Touch of Fate (Bennett Sisters Book 2) (15 page)

As she walked up, all conversation came to a halt. She noticed the quiet nods between the men.
Aww hell
.

Mike handed her a revolver that she tucked into the waistband in the back of her jeans. “We ready?”

Mike pulled her into his steel arms and kissed the top of her head. “Be careful.” Butch took her out of Mike’s arms and into his own embrace, kissing her on the cheek before whispering, “Kick his ass.”

Abby smiled up at the men and turned to start her trek through the woods toward her house. Abby estimated the property that butted up to hers was about a half mile, but it felt like two. She heard the sounds of the grasshoppers and birds that had made their home in the overgrown grass and trees. She hoped that was all the wildlife that lived in there. Jake followed on her heels.

Her house came into view, and she dropped into the overgrown grass, thankful it was high and thick enough to hide their presence. She saw Mike’s SUV pull up next to her driveway. The damn orange cones were still there. Butch wasn’t anywhere in sight.

Abby whispered to Jake, “Where the hell is Butch?”

When Jake didn’t reply, she crouched down and made her way to the side of the house. Mike was making a ruckus up front, banging on her door. She knew that at least his presence had been made known. She hoped theirs wasn’t.

Abby peeked into the tiny basement window, and her heart dropped to her stomach. Rope held Sam secured to a chair in the middle of a room, and a cot had been placed in the corner. She made her way down the stairs to the basement. She pulled the key from the hiding place and quickly made headway of unlocking the door, opening only one of the two doors. The squeak alone from the left door was enough to wake the dead. Jake gave her a sign that the coast was still clear and returned to her side. They entered the big basement on silent feet, catching the door behind them and gently pulling it closed. Abby uncapped the syringe. She leaned next to his ear, hoping that he understood what she was about to do. “I’m sorry.”

She plunged the antidote into his neck and pushed the plunger. She made quick work of the ropes that held him to the chair. The antidote seemed to be working. His eyes went wide, and he shook his head no. Abby whispered to Jake, “You need to get him somewhere safe then come back. I’ll wait for you so we can find John.”

Sam shook his head fiercely. It was evident he didn’t want to leave.

Jake whispered, “I’m not fucking leaving you here.”

Abby pulled the gun from her waist and had it pointing toward the floor. “I’ll never forgive you if anything happens to him. Get him out of here. I’d take him myself, but I can’t lift his weight.” Abby didn’t wait for a reply, although she thought she heard him cuss as she opened the door in the basement that leads into the house and slipped out of sight.

****

“God damn it.” Jake searched the room frantically for an answer to his prayers. He came across a closet in the corner. He picked Sam up and set him inside before whispering, “It’s okay. I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”

Before he could shut the door, he heard the door to the basement open again. He stepped into the closet and gently pulled the door closed, in case it wasn’t Abby, and he’d have been half-right. Daley walked into the basement with his arm around her neck. Jake pulled his phone and sent a text to Butch, telling him to get ready and to let Mike know. Jake didn’t have to wait long watching through the slit in the door. He heard the door break upstairs, and Butch entered through the basement door with his gun drawn and sights set on Richard.

Richard glanced to the ropes that lay strewn across the floor and the empty chair and increased his hold on her neck. “It seems you’ve rescued the audience I had planned. No matter, this asshole can watch instead.” Richard pulled a gun from somewhere and held it to her head. “Drop it or she dies.”

“I can feel that thing sticking in my back, and trust me when I tell you, you need to look into a thing called penis enhancement.”

Richard flexed his muscles, cutting off her air supply. “Drop it.”

Butch leaned over and placed his weapon on the floor, and Richard’s hold relaxed around her throat. She coughed. “I’ll tell you what, Richard. You and me. If you win, I come willingly and he won’t interfere. If I win, you let my son go.”

He leaned into her and ran his tongue up her cheek. Abby tried to turn her face from his assault, but he wasn’t giving her an inch. “This is going to be fun. Don’t worry, love. Since Sam isn’t here, I’ll videotape it for him and send it in the mail. Tell the Neanderthal not to move. If he does, you’ll never know what I did with your kid.”

Abby clenched her jaw. Since Mike hadn’t come to the basement, she hoped he’d found John unharmed. “Butch, move back toward the door and don’t interfere.”

Butch didn’t answer her plea. He just moved out of the way. Richard loosened his hold enough for Abby to take advantage of it. She hit his groin, used her weight to fall down to the floor, and swept his legs out from underneath him. Richard Daley suddenly lay on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. Her victory was short lived when he swung his leg around, dropping her to the floor. Abby rolled out of his reach and sprang to her feet. “You just taught me a valuable lesson, Daley.”

“What was that, love?” Richard was on his hands and knees, trying to catch his breath to push himself up.

Abby lifted her leg up and kicked him in the face. “Never underestimate your opponent, asshole.”

Abby kicked him in the ribs. When he turned his face to look up at her, she punched his face, making sure the bastard was staying down. She heard the bones in his nose crack as blood squirted across her concrete floor. “Richard Daley, you’re under arrest. You have the right to remain silent.” Abby walked over and picked up Butch’s gun, handing it to him as Jake jumped from the closet, scaring the crap out of her. She continued. “Anything you say can, and will, be used against you in a court of law.” Abby hunkered down near the closet door, in front of Sam half-sitting, propped up against the back of the closet wall. His functions seemed to be slowly returning.

Butch screamed, “Abby, watch out!” She turned toward Richard. He had a gun pointed in her direction and squeezed the trigger. Reacting on instinct, Abby threw her arms wide to protect Sam and felt the impact of the bullet in her chest. The power of the hit flung her forward into Sam’s lap. Blood oozed inside her shirt. She put her fingers in the wet, sticky stuff and brought them up to her failing eyes. “Crap.”

Gunfire erupted in her basement, coming from Butch and Jake’s directions. Abby pulled the gun from her ankle holster and pointed it in Richard’s direction, but she was too late. He lay unresponsive, dead on her floor. Abby dropped the gun and relaxed into Sam’s arms, turning to kiss the muscled arm holding her.

“Go find our son,” she squeaked to Jake and Butch. Her eyes were heavy. Unable to keep them open, she wasn’t sure if they had carried out her orders. She closed her eyes and let the darkness claim her.

Chapter 19

Abby lay motionless, unable to move.
Squeak
. She knew where she was. She knew that damn door.
Squeak
. Abby lifted her eyelids to find the most beautiful vision in the world. Sam and John stood on each side of her. She could feel the press of their hands and hear their whispered words. “I told you to keep her safe,” John said to his father.

“You were there, Junior. He got the drop on you, too, but you should have seen your mom kick his ass. She was like an angel sent down from heaven to save my sorry butt.” Sam’s eyes gleamed with pride.

A tear fell from her eye as she watched her men discussing her, not realizing she was awake.

John visibly swallowed the lump in his throat. “Dad, is she going to be okay?”

Abby couldn’t take anymore. Had her son just called Sam dad? More tears fell from her eyes. She hadn’t thought she would ever hear those words come from his mouth. Well, it could have turned out been better. She was lying in a hospital bed after all. Abby shook as her sobs grew.

“Oh god, Abby, are you hurting?”

“Mom, tell me where it hurts, and I’ll get the doctor.”

“I’m not crying because I’m hurt, John. I’m crying because my dream just came true. You two are with me and aren’t tying to kill each other.” Abby lifted her arm and wiped at the tears falling uncontrollably down her face.

John pushed Sam out of the way when he had leaned over to kiss the top of her head. “She’s my mom. Get out of the way.” John placed his kiss on her cheek.

Sam pushed John back. “Well, she’s going to be my wife.” He planted a gentle kiss on her lips.

Abby pushed him up, her gaze searching his face. “What did you say?”

Sam looked at John. “I told you she was going to be all right.” John chuckled as Sam brought his gaze back down to her. “Abby Bennett, I’ve loved you all my life and can’t imagine my world without you in it. Will you marry me?”

The waterworks started again. She was powerless against all of the feelings running through her heart. For once in her life, she thought she just might get her happy ending.

Epilogue

Abby stood staring in the mirror when Emma and Claire walked into the room. She heard their gasps and didn’t need to turn around to see what had caught their attention. She felt beautiful. Her white satin dress hugged her body. She felt like a princess as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror.

A tear fell down her cheek. They left the room to find Mike waiting for her in the living room of the beach house. He held out his arm to her, and she placed hers through it. “You’re beautiful inside and out, baby sister. Mom and Dad would be so proud of the woman you’ve become.”

Mike walked her out the back patio door, stopping on the top of the stairs. Chairs filled with the people she cared about sat in a row, but her gaze passed them to the two men standing at the altar. Abby was speechless, they took her breath away. John stood there, dashing in a tuxedo, at his father’s side as the best man.

She carefully maneuvered the steps and looked up at Sam again. He held her gaze as she travelled the short walkway up to his side. She hadn’t worn a veil. Mike held her hand out to Sam, and Sam pulled her close, whispering in her ear, “Abby you’re beautiful, baby.”

His black tuxedo stretched across his chest, hid his muscles from her view. There was no denying her attraction to this man. The man she would be spending the rest of her life with. The man she’d spent her adult life trying to find. Another tear fell down her cheek. Her heart was full for the first time in eighteen years. “I love you.”

The ceremony was enough that she would remember it the rest of her life. Her surprise came when the minister spoke. “Ryan Mitchell Douglas a.k.a., Sam Bennett, do you take Abigail Marie Bennett to be your wife?”

Everyone in attendance started laughing.

After the “I do’s Sam picked her up and carried her to the beach house next door.

“Why are we going over here?” she asked as she laid her head on his chest. She knew he would take care of her for the rest of his life.

“The first property I bought when I could afford it. I knew I couldn’t come here and chance running into you again, but a guy can dream.” Sam walked through the open door, with her still in his arms.

The End

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate has lived in Florida for most of her entire life. She enjoys a quiet life with her husband and two kids.

Kate has pulled all-nighters finishing her favorite books and also writing them. She says she’ll sleep when she’s dead or when her muse stops singing off key.

She loves creating worlds full of suspense, secrets, hunky men, kick ass heroines, steamy sex and oh yeah the love of a lifetime. Not to mention an occasional ghost and other supernatural talents thrown into the mix.

Connect with me Online:

https://www.kateallenton.com

Thank you for reading

Touch of Fate

The next book in this series will be Claire’s Book and then Mike’s.

Please enjoy an excerpt for Mind Play at the end of this book.