Page 36 of Emma's Element

Marcus opened the door to let Graham leave. “Tell Emma . . . tell her thank you, and I’m sorry.”

“For what it’s worth, Marcus, the Nighthawk family will always be here for you. You are welcome back anytime.” Marcus nodded, swallowing the roar of anguish that wanted to escape. Instead, he closed the door to that part of his life as the March winds howled, matching the ache that raged inside of him.

Chapter twelve

Seven Months Later

October

EmmastoodnexttoGraham and Natalie in the ornate ballroom. “God, I hate these things,” she complained. After the challenging few months she’d had, the last thing she wanted to do was schmooze and be friendly with strangers hoping they’d donate money to the Nighthawks. She was happy they were receiving an award for all the good they did. The recognition would go a long way towards boosting their fundraising efforts, but she would have much preferred staying in bed, hiding from the world.

Mother-ducker.When did she becomethatperson? Dreading to go out. Hating to meet new people. Preferring her own company to that of others. The last couple of years had done a number on her, both mentally and emotionally.

“We all do,” Graham agreed.

“Come on, you two grumpy pants. There’s everybody else. Let’s go join them,” Natalie suggested.

They walked to the large round table where the rest of the Nighthawks were sitting. Finch stood when she approached and held out a chair. His old-fashioned manners made her smile. Jolene sat on the other side of Finch. He’d brought her as a date even though Jolene still insisted they were just friends. She looked fabulous in an emerald-green gown, her hair tied up in an elaborate twist. Annika was sitting next to her. Pretty in pale pink, her golden hair hung in waves over her shoulders. Maddie, at the other side of the table, was in a burgundy pants suit, the wide legs of her pants reached the floor covering her prosthetic leg. Her blond hair was pulled back at the sides and held with a crystal clip. Natalie sat next to her sister, wearing a deep blue gown with a slit up her leg. Her hair was in a fancy ponytail. The men, of course, were all in tuxes and as handsome as ever.

The Governor was holding a gala to honor organizations and charities that made a difference in Michigan. This year the Nighthawks were being honored as well. Therefore, they had all donned their best finery and headed to the ball, none of them exactly thrilled to be there. But they were going to receive huge donations to their organization out of this, which made it worth it in the long run.

They sat through the meal, a too-dry chicken, then through the speeches. And finally, the awards. Graham and David went up to accept for the Nighthawks. They received a standing ovation from the crowd, which was a surprise. Sometimes she forgot how widely known the Nighthawks were becoming.

Emma jolted in her seat when the Governor started to speak about a person who had organized several charities to benefit all manner of people, including a charity to honor a high school student who was killed in a school shooting more than two years ago. Everyone at Emma’s table looked at each other. Then at Emma. They all knew exactly who was being honored next. Annika had been the teacher in that school shooting. It was her student, Suzanna, who had died. Since Annika and Suzanna shared a love of books, a charity had been established in Suzanna’s name. A charity that worked to buy real books for schools across the nation. A charity that Marcus Rayne himself had started. And then there he was, walking across the stage.Oh, Mother-fudder!He looked good. Way too good. Emma’s belly lurched, and her heart skipped a beat.

She’d missed him. She didn’t realize how much until this very moment. Emma tracked his movements as he walked off the stage to disappear in the back somewhere and took her first full breath when he was gone.

With the awards ceremony over, next came the schmoozing and dancing. The worst part of these things, as far as she was concerned. Emma was still too stunned to move. It had been seven months since Marcus had walked away. They’d kept in touch with the occasional text, which had become more infrequent lately. Their texts were light, surface stuff, never serious. He didn’t know the kind of screwed-up stuff she’d been through the past several months, and he didn’t need to know.

The press had left her alone after a few weeks. Thankfully, they hadn’t dug too deeply into her life. Once they’d discovered she was a member of the group that had rescued Marcus, they were more fascinated by everything Nighthawk. Graham had done an excellent job distracting them while shielding her, for which she would forever be grateful. And since their meal ticket had left, there was no reason to stick around, especially since he’d started to show up at several red-carpet events with Donna Mitchell, the supermodel-esque actress.

Jolene had been infuriated on her behalf when those pictures started showing up everywhere and had asked why it didn’t bother Emma more.

Emma sat at the bar, the late afternoon sun shining through the front window. Jolene stood behind the bar, her phone in her hand as she scrolled through all the latest pictures that had been posted of Marcus and Donna. Emma stifled a laugh watching her friend swipe angrily at her phone, huffing with indignation after each swipe. If she could strangle someone through a phone, Emma was pretty sure she wouldn’t hesitate.

“Why does this not bother you?” Jolene fumed.

“Look at his face.”

“The face I want to smack?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Yes, the face you want to smack. Look at how he looks at her.” Jolene swiped through more pictures, brow furrowed in confusion.

“I don’t understand; he’s not even looking at her.”

“Is he smiling in any of the pictures? Laughing? Does he look like he’s enjoying himself?”

“No, you’re right, he looks miserable.” Jolene’s shoulders slumped. Emma laughed when her expression softened. “Poor guy.”

“I thought you wanted to smack him?”

“Well, yeah, but now I see how gloomy he looks. And it’s not just in the red-carpet pictures. It’s in all the pictures of him. Look at this one.” She held her phone for Emma to see. The picture was a candid shot on the set of the next Titan movie. Marcus was surrounded by his co-stars, who were all laughing and having a good time. His smile didn’t reach his eyes. It was the type of forced smile that screamed he wished he was anywhere else. She understood he was letting himself be seen with Donna Mitchel to draw attention away from her. The pictures only upset her because she could see how he was dying inside; she couldn’t be angry.

“Aww, bless his heart. Now I feel bad for the sexy nincompoop.” Emma snorted a laugh. “Even still, I don’t understand how it doesn’t bother you at all to see him with other women.”

Emma pulled her phone out of her pocket and brought up the pictures that the first photographer had captured. Handing her phone to Jolene, she instructed, “Now look at him here. What do you see?”

Jolene gasped. “Adoration. Happiness. He looks at you like you hung the moon and the stars.” Emma took a sip of her beer, nodding. “Well, shoot. We need to do something about this.”

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