Maggie woke up clutching an unfamiliar pillow.
She shot up from the mattress, slightly panicked. Blinking her eyes clear, her head spun around, taking in the room. She picked up her phone from the bedside table and saw that it was one in the afternoon. The suitcases tucked neatly in the corner of the room instantly calming her initial fears. Realizing she was in James' London home.
The bedroom was beautiful. Another California king bed in true James Barnes fashion. The back wall was covered in slats of black stained wood, while two hand-blown glass fixtures framed the hand carved headboard. There was a fireplace tucked into the wall across from the bed with two chairs seated in front of it.
She crawled to the end of the bed, looking out of the floor to ceiling window to see the sun sitting high in the sky over a vast field of green grass. Perfectly sculpted trees lined the surrounding wall. She could see a smidge of a large limestone fountain framed by beautiful greenery in the far corner of the yard. She hummed to herself. Definitely James' home.
Getting up from the bed, she opened up the tall double doors and stepped out into the hall, padding across the black marble flooring. Her eyes scanned over every last detail, taking it in as she let out a big yawn. It was more modern than his home in New York. Abstract art covered the dark walls. Glass railings lined the long staircase, windows covering the entirety of the stairwell wall.
Gripping the rail, she hiked down, skipping the second floor and going straight to the first, where the stairs cut off.
It fed her into a luxurious formal living room that overlooked the backyard. Gray couches and chairs hugged the angular coffee table. Through a lofty doorway sat an open plan kitchen and dining room. All of it just covered in dark hues, like the rest of the house. James was at the table, fully dressed in a suit, talking to a man.
He turned to find her still in her pajamas, hair messy. "Morning, doll."
She stood frozen at the spot, looking down at her clothes then back up to the men. "Uh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had company."
"No apologies necessary, I was just about to come wake you. Come sit." He nodded for her to head over. Part of him was relieved they hadn't had sex the night before. The sweet little thing might've pranced right down completely nude.
She walked over, taking a seat in the chair beside James.
"This is Arthur Hobbs. He's an old friend of mine. He and his team are going to help figure out how to handle our situation."
Arthur stood from his seat, reaching across the table. Maggie shook his hand with a smile. "My name is Margaret Everlee. It's nice to meet you."
He was middle-aged, incredibly tall and slim. His sandy blonde hair was neatly styled. Making him just that much more clean cut.
"Pleasure to meet you, Margaret." His posh accent gave his voice a pleasant ring. "Now, James mentioned you'd had an encounter with a man. Did you get a good look at his face by chance?"
She thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. It all happened so fast."
"Well, I've pulled files on a few Hydra members." He reached into his briefcase, pulling out a manilla folder. "If you wouldn't mind looking these over, perhaps it'll trigger a memory." He slipped out a stack of papers, sliding them across the table to her.
She pulled them closer, flicking through them. Each sheet had a mugshot with various crimes listed below. Very minimal personal information for each of them. Usually just a name.
One caught her eye, making her freeze. She stared down at it and her stomach twisted. "This is him." She tapped her finger to the picture.
James leaned over her shoulder glaring at the picture of Rumlow. "Are you sure, Margaret?"
"Yes." She nodded. "It was him."
His jaw clenched in anger, but he really wasn't surprised. Part of him felt like he had some kind of part in this one way or another.
Arthur reached over, grabbing the paper from her and looking it over. "Brock Rumlow. He's fairly high up in the organization, correct?" He glanced at James.
He grunted in the affirmative. "Although, I'm not sure to what extent as of late. I haven't been in contact with them in over a decade."
"Right. Well, I've got a few men based in New York, so they'll be keeping an eye on him and hopefully we can get him into custody for questioning. Along with that, we'll be providing security to each of your businesses to protect your personal information."
"Excellent."
"I have three men on the way now to stay stationed here on your grounds. Just doing walks. I promise, you won't even notice them." He cleared his throat. "I apologize if this is a bit forward, but Margaret, do you have any kind of self defense skills?"
Her brows pinched, shaking her head.
"We can cover some basics today, doll." James pressed a hand to her back.
"I don't mean to alarm you, but I'd like you to be fully informed of what you're dealing with. These men are incredibly dangerous. They will not hesitate just because you're a woman."
"Arthur, please." James held a hand to him, keeping him from going on. "She understands the severity of the situation."
He sighed. "Apologies." He gathered his sheets of paper, tucking them back into his briefcase. "If you think of anything else, any other details— please reach out to me or my team."
"We will." James confirmed.
Arthur gave him a sharp nod. "Well, I suppose that concludes our meeting." He stood from his seat, shaking each of their hands. "I'll be in touch with updates."
"Thank you for your time, Arthur. Always good to see you."
With a swoop of his coat falling onto his shoulders, he was off.
Maggie twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, staring blank faced at the table.
"How are you feeling?" James looked down at her. His eyes were calculating, like he was waiting to see if she'd try to lie to him.
"Fine. Just sleepy."
He chuckled. "You slept for almost eleven hours. I carried you from the jet, to the car, then up to the bedroom and you stayed asleep through all of it."
"I know... yesterday was stressful though." She rubbed her eyes, yawning. "Are you not tired?"
"No."
Her head fell over, bumping onto his shoulder. "Of course not." He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. "I like your house." She added.
"Thank you. I can give you a tour after we train."
She pulled off of him, looking at him, confused. "Train?"
"You need self defense skills." He clarified.
Her head quickly caught up, remembering Arthur's suggestion. "Right. Can I have some coffee first?"
He licked his lips, considering. "Sure."
They got up and he lifted her into his arms, resting her on his hip as he walked into the kitchen. He set her down on the counter. Pouring her a large cup from the pot he had made earlier in the day. Adding milk and sugar, just how she liked.
She took a long sip, waiting for the warm caffeine pull her from her haze. "What did Arthur say before I came down?"
James took off his blazer, tossing it down on the nearby chair, then leaning back against the counter with his arms folded over his chest. "Not much. We talked to my lawyer for a bit over the phone, but after that, I was doing most of the talking. Just spitballing possible motives."
"Why do you think they're after us?"
"I honestly have no idea. I've never divulged any information about Hydra during my trials. Or to anyone really. Even with Arthur, I kept my answers fairly vague." He brushed his fingers through his hair. "I'm hoping it's just Rumlow working alone, trying to fuck with me. He and I never got along."
Maggie hummed, taking another big drink from her mug as they sat in silence for a moment. Pondering over the predicament. She was starting to become numb to the notion that they were on the run. Sure, it was still terrifying, but she knew James wouldn't let anything happen to them.
She yawned over her mug. "I should check my emails. I need to make sure my employees are alright with scheduling for the week and let them know about the new security."
"I'll only say this once more— training first." He raised his brows at her.
She groaned.
After she chugged down the rest of her steaming coffee, she felt mostly awake. She tied up her hair and changed into a pair of sweats and a sports bra that Alex had packed for her. James walked her into the gym on the second floor. There were long racks of weights, treadmills, punching bags, benches, and dead center sat a wide square of mats. Not quite as impressive, but still similar to the gym in his New York home.
James stood in front of her on padded floor, in his black t-shirt and charcoal sweats hung low on his hips. "Alright. I'm going to teach you a few moves. Nothing too advanced. Just simple techniques that you can use, just in case something were to happen and I wasn't with you."
"Do you even know about this kind of stuff?"
He laughed. "Did you forget I was an assassin in my twenties?"
She smacked her palm to her forehead, realizing how dumb her question was.
"I'm wasn't just some sociopathic killer, sweetheart. I was thoroughly trained. I'm highly skilled in combat, weaponry, interrogation, linguistics... all of it. So, to answer your question— yes. I do know about this kind of 'stuff'."
A shocked expression splattered over her features, staring up at him in disbelief. She hadn't realized just how serious Hydra was. In her mind, she imagined James just shooting someone with a gun or stabbing them. Not going being a full on assassin. It made her more inclined to learn what he was offering.
She took a breath. "Okay, let's do this."
"Before we start, I want you to know that just because I'll be going easy on you right now, the men you'd be facing won't. They won't stop until you're dead." His words were grave, making her gulp. His eyes caught the small movement of her throat. "Don't be afraid. Step one is to be brave enough to fight back."
She nodded, toughening up her expression.
He grabbed her by the shoulders, spinning her around to face away from him. "Alright, so I'm going to put you in a chokehold and I need you to get out."
His arm hooked around her neck, snug to her chin, while his other locked it in place. The back of her head was tight to his chest, but he wasn't applying much pressure. He silently snickered to himself about how low he had to reach down to accommodate for her tiny height.
"So, your initial reaction when you do this is to yank down on my arm, right? Instead, you need to twist so that your facing me and try to dip your head out of the hold and then shove me back."
"O— okay."
"Do it."
She spun around on her heel, in his grip. She ducked down, slipping from his grasp and gave him a light push. Her movements were soft, but James still let her go.
His lips pressed together in a tight line. "Margaret, I need you to be more aggressive."
"I don't want to hurt you."
His heart softened at her sweet little concerns about his wellbeing, knowing full well that she couldn't hurt him even if she tried. "You won't. Believe me."
She took a deep breath, swiping back her stray baby hairs, and took her position in front of him. His arm wrapped back around her neck. This time, she was more forceful. She ripped out of his hold and shoved him back with all of her strength.
He smiled at her, laughing softly. "Well done."
After practicing that move a few more times, they moved down to the mat. She lied flat on her back and he settled between her legs, with his hands on each side of her face.
She licked her lips at the feeling. Staring down to where he nudging her core. His eyes squinted. "If I had a nickel for those dirty thoughts, doll..."
Her eyes flicked up to him, giving him a guilty smile while she shook her head. "Sorry, sorry."
"For this move, I need you to grab my arm with both hands."
She reached over gripping her hands around him. He grunted, adjusting her hands so her thumb wasn't tucked underneath, bringing it over top with her other fingers.
"This is called the monkey grip. I can't slip out of your grasp as easily when you have your hand positioned like this and it gives you more leverage." He demonstrated by wiggling his arm. "So, what you'd do, is you'd push hard on my arm, knocking me to my side and then swing your legs over me to pin me to the ground."
Not hesitating this time, she shoved his arm back with a humph, slamming him to the floor, and sitting on top of him.
"Very good." He smiled proudly up at her, running his hands over her thighs.
She felt him harden under her ass, making her give him a scolding look. "If I had a nickel..." She repeated, teasing him.
He met her with a wicked smirk, gripping her wrists and flipping her back over, so he was on top. He gave her a sloppy kiss, grinding his hips between her legs. She moaned at the feeling. Wiggling underneath him. He quickly pulled back with a pop from their lips. "Don't get distracted now." He jeered.
They continued practicing until Maggie was dripping in sweat. James barely felt it. He was rolling around on the ground and lifting her in his arms for an hour and wasn't even slightly out of breath.
"Do you want to stop?"
"No." She let out a huff, with putting her hands on her hips. "I'm just worried this stuff isn't going to be very helpful. Like, what if they have weapons?"
He thought for a moment, considering her concerns. She had a point. He knew that group of men well enough to know that they were always armed. Stocked with guns and knives every minute of the day. "Come with me."
They walked down the brightly lit hall, midday sun beaming in. Making their way upstairs to the master bedroom. He stepped into the closet and pushed some of the hanging jackets to the side to reveal a small wooden door. He typed in the ten digit code and there was a loud click of the hinge. Pulling it open to reveal a safe filled with guns, knives, and stacks of cash.
Maggie's jaw dropped at the sight. "Why do you have guns?"
"For situations like this." He stated simply, reaching in pulling out one of the switchblades, then handing it to her.
She held it in her palm, scared to even wrap her fingers around it. Slamming the door back shut, he turned to her, taking it out of her hand. "I want you to keep this on you. Don't be scared of it. It has a safety lock, so it won't just open unless you pull this here." He pointed to the small tab of metal sticking out the side of the handle. His index finger pressed down on it, and the blade shot out.
She looked up at him with fear in her eyes.
"I doubt you'll have to use it, but I need you to be prepared, okay?" He flipped it back shut and handed it to her.
"Okay." She agreed. It felt so foreign in her hand. She was raised in a home of peace and nonviolence. The concept of fighting wasn't something she ever considered for herself. Not in a million years.
She practiced flicking the blade open and clasping it shut a few times, getting a handle on its sensitivity. "Um, do you have weapons at your house in New York?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
He sighed. "My closet, the study, and the garage all have hidden safes."
"Oh." She whispered, looking to her feet.
"You don't need to be afraid. I have them to protect myself and now you." He stroked the side of her face, eyes scanning over her features. Lips tilted with the start of a smirk, kissing her forehead. His head jerked back, staring down at her. "You stink, doll."
She scoffed. "Rude."
He winked down at her. "Come on, let's go get you cleaned up."
After they rinsed off their sweat from sparring on the mats, James walked them around the house. Showing off every last detail he had helped design.
It was so different from his home in New York. All contemporary. It featured skylights at the tops of vaulted, double height ceilings. Windows were scattered wherever there was room, giving panoramic views of the yard.
There were four guest bedrooms on the same floor as the gym. Down to the first, along with the living area, there was a three thousand bottle wine cellar, office, and four car garage holding a Rolls Royce Sweptail and a McLaren P1.
Through a back stairwell, they came down to the lower level of the home. A long indoor swimming pool was surrounded by hand-tiled mosaics. Obsidian and malachite. The entirety of the back wall made up of glass doors, able to slide up with the push of a button and open out into the garden. Through the doorway across from the pool, there was a full spa and a billiards room.
"Care for a swim? I can turn on the heater."
She twisted her brows. "I kinda wanted to go do something in the city."
"Doll, I don't want us going out right now, I don't think it's safe yet. Besides, we have the whole house to relax in." He cupped her waist pulling her to him. "We could watch a movie."
"James, I've never been to London before. I really want to go out." She pouted, looking up at him with doe eyes. "Please?"
He squeezed his eyes closed, wincing, trying to shut out the effect she had on him. He desperately wanted to keep her hidden away. Keep her safe. But an even more desperate part of him wanted to give her everything she ever wanted. "Fine."
They both bundled up, to step out into the cold. Maggie slipped on a cashmere turtleneck with one of her Chanel tweed miniskirts and a cropped jacket to match. Thankful for the selection Alex had grabbed for her. It was most of her favorite pieces, not that she was surprised. Anything James or his people had their hands in was done meticulously. Absolutely without fault. Every time.
James wore his usual all black garb. A wide lapel topcoat over a t-shirt and a pair of straight leg pants. Doing very little to hide the sheer size of his muscular legs, leading into his Berluti Chelsea boots.
He walked them out to a car service. Although he preferred to drive, he didn't want them to have to park or walk in the public eye too much, so it was the best decision for the time being. The shiny Audi Q5 had darkly tinted windows, blending right in with the black exterior.
As they drove through Highgate, into the the city, Maggie kept her nose pressed to the glass, taking everything in. The inner city was different than she thought it would be. It oddly felt a lot like New York. The historical buildings were much more eye-catching though. Gorgeous churches from the 1400's smattered around, between the modern overgrowth.
James smiled to himself, watching her delicate features expressing nothing, but pure joy. As much as he hated that she talked him into leaving the house, he was happy to be showing her around.
The car dropped them off at Trafalgar Square and James' stomach instantly felt a hundred pounds heavier. His eyes whipped around the crowds from under his sunglasses, keeping a death grip on Maggie's hand.
"Ow, James. You're hurting me."
Snatching down his head to their hands, he realized his knuckles were white. He softened his hold. "Sorry, sweetheart." He lifted her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it.
She could tell he was nervous. He barely maintained eye contact with her for a second. Looking North, South, East, West. Assassin instincts kicking in, making him pinpoint landmarks, and plan escapes in his head. "We'll be okay." She promised, rubbing over his arm to reassure him.
"I know. I'm just scoping it out." He said, still scanning the crowd. Once he felt a bit more secure, not seeing anyone staring them them down, he sighed. "Come along, doll."
He led them over to The National Gallery, weaving through groups of people, up the front steps.
When they got inside, Maggie was the one barely maintaining eye contact, busy taking in their surroundings. She spun around, drinking in all of the famous paintings encompassing them. Their collection was shockingly impressive.
Late medieval and Renaissance Italy to the French Impressionists. Titian, Van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt. Their works, housed right in front of her. They started off with the thirteenth century, making their way to the twentieth. Admiring every last piece.
James held her to his chest, bending down to listen to her whispering information about each one. She knew about the most peculiar facts, most people had never even learned. Pratt taught her so much, she didn't even need the labels to tell her what most of the pieces were called or when they were painted or who painted them.
She was going off on a tangent about color stories when he gripped the sides of her face, pulling her into a deep kiss. Eating the words she was trying to speak. Pulling back, she started laughing. "Was that you telling me to shut up?"
He shook his head. "No, I just love you."
Going weak at the knees, her smiled widened even more. "I love you too. More than you know." She shook her head. "Thank you for bringing me here. I'm sorry if I'm talking too much."
"Not all, sweetheart, I love hearing your thoughts. I find it sexy that you're so well educated."
She snickered, reaching up and stroking the side of his face. "Come on, we have lots more to see."
They spent another hour there, studying the each and every piece, before heading back to the car for their next stop.
James took them to Camden Market next. Maggie loved the alternative nature of the hemming neighborhood. The market had a vibrant community of unique people wandering around the shops and booths of product. Hand made crafts, art, furniture, jewelry, and clothing.
There was a diverse variety of international street food, wafting delicious smells through out the space. Along with the smell of beer floating over from the brewery in the far corner. Music played through the crowds, giving it a lively feel.
A bit too late, James realized this location might've been a mistake. Along with the mass amount of people surrounding them, the recessed stalls of the shops allowed for many hiding places for watchful eyes. He realized how excited Maggie was, so he stayed silent. Having to settle on just watching vigilantly while they were there.
They stopped in one of the clothing shops. Ivory and rose colored lace filling it. Very Margaret Everlee. She found a few pieces she liked and they were, of course, promptly purchased by her generous boyfriend.
Continuing through the hustling marketplace, he yanked her back by her arm when his eye was caught by a specific shop.
She peeked up at him with a confused look, following his gaze when she saw what he was looking at. A lingerie shop. Sitting perched in the window was a blood red, mesh set with garters that wrapped around each thigh. She laughed. "No, James."
He raised his brows, eyeing her with a sinful smirk. "I think we should go check this shop out."
Putting her hands on her hips, she gave him a chiding look. "I don't even know why you want me to wear lingerie, considering you destroy it every time I do." She whispered. Out of earshot of the people passing by.
"It's part of the fun, little one." He teased, dragging her inside the shop with him.
James took a look around, waving down an associate. "Do you have the red set from the window in stock?"
"Yes, we do." She smiled, looking down at Maggie. "Is it for you?"
She gave her a shy nod. "I wear a small."
"Course you do, darling. I'll grab it for you."
"She'd like to try it on." James added.
Maggie gave him an annoyed look, but didn't say anything. Not wanting to argue in front of the associate.
A beat later, she moved into the fitting room. The lingerie was hanging from a padded satin hanger. She slipped off her many layers of clothing and unlatched the bra. Hooking it around herself, then stepping into the panties and garters. Bending down, her curly hair fell over her face trying to latch the clips. She let out a groan, getting frustrated with the tiny clasps.
"You okay, doll?" James called from the other side of the curtain.
She huffed out a breath. "Yes."
Once she finally got them, she swung back up, hair falling back into place. Looking in the mirror, she smiled to herself. She really did look good. The mesh material hugged her curves perfectly. High waisted panties defining her slim waist and wide hips.
The curtain behind her ripped open, making her gasp and cover her breasts with her arm. James smirked, eyes drinking her in. "Wow." His baritone drawl was playful. Reaching around, he cupped her ass. "Let's go home."
"N— no, I wanted to see more of the city. This is exactly why I didn't want to try anything on." She peeked outside the curtain. "You get too headstrong when you're turned on." She whispered though a laugh.
"I think you secretly like that, though." He licked his lips, swiping the bottom with his teeth. "Also, we've been out too long as it is."
She sighed, frowning. "Okay, fair enough."
After she changed, they swiftly made their way back to the car. Shoving their through the crowds.
The whole way back to the house, Maggie pouted out the window. Her eyes scanned over the darkening city, watching all the things she wasn't able to do fly past them.