I wiped the sweat from my forehead as Braxton clamped a hand on my shoulder and Braden immediately engaged Abbie in conversation.
Braxton leaned in and said, “Joanie took your ass through the wringer, and this woman might not be your normal type. But she’s the one, Beck.”
I rolled my eyes. “Like you know my type.”
“I do,” he replied. “And Abbie Parker is not that stick up the ass Joanie. Thank God that witch is gone.”
“Joanie is gone. However, Abbie isn’t mine. I was hired to protect her.”
“I get it. I know you, though. You’ve sexed her up the Pavlov way, haven’t you?”
I inhaled a deep breath, keeping my eyes away from Braxton. “Shut up.”
“I’ll take that as a yes. Now you crave her? Be honest, Beck.”
“Fuck yeah, I do,” I said. Abbie laughed at whatever Braden said, and a spike of jealousy flickered through me.
“Then claim her. Braden is about to turn up the charm. Once he gets it going, she won’t be able to resist him.”
I eyed my older brother, who had his big hand resting over Abbie’s tiny one. He wasn’t coming on to her, but Braden did have a way with women. He was the tallest of the Pavlov brothers, standing well over six feet, broad, and brawny. He worked as a personal trainer with the Chicago Bears and had played pro football for two years until an injury sidelined him.
“I need to break that shit up,” I said to Braxton.
He laughed and said, “Handle it, brother.”
*****
The party wound down. My entire family had met Abbie. Braden congratulated me on landing a hot woman with a pulse. Once his teasing stopped, he saw Abbie as my light at the end of the dark tunnel I’d been trapped in. He was right.
Dad stayed neutral, as usual. His biggest concern was if I was over Joanie. He felt Abbie deserved to have all of me and not just part of me. He warned me to be sure before dragging her into any emotional shit.
Tonight, my family had made everything clear. I was in love with Abbie Parker.
We returned to the hotel around two in the morning, exhausted and ready for sleep. As we lay in bed, the darkness and quiet of the room surrounding us, Abbie kissed my shoulder.
“I had fun tonight. Thank you for showing me how much fun you really are.”
I stroked her bare arm. “Tonight was about forgetting about our problems, Abbie.”
“It worked. Maybe we’ll be able to do it again.”
“What’s stopping us?” I asked.
I felt her head moving against my chest. “Nothing. Nothing but maybe fear.”
“Why are you afraid? Talk to me, baby.”
“I’m scared how fast I got attached to you.”
“What do you mean attached?”
“We’re doing stuff real couples do, Beck. I’ve had thoughts of us being a real couple. But when this is over, you could be gone. Off to protect the next person.”
“Have you had thoughts about us being together before now?” I tried to slow my breathing so she wouldn’t notice my excitement at her admission.
“I have. I’m not trying to put you on the spot or make any demands, but I really care about you. I haven’t been this happy in a long time. And…” She paused.
“And what? Don’t get shy on me now.” I had to hear her say it.
“And I’ve fallen in love with you. I know you’re surprised and think I’m crazy. We both have been hurt and are dealing with it differently. I knew the first time we had sex that I should’ve stepped away from you. Lord, I regret that now. But the essence of you just drew me in like a freaking magnet.”
I put a hand under my head, propping it up. She regretted having sex with me? Fuck, I didn’t want her to have any regrets.
“You don’t have to say anything.” She ran her nails through the hair on my chest. “I understand you did not sign up for my emotional baggage either.”
“Abbie, stop. You’re more to me than a random romp in the hay. Babe, you’re special in so many ways.”
“Okay, I’m special. That’s all you have to say.”
“No, it’s not. Joanie fucked with my head. I was angry with her, but I don’t have any feelings of love for her, and haven’t since I’ve been with you.”
I’d desperately wanted to teach Joanie a lesson. Show her how easily she could be replaced. I wanted to fuck with her head, but when I met Abbie, that changed. I no longer wanted to get even. Not when I had a gorgeous woman who’d just confessed her love for me.
My heart swelled. “Abbie, know that I will always protect you, and cherish your heart with my life.”
“Stop saying sweet stuff like that, or I’ll believe you love me too.”
Pulling her even closer to me, I kissed the top of her head. “I do love you, Abbie Parker. You took me by surprise, and it’s the best one I’ve ever had.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Beck
Three days later
Abbie and I returned to Cleveland with lots to talk about. We’d spent the last two days of our vacation sightseeing in my favorite spots in Chicago, and ending it with dinner with my family. Abbie’s mother ended up not making the trip after it was canceled at the last minute.
I looked forward to meeting the woman who had birthed the love of my life. A trip to New York might be in the future.
Abbie’s mom was efficient, though. While we were gone, she and Dr. Parker had arranged the cleaning and clearing of Abbie’s condo, moving items Abbie might want to keep to a storage company. Abbie now had the option of renting it or selling it.
Until she decided what to do, she stayed with me. It had to be a short-term stay because of the size of the apartment and her status. Someone would soon spot her entering and leaving daily, namely Mrs. Whitney.
Anyhow, tonight was movie night with Stella and Zane. Abbie had made a delicious meal of beef short ribs, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans. I was definitely enjoying her home-cooked meals and her warm body next to me at night.
The women were in the kitchen talking and laughing. Zane and I were in the living room watching the end of the baseball game before it was cut off to watch a movie Stella and Abbie had chosen. No doubt it would be romance and nothing with guns or bombs.
Zane took a swig of his beer. “Did Davonte mention the car was registered to a rental company? The name on the lease was bogus, and they paid cash.”
“Yeah, he did,” I said. “That doesn’t change my mind about who is behind this. We just haven’t been home long enough for her to make a move.”
“I hope you’re right. I’m up for a new assignment. I could be on the road for months.”
“Do you know where you’re going?”
“Fucking Indiana. One day I’ll get to go somewhere tropical.”
I grinned. “Dream on. Have you told Stella yet?”
He nodded. “She knows.”
“I have news for Abbie. Not sure how she will take it,” I said.
“What did you do?”
I took a long swig from my beer. “I applied to North Olmsted and Fairview Park police departments. I want to be a cop again. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”
“Don’t wait to tell her. Women get freaked out over dangerous jobs. Although, out here in the burbs,” Zane said, and rolled his eyes, “you won’t see much action.”
“You never know. People like to challenge the police,” I said.
A loud crash came from outside. Abbie and Stella rushed into the room.
“What the hell?” I went to the window and saw nothing out the front. After turning off the lights, I went to the kitchen and looked outside. The windshield of Abbie’s car was smashed in.
I rushed to the bedroom and grabbed my gun. Abbie was on my heels everywhere I turned. “Stay here and don’t move,” I ordered her.
Zane was already at the door, gun in hand. “I’ll take the front; you take the back,” Zane instructed. “Let me handle the brunt if a fight breaks out, Beck.�
��
Since I was right-handed, I could shoot, but fighting would be a struggle with my left arm still weak. “I’ll be able to hold my own.”
We exited the apartment, easing down the iron stairs. Once we were outside, Zane and I secured the area, and, of course, no one was around. The brick that had broken the window lay on the front seat of the car. I picked it up and examined it. Nothing special at first glance. But when I looked closer, I saw it was the type of brick used to decorate gardens or other home aesthetics, not the typical builder’s brick.
“Zane, take a look at this brick. What do you see?”
He took it from me and examined it. “It’s too clean and perfect. No cement or adhesive on it. My grandmother had these types of bricks around her flower garden. She had a guy that would clean up bricks so they looked smooth, just like this one.”
I nodded. “Exactly. And who do we know that has these types of bricks around their expensive home?”
Zane sighed. “Fuck, man, your hunch about the stepmother is right.”
“Can’t be anyone else. Dr. Parker wouldn’t hurt his daughter. Trina has a lot to lose if she is suddenly cut out of the picture.”
“Is the old man about to kick her to the curb?”
“Yup. I think that love affair has reached its course.”
“And we need to find Clinton, too. The guy disappearing doesn’t sit well with me,” Zane said.
“Exactly. We’ll take turns keeping watch tonight. If she’s brazen enough to strike during the day, who knows what she’ll have in store for us tonight?”
Zane ran his hands through his hair. “She’s not counting on you having backup. We might have the upper hand if she returns tonight.”
“Right, she might think it’s just Abbie and me.”
“We need to set some bait,” Zane said.
“Yup. We’re going to turn the tables on Trina.”
“Say what?”
“We’re going to make her life unbearable,” I said. “We’ll see how much she enjoys being followed.”
Zane chuckled. “I like the idea, but will Abbie go for it?”
“I won’t give her a choice.”
*****
I heard my phone buzzing and got it before it woke Abbie. “Yeah,” I whispered into the phone.
“I know where Clinton is.” It was a voice I didn’t recognize.
“Address, and is he there now?”
“Yes. But don’t know how long. Got a pen?”
I hung up without responding after jotting down the address. I got out of bed. Abbie was sound asleep. Zane could stay with the women, and if I were quick, I’d be back before Abbie woke.
Zane bitched about me going alone, but I needed him to stay put. After sneaking out of the apartment and into my truck, I left to make a visit to the elusive Clinton.
I pulled up to the street address the caller had given me. There were blue and red lights flashing, lighting up the night sky. I parked, got out of the truck, and jogged over to the scene.
“What’s going on?” I asked a bystander.
“My neighbor was apparently killed tonight,” the man said.
I folded my arms across my chest, pretending I belonged there. “That sucks. I’m new to the neighborhood. So who was your neighbor?”
The man tugged on a leash, yanking his small dog away from a bag of fast food trash left on the curb. “His name was Clinton. He was a weirdo; he won’t be missed around here. Come on, Trixie. Time for bed,” the man said, and tugged the dog along behind him.
I moved closer to the crime scene. The body was on the porch of the run-down house. The man’s face was covered in blood but I could make it out clearly. It was the man I saw standing in the background the day Abbie was reporting the murders.
“Fuck!” I murmured. With Clinton dead, I’d have to step up and stop Trina before Abbie was next. Only I wasn’t a cop in this fucking city. I’d have to draw Trina to Abbie. That would be the only legal way to catch her.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Abbie
I had to be crazy. I didn’t want to believe Beck about Trina masterminding it all. Even though we hated each other, I didn’t think she’d really kill me. But it made sense. She had access to me. I hadn’t banned her from anything. She knew Dad had a key to my condo.
Dad hadn’t mentioned any other attempted break-ins since they’d been home. How odd that it would just stop. At first, Sam was a suspect. Then Sam had mentioned I hadn’t locked the door. I still believed I had locked the door. But with Beck’s tongue down my throat, I could’ve have forgotten.
Clinton, however, didn’t check out when GDB ran a background check on him. He didn’t work for the security company—he was a street thug. He would do any dirty job for a price.
With all that evidence staring me in the face, it boiled down to me being an idiot. What kind of reporter was I that I couldn’t connect Trina to any of this? She had pulled the wool over my eyes. That bitch.
With a sigh, I turned off my computer and began to change from my heels into a pair of sneakers. If I had to run, it would be in shoes that would increase my speed, not hinder it. Trina wouldn’t want to dirty her hands and would hire someone to silence me. Beck was convinced Clinton and Trina were cohorts. But who’d killed Clinton remained unsolved.
So I would be bait, and try hard as hell to stay alive while doing it.
“Are you leaving, Abbie?”
Stella’s voice jolted me back to reality. “Yes. I’m viewing a house today,” I said.
To lure Trina out, I’d made sure to plant the seed when I visited Dad the other day. Of course, Trina was there when I mentioned the house and what time I would be there.
“You’re not going to live with Beck?”
I shimmied into a pair of crop pants and unzipped my skirt, letting it fall to the floor before folding it and putting it in the drawer.
“No, Stella. His place is small and too far from work. Plus, I like having my own space.”
Stella gave a goofy smile and hugged me. “It’s so cozy and romantic. But the noise from the dance studio is a buzzkill.”
Filling my satchel with paperwork to look over for tomorrow’s destination shoot, I said, “His place is too noisy. I like to get a nap when I get off work; that doesn’t happen when I’m there.”
“I have an extra room. It’s yours if you want it.”
“If we want to remain friends, it is better I pass on that room. Besides, you and Zane need your privacy.”
She frowned. “Why? Zane and I are having fun, not falling in love to do the forever thing like you and Beck.”
“So you feel nothing for that hot-ass man?”
“I like hanging out with him and love the sex. But he is not the man I would take home to Thanksgiving dinner. We aren’t compatible that way.”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “It’s because of Easton. He will be your plus-one for the rest of your life. Are you sure you aren’t in love with him?”
Stella fixed her makeup in the small mirror attached to a retractable arm on my desk. “Easton and I can’t be anything until his wretched mother bites the dust. The woman hates me.”
I shut off the lights to the makeup mirror while Stella was still primping. “That was way too informative and mean. Have a good show, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
I walked outside. It was raining, and kind of hard. I shouldn’t complain—it hadn’t rained in weeks, and the grass and flowers needed it badly. The heat had been stifling and oppressive for much of the summer.
I was nervous. What if Trina wasn’t alone? Beck had promised he’d have me in sight and not to worry. He’d given me a small pocketknife that I could hide on me too.
Driving up to the little bungalow that was staged for me to buy, I didn’t see any cars around. I bit down on my lip, unsure if I wanted to go through with this. If Beck saw me drive off, he would know I’d changed my mind. He would be pissed, but he wasn’t the one putting his life in danger.
I reclined on the couch with the phone by my side; it was a waiting game now. I jumped when my phone rang with the theme song from Jaws. It was Eddie.
“I need to delete his ass permanently,” I said with a groan.
I decided not to answer it. What was the need? We both had finally moved on. Though I should answer and rub it in that I had a new love interest. See how he’d like the betrayal. Only it wasn’t betrayal on my end. Beck and I weren’t having an affair when we fell in love.
I closed my eyes. My body was exhausted. A lot of it was from sleeping at Beck’s place. The noise from the dance studio and his hands and body on mine wouldn’t let me sleep. So lately, I’d been feeling run-down. I was due for a physical in a month and would ask for something to get my energy up.
The doorknob on the front door rattled. My mouth went dry. If it were Beck, he would’ve called me to say the operation was off.
I took the knife from my purse and palmed it in my hand, then got to my feet. I didn’t want to be caught sitting. The door opened, and sure enough, Trina walked in, but she wasn’t alone. The man with her was black, angry, and fucking huge. He was built like the cartoon character Grape Ape. It took two minutes to cast my eyes over his massive body.
My throat constricted, and I had to force myself to sound stable. “Trina? What are you doing here?”
Dressed in all black denim, she sauntered into the room. “I need to talk to you.”
“About what?” I kept my eye on the man looming behind her. Interestingly, he too was dressed in black, including thick gloves on his big, beefy hands.
“Don’t play stupid with me.” Her snooty posture said it all. Her shit didn’t stink, and no one could tell her differently.
Beck Page 23