Abby's Heart (Bryant Station Curves) (6 page)

Skylar smelt her pain and he felt her body trembled. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against his body. “There are several hours from that day I don’t remember. It’s as if someone erased them. It’s not an excuse. Something made sure we were apart, but now you are back in my life and something or someone has tried to kill you, not one, but twice. I’ve spent too many years longing for to touch you, to love you, and now I have you, I am not letting you go. I will fight anything or anyone who tries to take you from me.” He wrapped his hand in her hair and forced her to tilt her head up.

Abby stared into his
green eyes as his word sunk in. Was he telling her the truth? Was it possible something had driven them apart on purpose?

Skylar bent and captured her lips with his.

The kiss was gentle at first, and Abby refused to kiss him back. Skylar brushed her lips with his tongue, lapping up the taste of honey and vanilla. He deepened the kiss. Abby moaned against his lips. Abby’s lips parted. The taste of coffee and chocolate spilled into her mouth and she kissed him back.

Skylar deepened the kiss as he pulled her tighter against his body. He felt his bear butting its head against his chest.

Take mate home. Keep mate in bed. Want mate round with cubs.

The thought of Abby round with his cub caused his cock to grow again. He had spent too many years without her. He was not letting her go.

Abby felt his cock press into her stomach. She moaned. Her body ached, but all she wanted to do was curly up against Skylar and tease him into taking her just the way he said he would.
What’s wrong with me?
She questioned her sanity.
I want him as much now as I did back then, even though I know what he did.

“Normally, I would tell you to get a room, but since it’s on fire, I guess that’s not a good idea.”

Abby broke the kiss. “Bad joke. Bad timing.” She looked at Billy. “Go away.”

“Can’t do that.”

“Go away.” Skylar growled at the wolf.

“Really?”
Billy raised an eyebrow. “Now, I’ve got two of you pushing me around?”

“Like you would let anyone push you around.”

“Abby, my sweetheart, you can push me around anytime.” Billy put his hands over his heart.

“She’s mine.” Skylar’s eyes turned silver.

“Yelp, she’s all yours, but the Alpha may have something to say about it.” Billy grinned. “He will be at the police station in about thirty minutes, but I’m guessing it won’t take him that long.”

“Great! Just what I need,” Abby muttered as she buried her face in Skylar’s chest.

“You are mine. He can’t hurt you. You are not wolf.” Skylar whispered into Abby’s ear.

“I can’t wait for the Alpha to get here.” Billy threw his head back and laughed. “This is going to be so much fun.”

Abby stared at the bare, gray walls of the interrogation room. Even though it was summer time outside, the room was cold. A chill crept down her spine. She wrapped her arms around herself, wishing Skylar’s arms were wrapped around her instead. Abby shook her head.
Quit thinking about him that way. He doesn’t really care, but he is staying here with you.
Her mind bounced back and forth.

“I wanted to get you something stronger than the coffee, but the officer out front frowned at the idea of alcohol in the sheriff’s department.” Billy handed her a cup of coffee. “Be careful, it’s hot.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet. You haven’t tasted it.”

“It can’t be that bad.” Abby took a sip. Her mouth and nose scrunched together in a grimace. “That’s beyond bad.”

“I told you.”

“What did they use? Tar?” She stuck out her tongue.

“If it doesn’t kill you, it will keep you awake.” Billy waggled his eyebrows at her.

“Or send me running for a toilet.” Abby shook her head and shoulders. She looked at Billy. “Was anyone hurt in the fire?”

“You mean other than you?”

“You know what I mean.”

“Everyone got out.
There’s smoke and water damage throughout the hotel, but the fire was concentrated in your room. The sheriff already has an arson team combing through the remains of your room.”

Abby put down the cup of coffee. “So I was the target.”

“Yeah, it looks that way.”

“Do you think the fire had something to do with what we found in the basement?”

Billy’s eyebrows shot up. “Between that bear of yours and the fire, I sort of forgot about that.”

“It just seems a little too coincidental.” Abby sighed.

“What’s too coincidental?” Skylar walked into the room carrying two coffee mugs. The Sheriff Todd Anderson followed him.

“We had a problem this morning at the building on Main Street.”

“Is that the one Theo Willis bought?” asked Todd.

“It is.” Abby reached for the coffee Billy had brought her.

“You really don’t want to drink that stuff.” Skylar shoved one of the coffee mugs in her hands. “This is out of Todd’s office, not the stuff set out front for the public.” He glared at Billy. “Stupid wolf.”

“Hey, how was I to know. “ He glared back at Skylar. ‘If I’m a stupid wolf, you’re an oversized, stuffed teddy bear.”

Skylar growled at him.

“Enough!” Todd glared at both men. “If you two don’t settle down, I’m throwing you out of here, and I don’t think either of you want to leave Abby alone and defenseless.”

“I’m not leaving my mate.” Skylar moved closer to Abby and crossed his arms over his huge chest.

Todd raised an eyebrow.
“Your mate?” He couldn’t disguise the laughter in his voice.

Skylar growled.

“And that’s why I’m not leaving my cousin alone with that bear, or any other bear for that matter.” Billy crossed his arms. “The Alpha will be here any minute.”

“Great.” Todd ran his hand throw his hair. He turned his attention to Abby. “What was the problem?”

“We found a wall in the basement that doesn’t exist on any blueprint or building permit. I have pulled all the permits. They only go back to the late sixties. The building was originally built in 1916, so there are several decades in which the wall could have been built.”

“So you have no idea when the wall was built or who built it?”

Abby shook her head. ”During a routine inspection that we’ve performed a hundred times, the wall literally fell down on us.”

“And how is this connected to you and the fire?” Doubts filled Todd’s voice.

Skylar growled. “You shouldn’t have been in that basement. It’s too dangerous.”

Abby ignored him. “It’s not the fact the wall fell down, it’s what we caught on video.” She took a sip of the coffee. “The camera caught what looks like skeletal remains.”

“There’s a skeleton in the basement?”

“We don’t have a visual confirmation. We’re just going on what is on the tape.”
Abby took another sip of the coffee. She caught herself just before she sighed. She quickly took another sip. Good coffee was a weakness. She looked at Skylar. Correction—good coffee was one of her weaknesses. She was staring at her other weakness.

“I’ll send a couple of officers over to get a visual confirmation and start an investigation.” Todd turned to leave.

“You can’t do that.”

“Excuse me?” Todd turned around and gave Abby a cold stare. “Are you telling me I can’t investigate a crime scene in my town?”

Abby returned his cold stare. “I’m the building engineer in charge of this project. I can’t let anyone in the building until I get my team in there to reinforce the supports holding up the building.”

“When will your team be here?”

“She will have a team in the building the first thing in the morning.” A huge man stood in the doorway.

“Who are you?” Todd glared at the man. He sniffed the air and shook his head. “Another damn wolf,” he mumbled.

Skylar stepped in front of Abby and growled a warning.

“I’m Marcus Wolfe, Alpha of the Briary Creek pack, owner and CEO of Wolfe Industries, and Abby’s father.” Waves of raw power rolled off him.

Todd muttered something.

Skylar growled at the intruder. He glanced at Abby. “How can he be your father? He is a wolf. You’re a human.”

Abby shrugged her shoulders. “He mated my mom and adopted me.”

“And as my daughter, she is a member of my pack.” Marcus growled at the bear standing next to Abby.

Skylar snorted. “You don’t have a claim on her. Abby is my mate.”

Marcus raised an eyebrow. “It doesn’t look like you’ve done a very good job protecting her.” He stared at Skylar.

“Dad, would you give it a rest? I am fine. I do not need any one protecting me. I am capable of protected myself.” Abby glared at her father. The powerful waves coming off her dad bounced off her. She knew they were there, but they didn’t affect her as they did the rest of the pack or others who happened to get caught in their path. She crossed her arms

Marcus fought the urge to smile. Abby was the daughter of his mate, but he thought of her as his own daughter. He was proud of her, and worried about her. Even though she was human, she was an alpha female. Many of the pack females looked to her for guidance, but she had yet to tap into her full powers—powers he knew
were hidden in her.

Even though she
wasn’t wolf, Abby was the perfect mate for an alpha male. Even though he hated the males sniffing around her, he hoped she would find her mate among the potential males who courted her, but deep down he knew she was traveling a different path. He hoped she would survive and have a house full of pups—or cubs, as it seemed the fates had in store for her.

Marcus glared at the bear standing between him and Abby. “You haven’t done a very good job protecting my daughter.” He threw the challenge out. He needed to know the bear’s true intentions with Abby.

“She’s my mate. I will protect her.”

Marcus raised an eyebrow. He saw the cuts and bruises covering Abby’s face. Billy had told him about the wall crashing down on them at the building and about the fire in Abby’s hotel room. “She is my daughter.” He looked the bear up and down. “You are not strong enough to protect her.”

“Are you challenging me?” Skylar seemed to grow bigger.

“You are not much of a challenge. I think I should take Abby home. Unlike you, one of the alpha males from the other packs will be strong enough to protect her.”

Skylar growled.

Rip wolf apart

That does sound like a good idea, but I don’t think Abby will be happy about theat.

Wolf
wants to take mate away from us. She will forgive after she is heavy with our cub.

He is not taking Abby away. She belongs to us.

“What’s wrong bear? Not sure what to do?” Marcus taunted the man. He wanted the bear to come at him. He needed to know the bear shifter was willing to attack anyone in order to protect Abby. “Don’t worry. The alpha males will know who to treat her, and how to protect her. They will be more than happy to give her strong pups.”

The small room grew smaller with the waves of energy rolling off the two alpha males. Abby rolled her shoulders. She knew her dad was baiting Skylar, because only the strongest alpha would be good enough for her. She got up.

Skylar blocked her.

“Would you move out of my way?” Abby snarled at him.

“You are not going near him, or any other male.” Skylar’s normally deep voice was deeper. “You are mine.”

“You don’t tell me what I can or can’t do.  I am my own boss. I go where I want to and I see who I want to.” Abby pushed Skylar. “Move out of my way!”

Skylar whirled around and wrapped his arms around Abby, pulling her tight against his body. “You. Are. Mine.”

The warmth of his body seeped into hers. She fought the urge to crawl up his body and wrap her arms around his neck. She wanted to lick his lips. She wanted to lick him everywhere. Abby shook her head, trying to clear it of the thoughts she was having.

“You really don’t want her. She’s a pain in the ass. There’s nothing submissive about her.”  Marcus waited.

Abby rolled her eyes. “Unbelievable!” She tugged at the arm wrapped around her waist. “If you two want to play the alpha game, go right ahead. Just leave me out of it, because I
don’t want any part of it. Someone can call me in the morning and tell me who won.”

Skylar tightened his grip, but made sure he
didn’t hurt her. He sniffed her hair. Her honey and vanilla scent calmed him and ignited his blood at the same time. He wanted to lay her across the table and sink his cock into her, but he didn’t think she would appreciate an audience. “You are mine. I will protect you. I need you,” he whispered. There was no way she was leaving him, not this time.

“But—”

Skylar captured her lips with his lips. The kiss started out soft and sweet, but the more he tasted the more he wanted. He needed more. Skylar felt like a drowning man who desperately needed air.

His lips slowly released hers. Abby whimpered. She
didn’t want the kiss to end. Abby stared into Skylar’s eyes. “I don’t want to be hurt again,” she whispered.

“I won’t hurt you. I need you as much as you need me.”

Abby rested her head on Skylar’s shoulder. The sweet scent of chocolate and coffee filled her nose. She felt moisture leaking from her pussy. She wanted and needed him too.

Marcus cleared his throat. “Take her home, but make sure you keep her safe.”  He let the unspoken ‘or else’ threat hang in the air.

“Dad?” Abby stared at her dad. Her eyes widened in disbelief. He was telling Skylar to take her home with him.

“The crew will be here in the morning.” He stepped aside, opening the doorway.

Abby squealed when Skylar suddenly picked her up. “Put me down before you hurt yourself.”

“You are not heavy. You are beautiful.”

Mine,
roared Skylar’s bear as he pushed against Skylar’s skin.

Ours.

Yes, ours. Do not do anything stupid this time.

I am not going too.
Skylar meant it. Nothing was coming between him and Abby.

And no
blondes in the bed when we get home.

Abby is the only fe
male who will be in our bed.

Good. You remember.
Only our mate.

Our mate.

Skylar nuzzled Abby’s neck and smiled as he carried her out of the police station