Page 29 of Axel (Reed Hawthorne Security #6)

Axel

I’ve been awake for about an hour, but I don’t want to move. Waking up in my bed with Savvy in my arms is amazing. I feel so content. I can’t say I’ve ever felt like this. And all we did last night was spoon, nothing more. It was exactly what I needed.

While I believe I loved my ex, I never felt like this around her. It’s like Savvy is the missing puzzle piece I didn’t know I needed. And she fits in perfectly.

Part of me is worried I’m already in so deep with a woman I’ve only spent a few weeks getting to know, and most of that has been on the run.

What if it’s only the stress of our circumstances that brought us together?

While I do worry a little about these things, something inside tells me everything will be all right.

Savvy stirs beside me and then turns to face me. “Good morning,” she says .

I sweep her hair off of her face. “Good morning.”

“I don’t want to, but we should probably get up,” she says.

“We don’t have to,” I say.

Fortunately, Reed told me to take a day to rest.

She snuggles closer. “We’ve been in bed for twelve hours.”

It’s true, we have. And I could stay here all day.

“We needed sleep.”

“And while I would love to stay here and not think about anything, we need to find out what happened to Marco. Do you know? Does the FBI have him?”

“Let me check in with Stevens and Reed, and then we can discuss it over breakfast,” I say.

She yawns. “Sounds good. I’d like to take another shower. I still don’t feel clean.”

“You can use this one,” I point to my bathroom.

Last night, she ran up the stairs and used the guest bathroom.

“Do you need me to find you something to wear?” I ask.

“No, I still have a few things from the bag your sister brought over.”

I head downstairs to give her privacy and check my phone. There’s a message from Reed to call him.

I step out onto my back patio to make the call.

“Axel, I got a message from Stevens a few minutes ago. They let Marco go,” Reed says.

I run my hand through my hair as I process this. “What? Who? Why? ”

“I don’t have any more information. I figured you would want to talk to Stevens directly.”

“Yeah, I would.”

“Let me know what you find out. Then we can discuss what you should do next.”

“Sounds good.” He means whether I continue to protect Savvy or go on assignment.

The odds of the FBI continuing to foot my bill for protection are slim now that Bob has pled out. Savvy is no longer needed as a witness for him. She might be needed for Bennett, though.

I take a deep breath and then call Stevens. The moment she picks up, I start in. “What the hell? Why was Marco released?”

She sighs. “It was Myers. He let him go.”

“How was that possible?”

“No one told me the police had custody of Marco. The call went to Myers.”

“Reed said he was going to call you,” I say.

“I had a missed call from Reed. That was it.”

Dammit!

“So, Myers said to let him go, and they did?”

“No. Myers personally let him go.”

I must have misheard. “What do you mean, he personally did? He doesn’t have that authority.”

“Myers explained to our boss that releasing Marco was the only option. He believes Marco will lead him to someone further up the chain. And somehow he convinced our boss it would work.”

I stop pacing. “That’s what he said about Bennett!” I pinch the bridge of my nose as a headache is coming on. “And what about Savvy? Marco will go after her again.”

“I’ve been talking to my supervisor this morning, trying to get more funding approved for her protection.”

I take a calming breath, but it doesn’t help. “Let me get the straight. Your agency keeps putting her in danger and you have to go through some administrative bullshit to consider having her protected?”

“Just a second,” she says. A door closes and then she clears her throat. “I would not put it that way. We have procedures we have to follow here. I can’t make decisions without coordinating with the team.”

I really wish I was working with Harding on this. She does what is necessary to get the job done. Maybe the CIA has more leniency than the FBI.

“Look, I’m doing what I can to get everything signed off today, tomorrow morning at the latest. Are you with her now?”

I shake my head. “Of course I am.”

“Good. Stay with her as long as you can. And I’ll ask Myers to let you know if Marco looks like he’s going after Savvy again.”

“Fine.” It’s not fine, but I can already tell I’m not getting anywhere with this conversation.

I call Myers. It goes to voicemail. Yeah, I can imagine he’d ignore my calls. I get coffee going while mulling it all over. Maybe Moose can come by while I go visit Myers. I want to look the asshole in the face when I give him a piece of my mind .

I send a text to Moose explaining everything. He responds right away that he’s on his way over.

Savvy steps into the kitchen. “The coffee smells good.”

I pull out a mug from the cabinet and hand it to her. “I don’t have any creamer. Sorry.”

“That’s fine. I don’t use any.”

I watch her as she pours her coffee and then sits at the kitchen table. It amazes me that there was a time when I was so angered or frustrated by her because now I love everything she does. Love . I think about it for a minute. Yep, I’m in love with her.

“What?” she asks. “Do I have something on my face?”

I sit down across from her. “Nope. Just admiring it.”

She rolls her eyes. “God, you’re getting sappy.”

I lean back. “Better than grumpy.”

That earns me a smile.

I glance out the back door and spot a squirrel on a limb of the one tree in my backyard. Once he’s out of sight, I turn back to Savvy. “They let Marco go.”

She sets her cup down. “I can’t keep doing this.” Her voice cracks. “Every time I feel safe, he’s there.” She’s right. “Why, though? Aren’t they charging him?”

“Apparently, Myers ordered his release, hoping to catch some bigger fish.”

She curls her legs up to her chest and wraps her arms around her knees. “I have to continue hiding then.” She sounds defeated.

“Well, we weren’t sure if you had to or not, so this doesn’t really change things initially. I need to talk to Myers in person and find out if he has someone watching this guy that he trusts and if he will let us know if Marco gets close. Moose is on his way over to stay with you while I go.”

“You have to leave? You can’t call?”

I lean forward. “I tried. It went to voicemail. I need to talk to him in person.”

She nods. “Okay. I understand.”

Someone knocks on the door.

“That should be Moose,” I say as I get up to answer it.

I swing the door open. It’s not Moose. “Get off my porch!”

Peter holds up a hand. “Wait, this is important.” Peter lifts his phone.

“No! You will not record this.”

“All right.” Peter places his phone in his pocket.

“Where’s your car?” I ask.

He frowns. “Uh, over there. Why?”

I glance over. It’s not running, so that’s a good sign. After what this guy has pulled before, I wouldn’t put it past him to try to get something scandalous recorded and then run.

“What do you want?” I ask.

“A deal.”

I cross my arms. He doesn’t have anything to offer me, but I decide to hear him out before I slam the door in his face.

“I won’t ask you anything more about Stacy if you promise me an exclusive interview. Both you and your girlfriend.”

“What the hell are you talking about? ”

He pulls out his phone, but instead of holding it up, he unlocks it and turns it toward me. “It’s all over the news.” I read the headline.

New York Real Estate Agent Caught up with the Cartel. A Victim or a Player?

“What?” I grab his phone and scroll through the article. It includes a photo of Savvy and me in my car. This isn’t good. I give him his phone back and turn around.

“So, do we have a deal?” he asks.

He’s here to exploit Savvy, not Stacy. I’m too angry to even look at him, so I go inside and slam the door without responding.

“What was that about?” Savvy asks.

I search on my phone until I find the article. Unfortunately, other media sites have picked it up as well. I hand my phone to Savvy. As she reads through it, her eyes widen.

“No, they can’t say this. Can they? It’s a lie!” she says.

“We might be able to shut this down,” I say.

She sets down my phone. “It’s too late. The damage is done.”

There’s another knock on my door. I swear if it’s Peter, I’ll toss him into the bushes. I open the door to find Moose. I step aside and he walks in.

“How are you two doing?” he asks.

“Not great.” I hand him my phone with the article pulled up.

He reads it over and hands it back. “Well, that sucks. But you know how these things are. They will be talking about someone else tomorrow. ”

I hope he’s right.

“How long will you be gone?” he asks.

“Not sure. Hopefully, he’s in his office and answers my questions,” I say.

Moose nods. “Good luck.” He walks to the kitchen to give us a moment of privacy.

I sit beside her. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

She nods.

“If anything happens, follow Moose’s instructions.”

She nods again.

I pull her in for a hug, and then I leave.

All of this is taking a toll on her. I need this to end so she can heal from everything she’s been through.

She hasn’t even had a chance to deal with Bob’s betrayal, who I understand was a friend and mentor, much less deal with multiple men coming after her to kill her.

I make great time getting to the FBI office and am told to wait while they locate Agent Myers. The waiting room is small, and I stare at the cover of a magazine on the table. It’s three years old.

A door opens, and Myers steps through. “Axel, good to see you.” The man is smiling.

I want to punch that smile off his face, but I restrain myself. I’m here for answers.

“How can I help you?”

“Do you want to discuss this in the waiting room?” I ask.

He glances at a woman sitting a few chairs down. “No, follow me.”

He leads me back through the door and to a small conference room that has glass walls. Once inside, he closes the door.

“Why did you let Marco go? Do you have eyes on him? I need to know if he gets anywhere near Savvy.”

He motions to the chairs. “Have a seat.”

I’m too aggravated to sit. “No thanks.”

He glances through the glass at the hallway as two men walk by. “All right. I let Marco go because there is a long, ongoing investigation into the cartel, and we believe he will lead us to a dangerous man we have been searching for.”

“That’s what you claimed about Bennett.”

“Yes, I had hoped Marco would not arrive alone. But alas, he did.”

I swear he’s trying to irk me now like he wants me to punch him again. If I do, I will be arrested.

“As for Marco’s whereabouts, yes, there is an agent following him. If he goes near Ms. William’s residence, I can alert you.”

“She’s staying with me.”

He grins. “Is that so?”

I shove my hands in my pockets. “I’m still protecting her.”

“I’m sure you are.”

I step up until we are nearly nose to nose. I have a few inches on him, though. “What is your problem?”

“I don’t have a problem. I have a job to do. Now I told you I would alert you. That’s all I can do.” He steps back, turns, and walks out the door .

I follow him as he walks down the hallway. “If anything happens to her, I will hold you personally responsible.”

He doesn’t turn around but simply holds a hand up in the air.

The man doesn’t know me. But if anything happens to her, he’ll learn I mean what I say.