Alex paced around his apartment, pausing every once in a while to check his computer for any new emails before continuing his repetitive route. For the past three weeks he had done everything he could think of to get in contact with Isabel but she had dropped off of the map so he was forced to rely on emails, voicemails, and the postal service to deliver his apologies. She hadn't responded to any of his attempts to open the lines of communication between them but if he was honest with himself he wasn't really surprised. He doubted she had even opened any of the letters and emails or listened to any of the messages he had left on her voicemail.
Isabel's brothers had refused to speak to him but he had spoken with their wives on several occasions and they had both insisted that she was fine, but neither of them would comment beyond that and they wouldn't tell him where she was. He had made several surprise visits to the impressive building that housed their offices to talk to Michael or Max but they had conveniently been absent each time.
He froze when the doorbell rang and had to remind himself to go answer the door when it chimed again. It could be her, he thought as he rushed through the rooms to reach the hall. He paused with his hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath before pulling it open with flourish. His face fell when his eyes came to rest on the couple standing on the other side and he stepped back to let them in.
Sierra exchanged a questioning look with her husband before she entered the apartment ahead of him. There was only one reason she could think of for his disappointed expression.
"Were you expecting someone else?" she asked.
"Not expecting, no," he answered as he closed the door.
T-Rex crossed his arms over his chest and regarded the younger man thoughtfully. "Where's your lady, Bulldog?"
"I don't know," he sighed raggedly as he led them back through to the living room.
"What do you mean, you don't know?" T-Rex hollered when Alex excused himself to get drinks for them.
"It's very simple, Rex," he explained, returning and handing each of them a cold bottle of beer, "I don't know where she is because she won't return my calls, emails, messages left on her phone, or messages relayed through her family."
"She's recovering from bein' shot," Sierra stated incredulously. "What could you possibly have found to fight about while she's – "
"It wasn't much of a fight and it happened a couple of weeks before she was…" He shook his head and took a long drink from the bottle in his hand.
"What'd you do?" Sierra asked, deciding he looked guilty.
"Isabel's obviously very vigilant about keeping anyone under her protection safe and I think that makes her suspicious of anyone and everyone – "
T-Rex shook his head. "You fought about the precautions she took to keep you safe?"
"No, I didn't question her belief that I was safer in a location that was known only to her own people; what I questioned was her insistence that my father was somehow involved with what was going on and that the two of you knew where my mom is and you've known since she left." He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I realize now that she had to be…" He trailed off when T-Rex held one hand up. "What?"
"It just occurred to me that she's hidin' from you and that woman didn't strike me as the type to hide from a fight. What exactly did you say to her?"
"That I couldn't be with someone who was so suspicious of my family and friends."
"You didn't believe her reasons for being suspicious?"
Alex hung his head in shame. "I told her I wasn't interested in hearing an explanation. I told her it was over, that I was finished with it and two weeks later she threw herself directly in the line of fire and took a bullet that was meant for me."
Sierra didn't comment when she noticed he was shaking slightly, focusing instead on his miserable expression. "It's not your fault she was shot, Alex."
"She was shot protecting me," he shouted, jerking to his feet and moving around restlessly. "How is that not my fault?"
"It's not your fault because you didn't pull the trigger or push her in front of you."
"No, she did that herself."
T-Rex sat forward and braced his elbows on his knees when he heard the bitterness in his friend's voice. "Are you pissed at yourself for bein' an ass or are you pissed at her for puttin' herself in the line of fire?" He waited until it became apparent that he wasn't going to get an answer before he spoke again. "Do you understand that this is her job? That protecting the client at all costs – "
"I was not just a client!"
"No, and she shouldn't have been the one handlin' your protection for that very reason."
"What?"
"You weren't just a client, Alex," Sierra agreed, her tone gentle. "Protecting someone close to you is dangerous because no matter how good you are your emotions get involved and part of your mind will always be preoccupied with whether or not they're safe and it will affect your judgment if that person is threatened in any way. When you came under fire the only thing on her mind would've been doing whatever was necessary to keep you alive."
"I saw the way that woman looked at you, Bulldog, and I talked to her after you went to bed the night we were there; nothin' is more important to her than you and she's not gonna sit back and let somethin' go on behind your back without addressin' it."
Alex whirled around to look at T-Rex. "You think I should've just stood back and let her make unfounded accusations – "
"No, I think you should've listened to what she had to say before getting defensive and goin' off on her." He scratched his chin and glanced at his wife before going on. "Isabel's accusations – and I'm gonna use that term lightly because I don't think she was makin' accusations; I think she was probably tryin' to talk to you about it and you went off on her because she was questioning the only stability you've had for the past ten years. Anyway, whatever you wanna call them they weren't unfounded."
"What're you sayin'?"
"I'm sayin' she was right about all of it."
Alex dropped down in his chair, too stunned by what he was hearing to say anything. His parents, his friends, they had all lied to him.
"You're probably feelin' like we lied to you – "
"You did lie to me," he snapped, finding his voice.
"Alex, your mom left to protect you and she didn't want you to know where she was for the same reason."
"You've known where she was the whole time."
"Okay, before you get goin', listen to me," Sierra said, holding one hand up in a request for silence. "She wanted you to remember everything and by helping you she was drawing the wrong attention and potentially putting you in danger. The people your father works with have questionable connections and he's involved in some things he shouldn't be involved in. With the arrests that were made a couple of weeks ago you should know that."
Alex nodded. He knew multiple arrests had been made; the people responsible for the attempts on his life had been associated with an anti-military group and Susan Reynolds had been revealed as the internal leak. They had discovered that Sarah Andrews hadn't been involved, but her teenaged son had stolen the access code for Alex's building from his mother's purse, and sold it to the man who was responsible for the attack on Alex.
He had been released from protective custody a week earlier after all of the arrests had been made. The investigation hadn't revealed the person or group who had been dosing his medication with the memory suppressant, and his father had released Evans and Guerin from their contract so the official investigation had been stopped. His father had refused to discuss it, simply saying that no further investigation was necessary. Maria had assured him in an earlier conversation that while they may no longer be on Charles Whitman's payroll, they would continue their investigation because as far as they were concerned the job hadn't been closed to their satisfaction. They were certain that people connected with his father were responsible for drugging him but they hadn't been able to prove it yet.
"Was my mom in danger?"
"She would've been if she had stayed."
"How do you know where she is?"
"She came to see us before she left and asked us to check in with her every once in a while to let her know how you're doin'. She came to see you when you were attacked a few months ago but your old man forced her to leave."
"And my dad? Was he involved in any of the threats?" He went on before they could answer. "Because that doesn't make any sense. Why call in people I knew before the accident when bein' around them could easily trigger my memory? If he doesn't want me to remember – "
"You were bein' threatened and then you were attacked by people tryin' to stop the program and at the same time your memory was tryin' to surface but the people your father works with couldn't afford a delay so they drugged you with the memory suppressant so you'd continue workin' on the program. Our best guess is that he was feelin' guilty for everything that'd happened."
"Maria said they don't have proof yet that it was people my father works with who drugged me."
"They don't, not yet, but no other scenario makes sense. That program had to be completed so that your father's company could sell it; who else would have had reason to drug you so that you would remain focused on the program?"
"She was right…" He shoved his hands in his pockets as he stood up. He needed to rethink some things before he attempted to convince her to talk to him again. "You've been workin' for Evans and Guerin, right?"
Sierra nodded. "Um-hmm."
"Then you've talked to her brothers and their wives?"
"Of course."
"Have they said anything at all about her?"
"Nope. Rumor in the building is that she was shot while on duty and she's recuperating someplace quiet."
Alex nodded. "I need to talk to my dad and then you're gonna tell me where my mom's livin' because I'll be goin' to see her next. I've gotta get some things straightened out before I start tryin' to get in contact with Isabel again."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael leaned back in his chair, his arm outstretched as he lovingly stroked the Siamese cat lying on the desk beside his computer. Daredevil had gotten bored with his irritable mood and moved to sun himself on the windowsill across the room. Elektra wasn't bothered in the least by his mood and she had flopped down on the surface of the desk in a graceful heap, yowling until he had abandoned the keyboard and lavished attention on her.
He growled, annoyed when a little box popped up in the bottom right-hand corner of his monitor to let him know he had received a new email.
"Was it necessary to give him our personal email address?" he complained out loud. "He's emailed seven times already."
Maria rolled her eyes and glanced up from the report she was working on. "Have you bothered to respond?"
"I have reports to complete."
"Uh-huh, and how many have you completed?"
"They're very detailed."
She rolled her eyes again. "You could just say none." Maria sighed when he glared at the screen and remained silent. "You haven't spoken to him once since Isabel was shot."
"I've been busy."
"It wasn't his fault she was shot, y'know. It's the riskier side of the job and we all know the chance we take – "
"She nearly died because I couldn't heal her properly and she was shot because she threw herself in front of – "
Elektra growled in displeasure when she was suddenly picked up and placed on the floor. A moment later she jumped up and settled in Michael's lap and her blue eyes narrowed to thin slits as she glared at the human who had taken her place on the desk.
"Don't give me that look," Maria said, shaking her head at the cat's expression. She took her husband's free hand and tugged on it. "Michael, the three of you basically have the same abilities but you know there are different levels to those abilities and when it comes to healing your brother is the strongest. Hey." She reached out and lifted his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze directly. "You kept her alive until we could get her to Max and that is the important thing. She's fine now."
"Yeah, she's doin' so well that she's holed herself up on the coast."
"You know good and well that she's not out there because she got shot; she's out there because of whatever happened between them."
"Which means it's his fault."
"Maybe… maybe not. But they need to work it out between them and for that to happen you need to take yourself out of the role of her protector."
"So, you want me to just tell him where she is?"
"No, I want you to talk to him like you did while we were up at the cabin. The two of you were starting to get pretty close; I don't think you should just drop him because they're having problems."
"She's my sister, Maria."
"And he's your friend. I don't think this is the kind of situation where you have to trade one for the other. The two of you connected, Michael, and you're the one he's looking to for assurance that she's all right. I've talked to him several times and so has Liz but you're the one he keeps going back to."
"Oh, all right," he grumbled. "Maybe I'll drive up to Santa Fe tomorrow."
"Just don't forget we're flying out to California on Friday."
"Well, I'm not gonna go up there and stay overnight; I'll just meet up with him for lunch or somethin'." He rolled his eyes. "Since you're makin' me do this."
"Yeah, because I make you do anything you don't wanna do." Maria stood and tugged on his hand, ignoring Elektra's outraged howl when she was unceremoniously dumped on the floor.
Michael immediately scooped his beloved pet up and cuddled her against his chest. "She didn't mean it," he said by way of apology. He turned so the cat was facing his wife. "Tell her you didn't mean it, Maria."
"She has four feet and she landed on all of them." She rolled her eyes and reached out to scratch under the cat's chin, sans apology. "C'mon, let's go eat; I'm hungry."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex glanced up when the door to his office opened and Annie Roberts, his secretary for the past five years stepped inside, an apologetic smile on her face. "There's a rather… insistent young man here to see you, Mr. Whitman."
"Did I have an appointment scheduled for this afternoon?"
"I don't do appointments."
Alex smiled at the mulish tone and he waved the other man inside. "Annie, this is Michael Guerin – one of the people responsible for me being returned in one piece last month. And judging by his statement he's here alone because his wife would never let him get away with barging in without an appointment. Michael, this is my secretary, Annie Roberts, and you'd be smart to not piss her off." He snickered. "Anymore than you already have anyway."
"I'll think about forgiving your behavior simply because you returned my boy in good condition." She narrowed her eyes. "Physically, if not emotionally."
"Okay," Michael said uncertainly.
She grabbed his collar and pulled him down to her level. "I want to see a smile back on that boy's face; I have a feeling you know what's got him so upset… so, maybe you know how to fix it."
"Uh, yes ma'am." He smoothed his shirt out when she released him, straightening back up to his full height and eyeing her warily. "I thought I'd take him out to lunch if that's okay with you."
"I think that would be just fine as long as you do as I said."
Michael nodded and watched her walk out of the office, closing the door behind her and leaving them alone. "That's one scary woman," he muttered, crossing the room and dropping down in one of the leather chairs in front of Alex's desk. "Anyway, like I said, I'm here to take you out to lunch."
"Uh-huh." Alex let the polite façade slip as soon as his secretary had gone. "Why are you really here?" he asked tiredly.
Michael winced when he saw how exhausted the other man was. "Look, I can see you're not doin' so hot – "
"Why are you here?"
"To take you to lunch and see if we got enough of a foundation started in New York that my behavior for the past month…" He cleared his throat and tugged at his collar when the other man leveled a pointed glare at him. "Okay, fine, for the past two months. I'm here to see if our friendship is strong enough to survive my behavior in regards to the situation between you and my sister."
Alex slumped down in his chair and braced his elbow on the armrest so he could rest his chin in his hand. "I totally screwed things up with her and now she doesn't want anything to do with me. I've talked to Maria and the others and they've assured me that she's fine so her refusal to respond to any of my attempts to contact her has to be directly related to the accusations I made." He glanced up at Michael. "She is okay, right?"
"Yeah, she's fine." He stood up and motioned for Alex to follow him as he crossed the room to the door. "C'mon, Whitman, let me take you out for a beer and see if we can't fix this thing." He opened the door and waited impatiently. "Are you comin' or not? If you wanna know where she is you'd better take me someplace with decent food and feed me."
"I thought you were buyin'," Alex grumbled as he stood and followed the other man.
"Depends on how good the food is."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex slid into the booth across from Michael, ordering a shot of whiskey and a beer when the waitress appeared beside them. His companion settled for an iced tea and propped his feet up on the bench between Alex and the wall as he scanned over the menu. He had picked an Irish pub that was usually nearly empty at this time of the day and they hadn't been disappointed when they had walked inside and been told to sit wherever they wanted since there were only a couple of other customers. They had picked a booth in a corner at the back with a clear view of the entire pub to give themselves some privacy.
"Guess it sucks that you can't hold your liquor," he muttered under his breath.
"Guess it sucks that you keep forgettin' that I have superior hearing," Michael fired right back without bothering to look up from his perusal of the menu. "And just for the record, I've already told you I hold my liquor just fine."
"Yeah, I remember; I didn't believe you then either."
"Whatever." Michael glanced up when the waitress returned with their drinks, giving her his order and handing the menu back to her.
"I'll just have the usual, Cindy," Alex said with a slight smile at the woman. He waited until she had left them to place their orders before he spoke again. "Look, I'm not tryin' to be a bastard about this but I'm a little pissed with the way I've been shut out."
"You wanna tell me what set her off while we were in New York?"
"She told me that Rex and Sierra knew where my mom was and that they had known all along and somehow that escalated so that by the time I was finished I had accused her of not trusting my friends and family; I didn't think she would take off over it though." He downed the shot and slammed the glass back on the table.
"What'd you expect her to do? Stay there and put up with that kinda treatment from you? I understand that you were havin' a difficult time dealin' with everything that was goin' on, but that didn't give you the right to treat her like you did. She sure as hell didn't need to stay there after you hurt her like you did."
"And I can't apologize for my behavior unless she decides to talk to me, can I?" He dragged his finger through the condensation on his mug as he stared into the amber liquid. "No one ever would tell me how she got back so fast when they came after me."
"How far do you think she went, Alex?" Michael grinned and shook his head. "She lost you ten years ago; do you really think she'd take the chance that it'd happen again?" He rolled his eyes when Alex frowned at him. "She was up at the old cabin where the rest of our team was holed up keepin' watch."
Alex's head shot up and he stared at Michael in disbelief. "She was… What?"
"She was less than a mile away the entire time." He stretched his arms out along the back of his seat. "The two of you got very close, very fast; I'm sure my wife warned you about the intensity that comes with bein' involved with one of us."
"What does that have to do with her stayin' close?"
"She was hurt when she left, Alex, but that wasn't gonna keep her from bein' the one to watch over you. Max and I initially turned this job down when we were first approached by your father's people because since your… death…" He made quotation marks with his fingers. "Up until we found out that you were alive she couldn't even say your name; losin' you the way she did really messed her up bad. We had reservations about her handlin' your protection herself because we were concerned that if things went south she'd have a major relapse… or worse."
"How'd she talk you into that?"
"She had help from our wives and Kyle but for the most part Isabel gets what she wants and she doesn't take well to bein' told she can't do somethin' once she's got it in her head that she's gonna do it." He paused when the waitress returned with their meals, shaking his head when she asked if they needed anything else. "Once we found out you were alive we knew nothin' would stop her from bein' the one to protect you and let me tell you we caught hell from our parents when they found out about it."
"You said you turned the job down."
"Yeah, we did." With his fork halfway between his plate and his mouth, he glanced at Alex. "I'll warn you right now: don't ever try to hide anything from her. She found out that we had met with your father's people and she came in off of another job, cornered Max in his office, and read him the riot act. I don't know that I've ever been so glad to not be in the office as I was that day. The woman was not happy." He chewed his food thoughtfully for a few minutes and then washed it down with a drink of tea. "She decided that she wanted to go ahead and meet with your father's people and when they got there they actually met with your father; that's when they found out that you were still alive."
Alex shook his head when Michael fell silent. "We've made it past so many obstacles; I don't wanna lose her over a stupid accusation."
"Then I guess you need to go talk to her."
"I would but she won't – "
"Alex, buddy, you're goin' at this the wrong way."
"What d'you mean?"
"What'd I tell you about her type of personality? She's stubborn and right now she's hurt; she's not about to just take a call from you or respond to an email. If you want her to listen you're gonna have to make her listen. The longer it takes for the two of you to talk the harder it's gonna be when you actually come face to face."
"And you're gonna tell me where she's at?"
"Eventually." He contemplated the dessert menu for several minutes before flagging the waitress down and ordering a slice of pie and coffee. He slouched down in his seat once she was gone and watched Alex push his food around on his plate. "Y'know, none of us knows what went down between you the day of the accident; she's never volunteered any information and due to the sensitive nature of the subject we've been careful to never bring it up."
"Well, I hope you're not askin' me cuz I still don't have any recollection of that day." Alex pushed his plate away, nodding when the waitress asked if he was finished. "You don't think she's talked to anyone about that day?" He made a face when Michael sprinkled Tabasco sauce over the slice of pie in front of him.
"We suspect that she may have confided in Kyle at some point but we're not one hundred percent sure," Michael answered, cutting into his apple pie.
Alex slouched down in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. "You think they've slept together," he guessed, grinning when the other man grimaced. "They haven't."
"Says who?"
Alex snorted. "You've never asked her."
"Are you kiddin'? I can only imagine how much physical pain I'd be in if I ever dared to ask her if she and Valenti ever…" His voice trailed off when he glanced at Alex and saw the man's dark expression. "Forget I said anything."
"I told her you thought they had been lovers at some point but she didn't believe me." He shook his head and grinned. "She made it clear that they've never crossed that line when she realized that I was jealous of her relationship with him." He paused for a few moments. "Where's she at, Michael?"
"California. We've got a couple of places around the country that the three of us bought together and we use them for vacation or when we just need to get away and hide from the world." He made a waving motion with his fork. "And right now that's what she's doin'."
"There's more; what is it?"
"We haven't seen her since she flew out there after Max healed her. We've called her a few times but she told us to back off and give her some space."
"So, you don't know how she's really doin'."
"No. The only thing we've got to go by is what she says and how she sounds." He shook his head. "She won't even agree to see Kyle."
"And you're okay with that?"
"She's had a month to sulk and hopefully work through some of that anger so we're guessin' that she'll be back before long."
"And she doesn't know you're here talkin' to me."
"Uh, no." He pulled his wallet out and dropped a credit card on the table before leaning forward and scribbling directions down on a napkin. "I don't see any reason for her to be pissed off at me." Michael glanced at Alex and paused when he realized that he was staring at something he held in his left hand. "Whatcha got there?"
Alex slumped back against the Jeep once Michael had taken off with Isabel and his gaze had been drawn down to his blood-soaked shirt. If she had hesitated even a second he would be lying on the ground, most likely dead. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that she had shoved him out of the way and taken the bullet for him; it was a sacrifice too big to even begin to comprehend.
He turned away from the scene in front of him, weary of watching the team handle the clean up and listening to various conversations going on around him. The sunlight glinted off of something burrowed in the spare tire that was attached to the back of the Jeep and he leaned in closer to get a better look.
Michael frowned in concern when Alex's breathing became ragged and his fist closed tightly around the small object. He reached out and cautiously placed a hand over his fist, surprised when he came into contact with icy, trembling flesh. "Uh, Alex? You okay, man?"
"It's um…" He swallowed hard and allowed his fist to be pried open. "She shoved me outta the way and…"
Understanding dawned as soon as Michael saw the spent bullet in the man's hand and he withdrew his own hand, allowing Alex to close his fingers back over it. "I know," he said quietly, "I know." He paused and waited a few minutes to see if he would say anything. "You're pissed at her for that, huh?"
Alex looked up at him, surprised at his intuitive question. "She shouldn't have done it." He took a deep, shuddering breath and opened his fisted hand, staring at the spent bullet. "I saw what it took out of you just to slow the bleeding and since you had to do it multiple times…" He clenched his teeth. "I may not be a doctor but I know how much blood she lost; I was sure she wasn't gonna…"
"Let it go, man." Michael pulled the chain out of his shirt, holding it up a couple of inches below his neck. "The circumstances are different but I know what it feels like to come so close to losin' the one that means more to you than anyone else." He took a shaky breath before continuing. "When Maria was shot last year it was close… way too close; I nearly went crazy when I got the call to go to the hospital because she had been shot and her condition was critical." He flexed the fingers of his right hand and set the bullet into motion, swinging gently at the end of the chain. "I keep this with me to remind me how quickly and easily I could lose everything." His gaze remained riveted to the bullet as it stilled. "I don't ever want to forget… not for one minute… and I don't ever want to take her for granted."
Alex stared at the spent bullet hanging from the chain Michael held in his hand, mesmerized by it and the significance that it held for the man.
"No one should've been able to find you up there, and we still don't know how they were able to get the location; none of 'em are talkin'. For people supposedly bent on peace they were packin' some pretty serious artillery. Under normal circumstances the vest would've protected her and she would've ended up with nothing more than a really nasty bruise, but there's not much it could do against armor-piercing rounds. You have to remember that not only was it her job to protect you but nothin' would've stopped her from doin' what she did, Alex; there's nothin' that could've kept her from doin' whatever was necessary to keep you safe. You're her entire universe, man." He looked up at Alex. "Take a bit of advice from someone who's been there – don't risk losin' her because of what happened. I know you're pissed at her for puttin' herself between you and that bullet but you need to let that go. Keepin' you alive… it's as essential to her as the air she needs to breathe."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex glanced at the napkin clutched tightly in his hand, verifying the address once more before raising his fist to knock on the door. He hadn't been able to take her continued silence any longer and he had caught the first available flight to the west coast, intending to make her talk to him. He didn't have a single clue how he was going to make that happen but he wasn't leaving until she agreed to give him another chance.
The large house sat on a private strip of beach that looked out over the blue water of the Pacific Ocean. The beach was deserted as far as he could see and he imagined having it all to themselves without the noise and crowds that a public beach would have made it worth the expensive price tag.
He moved to lean against the railing that ran along the porch, his hands braced on the wood as he stared at the waves breaking against the shore. Sharp barking drew his attention to the left and a moment later Dante burst through the bushes that provided the only barrier between the beach and the yard. His short legs ate up the distance and within moments he was launching himself off of the top step and into Alex's arms.
"Hey, buddy, where's Isabel? You guys go for a walk?" His heart started thumping madly in his chest and his palms started to sweat when he caught a glimpse of someone coming up the beach.
Disappointment took the place of trepidation minutes later when the woman was close enough to identify and he realized it wasn't her. At first glance there was a physical resemblance; she was tall, blonde, and she walked with that same air of confidence, but that was where the similarities ended.
"Hi," she greeted with a smile.
Alex nodded in response, his right hand scratching behind the dog's ears.
"I hope he's not bothering you."
"Nah, Dante and I are old friends."
"Hmmm, you must be Alex then."
"I must be."
"Taylor Donovan," she introduced herself, holding her hand out.
"Alex Whitman." He shook her hand and smiled. "I seem to be at a disadvantage here; you know who I am but I don't know who you are."
"I'm a friend of Isabel's and I also work with Kyle on S&R." She tilted her head to one side and her blue gaze raked over him. "Y'know, I don't think I've ever seen her get so worked up over anything or anyone since I've known her and she can get seriously pissed off about things when they don't go the way she thinks they should go. But when your name comes up…" She chuckled. "Look out."
He winced. "Yeah, I kinda thought she might still be mad."
Taylor laughed. "That's putting it mildly, but, yeah, she's still mad. I can only imagine what you must've done to piss her off that bad."
"I made the mistake of opening my mouth without thinkin' first."
"So, basically a typical male response." She nodded. "So, you're here to what? Beg for forgiveness? Grovel?"
"I'm sure both will probably be involved," he admitted with a grimace. "I don't suppose you know when she'll be home? Or maybe where she went?"
"Well…" She glanced over her shoulder when a male voice called her name and a minute later a tall, sandy-haired man joined them.
Justin came up behind Taylor and slid his left arm around her waist as he held his other hand out to Alex. "I don't think we were ever formally introduced, Mr. Whitman; I'm Justin McBride."
"It's just Alex," he said, shaking the man's hand. "And I never got a chance to thank you for savin' my life."
"Not necessary, man. You here to see Isabel?"
"I was hopin' to." He looked at Taylor. "You never did say where she is."
Justin kept his expression neutral when she reached up to rub the left side of her nose before speaking. Taylor would never make a good poker player; she gave herself away too easily and he was sure the other man would have caught it if he hadn't been so focused on her answer.
"She asked us to watch Dante for her because she was gonna go out for the evening. I think her friend picked her up about an hour ago."
"Her friend?" Alex repeated slowly.
"Yeah, she didn't introduce him though; just asked us to watch Dante until tomorrow morning and then they left."
"They were goin' to some new club that opened up on the strip," Justin added helpfully. Now that he had figured out where his girlfriend was going with the inflammatory and misleading information she was feeding the other man he decided to play along. "You 'member what it's called, babe?"
"Origins… I think."
"I don't suppose you could tell me how to get there?"
"You think we should've done that?" Justin asked her after Alex had taken off with his hastily written directions. "It could go south and then she'll be pissed at us."
Taylor laughed quietly and took his hand, leading him down the path to the beach. She looked around to make sure Dante was with them as they walked the half mile back to their place. "She's done nothing but bitch about him since she got here," she said. "She wants to see him; trust me on this."
Justin shook his head, deciding it wasn't worth trying to understand women's logic. He hadn't been able to make heads or tails of any woman least of all the one he was involved with and he was happy to remain blissfully ignorant. "Gonna be a full moon tonight; wanna ride the waves?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex glanced at himself in the rearview mirror and took a deep breath before opening the door and stepping out into the comfortably warm evening. He pocketed the keys to the rental and straightened his collar then looked down at himself to make sure everything was buttoned, zipped, and tucked. Satisfied that he was presentable he took another deep breath and made his way inside the club.
"Will you look at that," Michael muttered.
Maria turned her head to follow his gaze and her eyes widened when she saw Alex standing at the railing on the upper level, scanning the dance floor intently.
"What do you suppose he's doing here?" she asked, her voice raised to be heard over the music. The band had taken a break a short while ago and the deejay had settled on music that was better for slow dancing than what the band had been playing but it was still loud. She had convinced Michael to get out on the floor for several of the band's faster-paced sets but as much as she enjoyed the pounding music and the uninhibited feelings that type of dancing created she loved being wrapped in his arms and pressed against his big body as they swayed to the slow music even more.
"I'd say he's lookin' for Iz." He nodded when Alex suddenly straightened away from the railing and headed for the stairs. "And I'd say he's found her."
"Maybe we should go over there and make sure things don't get outta control," Maria said, deciding not to ask how Alex had even known where to go to find Isabel.
"Good idea."
"Mind if I cut in?"
Isabel's head snapped up from its resting place on Kyle's shoulder and she stared at Alex, trying to process the fact that he was standing in front of her. She gripped Kyle's arm when he released her and moved to take a step back, obviously intending to let Alex step in and take his place.
"You've been avoiding me," Alex accused. "I've left messages on your voicemail, your email, with your family, and I've even written several letters… you've ignored every attempt I've made to contact you."
"You had no interest in making conversation the last time – "
"Look, I was a jerk and I'd apologize if you'd give me a chance to – "
"I'm busy, Alex." Shock flooded her features when he pried her hand off of Kyle's arm and insinuated himself between them.
"You're gonna talk to me, Isabel. You wanna do it this way, fine. I'll stand right here in the middle of the damned dance floor and shout it loud enough so everyone here knows exactly why you're not talkin' to me."
"We're not talking about this here."
"Then let's go." He stepped back but left his hand on her arm to hold her in place. "You have a perfectly good house on the beach where we can talk privately."
"No. We're not talking about it there either."
"Why?"
"Because, Alex, my family flew in for the weekend and – "
"Then they can go to a hotel. We're gonna talk about this, Isabel, and we're gonna talk about it tonight. I don't particularly want an audience but if you won't leave with me I'll do it right here. So tell me now if we're gonna stay or go."
"I just told you – "
"We can stay at a hotel," Kyle interrupted before she could finish. He just smiled and shrugged at the death glare she leveled at him.
Isabel suddenly felt outnumbered when she glanced around and realized that her brothers and their wives had gathered around them and they were nodding in agreement. "I said no," she insisted stubbornly.
"You guys are fine with stayin' at a hotel?" Alex asked, ignoring the outraged woman in front of him. He nodded when they motioned for him to go on and a moment later he scooped Isabel up in his arms and strode out the door.
The three couples exchanged surprised glances before chasing after Alex, gathering at the entrance to watch him wrestle Isabel into the front seat of his Jeep. She appeared to concede defeat when he slammed the door shut and stalked around to the drivers' side to climb in behind the wheel.
"Boy, what I'd give to be a fly on the wall," Charlotte muttered. "You know she's gonna give him hell over this."
"Yes, she is," Kyle agreed.
Max glanced at his brother. "We sure that was the right way to handle this one?"
Michael nodded thoughtfully. He hadn't expected Alex to show up this weekend even though he was the one responsible for the man's knowledge of her location. "Yeah. They need each other the way they need air to breathe. Although I'd hate to be in his shoes when she lets loose on him."