Circle of Deception (14 page)

Shit.

Years before, during their time together, sex had been pretty good. Looking back, he would have to admit it had been more vanilla than chocolate swirl. Hell, last night had been a ton of nuts, sprinkles, and a load of passion fruit added in.

He shook his head at his crazy analogy. His stomach growled. No wonder he was hungry for food. He glanced over his shoulder at Abby; he needed his energy to keep up.

Being careful not to wake her, he stepped into his briefs. An itch on his back reminded him of Abby’s nails digging into his skin as he brought her to climax after they left the shower. Hearing his name on her lips as she came each time had pushed him over the edge.

His cock grew heavy. His need for nourishment warred with his need for Abby.

With another glance at Abby, Rex decided to let her rest. So he quietly jogged downstairs to the kitchen at the other end of the living room. The cold pizza squeezed in the small refrigerator with an icy beer at two in the morning never tasted better. He leaned on the counter and looked out at the balcony.

What had gotten into him? He loved how she responded to his commands, the way she wanted him, willing to follow each instruction without objection. For a strong, deadly woman, she sweetly showed a side of her nature he’d never known. He shifted one leg to give his cock extra room. All it took was thinking about what they had done in the shower and he became as hard as a telephone pole.

After taking the last swallow from the bottle, he chucked it into the garbage with the others. He looked up at the landing that led into the master bedroom and to the woman sleeping within.

Abby was going to be pissed when he walked away after the mission was done.

He straightened his cock. In the meantime, she’d find out what it meant to belong to him.

“W
HERE DID YOU
go?”

Abby turned on her side and soaked up his predatory walk across the room to the bed. Not many men his size moved as gracefully; they normally appeared cumbersome and unsure of where to place their foot next. She envied him. All her life she’d felt uncomfortable in her own skin. She never knew where to rest her hands or hold her shoulders. Clumsy and oversized compared to her mom, she felt like a hockey player on a balancing beam. How could she not with a mom who was no taller than five-two and weighed in around a hundred and five? At five-six and a weight she tried not to think about but worked out constantly to maintain, Abby towered over her petite, über-feminine mom.

“Thirsty,” he answered.

“Ah, I need to talk to you about tomorrow.” She sighed when his big arm came around her and pulled her chest to his. His breath ruffled the hair at her temple.

“Hmm.” His hands lightly rubbed up and down her back.

“My mom can be brutally honest about her feelings in regards to whatever is going on around her. Just be patient and don’t take anything she says personally. It’s her way of coping with change.” Like coming to terms with how her daughter left her father’s funeral and didn’t show up again for years.

“Everything will be okay. Don’t worry.” He kissed her forehead. “We have a few more hours before we have to leave. Let’s get some rest.”

He tossed a leg over hers. His stiff cock pressed against her thigh. Without a word or added movement, he acted as if he wanted to be a nice guy and let her sleep. How did he expect her to ignore that?

“Don’t you believe sleeping is overrated?” She bit her bottom lip to stop from smiling.

He pushed her shoulders back and looked down into her face. “I thought you would never ask.” And then he kissed her.

Chapter Twelve

A
BBY WIGGLED HER
butt in the passenger seat. She had no idea the sheriff of Sand County was paid enough to own a house like the one in front of her.

The two-story colonial-style home with brown brick and white shutters wasn’t exactly what she imagined her brother living in, but he’d always claimed he wanted a big family one day. So she imagined space would be essential, and a good thing considering their mother had volunteered his home for their stay. When Abby had called the day before to inform her of the elopement and their visit, her mother had insisted her twenty-two-hundred-square-foot
cottage
was too small. Geez, the woman would go stir-crazy in Abby’s three-room suite at the OS sector.

A gray Mercedes-Benz sat in the drive. Her mom was waiting for them. They pulled their Cadillac behind her car. She truly hoped her mom stayed on her best behavior.

“Well,
milaiyah my-ah
, are you ready for the next act?” Rex asked.

“Quit.” She stepped out of the car and tugged at her dark pink blouse and wiped her hand down the side of her black pants. Simple but classic-looking.

“What?” He opened the trunk and lifted out two pieces of luggage.

“I don’t understand Russian, and it will only make my family uncomfortable.” She hated how narrow-minded it sounded and bitchy, but she refused to admit he made her nervous. The words sounded like endearments, and the not knowing drove her crazy, but certainly not crazy enough to ask. Maybe deep inside she was afraid of what it could mean. Could it be that they were falling back in love? If that was true, she’d need to tell him everything. But not today. Not when he was about to meet her family, the same one she’d never told him about. She covered her mouth for a second. Just as she hadn’t mentioned another important member. Obviously there was a pattern to her lies. Or could she call them omissions?

She really had a problem. First things, first. They needed to deal with her mother and give into her bias against people speaking languages other than English for now. She’d learned long ago to pick her battles.

“Sorry. Just take my word for it. My mom’s a little opinionated.” She expected lightning to hit the ground nearby when she said that. The few times she’d spoken her father’s native language, Spanish, her mom had thrown a tantrum of massive proportions.

When Rex didn’t comment, she looked his way. He was staring straight ahead and not smiling.

She followed his gaze and her stomach flipped.

“Edward, put the gun down,” she said with her hands on her hips. Her brother stood on the long front porch with a shotgun pressed to his shoulder, aiming it at Rex. She waited for him to lower the barrel. When he didn’t, she asked, “Have you gone crazy?”

“Abigail?”

“Don’t you remember the uncomfortable reunion last year, brother dearest? It’s me, and I still prefer Abby.” Though she’d seen her mom a few days before Christmas, she hadn’t seen her brother since their reunion last fall. Rex wasn’t the only one who’d believed her dead.

Rex said beneath his breath, “Abigail?”

“Don’t act surprised.” She slapped his arm. “You know that.” She stomped past her brother and nudged the barrel toward the ground before opening the front door. “Crazy testosterone-saturated idiots.”

“I resemble that remark!” Edward laughed at the old joke he’d been making since they were kids and held out his hand to Rex. “Sorry about that. Being the sheriff, I have to be careful with strange cars coming up my drive. I’m so happy that my sister got married. We thought . . . never mind what we thought.”

Leaving the door open, she left them to get acquainted as she went in search of the others. Her mom and sister-in-law were in the kitchen, sitting at the table talking. A familiar sight from when she was a kid. The adults normally congregated around the table, eating and gossiping, and at times, playing cards. The kitchen was always the hub of the house. The men stayed in the den, watching whatever sport was in season or standing outside smoking and complaining or bragging about everything.

Then she spotted her nephew at a small yellow picnic table playing with a miniature car track set up on top. He was such a beautiful, sweet child, with plump cheeks and big round brown eyes.

“It’s about time you arrived.”

Her mom was as beautiful as ever. Not a hair out of place and wearing a short-sleeve sweater set and brown slacks, Leigh Ann Sanders-Wentworth-Rodriguez would never leave her bedroom without makeup and the right clothes.

“Good to see you, Mom.” She hugged her and received a halfhearted one in returned. Abby straightened and turned to the other woman. “Thank you, Suzie, for inviting us to stay.”

Suzie Wentworth’s smile was relaxed and sincere. “I’ve been so excited about getting to know you better and meeting this mysterious man who swept you off your feet. So romantic. I would never have the guts to run off to Las Vegas to elope, but it must’ve been so much fun. Certainly something to tell your kids about.”

Abby stiffened. Practiced in ignoring the unknowing sting had her pulling herself together. She never deserved children but she played along.

“Suzie, you’re embarrassing my sister. Give them a little time to get used to marriage. They have plenty of time.” Edward came into the kitchen, carrying one of the suitcases. “We’re giving you the guest room upstairs in the opposite corner from Tommy’s. That should give you a little privacy.” He hugged her and whispered in her ear, “Don’t you worry. It took a while for me and Suzie, but one miracle child will be enough.”

The sorrow he hid behind that statement surprised her. She had no idea his dreams of a large family had ended with Tommy. No matter that they’d never been close, she felt bad for him.

“Well, are you going to introduce me to this new husband of yours?” Abby’s mom hated to be ignored and she was right. It was rude of her not to introduce him. “Mom, this is Rurik Volkov. Rurik, this is my mother, Leigh Ann Rodriguez.”

“How are you doing, Mr. Volkov?”

“I’m fine, ma’am.”

“You speak English very well.”

“Mom!”

“Well, he does.”

“You’re right. My parents migrated to the States during the seventies with their parents. At home, we were allowed to speak only Russian, but we spoke English everywhere else.”

“What area in the States did you grow up in?”

“Actually, Huntsville, Alabama.”

“Mom.” Trying her best to draw her attention away from interrogating Rex, Abby asked, “I heard you personally saved the Sand City Museum.”

Her mom’s piercing gaze warned her she understood what Abby was up to and didn’t appreciate her interruption.

“Abigail, what have I told you about exaggeration? People will begin to disbelieve anything you tell them.”

Had her mom just called her a liar?

“Your mom has done so much. She’s a powerhouse,” Suzie piped up. Obviously she worked at being a peacemaker. How long would she do it before proclaiming it a lost cause? Abby remembered being ten at the time she gave up.

“You’re sweet to say that, my dear. I saw a need and was happy to pitch in.” Her mom patted Suzie’s hand and smiled.

A stabbing pain shot through Abby’s chest. Why was she jealous of her sister-in-law? The woman was a saint for having her mother-in-law living so close, not counting being married to Abby’s arrogant brother.

“Mr. Volkov—”

Rex interrupted her. “Please excuse me, but I’d love for you to call me by my given name, Rurik.” He picked up her hand and lightly kissed it. The pleased look on her face confirmed he’d passed the first test. She loved old-fashioned manners.

“Rurik. I’m surprised Abby found such a gentleman. A switch from the hoodlums she used to date.” Her laugh caused Abby to raise an eyebrow. Maybe she should feel embarrassed, but the mom flirting and insulting her daughter in the same breath was the one she knew so well. Leigh Ann loved a man’s attention and obviously it included her son-in-law’s.

“Once I had her in my sights, I refused to accept defeat.” He grinned back at her, and his usual mocking smile looked mischievous.

Abby looked from her mom to Rex and back. What was going on with them?

“Ah, a real man.” She turned to Abby. “Finally, something of me shows up in you. Your taste in men has improved.” Looking back at Rex, she asked, “The scar. How did you come to have such a sexy one?”

“Mom!” She’d gone too far.

“No, no, I don’t mind.” He fingered the scar. “When I was a kid, my brother and I played too rough.”

He’d always ignored her questions. Could it be so simple? If that was true, why hide how he’d gotten it from her? He chuckled but it sounded hollow to Abby’s ears. There was more to the story.

Tired of hearing the teasing and flirting between the two most frustrating people in her life, she decided it’d be a good time to talk with her brother. Alone. And speaking of frustrating people, her brother should certainly be included with the other two.

“Edward, how about helping me by taking the luggage upstairs while those two get to know each other?”

“Sure.” He followed, picking up Rex’s case and a large garment bag. “Hell, what do you have in this, a body?” He tossed the bag over his shoulder and grunted.

“Or maybe you’re getting soft since you’re an old married man with a kid.” She lifted her two cases and headed up the stairwell her brother indicated with a nod.

“You better be careful. You’re an old married woman yourself.” They reached the upstairs hallway. “I don’t remember Mom mentioning where you two met.”

“Through a friend at work.” Since reconnecting with her family, she’d claimed to work for an international construction company. It was amazing how few people delved further into what she did for a living. Just in case, The Circle had layered information on the Internet and created dummy corporations to protect her and Rex’s cover.

“For some reason he seems familiar.” Edward dropped the suitcase on the floor and spread the garment bag across the bed.

Watching him check the towels in the private bath, she opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but stopped. No need to light up his curiosity by being defensive. They sure didn’t need her brother to start nosing around Rex’s past, especially as Rurik Volkov. No way would a small county sheriff recognize an international arms dealer. Sand County wasn’t a hotbed of crime, especially not the global type. Otherwise, he’d already be on alert about Brody.

“Tell me again about the shotgun you met us with. That seemed a little extreme to meet a car in the driveway, just because you didn’t recognize it.” Though they were never close growing up, he’d never mistreated her as a kid, and more often than not, just ignored her. She’d been no threat to the attention their mom paid him. He received it all.