It was time to let Miranda go. He hadn’t loved her as much as he’d thought. Making love with Sabrina had proved that. He hadn’t been able to admit it until now.
So what was he going to do?
Pursue Sabrina? Was it too late for that? His heart palpitated. Apprehension. Excitement. Passion. It scared him to think of falling in love again.
Sitting at his kitchen table, Lincoln put his head in his hands. Not much scared him, but that did. He felt weak and silly for feeling that way, but glad he was able to face it. He would feel the fear and do it, anyway. Go after Sabrina. Love her. Have her. Make a family with her. More palpitations assaulted him with each idea. Passion and happiness assured him of his path.
Barking made him lift his head. Maddie was at the back window, rising up on her hind legs and pawing the glass. She looked frantic. Panting.
Lincoln shot up and opened the door. Maddie barked and ran inside, bounding around him, jumping up on him.
Sabrina...
He should not have left her alone.
“Okay, girl.” Lincoln ran to the front of the house in time to see a man stuffing Sabrina into the back of a white Lexus.
Grabbing his gun, he ran for his BMW SUV, Maddie on his heels.
“No, Maddie!” It was too late to put her back in the house. He let her jump in and started the engine as he backed out of the garage. He drove normally so as not to alert the other driver he was going to follow. He could see Maddie’s head in the rearview mirror. Luckily, he wouldn’t have to drive like a madman. He’d follow at a good distance so as not to draw attention. The driver of the Lexus didn’t speed. He hadn’t noticed the tail.
Lincoln managed to remain unseen all the way to the Denver OneDefense store. The Lexus rolled to the back, where a truck was backed to a loading dock. Lincoln stopped in the alley and watched two people get out, one dragging a struggling Sabrina with her. Lincoln recognized Castillo’s wife. He’d heard on the news that her husband’s body had been found.
How well she’d covered her lies. She was in on the sales with the gun cartel. With Tristan. Her husband had not agreed with the sale. He hadn’t thought setting his Avenidas members up to act as mules to transport guns across the border a wise activity. Maybe he’d meant to keep the gang away from any allegiance with a Mexican cartel. Some cartels were known to use U.S. citizens to bring weapons to them from the United States. What better source than a street gang whose members were already corrupt?
After calling 911 to report Sabrina’s kidnapping and giving the location, Lincoln twisted to see Maddie.
“You stay.” Her ears perked, and she didn’t move.
Leaving the windows down, he got out of his BMW and walked toward the back entrance to the store. He couldn’t leave Sabrina in there alone. Every second counted right now. No matter what kind of trap he was walking into, he had to do something. He could not wait for the police to arrive. Looking around him to make sure he hadn’t been seen, he noticed the truck backed to the loading dock had its rear door open. Had it been unloaded or did Tristan have a shipment of arms planned?
At the door to the store, he tested the knob. It easily turned. Nothing like a welcome sign.
Lincoln removed his pistol and entered the building. There were shelves around the perimeter, and crates filled the center. Mrs. Castillo stood behind one of them, Tristan beside her and facing Lincoln. Tristan grinned. Stepping farther into the room, Lincoln saw Sabrina around a stack of shipping crates. She was tied to a chair and gagged. Her eyes were large, and she shook her head. Then she looked toward the stack of crates as though to warn him.
Tristan had planned to lure him here. This was about revenge. He’d suspected as much.
“Hand over the weapon,” a voice said behind him at the same time he felt a metal barrel against his head.
Lincoln did as requested, having anticipated this.
A chair was procured and put next to Sabrina. Lincoln went there and sat. Sabrina was trembling. She was afraid. He removed the gag from her mouth and threw it aside.
“Lincoln. He’s going to kill us both. What are you doing here?”
“Don’t worry.”
“Don’t worry?” she rasped.
Tristan approached. “You’ve both caused me a lot of trouble. You nearly cost me this sale to the Tres Equis Cartel. Lucky for you, they are giving me this opportunity to get rid of you.” He stopped before them, Mrs. Castillo staying back by the crate, a rifle draped over one arm. “Apparently they believe you won’t stop until I am arrested, and they fear my arrest will lead to them.”
“The police won’t stop looking for you,” Lincoln said. “And since we’re talking about a Mexican cartel, you should probably include the FBI with that.”
“You have a smart mouth for someone who is about to die.”
What was he waiting for? And where the hell were those cops?
Tristan’s gaze went to Sabrina. “I have only one question I need answered first.”
Lincoln glanced at Sabrina. Tristan had a question for her? He had a feeling all her secrets were about to be revealed.
“Why?” Tristan asked.
Lincoln checked on the man with the gun on him. He was the only one other than Mrs. Castillo.
“Why did you stick your nose in my business?” Tristan asked.
“You framed me for murder.”
Tristan leaned over, putting his hands on his knees and studying her closely.
What the...
“No. You stuck it in my business before that.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lincoln heard the lie right along with Tristan.
“Oh, yes, you do. Kirby told me where he met you.” When she didn’t respond, he said, “The gun show?”
“So?”
“You met him deliberately.” Tristan straightened but didn’t move back.
“No, I didn’t.”
“There was something he wouldn’t tell me about you. He knew something. But he was falling for you, so he decided to protect you. Try, anyway. Why? What did he know, Sabrina? Did you tell him why you singled me out?”
Lincoln watched Sabrina keep a cool face. Her stoic resolve was impressive. And she was no longer afraid. Whatever had driven her to OneDefense burned deep inside her. Determination. Certainty.
Tristan pulled a gun out from behind the smooth lapel of his jacket and raised it to Lincoln’s head. “Tell me or he dies.”
Sabrina’s breathing increased, scared again. For him. She believed Tristan would do it. So did Lincoln, so that was a plus. If he made a move now, he could take the gun from Tristan and shoot the other man, but would he be able to take out Mrs. Castillo in time? She watched with a sort of bored interest, having no intention of using her rifle.
“Stop,” Sabrina said.
Lincoln moved his gaze to her. She met it briefly and then said to Tristan, “You’re my father.”
That detonation worked to stagger Lincoln as much as it did Tristan.
“You’re lying.”
Sabrina shook her head. “No. My mother was divorced when she met you and in the process of reinstating her maiden name. You didn’t know her maiden name. It’s Tierney. I was born after she changed it.”
Tristan took a step back, staring incredulously at her.
“After my mother died, I searched for you,” Sabrina continued. “I found you, but I wasn’t sure if I would tell you who I was. You didn’t seem to care that I existed. That’s when I met Kirby. He approached me at the gun show, which made it easy. He was a kind man, and I used his attraction to me to get close to you.” She turned to Lincoln. “Not something I’m proud of.”
That explained her mood every time the subject of Kirby came up. She hadn’t had feelings for him, but she had
felt bad about using him.
She turned back to Tristan. “When I discovered the kind of man you were, I wanted nothing to do with you. I decided that you didn’t deserve to know who I was.”
“Was that before or after you heard me talking to Kirby?” he asked.
“Before. I know now that he wanted to stop you, but he was afraid of you.”
“And you weren’t?”
“I despise you. After you killed Kirby, I vowed to expose you. Somehow. Some way. That’s why I came here and went to Wade. Kirby said he was someone I could trust.”
Tristan grunted a laugh. “Kirby didn’t know as much as he thought, then.”
Meaning he hadn’t known Wade wasn’t someone Sabrina could trust. Lincoln saw her absorb that, her eyes softening. Kirby had been good, as she’d originally thought.
“Did he know I was your father?”
Sabrina hesitated. “Yes.” She looked at Lincoln. That had been her secret. Then she turned back to Tristan. “I’d have kept it to myself my entire life.”
She would have denied Tristan was her father. He may as well be dead to her.
Tristan’s mouth hardened in reaction to the insult. Part of him cared that Sabrina was his daughter. He may never admit it, but he did care. Lincoln chose that moment to move. He used his foot to strike him in the sternum and slam his hand against Tristan’s wrist and his nose with the other. Ripping the gun from his grasp, he hooked an arm around his throat and pointed the gun to his head, backing up to put himself in front of Sabrina, protecting her.
Both the man and Castillo’s wife aimed their weapons.
“Drop the gun and untie her,” he ordered.
The man looked at Tristan, who said, “Do it.”
The man dropped his gun and went to Sabrina, keeping his eyes on Lincoln as he untied her.
Sabrina stood and put her hands on Lincoln’s back just as a swarm of police entered, one of them yelling, “Denver Police, drop your weapons!”
Lincoln stepped back with Sabrina, slowly lowering the gun to the ground. Then he stepped back some more, lifting his arms so the police could see them, Sabrina doing the same beside him.
Tristan turned lethal eyes to Lincoln and then Sabrina as Castillo’s wife and the other man lowered their weapons and raised their hands into the air. Police cuffed the three as Lincoln explained who he and Sabrina were.
“We were briefed on the way here,” one of them said. “We know who you are. If you could wait outside, we’d like to ask you a few questions.”
“Sure.” Lincoln took Sabrina outside, seeing her look back once at her biological father. She’d regret not having a father she could respect, but she would never regret bringing him to justice.
Now probably wasn’t the time to tell her what he’d been thinking before Maddie had come to his door. But as soon as they got home, he’d find a way to make her listen.
Chapter 17
Sabrina went to where Maddie wagged her tail and barked in a soft, playful way, looking up and back at her and then down at the patio through the glass.
“What’s out there?” Sabrina asked as Maddie peered through the glass. Maddie was being playful, but there still could be something out there. Or someone. It would be a while before Sabrina felt totally safe. The FBI had captured most of the people involved in Tristan’s operation. A few of the gang members had talked to get a deal.
Seeing nothing terrible through the darkness, she opened the door.
Maddie bound outside and stopped where a biscuit lay on the patio. She chewed and then sniffed the air.
Why was there a biscuit on the patio? Maddie trotted with her nose down toward the edge of the patio. She found another biscuit and chewed happily, tail wagging faster now.
Looking down at her bare feet and nightie that went to her knees, she contemplated making her dog go back inside with her. The trail of biscuits had her too curious. She followed Maddie to the still-broken gate, where another biscuit lay.
Sabrina started to smile. Somebody had put them there, and that someone could be only one person. Lincoln.
Two more biscuits led into Lincoln’s backyard, and one more was on the back step. The back door was open.
Maddie went inside.
“Crap.” She folded her arms. The nightie wasn’t see-through, but it was soft and comfortable and she wasn’t wearing a bra.
Rationalizing that he’d seen a lot more of her, she stepped inside. The lights were turned low, and Sinatra-like music played quietly. She walked through the kitchen. No one was in the living room, but when she looked to her right, she spotted Lincoln standing there, dressed sharply in a black suit and tie, his gaze taking her in as she appeared. Candles flickered on the dining room table, which was set in white, rose-petal-shaped china. A bucket held a bottle of something.
“You’re going to make Maddie fat.”
“I see you dressed for the occasion,” he said.
Wary of him, she approached. “And what occasion is that?”
“Join me for dinner, and I’ll tell you. You can change...if you want.”
She could tell he preferred that she didn’t go change. He wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble if he hadn’t had a major epiphany. Going to him, she stopped.
“Okay, I’ve joined you,” she said, standing close.
His gaze once again swept her form. But this time she was standing so close that all his eyes could feast on were her breasts.
“I’ve done some thinking.”
“Yeah?”
“You’re right. It is time for me to move on.”
“Really,” she coaxed.
“Yes. And I have to tell you...I’ve never felt this way for anyone before.”
That tripped her up a bit, but she managed to keep it light. “What way is that?”
He slipped an arm around her, bringing her closer and pretty much guaranteeing they wouldn’t make it to dinner. “Lost without you.”
Lost. Her heart did a happy flip. She looped her arms over his shoulders. “It’s Maddie, isn’t it?”
“And her owner. My suggestion is we all live here.”
“Yeah?”
“I own this house. You’re renting over there, and—”
She kissed him hard. He wrapped his arms around her and held her closer while he kissed her in return.
“I’m not finished yet.”
“I am. And I’m not hungry.” She stepped back, taking his hand, meaning to lead him upstairs to find his bedroom.
“Wait.” He didn’t move, serious now.
She was, too. Just knowing he wanted to live together was enough for her. He was ready to get past his commitment issues.
He pulled out a ring box from his coat pocket.
“Lincoln...” she breathed. Wasn’t this a little fast?
“We don’t have to get married right away,” he said. “This is just a symbol of how much I mean what I say when I’ve never felt this way before.”
He opened the box. It was a diamond flanked by smaller ones. Not Hollywood huge, but just enough to dazzle.
While delight and excitement raced along with her many thoughts, he slipped it on her finger.
“Oh, Lincoln. It’s beautiful.” She held out her hand to admire it.
“Now we can go do what you want. Dinner will be waiting for us.”
“You didn’t cook, did you?” She laughed softly.
“No. I had it brought in.”
She took his hand and led him up the stairs.
* * *
A month later, Lincoln’s mother called to invite them to a brunch in Evergreen. He agreed to be there as he always did, having given up asking her to give him notice for her events. She never listened. She preferred the spontaneity.
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Leaving the circular driveway and the sound of water falling over stone in the center fountain, he led an awed Sabrina up several sweeping stairs toward the mansion entrance. Sabrina was slow to follow, busy taking in copper gutters and ground-to-roof stone turrets, not to mention the flower garden between the driveway and the front door.
The door opened before they reached it.
“Hi, Berto,” he greeted the doorman, a tall, thin, balding white man in his late fifties.
The man smiled. “Welcome, Mr. Lincoln.” He always used everyone’s first names as a surname. Otherwise they’d all be Mr., Mrs. or Ms. Ivy. Maybe that was because he preferred to keep his job impersonal.
“Miss.” Berto gave Sabrina a bow.
“Hello.” Sabrina glanced almost sheepishly at Lincoln.
He chuckled and put his hand on her lower back, ushering her inside. She smiled up at him as they entered.
“Oh, my....” Sabrina’s eyes grew round as she took in the huge front entry.
Lincoln thought it was cold, with hardly any furniture, just a shiny spread of marble and high ceiling trimmed impeccably in white. There was a quaint and colorful parlor to the right and a library to the left, both for the public to use. There was another library for private use.
“Your parents are in the entertainment room downstairs,” Berto announced. “Mr. Macon and Mr. Jonas are here, as well.”
Macon was here?
“Thanks, Berto.” Lincoln led a gawking Sabrina through an open panel of six doors that folded like an accordion.
Taking Sabrina’s hand, he walked beside her through the mansion, passing a dining area and reaching a curving staircase. Down that, they passed through another giant room filled with art collections, and then a Churchill-style room.
Catching Sabrina’s gaze as she glanced from the grandeur of the estate to him, he noticed her glowing behind all her fascination. Everyone was going to notice that. And her ring, of course.
Smelling food, he realized how hungry he was. An archway led into the rec room where his family gathered for things like this. The room had everything: a beautiful bar with leather stools, pool table and plenty of seating.
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