Abducted Heart (Z-Series)

by Jerri Drennen

  Her eyes widened. “What letter? I never sent you any letter.”

  “Sure you did. You know, the one where you told me you were moving on and that I should do the same?”

  She shook her head. “I wrote no such letter. When I didn't hear anything from you, I just assumed you'd decided we were over and you were too chicken to tell me face to face.”

  Lynch cleared his throat. “No. I didn’t feel that way at all. When did you know you were pregnant?”

  “Around that same time. I didn’t want to force you to come home because of a child, Lynch. I didn’t want that to be the only reason for us to be together. Month after agonizing month went by. I wanted to tell you so badly, but I figured you wouldn’t care. The doctors couldn’t tell me why he came early--too early. I blame myself. I wasn’t worthy to be his mother. That’s why when Brent asked for the tenth time to marry him, I said yes. I never loved him. I didn’t think I deserved love. I figured if I couldn’t have you then why not make your step-brother happy? Apparently, that worked really well. I only stayed with Brent because he threatened to tell you.”

  Lynch threaded his hands through his hair. “So, if you didn't write that letter then...”

  “Oh my God. Daddy.” Casey looked at Lynch with horror.

  Lynch let all he'd learned sink in. Casey's father sent him that letter, which cost him more than the man had a right to. He could have had those six days with his son. Could have been with the only woman he'd ever loved. Maybe their child wouldn't have come early if they had been together. Who knows? But Daniel Wheaton had a hell of a lot to atone for with his daughter. That was, if she even talked to him again.

  “Jesus, Casey,” Lynch said staring hard at her. She had loved him all those years ago—had pushed what she thought as his betrayal aside and came to him. He reached out to touch her arm, only to have her rush into his.

  He wrapped his arms around her, intense emotion taking hold. “I'm so sorry,” she whispered in his ear. “I wish...”

  Lynch placed a finger to her mouth. “We'll have the rest of our lives to come to terms with this, Casey. Will you consider coming to Virginia with me after we sort out everything with Brent?”

  She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears.

  Was she going to turn him down? What would he do if she did?

  “Yes, Lynch, I'll come with you anywhere you want me to.”

  Lynch leaned down and kissed her hard on the mouth, feeling whole for the first time in ten years. Casey had suffered so much that he planned to make up for that loss if it took him the rest of his life.

  “So, everything is good now,” Zack said from behind Lynch.

  Lynch pulled away from Casey and smiled at his friend.

  “Not exactly.” Casey's eyes darkened.

  Now what?

  “I need to have a little talk with Brent, then my father. They're both going to pay for what they've done to me.”

  Lynch had to smile. He loved this Casey. She reminded him of the woman he met, the woman who came to the wrong side of town to find trouble, and what she found instead was love.

  “Can you take me?” she asked Lynch, lacing her fingers through his.

  “Are you sure you want to do that tonight? You could wait until morning,” he said then winked at her.

  “I’ll wait to talk to Daddy. But, I want to make a deal with Brent tonight. He needs to sign something stating he’ll give me a quickie divorce and I’ll forget that he was planning to kill me.”

  “Are you sure you want to do that?”

  “It’s not for him. I’m doing this for Alex and Patricia. Having an embezzling son in prison is much better than an attempted murderer.”

  “Okay.” Lynch pulled at Casey's hand. “Come on. Let's get this over with, so we can put it all behind us once and for all.”

  *

  Casey looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, nervous and anxious to be with Lynch now that they had no secrets between them.

  She’d gone to see Brent in jail and he’d reluctantly agreed to her terms while Lynch contacted Alex to let them know everything. She was glad that was out of the way, yet she still had to deal with her father.

  To think that he had deliberately broken her heart was a lot to take in. She knew he'd never liked Lynch, but to keep them apart even after he knew about her pregnancy made his betrayal so much worse.

  Betrayal.

  Wait a minute. Was that what the psychic was referring to? Here she thought it was Brent and what he'd done, yet now she wasn't sure. She needed to see the woman again. Find out who she was talking about.

  What had she said? To forgive him? She couldn't remember. Could she ever get over this? Ten years of her life had been taken away—ten years of just going through the motions. She'd married a man she never loved because she couldn't have the man she did—a man she'd yearned for every day since he'd left.

  But he was here now, and he was hers.

  One last glance at the mirror, Casey opened the door and turned off the light.

  Lynch was lying on the bed, wearing nothing but a smile. No man had a right to look that good.

  As her eyes took in every golden inch of him, Casey's breath caught in her chest.

  “Come here,” he said in a husky voice that caused a spasm in her belly. Everything about this man made her crave him.

  On shaky legs, Casey walked to the edge of the bed, her eyes connecting to his.

  She loved Lynch more than words and now she knew he felt the same.

  He reached out and pulled her onto the bed, rolling her to her back, covering her mouth with his. Kiss after passionate kiss had Casey's head swimming, her body wound tight.

  His hands roamed over her hips, sliding the thin nightgown up to her collarbone, his lips leaving hers to skim the sensitive skin at her shoulders, then moving lower. He cupped her breasts and kissed her nipples, causing Casey to buck. His mouth sucked one drawn up breast into his mouth, the heat of his tongue making her wet and wanting more.

  No one had ever made her feel so out of control, and she loved every minute of her lapse in restraint. That was how she managed to cope the past ten years—how she got through every day. Now, she could let that all go and allow herself to feel again—to enjoy the sensations that only Lynch could evoke.

  Casey arched her back, reveling in his expertise. His mouth slid to the other breast, licking at the tip of her nipple.

  When his mouth left her, she felt abandoned, missing the pleasure until his tongue lapped down to her bellybutton and delved inside, causing her to jerk. The man had a magic touch—a magic tongue.

  His tongue started moving again, down to find her clit, flicking the bud back and forth, spasms in her womb getting her juices flowing. She'd never experienced anything so incredible. He continued his probing, darting inside her until she thought she'd splinter in two.

  Then he slid up her body and took her mouth to his in a hard kiss. He cupped her ass and drove into her, the intensity almost taking her breath.

  Casey moved with him, each thrust going deeper, filling her until she exploded and tightened around him. He quickened his pace, sweat forming between their two bodies, intensifying everything until Casey came again, Lynch just seconds behind her.

  He collapsed on top of her, then rolled her to his side, both of them trying to catch their breath.

  Casey lay next to him, watching the rise and fall of his chest. She loved this man so much that it scared her. When she was nineteen, she was just a kid learning about love. Now she knew the feelings she shared with Lynch were special and overpowering.

  “I love you, Casey,” Lynch said.

  Casey's gaze flew to his face. The raw emotion she saw in his eyes brought tears to hers. He did love her. She could see that.

  “I love you, too.”

  He leaned in and brushed his lips over her. “You going to talk to your father in the morning?”

  “Yes, but I have something I need to do first.”

&nb
sp; CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Lynch had no idea where Casey was taking them since she refused to tell him. All she did say was to get into the passenger seat of her car and wait.

  When they turned into the French Quarter, he was even more confused.

  “Care to tell me what we're doing down here again?”

  She glanced his way, then returned her attention to the road. Fifteen minutes later they were walking down Bourbon.

  Lynch could only assume they were headed for the psychic's shop and he wasn't sure how he felt about that, especially after all her predictions seemed to have been right.

  On entering, again he was bombarded by a strong scent in the air. It was neither pleasant nor unpleasant.

  The woman looked up from a tarot card reading she was giving a woman. She didn't look at all surprised to see them. “I'll be with you two in a moment. Look around. You might find something you like.”

  Lynch doubted that, but Casey took his hand and led him to a table filled with oils, boxes of intense sticks and cones.

  Casey opened a small bottle and sniffed the contents, then smiled and lifted it to him. He took a whiff. It smelled like spring rain. She replaced the cap and put the bottle back.

  “Find anything?” the woman asked, drawing them to her.

  “I need to talk to you.” Casey pulled away from Lynch. “About something you said to me the other day.”

  “What was that?”

  “You talked about betrayal. Can you be more specific? I need to know if that was meant for my husband or my father?”

  “Come. Sit down and I'll do a reading for you.”

  Lynch wasn't sure if Casey should or not. But then the woman had helped find Casey—however inadvertent it had been.

  “Please. Both of you.” She gestured to the table, looking intensely at Lynch.

  Casey glanced at him.

  He shrugged and followed her to the table. On top was a stack of big, blue cards.

  Lynch waited for both women to sit, then took a seat next to Casey.

  The seer picked up the cards and handed them to Casey. “I want you to shuffle the deck.”

  She mixed up the cards, glanced for a moment at Lynch, then handed them back to the woman.

  She placed seven cards down. Three straight across. Two down on each side.

  The woman flipped the two cards going down over. “These two cards represent your past.”

  One was the Queen of Wands, the other the Five of Cups.

  “You've had a lot of pain and sorrow.”

  Next the woman turned the other two going down over.

  Both were Kings. The first, the King of Cups, the other, the King of Wands. “These two cards represent the men in your life. Does that make sense to you?” the woman asked.

  Casey nodded.

  The last three cards she turned over one after the other.

  The first was the Lovers card. The second, the Ten of Swords. The third and final, the Tower.

  The woman sat studying those cards, then looked at them both.

  “The Lover,” she said, smiling at them, “is a destined love relationship and choices that you've made.

  “The Ten of Swords indicated ultimate betrayal by someone you trusted.

  “The last card, the Tower, means all hell has broken loose, but it will all work out in the end.”

  Casey turned to Lynch who was taking the reading in. The cards certainly seemed to fit Casey's life to a T, but could he put his faith into what the card said? He didn't know.

  Lynch reached for his wallet, intending to pay her when she shook her head. “This reading is on me. Come back after the baby is born, and I'll do another. Then you can pay me.”

  “I'm not...”

  “Yes, you are. Trust me.”

  Casey turned to him, her eyes filled with tears.

  Could this woman be right? They hadn't used protection the night before, but how could she know that?

  “Do you want me to tell you if it will be a boy or girl?”

  Lynch jerked his attention to the woman. “No,” he said, then looked at Casey, who nodded in agreement.

  Lynch pulled her from the chair, and the two left.

  *

  Lynch insisted on driving them to her parents' house. That way, Casey could sit back and think about what had just happened with the psychic, and also what she was going to say to her father. She prayed she could keep her cool until she said what she needed to.

  When he drove the car up the long, cobblestoned drive to her parents’ elaborate estate, she considered backing out. Maybe it'd be best to just let it go? Just refuse to ever talk to the man again, but she thought Lynch deserved to know why her father had gone to such drastic means to end their relationship.

  Lynch parked in front of the door and looked over at her. “Do you want me to wait here?”

  “No. I think you have a right to know why Daddy sent you that letter, even if it was for selfish reasons. He needs to know how much pain he caused us both.”

  Lynch got out of the car and came around and helped Casey from the car. They stepped up to the massive double doors and rang the bell. He took her hand in his and squeezed it tight. He knew this was going to be hard for her and he was there to help her through it.

  A tall lady in a staunch white uniform greeted them. “Mrs. Jackson. I didn't know you were coming by today.”

  “They're not expecting me. Are they both here?”

  “Yes. They are in the study, I believe. Would you like me to tell them you're here?”

  Casey shook her head. “No. That's all right. I'll just surprise them.”

  The woman smiled and moved to allow them inside.

  Casey dragged Lynch with her through the large foyer, down the long hall to the study.

  She tightened her hold on his hand and entered the room, finding her parents in what appeared to be a heated discussion.

  Both turned to look at her, then Lynch.

  Her father scowled. “What’s going on, Casey? I’ve been trying to call you.”

  “I've been busy,” she snapped back. Both her mother and father looked at each other, then returned their attention to her.

  “I want to know why you needed all that money, Casey. Are you in trouble?”

  “I was until Lynch came home.”

  “I don't understand,” his father said, looking sternly at Casey.

  “Brent was trying to kill me.”

  There.

  She said it.

  “What?” her mother asked, getting off the sofa and crossing the room to come to her. She pulled her into her arms and held her.

  “Let her explain herself, woman.”

  Casey stepped away from her mother and stared at the man who had always been difficult to deal with. Now, she no longer cared what he thought of her. Not when he'd watched her suffer for months with the loss of Lynch and their child, and he'd been the one to cause it all.

  “He racked up a bill at Harrah's and stole money from his company to pay the tab. Tax season was drawing near, and they were going to find out about his embezzlement. He secretly had life insurance policies on me. He planned to kill me and make it look like a home invasion.”

  “But that still doesn't explain why you needed the money I gave you.”

  “To catch me off-guard, he pretended to be kidnapped, and that money was for the ransom.”

  “That son-of-a-bitch.” Her father started to pace. He stopped to ask. “So where is he now?”

  “In jail. Your money is being held until after his arraignment,” Lynch said.

  “Do they know everything?”

  “No. Just the embezzlement part.”

  “Why is that?” her father asked, looking confused.

  “He’ll spend time in jail and that’s all I care about.”

  “What happens now?” her mother asked.

  “I continue with my divorce.”

  Her father's eyes narrowed. “Continue? What are you saying, Casey? That you had
filed for divorce and never told your mother or me? Why is that?”

  “Well, we all know how many secrets this family has, Daddy. This is hardly the first.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Did you think I would never find out you sent Lynch a letter ending our relationship while he was in boot camp?”

  “What? I don't know what you're talking about. I did no such thing.”

  Casey stared at him. Why did he look angry she'd even insinuate such a thing?

  “You're lying,” Lynch said, taking a step toward the man.

  Casey held tight to his hand. Her father wouldn't hesitate to have him arrested if he laid a hand on him.

  Casey glanced at her mother who had paled. Why? Was she worried that Lynch would hurt her husband? Somehow she doubted that. Casey never once saw an ounce of concern for the man she married. She was too busy trying to entertain other men.

  Under her stare, her mother started to squirm.

  No. She couldn't have.

  “Did you write that letter, Mother?” She and her mom had very similar signatures. “Did you?”

  “He wasn't good enough for you, sweetheart. I thought it'd be best to break it off when he left. After all, there was no guarantee he'd come back.”

  Casey couldn't believe what her mother said. She knew the pain she'd gone through, had been there with her every day at the hospital before her son died. How could she have not told her the truth?

  “I don't know what to say. I thought Daddy sent that letter.” She looked at her father, who suddenly looked frail to her. What had her parents been fighting about when they'd arrived?

  “Is there something going on here?” she asked her father.

  “I'm leaving your mother.”

  Casey swallowed the emotion clogging her throat. “Why?”

  “I don't think that matters. This is a long time in coming. It's best if we end things on good terms now, rather than end on a bad note later.”

  Casey had no idea what to say. She'd come storming in there, determined to never see her father again, and now, everything had changed. She always suspected that her parents' marriage wasn't that great—with all her mother's infidelities, but she thought it was something the two agreed upon, yet maybe that had never been the case.