Finding Abigail (9 page)

Then he’d have to convince Abigail that it was the curse that had made him act like an ass, not himself, even though, in reality, he was an ass most of the time even without a curse or whatever the hell it was that had stopped him from seeing her…

In fact, he didn’t remember much about Abigail and his feelings since he’d gotten home from putting a bandaid on her knee when she’d fallen. And then everything went blurry.

Fuck, magic complicated everything.

Tyler went to his safe, pulled out his gun, and made sure it was loaded but also that the safety was still on. He wouldn’t be acting like the sheriff today. No, he’d be on his own. There was no way to explain the magic of Holiday to the others without explaining so much more. There were no exact protocols as to what to do if someone with magic came into town and tried to hurt or kill those they loved.

The Coopers had learned that the hard way with Jack Frost over Christmas when he’d tried to hurt the town, and then specifically Rina and Justin. The two had used their own magic to stop him, but Tyler didn’t have that. He had only the ability to find a connection between two people…and his gun.

So he’d use what he needed and then damn the consequences.

They’d have to find a way to police this in the future, but at the moment, all Tyler wanted was to save Abigail.

His
Abigail.

Tyler shook his head, trying to clear out the cobwebs that came from being forced to take a nap at the hands of a not-so-good guy and froze. Fuck, that ringing was still going on. 

And it was the alarm clock in his bedroom, meaning he’d been unconscious throughout the night.

Fuck.

He walked to his room and slammed his hand against the clock, cutting of the annoying ringing. 

Dear God. How long had Aeneas had her now? It had to have been more than twelve hours. He forcefully swallowed the bile that had risen in his throat. There was no telling what a man—or whatever the hell Aeneas was—could do to an innocent like Abigail in that time frame.

Fuck, no matter what, he’d make her okay; he’d help her.

It was the least he could do.

Tyler needed to find a way to get to her. He pulled on his brown leather jacket so he could at least stay warm, grabbed the first aid kit, and went to his car.

Okay, now how would he find her?

He had no idea where Aeneas was, and he was pretty sure she wasn’t at her home considering the bastard had said he’d taken her. But from where? Maybe he should start at her home and work from there. There had to be a trail or something that could lead to her.

Fuck, he couldn’t do this alone, could he? 

Tyler started his SUV and began the short drive to Abigail’s home while calling his brothers—something he knew was damn dangerous but he did anyway.

Matt’s voicemail picked up, and Tyler cursed. Fuck, okay, Justin then. When Justin, Brayden, then Jackson’s voicemails picked up one right after another, Tyler slammed his hand down on the steering wheel then parked in front of Abigail’s home.

How the hell were
all
his brothers busy? It was still early in the morning, but he’d thought at least
one
of them would answer his phone. 

Hell, he was all alone in this, and he had no idea what to fucking do.

Damn it. He was the sheriff. He knew how to track and catch the bad guy; it was his job.

His hands shook as he turned off the car and took a deep breath. This wasn’t just his job. This was Abigail. The girl—no, woman—who’d been by his side and had helped him with every town function and other thing she could.

Because she was just that good a person.

And, if he were honest, because she had a crush on him.

Fuck, he’d lost so much time because of Aeneas.

Tyler growled and walked toward Abigail’s home, a new sense of purpose settling in. He’d find the fucker and take care of him. Abigail would be his, even if he had to get on his knees and beg.

It’d be worth it.

The front door looked to be locked, so he went around to the back, careful to look as though he was just checking in on things in case the neighbors were watching. Damn small town.

When he reached the back, he cursed again. The screen door was off its hinges. Sweat ran down his spine as fear clawed his stomach. Damn it, he knew she’d been kidnapped. Why did seeing this make it more real to him?

He got in the house and didn’t see anything out of place. It looked as if she’d set down her purse, and then that was it.

He couldn’t see anything else. 

She just wasn’t there.

How the hell was he supposed to find her?

Tyler rubbed his chest above his heart then froze.

He was a cupid. How the hell had he forgotten that? He already knew that he had a connection with Abigail. He’d felt it the moment he’d cut his finger on the arrow. He now had a cord wrapped around his heart that led to Abigail, like a branch tethering him to the woman he loved.

Fuck, now he was waxing poetry, but he got it.

He just had to follow the cord, the connection, to Abigail.

Now, how the hell did he do that?

He closed his eyes and thought of that connection, the warmth he felt with Abigail. God, how could he have ignored it for so long? He didn’t have time to think of the ramifications or exactly what he was going to do about it once he found her and everything had settled. No, that would be for another time.

He needed to find her first. 

Their connection was warm like honey, new and fresh, but settled, like it had always been there. He just hadn’t seen it. It wrapped around not only his heart but every part of his being, as though it had a place and a right to be there.

He went back to his car and followed that feeling in his heart. The cord continued on to the woods behind her house, miles away and to a place he’d never been before.

He drove along the off-road path and followed the connection. She’d be okay; she had to be. Considering he could still feel her on the other end because of his cupid abilities, that had to mean she was still alive.

Fuck, he didn’t even want to think about what state she could be in though.

Maybe Aeneas only wanted to hide her from Tyler.

The other man had said something along the lines of taking her away, it could have meant anything.

Abigail would be okay.

She had to be.

He parked the SUV near a small cement building in the middle of nowhere. It looked like it had once been a supply cabin that had been refitted for the Montana winters before it had been abandoned.

Abigail was alive somewhere in there.

Tyler just had to find a way to get her out.

He slid his fingers against the gun on his hip, and a calm surrounded him. He could do this. For Abigail, he would do anything.

He’d have to think about that thought later.

“It’s about time you got here, Tyler. I expected better of you,” Aeneas said from the doorway.

Tyler aimed at the bastard but kept his cool. “Where’s Abigail?”

“Inside. I didn’t kill her. I’d promised her that I wouldn’t. Though, to be honest, at this point, she probably wishes she were dead.”

Tyler growled but stayed where he was. “So why are you just standing out here? Trying to taunt me? I don’t get it. What the hell do you want?”

Aeneas threw his head back and laughed. “What do I want? I want it all back. But I can’t have that, can I? No, I’m relegated to roam the earth alone because of that damn Cupid. Now the bastard is up in his god land delegating his duties to the cupids like you, and I’m forced to watch.”

“Just who the hell are you?”

“Research your own fucking history if you want to know who I am. I lost everything because of Cupid, and now you’re going to lose everything.”

Tyler clenched his jaw. “You can’t have her.”

“Took you long enough to realize that you wanted her in the first place. I was surprised to see how much you love the girl, Tyler. You’re the notorious ladies’ man and now look at you. Whipped at just the
thought
of having a piece of that virgin pie.”

“Shut the fuck up about Abigail.”

“Nice mouth you have there. But really, you aren’t the saint you need to be for her. Or, would have had to be before I got ahold of her.”

Tyler saw red, his body shaking on adrenaline and anger. “What the fuck did you do to her?” He barely, just barely, held himself back so he wouldn’t attack the man. Tyler knew he wasn’t as strong as Aeneas and needed to take another approach with him.

But, fuck, what had Aeneas done to Abigail?

“I didn’t rape her, if that’s what you’re thinking. She’s still as pure as snow for you. That is if you want her once you see her.”

“What the fuck did you do?” he repeated, even as the slight relief that Abigail hadn’t been harmed in that way filled him.

Would she ever forgive him for the curse and what had been done to her?

Tyler didn’t think she should have to.

“I did only the same thing I did to you. I took away the one thing that made her Abigail.”

Tyler swallowed hard, not knowing what that could be since everything about her made her unique. 

“Now, do you want to see her? Or are you too scared to see what she’s become?”

“I’m going to kill you. Soon.”

Aeneas shook his head. “No, you aren’t. You’re going to try, but in reality, you’re going to live alone, without Abigail, because that’s who you are. And what you deserve.”

Before Tyler could blink, Aeneas knocked the gun out of his hand and had him pinned to the wall.

“You think you’re strong, but you’re nothing. You’re just a fucking cupid.”

Tyler struggled against Aeneas’s hold, his fists going out and catching Aeneas in the ribs. “I’m not a fucking weakling,” he rasped out, and the arm on his throat pressed harder.

“No, you’re less than that.”

Rage built up within him, and he lashed out. A strength he hadn’t known he possessed filled him as he pushed Aeneas back. The other man looked surprised for a moment, and Tyler used that to his advantage. He punched the bastard in the throat then added another hook to his ribs.

Aeneas staggered for a moment then lashed out, his eyes narrowed and a grimace on his face. 

Tyler blocked the next move but got a fist in his stomach instead. He bent over at the waist, coughing and gasping for breath. He lunged at the fucker, bringing him down to the ground, punching with each exhale.

Aeneas pushed back and spit out blood.

“I see you’ve found your strength as a cupid. Well, fucker, while you’re out here playing in the dirt with me, your Abigail is in there, writhing in pain. Is that what you wanted?”

Tyler clenched his fists, ignoring the pain in his side and throat. “What did you do?”

“I shot her with my own arrow. I already told you it takes away the thing that makes her Abigail. Well, your Abigail isn’t human anymore. She’s a harpy. Something you could never want. So you see, you’ve still lost. You won’t have the one you want, and you’ll die alone. Like you should.”

“You’re wrong,” he said even as his mind whirled. A harpy? He shouldn’t have been surprised those were real. There were a host of supernaturals out there that they didn’t know about. 

But a harpy?

How would Abigail react to that?

“We’ll see. Now, I’m leaving you to take care of her or ditch her. I really don’t care anymore. My work is done, cupid. Don’t fuck with me again.” 

With that Aeneas walked off. Though Tyler desperately wanted to follow him and end the bastard, Abigail was just inside the building, waiting for him or someone to help her.

He ran through the door and followed the connection to her to a back room. When he opened that door, he froze.

Oh sweet Jesus. What had Aeneas done to her?

Cuts marred her body, though they didn’t look to be bleeding anymore. She wore a red dress that she’d never have chosen herself. And worse, she lay on the ground, her eyes closed, her mouth open on a moan, and her body writhing on the floor.

She looked human, but in pain.

He quickly ran to her side and knelt by her.

“Abigail, baby. I’m here,” he whispered even as his eyes filled. 

Fuck.

“Tyler?” she whispered as she opened her eyes.

He brushed some hair out of her face and lowered his lips to her brow. He’d never tasted her skin before, never felt the softness beneath his lips.

God, he loved this woman.

“It’s going to be okay, baby. I’ll take care of you.”

“He shot me with an arrow,” she said as she winced in pain.

“I know, Abigail. But I’ll take care of you.”

She shook her head and moaned. “No, you can’t.” Her arm lashed out, her fingers stretched into a claw, but he caught her hand and kissed her palm.

“I don’t care what he did to you. I’ll take care of you.”

“I don’t understand.”

Neither did he, not really. “It doesn’t matter. Let me get my jacket on you, and I’ll take you home.”

“No, not home. He was in there.”

“Then I’ll take you to my home.” Though Aeneas had been there as well, they’d deal with that later.

“I don’t know what’s happening to me.”

“He told me part of it, but we’ll talk about it all later. Together.”

She bit her lip but nodded and tried to stand. Quickly, he wrapped his coat around her shoulders and lifted her into his arms. She as so small, so fragile.

He’d fucking kill the bastard for hurting her.

Abigail rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. “I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I don’t think it’s good.”

“We’ll figure it out,” he repeated. Her body was warm, too warm, and he knew he’d have to make real plans once they got back to his place.

“I trust you, Tyler,” she whispered as she passed out in his arms.

Warmth spread through him at the thought.

He hoped he earned that trust.

Aeneas had underestimated him and the connection he shared with Abigail. Because no matter what she turned into, Tyler would want her. He just had to prove it to her.

Chapter 8

Abby felt as though she were on fire. The flames licked up her arms, down her back, digging into her flesh and searing her from the inside out. She couldn’t open her eyes, couldn’t speak—she could only succumb to the flames. Oh, God, the heat. It wasn’t a normal heat where she could run away and cool off. No, this one started in her belly and spread like the wildfire it was.