Intent (27 page)

“If you’re both sure,” she replies timidly.

“We’re both sure,” Ace confirms.

“I didn’t bring any of my stuff with me, though. I’ll have to go back and get it.”

“I’d rather you didn’t. It’s not safe for you to be around her, especially if she figures out you’re moving back in here with us. We’ll figure something else out,” I insist.

“Dinner’s ready,” Marcia calls from the kitchen.

The three of us join her and River in the kitchen for an extended family meal. Talking, laughing, poking fun at each other—these are the times that matter when it’s all said and done. These are the memories that’ll sustain us through the hard times, bring us back to what’s important in life, and remind us why we’re even here.

After dinner, I collect the dirty dishes and move to the sink to start cleaning up the kitchen. Marcia walks up beside me to help, but Ace stops her before she can start. “I’ll help Layne with the dishes, Mom. You cooked, we’ll clean, and you can play with River. She seems to like you just a little bit,” he says in his Southern drawl.

“Okay. I can take a hint as well as anyone. But all you really have to say is, ‘Mom, I want to talk to Layne alone, so beat it.’ That’s not so hard, is it?”

“Hey, Mom. Beat it,” he replies as he jerks his thumb over his shoulder.

She walks off to the sound of their combined laughter. I cut my eyes up to Ace flirtatiously and lower my voice to sound sexy. “So, you wanted to get me all alone?”

“Yes, indeed,” he replies in his bedroom voice. “I have you trapped now. There’s no way out.”

“I don’t want out.”

“I know what you do want.” He leans into me, the scent of his masculine cologne wafts around me, and he holds my gaze captive with his smoldering eyes. “You want to keep trying to fool me. You’re not feeling better yet?”

“What?” That wasn’t at all what I expected him to say.

“You hardly ate anything. You just pushed it around on your plate to make it look like you’ve eaten more than you really did.” He straightens his back, crosses his arms over his chest, and looks down his nose at me.

“You’re crazy,” I hedge.

“No, I don’t think so. Being observant is how I make a living. Plus, I have a four-year-old who tries to pull the same shit on me every time we have squash for dinner. So, I’m going to ask you a yes or no question, and I want a yes or no answer.”

He cages me in by putting his hands on the counter on either side of me. He bends at the waist to put us at eye level. Without saying a word, his eyes dare me to try to get out of answering him truthfully. I’m not sure what my “punishment” would be, but I really don’t want to fight with him anyway.

“Are you still sick?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s Friday night. If you’re not better by Monday, you’re going to the doctor.”

“You’re very demanding.”

His smug smile matches the challenge issued in his piercing eyes. “Right now, I’m being extremely reasonable. But if you’d like to see my demanding side, I’ll be glad to show you that instead.”

Now probably isn’t the best time to feel the flutters of a hundred hummingbird wings in my lower abdomen from his deep voice and commanding presence. However, my very wet panties disagree with the timing argument.

“Reasonable is good,” I reply barely above a whisper.

A
CE

I
steal
up behind Layne as she adjusts the hot water for her shower. She’s already undressed, and her body is begging for my touch. I’m all too eager to oblige. The feel of her silky smooth skin under my fingertips only makes me want more. My hands glide over her, caressing every curve, every dip, every bump. My thick erection rubs against her ass.

After my hands glide over her breasts, I stop in place to knead and massage them. The swell of her breasts fits in the palms of my hands perfectly, as if she were made just for me. Her head leans back against my chest, her breasts rise and fall with her heavy breaths, and she hums in pleasure when I lightly squeeze her nipples between my thumb and finger.

Moving down to continue my exploration, I lovingly caress every bump and dip of her ribs and down the soft contours of her stomach. My fingers know every inch of her body intimately. She’s perfect in every way. I continue moving straight down her torso, over her lower abdomen, and I possessively cover her mound with my hand. While lightly tapping over her clit, I lower my voice and ask, “If I feel you right now, would you already be wet and ready for me?”

“Yes.” She draws out the single syllable word into the sexiest moan.

“Let me feel.”

Her right leg takes a step to the side, giving me full access. I don’t need another invitation. My finger plunges into her and I can’t hold back my own growl. Her knees buckle, pushing my finger farther inside her before she straightens them again.

“That felt good, didn’t it, baby?”

She does it again, intentionally this time, until we’re moving in sync with perfect rhythm. When I add another finger, she comes undone before my eyes and her soft moans fill my ears. “I will never get tired of hearing you make that sound.”

When she turns to face me, I stick my fingers in my mouth and lick the remnants of her pleasure off them. The heat in her eyes intensifies as she watches. As soon as I pull my fingers away, her lips and tongue take their place. When we end the kiss, she’s ready for more but I’ve been selfish enough already.

Since Zoe came back, Layne has eaten slightly better and seems to have a little more energy, but it’s a show. Even though she won’t easily admit it, I know she doesn’t feel too much better today than she did Friday. During one of our late-night talks, she told me her mother died of ovarian cancer. It was hard for her to watch her mother’s weight loss, reduced energy, and nonexistent appetite replace the once active and vibrant woman she loved.

It’s time for answers.

She looks at me with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. “Are you getting in the shower with me fully dressed?”

“No, baby. Actually, I came in here to tell you I’m going to the store, but you’re naked and you distracted me. There’s a deputy outside watching the house. Because I’m overly cautious. Because my ex jumped on the batshit-crazy-train and took over as the conductor.”

Her response is to look at me like I’m the crazy one. “Um, okay. What if she goes after you?”

“Let her. I’d actually prefer that over anything else she could plan.” With a chaste kiss, I turn to leave. “I’ll be back in a few.”

Margot obviously figured out Zoe wasn’t coming back and changed her tactics. Friday night while Layne and Zoe were talking, I was busy listening for any scrap of information on Margot’s whereabouts so Matt could arrest her. As soon as Zoe named the places Margot was using as hideouts, I sent a text to Matt, who then immediately put men watching those locations.

It’s now Sunday and she hasn’t shown up at any of them all weekend long. I don’t trust her to not show up at my house since she no doubt knows that Layne and Zoe are both here. Lily has been chomping at the bit to get involved and coax Margot out of her new hiding place, but so far Mom and I have been successful in keeping her out of it. Not that I doubt Lily’s ability to hold her own, but I don’t need my attention divided. There’s too much going on as it is.

On my way back home from the store, my cell phone rings and the number on my caller ID instantly fills me with dread. As soon as I hang up, I call Matt and start talking before he even gives his greeting.

“Matt, I just got a call from the security monitoring service for the horse rehab center. There’s been a break-in. I’m sure it’s her. Can you meet me over there? But don’t pull the deputy at my house in case it’s a diversion.”

“Damn. You sure you’re not a detective yourself? I’ll be at the center in about ten minutes. I’m already in my car. I’ll tell dispatch to keep the deputy in place and on high alert just in case.”

The drive to the rehab center has never taken as long as it does today. I’ve looked at the clock on my dash at least a hundred times, but the time hasn’t changed. My truck feels like it’s sitting still, even though my speedometer shows I’d be considered a super speeder in Georgia if I were to get clocked by the state patrol radar.

My truck tires slide to a stop in the parking lot, and I take off in a full sprint toward the building. As I swing the door open and start to rush inside, Matt appears out of nowhere right behind me.

“Ace, you need to wait outside until I clear the building.”

“The hell I do. If she’s here, this ends today. She needs to be locked up for good.”

Once we move past the outer reception area, the light from underneath my office door illuminates part of the hallway. Matt flattens his back against the wall beside the doorknob and I move to the other side, mimicking his stance. He mouths to me not to move when he opens the door. I know he’s just doing his job, but being in the middle of this with my family in constant turmoil makes sitting on the sidelines impossible.

With his gun drawn, Matt slowly turns the knob and pushes the door open. His arms swing up, his head cocks to the side, and I immediately know he’s taking aim.

“Put the gun down!” he yells. Multiple sirens blare just outside the building indicating his backup has arrived. “Down! Now!”

“You ruined everything!” Margot screeches. “This was supposed to be a special moment between me and Ace! You aren’t supposed to be here!”

From her hysterical tone and her disturbing words, it’s painfully obvious that she’s completely out of control. The fact that she has a gun both scares the shit out of me and infuriates me. If she’d shown up at my house instead of my business, I couldn’t be held responsible for my actions.

Matt is still blocking the door, his arms locked straight out in front of him and his aim trained on her. The exact second I swing around to look over his shoulder, he shouts, “No, Margot! Put the gun down!”

Her long, feral scream is her only answer before she pulls the trigger on herself and crumples to the floor behind my desk. Only her feet are visible, but she’s not moving at all. There’s no sound. There’s just nothing. I stagger backward until my back hits the opposite wall behind me. I’m only vaguely aware of Matt yelling into his radio. He could very well be speaking in a foreign language because it all sounds like gibberish to me.

I don’t know which is sadder. The fact that she’s dead. Or the fact the first thought I had was that it’s finally over. All the trouble, heartache, and pure hell I’ve experienced over the past few years at her hands is really over. My heart only breaks for my daughter because she will never know her biological mother. But then again, the one she calls “Mommy” has shown her more love over the course of a season than the one who gave birth to her has over her lifetime.

At some point, Matt walks me back out to the reception area, which is now the hub of operations for the officers and detectives of our town. Honestly, I never realized our county had so many cops before now, and all I can do is watch stoically as they come and go. When I hear my name called, the urgency in the tone pulls me back to reality.

“Sharp!” Justin yells at me. When I turn my head toward him, he visibly relaxes. “Damn it, Ace. You scared the shit out of me for a minute there. I’ve called your name like five times.”

“Sorry, Justin. I’m trying to process how I should feel about this versus how I actually feel about it. On top of that, I don’t know how to explain this to my little girl without traumatizing her for life when she’s old enough to understand. Hell, I’m a grown man and I don’t even understand it all.”

“First of all, your feelings are your own, and you’re allowed to have them without guilt. There’s no ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ in this, so get that out of your head. Secondly, I just talked to Matt and there’s something else you should know. Something that should help you sort out your feelings.”

“What?” Now he really has my attention.

“Matt found a note she left in your office. She’d planned a murder-suicide, Ace. Margot was going to shoot you first and then turn the gun on herself, so the two of you could die together in her demented happily-ever-after ending. She knew she didn’t have any other way out this time with the police looking for her. If you’d walked in there first, your wife would be having a very different conversation with your little girl right now.”

Anger fills me to the point of rage—and it’s all directed at Margot and her selfishness.

“Go home to your family, Ace. Your wife is worried sick about you, and your daughter wants to know where her daddy is. Your mom and your sister are over there with them. You have a house full of love waiting for you, buddy.”

I clasp his shoulder in my hand and squeeze, a silent, manly way of saying, “Thank you for making me pull my head out of my ass.”

He replies with a single nod of his head, and I run as fast as I can back to my truck. Justin’s words echo in my head the entire way home, and my foot turns to lead as I push harder on the gas pedal.

My family. My family is waiting for me at home.

Then something else he said hits me with the momentum of a runaway locomotive.
“Your wife is worried sick…”

“Layne.”

Taking the turn into my drive on two wheels, my tires squeal loudly in protest from the pressure I put on them. But I don’t care. It pales in comparison to the pressure in my chest right now. I burst through the front door and the first face I see is hers. She’s leaning against the arm of the couch, her legs tucked underneath her, and she’s so pale. It takes a couple of seconds for her brain to register that her eyes really do see me.

“Ace.” The tears start to roll down her cheeks, one by one.

I rush to her before she moves and drop to my knees in front of her. My arms wrap around her waist, I carefully place my face against her stomach, and I just hold her close to me. She runs her fingers through my hair in deliberate affirmations of love and comfort.

“Are you okay, Layne?” I mumble into her body, unwilling to break our contact.

“I am now that I know you’re okay.”

“I’m sorry, baby. News obviously traveled faster than I anticipated. I was never in any danger. As soon as Justin got to the center, I rushed back home. What have you already heard?”

“All of it. Now. Justin just called Lily,” she replies. “At first, we only heard there was a lot of police commotion at the center. You weren’t answering your cell phone.”

“I left it in the truck when I ran into the center. The security company called on my way home from the store and I immediately called Matt. Then I guess I tossed it in the passenger seat.”

I raise my head to look at her and push up to kiss her. “I’m sorry, I should’ve called you. I planned to tell you everything when I got home. It really isn’t the kind of news that should be given over the phone. But I honestly didn’t know you were worried something had happened to me.”

“I understand what you mean, Ace. A lot has happened today, and I know there’s no way you were thinking clearly through it all. I’m really just so thankful you’re home, safe and sound.”

“Does River know anything?”

“No. There’s no reason for her to know any of this for a long time. When we decide it’s time to tell her, all she really needs to know is that her mother’s mental illness was too much for her to bear. She was in too much pain, and she had to find a way to relieve it. Until that time, River deserves to have a carefree childhood with as many happy memories as we can give her. That’ll help balance her when she has to face all the bad stuff.”

“My wife is the most incredible woman I know.” I slide my palm across her cheek, and her eyes close as she leans into my touch. “There’s something I want you to do to for me, Layne.”

“Okay,” she agrees without question.

“The stuff I got at the store is still in the truck. I’ll be right back.”

After grabbing the bags and my phone from the passenger seat, I notice all the missed calls from Layne while I sat in the reception area of the rehab center.
“Your wife is worried sick…”

“Come with me, babe.” I hold out my hand to help her up from the couch. She takes it and I lead her to our bedroom then close the door behind me. When we reach the foot of the bed, I gently nudge her to sit down.

“Want to tell me what this is all about?” she asks.

“I know you haven’t been feeling well. You’ve been pretty good at faking it, though. I’ll give you that.” I wink. “Before I take you to the doctor, I thought I’d bring the doctor to you.”

She takes the smaller bag from me tentatively and peeks inside. Her face falls and she shakes her head. “There’s no use in even trying this, Ace.”

“Humor me.”

“Fine.”

She takes it into the bathroom and rejoins me when she’s finished.

“Well?” I ask impatiently.

She chuckles at my excitement. “I left it on the counter for now. It takes a few minutes to process before we’ll know. You can check it later and let me know what it says.”

“Layne?” Zoe calls from the hall, her voice thick with alarm. Layne and I quickly cross the room, and she opens the door to Zoe’s panic-stricken face.

“What is it, Zoe?”

“I think my water just broke.” She looks down at her maternity jeans first, then Layne and I follow her line of sight. “What should I do?”

Layne steps toward her and wraps her arm around Zoe’s shoulder to comfort her. “We’ll call the doctor and meet her at the hospital so you can have this baby girl. It’s time, Zoe.”