As the scenery zoomed past his window Joe’s thoughts found their way back to last night. To the way touching her had shaken his entire world. He’d known it would be that way. From the first time he’d seen her, watched her walk across the parking lot at her clinic, he’d sensed she was special. Maybe too special for him. He wasn’t at all sure a guy like him deserved a woman like that.
Making love to her last night had fulfilled every fantasy he’d enjoyed since that night months ago, when he’d first held her in his arms to keep her from walking into a trap at her clinic.
Her body had responded to his as if they’d been made for each other. Every touch had ripped away yet another layer of his defenses. He’d spent his entire adult life avoiding commitment on an emotional level. His work made him unreliable in that department. He understood that. Knew with complete certainty that a permanent relationship would be unfair on far too many levels for any woman to tolerate.
But he just hadn’t been able to help him self where Elizabeth was concerned. He’d wanted her more than he’d ever wanted any woman. He couldn’t recall once ever being this vulnerable to need.
Elizabeth comprehended the difficulty becoming involved with a man like him en tailed. She’d clearly made a promise to her self not to risk her heart to any more men like David Maddox. And as much as Joe wanted to argue that he wasn’t any thing at all like Maddox, he recognized the career-related similarities. Still he wanted nothing more than to convince her to let this thing between them develop naturally. He wanted to make promises. Promises he might not be able to keep.
It was too much to ask. He would be the first to admit to that glaring fact. How could he ask her to give that much? He couldn’t.
She had been right to ask him to leave.
He should never have gone to her like that. She’d already been hurt by one man like him. She deserved the chance to find someone more reliable, more available with whom to share her life.
She deserved that and more. And Calder had to find a way to protect her better. He couldn’t let any one like Maddox near her again.
She’d paid far too much for that mistake.
The taste of her lips abruptly filled Joe and it took every ounce of strength he possessed to push the tender memories away.
He had to focus now.
Staying alive had to be top priority.
Maybe he and Elizabeth didn’t have a future together but that didn’t mean he couldn’t hope.
“Stop here,” he told the driver.
The cabbie pulled the taxi over to the curb four blocks from Joe’s ultimate destination. He paid the fare and got out. The air he sucked into his lungs felt thick with humidity and the smell of diesel fuel from the huge trucks and trailers still rumbling in the distance down Avenue A. At almost six o’clock things were winding down along this particular ware house-lined street of Newark’s Iron bound community. A few trailers were still being loaded. The sounds of rush-hour traffic from the surrounding streets and avenues mixed with the heavier grumbling of the trucks.
He surveyed the deserted ware houses at the far end of the street where encroaching residential developments made the old standing structures ripe for condo-izing. Not exactly a picturesque view for prospective owners.
Dressed in jeans and boots and a T-shirt beneath an open but ton-down chambray shirt Joe blended well with the ware house crews headed home for the night. He used that to his benefit and moved easily to ward the rendezvous point.
He fell into “Maddox” stride with out thought. Focused his energy on giving off a confident vibe. This meeting was his and Ginger’s and any one else planning to be there needed to know that. Maddox never let another human being intimidate him. From watching the videos of a number of his interrogations he liked belittling his as sets. Though all agents took that approach to some degree Maddox went further than most. He appeared to get off on degrading those he considered lesser forms of life, which appeared to be most other humans.
The abandoned ware house where Ginger waited looked in less than habitable condition. He took a final moment to get into character then went in side. He carried the 9 mm Beretta in his waist band at the small of his back and a backup piece in an ankle holster. His preferred weapon of choice was a Glock but for this mission he needed to carry what Maddox would.
“It’s about time.”
Joe settled his gaze on the woman with blond spiky hair and immediately recognized her as Ginger from the surveillance photos on file at the Agency.
“Patience has never been one of your strong suits.” He kept his gaze fastened on hers. No averting his eyes, no letting her read any thing that Maddox wouldn’t display in this situation.
Ginger sashayed over to him, a high-powered rifle hanging down her back from a shoulder strap. “Did you miss me?” she asked as she slid her arms up and around his neck.
He gifted her with a Maddox smile. “Occasionally.”