Thorns of the Past

by Gun Brooke

  Even if it went against her nature to be this forthcoming, Sabrina motioned for Darcy to come into the guest room. “Here. A new message. Just now, to my private phone.” She trembled so much she nearly dropped the phone, but Darcy caught it before it fell to the floor.

  Darcy read it and then placed her right hand against Sabrina’s cheek in a soft caress. “They’re stepping up their game. Let me call Karimi. He can have a car outside the house during the night.”

  “All right. Thank you.”

  Darcy frowned. “Now I know you’re really afraid. The Sabrina I’ve known so far would’ve fought me on that, thinking I was exaggerating.” She ran her thumb along Sabrina’s cheekbone. “Can I use your phone?”

  “Sure.”

  Sabrina watched as Darcy called Karimi. She explained about the latest threat, gave him the number the text originated from, and then mainly listened and hummed. After thanking Karimi, she disconnected the call and handed the phone back.

  “He’s placing two of his people in my truck in the driveway. We have no indication that they know you’re here. If they should drive by here to check, all they’ll see is my Silverado parked per usual. Should they decide to come too close, Karimi’s people will apprehend.”

  “Sounds like a good plan.” Sabrina put her phone back on the nightstand. “I want to turn it off, but if my brother calls for some reason, or if I need to dial 911, I have to have it on. I just can’t deal with any more messages like that.”

  “I know. It sure can feel like too much. Why don’t you block the number and come stay in my room with me? Do a redirect of any regular calls to my cell for the night, and leave your phone in here. We can check it for other messages together tomorrow morning. What do you think?”

  Sabrina felt tremendous relief. Then she thought of how they had responded to each other on the couch. Sharing a room, and a bed, with Darcy could prove…dangerous. “Yes.” The word was out of Sabrina’s mouth despite her trepidations. The idea of sleeping alone after everything that had happened during the day, including this last threat, was unbearable.

  “I promise to behave,” Darcy said and winked, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

  “Then I suppose I’ll have to promise as well.” Sabrina tapped in the code to unlock her phone and then handed it to Darcy again. “Please. Can you do the redirect? I’m not up to even touching the damn thing.” She knew that was ridiculous, but it was true.

  “Sure thing.” Darcy tapped in the commands and her phone number and put it on the nightstand.

  Sabrina took her glasses with her as she followed Darcy into her bedroom. Stopping on the threshold, she took in how different this room was from the nice but impersonal guest room. A queen-size bed dominated the room. Pastel peach walls, a white-stained floor, and dark-brown bedding gave the room a personal mix of romance and rusticity. Much like its inhabitant, Sabrina mused. She stood just inside the doorway, relieved to not be alone with all her whirling thoughts. Another part of her was uncertain how to spend the night in Darcy’s bed, especially when she desired her so deeply, which frightened her almost as much as being alone.

  “Stop overanalyzing,” Darcy said, breaking Sabrina’s reverie. “I can hear your thoughts from here.”

  “You can?” Sabrina stepped closer and placed her glasses on a white dresser. “Do share, please. What am I thinking?” She was almost afraid to ask since Darcy was eerily accurate in reading her at times.

  “You wonder how we’re going to be able to sleep in the same bed and not jump each other’s bones.” Darcy bit the side of her lower lip and looked like she was trying not to giggle. “How’s that for good hearing?”

  “I wouldn’t put it in those exact words, but yes. Quite accurate.” Her cheeks warmed, and Sabrina hoped Darcy would assume it was the peach walls reflecting their color. Fat chance though, given the point just proved and so on.

  “Wow. Well, what do you think, my queen? Can we restrain ourselves, or should we just get it over with?”

  Feeling her jaw sag, Sabrina could only stare at Darcy.

  “I’m joking, Sabrina! I was kidding. I promise.” Darcy laughed now but also looked contrite.

  Finally starting to truly calm down, Sabrina snorted. “Actually, that was rather funny. Or it would’ve been if I hadn’t considered taking you up on it.”

  “Wait…what?” It was Darcy’s turn to look a bit shell-shocked. “Ah, you’re joking. You are, right?”

  Shaking her head, Sabrina walked over to the bed and pointed to the left side. “Mind if I take this side?”

  “Not at all. I’m flexible.” Darcy winked and pulled the covers down for both of them. “It’s a queen-size duvet so we have to share. I hope you’re not a duvet thief.”

  “No idea. Been a while since I shared a bed for an entire night.”

  Darcy only nodded and climbed into bed. “I hope you’ll be comfortable. The mattress is new. An early birthday present from my cousin and her family.”

  “Oh, yes?” Getting comfortable on the crisp bedsheets, Sabrina lay down facing Darcy.

  “I’ll be twenty-nine in a few months.” Darcy pulled the duvet up under her chin and settled into the bed on her side.

  “December?”

  “Right before Christmas. Can you believe it?”

  “Has to happen to someone.”

  “It’s worse for Meghan. She was born on Christmas Day.” Darcy snickered. “Used to tease her when I was a kid. You know, how everyone else was getting presents on her birthday.”

  “How evil of you,” Sabrina said, smiling.

  “Meghan would agree with you. We’ve always been close.” Darcy gripped the duvet harder. “She’s paid for her loyalty though, with some of her friends. However, her parents have been great. They always maintained I would never be part of a shooting like that. I’ve told her many times she doesn’t have to keep maintaining her perception of my innocence. She should be able to have friends in her life.”

  “Not if they don’t let her have her own opinion without passing judgment. No matter what they think of your guilt or innocence, they should respect her.” Sabrina pushed a wayward errant tress of Darcy’s hair from her eyes. It was strangely wonderful how natural it felt to do so.

  “That’s true. I suppose I’ve felt guilty about so much the last three years that I’ve taken on that part as well, but of course you’re right. Some of her posher friends always did have a stick up their ass—each.”

  “Then their standpoint can’t be a surprise to Meghan.”

  “No. But she still…” Darcy sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “You know?”

  “I do. Sabrina pulled Darcy into her arms, as she couldn’t bear to see her distraught. Come here, darling. Please, don’t cry. You’ll get me started, and that’s an ungodly sight.”

  Darcy buried her face against Sabrina’s neck. “No way,” she murmured.

  Holding Darcy, Sabrina gently stroked her back, feeling her warmth through the long T-shirt. The sensations from feeling Darcy’s lean muscles travel up through her arm and out in the rest of her body made her move her legs restlessly. She tried to disregard how every nerve ending was on alert, not wanting Darcy to think she only had sex on the brain when she meant to be of comfort.

  “God,” Darcy said and sighed. “I’m pathetic. Here I am, being such a mess, and I have to keep telling myself it’s not the right time to jump you. Why the hell do you have to be so gorgeous?”

  “I can only say the same, darling.”

  “Wow. Really?” Darcy tipped her head back. “Eh…you just called me darling. For the second time.”

  Sabrina’s heart constricted and then seemed to take a break from beating altogether. “Ah. So I did.”

  “That common for you?”

  Now Sabrina’s heart began racing painfully, as if it were out of practice. “No.”

  “Cool.” Darcy settled in and placed a strong arm around Sabrina. “We better sleep. Or at least try to.”

  Sabrina
was certain sleep was out of the question but would settle for being in this comfortable bed with Darcy Flynn in her arms. That was her last thought before sleep claimed her.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Their night together had been outwardly uneventful. Sabrina had slept as if sedated, and Darcy had kept vigil at first. She had held Sabrina, and the times she tried to put some space between them, Sabrina had moaned and become restless. Darcy truly wanted to hold Sabrina, but doing that made it nearly impossible to calm her whirling thoughts, not to mention her inconvenient libido. Only when she settled for the fact that Sabrina needed her, awake or asleep, did Darcy finally sink farther into the bed, surrounded by Sabrina’s scent.

  When morning came around, Darcy got up first when her phone pinged at seven a.m., as usual. She had been awake since five. She cautiously moved Sabrina’s arm away from her waist and pressed her lips against the strawberry-blond hair in a secret kiss. Then she slipped out of bed and went into the bathroom. A quick shower later, she put up her damp hair in its usual ponytail and donned her equally typical jeans and white T-shirt. She would put on a button-down shirt later before she headed to the office. She’d skipped several shifts there and one other night shift with the security company after the weekend. Now it was already Monday and time to do some legwork for her cousin.

  Darcy let Khan out, and when they returned from the backyard, Sabrina sat on one of the barstools at the kitchen counter, sipping her coffee while she read Darcy’s morning paper. Looking impeccable in her slacks and cardigan, Sabrina glanced up. Smiling, she pointed at the coffee machine. “I managed to figure that one out.”

  Darcy merely nodded as she regarded how Sabrina had donned some of the fancier clothes in her overnight bag. “Going somewhere?” she asked lightly.

  “Yes. To work. I talked to my staff just now, and they cleared up the office over the weekend so I can take my laptop until we get a new desktop—what?” Sabrina had spoken matter-of-factly, but now she frowned as she put her mug down and straightened her back.

  “You’re going into work?” Darcy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “When we don’t know why, or how, or by whom your office was compromised? That’s a terrible idea.”

  “I have business to attend to. It’s not like the rest of the world took a break just because of me. I’m not going to stay late, naturally—”

  “Oh, naturally.” Darcy covered her eyes with her left hand.

  “No need to resort to sarcasm,” Sabrina said. Her eyes were frostier now. “I’m only going to stay as long as someone else is in the office with me.”

  “And how do you know, and I mean, know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that one of your employees aren’t in on this? If not directly responsible, they could have been paid off, or even coerced, to let the perps in.”

  “Perps. There we go with the cop talk again. All right. I’ll only stay as long as my entire staff is there, plus that SecLife guard you were going to arrange.” Sabrina smoothed down her hair that was up in its common French twist as she stood and then checked her watch. “My cab should be here soon.”

  “Cab? Oh, for fuck’s sake! Have you gone out of your mind? Or has some sort of amnesia spread since last night? Remember how we sat on the couch and tried to determine who’s out to get you? Didn’t we agree then? Your life is in danger, and you’re acting like it’s business as usual!”

  “Actually, it is. You’re forgetting that this is my business, my livelihood, and, what’s more important, it’s the livelihood of the four people who work for me we’re talking about. I’m not going to cower here in the company of Khan the guard dog. I refuse to be intimidated again!” Sabrina slammed her palm into the kitchen counter, and Darcy could tell it hurt even if Sabrina tried to mask the pain.

  The comment about “cop talk” stung, since coming from Sabrina it was hardly a compliment, but Darcy tried to look past it. They were stressed, at best, and their newfound attraction, combined with their fear for Sabrina’s safety, made it all one highly volatile blend. “Sabrina. Please.” Darcy swallowed her anger as best she could and stepped well within Sabrina’s personal space.

  “Listen. Okay, you need to work. So do I. My first idea was that you might work from Meghan’s office, but I can see why that might be less than ideal. What if we, instead of using SecLife, ask Karimi to assign a bodyguard from his crew to stay in your office and escort you if you need to go out.” She held up her hand when it looked like Sabrina might object. “It will be good in several ways. The police are bound to come asking questions about what happened in Mattley, and since I can’t be there, at least the bodyguard will be briefed by Karimi about what went down. The bodyguard can also be there to document what the police are saying.”

  Sabrina regarded Darcy with a noncommittal expression, but then the tension around her eyes faded and she smiled faintly. “Very well. That’s a plan I can live with.”

  “Just call me when you’re ready to go home, and I’ll come and get you, okay?”

  Sabrina tilted her head, and for a moment Darcy figured she would object to that proposal as well, but then she nodded. “Sure.”

  “Yeah?” Darcy smiled. “You’re a tough negotiator, your majesty.”

  “And you’re as stubborn as they come, so don’t even try.” Sabrina kissed Darcy’s cheek. “Why don’t you drive me to work, and we can call Karimi on the way? If you have time?”

  “For you. Absolutely.” Darcy stopped Sabrina from moving away by placing both hands on her hips. “May I kiss you?” Her voice was barely a whisper, but Darcy could tell Sabrina still heard her just fine, judging from the faint blush creeping up her neck and cheekbones. It felt foolish to ask, but in broad daylight, it was somehow…different.

  “Yes.”

  Darcy slid her hands up in a slow caress along Sabrina’s arms. Not about to mess up Sabrina’s perfect French twist, she gently held her and pressed their lips together. Content with the romantic nature of the kiss, Darcy gasped as Sabrina’s tongue parted her lips and requested entrance. Darcy wasn’t going to pretend this wasn’t what she wanted. Not playing games was as important to her as anything else.

  Opening her mouth, she met Sabrina’s tongue with hers, and the sweetest touch and embrace Darcy had ever experienced began. Slowly they deepened the kiss, exploring each other as if they had all the time in the world and nothing was wrong in their little cocoon. Sabrina moaned against Darcy’s mouth, murmuring little unintelligible words. Darcy in turn would have loved to know what Sabrina tried to say, but she was fully intent on making the most of these kisses.

  A knock on the front door made them go rigid and let go of each other.

  “Shit. Your cab.” Darcy drew a much-needed deep breath. “I’ll go take care of it.”

  “All right.” Sabrina blinked, looking dazed. “I’ll—I’ll go reapply my lipstick. You may want to, uhm…” She motioned at her own mouth and then at Darcy. “Before you open.”

  “Yikes.” Grabbing a paper towel, Darcy wet it and rubbed away at the dark-mauve lipstick stains around her mouth. “Couldn’t go for something neutral, could you?” But she smiled as she muttered, which made Sabrina chuckle.

  Grabbing some cash, Darcy peered through the side window next to the front door and saw it was one of Karimi’s men who had spent the night in Darcy’s truck about to knock again. She opened the door just as the man yawned, something he quickly tried to hide.

  “There’s a cab here for Ms. Queen? Not sure who he’s talking about. Could be the wrong address or an attempt at scouting the place.”

  Snorting, Darcy shook her head. “No, it’s the right name, but we don’t need him anymore. Can you pay him for me?” Darcy handed him the cash. “The less he sees of who lives here, the better. After that, you and your colleague can go home and get some shut-eye. We’re going to call Karimi when we head out, okay?”

  “Sure thing. Glad it was a quiet evening and night.”

  That depended on your point of view, Darcy thought an
d watched the guard pay the cabbie, who in turn showed his discontent by tearing down the road. Donning her shirt and pulling on her leather jacket, Darcy fetched her gun from its easy-access hiding place and strapped it to her belt.

  Sabrina returned from the downstairs guest bathroom, having applied another, more neutral shade of lipstick this time. She looked entirely calm and innocent but managed to rub against Darcy in a very non-innocent way as they headed out the door.

  Grinning, Darcy placed a hand against the small of Sabrina’s back and guided her toward the car. Completely unnecessary but, hearing Sabrina’s quick intake of breath, also very, very rewarding.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Sabrina tried to focus on the remaining names on the list in the file Darcy had shared with her. Her mind was fragmented, and the only part of it that seemed solid and where her thoughts had no problem lingering was the topic of Darcy Flynn.

  Having slept almost too hard during the night, which perhaps was a kind of escapism in itself, she had felt entirely safe the few times she had woken up. Darcy and she had held on to each other, covered by the duvet, in the center of the bed. To most people, it was perhaps of no significance, but Sabrina had never indulged in something like this before. Yes, she had stayed the night with a lover on a few occasions, but she hadn’t felt comfortable and hadn’t reveled in snuggling like she did last night. Ever.

  She smiled to herself, thinking of how her arousal had soared each time she woke up and how she had mentally hosed herself off so she wouldn’t wake up Darcy. Only once had they been awake simultaneously, but neither had spoken, and they hadn’t moved away from each other.

  Shaking herself away from the enticing memories, Sabrina concentrated on the list again and blinked. A familiar name stood out among the last twenty on the final page. Where had she heard it before? Cursing herself for her brain’s sudden fogginess, she rapped the screen of her tablet with her nails. Wincing as her memory woke up, she grabbed her phone and pressed a preinstalled number.