Abby's Heart (Bryant Station Curves)

by Rachels, Rayne

  He planned to enter her slowly, but Abby wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him to her. She sighed as his cock sank deep into her.

  The mating was hard and fast. With each thrust, his cock found her sensitive spot. In minutes, she arched up as her muscles grasped his cock. Abby cried out his names as the first waves of her orgasm crashed over her. Skylar bit down on her other shoulder as he followed her over the cliff. Her muscles clamped down on his cock, pulling his seed out of him. He rolled onto his back, taking her with him.

  Abby laid her head on his chest. Listening to his heartbeat, she caressed his chest. “You bit me last night and again just now.”

  “Yeah, I did.”

  Abby raised her head and looked at him.

  Skylar saw the fear and uncertainty in her eyes. He knew they were there because of him, and he was going to do everything possible to make them go away. “You are mine. You are my mate. I want only you.” He kissed her again. “I love you. I have loved you since the first time I saw you. Yes, something happened that day. I’m not even sure what it was. There’s a huge chunk of time missing, but I don’t want to talk about that right now. We will talk about it, but not now. I love you. I want to see my cubs growing inside you. I want to go on walks with you. I want to celebrate the holidays with you, our cubs, and their cubs. I want you in my bed every night for the rest of my life.”

  Abby blinked. She leaned forwards and kissed him. “I love you, too. I’ve been so lonely without you.”

  Skylar hugged her tight to him, breathing in her sweet honey and vanilla scent. “I want to spend all day in bed with you, but we need to shower and get dressed. Breakfast is probably already cold.”

  “We can warm it up.” Abby’s grinned. “But I may have problems with the clothes.”

  “The suitcases over there were delivered this morning. I think you have been thrown out of your house. I’m just surprised they got here so quick.”

  “Dad must have called mom.” Abby shook her head. “I’m kind of surprised she didn’t come with them.” Abby looked at Skylar and blushed. “If you keep thinking what you’re thinking, we won’t be going anywhere.”

  “I would rather stay here, but it’s about nine, and you have a job to get to.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. I’m going with you.”

  Abby groaned. “And I thought dad was overprotective.”

  Skylar kissed her again. “Baby, you just don’t realize how overprotective my bear is going to be with you. I doubt you are going to be out of his sight for very long. I know I’m not letting you out of mine any time soon, so you had better just get used to it.”

  Abby rolled her eyes as she slid out of the bed. “We’ll see.”

  “Okay, Dad. We’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.” Abby ended the call and handed the cellphone back to Skylar. “I really hope mine is in the truck. I don’t remember taking it into the hotel room with me.”

  “Don’t worry.”

  “It’s kind of hard not to worry. Everything I do is tied to my phone, tablet, and computer.”

  “Is someone bringing you an extra set of keys?”

  “Yeah, but not until later. I feel like I’m going in blind.” Abby climbed into the cab of the truck.

  Skylar reached in and buckled the seatbelt before she could. He kissed her and closed the door.

  Abby shook her head at him when he got in the truck. “I could have done that.”

  “I’m not taking any chances.”

  Abby rolled her eyes. She was happy, maybe too happy. She had a nagging feeling something wasn’t right, and it bothered her.

  Skylar pulled away from the house and started down the drive. “Todd is with your dad at the building, and he’s fuming because that wolf won’t let him into the basement.”

  Abby laughed. “Dad’s a stickler about safety too, probably more so when it comes to me being in the buildings.”

  “Why did you pick structural engineering?”

  “I’ve always loved old buildings. I remember going to a potential job with dad. He was doing some preliminary assessments to see if it was viable to restore the building or tear it down. I wasn’t allowed in the building, but I remember staring at the blueprints and old photos. While I waited, I sketched and made notes on what I thought could be done to save the building. I thought it was too beautiful to destroy. When dad came out, I should him the drawings.”

  “What did he say?” Skylar glanced at Abby.

  “Dad got really quiet as he studied my drawings. He was still looking at them when the owner of the building drove up. The owner went crazy over the drawings. He said they envisioned everything he wanted and more.”

  Skylar and his bear puffed up. It was obvious his mate had a talent.

  “Dad told the owner he needed to consult with his colleagues about the structural integrity. Dad didn’t say anything on the ride home. I thought I was in serious trouble.”

  “Were you?”

  Abby shook her head. “He called a meeting and had me explain my ideas for reinforcing the columns and support beams. The next thing I know, I’m holding a patent for my ideas and Wolfe Renovations was born. Wolfe Renovations is part of Wolfe Industries, but I am the owner. I utilize the various craftsmen and women from the pack on my projects.”

  “Amazing! Briary Creek is only thirty minutes away. If that’s the headquarters of Wolfe Industries and were the pack lives, why haven’t we crossed paths before now?”

  Abby sighed. “Probably because I’m rarely home. I always have three or more projects going at any given time. If I’m not working on the structural side, then I’m working on the design side.”

  “So you’re a workaholic.”

  “It kept me busy so I wouldn’t have to think about the loneliness so much. I just happened to build a company.”

  Skylar grabbed Abby’s hand and pulled it up to his lips. “And because you are in charge, you have to be there. You’re more than just the supervisor for the project.” Skylar concentrated on the road. Being in construction, he knew of Wolfe Industries and Wolfe Renovations. Their reputation for quality work was above all others, and they could pick and choose what jobs they wanted to take on.

  Mate is smart. Cubs will be smart.

  We have a lot to learn about her, Skylar told his bear.

  It will be fun learning.

  Skylar mentally shook his head at his bear. After fifteen years of fighting with the beast, it was nice to have a simple conversation, but it was even better having his mate by his side.

  Billy was one of the first wolves to step out of the basement. “We’ve got all the bracing in place.”

  “I need everyone cleared out of the basement so Sheriff Anderson can go in and check our little room problem.” Abby picked up a yellow hardhat and plopped it on her head.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Skylar stepped up to Abby. He had hung back, watching her deliver orders and make changes to the design as things popped up. He had to admit, she was good at what she did. Even her dad, the Alpha, stood back and let her run the construction site, and that was extremely uncharacteristic for an alpha.

  “I’m going in to inspect the work. It’s part of my job.”

  “You are not going in alone.” Skylar grabbed the hardhat off Billy’s head.

  “Hey, what are you doing?” Billy glared at Skylar.

  “Sorry, but I need this. Abby is not going in there without me.” Skylar put the hardhat on his head.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Abby frowned.

  “If you go in, I’m going with you.”

  “Actually, neither of you are going into the basement.” Sheriff Todd Anderson looked from Abby to Skylar. “I’ve had too many people walking around a possible crime scene. No one else is going in.”

  Abby smiled at the sheriff, but her gaze was stony. “As the structural engineer on this project, my authority trumps yours. Only I can declare it safe for you or any
one else, who is not on my crew, to enter.”

  “Do something with your mate.” Todd glared at his cousin.

  “If she goes in, I’m going too. I don’t trust her safety to anyone but me. That includes you.”

  “Sheriff, the wall that crumbled is not load-bearing. My crew touched nothing in the room. They had no reason to go in there.” Abby picked up a flashlight. “We didn’t have time to fix the electrical problem, so you will need flashlights.”

  “Fine.”

  “Sheriff, I want whatever’s in there out as fast as it can be gotten out. I’ve got deadlines to meet and this delay is costing me money.”

  Sheriff Anderson nodded. He motioned for a couple of his deputies to follow, as Abby led the way into the basement.

  Abby grimaced as she went down the steps. The standing around had not helped her muscles. Even the painkillers she downed about midmorning were wearing off.

  “Abby, what’s wrong?” Skylar touched her shoulder.

  She smiled at him. “I’m fine. Just sore.”

  Skylar growled.

  Mate should not be here.

  No, she should not, Skylar agreed with his bear.

  Take mate home.

  She is as stubborn as you are.

  His bear made a snorting sound.

  Now you get to see what you’ve put me through all these years. Skylar grinned. Paybacks were a bitch.

  “Here we are.” Abby stopped. Her flashlight revealed a pile of rubble. She planned the flashlight across what was left of the wall and the huge opening. “Like I said, the wall isn’t loadbearing, and I couldn’t find any permits for it. I went back as far as I could in the available archives.

  “Why were you using video equipment?” Sheriff Anderson sniffed. The scent of Abby’s blood lingered.

  “It’s common practice for my company. It makes it easier to double check and review data when we’re planning and don’t have immediate access to the building. We film everything—the column, floor, electrical, plumbing—it is a useful tool.

  “What were you doing when this wall fell?”

  “We needed to get an idea of what was behind it, so we could formulate a plan to remove it. Billy drilled a hole through it and I was in the process of pushing a pen camera through when the wall crumbled. We’ve done the procedure hundreds of times, and we’ve never had a wall come down on top of us like this one did.”

  Sheriff Anderson nodded. “Both of you stay here.” He looked at Abby and Skylar. “And I mean it this time.”

  “You don’t have to worry about me. Something about that room is off, and I mean the creepy kind of off. I want it removed and the area cleansed.”

  Skylar wrapped his arms around Abby, and pulled her tight against him. “I’m here.”

  Room smells bad. I do not like it.

  I smell it too.

  It is more than death. It is something else.

  It’s almost familiar though. Skylar sniffed. The air in the basement was hot, humid, and stale.

  “What wrong?” Abby felt him stiffen.

  “I’ll feel better when I get you out of here.” Skylar hugged her tighter. “I think this should be—”

  “Miss Wolfe?”

  Abby and Skylar turned. “Yes?” asked Abby.

  “The sheriff wants to talk to you.” The deputy nodded in the direction of the hole. He stepped aside so they could go past him.

  “Did Todd say what he wanted?” asked Skylar.

  “No, he just said he wanted to talk to Miss Wolfe. Watch your step when you go in. If you’ll excuse me, I have to get some stuff for the sheriff.” The deputy turned and left.

  “First, he didn’t want us anywhere near the site, now he wants to talk to us in the middle of the whole thing. Is he always like this?” Abby raised an eyebrow.

  “I’m not sure what’s going on either.” Skylar shrugged his shoulders. “Let’s go find out so we can get out of here.”

  “Are you always in a hurry, or do you have a date you would have a date you have to get too?”

  “I want out of here. As for the other, you’re the only female in my life—for now, and forever.”

  “You say the sweetest things. What do you really want?” Abby’s guard immediately went up.

  “This is your last job. If you insist on working, you can have the secretarial position at my company.” Skylar knew she loved her job. She was good at it, but the thought of her constantly being in danger was driving him crazy. Hundreds of things could happen and she could be injured or worse—killed. Was he being irrational? Definitely! He wanted her safe, and if that meant Abby had to find a new career, then that’s what she would have to do.

  “I. Am. Not. A. Secretary.”

  “You’re not doing this anymore. It’s too dangerous.”

  “I will keep doing my job. I love my job.” Abby’s blood boiled. No one was telling her what job she could and could not do.

  “Would you two knock it off and get in here?” Sheriff Anderson’s voice echoed through the basement.

  Abby pushed on Skylar’s arms, but he refused to move. “I can’t believe how much of a pigheaded caveman you are. Let me go!”

  “I want you safe. Have you looked in the mirror lately? You are covered with bruises and cuts.”

  “They didn’t seem to bother you too much last night. In fact, I think you added a few more bruises to my collection. Now, let me go or else.”

  Skylar growled. “Or else what?”

  “I warned you.” Abby stomped his instep as hard as she could, causing Skylar to yelp in pain, and loosen his grip on her. She slipped out of his arms and went through the hole in the wall before he could stop her.

  “What did you do to him?” Sheriff Anderson looked over at Abby.

  “Nothing he didn’t deserve. Besides, I warned him. He chose not to listen to me.” Abby looked around. “What did you need to talk to me about?” The room was dark, except for the flashlights, which didn’t show very much.

  “Deputy Thompson went to get a field light out of the back of my squad car.”

  “Are you asking my permission?” Abby frowned.

  “Sheriff, here it is.” Deputy Thompson came back into the room, carrying a light kit.

  A few minutes later, the room was flooded with light. Abby gasped. In one of the corners was a skeleton laid out on a twin size bed.

  “Yes, it’s a real skeleton,” said Sheriff Anderson.

  “About how long will this shut me down?”

  “I’m not sure. We have a bigger problem.”

  “What can be bigger than a skeleton in the middle of my basement?”

  “These pictures.” He gestured to a table on the opposite side of the bed.

  Abby turned and looked at the pictures. Her eyes widened. “What the hell!” She reached for the one closest to her, but the sheriff stopped her before she picked it up.

  “Look, but don’t touch. They’re all evidence.”

  Abby swallowed.

  “Abby?” Skylar appeared next to her.

  “Look at the pictures.”

  “What am I looking—damn!” He turned to his cousin. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m thinking a murder or at least a passion of crime, but it’s the portraits that are bothering me. The resemblance is uncanny. The woman has to be kin to Abby.”

  “Is Abby in danger?”

  Todd looked at his cousin. In a low voice he said, “If she was my mate, I wouldn’t let her out of my sight until this murder is solved and the killer is put behind bars. Right now, I need you to leave. This is officially a crime scene.”

  Abby nodded. “For the record, I have no idea who that woman could possibly be. I don’t remember my mom talking about anyone in the family who went missing.” She turned and walked out.

  He looked around at the crowd. He hated crowds, but today it was the perfect shield. No one would suspect him. He was just one of many who wanted to see what was going on in the basement of the old building.
>
  Was she there?

  She had to be. The wolf that was with her yesterday was standing by her truck.

  As if answering his question, she walked out of the basement. The sun danced in her black hair, making it appear blue.

  He smiled.

  She was as beautiful as the day he put her in the basement. Too bad, she wouldn’t stay there.

  He frowned. His hands balled into fists at his side. The bear should not be with her. They were not supposed to be together. He had made sure of that a long time ago.

  “You are mine, Elizabeth. You belong to me and no one else.” The woman’s name slipped into his mind from that of the body in which he was hiding. He shook his head. Her name wasn’t Elizabeth. It was Abby.

  He slipped out of the crowd and disappeared.

  Chapter 9

  “Abby, you need to eat.” Billy frowned. Worry showed in his eyes. He glanced around the room. His worry reflected in the eyes of the other pack members. He looked at Marcus, but the alpha only shook his head.

  “I’m just not that hungry.” Abby pushed aside the half-eaten hamburger. She leaned back in her chair and stared at it. Her eyelids drooped and her head dropped a little bit. Tired didn’t even come close to describing how she felt. Her body ached. The longer she sat still the stiffer her muscles grew.

  “Abby, eat.” Skylar pushed the plate back in front of her.

  “I’m not hungry.” She pushed it away again. Her eyes narrowed into dark slits. She hated people pushing food at her. It wasn’t what she needed. She wanted to lie down somewhere and sleep. Abby’s anger grew as she checked off each offense Skylar committed. It didn’t help she was still angry with him. He had a lot of nerve telling her she had to quit her job. Even her stepdad, the alpha, did not tell her what she could and could not do. She was a grown woman.

  “You need to eat to keep up your strength.” He pushed the plate back in front of her.

  “Would you quit trying to force me to eat? I am not hungry. I don’t want to eat any more food.” She rubbed her eyes. “If it appears in front of me again, I’m throwing it at whoever puts it there.” She crossed her arms. “I’m still angry at you for trying telling me I can’t do the things I want to do.”