Touch of Fate (Bennett Sisters Book 2) (12 page)

Jake pulled a map from his cabinet and spread it out on the table as Abby moved in closer to view it herself.

“Here it is,” Abby said, and pointed at a location on the map. She reached for her ankle holster to pull her gun and realized it wasn’t there. She hadn’t worn it since leaving the hospital.

Emma walked over to a drawer in the kitchen and pulled one out. She walked back over to Abby and handed it to her. “Here use mine.” She smiled down on her sister.

“Thanks Em.”

The room had turned silent. She could hear her own breathing. She looked up. “What? I’m not going to run off half-cocked. Give me some credit.”

Abby called Mike and informed him of the latest breakthrough. “Mike’s going to meet us there.”

Everyone but Emma, John, and Briggs piled in the SUVs to head to the lake. The passing scenery did little to settle her nerves. It was déjà vu. They had been down this road before when Ben had kidnapped Emma.

Sam placed his hand in hers and lifted it to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss to her palm. “Abby, I need you to be careful. He wants you. He doesn’t care about any of us. If things go bad, I want you to run.”

“Sam, I’m not going to run, and you’re wrong about one thing. He doesn’t want me, he wants to use me to get to you. I’m going to catch this asshole so we can move on with our lives. If we don’t, we’ll constantly be looking over our shoulders, and I can’t live like that.” She turned her hand in his and kissed his palm in return.

He pulled his hand from hers and placed it back on the steering wheel. His white from the pressure. Sam took a few deep breaths before he glanced at her. “Your job isn’t worth dying over. If you won’t be careful for me, then do it for John.”

Abby knew he was right. She turned once again toward the window, watching as they passed the tree line, and realized they were getting closer. The afternoon sun beat through the windows on her face. It would have been a peaceful beautiful day if they didn’t have a date to meet a lunatic. She’d just found Sam—well, technically, he’d found her—but she wasn’t giving up on him yet. “Fine.”

They pulled in behind the other SUVs and got out. She couldn’t see the cabin through the trees, but she knew it was there. They made their plan, took up positions, and approached the house. Mike had been instrumental when Jake moved his business into town, making sure they had the right permits in their business to carry their guns. The whole force was aware of the bodyguards’ capabilities. No one would be startled to see that they were all armed and were converging on a house. Weapons drawn, they inched closer, keeping low to be out of sight in case he was home. The closer they got to the log cabin the quieter it became. No birds sang; no crickets chirped. She heard just the sound of her own breathing as the adrenaline flowed through her veins. They squatted behind the trees and brush, just outside the clearing. The clearing was empty. There was no sight of the silver SUV she had expected to see.

From his spot on the side of the house, Mike gave a hand signal for everyone to stop. He inched closer to the window and peered through. He inched his way around to the back, and then within minutes, he walked to the front and peeked inside another window. He waved them all forward; the coast was clear.

Abby stopped everyone from entering the cabin. If Richard wasn’t in there then time was on their side, and they were going to handle this the correct way. She wasn’t about to have her evidence thrown out of court on a technicality, so Abby did the one thing that would get her the desired results. She called in another favor. Within twenty minutes of the call, after they all anxiously waited, Ted showed up with the signed search warrant in his hands. Within minutes, Sam kicked down the door, and Abby’s mouth dropped open in shock. Plastered around the walls were pictures of her, Sam, John, and her family. He had gotten the drop on them. They were all oblivious they’d let him get that close.

A shiver ran down her spine. She rubbed her arms and spun on her heel toward Jake. “Call and check on Emma and John. He’s got pictures of your house.” Jake snatched the phone from the clip and walked outside, punching numbers. His face was a shade of red she hadn’t seen before. His nostrils flared, as he held the phone to his ear. He was pissed, and she couldn’t blame him.

Bile rose from her stomach toward her throat. Her hand went to cover her mouth as she walked around taking in all of the photos plastered on the walls. Pictures of her family lay strewn everywhere. She walked on shaky legs toward the desk against the wall. A knife lay on one of the pictures of Sam. The picture next to it was one of her leaving Emma’s café the day she was going to meet Sam, the same day Daley had almost killed her. A red heart circled her face, his intent was clear now. Her suspicions hadn’t been right. This asshole wanted her, and now she wanted him to. She could think of a million ways she’d been trained to kill the bastard, and if she was lucky, she might just get to use every one of them.

Abby turned to Mike. “Call it in. I need my team here to start collecting and sorting through the evidence. This fucker is mine.”

Mike punched in some numbers as he walked outside with Butch on his heels.

Sam hugged her from behind and placed a kiss on her neck. “I promise, he won’t touch you.” Abby turned into his embrace and hugged him back, leaning into his arms as they formed a steel band around her body.

She was just thankful her family was still safe and now they knew what to expect. He could have grabbed them at anytime, and they wouldn’t have ever seen it coming. She would’ve had to been lost in her own problems not to notice the dangers lurking nearby.
Well, not anymore, asshole.

The afternoon passed as the investigative team worked tirelessly on the cabin. They logged photos, dusted for fingerprints, and catalogued stacks of papers and other miscellaneous items they seized. Instead of high-fiving her for making the score, they each gave her a grim smile and nodded as they left. They understood what this meant for her, just like she did. She was in for a long, bumpy ride with no end in sight. Mike strategically placed men on surveillance around the house, and a few followed them all back to Jake’s, stationing themselves around the perimeter. Her day had gone down hill when Daley hadn’t been home for the take down.

John, Emma, and Briggs again greeted them at the door. John advanced on her, squeezing her tight in a bone-crushing hug. “Jake told us what you found. I’m so sorry, Mom.”

John kissed the top of her head, placed her back on her feet, and looked at his father. “I’ve never asked you for anything in my life, old man.” John looked down at his feet before looking back at Sam’s eyes. “Promise me you’ll keep her safe from this bastard. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

As touching as the moment was, Abby just couldn’t stop herself. She punched her son in the arm. “Snap out of it. Nothing is going to happen to me.” Then she left them, walking into the house and up to the room they’d occupied the night before. Thoughts swirled in her head, never stopping on just one thing—Richard Daley, the cabin, and his involvement in keeping Sam away. Abby clenched her fists tight. The more she thought about everything the more pissed she got.

Abby wanted a shower. She felt vulnerable and victimized by what they had found at the cabin, and she just wanted to wash away those feelings. They weren’t going to help her. She needed a clear head, one that would anticipate Daley’s next move.

Abby stripped on her way to the bathroom, started the water, and climbed in. Water sluiced down her body, washing away the dirt and events from the day. The muscles in her shoulders relaxed. She hadn’t realized she’d been so tense. She stood under the shower until she heard the bathroom door shut. Abby didn’t want to talk to anyone, not right now. She just wanted to forget so she stood under the hot water and planned to ignore whoever had entered the bathroom. She thought it might be Emma invading her space until the curtain pulled back and Sam stepped in to the small tub.

Sam’s tanned muscular chest was at her eye level. The tight chest begged for her to run her fingers over it, tracing his six-pack abs. Abby knew her face was red, but she didn’t care. Her gaze ran down the length of his body. His erection protruded out from his body, and her hands itched to feel and stroke his silky length. For that reason, she kept her hands to her sides, even though her gaze traveled down his length taking in every inch of the man. The muscles in his toned biceps flexed as he moved to step closer to her. Abby leaned her head back and looked into the eyes of the only man she had ever truly loved.

“Turn around, Abby,” he commanded in a husky voice, and her body immediately obeyed. She turned around so her back was to him, the water spraying on her chest. She heard a pop, and then his fingers were in her hair, massaging shampoo into the length of her hair. Abby sighed. It felt so good; no man had ever washed her hair. He had her step under the warming spray and rinse. She wanted his hands on more places than her hair. She needed his touch all over her body. She wanted to fall to her knees and take him into her mouth but held back from all the desires running through her mind.

Sam repeated the process with the conditioner. He took a bar of soap and lathered it in his hands, covering them in suds before she felt them on her skin. His touch left a trail that felt like fire over her body as he inched his way around her midsection with her back pressed against his hard chest. Evidence of his desire nestled between her cheeks. She felt her cream leak and pool around the place she most desperately wanted him to touch. She hadn’t felt like this in years, so alive and responsive to his every touch. His palms inched up her chest and encircled her breast. He gave a gentle squeeze as he lifted their weight in his palms. She felt his erection thicken against her. He wanted her as much as she wanted him.
What would he do if I just turned around? Would he take me against the wall?
The thought thrilled her, and her body responded in kind.

Abby was pulled from her thoughts when Sam increased the circle around her areolas sending more cream to her thighs. He pinched and pulled the extended nubs. Abby’s head fell back against Sam’s hard chest. The pleasure-pain of his hands built her desire, centering low in her belly. She wondered if he would send her sailing over the top with just his hands caressing her body and nothing else. Abby reached back and grabbed the outside of his thighs, trying to wedge her hands between their touching bodies. She wanted to run her hands over his body and give him back some of the pleasure coursing through her.

“Uh, uh, if you touch me now, I’ll explode. Keep your hands right where they are, Abby.”

Sam leaned down and kissed her neck, sucking at the water left behind. His tongue traced a path from her collarbone to her ear while his hand inched lower down her body. He whispered, “You’re so beautiful.”

“I need more,” she whispered with desperate need as his hands traveled through her silk curls down to her core. He ran a finger from the back of her slit to the front, pushing in one of his long fingers as his thumb circled her swollen bundle of nerves.

“Oh god.” The pleasure was so exquisite. She could feel herself climbing toward her release with every stroke. Her limbs threatened to give out as she concentrated on the pure bliss his hands had on her body. He thrust two more fingers into her and increased his speed.

“You’re so tight, baby. I can’t wait to be inside of you and feel you fisting my cock.”

She thought she might fall to her knees. Sam’s other hand bound her waist, forcefully holding her tight against his thick chest. The triple assault of his dirty talk, his mouth suckling her neck, and his fingers delving deeper in and out of her channel were enough to send her over the top. She felt the orgasm building to a crest, unable to hold back anymore, tremors racked her body as she came, screaming his name. Her body shook in the aftermath as Sam held her tight through her release. He turned her body toward his and raised his fingers to his lips. His eyes closed as he sucked his fingers clean.

Abby didn’t know how she was even standing. Her pent-up stress and energy washed down the drain with the evidence of her desire.

Sam reached down, turned off the water, and gathered her in a fluffy white towel. He dried her off before carrying her to the bed. He placed her in the middle on the silk sheets and climbed in beside her. Abby turned her head towards him, touched his neck, and pulled him down, crushing his mouth to her waiting lips. She opened her mouth wanting all of him. Tingles raced through her body when his hand cupped her breast and gave a gentle squeeze. Abby arched her chest into his hand wanting more of the exquisite feel. His tongue tangled with hers before he left her mouth and lowered, kissing a path to her breast. His tongue circled her dusty pink nipple while his hand fondled her other one. He gave a slight nip with his teeth before placing his mouth on the neglected twin.

Abby fisted her hands in his hair and pulled him closer to her body as she arched up. Abby knew she should stop him, but her body begged for more. This was what she’d been missing for all of those years. Sam pulled back from her embrace when she stiffened under his hands.

“What’s wrong, Abby?”

Abby felt her cheeks redden, but she needed to stop him before it was too late. “We need a condom.”

She leaned over to the bedside table where she knew Emma had a stash. Her sister kept them in all of the rooms. She pulled one from the box and ripped the wrapper with her teeth.

“I’m not going anywhere, baby.”

She took his silky shaft into her hands and rolled it down before leaning up to place tiny kisses on his chest. “I know.”

Sam’s crushing kiss had her pressed hard against the pillow as his hand traveled over the dips in her stomach and found her mound. His fingertip ran over her wet folds.

“So wet, so sexy.” He pushed his finger in without warning, eliciting a gasp from her lips. Her soreness wouldn’t stop her from making love to him. “You’re not ready yet. Let me play.” He inched down, settling his body between her thighs. Abby’s legs fell open to give him more room. His tongue darted out and licked from the bottom of her slit to the top while his finger moved in and out of her. She could feel him coaxing her cream from her body. He removed his finger, licking it as he stared down at her glistening heat.