Forever Notorious

by Kathleen Brooks

  Abby snapped a picture and sent it to Lewis Jones, her boss.

  “Yes, Rahmi is claiming jurisdiction for the people who entered the farm. No, sir. You don’t need to call the ambassador. If you’re really coming here, the princes of Rahmi are toasting their marshmallows and you can speak with them directly.”

  Abby’s mom was coming toward her. Kale was working feverishly on the devices they’d recovered so that when the people were turned over to the government, Abby would have all the data as well. “You’re in Cincinnati?” Abby asked, turning her attention back to her boss as she watched Dylan talk to his father. “Yes, I’ll see you shortly.”

  Abby hung up and sent him the exact coordinates of her location. When she looked up, her mother was standing in front of her. “Everything okay?”

  “Yes. Vans will be coming in from Lexington, and my boss was in Cincinnati for a meeting so he’ll be coming via helicopter.”

  Her mother hugged her and then stepped back. “How are you doing?”

  “Good. I’ll be better if Kale can find out what Chet had sent his followers.”

  “He came for you,” her mother said, and Abby instantly knew who he was. “And he brought a priest. I think there’s some hidden meaning in all of this.”

  “Mom,” Abby said with a smile as she shook her head.

  “Let me give you some advice. I know a thing or two about men like Dylan. After all, I’m married to your father.”

  Abby took a deep breath. “Okay, shoot.”

  “Don’t make everything a competition. Think of it as a partnership. You are two halves of the same whole. So talk about what you need, how you’re feeling, and always support and respect each other. Then there’s the sex part, but I already know you get along well in that department.”

  Abby felt her face go bright red. “Mom!”

  “Don’t mom me. I’m not the one leaving their panties all over town for the past five years.”

  Abby’s mouth dropped and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. “How?”

  “I’m your mother. I know everything. Besides, whenever you came home I did your laundry. I was suspicious at first, but then after another pair were discovered and you came home after the party with that little smile on your face, I knew then for sure it was you.”

  “Oh god, kill me now,” Abby muttered into her hands as she covered her flaming red face. She shot her head up as she thought of something. “Does Dad know?”

  Her mother laughed. “Dylan’s still alive, isn’t he?”

  Abby sighed with relief. “Why did you wait to say anything if you’ve known all this time? You could win a big pool at the café for exposing Dylan and me as the panty droppers.”

  “I wouldn’t do that. You’re my daughter. And I knew if something like that had been going on as long as it had, you and Dylan were meant for each other. If I’d outed you two, it would’ve push you apart, possibly forever. I want my daughter to know a true love like I do. It’s the greatest gift in the world.” Her mom crossed her arms over her chest as she grew serious. “But if you keep me waiting for a wedding and a grandchild, I will haunt you for the rest of your life. Your father and his little toy drones have nothing on me.” Abby laughed then as her mother hugged her. “That’s better,” her mother said. “I’ve always only wanted you to be happy, Abby.”

  Abby looked to Dylan and knew for the first time she truly was. “I am.”

  “Good. Now, you two better go to Lexington tonight to help with the processing of all the captures.”

  “Why would we do that?” Abby asked as her mother began to turn away.

  “Because the pair of panties I found in our front yard this morning were frozen. I’d hate for you to get frostbite on your do-dah.” Her mother winked and sauntered away as she pulled out her cell phone. Abby would put money on her mother placing a bet on the Blossom Café app right now—one that involved marriage.

  Was she ready for that? Yes. There was no more hesitation. Yes, she was. And if she had to ask him herself, she would.

  * * *

  Dylan had just finished talking to his dad when Bridget joined them. Dylan looked over his shoulder and found Abby talking to Kale. He’d kept an eye on her the whole time. Not because she needed his protection but because she was a part of him, and when he looked at her, he felt whole.

  “Dylan, I was just telling Abby you should probably go into Lexington with the officers to make sure the prisoners are properly transported. It’ll be late by the time all that wraps up, and I sure get nervous thinking about you two driving these country roads so late at night. Why don’t you just spend the night in Lexington and come back tomorrow?”

  Dylan blinked at Bridget. She hadn’t talked to Ahmed, so she didn’t know he was planning to propose. But a night . . . alone with Abby? That was something they never had. Sure, twenty minutes, thirty minutes, maybe an hour, but a full night together where they weren’t sneaking around Keeneston, occasionally breaking and entering while looking for some privacy? That would be perfect.

  “Thanks, Mrs. M. I’m already exhausted and I know once we close this mission, all the adrenaline will die out and tired won’t even describe it.”

  Bridget patted his arm and nodded. “Yes, I know that feeling well. Abby always loved the Case Hotel downtown. It’s near the police station. Good job tonight.”

  Dylan watched as Bridget walked away and then turned to his dad. “Do you think she knows I’m planning on proposing?”

  “No way,” Pierce said as they watched Bridget join a group of women from town. “But the Case Hotel would be the perfect place to propose. I bet I could get the fireworks set up there.”

  “But I don’t have a ring,” Dylan whispered as his heart pounded. He was tired of waiting. He wanted to make Abby his.

  Pierce chuckled as he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. “Son, always have a florist and a jeweler on speed dial. I learned that real quick after calling your mother old for the second time.”

  “Genevieve, it’s Pierce,” his father said into the phone. “No, I didn’t call her old again. This is for my son. He needs an engagement ring. Tonight.”

  * * *

  Abby watched the helicopter land at the same time three vans pulled up and unmarked agents stepped out with an air of authority around them. Their arrogant, take-charge look instantly changed when the Rose sisters pinched their cheeks and asked them if they wanted a roasted marshmallow. Colton Davies and two of his firefighters-in-training were making sure the fire didn’t spread as the town celebrated another takedown.

  “Agents,” Abby said, approaching them as CIA Clandestine Operation’s head got out of the helicopter and walked toward them. “You’ll find all the prisoners in the barn.”

  They didn’t move as Lewis came to a stop next to Abby. “You heard the agent in charge here. Go get the prisoners.”

  “Yes, sir . . . ma’am.” The agents scurried off to start loading the prisoners.

  “What the hell is this?” Lewis asked looking around. “Geez, that really is Prince Mohtati Ali Rahman and his sons, Prince Zain and Prince Gabe, roasting marshmallows over a burning house.”

  “Don’t forget Mo’s wife, Dani, and daughter, Princess Ariana.”

  Lewis grabbed Abby’s arm. “Your father. Introduce me. Please.”

  Abby chuckled as her brother Kale joined them. “So, I got all the information for you. I emailed it to you and to that Lewis guy.”

  “I’m that Lewis guy.”

  “Hey, what’s up, man?” Kale asked as he gave a little nod of his chin. “Check your email. I got all the info from Chet’s phone. Should be easy enough for these guys to track down.”

  “Who are you?” Lewis questioned.

  “Kale.”

  Abby shook her head at her little brother. “This is my brother, Kale Mueez.”

  “He should work for the CIA.”

  “Who says I don’t?” Kale asked with a wink before tossing Chet’s phone to Lewis. “Miss Lily, I�
�ll take that marshmallow!”

  “We’ve fallen through a wormhole and are in an alternate world, right?” Lewis asked.

  “Nope. This is just Keeneston.”

  29

  “This was a great idea,” Abby said as she flopped onto the bed in the suite at the Case Hotel. They’d negotiated the release of the suspects from Mo’s farm and handed them over to Lewis. Then they went to Lexington and made sure everyone was booked before emailing Morgan and Gemma all the info they would need to make sure Chet and his cult/terror group looked as bad as possible in the media.

  Kale had tracked down the message Chet had sent to his followers—standard terrorist call to arms to create chaos. They were to take out boats, buildings, and crowded spaces, all in the name of saving the earth. Lewis had sent the contact information for all of Chet’s followers to law enforcement around the world, and they were already in the process of rounding them up.

  At some point during the night, Pierce had brought Dylan a change of clothes and Sydney had brought Abby a bag of clothes as well. He didn’t know why Syd was smiling so much, though. It must be the pregnancy. But now those clean clothes looked like heaven.

  “Why don’t you start the shower? I’m going to find something to drink and be right back. Do you want anything?” Dylan asked.

  Abby shook her head. “To never get out of bed?”

  “I like that plan.”

  Abby groaned as she sat up. “Will you be joining me?”

  “I’d love to. Just give me ten minutes.”

  “Okay,” Abby said, getting up and walking to the bathroom as she stripped off her clothes. He could do this in five minutes, tops.

  Dylan ran out the door and down the stairs. He raced down the fifteen flights of stairs faster than any elevator could go. When he shoved open the door and stopped in the middle of the lobby, he saw her.

  “Genevieve?”

  The woman in her late forties with a coat over her pajamas blinked. “You’re Dylan Davies?”

  “Sure am. My dad said you could bring me some rings.”

  She shook her head as if coming out of a daze and brought up a metal case. She inputted a code and opened it. Dylan looked inside at the dozen rings all lined up and felt completely out of his comfort zone. He took a deep breath. Okay, romance. He was going to romance the hell out of tonight.

  “That one,” he said, pointing to the largest.

  “Ah, your girlfriend likes to show off. With you on her arm, I can see why.”

  “No, Abby doesn’t like to show off,” Dylan said, feeling like a fish out of water again.

  “What does she do for fun?” Genevieve asked.

  “She likes hand-to-hand combat and sharpshooting.”

  Genevieve blinked before taking a deep breath and pointing to two rings. “Then those are ones you should be looking at. They’re beautiful but show confidence. Not everything has to be about size.”

  Did she just look at his crotch? Yup, but Dylan didn’t care. He needed a ring and it was one in the morning. Where else would he get one?

  “That one,” Dylan said, pointing to the one that seemed to be perfect for Abby.

  * * *

  Abby heard the door to the bathroom open. She was glad Dylan suggested a shower because tonight she was going to propose. She didn’t have a ring, but she had very sexy lingerie from Sydney.

  The curtain was pulled back and there stood Dylan in all his glory. Abby enjoyed the view of strong legs, rippling ridges, and sculpted pecs as he got into the shower. Even though they’d been having sex together for years, very rarely did they have enough time to get fully naked. And she definitely didn’t have time to savor the sight.

  “Do you remember our first time together?” Dylan asked as he took the soap from her hands and ran it slowly over her body before using his hands in place of the washcloth.

  “Yes. It was right after I graduated from college. We were all home and at a field party. We were talking about life after college as you were wrapping up your senior year and you touched my leg. I remember my heart picking up a beat just at your touch. I had thought your kiss has been something, but just your touch did the same thing to my heart.”

  “And then I asked you for a walk,” Dylan said as he covered her breasts with soap bubbles.

  “And the second our lips touched we couldn’t get enough. At least I didn’t leave my panties behind that time.”

  She felt Dylan grinning against her head before he kissed her wet hair. “I like making you forget yourself.”

  He angled the water to rinse off the suds before turning her so that he could quickly wash. Why did he seem to be in a hurry?

  “I’m not the only one who forgets myself. I believe you’ve lost control a time or two,” Abby said as she wrung the water from her hair.

  Dylan shut off the water and handed her a towel. “You always make me forget myself. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve wanted to yank you across the room and kiss you. Or dance with you. Very, very closely.”

  “Then why didn’t you?”

  “We weren’t ready yet. You didn’t want to face your father. I didn’t want to put a woman in the position of saying goodbye to me every time I left. And neither of us could say what we did for a living. We came together and then broke apart. It was what we did as we tried to grasp the love we had but then returned to our jobs all with never speaking of it to each other. But now . . .”

  “Now we can. I’m not going to say goodbye to you.”

  “Me neither,” Dylan said, kissing her again.

  “Get dressed. I want to show you something.”

  “Me too,” Abby said with a sexy grin. Dylan walked from the bathroom and Abby closed the door. She slid into the sexy silk and lace number and blasted her hair with the hairdryer before putting it up into a sloppy bun and covering herself in the fluffy hotel robe that almost reached her feet.

  When she walked into the suite, she found Dylan looking extremely handsome in jeans and a black pullover sweater with the neck unzipped enough for Abby to see a hint of his chest.

  “What are you dressed up for?” Abby asked, suddenly worried about having to change. “Do I need to change?”

  “No. You’re perfect.” Dylan held out his hand and she automatically took it. “Come on.”

  Dylan pulled her from the room, giving her only enough time to slip her feet into her boots. “Where are we going?”

  “I told you I have something to show you,” Dylan grinned again and she could tell by the way he was smiling that he was excited about something. Well, wait until she popped the question.

  Dylan pressed the button for the top floor. When the elevator opened, he took her down the hall and up a flight of stairs. He pushed open another door, and Abby felt the whoosh of cold air.

  “The roof?”

  “Come look at this,” Dylan said as he put his arm around her and led her closer to the edge.

  “It’s beautiful,” Abby said as she looked out over the lit-up downtown. They were in the middle of it yet felt as if they were looking on it from the outside.

  “So are you,” Dylan whispered against her neck, causing her to shiver, and not because it was cold out.

  “Dylan, I love you so much. You were right. We weren’t ready, but we are now.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way,” Dylan said, spinning her back around to look out over the city. Okay, she got it. The view was beautiful, but she was trying to propose here.

  “Abby, you set Keeneston on fire tonight, literally. Now I want to show you what you do to me.”

  “Dylan—” Abby gasped as fireworks went off on the building down the street from them. They burst into the air, lighting the night sky with sparkling wonder. “Oh, Dylan,” she whispered as she turned around.

  Abby felt her hand go to her heart as she looked down at Dylan on one knee, holding up an oval-shaped diamond ring. “I have loved you for over ten years, Abby. You set my heart and soul on fire. I burn only for yo
u. Always only for you. Together we can set the whole world on fire because anything is possible with you by my side.

  “Abigail,” Dylan said, locking his eyes with hers, “will you marry me?”

  Abby didn’t know if her voice worked as the rooftop was alight with the sparkling light from the fireworks. “Yes. I’ll marry you a thousand times.”

  It came out as a whisper, but it was loud enough for Dylan to hear it. With shaking hands he slipped the ring onto her finger.

  “Are you ready to play with fire?” Abby asked, feeling as if she were floating from the happiness. She dropped the robe and Dylan shot to his feet.

  “We’ll burn the whole city down,” Dylan said a moment before he claimed her lips. She was swept up into his arms, and in less than a minute, Dylan was kicking open the door to their suite.

  She laughed as he gently tossed her on the bed. She bounced once and then stopped laughing when Dylan stripped his clothes from his body. Tonight they were free—free to be themselves, free to be in love, and free to make love all night long.

  Dylan kissed her as his body covered hers. As he slid into her, he whispered that he’d love her forever, and when she screamed his name, it was a pledge to do the same, for at that moment it felt as if they were one.

  Epilogue

  Three months later . . .

  * * *

  Abby looked into the mirror and sniffed. Her father was a mess and it was making her want to cry. Nemi was dressed in a little dress that matched the bridesmaids and had the handle to the basket with the wedding rings in her mouth. Her father was tearing up as her mother placed the veil on her head.

  “Are you ready?” her mother asked.

  “I am.” Abby took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror as Bridget took Nemi from the room. “Dad, you have got to stop crying.”

  “I’m sorry, honey. You’re so beautiful.” Her father wiped his eyes and then stood. “Twenty-two caliber, thirty-eight caliber, nine millimeter . . .” By the time he reached fifty-caliber, her father was calm.