Page 49 of Protecting Maggie
By the time Roman came along, she was desperate for love. And look how that turned out? But even after everything Roman had put her through, after being inprison, Shawn still managed to completely destroy the walls she’d used for years. She’d trusted him, quickly and completely. Had truly believed that maybe, just maybe, she was worthy of being loved after all.
Instead…with his instant denial of her story…she felt as alone right now as she had the day she realized her parents didn’t want her around.
Last night should’ve meanteverything. It had to her. But now, hearing Shawn’s complete disbelief that her ex could be the rear admiral, she realized it meant nothing. She was just the first notch on his bedpost. He’d decided it was time to get rid of his pesky virginity and she happened to be there.
It was a crushing blow.
She thought of the recording she’d made. It might prove to him that she wasn’t lying. That he was wrong, and her ex really was this rear admiral he obviously knew. For a moment, she wanted to do whatever it took inorder to make him believe her, to fight for their relationship.
But she shouldn’thaveto. He should believe her…right? Should trust and want her unconditionally.
Then again, why would he? Her parents didn’t.
Anger filled her at the fact that Roman was ruining her lifeagain. And she knew he wouldn’t stop there.
She didn’t want him to dupe another innocent victim the way he had her. He’d pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes. The Navy, the people who worked for him, the people he interacted with.
No. She needed to let Shawn hear the phone call. The threats.
And she would. But not right this moment. She was too raw. Too disappointed in him. She needed to wait until she’d had time to shore up her shields once more. That way, if he still didn’t believe her, even though she had solid proof of Roman’s asshole-ness, it wouldn’t bequiteas devastating as it was right now.
“Maggie?” Shawn questioned.
She had no idea what he might’ve said while she was stuck in her thoughts. So she simply uttered, “Okay.” Refusing to look up, she studied the pattern on the carpet under Shawn’s feet.
“Honey, look at me,” he said.
She didn’t want to.Reallydidn’t want to, but Maggie lifted her head anyway.
“Rear Admiral Robertson was never a SEAL, but he’s still highly decorated. He was a medic and has been onsome extremely harrowing missions alongside not only SEALs, but other special forces teams as well. He’s well-respected, and he was specifically asked to come to Riverton to help manage the teams.”
“Okay,” Maggie echoed woodenly.
“Can you tell me more about this guy? What does he look like? Wait, you said you stayed at his place, can you remember the address? I can have my connections see what they can find out. Figure out who this guyreallyis. Get him to stop harassing you.”
Suddenly exhausted, she wished he’d just leave. She couldn’t take much more of him trying to convince her that she was wrong.
“I’ll need to think about it for a while. I don’t really remember,” she muttered, trying to make the lie sound convincing. She needed Shawngoneso she could lick her wounds. She’d say whatever was necessary to make that happen, because she was holding on to her emotions by a thread. “Besides, he’s probably moved since I was last there. Iwasgone for two years.”
“Shit, yeah, that’s a good point. Okay, we’ll figure something out. We won’t let this guy continue to harass you. And trust me, he can’t do anything to me or my team. There’s no way he can infiltrate the Navy system. He just told you those things to make you think he has power over us that he doesn’t.”
Shawn was wrong. But at the moment, Maggie was too devastated to try to convince him. Later, when she felt stronger, when she was no longer so…emotionally involved, she’d sit him down again and pull out all the stops to make him understand that she wasn’t lying. That the Roman Robertson who was threatening her, threateninghim, was the same person he held in such high esteem.
“Okay,” she repeated yet again. “You know, I just remembered. I have an appointment with my probation officer today. In an hour, in fact. I need to get ready.”
“Oh…all right. I can go home and start my laundry. We’ll meet up later?”
“Sure,” Maggie said. Anything to get him to leave. She needed to be alone. To strengthen her shields once more. Shawn had obliterated them, and now when she needed them most, they were totally gone.
He stepped closer to where Maggie was still sitting on the couch and knelt in front of her. “We’ll figure this out, honey. I swear.”
It took every ounce of control Maggie had not to burst into tears and scream at him and tell him that there was nothing to figure out. The Roman she knew was the same manheknew. Even if he didn’t want to admit it. “Okay.” She felt like a robot, saying the same word over and over, but that was all her brain could manage to get out at the moment.
Shawn leaned forward and kissed her briefly, then stood and headed for the door. Maggie got up and let him kiss her once more, before shutting and locking the door behind him. She sank to her butt right there against it, lowering her head to her knees.
Preacher frowned as he drove back to his apartment. He wasn’t in the mood to chat with the older lady who owned the house where he rented a room, so he was relieved when her car wasn’t in the driveway. He went up to his room and started a load of laundry, then sat on the edge of his bed and stared into space as he went over everything Maggie had told him.
Anger filled him at the thought of someone impersonating Rear Admiral Robertson. The man was a legend. Had been to hell and back and now helped run the SEAL program as a high-ranking officer. There was no way he was involved in drug smuggling or dealing, and he couldn’t imagine the man treating anyone, especially a woman he was dating, the way Maggie’s ex had treated her.
