Page 37 of Protecting Maggie
“They didn’t get at least twenty-four hours?” Alabama asked.
“No,” Wren said. “Bo called from work and said they were leaving in like two hours. He didn’t even get to come home to say goodbye.”
“Hmmm, that does sound unusual,” Summer agreed.
“Itisodd,” Julie said. “Look, I don’t have all the answers just because I’m with a former commander. But generally the leaders try to give their people time to talk to their families. To say goodbye. Two hours either means something major is happening somewhere, and there was no time for anything other than debriefing and getting them on a plane…or someone fucked up.”
The room was silent for a moment. Then Caroline grabbed her phone and started scrolling.
“What’s up, Caroline?” Fiona asked.
“I’m just looking at the news. Seeing if something happened somewhere.”
Everyone waited and watched as Caroline stared at her screen. Finally, she lifted her head and shrugged. “Just because I can’t find anything major doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.”
The others all started talking at once, trying to figure out why the team might’ve been sent out so quickly, while also reassuring Wren, Josie, Remi, and Maggie that the guys were fine and would be back soon.
But Wren’s question made the hair on the back of Maggie’s neck stand up. What if…
No, it was a crazy thought. He wouldn’t…would he?
Yeah, he would.
The question was, did Romanreallyhave the clout and power to send a team of Navy SEALs off on a mission they weren’t fully prepared for? It was terrifying to even think about.
Instinctively, she looked down at her own phone. She hadn’t gotten any calls from Roman in almost two weeks now. She’d hoped that meant he’d grown tired of messing with her. But what if he hadn’t? What if this was his way of telling her that she and everyone she cared about wouldalwaysbe under his control? That she’d always have to look over her shoulder and wonder if he was there, waiting, lurking, preparing to fuck her life in any way he wanted.
She shuddered.
“Maggie? What do you think?”
Jerking her head up, she looked at Cheyenne. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening. What do I think about what?”
The other woman gave her a sympathetic smile. “About not talking shop anymore and making hot chocolate and watching a movie.”
Maggie agreed wholeheartedly. The thought that seven men might have been put in danger because of her made her nauseous. If anything happened…
She couldn’t go there. Shawn and the others were very good at what they did. Even if—and it was a big if—Roman had something to do with them being deployed, they’d be able to handle it. Maggie had heard enough stories about the men in action from Remi, Wren, and Josie to know that down to her bones.
But still, she couldn’t stop wondering about Roman. Would he really use his power to get the guys sent off to some foreign country?
She’d have to be extra careful. On alert. Maybe he’d sent Shawn away so he could more easily get to her. The thought of him planting drugs in her car again, or in her apartment, or spiking a drink so she’d fail a drug test…there were lots of ways he could screw with her so she’d break one of her rules of probation. The thought made her want to hide under her covers in her apartment and never come out again.
Following behind as all the women headed upstairs to the kitchen to make hot chocolate, Maggie shivered. What if Roman came after one ofthem? It was bad enough thatshe’d spent as much time behind bars as she had. What if he did something to get one of her friends sent away?
She wouldn’t be able to handle that.
It was time. Time to talk to Shawn. She’d already decided to tell him who her ex was, but she needed to tell himeverything. As soon as possible. She had no idea if he and his friends would be able to do anything to keep her safe, but at least they’d know. Maybe, just maybe, Shawn would be able to do something to stop Roman from ruining someone else’s life.
But on the flip side…Roman could ruinShawn’slife.
No. She had to believe Shawn when he said he could take care of himself and that he had friends who’d be able to help her. Because anything else was straight out of her worst nightmares.
CHAPTER NINE
“Seriously, what the fuck is this?” Smiley asked as they gathered in the bunk room they’d been assigned on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier currently stationed in the Mediterranean Sea.
Preacher had the same question, and obviously so did his teammates. They’d been questioning this mission one-on-one with each other for the last week, but this was the first time they’d discussed it as a group.
