Finding Abigail (7 page)

Tyler let out a breath. “I have no fucking clue what I’m going to do. I mean, what the hell could have put a spell on me? Dear God, did I just say spell? I miss the old days of no magic.”

“We never had those. We’ve always known what Jordan was, Ty. Okay, that’s it. We’ll ask Jordan tomorrow and try to figure it out, okay? If she doesn’t know, maybe Rina will. She’s an elf from the North Pole after all and has lived her whole life without having to hide the magic all around her. They’re bound to know something. You’re not alone, Tyler.”

“I think I’m starting to realize that.”

“Good, now I’m going to go home and crash because those kids took all my energy. I don’t know how Allison does it.”

Tyler smiled. How Brayden didn’t know his own feelings toward Allison was beyond him. On second thought, since Tyler hadn’t known what he was feeling about Abigail, maybe it was something in the water.

“You’re saying three kids knocked the energy out of you? They’re like half your size. You’re getting old, man,” he teased.

“Fuck you. And those kids are energy suckers. Dear Lord, I’m surprised I’m not in a puddle right now. The little one just looks at you with those big puppy-dog eyes and you’re a goner.”

Yeah, his brother was a goner in more ways than one.

“Whatever you say, man. I’m going over to Abigail’s tonight. I want to see her. No, I
have
to see her. I can’t believe I wasted all this time.”

Brayden frowned. “If something or someone did this to you so you couldn’t feel what you needed to then it’s something that we’ll have to uncover. I’m sorry you lost what you did. But, now you have a chance to move forward and try to show her what you feel. Don’t lose that.”

If only Brayden could hear his own words and act toward Allison, but Tyler figured there was another story there. One he had no idea of how to fix right now, but hopefully, there’d be time to understand it all.

First though, he had to get Abigail.

Brayden walked out the door, leaving Tyler alone with his thoughts while he tried to get the courage to go over to the home of a woman he wanted, a woman he thought he might love, but who he had just found.

This wasn’t love at first sight. No, it felt like something that had molded over time and built on layers of trust and circumstance. 

Yet he’d blocked it all away for so long.

How could Abigail even want him now? He thought back to the way he’d treated her for so long and winced. She’d always been there for him, yet he’d taken her for granted. He’d used her up and spat her out because he hadn’t seen her.

Well, fuck that. 

He’d get down on his knees and beg if he had to because there was no way he’d let her slip though his fingers. He’d do what he could to show her that he was worth it. He just had to prove it. 

The doorbell rang, and Tyler frowned. Like Brayden had proven, his brothers would have just walked right in. For a second, he thought it might be Abigail, but he quickly shook off that thought.

She’d already left him once, and he figured she wouldn’t be back. Plus he couldn’t
feel
her through his new cupid senses, something he’d have to explore further because that scared the hell out of him.

The doorbell rang again, and Tyler cursed. “Coming, hold up.”

When he opened it, a tall stranger with dark hair and eyes stood there. He stared at Tyler with what Tyler was pretty sure was a dark attitude.

“Can I help you?” he asked, for some reason really wishing he had his gun on his belt, rather than locked away in the gun safe.

“No, not really, but I need you anyway,” the man said, his words low and deep.

Just who the hell was this guy?

“Who are you?” he asked.

“I see you don’t remember me,” the other man said as he blinked slowly, almost calculated. Okay, this guy was starting to freak him out.

“No, I don’t. What is it you need?” He was done being polite. If the guy didn’t say something informative in the next few seconds, he’d slam the door in his face.

“As I said, I need you and your pain. I’m Aeneas, one not of you.”

What the hell kind of name was that and what did he mean “one not of you”?

“What?”

Aeneas looked over his shoulder and smiled. “I’m not a cupid like you, boy. I’m better than that, but this is neither the time nor place to talk about this.”

Tyler’s heart raced, and his shoulder blades itched where his wings threatened to come out. “How the hell do you know what I am?”

Aeneas shouldered his way into Tyler’s home with a strength Tyler hadn’t been expecting. “I know more than you think, but that’s not why I’m here. No, I want to know what the hell you did to change the curse.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” His hand ached to grab his gun and protect himself, but he didn’t have any choice at the moment but to stand and listen. The other guy, whatever the hell he was, was stronger than Tyler, but that didn’t make Tyler weak, not by a long shot.

“I’m talking about the fact that, after all this time, you broke through the curse and now you’ve seen that little dustmop of a woman. What the hell did you do?”

Dustmop of a woman?

He sure as hell shouldn’t be talking about Abigail.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Aeneas growled and, before Tyler could blink, had his hand wrapped around Tyler’s neck and his body against the wall. Tyler clawed at the other man, trying to get free so he could breathe, but Aeneas was stronger. 

“Don’t lie to me, boy. You cupids are all alike—idiots. Where are your arrows? You know better than to use one on yourself, don’t you?”

Tyler gasped for breath, even as his body became light with the lack of air. Fuck, he wasn’t the weakest of men, but Aeneas made him feel like a weak kid against him. 

“Fuck, you used an arrow, and it counteracted mine. Fuck. Now I’m going to have to take away your love the old-fashioned way, aren’t I? Damn you cupids. Why won’t you all just fade to ash like the old relics you are?”

What the hell? No, Aeneas couldn’t hurt Abigail. He struggled harder, his body twisting as much as it could against the other man or whatever the hell he was.

“I’m not going to kill you now. No, I want you to live with the pain of losing your love like I did. I have the one you want. She’s mine for now and you’ll have to search hard to find her. Poor Abigail, she had been so close to leaving and never looking back.” 

Aeneas squeezed harder. Black spots formed in front of Tyler’s eyes, and his body went lax.

The last thought that entered his mind as he passed out was of Abigail. Why had he taken so long? He’d save her. He had to.

Chapter 6

Abigail’s eyelashes fluttered as she tried to wake up from her nap. For some odd reason, her body felt sore, as though she hadn’t slept enough. She stretched her arms over her head, expecting to hit the soft pillows on her bed, and blinked. No, not pillows. No, that was cement.

Cold cement that didn’t exist in her own home.

Where was she?

Wait… she hadn’t taken a nap. No, she’d just gotten back to her kitchen, and something had struck her. Then she passed out.

It was all a blur, but clarity was creeping its way back in.

She preferred it as a blur.

Oh, God, this had to be a nightmare. There was no way someone would kidnap her and put her somewhere unknown. No one but the Coopers and a select few even cared about her, so no one would possibly go to these lengths…right?

Oh, God, maybe that’s what the killer –
oh please let it not be a killer and just let it be her overactive imagination
—needed. A victim with no hope of friends and family finding her before it was too late because they were too busy worrying about their own lives and problems.

Oh, God, she was going to die.

Abby smacked herself on the forehead and tried to control her breathing. Okay, maybe yelling out God’s name in her head and overreacting wasn’t the way for her to be acting at this precise moment. Maybe she’d just passed out and someone had brought her here, wherever
here
was, to make sure she was better.

Yes, Abby, and that unicorn that just passed by has a rainbow coming out of its butt.

Okay, she could do this. She’d read enough romance novels where the heroine got kidnapped and the hero came in and saved the day. Though she liked the other ones better, the ones where the woman actually did something to get herself out of trouble if there was a way.

Yes, she’d do that.

First step, try not to cry like a baby even though the urge seemed insurmountable at the moment.

She was stronger than this.

Where was that sword-wielding woman in the tight black leather that she secretly wanted to be? Not that she even owned leather, but the thought had merit. She refused to be the fainter who swooned under pressure.

Oh, God, was she getting light-headed?

Okay, second step, get control of herself.

Easier said than done.

Third step, get to know her surroundings so she could get out of there. Or at least try. That’s what the heroine always did, right? 

And they said romance novels never taught anyone anything.

She’d prove them wrong.

And get the heck out of there.

It looked as if she were in an old bunker or unfinished room. The cement walls were old, and she could see the wall cracked in some places. The cold that leached into her bones made it feel as though the heat wasn’t on or the building couldn’t retain it. There were cobwebs in every corner and the sound of scurrying as something moved away in the distance.

Yep, she wouldn’t be thinking about that.

Wow, look how calm she was acting.

Yeah, as long as she ignored the sound of her pulse in her ears as her heart seemed to want to do the mambo. Or was it the samba?

There was one small window that she wouldn’t be able to reach unless she scaled the wall, and she didn’t think that was going to happen. Plus, she wasn’t sure her chest or hips would fit through the small space. Yeah, that would be the last thing she needed. Her body stuck with her butt left in the room for whoever had kidnapped her.

She shuddered at the thought.

Okay, new plan.

There was a door on the other side of the room, but she couldn’t tell if it was locked or not until she tried. But then, she didn’t know what was on the other side of it either.

She could do this. She’d just find a weapon and open the door and sneak out. Then she’d run for help.

Yes, that sounded like a plan.

In reality, all she wanted to do was hide in a corner, close her eyes, and wait for her body to wake up so she’d find herself at home in her bed, warm and toasty, preferably with Tyler wrapped around her.

Well, if she were dreaming, she might as well go all out, and that sounded like the best plan.

Tyler.

Maybe if someone noticed her missing, he’d come for her. She didn’t think
he’d
be the one to notice, but maybe one of his brothers would and tell him. He was the sheriff after all. But who would notice her missing? She’d told everyone she needed some time to pack and get ready to leave. It might be days before anyone noticed.

Oh, God.

She really was all alone.

Like the cat lady without the cats who everyone thought she was to begin with.

Well crap, it looked like she’d have to save herself.

A notion that didn’t sit well with her.

Okay, what was next on her list?

Oh, yeah, a weapon. She looked down at herself to see if she had anything on her she could use and froze.

Holy hell, that hadn’t been what she’d been wearing when she’d been attacked.

A shudder ran through her as her stomach revolted. She barely held her emotions in and bit her lip so she wouldn’t cry.

Someone had changed her. They’d seen her naked and touched her…and who knows what else?

Oh, God.

Why had she thought the first nightmare was the worse? No, it could get so,
so
much worse.

She wore a sensual crimson dress that fell to mid-thigh and hugged her curves. It had a heart neckline that only enhanced her cleavage and made her feel like a vixen.

At any other time, she might have enjoyed looking like a bombshell.

Now?

Abby wanted to throw up.

Why would someone put her in this? She looked down at her stiletto-encased feet and cursed. It had to have been a man. No woman would purposely wear these. She’d have to go barefoot because there was no way she could walk, let alone escape, in them.

Her hair was off her shoulders in an updo thing that surprised her. Who wanted her trussed up like this? Dear Lord, did the kidnapper want her dressed like a date before he killed her?

She really needed to stop reading romantic suspense because now horror stories from authors like Shiloh Walker were on her mind and a little too vivid for what she needed at the moment.

Quickly, she took off her shoes and padded on bare feet to the door on shaky legs. She had to do this. There was no use crying in a corner and wishing for things to be different. Even though that’s exactly want she wanted to do.

Abby held her breath and put her ear to the door, straining to hear anything on the other side.

Nothing.

That either meant the door was solid enough that she couldn’t hear the scariness on the other side, or she was alone. At least alone enough for her to try and open the door.

She could do this.

There really wasn’t another choice. She didn’t want to die today—or any day in the near future.

And all of this meant nothing if the door was locked. Steadying herself, she twisted the knob and bit her lip so she wouldn’t squeal out in glee when it turned. 

Unlocked.

Small favors, right?

She slowly cracked open the door and looked through. There was only an empty hallway that led to another door, dimly lit with a bare bulb.

Okay, could this get any more serial-killeresque?

Abby stepped one barefoot out and then the other. She could do this. Just a few more feet, and she’d be at that other door. Hopefully it would lead to the outdoors so she could run. Where? She had no idea, but it had to be better than this.