Possessed - Bucky Barnes x OC

Part 40

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."