Unable to sit still anymore, Addy leaped to her feet and paced away from the sofa. Her limbs trembled.
“He’d locked Sean up in his toy chest. I had to break the lock. I don’t even know how long he’d been in there, crying and scared while I…”
“Addy.” Toby came up behind her and turned her into his chest. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“I should have been there to protect him. I kept him in that house. I stayed. It’s my fault.”
“No!” His arms tightened around her. “It’s not. None of this was your fault.”
A sob broke out of her and she clung to him. He stroked her hair and ran his hands along her back. He murmured quietly into her temple, words she couldn’t understand.
“I left that very night,” she whispered into his shoulder. “I took Sean and we ran. We grabbed a cab and I told him to just drive. He brought us here. Macy took us in. She gave me a new name and a new life and signed me up for every therapy class, group, program, and seminar she could get her hands on. It took five years, but she put me back together.” Dampening her lips, Addy tilted her head back to peer up into Toby’s face. “That’s my story. All of it.”
He touched the side of her cheek lovingly. “I want to kill your parents. I want to do a few very choice things to Jonathon and his father. But I still want you. That hasn’t changed one bit.”
“I just want to forget,” she whispered. “I want to live here with you and my babies and never have to go back there again.”
He nodded. “You never have to go back. I promise you that.”
Chapter 15 ~ Toby
Toby was still vibrating with barely suppressed fury when he saw Addy to bed. It had taken every ounce of his training plus some to keep calm and collected in her presence when all he really wanted to do was grab his keys and drive out to find the asshole who put her through that hell. But she was already upset and had already gone through enough. She didn’t need to worry about him on top of everything else. Instead, he walked her to the stairway, kissed her goodnight and sent her up. Then he pulled his keys from his pockets and started for the front door.
He made it as far as his truck when his phone vibrated in his back pocket. He dug it out. His mom’s number flashed up at him.
“Mom?”
“Hey baby, you okay?”
His frown deepened. “Yeah, are you?”
“Yeah, I was just sitting here and had this feeling I should call.”
He yanked open his truck and climbed in. “No, everything is fine. Just getting ready to turn in.”
“Oh okay, well, goodnight then. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
He hung up and tossed the phone into the drink holder. The truck door was shut quietly and he pulled out of the driveway.
There were two scenarios playing out in his head as he headed towards town. The first was to drive to Langford, find the son of a bitch and beat ten different kinds of pain into his ass and do so without it blowing back on Addy. The second was finding Addy a way out of her situation that kept the kids protected. Either one, he wasn’t going to let her live another minute longer with that piece of shit looming over her. He would find a way to get her out once and for all.
The sheriff’s department glowed against the navy blue backdrop of twilight. The place used to be a single family rancher before the actual department burned down back when Toby was in his teens. The place was gutted out and converted into Willow Creek’s first line of defense.
He stalked right in and was immediately assaulted by the stench of bad coffee, burnt pasta, sweat, gym socks, and stale cologne. The latter made his eyes burn. He squinted against the pain at the only other person there.
Parker Wallaby had his scuffed boots perched on his cluttered desk, crossed at the ankles as he dozed in his flimsy chair. Overhead, the fan churned the sour air. In the background, jazz poured from the radio in between fits of static. Toby would have been amused if he hadn’t been in a hurry.
“Parker!”
The deputy sheriff lurched forward. His boots struck the hardwood with a crack. Files avalanched off the desk and papers scattered. Parker shot to his feet.
“What?”
Struggling with his patience, Toby limped forward. “Shouldn’t you be protecting the town?”
Barely twenty-five and the deputy of a town that hadn’t had a crime in years left a lot of room for naps and Toby couldn’t really blame the guy, yet he did; the town needed its acting sheriff alert on the job.
“Nothing’s happening,” Parker mumbled.
Toby let it go. That wasn’t why he was there anyway.
“I need to use your computer.”
Picking at the bits of sleep crusting around the corners of his eyes, Parker said around a wide yawn, “What do you need my computer for?”
“To look something up,” Toby answered.
Parker shook his head. “Can’t do it. It’s against policy.”
“It’s also against policy to sleep on the damn job. I only need it for a minute.”
Parker frowned. “This ain’t no library. You can’t just come on in here and use the computers. These are state of the art—”
“You sit and play Galaga all day,” Toby cut in. “And there’s like three names on there.”
The tips of Parker’s ears went red. “That ain’t the point. I got my orders.”
“It’s for a friend in the service.”
Toby never used the service card. It was low and pathetic, but Parker wasn’t leaving him much choice.
“What do you need?” Parker asked, his tone wary.
“Just to look up a name.”
Parker hesitated. Gradually, he nodded and stepped aside.
Toby moved forward and claimed the chair Parker had abandoned. He scooted under the desk.
“Got any coffee?” he asked the hovering man.
“Yeah, but not sure you want any of the stuff they serve here.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
Shrugging thin shoulders, Parker stalked in the direction of the kitchen. Toby waited until he was out of sight before pulling up the police database.
He searched Addy’s name. She came up immediately.
Adelaide Blackwell—Missing. There was a brief description and an old, grainy photo, but it was her. It stated she’d vanished from home with her five year old son Sean. Her husband Jonathon Montgomery and her family were concerned and anxious for her safe return home. There was also a mention of her being mentally unstable without her medication and a danger to herself and possibly Sean.
Nice, Toby thought disgusted. They had the grounds laid out to get full custody of Sean and get Addy tossed into a padded room. He wasn’t any lawyer or law enforcement agent, but he knew what it took to sway the judge and jury.
He looked up Jonathon Montgomery next.
Addy hadn’t been joking. The guy was some kind of saint. War hero. Discharged with honors. Strong advocate for children from poverty. Only son of previous Member of Parliament Stanton Montgomery and socialite Rayna Montgomery.
Pulling up a fresh browser, he put Jonathon’s name in and scrolled through the pictures. Handsome in that rich movie star sort of way. He could easily see how a fifteen year old could fall for that face. It was Disney Prince material, right down to the rugged jaw and deep, intense green eyes framed by a wavy sweep of ebony locks. Even in photos, he emanated an aura of sophistication, class, and wealth, but Toby had seen men like him before. Arrogant, self-important, and slick. The sort of men who could sell sand in the desert and make you think it was your idea. Beneath all that charisma and charm, he could see the cruelty in those feral eyes. He could hide it all he wanted, but men like him stank of their victim’s pain. It was enough to make Toby want to put his fist through the monitor.
Toby jotted down Jonathon’s last known address and stuffed it into his pocket just as Parker returned, two mugs in hand. He shut down his search and turned to accept the offering.
“Find what you needed?”
Toby nodded. “Yeah, thanks. So, I have a question.”
Parker took the chair across the desk and sat. “Yeah?”
He wanted to ask about domestic violence and the laws around it. He wanted to know what kind of trouble Addy was in and how to fix it, but Parker, even if he did know, wasn’t the person to ask. There was no client confidentiality clause for cops and Toby wasn’t going to put Addy’s business across town.
“Never mind.” Setting his untouched mug down, Toby rose. “I should head back. Thanks for letting me use your machine.”
He left before Parker could ask anything. He climbed into his truck and went home.
Addy was already up and baking when Toby walked into the kitchen the next morning. Strips of long, brown hair were pulled away from her temples and pinned together at the back of her head by silver clips. Her soft, lavender sweater hung low over her jeans. Heat from the open oven brought flags of color to her cheeks. He waited until she had removed the cake and was setting on the island before making his presence known.
“Morning.”
Her head jerked up, her eyes widening at the sight of him. “Hi.”
The hesitance on her face made his chest tighten. He could only imagine what she thought he was going to say after her confession the night before. So he said nothing as he moved forward. His cane was set against the counter, freeing his hands to reach up and frame her warm, flushed cheeks. He pulled her to him and took her sweet mouth with his in a deep, hungry kiss. He poured everything into that single merger, every ounce of his wants and desires for her. He let the sweep of his tongue dance languidly along hers, coaxing her to join him. His fingers combed back to cup the base of her skull and hold her to him while he worked to erase every last doubt from her mind.
“Toby…”
Her weak gasp ripped through him, a tidal wave of passion that left his senses screaming for more. Against the front of his jeans, his cock cut along the teeth of his zipper. His groan pulsed between them and deepened into a growl when her lithe frame melted in his arms. She settled with perfect ease along the length of him. Her firm breasts crushed into his chest. Her pelvis rolled against his, rubbing over his erection and making his eyes cross.
“Shit!” He broke the kiss and made the mistake of peering into her face.
Wet, swollen lips sat parted and beckoning against a face flushed with the same ravenous need clawing through him. Her chest strained against the thin material of her top, making him ache with the urge to palm them, to free then of their confines and take them in his mouth.
“Christ, baby, I want you.”
Her irises pulsed and the color in her cheeks deepened. Her unsteady gasps pounded in his ears.
“I want you too.”
She couldn’t possibly imagine how much those four little words meant to him. She would never understand how close she was to getting ravaged right there on the kitchen floor. It was purely that little voice at the back of his head reminding him there were children upstairs who could walk down at any moment that kept him mostly in check.
“Tell me what you want,” he breathed. “I need to know what I can and can’t do with you.”
He felt the tightening of her fingers around the bunched wades of fabric along his shoulders. “I’ll tell you,” she whispered quietly. “If I don’t … if I can’t…”
His fingers caught her chin before it could lower. He sealed the deal between their lips in a lingering kiss that sent tingles all the way down to his toes.
“I’ll stop,” he promised. “You just say when.”
Her response was the glide of her arms winding around his neck and the arching of her toes as she lifted her mouth back to his. In that position, her entire weight was on him and he was cradling every supple inch of her against the hard length of him. Her mouth moved eagerly beneath his, fanning the rapidly rising fire burning in the pit of his stomach. He could feel control slipping as the urgency built with a violent force.
“Stop!” He jerked back with a gasp. “You need to stop or…” He let his warning trail off.
“What?” she coaxed.
His heart cracked viciously against the confines of his chest. He had no doubt she could feel it.
“Or I’ll take you right here on the floor.”
The moment the words were out, he immediately regretted them. He cursed himself for being an idiot. How could he say something like that after the things she’d told him?
“Don’t,” she whispered, pulling out of his arms. “Don’t do that. Don’t censor yourself. I don’t want you to be afraid to…”
“What?”
She seemed to hesitate and brace herself all in the same second. “To tell me how badly you want me. You’re not him and I’m not fragile. I’ve come to terms with what happened and I’ve moved on with my life. Was it right? No, but if you start treating me like I’m still a victim…” She bit her lip and lowered her gaze. “I like knowing I affect you. I like you telling me. If I can’t handle something you say or do, I will tell you.”
Thoroughly admonished, Toby nodded. “Okay.”
Her lashes lifted and he found himself falling into her velvety eyes. “Okay.” She offered him a weak little smile. “I’m making cake.”
He shot the pan still steaming on the counter a brief glance. “I see that.” Reaching out, he smoothed back a lock of hair off her cheek. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I promise to just follow your lead next time.”
The pink under his fingers darkened. “Sounds like a plan.”
Giving his hand a light squeeze, she turned to her confection. Toby took his cane and moved himself out of her path. He worked around the island and claimed his favorite stool.
“So is that for the café?”
Addy jerked one shoulder. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“I vote no.”
Addy laughed. “Only because you want to eat it.”
Unabashed by the claim, Toby grinned. “I don’t deny it.”
Still chuckling, she went to work easing the spongy circle out of its pan and onto the cooling rack. Toby watched her confident movements and wondered just how many more ways she could possibly make him fall hopelessly in love with her without trying.
“Addy?”
Dusting her hands, she glanced up. “Yeah?”
The chair under him creaked as he shifted his weight forward. His forearms folded on top of the island. He fixed his gaze solemnly on her face.
“I need to talk to you about something.”
She hooked her fingers on the edge of the counter and cocked her head. “Okay?”
He’d gone over what he would say during the drive home and most of the night, yet sitting there with her watching him expectantly, he wasn’t sure how to bring it up without upsetting her, but it was inevitable and necessary.
“I looked up your case last night.”
As he’d expected, she jerked in response. “What? When … why?”
He pulled in a deep breath. “When you went to bed. I drove out to the sheriff’s department.”
The patch of skin between her eyebrows folded. “Why? You didn’t believe me?”
“No!” he practically shouted. “I believe you, but I needed to see how bad it was and how to fix it.”
Her frown deepened into one of anger. “There is nothing to fix!”
“That is where you’re wrong.” He teepeed his fingers on the marble. “There’s a missing person’s report out on you and Sean. It portrays you as crazy and a danger to him. Now, I get that you’ve managed to get by all these years without trouble, but if it ever gets out—and I pray to God it doesn’t—but if it does, it will get really bad for you, Addy. You need to deal with this. Now.”
Her breathing had increased and real fear shone in her eyes. He hated that he was the one who put it there, but she needed to know the truth.
“I … I can’t … I don’t know how…”
Reaching across the
divide, he captured her cold fingers in his. He gripped them firmly.
“We need a lawyer. A good one.”
Tears glittered on her lashes.
“We?”
He squeezed her fingers gently. “I told you, I’m in it for the long haul.”
She skirted around the counter to his side. Her hold on his hand never loosened, not even when she reached him. Toby turned in his seat and parted his knees to draw her in when she got close enough. Her arms slid around his shoulders and her face burrowed into the side of his neck.
“How’d I get so lucky?” she whispered, her breath warm against his skin.
“You hit me with a door.”
Her back trembled with her quiet chuckles. Her arms tightened once before she tugged back to peer into his face.
“Do you know a lawyer?”
Toby gave her a lopsided grin. “I do, actually.”
He called his dad to ask if he was coming. Of the group, Cole’s computer repair business was the only one that functioned year round. The others, Damon, Jared and Sloan got their big hit during the summer before it slowed in the winter months.
Second, he called Damon to ask if he wouldn’t mind dropping Hanna off at daycare. Toby wanted to stay with Addy when his dad got there to talk to her.
The entire group arrived together. He wasn’t sure if they’d all met up in one place and drove up, but Damon’s Jeep pulled up first, followed by Sloan’s truck. Jared and Damon got out of the Jeep. Jared went straight for the tarp draped over the equipment they’d left out the day before. Damon stalked into the kitchen.
“Hey, I hear someone needs a ride.”
At the table, Hanna glanced up, spoon poised near her milk stained mouth. “Who?”
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