Page 10 of Rescuing Macie

“He probably hid it so you wouldn’t find it. Thought he could get it next time he came over, but then you broke up with him,” the detective mused.

“There are drugs in my apartment?” she practically screeched. So much for her anti-anxiety meds working.

“Why take so long to come back?” Truck asked.

The detective shrugged. “No clue. Maybe it wasn’t important until now. It makes sense that he knew about her safe room. I’m assuming you told him about it?” he asked Macie.

“No! I hadn’t been dating him that long,” she said vehemently. “But…” Her voice trailed off.

“But what?” Colt asked.

Macie sighed. “One time when he was over I got up to get us something to drink and Teddy said that he needed to use the restroom. He was gone a really long time and I just figured he was having…you know…stomach issues. I didn’t want to embarrass him so I didn’t say anything about it.”

“He was probably snooping around looking for somewhere to stash whatever he wanted to hide. I’m guessing he was under pressure from another dealer and was desperate,” the detective said. “Then when Macie broke up with him he didn’t have an opportunity to get back into her room to collect his stuff.”

Macie shivered thinking about Teddy snooping around her place and finding her safe room. She wasn’t sure she’d ever feel safe again.

“I think we’re done here,” Colt said. “Macie’s about at the end of her rope. Truck, can you drive her car to Killeen? I can take her with me.”

Truck eyed his commanding officer for a heartbeat, and Macie thought they might start arguing right there, but eventually he gave a quick nod.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Colt told him. “Nothing is going to happen to your sister.”

“It better not,” Truck said under his breath. Then he kneeled next to Macie once more. He put his hand on her thigh, and the weight and heat of it felt good on her chilly skin. “Thank you for calling me tonight, Mace. I’m so glad you’re all right.”

“Thank you for coming,” she said.

“Anytime you need me, I’m here,” he responded. “And I know this will be impossible, but I’m asking anyway—forget everything our parents told you about me and about what happened back then. Not one fucking word was true. They are awful human beings, and I hate like hell that I didn’t try harder to stay connected with you. My only excuse is that I was young and dumb and didn’t want anything more to do with them. I’m ashamed that I thought for even one second that you might’ve had a good reason for not wanting to talk to me. I shouldn’t have let my feelings about them interfere with my relationship with you. And for that, I’ll forever be ashamed of myself.”

Macie’s eyes filled with tears. He was right, it was impossible to block out the years of hurtful words her parents had hurled at her. But she hated that he felt responsible for what happened.

“I should’ve come and seen you when you were injured.” Her eyes went to the gnarly scar on her brother’s face. “I didn’t think you’d want to see me. But you should know I cut off all ties with Mom and Dad when they got home from visiting you. They said some truly horrible stuff, and even though it was one of the hardest things I’d ever done, I told them that they were dead to me. I haven’t spoken to them since.”

Truck’s eyes closed for a second before he nodded. He stood and kissed the top of Macie’s head. “I’ll bring Mary over to see you tomorrow.”

“I’m not sure—” Colt started, but Truck interrupted him.

“Tomorrow,” he repeated firmly.

Macie looked from Colt to her brother, then back to Colt. He finally nodded.

“I’ll call Ghost and have him pick me up at your house after I drop off Macie’s car,” Truck said, then he turned and headed for the front door of the apartment.

“After we check out this safe room of yours, my guys will be about done looking around,” the detective said, standing as well. “I think it goes without saying that if you find anything that doesn’t belong, don’t touch it and call me.”

Macie was nodding when Colt said, “We will. Thank you.”

Colt looked down at her. “You ready to go pack? I want to look at those scrapes too. Get them cleaned up before we get out of here.”

Macie swallowed hard and took a deep breath. Her head hurt and her fingers were still tingling, but the thought of going home with Colt comforted her. She stood up and swayed on her feet. She clutched the blanket around her shoulders when she’d sat down to talk to the detective and closed her eyes.

“Easy, Mace.” Picking her up as if she weighed no more than a child, Colt headed for the hallway which led to her bedroom.

Instead of worrying about whether or not he would drop her or where she should put her hands, Macie lay her head on his shoulder and kept her eyes shut.

It had been a long time, maybe forever, since she’d felt as calm as she did right now. Some of it had to do with the meds she’d taken earlier, but most of it was Colt. There was something about him that made her feel more grounded.

Chapter Three