Red

Part 12

Bucky

While Mallery doesn't flat out refuse to speak to the police after seeing Lemar Hoskins on the screen, she doesn't offer up any more help, except when I drag the information from her. Officers Carter and Wilson are obviously frustrated by this turn of events, but when they dismiss Mallery to the pool house to change, I apologize and try to explain the situation as best as I can.

"Do you know what she meant by this not being the first time?" Officer Carter asks as I sit on the couch with my head in my hands. "Has she mentioned any other surprise gifts being left? Unwanted mail?"

"Not to me, but she may have told her sister-in-law. I've been working with her, trying to help her get a protection order, but we've just started." I look up to the officers and sigh. "If she doesn't want to tell me, I can't and won't make her."

"Can I offer you some advice, Mr. Barnes? Make sure she has everything that's been sent to her or delivered here as evidence. Does her ex know she moved here?" Officer Wilson looks at me as I shake my head.

"She says he doesn't, but if Hoskins is his best friend ... no offense, but couldn't he do some digging on Mallery and find out where she is, and then tell John?"

The officers share a look, and while neither confirms my suspicions, they don't flat out shut me down either. "Mr. Barnes, I only know of Officer Hoskins by name, but if Miss Rogers has a complaint, there are plenty of officers, us included, who will take her report seriously and follow through," Carter states, and I nod.

"I believe that." My eyes dart over to Wilson. "If you're half the cop that your brother was a soldier, I know you mean it. I'll speak to her."

Carter hands me her card and encourages me to call to have Mallery make a report and tells me they will be filing trespassing charges this evening. I thank them for their time and show them out. After a quick call to Steve, who tells me that while Nat is still working, he and Grant are headed home, I meander back out to the pool house to check on Mallery.

I knock on the door, but she doesn't answer, and it's open anyway. I peek my head in to find her packing bags and fluttering about the place. "What are you doing?"

She stops to look at me and huffs out a breath. "What does it look like? Steve and Natasha are going to tell me to leave, so I'm getting my stuff packed up."

I perch on the arm of the small sofa in the living room and try not to be frustrated; this is the first time I've ever heard Mallery use Natasha's full name. "Have you spoken to either of them? Did they tell you to leave?"

Rolling her eyes, she continues packing. "No, but they will. I'm a liability here. I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me." She brushes past me, but I grab her hand and pull her back in front of me.

"Honey, just the fact that you don't want anyone to get hurt and are willing to leave a safe place speaks volumes." I grip her hand and look up at her red eyes. "Steve and Nat aren't going to ask you to leave. If anything, they're going to want to keep you closer."

"I can't let anything happen to them, to Grant. Bucky, I'd never forgive myself." She sucks in a breath, and I stand to pull her into my arms, swaying us both and letting her cry.

I don't try to soothe; I just give her the space and the silence to let it all out. Mallery clings to me like I'm a life preserver and she's been lost in the ocean, and even though I'm supposed to be the strong one, I can feel her filling the void that's been in me for years. When she pulls away, her gaze lingers for a moment, and I want nothing more than to pull her to me and kiss her pain away.

I give us some breathing room and sigh. "You need to file every report necessary. We'll get Laura on the phone and see if she can push this protection order through sooner. Mallery, I need to know what you've gotten here."

"Bucky, I—"

"And I need to tell you something too. Something about my past." I rake my hand through my hair and push her gently away. "Why don't you put on something comfortable and come over to the house. We need to talk."

Somewhere around hour two of Mallery and I talking, Steve pulls up and carries Grant inside. Auntie Mally kicks into high gear and immediately offers to put her nephew to bed. I watch as Steve passes the tiny boy over, and Mallery disappears up the stairs with him.

"How is she?" he asks as he picks up what's left of my beer and downs it.

I lean back against the cushions of the couch and sigh. "She was packing her bags earlier. I talked her down from that."

"Packing? Why?" Steve is pacing. His oversized frame taking up so much space in the living room. "She's trying to protect us, right?"

"She's worried about Grant," I say, watching as Steve pauses in his steps. "She thought you and Nat would tell her to leave."

My friend stops his pacing and drops his arms to his sides in defeat. "All I have ever wanted to do is protect my sister. From our father, from herself, from the world. I can't do that if she's not here with me, with us."

Leaning forward and pinching the bridge of my nose, I offer up the only solution I have. "What if she was with me?"

He comes to sit on the other end of the sofa and stares at me. "What are you talking about?"

Glancing up toward the stairs, I stand and move to them to keep an eye out for her. "My place should be ready soon. I was supposed to check on it today, but ... never mind. It's a two-bedroom; she'd have her own bathroom. The building has excellent security, and she can ride into work with me every day."

Steve smiles. "You think she'll go for that?"

"I don't know, but she's really worried about the three of you."

He stares at me, searching. "And what about you? Can you handle being around her that much? And for how long? You don't need to do this to yourself, Buck."

Scrubbing my face, I look to my best friend. "Did Nat tell you?"

"She told me to take Grant home, that she'd finish up her job and make it home tomorrow." Steve sits up straight. "What don't I know, Bucky?"

"Mallery's ex? It's John Walker; the same John Walker from my Army unit." Telling Steve is difficult, and he knows the story. I still haven't told Mallery yet, and I can't begin to imagine how that's going to go.

The silence is heavy around us as I move to lean on the back of the couch as Steve absorbs what I've just told him.

"Walker? Who left you to die in Kabul?" Steve clarifies, but he doesn't need to; he knows exactly who I'm talking about.

"The very one," I say, dipping my head once in acquiescence.

"Shit," he mutters. Before I can say anything else, a quiet voice sounds from behind me.

"Language," Mallery chides as she descends the stairs looking tired but smiling. "Grant's asleep. He woke up for a few minutes, but I told him a story to get him back down. I heard you mention John ... what is it?"

Steve checks his watch, sighing. "Good thing you're the boss; it's gonna be a long night." I watch as he gets up and wraps his sister in a hug. They share a moment with Steve whispering to her and Mallery nodding into his shoulder.

When they pull apart, Steve eyes me. "I need to get some sleep for Grant. We're going to take care of this." Mallery and I watch as he moves up the stairs, and she sighs.

"He's mad at me." She walks into the kitchen, and I follow her.

"No, he's worried. And he should be; we need to talk about John." I set up a small pot of coffee, and Mallery's shoulders slump as she pulls two mugs down out of the cabinet.

"What about him?"

"I need to tell you about my history with him." I watch as she slowly turns to look at me, her mouth slightly agape.

"What do you mean? Do you know John?" Mallery slides onto one of the stools at the island, never breaking her gaze from mine.

"Let me start at the beginning." I take the other stool and grab her hand.