Abby's Heart (Bryant Station Curves)

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Abby's Heart (Bryant Station Curves) Page 8

by Rachels, Rayne


  Marcus’s eyes flashed red. His nostrils flared. “What exactly are you trying to force my daughter to do?” His chair flew backwards as he stood up.

  Skylar stood. His fists clenched at his sides. “I will do anything I think is right to protect my mate.” He pulled himself to his full height. A low growl rumbled in his chest.

  “You can’t force people to do what you want, and you will not force Abby to do anything she doesn’t want.” Marcus bared his teeth.

  “Abby is my mate. I will not let her put herself in danger like she did yesterday morning.” Skylar growled.

  Abby looked from her stepdad to her mate. She shook her head. “Damn alphas,” she muttered. As far as she was concerned, both were being buttheads. “Would both of you sit down and shut up! My head already hurts and the both of you are making it worse.”

  The restaurant grew deathly quiet. All eyes focused on Abby. She felt her cheeks growing warm. She closed her eyes and prayed for a hole to open up and swallow her. She had just told two alpha males to shut up.

  Billy started laughing. “Damn girl! I knew you were bossy, but this is priceless.”

  Abby glared at her cousin. “What are you talking about?”

  “You may be a human, but you are an alpha.” He grinned at her. “You just channeled your alpha powers and shut everyone up.”

  Abby rolled her eyes. “They’re obviously not that strong, because you’re still talking.”

  “You should have seen the looks on their faces.” His eyes twinkled.

  “Billy, shut up.” Marcus growled at him.

  “You’ve always had a strong personality,” said Billy, completely ignoring his alpha. “Maybe being with your mate has something to do with actually channeling the alpha mojo.” He picked up a French fry off his plate and popped it into his mouth. “This is absolutely fantastic.”

  Abby stood up.

  “Where are you going?” Skylar moved toward her, but immediately stopped when she put up her hand.

  “It’s not really any of your business, but I’m going to the restroom, and then you’re taking me home. I am tired. I just want to go to bed and sleep.”

  “Abby?”

  She turned to her stepdad. “I’m not going home with you. I am going home with my mate. He and I have to work out our differences, but right now, I am too tired to even think about it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to the restroom.” She didn’t bother pushing in her chair. She walked around the table with her head held high.

  Skylar sniffed the air. Her pain and fatigue wrapped around him, causing him to stagger. How was she hiding so much from him?

  “She’s always been good at hiding how she feels. You’re going to have to figure out how to crack through her barriers.” Marcus picked up his chair. “But first, you need to learn you can’t order your mate to do anything. If you keep doing it, she will make your life miserable. She may be human, but she’s an alpha female.”

  “I have to have her safe.” Skylar stared after Abby.

  “I understand. I want her safe as much as I want my mate safe, but telling Abby she cannot do her job, a job she has worked hard to turn into a business, will not work. If you think she’s stubborn, wait until you meet her mother, and I believe she has a bone to pick with you—something that happened during Abby’s college days.”

  “Abby and I are working on that.” Skylar sat down and took a sip of his iced tea.

  Abby looked at her reflection in the mirror. She carefully pulled the bandage off her forehead. The cut was slightly red, but it was closed. The rest of her face had definitely seen better days. Bruises and scrapes dotted her face and neck. The dark circles under her eyes were a sharp contrast to her pale skin. She looked like an extra in a zombie movie. Abby turned on the water and gently washed her face.

  Grabbing several of the paper towels on the stand next to the sink, Abby patted her face dry. She looked in the mirror again. It didn’t help her looks much, but it did wake her up. Maybe she would be able to make it until she got home.

  Home.

  The corners of her lips turned up. Home was with Skylar, even if he made her furious. She pulled aside the collar of her shirt and looked at the bite mark. Its mate was on her other shoulder. She belonged to him, and he was going to belong to her. She giggled. Just wait until she bit him.

  Abby wadded the paper towels and tossed them into the trashcan. She couldn’t hide in the restroom any longer.

  The restroom door swung open before Abby reached it. Her eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

  “No hello for me?”

  “What are you doing here, Edwin?” Abby managed to get the words out. She wasn’t afraid of Edwin, but something about him made her skin crawl. He wasn’t exactly a muscular wolf, but he was stronger than her, a fact he liked to use to intimidate her, and anyone else he deemed inferior.

  “I heard about what happened, and I’m here to take you home with me.” He grinned at her.

  “I’m not going anywhere with you. Now, move out of my way.” Abby forced her voice to sound tougher than she felt.

  His eyes moved up and down her body, before they stopped at her breasts for several seconds before he forced his eyes up to her face. “You are my mate. You have no choice. You will go with me, where ever and whenever I tell you.”

  “I am not your mate. How many times do I have to tell you before you get it through your thick skull? I. Am. Not. Your. Mate! You really need to leave before something really bad happens to you.”

  “Threats don’t work on me. And don’t worry, I’m going to leave, but you are going with me.” He stepped into the restroom.

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.” Abby moved backwards until she ran into the wall. Too bad the wall doesn’t fall down on Edwin, she thought. But then he would probably just sue the owner.

  Edwin laughed as he stalks her. “You’re mine,” he growled as he grabbed her arm and dragged her toward him. He leaned down, his face in her hair, and sniffed. His eyes turned red. “You’ve been fucking a damn bear, and don’t lie to me. I can smell him all over you.” He sniffed her again.

  “Let go of my arm.” Abby tried pulling out of his grasp.

  “You fucking, little whore!” Edwin grabbed her other arm and shook her. “You let a bear fuck you? You are going to pay for that. I will make you forget you ever meet that bear.”

  “Let her go!”

  Relief flooded through Abby when she heard Skylar’s voice.

  Edwin turned, jerking Abby in front of him so she was between him and bear standing in the doorway. He growled at Skylar. “So this is the bear you’ve been fucking.” He squeezed Abby’s arms and shook her again. Some pathetic small town hick, am I correct?

  Abby bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming out in pain. She refused to give Edwin the satisfaction of knowing he was making her hurt, even though she knew both he and Skylar could smell her pain.

  “Let my mate go!” Skylar’s voice was low and deadly.

  Let me rip that wolf to pieces. He is hurting our mate.

  He will pay for touching her.

  He wants our mate for himself.

  He can’t have her, said Skylar. She belongs to us.

  “Your mate? This bitch is not your mate. She is mine. Always has been and always will be my mate.” Edwin laughed. “And I’m taking her home with me. After I scrub you obnoxious scent off her, I’m going to fuck her.”

  “You aren’t going anywhere with my mate.” Skylar’s eyes turned silver. His bear wanted out, but Skylar knew his sister wouldn’t appreciate a thirteen hundred pound Kodiak bear in her restaurant. He pushed his bear back, and before Edwin could move, Skylar lunged into the small room. He planted his fist in Edwin’s face.

  The wolf howled as he let go of Abby and grabbed his nose. “You broke my nose.”

  Skylar grabbed Abby and shoved her behind him. “Stay away from my mate.”

  Edwin growled. His fingertips change
d into sharp claws.

  Skylar threw another punch at Edwin. This time hitting the guy in the chin.

  The man made a fun noise. In a cartoonish way, he slid to the floor.

  Skylar pushed Edwin with his foot. The guy didn’t move. “Not much of a fighter.”

  “He’s more of a bully than a fighter.” Abby’s voice trembled. Fear and exhaustion were taking their toll on her. He legs trembled and her knees threatened to buckle under her.

  Skylar turned and picked her up. “Is he part of your pack?”

  “No. He’s just a problem that keeps showing up.” She snuggled against his warmth and closed her eyes. His bear made a low rumbling noise, happy its mate was safe.

  Abby was asleep in his arms before Skylar got to his truck.

  Chapter 10

  The shrill ring of a cellphone broke through the veil of sleep wrapped around Abby. It took her a few minutes to realize it was her cellphone making the noise.

  Abby opened her eyes just wide enough to see her cellphone laying on the nightstand by the bed. She stretched out her arm. Her body screamed in protest. Abby gritted her teeth as she snagged the cellphone. She slid the accept button.

  “Hello?” she asked as soon as she put it up to her ear.

  “Is Abby Wolfe there?”

  “This is she speaking.” Abby had to stifle a yawn.

  “I’m Deputy Griffin. The sheriff has several questions he needs you to answer. He would like you to meet him this morning at the building you are restoring.

  “Yeah, I can meet with him, but it will have to be about an hour from now.”

  “I will let the sheriff know you will meet with him in one hour.” The phone call abruptly ended.

  Abby glanced at the time before she dropped the cellphone back onto the nightstand. She looked around. Sunlight streamed through an opening in the curtains. She touched the other side of the bed. It was cold. Abby rolled. Some muscles protested louder than other ones. She looked at the pillow. The indent told her Skylar had slept next to her.

  She listened.

  The house was quiet and there were no smells of food cooking. Her gut told her she was alone in the house. Skylar must have thought she would sleep longer than she did. He probably didn’t expect her cellphone to ring, or he would have turned off the ringer.

  Abby sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. Her muscles hurt screamed in protest. Abby pushed through the pain and got up. A hot shower should help, she thought. She went over to her suitcases. It was a bit pathetic, seeing her belongings stuffed into suitcases. She wasn’t even sure where she could put her stuff, even if she did unpack. Abby shook her head. She grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom.

  Twenty minutes later, Abby emerged from the bathroom. She was right about the hot water helping her sore muscles. Abby picked up her shoes and sat down on the edge of the bed. She quickly found, bending down to tie her shoes was not an option. She turned so she could pull her right leg up onto the bed. It wasn’t an ideal solution, but it worked. Abby was able to put on her shoes. She picked up her cellphone and slipped it into a back pocket.

  Standing up, Abby took a last look around the bedroom. “Skylar, where are you?” Abby asked herself. She thought about her meeting with the sheriff. “How am I going to get to town?” She closed the bedroom door behind her.

  Abby went downstairs and into the kitchen. She looked around, but found nothing out of place, not even any dirty dishes in the sink. She turned and glanced at the island, on the far corner, sat her truck keys and a note. Slowly she walked around the island. She looked at her keys and raised an eyebrow. Abby picked up the note and read it.

  Abby,

  A problem came up at the construction site. Unfortunately, I’m the only one who can solve it, and the papers I need are in the office. I’ll be home as soon as I take care of everything. Your truck is outside. Billy and Marcus brought it early this morning. They wanted to see you, but I told them you need your sleep more than they needed to see you. I don’t think I earned any points today.

  There is food in the refrigerator. Make yourself at home. It is you home too.

  Love,

  Skylar

  Abby laid the note back on the island. She looked at the clock on the microwave. It was almost ten o’clock. She had about twenty minutes to get to town or she would be late for her meeting. Abby picked up the keys. She hoped the meeting with Sheriff Anderson wouldn’t take too long.

  Fifteen minutes later, Abby pulled into the alley parking lot behind the building. Abby parked the truck. She stared at the building.

  It really was a beautiful building, but the beauty was hidden behind too many years of neglect—neglect that was her job to peel back. Hidden rooms, skeletons, and old paintings that looked like her were not supposed to be a part of her world. Yes, she and her crew had found forgotten antiques and odd things, but never a human skeleton or the other stuff all in one spot. It was beyond eerie.

  The sooner Sheriff Anderson and his investigators finished with their investigation, the sooner she could get the restoration process underway. This building and its twin were going to make beautiful offices on the two lower floors, and a couple of high-end apartments on the top floors.

  Abby looked around the parking lot. Sheriff Anderson was not there, in fact, no one from the police department was there. Abby frowned. She looked at the clock in her dashboard. She was only five minutes early, but she figured someone would be here, especially with the basement and active investigation site.

  Abby got out of the truck and walked over to the outside basement door. She stared at it. Her eyes widened. “Why didn’t the deputy tell me they were finished with the investigation? I could have had the crew ready to go.” She shook her head. “At least they took all that yellow police tape down. That will save me a good half hour or more to get things ready.”

  The door creaked.

  Abby stopped talking and stared at the door. Slowly she reached out to it.

  Her fingertips made contact with the wood, and she pushed. The door opened.

  “What the hell?” Abby’s surprise turned to anger. “Leaving the building unlocked is totally stupid. You would think police would know better.”

  Abby pushed the door completely open. She hesitated. Quit being silly, she told herself. She walked into the basement.

  Nothing happened.

  Abby let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. She repeated. Abby took several steps and stopped. She looked around as she let her eyes adjust to the dark. “A little wolf vision would be great about right now.”

  “That could be arranged.”

  Abby whirled around to face the source of the voice. “What are you doing here?”

  “You and I need to finish our little talk without that stupid bear interrupting again.” Edwin took a step toward Abby.

  “We don’t have anything to talk about. Besides, you are trespassing on private property.” Abby glared at Edwin. Something deep inside yelled for her to run away from him as fast as she could. Abby glanced around the room. She couldn’t see much in the dark surrounding them. Hiding in it wouldn’t do much good. With his wolf eyesight, he would easily see where she was hiding. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from showing her frustration by groaning. He blocked the only exit she knew about.

  Edwin’s laughter sent chills down her spine.

  “That’s right. You’re not going anywhere until I say you can go.” He sneered at her. “I’m never letting you go. You are mine.”

  “I’m not yours.” Abby glared at Edwin.

  “You are mine.” He took a step toward her.

  “The hell I am.” Abby thought about the baseball bat in the back of her truck, remembering how her brothers had put it there and told her to use it on anyone who tried to hurt her, but it was in the truck. She needed a weapon.

  Edwin lunged. He grabbed one of Abby’s arms and yanked her against him. “I said you wer
e mine.”

  The impact knocked the air out of Abby. She gasped. Air slowly filled her lungs. She looked up at Edwin. His eyes were red and beads of sweat covered his forehead.

  “Mine!” His grip tightened.

  Abby raised her right foot and stomped his foot as hard as she could with the heel of her boot.

  Edwin yelped and loosened his grip on Abby just as she jerked her knee up into his groin. He let her go as he fell to the floor, holding himself. Abby glanced at the door before she looked back at Edwin. She had no choice. She had to get around Edwin if she wanted to get to the door.

  Abby watched him roll around on the floor. She inched her way around him.

  “No!”

  Abby felt a hand wrap around her ankle. She jerked, but could not free herself.

  “You’re not going anywhere, bitch!” Edwin jerked.

  Abby tried to stop her fall, but the railing broke under her weight. In seconds, she felt her body go weightless. She twisted in midair. Pain shot through her back and arm as her shoulder took the brunt of the landing. Abby groaned. Pain radiated through her back and down her arm, and her head hurt.

  “Stupid bitch!”

  Abby tried to roll over and get up. Her body refused to cooperate.

  “Who the hell are you?”

  Abby heard Edwin’s questions, but she didn’t hear a reply. She hoped it was the sheriff.

  “What the hell—” The words were lost in a gurgling sound.

  Abby clamped her left hand over her mouth.

  She waited.

  A body landed on the cement floor with a sickening thud.

  Abby’s eyes widened as she stared at Edwin’s body.

  Heavy footsteps echoed through the basement. Someone was coming down the stairs. Abby shook.

  “And what do we have here?” The voice was cold and hard. “I do believe it is Abby, trying to hide from me.” The chuckle was cold.

 

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