Abby's Heart (Bryant Station Curves) (10 page)

The shrill ring of a cellphone broke through the veil of sleep wrapped around Abby. It took her a few minutes to realize it was her cellphone making the noise.

Abby opened her eyes just wide enough to see her cellphone laying on the nightstand by the bed. She stretched out her arm. Her body screamed in protest. Abby gritted her teeth as she snagged the cellphone. She slid the accept button.

“Hello?” she asked as soon as she put it up to her ear.

“Is Abby Wolfe there?”

“This is she speaking.” Abby had to stifle a yawn.

“I’m Deputy Griffin. The sheriff has several questions he needs you to answer. He would like you to meet him this morning at the building you are restoring.

“Yeah, I can meet with him, but it will have to be about an hour from now.”

“I will let the sheriff know you will meet with him in one hour.” The phone call abruptly ended.

Abby glanced at the time before she dropped the cellphone back onto the nightstand. She looked around. Sunlight streamed through an opening in the curtains. She touched the other side of the bed. It was cold. Abby rolled. Some muscles protested louder than other ones. She looked at the pillow. The indent told her Skylar had slept next to her.

She listened.

The house was quiet and there were no smells of food cooking. Her gut told her she was alone in the house. Skylar must have thought she would sleep longer than she did. He probably
didn’t expect her cellphone to ring, or he would have turned off the ringer.

Abby sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. Her muscles hurt screamed in protest. Abby pushed through the pain and got up. A hot shower should help, she thought. She went over to her suitcases. It was a bit pathetic, seeing her belongings stuffed into suitcases. She
wasn’t even sure where she could put her stuff, even if she did unpack. Abby shook her head. She grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, Abby emerged from the bathroom. She was right about the hot water helping her sore muscles. Abby picked up her shoes and sat down on the edge of the bed. She quickly found, bending down to tie her shoes was not an option.
She turned so she could pull her right leg up onto the bed. It wasn’t an ideal solution, but it worked. Abby was able to put on her shoes. She picked up her cellphone and slipped it into a back pocket. 

Standing up, Abby took a last look around the bedroom.  “Skylar, where are you?” Abby asked herself. She thought about her meeting with the sheriff. “How am I going to get to town?” She closed the bedroom door behind her.

Abby went downstairs and into the kitchen. She looked around, but found nothing out of place, not even any dirty dishes in the sink. She turned and glanced at the island, on the far corner, sat her truck keys and a note. Slowly she walked around the island. She looked at her keys and raised an eyebrow. Abby picked up the note and read it.

Abby,

A problem came up at the construction site. Unfortunately, I’m the only one who can solve it, and the papers I need are in the office. I’ll be home as soon as I take care of everything. Your truck is outside. Billy and Marcus brought it early this morning. They wanted to see you, but I told them you need your sleep more than they needed to see you. I don’t think I earned any points today.

There is food in the refrigerator. Make yourself at home. It is you home too.

                                                                                                  Love,

             
                                                                                    Skylar

Abby laid the note back on the island. She looked at the clock on the microwave. It was almost ten o’clock. She had about twenty minutes to get to town or she would be late for her meeting. Abby picked up the keys. She hoped the meeting with Sheriff Anderson wouldn’t take too long.

Fifteen minutes later, Abby pulled into the alley parking lot behind the building. Abby parked the truck. She stared at the building.

It really was a beautiful building, but the beauty was hidden behind too many years of neglect—neglect that was her job to peel back. Hidden rooms, skeletons, and old paintings that looked like her were not supposed to be a part of her world. Yes, she and her crew had found forgotten antiques and odd things, but never a human skeleton
or the other stuff all in one spot. It was beyond eerie.

The sooner Sheriff Anderson and his investigators finished with their investigation, the sooner she could get the restoration process underway. This building and its twin were going to make beautiful offices on the two lower floors, and a couple of high-end apartments on the top floors.

Abby looked around the parking lot. Sheriff Anderson was not there, in fact, no one from the police department was there. Abby frowned. She looked at the clock in her dashboard. She was only five minutes early, but she figured someone would be here, especially with the basement and active investigation site.

Abby got out of the truck and walked over to the outside basement door. She stared at it. Her eyes widened. “Why didn’t the deputy tell me they were finished with the investigation? I could have had the crew ready to go.” She shook her head. “At least they took all that yellow police tape down. That will save me a good half hour or more to get things ready.”

The door creaked.

Abby stopped talking and stared at the door. Slowly she reached out to it.

Her fingertips made contact with the wood, and she pushed. The door opened.

“What the hell?” Abby’s surprise turned to anger. “Leaving the building unlocked is totally stupid. You would think police would know better.”

Abby pushed the door completely open. She hesitated.
Quit being silly
, she told herself. She walked into the basement.

Nothing happened.

Abby let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. She repeated. Abby took several steps and stopped. She looked around as she let her eyes adjust to the dark. “A little wolf vision would be great about right now.”

“That could be arranged.”

Abby whirled around to face the source of the voice. “What are you doing here?”

“You and I need to finish our little talk without that stupid bear interrupting again.” Edwin took a step toward Abby.

“We don’t have anything to talk about. Besides, you are trespassing on private property.” Abby glared at Edwin. Something deep inside yelled for her to run away from him as fast as she could. Abby glanced around the room. She couldn’t see much in the dark surrounding them. Hiding in it wouldn’t do much good. With his wolf eyesight, he would easily see where she was hiding. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from showing her frustration by groaning. He blocked the only exit she knew about.

Edwin’s laughter sent chills down her spine.

“That’s right. You’re not going anywhere until I say you can go.” He sneered at her. “I’m never letting you go. You are mine.”

“I’m not yours.” Abby glared at Edwin.

“You are mine.” He took a step toward her.

“The hell I am.” Abby thought about the baseball bat in the back of her truck, remembering how her brothers had put it there and told her to use it on anyone who tried to hurt her, but it was in the truck. She needed a weapon.

Edwin lunged. He grabbed one of Abby’s arms and yanked her against him. “I said you were mine.”

The impact knocked the air out of Abby. She gasped. Air slowly filled her lungs. She looked up at Edwin. His eyes were red and beads of sweat covered his forehead. 

“Mine!” His grip tightened.

Abby raised her right foot and stomped his foot as hard as she could with the heel of her boot.

Edwin yelped and loosened his grip on Abby just as she jerked her knee up into his groin. He let her go as he fell to the floor, holding himself. Abby glanced at the door before she looked back at Edwin. She had no choice. She had to get around Edwin if she wanted to get to the door.

Abby watched him roll around on the floor. She inched her way around him.

“No!”

Abby felt a hand wrap around her ankle. She jerked, but could not free herself.

“You’re not going anywhere, bitch!” Edwin jerked.

Abby tried to stop her fall, but the railing broke under her weight. In seconds, she felt her body go weightless. She twisted in midair. Pain shot through her back and arm as her shoulder took the brunt of the landing. Abby groaned.  Pain radiated through her back and down her arm, and her head hurt.

“Stupid bitch!”

Abby tried to roll over and get up. Her body refused to cooperate.

“Who the hell are you?”

Abby heard Edwin’s questions, but she
didn’t hear a reply. She hoped it was the sheriff.

“What the hell—” The words were lost in a gurgling sound.

Abby clamped her left hand over her mouth.

She waited.

A body landed on the cement floor with a sickening thud.

Abby’s eyes widened as she stared at Edwin’s body.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the basement. Someone was coming down the stairs. Abby shook.

“And what do we have here?” The voice was cold and hard. “I do believe it is Abby, trying to hide from me.” The chuckle was cold.

Shivers raced down Abby’s spine. The voice was pure evil.

A dark figure walked toward her. The shadows hid its face.

Abby tried scooting away, but she had nowhere to go. She screamed when a bony hand reached out and wrapped around her throat. Abby’s screams abruptly ended.

The person chuckled again.

Abby grew dizzy from the lack of oxygen. Her world faded away.

Skylar rolled his shoulders. He glared at the papers scattered across his desk. It had taken him three hours to find the receipts he needed for the report Theo Willis demanded to have before he would release any money to Anderson Construction. Without the money, Skylar couldn’t pay the bills or make payroll.

Want my mate.

Skylar shook his head.
Yeah, I want her too.

We go get mate.

As soon as I finish with this paperwork and stop by the sheriff’s office to see Todd, then we will go home to Abby.

Not good enough.
We go now.

Skylar shook his head again.
We will go when I get finished.

Away from mate too long.
Not good.

She is safe at home—our home.

Evil tried to hurt mate. We must protect mate.

If you would settle down, I could get this report finished a whole lot faster.

Skylar’s bear growled, but it didn’t say anything else. The animal started pacing back and forth.

Skylar closed his eyes. The pacing back and forth was extremely annoying, but at least the two of them
weren’t fighting as they used to fight. Having Abby back in their lives brought a peace to them that they had lost.

He
didn’t like leaving Abby alone at his house, but she needed her sleep. He thought about calling her, but he didn’t want to wake her. He honestly did not know how she had kept going for so long.

Our mate is strong.

Yes, she is.
Skylar had to agree with his bear.

Cubs will be strong.

It is a little soon to be thinking about cubs. We just got Abby back in our lives.

Mate is beautiful. Mate
will be more beautiful when she is huge with cub.

Skylar loved Abby’s curves. Her wide hips gave him something to hold onto when he pounded into her. He closed his eyes. He could feel her heavy breasts in his hands. He imagined the pebbled nipples. His mouth watered, knowing her soft skin tasted of honey and vanilla.

He adjusted his jeans, but it didn’t help much. The more he thought about Abby, the harder his cock became.

Go get mate.

I am almost finished.

His bear growled.
Work faster.

Q
uit thinking about Abby and how her body feels.

The bear licked his lips
. Like the way mate sways back and forth when she walks.

Skylar groaned. He knew exactly what the bear was talking about, and it
didn’t help his problem. He gritted his teeth. Skylar wasn’t sure which was worse—a horny man or a horny bear.

Want mate.

Sit down. Pace. I don’t care. Just be quiet, so I can finish this paperwork.

His bear snorted, but it sat down.

Skylar readjusted his jeans but he knew only one thing would actually help him with his problem—burying himself deep into Abby’s sweet, tight pussy.

Want mate too.

Skylar growled.
Give it a rest.