by Taylor Anne
Graeme didn’t reveal any feelings, only admitted to remembering. What did his silence mean? Was the intensity of that night only a figment of her imagination? Was it truly only a one-night stand for him? A way to pass the time while he was in town? Abby had been vulnerable and they were both alone, without a partner. A part of her would not accept that. They connected on a special level that didn’t happen too often in life.
Now Abby would have to put her questions aside. Those issues were for another time. Right now she needed his help. She took a tentative step closer to him. “You told me once that if I ever needed help, to look you up. Well, that’s what I did. I need you.”
He grumbled, “You don’t need me, you need my help.”
“Will you consider it? Please.” She stared into his eyes, begging him with her own. He sighed but didn’t say anything. She took his silence as agreement to help. “Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I haven’t agreed to anything.” He pushed away from the deck railing. “Do you have any beer?”
“I do.” Digging the key out of her pocket, Abby unlocked the back door and walked inside to the kitchen. Graeme followed her. She handed him a bottle from the refrigerator, leaned against the counter and watched him. He paced from the kitchen to the living room and back. Then he stopped and stood in front of her.
“Okay, start from the beginning,” he said.
She inhaled a deep breath before she began. Repeating this, again, was so difficult. It brought it all back full-force in her mind. Fear, anxiety, helplessness, among other emotions she was still learning to control.
“Four weeks ago I witnessed a drug deal and murder in New Orleans. I had been in Baton Rouge visiting Lauren and my parents. I got home late that night, just after midnight. After I unpacked, I realized I needed a few things from the store for the morning. You know—coffee, creamer. So I decided to walk to the corner convenience store.”
“At midnight in New Orleans?” His voice roared and his eyes widened in disbelief.
“Yes. I live in a decent neighborhood. It wasn’t the first time I walked to the store that late. I feel safe around my apartment. Anyway, I was almost there when I heard voices coming from the alley behind the store. Loud voices, like people arguing. I slowed down, nervous about crossing the street in front of the alley. I stopped at the corner. The voices got louder. I couldn’t make out everything they were saying, but one guy kept repeating something about there not being enough, and where was the rest of the package. Then I heard a pop. To me it sounded like a gunshot. I peeked around the building. There was a van down the alley.” Abby paused, pushed her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ears.
Graeme’s jaw tightened. “What happened after that?”
She ran her hands up and down her arms, trying to take the chill out of her body. “There were two men standing in front of the van. At first I wasn’t sure where the noise came from. I thought maybe it wasn’t even a shot I heard. But then the black haired guy, the smaller of the two men, took a gun from the bigger guy. He pointed it at the pavement in front of the van. I watched as he pulled the trigger. It was the same sound I heard seconds before. I must’ve made a noise because he looked up, directly at me. I know he saw me. I felt his eyes burn into mine. I took a step back so the building blocked my view. That’s when I heard doors slamming. I made myself peek around the corner again. The two men must’ve gotten in the van. I watched it back up a little bit, and then pull forward. That’s when I saw it.” Abby stopped talking. She was trembling inside and out. Her body was cold and empty. Every time she repeated the story, her stomach knotted up.
“What, Abby?” Graeme’s raspy voice soothed her and gave her the courage to continue.
“When the van pulled away there was a body lying on the pavement. Whoever it was, wasn’t moving. From where I was standing I could see so much blood. I couldn’t make myself go to him and see if he was still alive, but I didn’t see how he could be. I panicked and took off running back to my apartment. As soon as I got home I called Laci and told her what happened.”
“Laci?”
“She’s one of my best friends and she’s a detective for New Orleans Police Department.” Laci followed in the footsteps of her dad and brother. Only she didn’t want any favors because of her family. She proved she could make it on her own. Through hard work and perseverance, she quickly worked her way up to detective. Without anyone’s help.
“Did you recognize any of the people in the alley?”
“Not at all. At the police station Laci showed me pictures and I was able to identify one of them that way. L.J. That’s his name.”
“Is he the one who pulled the trigger?” The intense set of Graeme’s jaw assured her he was paying attention to details.
“Yeah. And the one who saw me.”
“What about the other guy? Do they know who he is?”
“Alonzo. Apparently he doesn’t have a record and there were no mug shots of him, but I was able to identify him from some other pictures. That’s all I know.”
“What happened next? Were they arrested?”
Abby shook her head. “Yeah, they were arrested. But both of them made bail. That’s what scares me about this whole situation. Neither of them are supposed to leave the state. And Laci says they have them under surveillance because they want to get whoever these two are working for. She says they’ve been watching these guys for weeks trying to get to their drug supplier.”
“Dammit. You said one of them saw you. Are you sure?” Graeme slammed his beer bottle on the counter so hard it was a wonder the glass didn’t shatter.
“I’m pretty sure. The streetlight above me was burned out so I may have been in the shadows. But I swear it felt like he was looking directly into my eyes. Then…”
“Then what, Abby? Tell me everything.”
“Over the next several days I received hang up calls on my cell. Whoever was on the other end never said anything, but I know there was someone there. I could hear breathing. It only happened a few times and hasn’t happened since, but I had this creepy feeling before the line went dead.”
“Shit.”
“You’re telling me. This whole ordeal has my life turned upside down.” She couldn’t fight it any longer. Tears trickled down her cheeks. “And what scares me more than anything is that somehow these people will get to my parents, or…or my…daughter.”
****
“Fuck.” A drug deal gone bad and a murder were not good things for someone to witness. Abby was lucky she was still alive. Sonofabitch. Graeme pulled her against his chest and held her tight. He ran his fingers through her hair, letting them tangle in the silky black strands. Her body trembled against his. She buried her head in his shirt and cried. Her emotional sobs tore at his heart. He ran his hands up and down her back trying to soothe her fears. He couldn’t imagine the turmoil she was going through worrying about her family.
Wound tight after listening to her story, Graeme closed his eyes and tried to relax. She was in a real mess, and all he wanted to do was keep her in his arms. Then find the bastards that threatened her life. He wanted to erase what she had seen, but he couldn’t do that. She might not be sure those men had seen her or could identify her, but chances were someone witnessed her presence there. There’s always a lookout somewhere. That’s how those things generally went down. Things would have to be dealt with. Damn, would he ever get away from that life?
Why in the hell hadn’t Marcus been able to uncover that information? When he called earlier that day he didn’t have any details. Nothing more than Graeme already knew. Which wasn’t shit. Seems all of Marcus’ contacts said that was a hush-hush situation. The only information he was able to track down was the fact that Abby was the only witness to a murder. Nothing was mentioned about the drugs. Marcus guaranteed Graeme he would find out details and report back to him as quickly as possible.
Now with the possible threat to her family, Graeme really needed to kick it up a notch.
He didn’t want anything to happen to Abby’s parents or her daughter. Maybe he needed to put someone on them just in case. That’s all he could do for her.
Not many people knew what he was capable of doing, or what his prior job had been, but Abby did. In one night he divulged more secrets to her than he had to any other person in his entire life. He still didn’t understand why he felt so comfortable revealing his secrets to a stranger at the time. And because of what he told her, she searched for him.
Abby believed and trusted his words enough to find him when she found herself in trouble. His heart swelled with pride that she trusted him that much. At the same time a chain tightened around his heart, cutting off other emotions. Why did she wait until she needed his help to search for him?
When her sobs subsided, Graeme took a step back. He placed a finger on her chin and tilted her head up. “Sounds like a real mess you’ve gotten yourself in.”
Abby cracked a hint of a smile and wiped the moisture out of her eyes. “Yeah, when I do something, I do it all the way. No in between.”
“You know, the best thing for you is to let the police put you in protective custody.” Hell, they should’ve insisted on it.
Abby pulled away from him. “That’s what Laci said. But I can’t do that. Give up my life? I have a daughter in her second year of college. My parents are in Baton Rouge close to Lauren. There is no way I can give all of that up and just disappear. Never see them. Not even talk to them. That’s out of the question.”
“It would only be temporary. And there’s always the possibility they go under also.”
“One day without my family is one too many. No. I won’t do that. And I cannot expect them to drop their lives.”
Her family and friends meant everything to her. Graeme had never met another person whose love and devotion ran as deep as Abby’s. Anyone who was part of her inner circle should feel honored. If only…
“Look, you don’t know who you are dealing with. Obviously these people are dangerous. They’re involved in drugs, murder, and no telling what else. You really should consider it. At least until the trial.”
“But that could take months. Even years.”
He picked up his beer and downed the rest of it. Abby went to the refrigerator and got him another and one for herself. Her hands were shaking as she twisted the top off. What she witnessed had affected her emotionally. Graeme was surprised at how well she was handling it though. Seeing something like that was not easy to deal with. He knew that for a fact. Over the years he’d seen plenty of both. But then, his job was to protect some people involved in those acts. And to bring down the people responsible.
“Abby, you’re leaving yourself open for danger. What if they can identify you? How are you going to protect yourself?”
“Laci contacted the police here. They are keeping an eye out for anything unusual. And I thought…” She paused long enough to take a drink of her beer. “With you around…”
“Hell no. I don’t do that kind of work anymore. I have my bar and that’s all I need. I’m settled and don’t need that other life. I can’t help.” He followed her gaze and realized he was rubbing his injured leg. Nervous habit.
Abby sighed. “Graeme, I don’t know a lot of details about what you did, but I do know that you were good at your job. I know what you told me and I know I feel safe with you.”
“It doesn’t matter. Look at me. I can’t protect you.” He dropped his hand down by his side pointing to his injured leg. She felt safe with him? Couldn’t she see that he walked with a limp and he would not be able to protect her? If something were to happen to her while he was trying to keep her safe…No, he couldn’t go through that again.
“It does matter.” Abby stepped closer to him. “I know the man I met seven years ago had honor and morals and wouldn’t let a bunch of thugs get away with drug dealing, murder, and threats. I don’t know the extent of your injuries, but I know you are still that same man.”
He slammed the beer bottle down on the counter, grasped her upper arms, and glared down at her. “You just don’t get it, do you? Hell, I can’t do anything like I used to.”
Her tongue slipped out of her mouth and swiped across her bottom lip, leaving a trail of moisture behind. Abby’s hands framed his face. Her eyes begged for more than he could give. What he wouldn’t give to remove that desolate, lost expression from her eyes. Knowing he couldn’t do that was like a knife being jabbed in his gut.
“Are you so sure about that?” Graeme had to strain to hear her whispered voice.
He fought the turmoil inside his head. Why did she trust him so much? Standing there watching her was tearing him up inside. She was frightened, alone, beautiful, and sexy as hell. All he wanted was to roll back time and hold her in his arms again. Hell, he couldn’t deny it. He still wanted her. But she was the one woman he couldn’t allow himself to have.
Graeme stepped back, putting some distance between them. “I’m sure. I cannot help you.”
Fire and anger sparked in Abby’s blue eyes. Her jaw tightened. “I don’t know what happened to cause you to turn so cold and heartless, but I hope one day you can deal with it and move on.” He reached for her, only to have her back away from him. “Don’t worry, I won’t bother you anymore. I’ll handle the situation on my own.”
Abby stalked out of the kitchen into what Graeme assumed was either a bedroom or a bathroom. Five minutes later she hadn’t come out. He tossed their beer bottles in the trash, locked all the doors, and let himself out.
Chapter Five
Abby walked into the small office at the police station. The man behind the desk stood, towering above her. His friendly smile welcomed her.
“You must be Abby Monroe.” She took his extended hand. His handshake was firm. “I’m Chief Colby.”
Her confidence in the man increased. “Hi, Chief. I’m sorry to bother you with my drama, but I do appreciate your helping me out.”
The tanned officer motioned for her to take a seat. “Don’t you worry, Miss Monroe. We will keep a close eye on you and if anything would happen, I will get in touch with Detective Ramsey. I will be your first point of contact if you need anything.”
For the next hour Abby relayed to the chief what she witnessed. She gave him personal information such as phone numbers and addresses for her parents and Lauren. By the end of the conversation, her nerves were a little more settled than they had been over the last several days. Putting a face to the name of her protector helped. And he seemed very competent at his job. Laci told her Colby had been in law enforcement since he got out of high school. Abby didn’t doubt for a second he would have her back if the need arose.
“Everyone here at the station knows that you are top priority. They are not aware of the details, only that I am watching out for you. At this point, that’s all they need to know.”
She smiled. Sounded like he was on top of this. “Thank you. I appreciate it. And please, call me Abby.” She fumbled with the car keys in her hand. “One more thing.”
“What is it?” His head tilted in concern.
“My family in Baton Rouge doesn’t know what’s going on. They think I came here to get away from the city and work.”
“That’s fine. I have no reason to tell them otherwise unless you tell me to.”
Abby shook her head. “What I’m trying to say is that even though there is so much distance between us, I don’t want anything to happen to them. Laci has a few contacts in the Baton Rouge area, but unless they have cause, they won’t get involved. I want my family to be safe.”
Chief wrote something in his notebook before responding. “I completely understand. I will talk to Laci about this and I might be able to call in a few favors. Try not to worry about them.”
She left his office knowing she had made a new friend and had a competent man on her side. When he told her he had already been making rounds by the beach house, Abby was impressed. He did not have to do this, and as far as she knew, he wasn’t ge
tting any additional compensation. He was doing this as a favor to a mutual friend of his and Laci’s in New Orleans.
Abby stopped at a small café for a cup of coffee before driving back to the beach house. Then she put in a few hours of work on the computer and checked in with her boss and called Lauren.
“Hey, baby girl. What’s up?” Abby tried to keep her voice upbeat. She didn’t want to alert Lauren to any problems.
“Mom, I’m glad you called. Brandon and I are going to Galveston for the weekend. His parents are celebrating their anniversary and want all of the family there.”
“That’s great. I hope you have a wonderful time.”
“Yeah. And Brandon said his dad told him they were planning a family vacation for everyone. They will give us details this weekend. They are paying all travel and lodging expenses. He hinted that it might be a cruise. I’ve never been on a cruise before.” Hearing the joy in her voice brought peace to Abby’s soul. Lauren was so happy. And Brandon and his family were good to her, and for her.
“Awesome. I’ve never been on one either. You go first and see how it is. Maybe then we can plan one together.”
“That would be fun, mom.”
“It’s a deal then.”
“If that’s what the surprise is. We are leaving tomorrow after class and won’t be back until late Sunday night.”
“Okay, text or call when you can. Love, hugs, and kisses, baby girl.”
“Love, hugs, and kisses, Mom.”
Abby felt better after talking to her daughter. Laci insisted she had nothing to worry about, but it was a mother’s instinct to worry about her babies. Even the grown ones.
Later in the afternoon, she poured a glass of wine and took a walk along the beach, down by the water’s edge. The sand, surf, and sun did an amazing job of calming her inner fears. Staring out at the water, Abby dodged children playing and adults relaxing. The upbeat melody of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville pierced her ears. She had walked all the way to the bar.