She directed her to sit on the edge of the bathtub and Marley held up her wounded finger.
Jane bustled over to the medicine cabinet, grabbed some rubbing alcohol and a Band-Aid. Then she took Marley's hurt finger and held it over the empty tub. She lifted the bottle of rubbing alcohol. "This is going to hurt."
Marley bit her lip and nodded. It was going to hurt for a long time.
33
Mack Grey stared in grim silence at the dark blue door. He'd never been more afraid to go knock on a door than he was at that moment. This was different than a midnight raid and the fear of a bullet flying into his chest. He wasn't afraid of bullets.
He was terrified of losing Marley.
What if she said no? What if she got in his face and yelled at him to leave? Worse, what if she opened the door and looked right through him?
He wiped away a stray bead of sweat working its way down his collar. Seven days. It had taken him seven agonizing days to get here. The first time he tried to leave the hospital, his nurse had nicked him with a cocktail strong enough to knock out an elephant. He'd woken up twenty-four hours later, disoriented and searching for her. She'd haunted his dreams and tortured his days, and he'd had nothing more than a deck of cards and the rotating circus of his team to keep him distracted, but none of it had worked. He'd even broken down and called his son for the first time in years. Mack had never expected him to answer the phone, but Cooper had and they'd had a long conversation and made a plan to meet up later for dinner.
If he hadn't been so hell bent on getting back to her, he would have asked for more drugs. At least when he was unconscious he didn't have to feel. His wounds were nothing compared to the torture every time he thought about that hurt look in Marley's eyes.
And he had been the one to put it there.
What he wouldn't give to travel back in time and take those words back. Why had it been so hard for him to accept her excuse?
How could he expect her to forgive him? God, he was stupid for having come here. She had to hate him. He hated himself.
He should leave, save them both the uncomfortable embarrassment of her turning him away. But then, that would be the coward's way out, and Mack was not a coward. He never had been and he never would be.
Mack stepped off the grass and onto the sidewalk, each step harder than the one before. When he finally reached the door, he almost turned tail and ran, but he sucked up his strength and knocked.
It was all of about ten seconds later before the door was jerked open and a gray-haired man with brown eyes the same shade as Marley's stood there.
"Colonel Mitchell?"
The man's look turned from open curiosity to a cold-pressed anger. "Why are you here?"
Mack swallowed past the lump in his throat before he could answer, "For her."
He half expected the colonel to slam the door in his face. But he didn't. "What took you so long?"
Mack spread his feet shoulder width apart and clasped his hands behind his back. The colonel was just as hard as Mack remembered. "I don't know if you remember me, sir – "
"I remember you, all right. But apparently, you didn't turn out to be the man I thought you would."
Mack couldn't help but flinch, the words hit their target true. "I won't insult you by offering excuses. You have a right to be pissed. I would. I got here as soon as was humanly possible."
The colonel leaned forward and his eyes narrowed. "You're right, I couldn't give a rat's ass about you or your worthless excuse. All I know is you hurt my daughter."
"Yes, sir, I did. And that's why I'm here. I have to apologize, I have to ask for forgiveness."
"You think I'm going to let you within ten feet of her? Son, you're lucky I've left you breathing this long. If you've got any brains in between those two ears holding up the sides of your head, you'll march your ass off my property right now."
Mack took a deep breath, and kept his feet planted firmly. He wasn't ready to give up yet. He wouldn't give up until he at least laid eyes on her and assured himself she was okay. "With all due respect sir, I have to hear that from Marley first."
A little girl came running around the corner and latched herself around the colonel's right leg. "Who is it grandpa?"
She was a spitting image of Marley, with bright blue eyes staring up at him with open curiosity.
"He's nobody baby. Go on out back."
"But mama said to come get you." Maddie lifted up on her tippy toes and bounced back onto her heels, keeping her arm latched firmly in place.