Eye of the Abductor (32 page)

Her nipples beaded beneath the thin lacy fabric, bringing his
attention to her breasts. Unlatching the front hook, he removed her bra.

His gaze lingered on her breasts a second before he lowered his
mouth to the left nipple and pulled it gently between his teeth. He moved to
the other one. His tongue teased the peaks of her nipples, causing sexual
flames to consume her. Liquid heat spiraled through, settling in her lower
stomach.

Using both hands, he slid her panties down over her hips, leaving
her naked. She stepped from the garments and pushed them aside.

“Beautiful. You’re the only woman I want for the rest of my life.
This isn’t a mistake, Allison. Relax.”

“I’m fine.” She unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it over his
shoulders, then reached for his belt, unfastening it.

“Here let me do that.”

Once he removed the belt, she unfastened his pants. He removed
them and tossed them aside. She peeled his boxers down. Seeing his masculine
flesh full and thick made her want him all the more.

Brance wrapped her in his arms and pulled her against him, then
buried his face against her shoulder and held her. "This feels so right.
Thank you, Allison."

Rather than reply, she tenderly kissed him. Her tongue traced his
bottom lip, making him moan.

He pulled back the comforter, letting her slide in bed before
joining her. He eased on top of her with his hard masculine flesh positioned against
her, then indulged in several deep passionate kisses, his tongue caressing and
stroking hers.

She closed her eyes and waited for him to slam himself inside
her, but he didn’t. Instead, he repositioned himself in the bed and kissed down
her midriff, leaving a sizzling path over her sensitive skin. A gasp caught in
her throat. Then he gently spread her legs apart and kissed the inside of her
thighs. His warm, soft lips made her dizzy with need. She closed her thighs
quickly. “Don’t.”

He raised his head and looked at her, his pupils appeared as
black orbs and his breath labored. “Shh…it’s all right. I want to taste you.”

She couldn’t utter a protest. Rob had never wanted her in this
way. She parted her legs for Brance and closed her eyes. She had no idea
something could feel this good, and she squirmed beneath his touch. She heard
her own breath quicken as she thought she’d come off the bed.

Damn that feels amazing.

She bit her lower lip, fighting the urge to climax. She flinched
slightly when he used his fingers to bring her closer to an orgasm. She
swallowed back a moan.

He knew exactly how hot he was making her, how close to the edge
he was pushing her. When her body couldn’t take anymore, she ignited and cried
out.

“You taste heavenly.” He lay back for a moment, out of breath.
“You’ve never experienced that, have you?”

“No,” she whimpered weakly. She glanced over at his naked body
and literally hungered for his swollen hardness, still full and pulsing. Though
the sexual jolt had been wonderful, it hadn’t been enough. She needed him
inside her. “Please, I’m still aching.”

“I can take care of that.” He lowered his body down on hers. She
parted her thighs. His feverish body melted against her flesh as he filled her
with his thickness. His tongue ran over her lips before taking her mouth in
several powerful kisses. When he slowly pulled his mouth from hers, he panted
for a moment. "You're so warm and tight, Allison.”

She clamped her inner muscles around him, gripping and squeezing
him.

He gasped. “You keep doing that, and I won’t last long.”

He moved his body in a rhythmic motion, slowly at first.

She clawed her nails into his muscular back and arched her spine,
rising against him, wanting to claim every inch of him. A moan lingered in her
throat.   

He pushed in and out, thrusting against her. As the intensity
built again, she used her legs to take all of him. A sensual blaze exploded
inside her. “Harder, please. Oh, Brance.”

He continued in powerful strokes. She cried out in ecstasy,
riding the waves of pleasure. Brance continued until he released his own ragged
cries. Then he thrust forward and held. Breathless, he fell limp on top of her
and buried his face on her shoulder. His heart pounded against her.

She found herself exposed and weak. She’d given herself to this
man and feared it not being enough. Not being as good as he’d expected. Not
being enough to hold his interest.

He rolled off of her and leaned up on his elbow. “I knew we’d be
good together. You're hot.”

“I was afraid you’d think I wasn’t in the same category as the
other wom
…
”

He placed a finger over her lip. “You’re better. I can’t explain
how great it was. It reached all the way to my soul. I’ve never experienced
that with another woman. I love you, Allison.”          

She couldn’t bring herself to express how she really felt. She
needed time to think about her life and about Brance. Think about her past and
lay it to rest, starting with her mother walking out on her.

At that moment, she decided she’d go home to visit her father.
She started to tell Brance but decided against it. He'd insist on going with
her.

“You know why I wanted a new bed?” he asked.

“No, why?”

“I wanted one that I’d only slept in with you. I wanted it to be
special, something only the two of us have shared. I love you, Allison. I
always have.”

Disappointment shaded his face when she didn’t return his words
of endearment.
Say it. Three simple words
. And though she harbored a
great deal of love for Brance, she still couldn’t bring herself to tell him.

She needed a little more time to settle the heartaches of her
past before she could grasp the future Brance offered.

He took her hand and placed it over his already swollen manhood.
“See how good you are. You keep me turned on.”

Excitement exploded through her, rekindling sensual flames.

This time, she became bolder, using her hand to explore, to
touch, and to fondle him until he moaned in pleasure. She kissed down his
chest, then his stomach. Gently he leaned her back against the bed and lowered
himself on top of her, easing inside her.

For only a second, she glanced in the full-length mirror across
from the bed. Man and wife. Soul mates. Best friends. So beautiful together. So
perfect.

Allison returned to pleasing her husband. Her hands traced over
his back and butt as he stroked her, slowly building to a climatic point. When
she couldn’t take it anymore, she cried out. He released and joined her sultry
cries.

***

Later that evening when Brance slipped on the bulletproof vest,
Allison’s heart tightened. What if he were shot? She had a bad feeling.

If something could go wrong in her life, it usually did. She
forced away her fears. Brance would be all right. He wasn’t some damn rookie.
He wouldn’t take unnecessary risks. Then she realized how deeply she cared for
him. Loved him.

She’d given some thought to what was behind door number two and
decided it could be a loving husband who’d cherish her for the rest of their
lives.

He'd also make a wonderful male role-model for Nathan.

She wanted to trust Brance, wanted to let her feelings for him
surface.

His confession of love played on her mind. She’d known for a long
time her feelings for Brance went beyond just getting her son back.

She leaned up on one elbow. “What time do you think you’ll be
back?”

“Before you wake up.” He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed
her hair from her face. “Go to sleep. And thank you for my Christmas present.”

She laughed. “I should be thanking you. Tonight meant a lot to
me.”

There it was. The most she could bring herself to say without
first laying her demons to rest. Hopefully, it would be enough for now. She
didn’t want to lose him.

She waited until Brance had gone before climbing from the bed.
She packed a small bag and hurried downstairs. She wrote Brance a note and
placed it on the kitchen counter where he’d see it.

Before leaving town, she drove to Oak Forest and parked in front
of the Wilsons’ house. She stared up at the windows.

Right now her little darling slept soundly with visions of
sugarplums dancing in his head. She choked on the tears clogging her throat.
She didn’t know if she could go another day without Nathan in her life.

***

From the outside, Wal-Mart appeared closed. Something that
only happened once a year. The task team Brance assembled waited in their
positions for orders. He hoped all of their time and manpower hadn’t been
wasted.

While waiting, he couldn’t stop thinking about Allison. She’d
finally given in to her desires. Now he hoped to coax her into his bed every
night until she didn’t see the need for her own room.

A noise interrupted his thoughts. One of the men had knocked
something off a shelf. The perps had to strike while Cindy Welles was
monitoring the systems. They wouldn't know she'd already been picked up for
questioning.

He glanced at his watch. Three A.M. If nothing had happened by
five A.M., he’d send the detail home to be with their families.

Something pounded against the roof.

“Santa just landed,” he whispered into the mouthpiece of his
headset.

“Sounds like he plans to come through the ceiling.”

“Has to, no chimney,” Brance replied. He issued an order for
everyone to hold their positions. He'd wait to make a move until all three men
were inside and actively involved in removing narcotics from the shelves.

In the other burglaries, they’d smashed through the front door.
Maybe because Wal-Mart was so much bigger than the other stores, they wanted a
more direct way in and out. The skylight over the pharmacy provided just that.
He studied everyone’s positions. Good. They couldn’t be seen.

His heartbeat stepped up a notch as the first man wearing a black
ski mask and dressed in black slid down a rope. Another man followed and then a
third.

Their movement set off the motion detectors, but they ignored the
blaring alarm. The alarm stopped, no doubt leading them to believe Cindy Welles
had everything under control.

The three male perps pushed bottles off the shelves into their backpacks.

Brance whispered in his mouthpiece. “Move.”

He eased forward, keeping his .357 Sig aimed in front of him,
ready to fire. From the other direction, uniformed officers moved forward.

The pharmacy only had one entrance from inside the store and a
rear door for deliveries that could only be opened from the inside of the
pharmacy.

“Bartlett Police Department!” Brance shouted. “Drop your weapons
and place your hands over your heads. Now!”

Instead, the men hustled to the pharmacy’s rear delivery door.
One boldly turned and fired shots.

A bullet whizzed past Brance.

He darted behind a shelf.

He stepped from around his cover and moved toward them.

The three perps opened the rear door and stopped, dropped their
backpacks and weapons, and raised their hands. Detective Dreyer and five
uniformed officers greeted them with drawn weapons.

An officer removed their ski masks. Brance recognized the two men
he’d seen before. He glared at Shawn before reading them their rights.

***

Brance entered his house around eight Christmas morning. After
the arrest, he stayed around the precinct until the men had been processed. He
whistled Christmas carols as he walked toward the kitchen. Before going
upstairs, he prepared the ham, slid it in the oven, and set the timer.

Upstairs, he stared at his empty bed. Allison had probably
returned to her room. No doubt she regretted sleeping with him already. If he
broke her resolve once, he could do it again.

He thought about waking her, wanting to tell her about the sting.
But it could wait. He climbed into his own bed and closed his eyes. Things were
shaping up.

Someone banged on the front door, waking Brance. He glanced at
the clock. Almost eleven. The oven timer should be going off soon for the ham.
Was Allison up baking her casseroles and pie? Why wasn't she answering the
door?

The knocking continued. He slipped on his pants and walked down
the hall to her room. When he didn’t see her, he scrambled downstairs to get
the door.

Inspector Graham and four officers stood before him. By their grim
expressions, they hadn’t dropped by to sing carols or say Merry Christmas.

“What’s up? Problems with the arrest this morning?” Brance asked.

“No,” Graham replied. His eyes grew sympathetic. “I wanted to be
the one to tell you before the FBI shows up.”

“Tell me what?”

“There’s been a felony warrant sworn out for your wife..”

“Allison? What the hell for?”

“Parental kidnapping. She abducted her son.” 

Brance stared at the men for a moment, lost in a storm of
confusion. Finally, he found his voice. “You think she kidnapped her son?”

“The Wilsons woke up this morning and found him missing. Since
the neighbors saw her car parked near the house, an Amber alert has already
been issued.”

“Allison was here when I left the house last night,” Brance said,
but a shiver ran through him, as he recalled her not being in her bed or his.
He sure as hell didn’t want the men he worked with knowing they had separate bedrooms.
“She’s here. Or at least I think she is,” he added, rubbing his hands through
his hair. “Come in. She’ll be able to straighten this out.”

Then he realized how devastated Allison would be over Nathan. Shit.
This would kill her.

The men he’d worked with for years waited in his foyer, while he
walked through the house searching for Allison.

Please be home. 

He called her name several times. She didn't answer. Despair fell
over him, and a sense of dread wormed its way through him. The aroma of his
well-done ham made him ill. He opened the door to the garage. Her car was gone.