBI, Brian simply had no room in his head to concentrate on little unimportant things such as tempo and pitch. His steps were just a fraction behind and his voice just a little flat. By the end of the night it was enough that Mac was starting to worry about him. When he came off stage after the final curtain call, she wanted so badly to pull him against her and kiss his troubles away, but Howie, Nick and AJ, seemed to be watching his every move too, so she simply gave him a concerned smile as she handed Baylee over for a goodnight hug. “He already fell asleep once, but he didn’t want to leave without seeing you. I’m going to take him to the hotel now and get him in bed,” Mac explained as Brian kissed his exhausted son.
“I can take him.” Brian tried to smile, but he was too grumpy to fool anyone. “You wanted to take the rest of the night off, remember?”
“Oh, it’s alright. I can take him back. Jake left a little while ago, said he had some things to do.”
“What things?”
“Who knows? Jake’s a bit of a workaholic.”
“And what exactly does he do?”
Mac was surprised by the sudden scrutiny, but told herself she was just being defensive because she had to lie about that, and she hated lying to Brian. “Why are we worrying about Jake?” she replied, choosing to dodge the question entirely instead of spin falsehoods. She looked around and lowered her voice a tad as she took Baylee back from Brian’s arms. “Why don’t we just take advantage of the fact that he’s busy for a while? I’ll get Baylee in bed. Hurry back?”
It was the first hint of relief Brian felt all day, and if Mac was saying what he thought she was saying, then he didn’t want to waste any time lollygagging in the dressing room. “Lickity-split,” he promised, finally breaking out into a small grin.
Fifteen minutes later Baylee was sound asleep and Mac found her eyes drooping as she waited on the couch in Brian’s hotel suite. This had been the longest day of her entire life and she just wanted to curl up in Brian’s arms now that her concussion-induced migraine had finally numbed itself to a dull ache. She lied down thinking she’d just let her eyes rest for a few seconds, but, after such an eventful day, when she was still trying to recover from the previous night’s attack, Brian came in to find her fast asleep not even ten minutes later.
He watched her for a moment with a smile on his face, but it was a sad smile because he knew how exhausted she must be and that she probably felt a lot worse than she let on. Feelings of guilt swept through him from both sides of his brain. Brian cursing himself for letting her go out alone and unprotected, and the Avenging Angel angry because he didn’t get to her sooner.
He crept across the room and dreamily watched her sleeping figure a moment, telling himself that at least she was safe now, and then he gently pushed her bangs back and pressed his lips softly to hers. Mac awoke with a smile and immediately wrapped her arms around Brian’s Neck, pulling him in for a very tender kiss. Once Brian had the will power to pull away from her, he helped her sit up. “You should go to bed,” he urged. “You need a good night’s sleep tonight.”
Mac gave Brian a sleepy smile and then nestled her way into his arms. “And miss out on this? Not a chance. I can sleep another night.”
“Mac.”
Brian wanted to be firm, but it felt too good to have her there that before he could argue, the tingling sensation of her lips on his neck made him forget what he was even protesting. He pulled her lips up to meet his again and they stayed locked until the cell phone in Mac’s pocket rang to life. “Ugh,” she groaned reaching to stop the intrusive sound, “Jake, again with the perfect timing.”
“Don’t answer it,” Brian whispered as he continued to place soft kisses on her. “Tell him you fell asleep or something.”
“No, he’s just worried about me. He’ll be upset if I don’t answer.”
“I’m worried about you too,” Brian pouted.
Mac cracked a smile, but answered the phone anyway with a big lazy yawn. “Hey, Jake.”
Brian frowned at the cheerfulness in her voice, but pulled her even tighter against him as she continued with her conversation. His hands found their way beneath the hem of her shirt and she shivered when his fingers grazed her skin. She twisted the phone away from her face, unable to resist Brian as he stole another kiss, but pulled away suddenly when she was forced to answer Jake. “Oh, no. I’m actually still in Brian’s room… Yeah, I guess I fell asleep on the couch.” Mac smirked down at Brian who had now tugged the sleeve of her shirt off of her shoulder in order to kiss it. “Yeah, he’s back now. I’m sure it’s not a problem. All right, but not long, I really am exhausted, Jake. Ok, I’ll see you in a minute.”
Mac hung up her phone and threw herself on Brian for one last kiss that would now have to last her through the night. “I guess this will just have to wait until tomorrow.”
“As your boss, don’t I have some say in this? Can’t I force you to stay or something?” Brian asked hopefully when Mac pulled herself to her feet.
“I think you lose your employer privileges when the kissing starts.”
Brian frowned in a way that made Mac burst into laughter, but he didn’t crack a smile as he rose to his feet and pulled her into his arms again. “Ok then, in that case, don’t I have some sort of secret-boyfriend privileges?”
Mac flinched, surprised by the term, and the look on her face caused Brian’s puppy-dog frown to turn into a real one. “What is it?”
“Oh, uh, it’s nothing,” Mac replied feeling a little flustered, “I just, boyfriend, ya know? It sounds so… weird.”
Brian felt his heart rate increase as he stepped back and took Mac’s hand in his. “That’s what this is though, right? I know you said you don’t want to tell anyone, but you and I are still… I mean… It’s not like there’s anyone else.” Brian gulped nervously. “Is there?”
Mac suddenly felt awful for giving Brian the wrong impression. “No, no, no! That’s not it. I just can’t remember the last time I had a…” Mac’s voice trailed off and she wanted to die when she felt her cheeks heat up. “Well you know. The concept’s always kind of freaked me out, but I promise, there’s not anyone else.” Mac laughed a little to herself. “Who else could there be?”
Brian smiled feeling somewhat relieved until there came a soft knock on his door. With a sigh, Mac said, “That would be Jake. I guess I’ll see you in the morning,” never once allowing for the possibility that Brian considered Jake the answer to her last question.
Mac kissed his cheek and then answered the door, and Brian’s heart sank when she gasped in excitement. “Do I smell Mu Shu Pork?”
“I knew that would make you feel better,” Jake teased as he proudly dangled the greasy take out bag in front of her, “I spent the entire concert scouring Houston for this. It’s almost as good and Chang Lee’s back home.”
“God, you are my new hero! I haven’t had good Chinese since I left.”
Mac snatched the bag from Jake and he glanced up to see Brian watching them. Jake instinctively guessed Brian’s distaste of him and couldn’t help but offer his hand with a big smile. “Good to see you again,” he said with ease as he gave Brian’s hand a firm shake. “Are you sure it’s ok if I steal her from you now?”
Brian wanted to crush the hand in his grip, but he knew that would only make Mac upset, so he bit back his anger and forced a smile every bit as un-sincere as Jake’s. “Of course. I’m just sorry I couldn’t let her go sooner. If we’d have known you were coming, I could have made arrangements to give her the whole night off.”
“Well,” Jake said, refusing to be the first to release his grip, “the next time Mac’s brutally attacked I’ll be sure to call you first.”
“Jake!” Mac hissed as finally noticed the tension between the two men for the first time.
Brian kept the smile plastered on his face but tightened his grip to a painful level until Mac finally broke the two men apart. “I’m sorry, Brian” she apologized as she shoved Jake in the direction of her room. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Brian watched them disappear and once back in his room he pounded his fist against the wall just barely soft enough not to put his entire fist through it. He knew he shouldn’t be this upset, but he was frustrated, and full of anger. He knew it was ridiculous to feel this way, but no matter how much he told himself he was being irrational and childish, deep in his heart he knew Jake was right. Mac was brutally attacked while in his care. She was his responsibility and yet he couldn’t keep her safe. Just like the night Leighanne died, it was out of his control. The one difference this time was the Avenging Angel. Thank God for him.
Brian’s thoughts automatically drifted to the moment he realized it was her lying on the street in a pool of her own blood, and, as he thought about her attack, one thought ran cold through his heart. What those men could have done to her had the Avenging Angel not been there. He’d saved her life – something he’d not been able to do for Leighanne. And even though he knew people all across the country, the FBI, and even Mac wanted the Angel to stop avenging, Brian would never stop, he couldn’t. People needed protection. Mac needed protection.
***
The moment Mac was safely in her hotel room with the door shut behind her she gave Jake a hard shove. “You mind telling me what that was all about?” she demanded in a low growl.
“Sorry,” Jake grumbled as he rubbed the spot on his shoulder where Mac had shoved him. “There’s just something about that guy that I don’t trust. I don’t like him.”
“How can you not like him? You’ve seen the man like all of ten minutes.”
“It was long enough to see the way he looks at you.”
Mac tried not to blush, but her heart fluttered at Jake’s statement and she stumbled over her denial in a very flustered way. “That’s ridiculous. He is my boss, ok? And it’s barely been a year since his wife passed.”
“Oh give me a break, Mac. You may be completely hopeless in the love department, but I don’t care what happened to his wife, that guy does not think of you as just his kid’s babysitter.”
“Completely hopeless in the love department? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“How long have I known you, Mac? The closest thing you’ve ever come to a real relationship is your trusty old partner from the academy, and I hardly count.”
Jake sighed when he saw just how red Mac’s face had become and he really didn’t want to get into a boxing match with her - not that it would be the first time that happened. “I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. I’m the same way, its kind of part of the job. All I’m saying is that that guy is shady and I just want you to be careful.”
Mac’s anger vanished and she giggled at the thought of Brian up to no good, when he was the one complaining that he had to keep their romance a secret. “Brian? Shady?” she laughed. “He may get a little grumpy sometimes, but he’s hardly criminal.”
“Do you know that for sure?” Jake challenged. “Let’s not forget that someone on this tour is the reason you’re here in the first place, and, last time I checked his name was still on the list of suspects.”
“At the very bottom,” Mac retorted.
“Well if it’s not him, then who is it? You’ve been out here long enough that you should have some kind of leads.”
Mac rolled her eyes and then went to get her journal. She flipped it open and tapped on the picture. “This guy, Jeff Saunders. He fits the profile perfectly, and he has a habit of disappearing into dark alleys.”
Jake forgot all about Brian at the sound of a real honest to goodness suspect and he exchanged the take out he was still holding for Mac’s journal. While he skimmed the meticulous notes on this Jeff guy, Mac happily dug into the bag of lukewarm food. “I’ve tried tailing him a couple times,” Mac said as she began tossing chow mien noodles into her mouth, “but he keeps giving me the slip, and every time he does, I read about some daring rescue in the paper the following morning. It has to be him.”
Jake smirked without looking up from the journal. “You never were very good at tailing someone. I guess I’ll just have to do it myself.”
“How can you? You’re leaving in the morning.” Mac stopped shoving food in her mouth suddenly and frowned. “Hey! I am too good at tailing. There’s just too many other people on the tour that can recognize me.”
Jake looked up at his friend whose striking features couldn’t be buried under all those bangs and smiled. “Yeah, you don’t exactly look like a roadie. I’m sure you do tend to stick out in this crowd. I guess it’s a good thing I’m not leaving in the morning.”
Mac eyed him skeptically, unhappy about this news for more than one reason. She looked down at the food in her hands and her eyes automatically narrowed. “What do you mean you’re not leaving in the morning? What are you not telling me?”
“It’s not so bad,” Jake replied with a hint of play in his eyes. “I think you’ll find it rather funny, actually.”
“That’s bullshit, Jake. You wouldn’t be buttering me up with Mu Shu if I weren’t going to absolutely hate it. Now you tell me what the hell is going on right now!”
Jake sighed. “I have to stay, Riley’s orders. We’re officially partners now. He thinks you need back up.”
Mac’s cheeks turned scarlet at the news. “You mean he thinks I need protection!”
“I didn’t say that.”
“That’s what you meant!”
“Do you need protection?”
“Screw you, Jake! I don’t work with partners!”
“Screw you back! Don’t get bitchy with me when you’re the one who screwed up. If you don’t like it then take it up with Riley. He’s meeting us in New Orleans tomorrow. Until then, you’re stuck with me because unlike you, I want to keep my job.”
Mac had the Captain wrapped around her finger more than anyone in the Bureau and she knew it. She was sure she could get him to see things her way, and if it was only one more day, then she supposed she could live. Plus, Jake was right, she got herself into this mess by letting those stupid criminals get the upper hand on her. She tried to get a grip on her raging temper and took a deep breath before speaking again. “And how does Riley expect us to explain you staying without blowing my cover?”
Jake was relieved to see her starting to act like a professional, but he knew her better than to think she could keep it up. He’d hoped that she would find this next bit of news as amusing as he did, but clearly, that wasn’t going to be the case. “You should try the wan ton soup, too. It’s excellent.”
“Damnit Jake!”
“Alright,” Jake finally sighed, “just don’t kill the messenger.” Jake reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box and Mac gasped in shock and disgust when she popped it open to see the sparkly jewelry inside. “Cap seems to think that they’d let your new fiancée stick around for a week or two. So,” Jake smirked grudgingly, “you want me to get down on one knee or something?”
Jake was right about Mac missing the humor in the situation and took a step back when she began to tremble with fury. “Hell no! No way! I’m not doing it!”
“Damnit Mac, why do you always have to be so stubborn?! We could have this case solved in a week if you would just work with me a little!”
Mac balled up her fists and was about to truly unleash that infamous Adam’s temper until she and Jake were both startled by a knock on the door and AJ’s concerned voice. “Mac? Mac is everything ok in there? I can hear you across the hall.”
Mac glared at Jake and then stomped over to the door. “I’m sorry, AJ. Yes, everything is fine. Jake was just leaving.”
AJ looked her over, surprised to see her so angry, and his eyes stopped when he saw the ring in her hands. His jaw dropped open and Mac went white when she saw what he was looking at. She quickly flipped the box shut and shoved it into her pocket before glaring at Jake and throwing open the door, signaling that it was time for him to leave.
AJ stepped out of the way, still completely stunned, while Jake huffed his way into the hallway. “Are you sure you’re ok?” he finally asked, becoming a little protective of his favorite nanny.
Feeling guilty, the way she always does after her temper gets away from her, Mac calmed down released a frustrated sigh. She nodded to AJ and then turned to Jake. “I’m sorry, alright? Can we please talk about this in the morning when I’m feeling a little better?”
Jake wanted to stay mad at her, but that was really hard to do when she was rubbing her throbbing head. He knew she’d been under a lot of stress lately and getting attacked only had to make it worse. He sighed as well and suddenly all hostility was gone between them. “I’m sorry too,” he said, pulling Mac against him and kissing her head near where the stitches rested. “Get some sleep Mac, I’m worried about you.”
Mac let go one more exhausted sigh and produced a weary smile. “Good night, Jake.”
She watched him go until he disappeared onto the elevator, heading to his own floor. Once he was out of sight, AJ startled her from her trance when he placed his hand on her shoulder. “What was all that about?”
This was going to complicate things considerably, but Mac was too tired to deal with any of it at the moment. “That was just Jake and I being Jake and I. Forget it, it’s nothing.”
AJ eyed the bulge in Mac’s pocket where the ring was burning a hole. “It didn’t look like nothing. You want to talk about it?”
“Not especially. Go back to bed, AJ. I’m sorry we woke you.”
Mac smiled a tired smile and kissed AJ’s cheek before retreating to her room to get some much needed sleep.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Yay for new Shadows chapters! And either I'm getting way too long winded or we're trying to cram too much into each chapter so I will actually be posting the next chapter as sell since I was only half done and it was already reaching epic proportions. Anyway, enjoy and be on the look out for the next one, hopefully within the week! You guys rock for sticking with us through our slowness! Thanks much!
