Gabe sighed and answered. “Well with Nora being there—”
“Wait. What? What the hell is Nora doing in Stockton Crossing? Where are the kids?” he interrupted, looking around as if the children were going to materialize in the room at any moment.
“She wanted a few days away. She and Greta took the kids to visit her cousins. I’ve been in constant contact with her. She’s fine,” Gabe reassured him.
Brady ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck, what timing. Alright go on.”
“We’re gonna get our shit sorted and head there this afternoon for a few days. See what we can do to help with the investigation, or better yet, see what we can find out that those bumbling fucks couldn’t,” Theo cut in.
“Hey, watch it. Not all small town deputies are fuckups.” Brady motioned to himself.
“Yeah, yeah, present company excluded. So will little Gwynnie loosen up on the reins enough to let you come with us?”
“I’ll make it work, this fucker needs to be put down—the sooner the better. Give me a couple hours to get things organized here. I’ll meet you at Earl’s.” Theo and Gabe agreed and left shortly after to prepare things at the ranch to be away for a few days. Bobby had really come a long way in just a few short years and both men were confident he could handle the added responsibility. Quinn was right next door and could be counted on to kick anyone’s ass that wasn’t pulling their weight. Gabe’s little sister was a firecracker and tended to detonate if she was unhappy in any way. The ranch would be fine for a few days.
Not long after Gabe and Theo left, there was another knock on Brady’s door. Assuming they’d forgot something, he called out for them to come in without looking up.
“And you two say I’m whipped, you can’t keep your shit together without your women around to pick up after you. What’d you forget?”
“Sheriff.” A familiar voice said his name, and at the sound of it his head snapped up. Speechless, he stared hard at the man standing in front of him. Several emotions moving through him. Shock. Happiness. Sorrow. Anger.
“Where the fuck have you been?” he snapped before he could stop himself. The other man shrugged and looked down at his feet. Brady slingshot himself out of his chair and closed the distance between them, enveloping him in a bear hug.
“Fucking hell, Sam. Two years. Not a fucking word from you in two years. I should kick your ass right here.” Brady pulled back to look at his friend. Gone was the nerdy deputy with thick curls and glasses. The man before him had changed. His hair was now kept in a short crew cut and his face and frame had filled out. He noticed his glasses stuck in this shirt pocket and nodded to them.
“Not wearing those these days?”
Sam smiled and patted them. “I have contacts now. But after a mishap of losing one, I carry these around just in case.” He was quiet for a moment. “It’s good to see you, Brady,” his voice was thick with emotion. “I know I should have kept in touch. It’s just after Hailey…” he winced when he said her name. “I was in a bad place. I really needed time and distance to work through the pain and get myself to a point where I didn’t want to die right along with her every day.”
Brady clapped his shoulder. “I understand. Gwyn and I just wanted to be there for you, to help you through everything. We’ve been worried sick. Your mother gave me occasional updates, but other than that I had no idea what the fuck was going on.”
“Not a hell of a lot, dude. I’ve mostly been a walking zombie. I’ve come to the realization though that it’s time for me to take my life back. To rejoin society and face what happened. Hailey wouldn’t want to see me pissing my life away the way I have been.” Sam sat on the corner of Brady’s desk and crossed his arms over his chest. “You know, she’d have both our hides if she was here. Me for running off and you for not coming to check in. We both know you knew where I was.”
Brady propped a foot up on one of the chairs and leaned his elbow on his knee. “You’re right. I did know. And you’re even more right that we’d both be black and blue from the beating she’d give us right about now.” They both laughed, memories of Hailey floating between them.
“God, I miss her,” Sam whispered. He shook his head, clearing away the mental image of his beloved. “Look, I wanted to come by to see about getting my old job back. I know that it can’t happen straight away, but I want to take the steps necessary to get back on the force. I just need to feel like my life has importance again, instead of misery and pain.”
Brady was shocked. The day was not turning out as expected. First Theo and Gabe show up out of the blue and want to head off to work on a case, and now Sam was suddenly back in town and ready to come back to work.
“Jesus, Sam. Way to throw me a curveball.”
“Well would you expect anything different from me?” he asked with a chuckle. “I’m sorry, I know this is unexpected, but I didn’t think calling first was a good idea. Maybe just let me follow you around for a few days and get the feel for things again. I can take some training courses; take things slow.”
Brady considered him for a few minutes, unsure of what the fuck to say. Did he want Sam back on the force? Of course he did, the man was an outstanding cop and would have a long career ahead of him if this line of work was really what he wanted to do.
“Alright. Sure, let’s do it. Durham Heights is your home and I want nothing more than to have you back. I’m heading out of town this afternoon for a few days to Stockton Crossing to work on a case, but maybe when I get back—”
Sam interrupted in a hurry. “That sounds perfect. I’ll tag along; it will give me the opportunity to observe an active investigation without being involved. How soon are you leaving?”
“Uh, in a couple hours. I have to swing by the house and pack a few things; fill Gwyn in.” Brady wasn’t sure he agreed with Sam’s suggestion for several reasons, the main one being that this was another serial killer and that was sure to bring up unhappy memories for Sam. With him only just deciding to come back and try to get his life back, he didn’t want to expose him to something that would have him knocked out of the fight before it even started.
“Great, it’s settled. I’ll meet you back here. I have a few things I need to take care of in town.”
“Sam, wait. You need to listen to me. This case…it’s not the case for you to get involved in on your first day back in town. There’s certain…similarities and I don’t want to see this bring up any bad memories for you.” Brady’s eyes pleaded for him to understand without him going into any further detail.
“I can handle it. Trust me. And if I can’t for some reason, I’ve got a car and I’ll leave. That’s the beauty of me only being an observer. Besides, you know as well as I do that I’ll have to be sure I’m ready to face the things that will remind of Hailey, Brady. What better way to start than a case I’m not actually involved in?”
Brady couldn’t fault his logic in that sense. He was right, if it was too much for him to handle they could send him on his way. Brady was just afraid that the damage it might do would be irreparable.
“Let’s do it then,” he agreed. “Meet me at Earl’s at two, we’re leaving from there.” Sam nodded and made his way to the door.
“And Sam?” Brady called out, waiting until he turned back to face him. “I’m really glad you’re back. It hasn’t been the same around here without you.”
Sam smiled. “Thanks, man. I’m glad to be back. I know that I’m right where I need to be.” He walked out whistling, closing the door behind him and leaving Brady to ponder his strange answer.
Brady pulled into the driveway of the home he shared with Gwyn and shook his head at the music pumping loudly from inside the house. Gwyn had a habit of blasting the music at top volume on her “cleaning days.” She claimed it helped make the atrocious chores as she called them more bearable and fun. Unable to deny her anything she wanted, he didn’t usually put up too much of a fuss and made himself scarce so as to not be in the warpath of “mean clean” as he
liked to call her. She had a habit of snarling and snapping as she tidied up their home and everything would somehow become his fault. He loved Gwyn to death, but dealing with her cleaning temper tantrums was not on his list of favorite things to do.
Cautiously opening the front door, he poked his head inside and grinned. There she was, all five foot nothing of her shaking her ass around the living room as she dusted and belted out Toxic by Britney Spears. Her blond hair swung around her shoulders as she moved and he stood frozen to the spot, completely captivated by her. She had truly come out of her shell over the past two years. When he’d first met her, she was healing from the trauma of an abusive past relationship. When she’d finally let down her walls and allowed him to gain her trust; it was a feeling like he’d never experienced. Gwyn loved him with her whole heart, there wasn’t any part of them that didn’t belong to each other. Through all of their ups and downs—it always came back to love. She was it for him. The day he’d almost lost her was pure hell, one he never wanted to repeat. He was thankful every day that he’d been able to save her and bring her home safe with him where she belonged.
Closing the door, he approached her quietly, leaning down to sing the next set of lyrics in her ear. “With the taste of your lips, I’m on a ride…”
Gwyn jumped and spun around, swatting him with her duster. “Brady! You scared the shit out of me,” she complained half-heartedly.
He pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her neck. “I’m sorry, darlin’, I couldn’t resist. You just look so damn cute.”
She raised up on her tiptoes and kissed him long and deep. “What are you doing home in the middle of the day?” she asked.
Brady pulled back and set his hat and keys on the coffee table. “Theo and Gabe stopped by my office this afternoon.” At his tone, Gwyn’s face fell, the sparkle in her eyes going dull. She reached for the remote and shut the music off.
“I have a feeling this isn’t going to be good news,” she commented, taking a seat on the couch. Brady joined her and took her hand.
“I need to go with them for a few days to Stockton Crossing. There’s a situation there not unlike what we suffered through here that needs my attention. I need to be involved with this case, if there’s anything that I can do to help apprehend the fucker that’s terrorizing that town; I have to do it.” Brady’s eyes pleaded with her to understand.
“Of course, Brady. You know I’ll support you in anything you need to do. But that isn’t what’s causing that look of distress in your eyes. What else happened?” Gwyn knew he was battling with the decision to share the whole truth with her. It came from his fierce need to protect her from the world, to not let any misery ever touch her.
“Sam came home.” The look of shock that crossed Gwyn’s face at the news is what he imagined he looked like when his long lost best friend had strolled into his office.
“He’s back? Like he’s here in town?” Gwyn looked towards the front door, wondering if he would come through the entrance at any moment.
“He is. Says he’s ready to get his old life back. Wants me to reinstate him as one of my deputies.” Brady let out a weary sigh and dragged a hand through his hair. “I want to do this for him, I really do. But I have to be honest about the reservations I have. How do we know he won’t be able to handle it and fucks off in the middle of an investigation?”
“I think you need to give him a chance. If he came back after all this time, it’s obviously for a reason. And that reason is likely that he needs to feel like he’s home. How did he seem to you? Did he explain why he never contacted us?”
“He seemed…different. Stronger somehow. He said he just needed the space to get through the heartache on his own. I can’t say I blame him, I’d be devastated if I ever lost you.” He kissed her forehead. “Anyway, he’s going to come with me to Stockton Crossing—will be good for him to just observe the investigation. That way I can gauge if he’s ready to come back on active duty.”
“It’s a good plan, Brady. I wish you’d brought him by though, I would have loved to see him. To make him a meal, give him a hug, anything.” Brady pulled her close and buried his nose in her hair. The scent of her reminded him of all the things he had to live for; of how lucky he was to have the love of his life by his side. He’d never take that for granted, not even for a second.
He trailed a hand down her body, skirting over her breast and finding her nipple, twisting and tugging. “I don’t have much time, but I need to fuck you, sugar. Need to feel those legs wrapped around me tight,” he mumbled as his tongue slipped out to tease her earlobe.
Gwyn leaned back on the couch, allowing him better access to her neck. She pulled his shirt free from his uniform pants and unbuckled his belt. His head dipped down to bite her nipple through the thin white tank she wore and she cried out, arching her back.
“Are you hot for me, baby?” he slipped a finger into her shorts without waiting for an answer, groaning when he found her bare. He spread her open slowly, relishing in the feel of her wetness. He plunged his finger in to the knuckle, stroking her in a come hither motion over and over.
“Brady,” she breathed, her hands working to free his cock from the restraint of his boxers. He added a second finger as his mouth switched to her other breast, sucking and nibbling. He never once removed her shirt and the friction from the material and his tongue was driving her mad.
Finally getting his hard cock free, she wrapped her hand around the base of him and pumped him up and down, circling her thumb over the tip of him. Lifting her, he discarded her shorts in one quick motion. Falling back on the couch, he pulled her over him and without any warning, thrust up into her. Her warmth enveloped him and he moaned out her name. “Gwyn. Dammit, you feel so good, darlin’.”
She began to ride him, rolling her hips as he pushed her closer and closer to the edge. He slipped his hand between their bodies, searching for her clit. Finding it, he pinched and tugged, his mouth attacking her neck when her head fell back. With each push inside her, he reminded her that she was his. His partner, his soulmate, his lover. He’d never let anything happen to her again.
He fisted his hands in her hair and brought her mouth back to his, never slowing his rhythm. She was a combination of torture and pleasure. The exquisite pain of holding back his release until she found hers was a hardship he’d happily endure. The second his tongue touched hers, she clenched down around him and screamed his name into his mouth. He followed shortly after, whispering “I love you” into her hair.
They collapsed on the couch, each panting and trying to catch their breath. Brady moved first, walking down the hallway to the powder room and coming back with a cloth to help Gwyn clean up. She smiled up at him and winked. “Not bad for a send-off from your soon to be wife, right?” He chuckled at her playfulness and kissed her again.
“No complaints here, sugar. Except that I didn’t get to taste that sweet pussy of yours. Next time,” he promised as he headed up the stairs to pack a bag. His promise and look of dark desire sent butterflies of anticipation through Gwyn. She just might have to have something special delivered from Victoria’s Secret for when he arrived back home.
Brady left after packing an overnight bag and reminding her to keep in touch with him when she wasn’t working at the diner. She rolled her eyes and reassured him that she’d be fine, there was no threat to her now that the murders in their small town had been solved. Still, his fierce overprotectiveness of her filled her with warmth and love.
“I love you!” she called out the door, watching his car disappear down the drive. He flipped his cherries, knowing that she loved it when he did that just for her. Closing and locking the door, she sighed. Housework was the last thing she wanted to do now with all of the new information swirling in her head. Sam’s return, a new psychopath on the loose. It was almost surreal. Deciding that a bottle of wine and a good book sounded like heaven, she turned towards the kitchen.
A loud bang on the door had Gwyn turning back w
ith a smile. “Brady! Did you forget your house keys?” Rolling her eyes, she headed down the hall, giggling at her scatterbrained fiancé.
Pulling open the heavy oak door, she started to give him hell. “What would you do—”
The door suddenly flew open, bouncing off the wall once and causing Gwyn to stumble back, landing hard on her ass on the cold, tiled floor of the foyer.
Dazed, she looked up, sheer terror filling her bones as the shadowy figure in her doorway took form.
“Did you think you could hide from me forever, you fucking whore?” Gywn let out a strangled scream as he latched onto her hair in an excruciating grip, hauling her to her toes.
Struggling, she felt strands begin to rip from her scalp as she faced her worst nightmare head on.
Lawrence.
CHAPTER TEN
Dr. Daniels picked up a syringe and tapped it with his middle finger, checking the liquid inside. Satisfied with the dosage, he headed down the long hall from his office to the room where his patient was waiting. Keying in the code, the stainless steel door slid open and he stepped inside.
The room was small, bare in furnishings and kept a few degrees above freezing. Walking over to the examination chair, he met the hateful gaze of the patient restrained to the table. In front of him, a large flat screen TV played the same images over and over, torturing the patient.
“Ah, you’re awake. Good morning. I’ve got your meds here for you,” he began, tsking when the man in the chair thrashed and pulled at his bonds.
“I see I’ve come just in time since you’re starting to get some movement back. Can’t have that now can we?” He slid the needle into the man’s neck and pressed the compressor. It only took a few seconds for his body to go limp and he slumped down in the chair. Awake and alert, but otherwise immobile.
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