Her Forbidden Hero (23 page)

Tonight, it made her bawl like a baby.

Every instinct in her body demanded she get in her car and go to him. To find a way to make him love her or to make herself accept whatever he could give. Which was exactly why she had to leave. Because that would still place her smack in between Brady and Marco, and it was the last place on the planet she wanted to be.

She turned off her phone and crawled under the covers. She’d have to work up the courage to listen to the last two. But instead of falling asleep, all she could do was stare into the darkness and wonder if Marco was across town laying awake and thinking about her.

…

They closed in on the compound, months of intelligence leading them to this moment. Something about the yard bothered him, but Marco couldn’t place it and wrote it off as nerves or the damn heat. Over the ridge. Behind scrub. Into a ditch. He exchanged a glance with Brady.

His heart took up its position in his throat.

This was the dangerous part. There was no cover between the ditch and the exterior wall. But they met no resistance. The team took up positions within the courtyard, and Vasquez and Marten went for the door, with Marco and Brady close behind, providing cover.

No. Nonono
.

But it wasn’t Wentworth tied to the chair, gagged and bloody. Instead, Alyssa stood on the other side, pinned against her car by a man who towered over her and had his hand around her throat. She fought him off, but he was too big and she couldn’t find the leverage to get free.

Marco launched into a flat-out run, but it was like wading through a deep river flowing in the opposite direction. He powered his thighs through the current but didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. In the meantime, the man shoved Alyssa backward into the rear car seat and crawled in on top of her, the darkness covering his deeds. Only her muffled screams revealed her distress, and they were devastatingly loud in his ears—

Marco flew into a sitting position and almost face-planted on the floor because the sheet was so tightly wound around his legs. He was drenched with sweat and breathing so painfully hard, he briefly considered whether he was having a heart attack. He dragged his hands through his hair and focused on getting himself under control.

Leaning against the headboard, Marco analyzed the dream. Since Alyssa had walked back into his life, she was the only thing that had created any variation in the nightmare he’d been having for the past year. It was always the same. The compound. The foreboding. The by-the-book operation. And waking up just before it all went to shit.

For a year, the ambush had defined his every moment. But the dream made it clear his fear over losing Alyssa was greater than his anxiety over what had happened and how he’d changed. He would always carry the weight of that day and those men with him, but she…she meant more to him than his past. It was time to grab hold of his present, his future.

And that meant calling her wasn’t going to cut it. He didn’t blame her for avoiding him, but he needed to try harder, do more. Determination flowed through his veins.

It was time he stood up and fought. For her. For himself.

Marco grabbed his guitar from where it was resting against the nightstand. His arm ached from attempting to play so much lately. But playing reminded him of her encouragement, her belief in him, of her.

As he strummed out an old tune, a plan began to take shape, and he knew exactly what he wanted to do. And after months of living in the murk of darkness, the clarity was a revelation.

…

Marco
walked into Whiskey’s with a sense of mission and purpose that had been missing these long months. He turned in to the lounge as someone called his name. He glanced over his shoulder to find his manager. “Hey, Pete. What’s up?”

“Come see me when you have a sec?”

Marco headed toward him. “Now works.”

Pete led him around the kitchen to his office. “Close the door and have a seat.”

Marco dropped into the chair. “Something wrong?”

“Did you know I was married once?”

“Uh, no,” Marco said, wondering where he could possibly be going with this. Sometimes Pete got going with a story and it was like a vortex from which you couldn’t escape.

“I was married for eleven years. Best years of my life, too.”

A strange sense of unease settled over Marco. “Why only eleven?”

“Because Ellen died. Drunk driver. Just like that, she was gone.”

Marco sat forward in his chair. “Damn. I’m very sorry to hear that.”

“Thanks. I told you this because I know how important it is to find and hold onto the person you love.”

What could this possibly have to do with Alyssa?
Marco couldn’t imagine, but his gut told him somehow it did.

“It’s not my place to share this news, but I’m going to anyway, because when you’re young, sometimes you can’t get your head out of your ass long enough to see the world around you.”

Marco froze as he absorbed Pete’s words. “Uh, okay.”

“Alyssa Scott has taken a job in DC, and she’s moving on Thursday morning.” Pete stared at him.

Marco couldn’t make sense of the words. “What?”

“You heard me.”

Heart in his throat and pulse roaring behind his ears, Marco rose to his feet. “Where is she?”

“That’s what I thought. Sit down. She isn’t here. She brought her brother by to meet me this morning, and when I learned he’d just gotten home on leave, I gave her the day off. I knew the moment you arrived you didn’t know yet, because after Saturday night it was crystal clear you love her. So no way would you be walking around like everything was all right. And any idiot with two eyes could see she loves you.” Pete arched an eyebrow and nailed him with a stare. “So, that leaves me wondering why she’s leaving town and you’re looking like the news gutted you.”

Marco pressed his fingers into his temple. He knew he had to fight for her, but he just hadn’t realized how little time he had.

She’s leaving
.

Was she even going to tell him?

Pete got up and came around to pat Marco on the shoulder. “She’ll be here tomorrow for her last shift. Just wanted you to know so you could decide if it mattered.”

Marco rose. “It does. Thank you.” He went to the bar and spent the next hour getting set up for dinner. While his hands moved, his mind raced. He’d had a plan, but it wasn’t big enough. He saw that now. He needed a way to not only say what needed said, but convince her he meant every word. If he failed, he’d lose Alyssa forever. DC might not be that far away, but soul-deep he knew if he let her go, there wouldn’t be a second chance. And then he’d really know what pain and emptiness felt like.

…

Alyssa was already exhausted by the time the dinner service began on Wednesday evening. The staff had thrown a big farewell party for her in the break room and everyone had come. Pete had even invited Brady. The only one missing was Marco. And she’d thought her heart couldn’t hurt any more.

Not only did she feel terrible for not telling him her plans, but at this rate she was beginning to worry she might not see him to say good-bye at all.

When Brady had picked her up yesterday, she’d forced him to accept a “No Marco” rule to escape being badgered with questions and hearing his unsolicited opinion about what had happened—or hadn’t happened—between them. But now she was on the verge of breaking down and asking him where Marco was. If he knew she was leaving. If he was okay.

The only thing that gave her the strength to persevere was taking care of her customers and looking forward to hearing Tommy finally perform for open mic night. He’d promised he would do it, since it was her last night there. She’d heard him play just once, at the picnic at Cunningham Falls, but here she’d get the full experience—microphone, acoustics, and the energy of the audience fueling him on.

Finally, Tommy took center stage with his acoustic guitar. The waitstaff knew what a great musician he was and how infrequently he played in public, so everyone gathered around the edges of the venue to listen to him. He introduced himself and launched into a song. The rasp in his voice combined with the almost percussive way he played the guitar to create an incredible, mesmerizing performance. Even the kitchen staff came out toward the end of the song to listen. When he finished, the room shot to their feet.

Alyssa cheered and bumped shoulders with Kim. “Wow. He’s amazing,” she yelled into her friend’s ear.

Kim grinned, then surprised her with a big hug.

Alyssa laughed. “What’s this for?”

“Just because, honey.”

“Well, just my luck to follow that up,” the next musician said to the crowd’s laughter and whistles. “My name’s Marco, and this song is for Alyssa.”

Alyssa whirled around, a lump forming in her throat as her gaze latched onto Marco, sitting on a stool with one knee propped to support his guitar. He adjusted the mic and began to play.

She recognized the song within three notes and thought her legs might give out. Several hundred people sat and stood around the room, but all Alyssa could see was Marco. Proclaiming in his sweet voice he could never have enough time with her and to forget the world around them. When he hit the chorus and sang the words
marry me
, Alyssa lost the fight against her tears and pressed her hand over her mouth to keep from drawing attention to herself.

Was this really happening? Was Marco really saying he loved her and…proposing? Her heart suddenly felt too big to fit in her chest.

Hands settled on her shoulders from behind and she jumped. “Al?”

“Brady,” she whispered, batting away her tears.

He smiled and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry I was such a hothead and didn’t take the time to listen. He loves you. And if he’s what you want, you have my blessing.”

The room went spinny around her. She focused on Brady’s face. The sincerity of his words was reflected in his expression, which was all pride and joy for her. For them. “Thank you,” she said, and threw her arms around his neck.

“You’re welcome. Now, go put my man out of his misery and tell him you’ll marry his sorry ass.” He kissed her cheek.

Alyssa choked out a laugh and swatted him in the chest. Brady chuckled.

Kim gave her two thumbs-up and a big smile as she looked over her shoulder. Behind her, Pete stood wearing a satisfied smile.

It was so much to take in, but most of all Marco. Her beautiful, damaged man. Along with her brother, her biggest hero. And the love of her life.

As Marco hit the second chorus, Alyssa’s legs finally acted on the command to move and she walked down the tiered entranceway to the wide aisle that ran down the middle of the venue parallel to the stage. She made it partway across when a spotlight fell on her. She froze as everyone turned, but then Marco’s gaze found her, too. And the love shining out of his gorgeous eyes beckoned her to come to him.

People reached out and shook her hand or called out enthusiastic cheers as she passed, but all she could really focus on was Marco. He missed a few notes and sang half a verse
a cappella
with his left arm resting in his lap. But what he’d done for her was completely, utterly perfect.

As she approached him, her heart thundered in her chest and her feet barely touched the ground. When her hand landed on the edge of the stage, Marco finished the line asking her to always be happy with him, and then he hopped off the stool, propped the guitar against it, and was down off the stage and in front of her in seconds.

Alyssa jumped into Marco’s arms and kissed him until she couldn’t breathe. She was vaguely aware of the crowd’s applause.

“I love you, Alyssa. I’m only sorry it took me so long to tell you.”

She shook her head. “You’re right on time. I can’t believe you did this, you silly, wonderful man.”

He smiled and looked more at ease than she could remember seeing him. “It’s good to be silly sometimes, right?”

She nodded. “God, I love you.”

He set her down and sank to one knee. Alyssa gasped, utterly blindsided by the sheer force of the joy that flowed through her.

Marco held up a stunning diamond that glittered in all the lights from the stage. “Alyssa Scott, I am so in love with you. Will you please be my forever and marry me?”

Alyssa nodded, then found her voice. “Oh, Marco. Yes.”

“You make me so happy, Aly.” Marco slipped the ring on her finger, rose, and pulled her in for a long, deep kiss.

“She said ‘yes!’” a man sitting in the audience near them yelled. The crowd erupted into applause and whistles.

When the kiss ended, Alyssa marveled at the band of gold surrounding her finger. The biggest of all her dreams had come true, and it felt like anything was possible. Which reminded her…

Grinning, she wrapped her arms around Marco’s neck and pushed onto her tiptoes. “So, does this mean I’ll finally get to drive Betty?”

Marco burst out laughing, and the sound was so carefree and wholehearted. He squeezed her tightly against him. “I’m in so much trouble with you, aren’t I?”

Alyssa gave him her most innocent smile. “Not if you give me everything I want.”

He shook his head, his own smile carving that sexy dimple she loved into his cheek. “That’s the plan.”

“Good. Then kiss me again.”

The kiss that followed was filled with joy and laughter, tears, and murmured words of love. After all this time, they’d found peace and love and security in the arms of the one person who had known and cared for them forever. It was more than she’d ever hoped for.