Stitch by Jaime Lewis (ebook reader online .txt) 📗

her to jump up and come running into his arms.  He held her close and walked to a nearby table and sat down as both Ace and Potter stood to the side watching.

◆◆◆

“Mia…talk to me, honey. What happened?” Stitch asked her, but she shook her head as if trying to clear the pungent smell from her nostrils and the awful memories from her mind.  She started to shake harder, and Stitch wrapped his strong arms around her, infusing warmth to her frigid body.

He spoke in a low and calm voice. “Breathe, baby—slow deep breaths.  In one, two, three. Out, one, two, three.  That’s it, nice and easy.  I’ve got you.”

“Mia?” She heard Ace’s voice and looked up, and tears poured from her eyes when she saw the worried look in her brother’s eyes. She swallowed past the emotion clogging her throat. He stepped forward and placed his warm palm against her cheek, and she closed her eyes. She was safe. Her brother and Stitch were here, and they would protect her. When she opened her eyes, Ace gave her a soft smile. Stitch still had his arm around her waist, and she leaned back into him as she tried to gain back some normalcy.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Can you tell us what happened?”  Stitch asked.

“It’s going to sound silly, but there was a smell.”

“A smell?” Ace asked.

“Yeah, it was a cologne. Someone walked by, and I caught a whiff of it inside.”

She looked over her shoulder up into Stitch’s eyes, then brought them back to her brother.  “It was the same cologne my attacker wore.”

Stitch’s armed tightened around her.  “Are you positive?”

She turned in Stitch’s arms, then nodded her head as a tear slipped out of her eye. “I’m positive. It’s not one I’ll ever forget.”

Stitch used his thumb to wipe away the tear then hugged her to him.

“What if it was him? What if he found me and knows I am with you guys?  Oh god. What about Alex and the others?  The kids.  I’ve put everyone in danger.  I have to leave.”

She tried pulling away, but Stitch held on to her. “No, baby.  You are not going anywhere, and especially not by yourself. So, get any ideas of sneaking off out of your head right now.  We won’t let anything happen to you.  Plus, it could be someone who just happened to wear the same cologne.”

Mia supposed it could, but she wasn’t willing to take a chance. She felt uneasy and exposed. She looked up at Stitch.

“Can we go back to the cabin tonight?”

Brushing her hair away from her face, he kissed her forehead, “Yeah. We can do that.”

Mia prayed she hadn’t just put her friends in danger.

◆◆◆

Brice Vargas pulled his phone from his pocket and hit Elijah’s name.  He couldn’t believe who he just saw standing just a feet away from him. On the second ring, Elijah’s voice came through the phone.

“This better be good, Vargas.  I’ve got a shit show happening around here right now.  I’ve got that damn detective breathing down my neck, and I just heard they are issuing search warrants for all of my properties in the city and Jersey.”

“Well, that is partially why I’m calling. You’ll never guess who I just found.”

“What?  Hang on, let me step out of the room.”  He listened as he heard Elijah moving around. He heard other voices in the background.

“I’m not in the mood to play guessing games, detective, so just spit it out.”

Vargas chuckled.  He’d been on Elijah’s payroll for years and knew the guy had no patience. “That lovely little doctor of yours that you’ve been worrying your head about.”

He heard Elijah’s voice hitch.

“You found her? Where?”

“Virginia Beach.”

“Her brother lives there. I’ve had someone watching his place, and he hasn’t said he’d seen her. Are you sure it’s her?”

“Oh, yeah. It is definitely her. She even still has some bruising from Oscar and Jules’ beatdown.”

“Don’t remind me.  Those fucks won’t be touching another female for a while.  How did you end up in Virginia Beach?”

“Well, you asked me last night to do some investigating, and I did. I found out where her brother lived. While I was in the process of gathering additional information, my chief came into my office and informed me that one of the other detectives came down with the flu and couldn’t attend a law enforcement conference, and that I had to go in his place. And you’ll never guess where it is?”

“Virginia Beach?”

“Not exactly, but close enough. Norfolk. Anyway, during one of the morning sessions, I met some of the local SWAT guys from Virginia Beach PD, and they invited me out for drinks after the conference sessions today.  And here we are. I would never have guessed in a million years the same person you are looking for is right here in the same bar.”

“And, you’re definitely positive it is her?”

“A hundred percent.  I wouldn’t have called if I wasn’t.”

“Is she with anyone?”

“Looks like her brother and some friends.” Vargas watched three men follow Mia outside. He moved closer toward the door they went through to keep an eye on the situation. For a minute or two, Mia had looked like something had shaken her up. When he got to the door and looked out, he was shocked when he saw one of the men holding her on his lap.  Judging from the guys' actions toward Mia, Vargas assumed there was something between the two.  Then he saw the heated look the two exchanged before the guy kissed her, solidifying his belief.

He focused back on the phone call. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it looks like you may have some competition.”

“Like what?”

“It seems Mia has been busy while she’s been in hiatus. I believe she may have a lover.”

“A boyfriend?  She wasn’t seeing anyone.”

“Well, I’m watching her right now with him, and I beg to differ.  He is a big dude too.”

Elijah was silent, and Vargas knew he wasn’t taking Mia’s indiscretion well.  He