She shuts the door. “You’re sure about this?”
“Yes.” I motion to the conference table. “My lunch meeting location,” I say, grabbing the phone and dialing Connie, Reid’s assistant, who is currently covering for Lulu while she’s on vacation.
Reid pokes his head in the door. “Jean Claude called. I’m going to meet him.”
“What happened to a few days?” Abbie asks, twisting around to look at him.
“I’ll answer that question when I get back,” Reid replies, giving me a grim look, before disappearing into the hallway.
“Are you worried?” Abbie asks. “Jean Claude is dangerous, right?”
“Dead men don’t do favors,” I say. “Jean Claude wants a favor from Reid. That’s obvious.”
“Jean Claude doesn’t like that Reid knows his secrets.”
“He can handle himself, baby. I promise.”
“Taking lunch orders,” Connie announces, rushing into the office and said lunch orders turn into girl chat between her and Abbie while I end up on a call with a client. By the time our food arrives, Abbie’s tried to reach her mother with no success several times. “She’s acting strange since all this started,” Abbie worries when we finally sit down to eat.
“In what way?”
“She never skips my calls.”
“Skips your calls? Baby, I think it’s more that she has her hands full.”
“With what? The animals are on the island. She’s here. Do you know what time she gets here for her meeting with her attorney?”
“I don’t, but most likely at the same time we’re meeting with Reese.”
“I haven’t even talked to her about her new attorney. It makes no sense. She worries about me, Gabe, and yet she’s not even talking to me?”
“Relax, Abbie, baby,” I say, finishing off my sandwich and tossing the wrapper in the bag. “She’s fine. I’m sure of it.”
It’s in that moment that her cell vibrates on the table. “It’s her,” she announces grabbing her phone and to my surprise, answering it on speaker. “Mom, I’m here with Gabe.”
“Hi, you two. Listen, I’m on my way back to the island. Gabbie has had some bleeding complications since birthing her pups and we have two other sick animals. I can’t stay here. I know they want me to meet the police and another attorney, but I have to put the animals first.”
“Oh God,” Abbie says. “How bad is the bleeding?”
“I’m not sure,” her mother says. “These situations are hard to read from a distance. Brandon has a vet going over there, but I’d just feel better if I saw Gabbie myself.” She laughs. “Gabbie. Gabe. Abbie. It’s kind of cute. Maybe you two should adopt her after I save her.”
“So Dexter can kill her?” I joke. “I don’t think so.” Though a family of dogs and Abbie sits far better than I could have ever imagined. “Take care of Gabbie,” I add. “We can arrange a video chat with your new attorney.”
“Really? That’s wonderful. Abigail, honey, I was on my way to check on you when this all went to hell. Where are you? Can you come?”
“She needs to stay,” I say. “There’s too much heat on you both for you to leave town simultaneously.”
“By heat, you mean the redhead seen leaving the scene of the crime,” her mother says. “I heard. I swear that man staged his own death and set us up. He’s that evil. How are you handling this, Abigail?”
“I’m fine.” Abbie’s eyes meet mine. “Thanks to Gabe and his family.”
“Indeed,” she says. “You found yourself a real hero there. I just don’t want you getting hurt in this, Gabe.” There are voices in the background. “We’re at the airport. I’ll call you when I get back to the Hamptons and know more about Gabbie.”
“Wait,” Abbie says quickly. “The shelter—”
“We’ll talk later, but I have a lead on a new location.” She doesn’t wait for a reply. “I’ll tell you more later.” She hangs up.
I lean over and kiss Abbie. “See? She’s fine. All is well. Eat your lunch, unless you’d rather get naked and let me fuck you in my office.” Connie buzzes in. “The president of First Nation United Bank is on the line and he’s freaking out, throwing a fit worthy of a two-year-old that didn’t get his cookie. And that is not an exaggeration.”
I sigh. “So much for fucking in my office.” I kiss Abbie, licking into her mouth. “But we will and soon. That’s a promise and you didn’t have to wait until tonight for it.”
She laughs, her face lighting up, tension easing from her petite shoulders. That’s what I want. Her relaxing. Her happy. Her naked in my office. Her legs wrapped around my shoulders. My mouth between her legs. Goals. I have many where Abbie is concerned.
***
Abbie…
The afternoon is not as slow as one might think, ticking by with agony and fear. It’s busy, so busy there’s no time for fear. I’m taught about the company’s rules and policies on EEOC, workers compensation, and of course, sexual harassment. I almost laugh as the head of HR talks about inappropriate touching considering Gabe had wished me good luck this afternoon by promising to lick me in very inappropriate places as soon as humanly possible, “You’re mine,” he’d declared, “and I’ll make you say it tonight, in bed, right before you come on my tongue.”
“Good luck with that,” I’d teased as I’d walked to his door but considering the clench of my sex, and the slick heat on my thighs, his victory was fairly certain.
I am his, I think as we sit in the back of a Walker Security driven vehicle, on our way to meet Reese and Cat, his hand on my knee, just under my skirt. His thumb stroking back and forth, driving me wild. I’m aroused while riding to a destination where I’ll be prepping for a police interview. How is that possible? How is any of this possible? I mean, I’m being questioned regarding a murder. My ex-husband’s murder.
I catch Gabe’s hand, halting the assault of his fingers on my body. “Nothing from Reid?”
“Not since he went to meet with Jean Claude.”
“Hours ago, Gabe. I’m worried. Has his wife heard from him? Can you text her?”
“I’m not telling her that he met with Jean Claude.”
“Because she’ll worry. I’m worried. Aren’t you? Kenneth is dead. What if—”
The SUV halts abruptly and the door on my side abruptly swings open and suddenly we are no longer alone in the backseat.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Gabe…
I grab Abbie and pull her to me only to bring the familiar man, with long dark hair tied haphazardly at his nape into view. “Holy fuck, Blake. Warn us, would you? You know the shit we have going on right now. That doesn’t make for easy riding.” I ease Abbie back into her seat and the vehicle starts to move again.
Blake leans forward to look at me over the top of Abbie’s lap his brown eyes intense, seeking. “Fuck, man, my Uber had a flat two blocks back.” And his love of the word “fuck” unapologetic. “I have something new on the sale of the shelter I didn’t want to relay by phone.”
“Abbie,” I say, “this is Blake Walker of Walker Security. One of the founding brothers.”
“I’d say nice to meet you,” Abbie breathes out, “but I’m still trying to get my heart to stop racing. Obviously, I’m much more on edge than I realized.”
“Sorry about that, Abbie,” Blake murmurs. “I’ll be better next time.”
“Please tell me there won’t be a next time,” she replies.
His gaze is already back to me, the apology over. The reason he’s here his focus. “Jean Claude’s company is quietly making offers on properties around the shelter. They’re all signing a confidentiality agreement. He’s planning a retail complex complete with a movie theater.”
“And they need the shelter property to make it happen,” Abbie assumes.
“Literally,” Blake states. “I got a glimpse of the blueprints. Without the shelter, they can’t make this work.”
“And Kenneth promised him that he could get the shel
ter and get it cheap,” she replies bitterly.
“That we can only assume,” Blake replies.
“I need to just give them the shelter,” she says. “I need this over. Done.”
“It’s not that simple with murder in the mix, baby,” I say. “That’s why Reid is with Jean Claude. He’ll negotiate. He’ll make sure we’re all protected. He and Jean Claude speak the same language.”
“That’s a little scary,” Abbie murmurs, and those words cut right through me. I’m not so different from my brother. A fact that perhaps kept Reid and I at arms length a chunk of our lives. We see ourselves when we see each other.
My hand falls away from Abbie’s leg. “Where does my father fit into this?”
“We’ll talk,” Blake says. “Once we’re inside your apartment.”
The SUV halts and I glance out of the window. “We’re supposed to be at my sister’s place.”
“They’re run over with press, thanks to Reese’s trial,” Blake says. “We moved you here.”
He eyes the driver. “Are we clear?”
“Clear,” the driver says. “No press.”
Blake opens the door and gets out, running from the truth he has to tell. No. Running from Abbie before she hears the truth he has to tell. Abbie should follow him out but she doesn’t move. The minute he’s out of sight, Abbie turns to me, her gaze searching my face, for some awareness of where this is headed. No place good, that’s for damn sure. She just landed my brother in the same bucket with Jean Claude, and now my father is about to be exposed as the dirt I’ve warned her he is and always will be.
“Gabe,” she whispers.
“Let’s go inside.”
She hesitates, worry etched in her brow, and then reluctantly scoots across the seat to exit the vehicle. Her legs start to swing outward, and I swear it’s like she’s leaving to never return. I catch her wrist and pull her back, cupping her head. “Abbie.” That’s all I say. What the hell else can I say? My mouth crashes down on hers, hungry with demand, demand she see only the good parts of me. Demand that she stay, that she doesn’t leave. Fuck. I tear my mouth from hers, our lips a breath apart with my realization. All I’m doing is demanding, forcing her to submit and that’s what her ex did to her.
Horns honk and she brushes her fingers over my cheek. “He’s not you. I know that.”
I don’t know how she knows that’s where my head is, how she tasted that fear on my lips, but she did. I kiss her again and say, “Let’s go inside.”
She exits first and I follow. Blake stands on the sidewalk, arms folded in front of him, dark eyes pinning mine over Abbie’s head. The silent message in that look nothing more than a confirmation. I don’t want Abbie to hear what he has to say.
The three of us head into my building and I try to figure out how I get a minute to talk to him alone. Once we’re on the elevator Blake offers me that answer. “Reese and Cat are already in your apartment and Reese is eager to get started with you, Abbie.”
“Get started prepping me to be questioned on murder charges,” she whispers. “How is this my life?”
The answer, I am certain, is as I’ve feared all along but now am about to confirm. My father. I pull her to me, hold her close, wishing like hell I didn’t know this was headed to a place that might just destroy us. We enter the apartment and Dexter all but tackles us both at the door. That damn dog is so happy to have a family he’s about to piss himself and I get it. Abbie makes me get it. Hell, Dexter does, too. My sister is first to greet us after Dexter and she’s looking all belly and smiles. She’s happy, the way I want Abbie to be happy.
Reese joins us and he’s quick to focus on Abbie. “Let’s get you prepped and ready so we can make this go away.”
“Yes, please,” Abbie says, glancing around. “Where’s Cole? Is he here? What about Gabe’s prep?”
“Cole and I talked this afternoon,” I say. “I’m fine. I’m ready.”
She rotates to face me, fixing concerned eyes on me. “You need to prep. More than me. I’m not letting you go down for me.”
She’s protecting me. No woman has ever cared about me beyond my money and my tongue. Cat’s eyes meet mine, warm and worried. She knows what I’m thinking. She knows I can’t lose Abbie. My father will not be the reason. “I’m used to this kind of thing,” I say refocusing on Abbie. “It’s what I do.” I stroke her hair. “And you know the law. You’re an attorney. Use that during the interview.”
“Knowing it and using it are two different things,” she says. “I haven’t been practicing.”
“Good thing I have,” Reese offers, loosening the tie around his neck. “Come on. Let’s go get busy.”
“I ordered pizza,” Cat says. “The baby needs pizza. And ice cream.” She smiles at Reese. “Right, baby?”
“Right, sweetheart.” He laughs and kisses her. “We’ll get a pint or ten on the way home.” He glances at us. “We’re set up at the dining room table. Join us when you’re ready, Abbie.” He and Cat walk away.
I kiss Abbie. “Go, baby. Do this.”
“Go? Where will you be?” She glances at Blake and then me and understanding fills her gaze. “You want to talk to him alone.”
“Don’t read into this, Abbie,” I say. “We’re just talking.”
“I know it’s about your father. I hate that you don’t trust me with that information. That makes me sad.” She pushes to her toes, her hand on my chest, her lips to my ear. “I hate KM and I don’t even know who she is. I just know that she made you this way.” She settles back on her feet. “When you’re done I’d really like it if you would join us. I need you, Gabe.” And with that, she turns away and starts walking, twisting me in ten different directions as she does. She doesn’t want me to let her walk away. She wants me to pull her back but I can’t. Not now. Not until I talk to Blake.
Because I do trust her. I trust her to be a good person. I trust that I’m not. I look at Blake and motion to a small office off the hallway. We enter the room, huddling up by the door he pulls shut
“Tell me,” I say. “What sins hath my father committed now?”
“He’s brokering the deal for Jean Claude now that her ex is dead. He stands to make millions off the deal.”
I absorb that with hard understanding. “My father benefited from her ex-husband’s death.”
“Yes,” Blake confirms. “He stood to benefit by a sum somewhere around ten million if not more.”
In other words, my father may well have killed Abbie’s ex-husband and framed her for it. How does a man come back from that with a woman?
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Gabe…
I’m still standing in my apartment office with Blake when Reid sends me a text: Where are you? I’m stuck outside in the zoo of the press at Cat and Reese’s building.
I curse. “I forgot to tell Reid we changed locations,” I say, texting him back: We diverted to avoid the press. We’re at my place.
He calls me. “We need to talk alone,” he says. “Meet me at Mac’s bar down the road. Fifteen minutes?”
“I’m bringing Blake. He has something you need to hear.”
“Of course he does. Bring him and his load of crap to share. I have my own.” He disconnects and I shove my phone into my pocket. “Reid met with Jean Claude. Now we’re meeting Reid. He wants to talk. Alone.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
I don’t comment. My brother has a way of getting things done, much like my own way—and it’s not always gentle. “We’re meeting Reid to do interview prep, the end. Leave it at that. I don’t want to lie to Abbie, but I need her to focus on being ready for that interview, not what we have going on.”
“I get it, man,” Blake confirms. “I’m married. I love my wife. Prep work isn’t a lie. We’re trying to solve the murder. That’s the best prep work that exists.”
It’s not a lie, I repeat in my head, because I don’t need lies adding to the shit she will eventually find out about me. It’s inev
itable. I know it. “I need to let Abbie know I’m leaving.”
“I’ll head to the door and wait for you downstairs.”
I nod and follow him out of the office and down the hallway. The minute we round the corner, stepping into the living area, we find Reese, Cat, and Abbie working there, not in the dining room. Blake tucks his chin and charges a path toward the front door. The room seems to follow his movement, and I step to the chair where Abbie’s sitting, with Reese and Cat to her left, side by side on the couch.
“How are things?” I ask, brushing red curls from her grass-green eyes. Such expressive, beautiful eyes.
“You tell me,” she says, catching my hand. “How are things?”
Better with you in my life, I think, but I say, “Blake is knee deep in research. He’s got me looking at some random data related to my father.” It’s not what I’d planned to say, but in this moment, it feels closer to the truth.
“What kind of data?”
“I’ll let you know when I know,” I say. “Stay here. Focus. We’re meeting Reid at Mac’s and we’ll see if either of us can make heads or tails of anything Blake knows. You need to get ready for the interview.”
“She does,” Reese agrees. “We’re just getting started. Ready, Abbie?”
She doesn’t answer. She doesn’t look at him. She looks at me and lowers her voice, a soft whisper, that while easily overheard is intimate in its delivery. “Is everything okay? Is this about that meeting earlier?”
“Yes,” I say. “But I know nothing. I’ll text you. Okay?”
“This is a good time for another promise.”
“I promise.” I squeeze her hand. “I hate leaving you, but I need to go and you need to focus.” I lift her hand and kiss it. “I won’t be long.” I push to my feet and I can feel my sister’s eyes on me. She’s stunned by my show of affection, with good reason. Abbie’s changed me. She keeps changing me.
Focused on getting back, I head for the door and I don’t look back. As promised, Blake is waiting on me downstairs and one of his drivers is waiting on us. Fifteen minutes later, I’m sitting in a round corner booth with my brother and Blake, each of us slowing nursing a whiskey.
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