by S. C. Wilson
Abby lifted a hand over her open mouth.
“Are you sure you want me to keep going? It gets worse.”
How could it get any worse? Abby placed a comforting hand on Jesse’s chest. “Please. I want to know what you went through.”
“I don’t know if I can. This part is almost more than I can handle.”
Abby leaned up on her elbow to look into Jesse’s eyes. “You don’t have to go on.”
Still holding onto Abby’s shoulder with her right hand, Jesse used the other to clear the tears from Abby’s eyes. “I want you to know everything about my life. Just give me second.”
Abby placed her head on Jesse’s chest again. She lightly rubbed her fingers on the soft skin of Jesse’s neck.
“After they killed my father and Daniel, I kept waiting for them to leave. It seemed like they were in there forever. Of course, I just stayed in the barn like a coward.”
Abby’s hand stopped. “Jesse, you are no coward. For God sakes, you were a ten-year-old girl!”
“Still, it hurts me so much that I didn’t do anything. I should have tried harder. Maybe I could have saved them.”
“They would have killed you.”
“Sometimes I wonder if that would have been better. Living with this has been so hard.”
“Don’t say that. I can’t imagine what you went through, but I’m glad you stayed in the barn. There was nothing you could have done.”
“Frieda told me the same thing.”
“Well, Frieda was a smart woman.”
“Yes, she was.” Jesse smiled at the thought of her old mentor. The smile vanished. “Those men finally came outside.”
Abby clutched Jesse’s shirt in a fist, knowing what was to come would only be more horrific.
“I was so happy that they were finally leaving. I couldn’t wait to run to my mother and Jamie.” Jesse cleared her throat before taking a big swallow. A loud clap of thunder ricocheted through the cabin, flashing lighting brightening the room through the lone window.
Abby squeezed Jesse’s shirt tighter in her fist. “You don’t have to say anymore. I know your mother and Jamie were inside and they had already killed them before they walked out.” A long silence hung in the air. A warm breath blew across Abby’s face. Jesse’s hand squeezed her shoulder.
Then, Jesse let it all out in a rush. “I didn’t know it, but when they came out, they had already set the house on fire. Abby, they burned my mother and sister, alive. I heard their screams. I still hear their screams. I’ll never stop hearing their screams.”
Tears streamed and a body trembled, only this time it was Abby experiencing the terror.
“Are you all right? I knew I probably shouldn’t have told you.”
Abby leaned up on her elbow again. “I’m so glad you killed them, but a bullet was too gracious. They should have suffered more. A lot more.”
Jesse wiped away Abby’s tears with a thumb. “The man that raped Jamie. Well, I shot him first, but not to kill him. Abs, I shot him in, you know, down there. I told him that was for my sister. Then I killed him.”
Three consecutive claps of thunder rattled the cabin, shaking dust from the ceiling.
Abby waited for the rumbling to stop. Why tell her it was Jake and Clay Roberts? Abby thought. Putting names to the faces won’t change anything. “If any man deserved that it was most definitely him,” Abby said. “How’d you get shot?”
“I didn’t know the other one had another gun. By the time I realized it, well, we both fired at the same time. I was just lucky my shot was better than his that night.”
“I’m glad they’re dead. Just think how many more lives you have saved by ridding the world of them.”
“Still, I have blood on my hands. I took two lives. I had no right.”
“We both do, Jesse. But I sleep really good at night knowing men like them and my late husband can’t hurt us or anyone else anymore.”
“I guess so.”
A loud snore emanated from the loft above. “Sounds like someone is sleeping good tonight,” Abby said, looking up at Jesse.
“Sheesh, he’s loud. I think he is shaking the cabin. Probably won’t be any shingles left on the roof in the morning.” Jesse smiled down at Abby.
A smile spread across Abby’s face for a moment before melting. She looked longingly into Jesse’s eyes. Overwhelmed with emotion after hearing about the losses Jesse had suffered, she desperately craved solace.
“What is it?” Jesse asked. “Are you all right?”
“I will be. I feel like I can’t get close enough to you.”
Jesse held her tighter. “That’s not exactly what I had in mind. I meant, I want to be with you. Really be with you.”
“You mean…”
“Yes,” Abby said.
“Are you sure?”
“More sure than I’ve ever been.”
Jesse felt her stomach flutter. “I’m not sure how. I’ve never been with anyone before. Like that.”
“Don’t worry,” Abby said, getting out of bed. She began to slowly undress, staring into Jesse’s eyes as she dropped her clothing on the floor beside her. Jesse’s heart raced at the sight of Abby’s body in the glow of the flickering firelight.
A quick flash of lightning illuminated Abby’s stunning figure. The rain poured down harder and thunderclaps echoed again. If not for the sounds of the storm, Jesse would swear Abby could hear her heart beating.
Abby sat on the bed and started to unbutton Jesse’s shirt. “I’ve never wanted anyone more than I want you,” she said, confessing out loud what her heart screamed inside of her.
“I want you, too, but we can’t do this. Toby is right there,” Jesse whispered, pointing to the loft above.
“We’ll be quiet. Besides, he’s a sound sleeper. He snores so loud the fish outside can hear him, so don’t worry about him hearing anything.” Abby smiled as she continued unbuttoning Jesse’s shirt. After helping Jesse out of the rest her clothing, being careful not to touch the poultice-covered wound on her back, Abby tossed them next to hers. Unlike so many times in the past, she was met with no resistance at all.
Jesse’s body was incredible, muscular and gorgeous. Abby felt more attraction than she ever thought possible. She knew how she felt about Jesse on an emotional level, but being attracted to her physically was something she had never expected.
For the first time ever, the two lay against each other with no barriers between their bodies. Abby lowered the blanket and settled herself atop Jesse’s pelvis. Another rumble of thunder shook the cabin.
Abby caressed Jesse’s body, lightly, running her fingers over shoulders, arms, and stomach. She took her time. Savored every inch. “You’re so beautiful,” she whispered, pulling her closer. Their lips met, and their tongues followed suit, intertwined in a battle neither wanted to end.
She felt Jesse’s body tremble. “Are you all right?”
“Um-hum, I’m just nervous,” Jesse said, her voice uneven.
“I was nervous my first time too. Do you want me to stop?”
“No,” Jesse said shyly, “it’s just…I’ve never had anyone touch me like this.”
“I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
“I know you wouldn’t.”
Abby kissed her again; let her lips trail along Jesse’s jawline, all the way to the soft skin of her neck. She nibbled lightly, a hand tracing along the contours of Jesse’s toned stomach. Jesse’s body twitched again. Abby looked into hesitant green eyes. “We can stop whenever you want,” she murmured. “Just say so.”
“All right.” Jesse’s voice and body quivered. She had experienced some frightening things in her life. Nothing had prepared her for this.
Abby’s hand was more insistent now, moving lower. She drank Jesse up—her thirst unquenchable.
Jesse sucked in a breath as her body trembled again. The sensation was an explosion coursing through her body. She bit down so hard in an effort to keep quiet she thought her teeth might
shatter. Abby smiled knowingly as Jesse shuddered next to her.
Jesse guided Abby onto her back; wrapped herself into her as she made her way to Abby’s chest. She showered her with kisses from the soft curve of her neck all the way down to her navel.
Abby was the one trembling now.
Barely whispering a kiss on the small indentation, Jesse quickly made her way back to Abby’s lips. Parting once more, she left Abby wanting, trailing lower across hills and valleys of heated skin. Abby laced her fingers through the fiery hair. Jesse didn’t have to think about what to do. She did what felt right. She kissed the warm inner thighs that beckoned for her, before exploring deeper.
Jesse knew from Abby’s sounds and movements she was pleasing her. She felt Abby’s hips rise, begging for her. Jesse lay on top of her, their tongues colliding as her hand wandered between Abby’s thighs. Their bodies rocked together in harmony, slowly at first, then building in speed and intensity.
With each movement, Jesse became more aroused. The sensation caused her to increase her momentum. They moved in perfect rhythm together as if they had danced this dance a thousand times. Beads of sweat trickled off their bodies from the heat of their love.
Abby dug her nails into Jesse’s back. The sting only served to fuel her fire. Thunderclaps, and the drumming of the pouring rain on the old wooden roof, masked the sounds of their lovemaking. Abby arched her back as she panted in Jesse’s ear. “Oh…oh my God. Oh…it feels incredible,” she said, her voice breaking.
Their moans grew louder and longer until they both exploded in ecstasy.
Jesse’s heart sank when she saw the tears. “Abs, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“You didn’t hurt me,” she said, a blush to her cheeks. “It’s just…well, I’ve never felt like this before. It was incredible. You were incredible.”
Afterward, in Abby’s embrace, Jesse was overwhelmed with emotions. No longer able to hold them back, she trembled as her own tears spilled over. Never in her life had she felt so connected to someone else. Her core shifted to make room for the intense love growing inside her. “Abs, I love you,” she said, looking into Abby’s eyes, her tone soft and timid.
Although the voice was one Abby had never heard before, she knew right away whose voice it was. Jesse had always been so tough and guarded, and it surprised Abby to see her so vulnerable. Knowing exactly how it feels to love someone so completely, Abby held her tighter as she said, “I love you too, Jessica Pratt.”
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank you, the reader, for picking up my book. I truly hope you enjoy my little story.
Thank you Paul Saylor and Amy Mullen. I couldn’t have done this without you. You each hold a special place in my heart and I am forever grateful.
Thank you to Erica at Serendipity Formats for creating the beautiful book cover and formatting my manuscript.
I also want to thank some wonderful people who had a hand in helping me make this story what it is. Michael Christopher, Stephanie Dolan, Andrew Donaldson, Tosha Futrell, Sue Hurst, Kenzie Lynn, Jenn Mishler, and my mother, Linda Wilson (Thank you for being my hero). Without them, this novel wouldn’t have been the same. I am forever grateful to each and every one of you.
About the Author
Shelly’s writing career started in 2010. She had a story she wanted to tell and sat down at her keyboard and started typing. After eight years, and a head full of white hair, she released her book, The Devil Between Us. Over the years, Shelly has become attached to her beloved characters, Jesse and Abby, and hopes they find a place in the heart of the reader as well. When asked about writing the sequel to The Devil Between Us, she says we’ll have to wait and see.
Shelly resides on her family farm in northern Indiana, surrounded by her loving family, an entire cast of craziness, and a plethora of critters. She lives in Miami County, which was once home to legendary Cole Porter, and Frances Slocum, aka Maconaquah. In college, Shelly wrote her thesis about Frances Slocum, and has been fascinated by the woman’s tale ever since.
Shelly likes to sail around the Caribbean and thaw out her Hoosier bones during the winter. She enjoys watching the History Channel and listening to 70s and 80s music. Her life goal is to own a pet moose someday.
She’d like to leave you with her favorite quote:
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop Playing.” – George Bernard Shaw.
If fans want to know what became of the characters in The Devil Between Us, then please contact Shelly via the social media links below and let her know you want to read more about the lives of Jesse and Abby.