by Iris Abbott
The deputy agreed. His work done there, Cole said a quick goodbye to Joyce and Annabel before sprinting to his SUV. He’d been there for well over an hour and there had been no sign of Tome. Now it was dark and Cole had a really bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. What if this had been a decoy to keep him away from Faith?
He called Faith’s cell phone to let her know he was on his way, but she didn’t answer. He called the cabin’s phone, still no answer. His gut was burning now as fear sizzled through his veins making his blood run cold. He called the radio on Deputy Palmer’s patrol car. There was no answer.
He pushed down on the accelerator and pushed his SUV to the limit. He turned on the siren to warn people to get out of his way. He’d turn it off before he approached the lake. If Tome was there, Cole didn’t want the man to know that the cavalry had arrived. Cole just hoped and prayed he wasn’t too late.
TEN
Faith stumbled through the knee-high grass. It rubbed against her bare legs chaffing and scratching at Faith’s tender skin. The friction of the grass was made worse by haste, but she couldn’t afford to take her time and carefully pick her way through. She didn’t want to end up in the water either. She turned the flashlight in her hand toward the lake to make sure she wasn’t too close.
The narrow beam of light glided across the water’s silvery surface. Several eyes reflected the light back to her. Her heart pounded like crazy. She knew those eyes belonged to alligators and there was no way to tell the size of the reptiles just from their eyes. The person chasing her wasn’t there to say hello. This was not a social call. He meant her harm, but that didn’t mean she was ready to take her chances with the reptiles that possessed sharp teeth and strong snapping jaws either. She’d have to stay well away from the edge of the water.
She could here snapping twigs and branches behind her since her pursuer didn’t even bother to hide the fact he was chasing her. She wished that Cole was there. He’d know what to do. The thought of never seeing Cole again chilled her blood. It chilled her blood almost as much as the thought of all the dangerous things waiting for her in the dark, almost as much as the life-threatening predicament she found herself facing.
Faith veered away from the gentle lapping water and closer to a group of large oak trees with hanging moss. She wished she could turn off the flashlight, but she didn’t know the area well enough to go without some kind of guiding light. She could trip over a large tree root or branch. There was the nightlife to worry about too. Alligators, snakes, and she’d even heard the yipping barks of a group of coyotes last night. The thought of coming across any of those things was enough to scare her half to death. Add a crazed murderer to the mix and things were not looking too good for Faith.
She was close to reaching the shelter of a group of trees when light scattered around her. Faith bit her bottom lip and tried moving faster. Her tormentor must be closing in on her location and her fear level increased another notch. A sudden loud popping sound caused her stomach to flip over. Dirt flew up around her and she knew her assailant was firing a gun and he was way too close for Faith’s comfort.
She wished Cole was there. At least he’d have a weapon. Together they would stand a better chance against the gun being fired at her. She’d also be able to let him know how much he actually meant to her. Another shot pinged off of the ground just mere inches from her feet. She was in deep trouble. She was even considering veering left and taking her chances with the alligators. She surged forward. She couldn’t afford to let indecisiveness slow her down. It could cost her her life.
Faith had barely reached the edge of the line of thick trees when someone reached out and grabbed her around the waist. An iron grip pulled her into a wide muscular chest. She instinctively opened her mouth to let out a blood-curdling scream. A hand clamped down on her mouth before she could get any sound out.
“Shh, it’s me,” a blessedly familiar and deep voice whispered into her ear.
Faith momentarily relaxed into Cole. Then she turned into his embrace and laid her cheek against the steady and comforting beat of his heart. She took a deep breath right before reality came crashing back. “I was taking coffee out to Deputy Palmer and I saw Richard Tome shoot him,” she managed to get out between sobs, so I dunked into the shrubs. “Then I saw Tome go into the fishing cabin,” she hurriedly whispered. “I skirted the edge of the cabin and headed straight for the trees. I got a decent head start before he realized I wasn’t in the cabin and came after me.”
Cole gave her a tight squeeze to reassure himself that she was actually there, still alive, and in one piece. He was mentally berating himself for leaving her with only one guard for protection. He’d promised her she would be safe here and he’d broken that promise. He’d have to worry about the consequences later. He had to make sure she was okay and then he would deal with Tome. “I heard the gunshots. Were you hit?”
“No! He’s a lousy shot,” she was quick to reassure Cole that she wasn’t injured at least not yet. “Cole, he’s right behind me,” she anxiously exclaimed.
“I know sweetheart. I’m going to try and draw him away from you by announcing my presence.” He pointed behind him to the darkened area thick with large oak trees and strands of hanging Spanish moss. “I want you to melt into the darkened shadows behind us as quickly and quietly as you can. Get as far from here as you can without leaving the shelter of the trees. Find a large tree and hide behind its trunk. Don’t make a sound and don’t come out until I come looking for you.”
Faith could hear the rustling sounds of Tome as he moved closer to their hiding spot and knew she didn’t have any time to waste. She couldn’t leave Cole without letting him know how she felt. She believed in him, but anything could happen. Tome was desperate, shooting Deputy Palmer proved that. She grabbed his head and pulled him nearer. She brushed her lips across his for just a second. That was all she dared to do. “I love you Cole! Please come back to me,” she whispered before fading into the darkness and disappearing.
Cole had every intention of doing just that, but he was going to make sure things were safe for Faith first. He patted his chest and felt the reassuring thickness of the bulletproof vest he’d luckily had the forethought to put on that morning. He stepped out from the protection of the trees with his weapon drawn and held steady in front of him.
“Richard Tome, this is Sheriff Duncan. I know it’s you and I’ve got plenty of backup on the way. This is not going to end well for you unless you turn yourself over peacefully.”
The only response was the loud cracking of a gunshot and the splintering of bark somewhere off to the right from where Cole was standing. He answered with a shot of his own aimed into the ground in front of him. “Richard I can match you shot for shot and I guarantee you that I have better aim.” He’d completed sharpshooter training in the military after all. “Turn yourself in and let’s end this foolishness.”
Another gunshot sounded this time much closer to where Cole was standing. Tome wasn’t going to make this easy, didn’t that figure. Cole stepped back to meld with the shadows. He still had the advantage here. He’d spent every summer as a child on this lake and several weekends in the spring and fall too. He knew the area like the back of his hand. He knew it better than anybody else in the county did. That was just one of the many reasons why he'd brought Faith to his fishing cabin. He tightened his hold on the gun and waited for Tome to make a move.
****
Faith crouched down and tried to hide in a small hollow in the earth near the large roots of a huge oak tree. A slight breeze rustled through the leaves and hanging moss and she hoped the sound covered up her harsh and erratic breathing. Her breath was coming so fast she was scared she was going to hyperventilate if she didn’t somehow slow down her breathing. She covered her gaping mouth with a shaking hand to try and lessen any noise she might be making. The sound of gunfire was not helping the situation, but she struggled to take deep breaths and to slow them down. Finally she was able to calm he
r choppy breathing.
Common sense and her brain told her she should move further into the deep and dark shadows. They would offer her much more protection than her current hiding place. Her heart wasn’t having any of that however. She would stay out of sight, because she wanted to survive, but she was not going to leave Cole out here all alone with a madman. And surely Richard Tome qualified for that title. It was looking more and more like he’d shot his own wife in cold blood. And now he had shot a deputy and was facing down the sheriff, a lawman with a stellar reputation for always capturing the criminal he was chasing.
She could just catch a glimpse of Cole if she peeked over the mound of dirt in front of her. He looked confident and was holding his gun with hands that appeared to be steady at least from a distance. His apparent confidence gave her hope that they might actually get out of this terrifying situation alive. She heard several vehicles coming down the gravel drive that led to the edge of the lake and knew backup had arrived.
The only problem was that even though they hadn’t come in with sirens blasting Richard Tome was aware of their arrival too. And it must have made him nervous. He fired off a volley of several shots in quick succession. Faith watched as Cole dived behind a tree and out of sight. Finally the loud sounds of gunfire coming from Tome ceased.
Faith heard a voice she recognized as belonging to one of the deputies. He ordered Tome to freeze. Silence and then the sound of snapping twigs and pounding footsteps could be heard echoing into the night. The noise came closer and Faith huddled deeper into the indentation of dirt she’d been using as a hiding place. Tome was indeed on the run and he lumbered past Faith. She screwed up every bit of courage she possessed and was ready to sprint after him when she saw Cole race by hot on the heels of the killer.
A loud thump followed by a hoarse bellow rang through the trees. Faith didn’t even hesitate. She was being guided purely by instinct. She had a driving need to keep an eye on Cole and make sure he was okay. She didn’t get very far before she met Cole pushing a handcuffed suspect in front of him. She let out a long sigh of relief at the sight of Cole. He appeared to be uninjured and from the looks of things he had everything well under control.
Cole tightened his grip on the struggling prisoner as they walked past Faith. He didn’t say anything, but he did flash a cocky grin her way.
The sight of that grin made Faith smile too and she fell into step behind Cole. She didn’t dare get any closer to Richard Tome. Even handcuffed and in custody the man still managed to give her the creeps.
Cole joined the four deputies waiting at the edge of the oak trees. “You can add the attempted murder of Faith Riley and resisting arrest to his charges as well,” Cole ground out to the other law officers. “I’ve already read him his rights. Take him into the sheriff’s department and put him in one of the empty jail cells. Also notify all other law enforcement agencies helping with the search that he’s been found and arrested.”
He gladly relinquished custody of his prisoner. Tome was passed over to one of the senior deputies, who immediately marched him to a waiting squad car. Cole ran a hand through his already mussed hair and looked at the remaining deputies. “Did anyone have a chance to check on Palmer? Faith said she saw Tome shoot him.”
One of the junior officers spoke up. “He managed to call for backup. That’s why we’re here. Newton is with him and an ambulance should be arriving any minute.” As if on cue the wailing of a siren could be heard in the distance.
Cole drew Faith forward and wrapped his arms around her. “Faith and I will come into the office tomorrow so that she can give her statement and I can file my report. Right now I’m taking her home.” He gave his deputies a stern look. “Do not disturb us unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
Faith shivered at the meaning behind those words. The dark ominous cloud that had been hanging over them the past several days was slowly beginning to give way to sunshine. Richard Tome was on his way to jail and much of the danger was over. She only had the trial to contend with and she knew she would have all the support she needed from her friends and Cole.
She clasped their hands together and gave him her sweetest smile. “I’m ready when you are Sheriff.”
****
They hadn’t even gone inside the fishing cabin to pick up Faith’s things. They went straight to Cole’s SUV and then completed the drive back to his house in record time. He parked the vehicle in the garage and came around to her door before Faith had a chance to open it herself.
She flung her arms around Cole’s neck and reveled in the feel of his hard muscles pressed against her body. She buried her face into the side of his neck. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” she sobbed.
Cole tightened his hold. “And I was afraid I wouldn’t make it to you in time.” He lifted Faith into his arms and carried her inside. He bypassed the living room and went straight to the master bedroom. He gently sat her down on the side of the bed. He looked at Faith with softened eyes full of love.
Faith sucked in a sharp breath and it snagged in her throat. She found herself holding her breath just waiting, for what she wasn’t sure. That was until Cole opened his mouth and erased all the doubts plaguing her.
“Did you really mean what you said when you were running from Tome?”
Faith’s muscles tensed, but she slowly nodded her head in confirmation.
“I love you too, Faith. I love you more than I even thought possible.”
Faith breathed a deep sigh of relief and opened her arms to Cole. “Then show me,” she said. She started undressing herself as fast as she could. She chanced a glance at Cole after her shirt had cleared her head and she was gratified to see him taking off his own clothes as fast as he could. When she was done she slid to the middle of the bed and waited for Cole to join her.
Cole reached into the drawer of his nightstand to retrieve a condom. It didn’t take him long to put it on and soon they were pressed together, hot eager flesh against hot eager flesh. Faith buried both hands in Cole’s wavy hair and pulled his lips down to hers. They meshed together and she felt Cole nip at her bottom lip demanding to be let in. She opened her mouth and their tongues tangled together in a quick game of erotic tag.
Heat unfurled deep in Faith’s core and rapidly spread outward. Her entire body was on fire for Cole. A deep moan escaped her parted lips when she felt Cole’s fingers gently caress and then tug on her already swollen and pebbled nipples.
Cole couldn’t believe how good it felt to hold Faith in his arms. “I’ve got to have you now, baby.” His hands left her breasts and glided down her body and his lips blazed a trail of hot kisses from her neck to her breasts.
Faith felt her legs being nudged further apart by his knee. Suddenly the tip of Cole’s erection grazed over the little button that was the most sensitive part of her body and Faith’s body quivered in anticipation. She didn’t have to wait long. They were both high on adrenaline and proclamations of love.
Cole surged forward until his erection was completely surrounded by the warm tight flesh that belonged to Faith. He could feel tiny little vibrations surrounding him as Faith’s vaginal muscles tried to suck him in deeper. He propped himself up on his hands so that he could stare down into Faith’s pretty brown eyes. He watched her reactions as he moved in and out of her body. His movement increased along with their breathing.
Faith pushed up to meet Cole’s thrusts, but it still wasn’t enough. She wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed. The movement increased the friction of Cole’s body against the bundle of nerves guarding her core, and Faith began a slow tremble that was building in intensity. Her muscles tightened and she strained to reach that plateau of pleasure she knew was waiting for her.
She felt Cole stiffen above her and knew he was near too. She scraped her fingernails lightly across his back then held him as close to her as she could. He thrust inside her twice more and then seemed to freeze in place. All of Faith’s senses exploded and a hundred shooti
ng stars made themselves known behind her tightly closed eyelids.
Cole collapsed beside her on the bed and pulled her into his arms. “I’m so spent I can’t move a muscle, but it was so worth it.” He managed to move enough to brush his lips across hers. “You’re worth it. I do love you Faith. You don’t know how scared I was when I couldn’t get in touch with you or Deputy Palmer.”
Faith wrapped her arms around Cole and rested her head against his chest right above his beating heart. “I was scared when I saw Tome shoot Deputy Palmer. I knew I was running for my life, but I think a part of me always knew you’d be there. After all you promised.”
Cole shuddered at the thought of how close he’d come to breaking that promise. “We had a close call baby, too close for my taste. I hope nothing like that ever happens again.”
“That makes two of us,” Faith agreed. Then she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep secure in the knowledge that Cole loved her just as much as she loved him.
EPILOGUE
The fire, smoke, and water damage in Joyce Montgomery’s home had been cleaned up. The burned area had finally been rebuilt. Now the home bustled with people, and sparkled with laughter and love once again.
Faith glanced around the crowded table in Joyce’s dining room and was almost overwhelmed by the warmth and love emanating from everyone. She was surrounded by friends she considered family, and Cole Duncan the love of her life. She looked around the table and smiled first at Caroline and Kyle, then Abigail and Mason, Annabel and Jonathan, Aubrey and Matt, and finally Joyce. A person couldn’t ask for better friends or family and Faith was never going to take her friendships for granted ever again. Luckily she knew that with Cole she wouldn’t have too.
And speaking of Cole, she could not have dreamed of a more perfect life. All the pieces finally seemed to be fitting into place. Things could not be any better between her and the sexy sheriff. They’d continued to date and spend almost every possible moment together the past six months. Now they were celebrating. She lifted her hand to sip from the glass of champagne and the diamond on the ring finger of her left hand sparkled and glittered from the light of the chandelier.