Sloan sighed. “You’ll need to run Sloan Enterprises while I’m gone.”
“All right. Sloan?”
“Yes, luv?”
“Stop with the instructions. Just shut up and hold me.”
“Your wish is my command.”
He squeezed her and softly kissed her forehead. Ame and Ethan slipped down the hallway, returning with their favorite toys. Sloan sighed. Having their parents gone was normal to them. Most likely, they wouldn’t miss him, even if he were gone for months. They shouldn’t have to live like that. They should have both parents home all the time, like most children.
It wasn’t long before Gordon and Mary returned with sandwiches and soup. Abbey wiped the remainder of the tears from her cheeks and stood to help her mother serve the food. After a quick, quiet lunch, the older couple said their goodbyes. Abbey laid Ethan down for a nap while Ame went to her room to play. Colin dozed contentedly in his port-a-crib. Sloan slipped his phone out of his back pocket to check his e-mail.
Abbey leaned against the hallway wall. Sloan looked up, locking in a silent battle of wills with her. “What now?” he demanded.
“I’m exhausted. I’m taking a nap,” she informed him.
“What about Colin?”
Abbey strode across the living room and sank onto the couch. She tugged the old patchwork quilt she’d brought from the penthouse in New York over her. “I can nap out here.”
He gazed at her for a few moments before tossing his cell on the ottoman. He stretched out on the sofa, nudging her over so he could slip behind.
She turned in his arms then cupped his face in her hands. “Please promise me you’ll be careful.”
“Of course I will.”
Abbey tugged the blanket over them both.
Sloan growled softly. “Don’t do that, lass.”
“Do what?”
“Tuck us in closer. We’ve been in close quarters for the past few days, and I haven’t been able to touch you. You’re my wee wife. There isn’t a moment of the day that I don’t want you beneath me.”
Abbey softly giggled. “Colin is in his port-a-crib. And Ame is playing in her room.”
“Wait a moment.” Sloan climbed over his wife and disappeared down the hall. He returned moments later then took his place behind her again.
“Ame is asleep on her bed. Guess I better not waste time then.” Sloan buried his lips in the curve of her neck, listening to her gasp as he grazed his teeth across her flesh. He slid his hands beneath her T-shirt until they caressed her breasts. Sitting up, he tugged her onto his lap. She straddled him, gazing down with smoky eyes.
Sloan popped the top button of her jeans. “This will be so much easier, luv.”
“I think you’re right.”
Sloan ripped the shirt over Abbey’s head, tossing it on the floor. He groaned as she drove her lips against him her mouth prying his open, their tongues knotting together He was going to savor every kiss, every touch, every moment of lovemaking. He was about to be trapped in a hot, desert wasteland without her.
It was going to be hell.
»»•««
Another hot and humid day in Minnesota. Abbey slung her workout bag over her shoulder as she slipped out the rotating glass doors of Sloan Enterprises. She wove around the bodies shuffling along the sidewalk looking for a quick bite for lunch. Abbey had already had a banana and a protein shake as she was finishing her conference call. It was time to dance.
It didn’t take long to walk the six blocks to the gymnasium. It had been days, a dangerous mission, and some pretty shocking news since Abbey had last practiced her routine. She had spent the past two days buried in Sloan’s arms. Even though Belfast had been so long ago, almost losing him was all too fresh in her mind.
Seth grinned as the click of Abbey’s heels echoed against the wood floor. “Ready to go?” he asked.
“As soon as I get out of this skirt and suit coat, yep.” Abbey laughed. She scampered to the tiny, dark locker room and slipped out of her business clothes. Shimmying into her leotard, she rushed back to the gym to begin. After only a few minutes, sweat began to bead on her skin. Abbey smiled. It would be a long session, but she didn’t care. She needed this time dancing with Seth to unwind.
She felt a twinge of guilt. Sloan was leaving in the morning. She should be spending every second she could with him. But the moment he had stepped into the office earlier, he had busied himself with one meeting after another. She’d barely seen him. Sneaking away for a quick rehearsal wouldn’t hurt. No, he wouldn’t be pleased. He needed to calm down and trust her. She hadn’t betrayed him before. She wouldn’t be starting anytime in the near future, and it definitely wouldn’t be with Seth.
An hour and several sore muscles later, Abbey showered and changed back into her suit. After giving Seth a quick wave goodbye, she slung her bag over her arm then raced back up the sidewalk to Sloan Enterprises.
As the glass elevator raised her to the executive suites, Abbey softly hummed to herself. The tune caught in her throat as she stepped off and nearly collided with her husband. She looked up into his chiseled face. His ice-blue eyes reflected fury.
“I’d ask where you’ve been, but I’m not stupid,” Sloan hissed. “I thought I made my feelings clear, Abigail.”
Abbey looked at him with a frown. Then her eyes narrowed. “And I thought I made it clear to you that I’ve made a commitment to Seth.”
“I forbid you to go back to that place.”
“Forbid me? Who do you think you are?”
“Your husband.”
“Sloan, you aren’t that kind of guy.”
“I am now.”
Abbey glanced around her, noticing everyone staring at them. She cleared her throat. “Can we take this discussion somewhere else? We’re making a scene out here.”
Sloan’s gesture toward the door was cold. “After you.”
Abbey stormed through the lobby past Vicki and Ashleigh, not stopping until she reached Sloan’s office. She could feel him on her heels, his large, towering, powerful frame dangerously close. They barely cleared the threshold before he slammed the door shut.
“You’ve been in meetings all day, Sloan. I took my lunch. You have no reason to get bent out of shape,” Abbey defended.
“I’ve been insuring this company will run in my absence. I found you missing when I came to discuss what your duties will be while I’m gone,” Sloan fumed.
“So Vicki told you where I went?”
“She didn’t have to. As I told you, I’m not stupid, Abigail.”
“You’re making a big deal out of nothing. When are you going to start trusting me? I’ve never given you reason not to.”
Sloan closed the distance between them, hovering over her. Abbey shuddered. The energy sizzled between them. “That man had his hands on what belongs to me. I don’t tolerate that. He’s lucky to still be breathing.”
“Belong to you? I’m not your sports car.”
“You are mine. Which means no one else touches you. That is, unless you enjoy it. Is that what it is?”
Abbey didn’t think. Her hand swung, slapping across Sloan’s cheek. Anger blazed hot in his eyes as his palm covered the welt she had left. Abbey forced a defiant expression on her face. Inside, she was quaking. Sloan was a dangerous man, and she had just crossed a huge line.
“I believe our conversation is finished,” he spat. “I will e-mail your duties to you. Go to your office. Now.”
Abbey growled under her breath before she spun and strode out, flinging the door open with a bang. She didn’t stop until she was slumped in her own chair. Spinning toward the floor-to-ceiling windows, she fought back tears.
They had gotten into some pretty vicious arguments. It had been a very long time since they had been this mad at each other. Flexing her fingers, she remembered the feeling of them striking her husband. Sloan is out of line for what he said. Isn’t he? Is what I’m doing wrong? Abbey shook her head sadly as she turned back to her
desk and buried herself in her work to forget their battle.
It was nearly five o’clock before Abbey looked up from the task before her. She sighed. Sloan had been true to his word. There was an e-mail from him in her inbox. She clicked it open and scanned the very long list of duties. In short, she was now running Sloan Enterprises.
She couldn’t miss the one marked in red. Visit foreign facilities. Great. Not only would Sloan be out of the country, but for at least a week so would she. She stood and walked across the lobby between their offices. Leaning against the doorframe, she watched him hover over the documents on his desk. Even deep in the middle of paperwork, he looked powerful. Invincible. Sexy.
Abbey took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I slapped you.”
Sloan returned with a grunt, never lifting his head to acknowledge her.
She continued, “Let’s go home. You leave in the morning.”
“I have things to finish here.” He growled.
“They can wait.”
“No, they can’t. Go pick up the children from your mother and take them home. I’ll be there when I’m finished.”
“When will that be?”
He didn’t answer. After a moment, Abbey huffed and returned to her office. Powering off her computer, she picked up her purse and made her way to the parking structure.
The evening dragged on while Abbey waited for Sloan to come home. She set the children down to supper, holding back his steak for when he arrived. After they ate, she bathed them and played with them until bedtime. Her heart broke as she tucked them in. The thought that they wouldn’t get to tell their father goodbye crushed her.
It was well after midnight when Abbey put Sloan’s dinner plate in the refrigerator and crawled into bed herself. Setting her alarm for five in the morning so she could say goodbye before he was picked up by Gordon, she drifted off to sleep alone.
The brilliant, summer sunlight flooding the bedroom and the cry of her infant son woke Abbey from her dead sleep. She searched around, confused, as she fought to shake the slumber from her brain. Her eyes locked with her alarm clock.
Six o’clock.
Abbey jumped out of the large bed, untangling her limbs from the sheets. She raced to the living room where Sloan’s luggage sat waiting to leave. The place the two duffel bags had occupied last night was empty. Running back to her bedroom, Abbey scooped up her cell and dialed. She listed to it ring as she hurried to Colin’s room.
“Yes, little one?” Gordon’s voice echoed through the phone.
“Dad, are you with Sloan?” Abbey begged.
“No. I just dropped him and Bartholomew off at the airport… They are on their way to Washington, D.C. Why?”
Abbey scooped up the whimpering baby as her heart fell. “He turned my alarm off. I didn’t get to tell him goodbye.”
Gordon’s breath whistled through the earpiece. “I’m sorry, little one. Something seemed to trouble him this morning.”
Yeah. Our fight yesterday. “I suppose. Are you going to work?”
“Almost there. See you in a little bit?”
“As soon as I get the kids ready and dropped off to Mom.”
“All right. See you at work.”
“Bye, Dad.” Abbey cradled Colin to her with one arm as she hung up the phone with her other hand. She shuffled down the hall to the living room. She dropped on the couch to nurse. Once she had Colin in place suckling happily, she looked up and found a piece of paper on the coffee table. She scooted across the cushion until she could pick it up to read it.
Luv, I will call when I get a chance. Keep the babes and yourself safe. I love you and miss you already. Love eternally, Sloan
Sloan had sabotaged her seeing him off. He always wanted to tell her goodbye. Never had he been this mad. She brushed away a stray tear before she settled back on the couch with Colin again.
Taking the helm of Sloan Enterprises was no different from being COO, except for a few additional e-mails. It just made Abbey miss Sloan even more. At least when he was away on business, she would get word from him in corporate messages. Being with the CIA, there wasn’t a peep.
Steeling herself, Abbey buried herself in her work. However, the second the workday was done, she spent every minute with her children, absorbing their chatter, their giggles, every little moment she could. It was bad enough to lose Sloan to this mission. In less than two weeks, she would be pulled from them also to go on a ridiculous trip to inspect the foreign facilities.
When that morning came, Abbey clenched her eyes tightly shut as she realized what day it was. Her plane left at nine to fly her to London to begin her visits. In a matter of hours, she would be leaving her kids behind.
With a heavy sigh, she crawled out of bed. She methodically memorized the typical ritual to get the children ready so that she could remember every smile and yawn while she was gone. She kissed them each a dozen times. Frankly, Abbey didn’t care if she was late to the airport. For the near future, she ran Sloan Enterprises. Who am I going to have to answer to?
Finally, Abbey peeled herself from Ame, Ethan, and Colin and picked up her bags. With one final kiss, she trudged after Gordon to the Hummer. She blinked fast to fight the tears welling in her eyes. Just a few weeks ago, her life had been perfect, with a loving husband and beautiful children. Where had it all gone wrong? She sighed as Gordon pulled up to the waiting jet. Pecking him on the cheek, Abbey grabbed her luggage and boarded the plane.
The tour of the foreign facilities began with the new complex in London. Abbey spent a couple hours at each, meeting with the managers and addressing concerns. She was treated as royalty by everyone. That didn’t surprise her. She was the head of the company. But it didn’t fill the hole in her heart left vacant by her absent husband. It didn’t even salve it.
From London, Abbey traveled to Dubai then Hong Kong. Her final stop was the complex in Sydney. Each facility held a special memory of Sloan. Each place was hell without him.
As the pilot warmed the engines of the jet to fly back to Minneapolis, Abbey shuffled through her papers. She paused as her eyes scanned the full listing of properties belonging to Sloan Enterprises. Slowly she stood, still gripping the page, and walked to the cockpit. She pushed the door open, offering the pilots a smile.
“Can I help you, Mrs. O’Riley?” the captain offered.
“We need to make one last stop,” Abbey requested.
“We’ve visited all the facilities.”
“Not all of them.”
“Which one did we miss?”
Abbey paused. “Bangkok.”
The captain stared at her, dumbfounded, for several moments then nodded. “Of course, ma’am. I will inform the tower of our course change. How long do you wish to stay in Bangkok?”
Abbey laughed. “Not long. It isn’t very large. Let’s plan to stay overnight, and then we’ll leave in the morning.”
“Very good, ma’am.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course.”
Abbey nodded farewell to those in the cockpit then returned to her seat. She smiled to herself. If she was going to be traveling across the world and visiting all the properties owned by Sloan Enterprises, she might as well stop and check the one that held the most memories for her.
The Gauntlet.
Chapter Three
Little puffs of dust wafted from the tips of Abbey’s heels as she wandered across the dirt courtyard of the Gauntlet. She scanned the exterior of the old abandoned warehouse. The cab driver had left her several blocks away, unwilling to drive her into this neighborhood. She chuckled. Being in the dangerous part of town made sniper training easy. Not to mention they could find thugs to fight them without looking too far.
Abbey carefully climbed the ramp to the loading dock then pushed the door open. The room was exactly how they had left it the day she had completed the Gauntlet. She walked across the cavernous room toward the weight equipment, touching it lovingly. She turned and looked up to the now-dark supervisor�
�s office where they had eaten their meals. Her eyes trailed down to the small room she had known as her bedroom.
The memories came rushing back to her. I nearly killed Sloan here. The image of him taking off his mask, of staring in awe, stuck in her brain. She couldn’t shake it. Nor could she dispel the thought that plagued her. Where is he now? With a sigh, she slipped from the warehouse, closing the door behind her.
Abbey wandered the streets of Bangkok, looking for a safe place to hail a cab. She could feel the eyes watching her like prey, waiting for the right moment to attack. With the crack of a grin, she slipped a small pistol from her purse. Not that she needed it. But it was nice to have if things went bad. She smiled as one of the tourist hotspots came into view. There would be taxis lingering for visitors hopping to the next place or the foreign businessman wanting to sample the culture with one of the temple priestesses.
Abbey shook her head. It was time for normal. It was time to go home.
She never saw her attacker. He grabbed her around the waist and dragged her into an alley. She was pressed face-first into the brick wall beside her. For having ill intent, he was strangely gentle. Abbey’s heart thundered in her chest as the large body pressed against her, making her well aware of what he wanted. Her mind raced, searching for a means to escape.
Then a strange scent filled her nostrils. Cologne. Not just any cologne, but one that cost several thousand dollars an ounce. It was the type only worn by very, very rich men. Billionaires.
Abbey breathed deep. A billionaire like her husband. It was the smell embedded in his pillow, a scent that melted her into a puddle. She glanced down to the legs that spread hers apart. The tips of extremely familiar, Italian leather boots peeked out from beneath a pair of designer trousers. They were boots Abbey knew better than her own skin. Her breath caught in her throat, not from fear, but arousal. Out of the billions of people all over the world…
Fingertips grazed her thigh, nudging her skirt away as they slowly, sensually crept up her leg. Abbey shuddered as she let go a soft moan. Instinctively, she stepped wider, inviting him to continue exploring.
The Assassin Page 3