A to Zane (8 page)

The man they were after tonight had run out on his family, taking all the savings, and was currently planning to fake his death, so the authorities couldn’t get him to pay child support for his three kids.

Abby’s contact in the DA’s office had asked her to help. Her company walked a fine line between legal and not so legal. It was a line she’d traversed many times.

The adrenaline rush she felt from fixing problems was akin to nothing else. Or at least it had been until her night with Zane. A week had passed since she’d last seen him lying in his bed sweetly snoring away. He hadn’t tried to contact her, and there’d been no chance meetings when she had to visit Rhea, nothing.

Not that she was expecting flowers or even a promise of another date. But a casual text to make sure she got home okay would’ve been nice.

Now she was sure she’d made the correct decision to leave before he woke up. Just the thought of how badly that would have gone gave her shivers.

“I see you, bitch.”

The voice from just behind her brought Abby back from her musings.

“I’m sorry?” She turned to him, a man taller than most. Wide more from the overuse of steroids than gym use, he was close enough for her to know he had the bad breath of a person who’d forgotten what a toothbrush was. He was also not the man they were after. No, this was a face she’d seen before on “most wanted” posters, and it was very angry.

“Hiding back here, thinking I wouldn’t see you.”

He came even closer to her, and Abby took two steps back to ensure the truck he was next to didn’t obscure Karina’s shot.

“I’m not hiding. I was just going to my car.” She tried her best scared little girl act. It wasn’t her best routine, but this jerk didn’t seem to notice. When you were a serial rapist the last thing you'd notice was the acting ability of your victim.

Abby waited for him to step closer, just a few more inches, and they’d have him. It was a shame the authorities hadn’t been able to deal with him. But he never left anything behind that allowed them to pin the crimes on him. He did the crimes; he openly admitted it to anyone who’d listen. The witnesses all seemed to have convenient “unfortunate accidents” as soon as they were approached by the police.

She prepared for the attack, knew the second he was going to move. Feet planted firmly, she waited for him to make his move. All her concentration was focused on him.

“He said you’d be here, just a little present for me.”

“Wait, what?” Abby asked. The blow came then, a punch straight to her face. Abby dropped like a rock, hitting the ground hard. The last thing she was aware of was a roar so loud she was sure a couple of windows shattered. Then the blessed darkness claimed her, taking away the pain.

What the hell! You were supposed to protect her!

Abby drifted, fighting to wake up, trying to hold on to the voices she heard, but the blackness took her again.

I’m here, baby. Just let the doctor check you out.

The voice called to her, but she couldn’t hold on to it. She slipped back into unconsciousness.

She won’t wake up? Why won’t she wake up?

She wanted to. She tried so hard, but her mind rebelled against her, dragging her into darkness.

We need to get her somewhere safe.

Abby longed to turn into the arms that held her, but the pain in her head was too much.
God.
She wondered if it would be wrong to ask them to cut her head off. Anything was better than this.

It’s okay, baby, I’ve got you.

She took an inventory of her body. Nothing seemed to be broken. Her ribs and left arm were sore but usable. The only thing causing real pain was her head.

A groan escaped her.

“Abby?”

Her mother’s voice was comforting. It was nice of her to come up, but how did she manage to get here so fast?

“Honey, are you awake?”

Abby managed to pry one eye open and tried for a smile. It wasn’t her best, she had to admit.

“Oh my little girl, you’re awake.” Her mother gently lifted her so she could hug Abby before laying her back down. “I’m so glad you woke up. I was worried there for a minute. That large man was not happy when they brought you here. I’m glad your father was here because I was this close to skinning him myself.”

Abby’s throat was so dry. Her mother must have known because a glass of water and straw appeared before her.

“Sip slowly, honey, slowly now.” Abby drank her fill, and then lay back. “Right. I’ll go and tell the others you’re awake. Your gentleman friend will be very happy.”

Gentleman friend?

Abby didn’t get a chance to find out who her friend was. Sleep claimed her once again.

When she woke up the next time, it was dark. The pain was still there, but it was more bearable. She took in the shadows of the room she was in, shapes and forms all around her. It was her room, not a room in a hospital, or her room at her apartment. It was her room, the one in her mother’s house.

Abby rolled onto her less painful side and snuggled into the man lying there.

“I’ve got you, baby,” he said as he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

The hair on his chest tickled her nose. “You’re too hairy.”

He laughed. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.”

It was a dream she’d had a lot over the last week. Abby didn’t mind that it wasn’t real because the feel and scent of Zane made her feel better.

“Sleep, baby, I’m not going anywhere.”

Abby snuggled down and let the sleep claim her, safe in Zane’s arms.

*

Zane looked down at the top of Abby’s head as she burrowed in closer to his chest and pushed a leg between his. With one arm wrapped around her waist and the other across the top of the pillow covered in her hair, Zane didn’t think he could get any closer, but it still didn’t feel like enough.

He wanted to cover her, protect her from the world.

He’d been too late to save her from that animal. The second he’d seen her hit the ground, his heart had stopped.

It had taken nearly all of Abby’s team to get him off the man who’d knocked her out. When they did, there wasn’t much life left in him. Karina told him yesterday the man died in the hospital. Zane knew he should feel remorse for taking a human life, but he felt nothing but pure white-hot rage. When he’d learned what type of scum he’d been, Zane felt sure he’d done the right thing.

Abby had been out for nearly a week. That scum hit her with his full drugged-up strength. First she’d been unconscious, and then the hospital kept her out to give her time to recover. They were still there when Abby’s mother arrived.

Emily Short was tiny, fragile-looking but efficient. She turned up at the hospital, made sure Abby was okay, and transported her here, all within four hours.

Now Abby’s father, Dr. Short, was caring for his little girl.

Zane hadn’t left Abby’s side since the ambulance had arrived. He couldn’t get the sight of her crumpled form just lying on the ground out of his mind. She looked as if there was no life left in her. His tiger had taken over, roaring so loud someone had called animal control.

He found out about the original guy Abby and her team were after and how the now dead man had managed to surprise them, and he was pissed. To be honest, he’d been pissed since waking up alone. How she managed to get out of bed and out of his room without him knowing was amazing, or at least it would be if it hadn’t been him she was sneaking out on.

His little brother Ziggy would get a kick out of that. No one ever got anything past Zane, not until this full human, and he bet she hadn’t even tried that hard to be sneaky.

Zane could do one night stands. He understood the mechanics behind leaving a date with the understanding nothing more was going to happen. But never, not once, had it happened to him. He was the leaver, not the leavee, damn it. That was the only reason, he kept telling himself, that he’d tracked her down.

His lips brushed the top of her head. Such an unassuming woman, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to let her go, literally and figuratively.

When he finally allowed sleep to take him, Abby was still in his arms, and he was in no hurry to change that.

Zane woke up to a whispered argument. He could feel Abby was still in the bed next to him, but she didn’t sound happy. Zane kept his eyes closed and listened.

“What the hell is he doing here, Ma?”

“He was in the hospital, and to be honest, honey, I don’t think we’d have been able to shake him even if we wanted to.”

“So explain to me why the hell he’s in my bed.”

“Ah well, Laney mentioned you two were…err…close, so I didn’t see the harm.”

Zane sent a mental thank you to Laney.

“I’m actually going to kill her.”

“Now, now, she’s family, and she loves you.”

“Yet she does everything in her power to embarrass me.”

The bed moved as Abby lay back down. It felt as if she tried to be as far away from him as she could. He wasn’t happy with that, and neither was his tiger.

“I’ll be back with some breakfast soon. Be nice to him, Abby; he was worried.”

The door closed as Emily left the room. As soon as it shut, Zane reached out and pulled her back into his chest.

“Hey!”

“Shh, I’m sleeping.” He scooted down the bed until he could rest his head on her chest.

“Now what are you doing?”

“Getting comfortable. Your tits are so soft, just perfect for my head.”

“Zane, my mother is coming back any second. You need to get off me.” Abby tried to push him away, but he wasn’t ready to move.

“I’m comfortable.”

“You’ll be less comfortable when I start twisting things that shouldn’t be twisted if you don’t move.”

He grumbled and made a great show of moving off of her and lying on his back.

“Thank you.”

They lay in silence for a few minutes. Zane saw her biting her lower lip out of the corner of his eye, a sign she was thinking—which never led to anything good as far as he was concerned.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, trying to distract her.

“Better, thank you. Who knew I had such a glass jaw?” She gave a soft laugh.

“Yeah well, he wasn’t exactly fighting fair.” Considering the amount of drugs coursing through the scum’s veins, if he was honest, Zane was surprised she wasn’t more hurt.

“Thank you for staying with me. My mother says you were at the hospital. I’m sorry they called you. Laney seems to think there’s more between us than one little night of fun. I’ll straighten her out, and I’ll get you your own room…assuming you still have to stay…please don’t think you have to…you can leave at any time. I am so sorry they did this. I could die. I’m so embarrassed.” She’d spoken with practically a single breath.

He was impressed. Not only had she thanked him for his help, but she’d given him a way out and dismissed him all at once.

Zane rolled to his side, so he could see her better. He reached out and brushed the hair out of her face. The color was creeping up her cheeks, and she looked adorable.

“Hey, stop.” He caught her chin, forcing her to look at him. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”

“But they didn’t even give you your own room.”

“I have a room, far away from yours. I think your dad did that.” He gave her a wink. Abby groaned and tried to pull the covers over her head. Zane pulled them out of her hands, keeping her where he wanted her.

“I promise I’ll sort this all out. I just wish I could say I was adopted,” Abby muttered as the door opened, and her mother walked back in.

“Nope, thirty-six hours of labor. Trust me, you’re definitely part of this family,” her mother said, having caught the last comment. “Ah good, you’re awake. There is food downstairs for you, boy. Best get it while it’s hot.”

“I’m fine.”

“Did it sound like I was asking? Because I’m pretty sure I just told you to get downstairs. Do I need to repeat myself?”

And just like that, he went from adult to child.

“No, ma’am.”

“Good, now go. I want to check my baby girl out, and I don’t need you getting in the way.”

“No, ma’am.” Zane rolled away and grabbed his jeans. When he had them on, he turned back and gave Abby a quick kiss. “I’ll be back,” he promised her and walked out to hunt down his own food, but could still hear a little of their conversation.

“He does have a fine butt, Abby.”

“Ma!”

Zane was still grinning when he got to the kitchen.

Breakfast was a strained affair. Zane arrived at the kitchen to find it full of the males in Abby’s family. Her father, uncle, cousin-in-law, and three cousins. He thought they’d come to drag him off to the woods and give him a beating for touching their Abby. Instead they filled their plates, and his, and sat at the table eating.

Abby’s mother came back just as they finished.

“She’s fine. She’s properly awake this time and starving.” She stopped and looked around the room. Zane watched as her eyes narrowed after looking into each family member’s face.

She didn’t say a word when she pulled open the fridge door to get the eggs. She didn’t even say anything as she turned on the stove. It wasn’t until the eggs were cooking that she finally turned around wearing the sweetest smile Zane had ever seen.

“I know I’m just a silly female…”

He was more than aware of the sarcasm in that statement.

“…but I know you boys aren’t here to cause Zane any problems now, are you?”

“Emily,” her husband warned.

Zane tensed. He’d been waiting for the move since walking into the kitchen. Not that he blamed them really. He’d do the same for his little sisters.

“That boy spent every hour watching over my baby. The man that attacked her is dead, not because I did anything, but because Zane did what he had to, to make sure my baby was safe. Do you really think I’m going to let you lay a single finger on the boy?” Emily put her hands on her hips and started to tap her foot.

Heath exchanged slightly nervous glances with Abby’s cousins John, Wayne, and Duke.

“He slept in her bed.” Dr. Short spoke through gritted teeth.