Always The Hero

by Callahan, Kelli

  “Why can’t you remember?” Lucy asked, her tone soft and steady as she tried not to pry.

  I gathered my hair and lifted it, not missing the sharp inhale of breath from her when she saw my scar. “I can’t remember exactly what happened, but I was injured, and the only thing I know is this last year.”

  I laid my hair back down and turned to her, only to see her chin wobble and tears break free. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” I took her hand in mine and squeezed. “I’ve had to adjust, but I’m okay.”

  “You better take care of her.” Lucy pointed a finger at Logan.

  “Always,” he said.

  I sniffled and wiped my cheek on my shoulder. “What else?” Officer Cortez’s eyes darted to Lucy and Godrick. He didn’t want to say anything else because whatever it was, it was bad.

  “Just say it,” I said, wanting to get it over with.

  He took a deep breath, which caused his wide chest to expand. He pulled out another photo and laid it on the table, but who I saw, I didn’t recognize. He was white, blue eyes, middle−aged with brown hair, and a dead look in his eyes. He loved nothing.

  “This is Steven Kirkland. Do you know this man?”

  “No.” And I really didn’t. “I’ve never seen him before.”

  “On October 2nd, 2018, this man rang your doorbell and asked one of your parents for directions. Your parents didn’t know they were talking to a serial killer, Abigail. The man in that photo is a professional. Your family was not the first he killed.”

  “They were murdered?” I thought back to my dream about my father stumbling down the hallway with his hands clutched to his stomach, getting blood on my hands. “My dream was real. It actually happened.” I felt lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. I fell into Logan, and the breath whooshed from my lungs. I couldn’t breathe as I gasped. I knew something bad happened, but that was the worse thing imaginable.

  Officer Cortez kept going, regardless of my tears, just to get everything out of the way. “Steven Kirkland chased you when you ran. He struck you with his knife, his go−to weapon, in the back of the head.”

  I reached back and touched the scar, the smooth skin sliding against my finger. That man took everything from me. My family, my memories, my ability to think quickly, and yes, I had my life, but I couldn’t remember my parents. I wanted to remember them. I shook my head as I cried. “This can’t be real. It can’t be.”

  “Why didn’t he kill her?”

  “He thought he did,” Officer Cortez said. “You woke up and called 911. You were disoriented. You couldn’t tell them everything that happened. After you healed—”

  “—I didn’t heal!” I stood, shouting at him. “I can’t remember anything. I can’t remember how to make a cup of fucking coffee!” I never cursed, but it seemed easy to do right now considering the circumstance. “Do I look healed to you? I can’t remember my own fucking birthday. I couldn’t remember if I had siblings, or my parents, what they looked like, what they felt like, I couldn’t remember anything! Their names, I only know them because you just told me. I can’t remember anything, and you said, I healed? Fuck you!” My words were slurred together, probably unrecognizable, but I didn’t care. I tossed my wine into his face and gasped, dropping the glass from my hand when I saw it dripping off his jaw and chin onto his pants.

  The wine glass shattered on the floor, and Godrick stood up from the couch. “It’s okay. Don’t move. I got it.”

  “I’m so sorry, Cortez. I’m so sorry,” I wailed, grabbing my stomach when it cramped and knotted. I felt sick. I wanted to throw up. Logan held me as I sobbed, soul−wrenching tears. Everything hurt, everything ached, my heart broke, knowing this was my life. This was the one thing I couldn’t remember.

  It was a horror movie, and I was the main character.

  “It’s okay, Abigail. Really, it’s just wine. I’m sorry for saying you healed; I meant as healed as you could be when they wanted to take you back to the house—”

  “—I ran away. I didn’t want to go back. I didn’t remember why, but I knew it was awful.”

  “We searched for you, my department, but we couldn’t find you. I wasn’t on your case, I’m only familiar with it now, but there is something you need to know.”

  “Come on, Cortez. Can’t you see she has been through enough?” Logan said as he held my head against his chest. He was my anchor.

  “The man that killed your parents escaped prison. He has been seen in this area again, and my guess is he came back to finish what he started.” Cortez looked me dead in the eye, and then handed me the file that held everything I ever wondered about myself.

  “Oh my god,” Lucy’s voice shook.

  “What? What are you saying, Cortez?” Logan questioned him, his voice on the edge of hysterical. “What’s that mean?”

  “Serial killers don’t like to leave things undone, Logan. He knows she is alive. He is going to come back.”

  Logan gripped Cortez by the shirt and slammed him against the wall, a loud roar ripping from his throat. “Are you saying she’s at the top of a list this guy has?”

  I stared at Cortez, hand against my heart as he looked away from Logan to meet my gaze. He dripped with wine still, and he could easily push Logan off him right now, but he didn’t. “That’s exactly what I’m saying, Logan. Abigail is in danger, and until this man is caught, she’ll always be in danger.”

  Logan let Officer Cortez go and took a step backward, seeming lost and confused. “No,” he said, shaking his head in denial. His red strands shined from the sun beaming in the window and even worried, he was the best looking man in the room. “No,” he repeated. “I won’t let anything happened to her. I won’t let anything happened to you, baby. I won’t.” In two steps, he had me in his arms, holding me tight against his body until I couldn’t breathe. “I won’t.” He sounded like a broken record.

  He was trying to convince himself more than he was me.

  “You hear me, Abigail? Nothing will happen to you.” He cupped my face, and I glanced away, not able to look at him. He made me though, cupping my jaw and fingering my cheekbones until I had no choice but to stare at him. His blue eyes were bright with tears, and the white of his eyes were red. “I love you, okay? You hear me? I love you, and as long as I’m alive and have breath in my lungs, I’ll protect you.”

  “I’ll place you on 24−hour protection. You’ll always have a cop car outside your home, alright?”

  “Thank you,” Logan told Officer Cortez.

  I was putting everyone in danger. Logan, his family, Officer Cortez. Everyone would be better off if I wasn’t here. I was doing more harm than I was good.

  Good thing he ran that background check on me, or we would never know the threat that lingered.

  “You could stay here,” Lucy said, red−faced with tears. “We have plenty of room.”

  “No,” I declined, running my hands down the skirt of my dress. I felt like I needed to do something, being here in this large house, I felt the walls caving in. “I don’t want to put you and your family at risk. This man will kill anyone, apparently, and if you’re in his way, he’ll kill you too.”

  Logan hugged his sister and kissed her cheek, gathered me in his arms. “We’re leaving, come on.”

  “We haven’t had Easter dinner,” I tried to joke, but no one laughed.

  Tough crowd. It wasn’t like they had a serial killer coming after them. Logan picked me up and carried me down the steps, running toward the truck as if the killer was right behind us. I’d never seen him in such a hurry.

  “We are going to buy a security system, a few guns, and I’m adding a panic room to the house.”

  “Logan—”

  “I’m going to keep you safe,” he set me in the passenger seat and buckled me up. Kissing me long and hard, he breathed heavily for a few seconds when he broke the kiss. “I swear on my life; I’ll keep you safe.” Logan shut the door and ran around the front of the truck
like he always did. We were gone just as quick as we arrived at his sister's, spitting dust behind us.

  As I looked in the side mirror, leaving Logan’s family behind, I knew one truth to all this: It wasn’t me I was worried about.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Logan

  Three weeks later

  I hadn’t been able to get enough of Abigail’s body. Ever Since Cortez laid out her entire life story and the serial killer coming back for her again, the only place I felt like we were safe, was when we were in bed, making love.

  I did everything I said I would. I bought a few guns and they were strategically placed all around the house. I installed a security system and cameras, and last but not least, the panic room. Godrick said since it was a part of the house, for it to come out of company expenses, so the guys and I built it, and my perfect intern brought us coffee and sandwiches the entire time. She answered calls too, mailed invoices, and other things like that. I didn’t want to overwhelm her, but she did great. Abigail seemed to really like the job too, and a part of me knew she just liked to have something to do.

  She had a degree in Business but didn’t remember a thing about it. She never had to work again if she didn’t want to. She could be my little intern forever, my sidekick when it came to building houses, and I’d be a happy man. I could have her close and given the circumstances, Godrick would approve.

  I had some time off saved up, and I wondered if I should sweep her away somewhere new. We could sell this place and disappear, and the killer could never find her. When I told her that, she balked, saying she wasn’t going to run. She liked it here, and my sister was here, and the only way she was leaving was in a body bag.

  Yeah, I didn’t laugh at that. It wasn’t funny.

  Like right now, she wasn’t home yet from going shopping with Lucy. I sat by the door, shotgun in hand, waiting. The situation had consumed me. I became obsessed with protecting her and having her near me. I hated to let her out of my sight, but I could tell she needed to get away from me. She needed to breathe. I was suffocating her.

  I couldn’t help it.

  She had no idea what it was like to feel this heavy dooming weight on my chest, the fear of losing her. I loved her so fucking much, and I was scared out of my mind that the best thing that had ever happened to me, would die and no longer be a part of my life.

  I barely slept.

  I barely ate.

  I needed it to be over.

  We were no closer to finding the killer than the day Officer Cortez told us about it. He had been true to his word and sat outside in a cop car until he was relieved, and someone else took his place. The killer hadn’t been seen. For all we knew, he wasn’t even in this city, and I was losing my mind for no goddamn reason.

  Would we have to live like this forever? I hoped not, but I would if it meant keeping her safe. Lucy’s car finally pulled into the driveway, and I pushed the chair back under the dining room table, set the shotgun in the corner, and laid on the couch to pretend to be asleep. I didn’t want her to think I was fussing over her and that I was resting like I told her I would be.

  But didn’t.

  I closed my eyes, which did feel really good to do, and the door opened, but it was too late. I was already sinking into a deep sleep, and nothing could wake me.

  * * *

  I wasn’t sure when I woke up, but it was dark out, and I had a blanket over me.

  The house was quiet.

  Just how long had I been asleep?

  Abigail.

  “Baby?” I called out for her, swinging my legs over the couch as I rubbed my eyes awake. “Baby? Abigail?” My heart pounded in my chest when she didn’t answer. I flung the blanket off and ran toward the bedroom where she usually was. She said it was the place that made her feel safe because she met me there.

  My chest felt tight. I clutched my heart to try and calm down, but my worst fear, a bloody image flashed in my mind of her dead, her brown eyes unblinking as she stared at me. I gripped the sides of my hair and stumbled into the bathroom where the light was on, and the panic gripping haze faded when I saw her in the bathtub, headphones on, and eyes closed.

  Jesus fucking Christ. She scared the shit out of me. I ran to her, dropped to my knees, and gathered her in my arms, not giving a fuck that I just got soaked, and bubbles were all over me.

  “Logan? What’s going on? What’s wrong?” She shucked the headphones off and hugged me back.

  “I woke up, and you didn’t answer me.” I held the back of her head with my hand and took a few deep breaths. I never wanted to feel that fear again.

  “I’m sorry. I wanted to take a bath and relax. I didn’t wake you because you’ve been so stressed out. I only wanted you to rest.” Her wet palm laid on my cheek, and I leaned into it, like the lovestruck man that I was.

  “I know,” I nodded.

  “You have to stop this obsessing.”

  “I can’t. I’m too afraid of losing you,” I admitted, staring into her deep brown eyes as they looked at me with sadness. “You don’t understand how much I love you,” I said. “You consume me, Abigail. You’re here,” I tapped my temple. “You’re here.” I placed her hand on my chest so she could feel the wild beat of my heart. “You don’t understand how much I love you. I can’t put it into words.”

  “I do know because I feel it, Logan.”

  I loved how she said my name. It was with more confidence. Her speech got better every day the more she spoke, but there were some days where I had to force the words out of her, and not having to do that would kill me. I loved taking care of her too much.

  Emotions bubbled up in my chest, and everything I had been hiding the last few weeks threatened to spill out of me.

  “I feel it,” she said, knowing what the words meant to us. “Join me in the tub.”

  I blinked back the pesky tears, not wanting to seem weak in front of her, and tossed my shirt into the corner with lightning speed. It didn’t matter the mood I was in if it meant being naked with my girl; I was going to be naked with my girl.

  I kicked off my pants next and settled in behind her, sinking into the hot bath and inhaling the steam. The lavender traveled into my lungs, and I circled my arms around her stomach and laid my palms flat.

  “If I tell you something, will you promise not to freak out?” she said.

  I couldn’t promise that. I was too on edge. “What is it?” I kissed the top of her shoulder, her skin wet and gliding against mine. It caused my cock to harden and rub against her backside.

  She turned around so she could face me and laced her fingers together on the back of my neck. Abigail bit her lip and looked down, not wanting to tell me whatever that was on her mind. “You can tell me anything, baby,” I said, rubbing my hands up and down her back, and it caused the water to splash and move, creating small ripples.

  “I didn’t know what was happening because there are things I can’t remember, like basic functions of the male and female body,” she gulped. “Oh god, I’m nervous. Okay. I called Lucy because I was late, and she took me to get a test, and yeah,” she said, the words slurred together to create one gigantic one that I didn’t understand.

  “You need to breathe and repeat all that,” I chuckled, gathering her hair in my hand and grazing it over her shoulder, so I had a visual of her slender collarbone. Mmm…I wanted to bite it.

  “I’m pregnant. We are pregnant.”

  I blinked at her, stunned. Slowly the words sank in, and a big smug grin slid over my face. “Really?”

  “Yeah, I felt so stupid, but everything clicked together, and everything started to make sense. Like why my boobs hurt,” she said.

  “So the burger at two in the morning didn’t ring any bells?” I asked, remembering a few nights ago where she woke me up in tears because she wanted a cheeseburger with bacon and chocolate sauce. It made me sick when I made it, but my girl huffed it down like a champ.

  “It didn’t ring your bells either!” she giggled
, sloshing water at me with her hand.

  “No, it didn’t, and it should have.” I tightened my arms around her and pulled her closer until our bodies were aligned, and her swollen tits pressed against my chest. “You’re really pregnant? This isn’t a joke?”

  “No, I wouldn’t joke about this, especially with how things have been lately. I’m excited. It’s your baby. I’m having your baby, and that makes me the happiest woman in the world,” she said, rubbing her very flat stomach. “It’s so soon for us, but I feel like I’ve known you forever. Too early wouldn’t be early enough with you. I want you and this baby,” she said. “I love you, Logan. You’ve changed my life.”

  The air between us shifted. Lust hung heavy in the air. I nibbled her chin, and she leaned her head back, giving me full access to her neck. Fucking hell, I loved this neck, so soft and slender, so elegant. I brought my hand up and slid my wet fingers down it, growling from how beautiful she looked, wet and wanting.

  “You’ve changed mine too,” my lips formed the words against the supple skin of her neck. “I couldn’t be happier about this.” I laid my palm against her belly, and while I should be freaking out that she was pregnant with a serial killer on the loose, that was not the first thing on my mind.

  I was so fucking happy, and I wanted her so fucking bad in this moment. I got her pregnant, my cock, my come, she made me feel like a beast, and I needed to have her again. It wasn’t enough that she was pregnant. I wanted more.

  Standing up, I lifted her into my arms and continued licking, biting, and sucking on her neck until blood reached the surface of her skin, leaving a mark. Soaking wet, I stepped out of the tub. My wet feet patted against the floor as I strode toward the bedroom. We were dripping puddles of water onto the floor.

  The first thing I was going to do was spank her ass for calling herself stupid. Not once have I went back on my promise to tell her she was brilliant and loved, but every time she spoke badly about herself, she was taking a step back in the wrong direction.