Murphy's Law (9 page)

Once the words were out, she wished she
could take them back. Tears welled in her eyes, and Murphy cursed. She had been
running for six months and it had taken its toll. She’d lived in fear for so
long, she’d forgotten how to be free.

Tears rolled down her cheeks before she
could stop them. Stephen had made sure she couldn’t leave town. Now she was
broke, trapped, and in danger of losing her daughter. Pain ripped through her
at the thought of those people taking Abby. Turning away from Murphy, she set
her cup on the table. She didn’t want him to see her cry again, but the tears
refused to stop.

Murphy crushed her against his chest and
his arms were around her, big and strong. He tucked her head into his shoulder
and pulled her onto his lap so he could wrap himself around her. Sara clung to
him as she released the emotion that had built inside her from telling the
story. She soaked his shirt and wilted like a flower when she finished. They
sat there in silence long after her tears had dried up and only the sound of her
hiccups remained.

Murphy held her until she collected
herself. He didn’t press or chide her for breaking down yet again in front of
him. He simply offered a shoulder to cry on, and Sara took everything he
offered because it had been so long since she’d had anyone to lean on. His arms
felt good around her and made her feel safe, if only for a moment. She imagined
here, wrapped in his arms, she would be protected. Nothing would get through
the barrier he provided. It felt so good, fresh tears spilled over her lashes
and onto his shirt as she cried for what she had been missing and what she
wanted but couldn’t have.

* * * *

Murphy held Sara as another bout of
tears shook her. He had never seen a woman with so many, and it tugged at his
hardened heart.

She was in more trouble than he had
imagined. He knew about loyalty and how families like the Benchleys worked.
They were no different than the terrorist groups. They both had the same
principles and protected the
family
with any means necessary. If this
family wanted the girl,  they wouldn’t stop until they had her. Sara would be
removed from the picture permanently if need be.

The thought shook him more than it
should have. From what he had seen so far, Sara was a good mother, loving and
capable, and didn’t deserve to be punished for her mistakes. He knew she blamed
herself for things that weren’t her fault. The man she had fallen in love with
was undoubtedly not the man she married. Sara was too kind-hearted to blame
anyone but herself. He hated to see her punishing herself for that bastard’s
lies.

She had been treated like an outsider
and punished for who she was--or wasn’t--and now he understood why she always
apologized. She’d lost her sense of self. That family was responsible. Beneath
the lost soul hid a fiercely loyal woman with a loving nature. He could see
where that could be used against her.

A streak of anger and possessiveness
worked its way through him. His arms tightened around her as the pieces fell
together. The destruction in the cabin, the Jeep, they were all indicators of
what kind of man chased her. The kind Murphy had spent most of his life
fighting. Dammit, he’d walked away from that fight. But when he looked into her
gentle blue eyes, he knew he would pick up his weapons once again and go to battle
for her.

Though he didn’t understand what started
the waterworks this time, he held her and let her cry through it. He tried not
to notice how delicate and soft she was or how good she smelled wearing his
soap. The last thing she needed was him coming on to her. She had enough
burdens on her shoulders and didn’t need his attraction added on top of it. She
had been through hell. He couldn’t imagine the fear she’d been feeling the past
six months. Not many people were forced to run for their life in order to
protect their daughter.

When her tears subsided, she lifted her
head and turned away so he couldn’t see her red nose and swollen eyes. She
hiccupped and covered her mouth with a shaky hand.

“Look at me,” he ordered softly.

After a moment, she did. His chest
tightened when he saw despair shining in her eyes. She hadn’t wanted to tell
him everything. He also saw the hopelessness and fear she tried to hide.

Murphy tucked a strand of damp hair
behind her ear. “You’re safe here.”

Sara shook her head. “You don’t
understand. Stephen is dangerous. He has connections who can make me disappear
forever. Abby is Kent’s only heir. Chelsea’s only granddaughter. She won’t stop
until she has her back. Stephen will make you disappear too. He’ll do whatever
Chelsea needs him to do.”

Her supplication made Murphy wish he
could tell her why she was wrong, but his past would stay buried. Nine months
in a cage hadn’t killed him and neither would some hotshot lawyer from Chicago.

“No one is going to disappear, because
no one knows you’re here. For now you’re safe.”

“For now I’m screwed,” Sara whispered.
“I have no way of leaving town. And it’s only a matter of time before Stephen
figures out where I am. I have no money to buy a new car or pay for the damage
he caused to the cabin I was renting. Mr. Franklin is going to want restitution
for the damages.”

“It’s taken care of.”

Sara’s eyes widened and met his. “What?
How?”

“Doesn’t matter. Do you have everything
you need out of the cabin?” Murphy said gruffly.

Tears welled in Sara’s eyes again and he
cursed.

“You paid for the damages.” Her voice
wavered.

Murphy didn’t say anything. Better if he
didn’t tell her he’d bribed Ed Franklin into silence.

“Oh, Murphy,” she whispered and reached
up to cup his cheek. “You’ve helped me so much. How will I ever repay you?”

He scowled. “You aren’t going to. Not
everybody has ulterior motives, Sara.”

Murphy wanted to grab every one of the
Benchleys and slam his fist through their expensive noses for the number they
had done on Sara. They had extinguished the light inside her and it made him
angrier than he had been in a long time. After his return from Azbakastan, he’d
shut himself away from everyone because he was dead inside. The time he’d spent
in that cage had killed his spirit and was part of the reason he had retired
from Special Forces. Since Sara’s arrival, things had been stirred up inside
him. Things he wasn’t ready to feel. Easier not to.

Her warm, soft hand lay against his
skin, her palm over his scar. She swayed toward him and his body responded, but
Murphy didn’t act on impulse this time. Kissing Sara wasn’t an option, no
matter how much he wanted to taste her soft lips.

Abruptly he removed her from his lap and
set her firmly on the sofa beside him.

She didn’t argue and folded her hands in
her lap. “So where do we go from here?”

“For now we stay put.”

“Do you think it’s safe to go back to my
cabin? I’d like to pick up a couple things before Mr. Franklin starts the
repairs.”

“I’ll take you there tomorrow morning.”

Sara nodded. “You don’t mind us staying
here a little longer?”

“Where else would you go?”

She sighed. “Nowhere. I have nowhere to
go.”

Murphy cupped her chin and forced her to
look at him. “You do now. It’s late. Get some rest. We’ll go get your things in
the morning.”

She graced him with a tiny smile that
wavered slightly. “Okay.”

He let her go and watched her walk to
her bedroom. At the door she turned around and said, “Thank you, Murphy. For
everything,” and disappeared into her room.

Murphy leaned forward and braced his
elbows on his knees. Tomorrow he would increase the security around the cabin.
Set a few more traps and secure the perimeter. He didn’t like to be caught
unaware. If Stephen was as dangerous as Sara said, the effort would be worth
it. It would be hard to see the enemy coming in the mountain wilderness, which
put him at a disadvantage. He knew of one place where he would see the enemy
coming from miles away. A place where Sara would be taken in and taken care of
while he dealt with the enemy. A place he hadn’t been back to since his return
from Azbakastan.

Murphy sighed.

He could take her home.

Chapter
9

Sleep evaded her. Sara stared at the
ceiling long after she retired to her bedroom. The cabin was silent except for Abby’s
soft breathing. She longed to be in Murphy’s bed instead of her own, wrapped in
his strong arms and immersed in his strength. With a sigh, she rolled onto her
side so she could stare at the wall separating the two rooms. Was Murphy
sleeping? Having another nightmare?

Those questions and more floated through
her thoughts until she couldn’t stand it anymore. All kinds of emotions swirled
inside her with gratitude at the top of the list. Murphy had paid for the
damages to the cabin and solved one big problem for her, but her Jeep was in
ashes so she couldn’t leave town. Staying with Murphy endangered his life too.
The one thing she didn’t want to do. She owed Murphy her thanks, not her
burdens, and yet she had spilled everything tonight with little urging.

Deep down, she wanted to confide in
Murphy. She didn’t have a friend to talk to and it had been a lonely six years
in that house. She had been surrounded by people who despised her and looked
down at her like she was a lowly ant on the bottom of their shoe. Until Abby.

The birth of her daughter had been the
happiest day of her life. Abby brought her joy in a time of misery. Together
they escaped the strict rules of the house and spent time alone bird watching
and taking walks on the beautiful grounds of the Benchley estate. Those were
happy times when they would pack a picnic lunch and spend the day in the warm
sun. It was the only time they were allowed to laugh and have fun. When they
could be themselves. Sara so desperately wanted that back. She used to be a
happy person who laughed all the time and took everything in stride, but
somewhere along the line she’d lost that part of her.

The day she’d married Kent, they stole
it from her. They’d slowly drained the life out of her until she was nothing
but a shell who obeyed every command.

Her eyes closed as she allowed herself
to dream about a big house with a white picket fence and Abby with a big yellow
dog playing in the back yard while she watched happily from the porch. As she
drifted off to sleep, Murphy joined the fantasy and stood with her, smiling at
Abby as she played, the haunted darkness gone from his eyes and replaced by
happiness. A smile touched Sara’s lips as she turned into Murphy’s strong
embrace. She lifted her head for his kiss, letting him sweep her away with the
force of it…

* * * *

Murphy drove them to the cabin the next
morning after breakfast. Sara sank into the black leather seat and inhaled the
scent of male and leather. The heady combination set her already sensitive
nerves on fire. Murphy’s SUV had large tires that climbed the rough mountain
roads with little effort. The rain had created thick trenches in the road. Sara
held on to the bar above her head to keep from being thrown out of her seat.
She checked on Abby to find her still belted in place. Abby smiled happily from
the back seat and waved every time Sara looked back. Her joy lightened Sara’s
mood. She had awakened full of restless energy and blamed it on her x-rated
dreams of Murphy. The unreleased tension coursing through her body made her
surly.

Getting up at the crack of dawn to take
a cool shower and walking in on Murphy shaving hadn’t helped. He had been
wearing nothing but shaving cream and a pair of jeans that hugged his long,
muscular legs.

Of course, she’d been suffering the
aftereffects of her dream, and his eyes dropped to her chest where her pebbled
nipples poked through the shirt she wore. Heat had flooded her cheeks, and his
eyes, and she still burned from the hunger in his stare. Murphy had torn his
eyes away and turned back to shaving.

She stared at his back and the scars
peppering it. Her heart broke for him. When she met his eyes in the mirror
above the sink, his had been cold and lifeless, challenging her to comment on
what she saw, daring her to feel pity. It wasn’t pity she felt; it was desire.
Desire to touch him and hold him and listen to his story as he had hers.

She had backed out of the bathroom and
shut the door behind her, face flaming. She never did get that cold shower.

Looking down between the seats, she
noticed a cell phone plugged into the lighter. “You have a phone.”

Murphy didn’t take his eyes off the
road. “Yes.”

“Does it work?”

“Do you need to call someone?” he asked
gruffly. The scowl on his face was as dark as ever.

Sara scoffed quietly. She had absolutely
no one in the world to call. “No.” Her tone matched his.

He cast a glance her way but said
nothing.

They hit a rut in the road. Sara bounced
sideways, the seatbelt jerking her into her seat after she bounced into
Murphy’s arm. The engine powered down as Murphy eased around a sharp curve.
Minutes later, they were heading up the hill to her cabin.

When it came into view, Sara stifled a
gasp. Only a steel frame remained of her Jeep. Damn Stephen. Anger rolled
through her, searching for an outlet. She had been so busy being scared she
hadn’t allowed herself to be angry over what happened to her.

Murphy bumped her shoulder with his. She
glanced over to find him watching her.

“What?” she snapped.

To her surprise, the corner of his mouth
tilted in a way that made her pulse kick up. Though this wasn’t a smile, it was
sexy as hell. That little tilt to his lips made him more rakish than a man had
a right to be.

Her lips twitched despite her sexual
frustration and desire to be angry.

“It’s okay to be angry, Sara.”

She frowned. “You’re happy because I’m
angry? That’s twisted, Murphy.”

He grinned. Mercy, she could easily fall
for this man. Her spirits lifted. From the backseat Abby giggled, picking up on
the lighter mood.

“I am angry,” she said with conviction
even though she smiled like a fool. “I’m angry with Stephen for burning my
Jeep. I liked that car.”

Murphy parked in front of the cabin and
shut off the engine, his expression somber when he turned to her.

“Get what you need and make it quick. I
don’t want to be here long.”

Sara nodded and reached for the door
handle. “Are you coming in with me?”

“I’ll stay here with Abby. Best she
doesn’t see this.”

“Right.” She didn’t tell him she didn’t
want to go in alone because the place gave her the creeps since Stephen had
destroyed it. But, Abby didn’t need to see it either. It would only scare her.
She explained to Abby and  went to do it before she lost her nerve. Knowing
Murphy watched her back gave her strength to go alone.

As quickly as possible, she packed some
notebooks and pencils Stephen hadn’t found, clothes that weren’t shredded, and
Abby’s doll. They didn’t have much. Not many personal effects anybody could
trace to them, so it didn’t take long. She grabbed Abby’s deck of cards,
coloring books and crayons and toys. Hurrying outside, she handed the bags to
Murphy, who stood in front of the truck.

Murphy took the bags, slung them over a
shoulder, and herded her into the front seat. He tossed them into the back
while Sara checked on Abby. When he finished, he climbed in beside her and
brought the powerful engine to life. After a thumbs-up from Abby, he maneuvered
down the hill and headed for home.

As they drove away, Sara couldn’t help
but think another chapter in her life had been closed. She was really, truly in
Murphy’s debt now. She had no vehicle, no money and nowhere to go. She feared
to think what would have happened if she hadn’t found him. Pure luck. Fate,
maybe.

Where would they go from here?

* * * *

“I’m going to town.”

Murphy grabbed his parka off the hook on
the wall and shrugged it on. Sara jumped up from the sofa and hurried to his
side.

“Town? Why?”

He didn’t tell her he had the same
uneasy feeling he’d had many times on missions when the enemy was nearby. They
were hidden here, but he wouldn’t underestimate the man chasing Sara. He needed
to do some recon before he decided on the best action. He wouldn’t go off
half-cocked and risk their lives.

“I won’t be gone long. Stay inside the
cabin and lock the door behind me.” He pinned her with a hard stare. “Do not
leave for any reason. No bird watching, Sara, no walks.”

She stiffened. “I wouldn’t risk my
daughter’s life again. Not after the last time. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in
my life, but I’ve learned from them.”

She turned and walked into the kitchen.
Damn, he hadn’t meant to insult her. She still blamed herself for losing her
daughter on that hike and he doubted she would ever forgive the mistake. He
didn’t want to dredge up what happened, but dammit, he needed to know she would
stay inside.

Raking a hand through his hair, he
cursed softly. When had his life gotten complicated?

“I’ll be back soon,” he announced and
walked out the door. Sara was upset, but his gut feeling made him uneasy. He
had to go check a couple things out, then he would deal with hurt feelings.

He went to Al’s garage first. When he
pulled up alongside a police car, his gut feeling plummeted. Yellow police tape
barricaded onlookers from crossing the crime scene and the sheriff stood
scratching his head inside the open garage doors. The small crowd who had
gathered looked both stunned and shocked as they stared inside and whispered
about the tragedy.

Even before he got out of his truck,
Murphy knew he’d caused this. He never should have involved the people of this
town.

Walking up to the police tape, he ducked
under and crossed to talk to the sheriff.

He had only met Sheriff Tomes once or
twice since he’d been here, but his first opinion was a good one. Dwight Tomes
had been sheriff for twenty years in this town and seemed capable of handling a
case like this.

“Jon Murphy,” he greeted. “You’re
walking on my crime scene.”

“I need a word with you.” Aware they
were being listened to by half the town, Murphy added, “In private.”

“I’m a bit busy here…”

“It’s about what happened here.”

Tomes narrowed his eyes, barked orders
to his deputies, and led Murphy to his squad car where they wouldn’t be
overheard.

“Okay, you have my attention.”

“I can give you the name of the man who
did this.”

Tomes masked his surprise, but barely.
“Okay, let me have it.”

“Stephen Benchley, from Chicago.”

Tomes raised an eyebrow and scratched
his head. “I’m not up on big city stuff, but isn’t that one of the brothers who
just got that mob boss, Marcello Bonelli, off on a murder charge a few months
ago?”

Murphy had no idea if that was true or
not, but from what Sara told him about the family, it sounded right. “I’d place
money on it.”

“Can you tell me how you know this?”

“No, but I can tell you this man is
dangerous, so if you are able to find him, use caution.”

“If?”

“He won’t be here long.”

“And how do you know this?”

“Let’s just say I’m becoming familiar
with the family. Take it with a grain of salt, Tomes, but that’s where I’d
start looking.”

“And given the Benchley reputation, even
if I do manage to prove Stephen Benchley murdered Al, I won’t stand a chance
getting the charges to stick,” Tomes muttered. “I get the feeling there’s more
to this story than what you’re telling me, Murphy.”

“Nothing I could tell you would make a
difference. You aren’t going to get Benchley. I just wanted you to know who was
responsible.”

Tomes shook a cigarette out of a full
pack sitting on the dashboard. “Damn,” he said, putting one between his lips.
“I quit two months ago.”

Murphy watched him light up and roll
down the window. He felt sorry for the man. The case was all but solved and
there was nothing he could do about it. It wasn’t everyday a guy found out one
of his own had been murdered by a powerful Chicago lawyer and even if he could
prove it, he was screwed and would never stand a chance of proving it.

He had no doubt Stephen Benchley was
responsible for this. Too much of a coincidence. Towns like this didn’t breed
killers.

“We haven’t had a murder here in fifteen
years and the last one was a domestic dispute when Leann Jensen caught her
husband cheating with the bank teller and shot him.”

Murphy remained silent, letting Tomes
come to terms.

“I wish you’d tell me what the hell a
Chicago lawyer is doing in my town. What reason did he have to murder Al?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me.” Tomes dragged heavily
on his cigarette. “You leave town, you let me know, okay? I’m not giving up on
this, and I don’t give a damn who Stephen Benchley is. He killed one of mine
and I’m damn well going to see this through.”

Murphy nodded and opened the door. “Good
luck, Tomes.” He walked to his truck. He didn’t look back as he drove away.
Tomes would never pin this on Benchley. Benchley would be too careful and he
had experience covering his tracks. His luck would one day run out. Murphy planned
to have Sara far away when it did.