Touch of Fate (Bennett Sisters Book 2) (11 page)

He turned to kiss her palm. “Me too, baby. What did he mean that I didn’t have all the facts?”

“I still have a few things to tell you about my family, but it can wait for now.”

They walked hand in hand to the kitchen, where they found everyone working in tandem to get an impromptu dinner prepared. Briggs had made it, but John was nowhere to be seen. Emma squeezed her arm as she passed.

“Are you okay?”

Abby shook her head, afraid that if she tried to speak her voice would break.

“I’ll go check on him, Abby. He’s just worried about you. I’m sure he just needs some space and to let this all soak in. Besides, he can fill me in.” She winked and left the room. Abby stared at the occupants of the kitchen. All eyes were focused on her, and their questioning stare showed they didn’t understand her choice, but it wasn’t theirs to make. She threw her shoulders back, stood taller, and took command of their little group. She wouldn’t be changing her mind about the plan she’d formed in her head or the man by her side. Her happiness depended on it.

“Something smells good.” Abby smiled and walked to the coffee pot. “You all know Sam. Sam, this is everyone; this is my family. Well, all but Claire is here,” she teased, Pouring two cups of coffee, she returned to his side, handing him a cup of the steaming brew. Abby felt the brush of his arm as he placed his arm around her shoulder. The weight should have been heavy, but it wasn’t. The feel was comforting. He kissed the top of her head before everyone turned back to preparing their meal. Butch was the first to walk over to them and offer his hand. Sam took it. The gesture was more than she thought he would get. Butch let go of his hand, opened his stance, and crossed his arms over his chest. His jaw twitched before he said, “You hurt her, and you’re dead.”

The testosterone that filled the room rolled in waves toward her like an unforeseen force. Abby just shook her head. He wouldn’t be the last to threaten Sam. “Butch, Sam is in this as much as I am, we’re going to catch this guy, and then work out the rest.” Abby gestured to everyone in the room, their eyes now riveted on the two. “Hell, look what he’s having to deal with. If this were reversed, would any of you want me walking into a room filled with animosity and threats?”

Abby pulled Sam to the table and took a seat as the food was being put down. Conversations erupted around them, almost like at their family dinners. There was still a dark cloud hanging over her head, and she needed to come clean about her plan she had concocted to use herself as bait, but it could wait. These men were grumpy when they didn’t eat. She needed them well fed if she was going to persuade them to help with her quest. She crossed her fingers and said a silent prayer. Dinner went off without a hitch with no punches thrown and no insults tossed in Sam’s direction. Well, no more than the usual banter between the men sitting around her, and that was the best she could hope for. John had decided to join them, quiet as he was. He took the seat to her left.

Once everyone was finished eating and the dishes cleared, Abby stood and cleared her throat. She shoved her hands in the pockets of the jeans she’d borrowed from Emma, to hide the slight tremor. She knew what needed to be done. Everyone turned toward her. Most held a skeptical look, they were accustomed to her crazy ideas, but they waited patiently.

“There’s been a recent development in my current case. Most of you know I’m after a killer, well his name is Richard Daley.” Sam stood behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. His big body towered over her. She could feel his muscles pressed against her back. A quiver ran through her. He must have sensed she needed the support, when trying to convince her family, why she should be running head on into a danger. They weren’t going to like why it had turned personal, but that wouldn’t change the fact that it had. Abby told them the whole story of how Richard Daley had ruined her life eighteen years ago. “Sam tells me Daley seems to have changed his MO when he didn’t kill me, and it has left most of the FBI agents on the case scrambling to figure out why. Sam and his mentor seem to think…” Abby leaned her head back and smiled at Sam. “He didn’t kill me for a reason. Agent Stone seems to think that now he’s going to be after me. If nothing else, then to get at Sam. This is all just a game to Daley, and the last one standing wins.”

Butch jumped to his feet, and his nostrils flared. “We’ll kill him. We’ll track the bastard down, and we’ll kill him. He won’t touch you, Abby.” All of her family stood and started pulling their guns out, checking their rounds as they broke in conversation trying to devise a plan to keep her safe.

Abby stomped her foot before she yelled. “Sit back down. I’m not finished.” Startled, they each froze, their conversations stopped in their tasks. “Please, sit down.” Her request came out as a whisper, and unbelievably, they complied.

“Actually, this is a good thing,” Abby interjected.

Butch rose again, about to intercede until Abby gave him a pleading look and he sat back down. “This means that we don’t have to chase him. He’ll come to me.”

“Absolutely not, we aren’t going to risk your life.” Jake interjected from his seat at the table. “Your sisters would string me up if anything happened to you. Abby, you’ve got to be reasonable.” Emma rubbed his arm.

“Just hear her out.” Emma gave her a weak smile.

“Jake, you’re responsible for getting Emma, Claire, and John out of here. Have Briggs take them to the beach house. Unfortunately, I need you to stay here.”

Her sister slid her chair back, scraping it against the wood floors, and stood to her regal height. Abby had seen that look on her face before. Her eyes shooting daggers, Emma obviously disagreed with her plan. She placed her hands on her hips and vehemently shook her head from side to side. “I don’t think so.”

“Emma please, think about the baby. I need to know that you, Claire, and John are safe. I won’t be able to keep my head in the game if I have to worry about all of you.

For once Jake agreed and pulled Emma into his lap as he buried his face in her hair. He placed a kiss before whispering something in her ear, a secret meant only for her.

Butch interrupted their embrace. The scowl on his face meant Abby hadn’t convinced him and wasn’t done trying to get everyone on board. “You…” He pointed his finger at Sam. “You agreed with this plan?” he asked, his tone accusing.

“Hell no, I don’t agree with her plan. I wish I could lock her up in my house and keep her safe, but you know her better than I do. I’d wager that she’d probably find a way to escape and never forgive me.”

Truer words had never been spoken; there was no way she was sitting by when this concerned Sam. Abby was in charge of her own destiny. Her fate rested on her own shoulders now. Sam was back in her life, and she would fight tooth and nail until the end to keep her family together. Losing wasn’t an option she could live with.

Abby pulled in a breath and released it slowly. “Butch, I love you, but I’m doing this with or without your help. You can all just get on board, or I’ll figure this out on my own. This man has taken too much from me for me to just sit by and hope someone else comes up with a better plan.”

Briggs, normally quiet, chimed in. “My money is on the princess. Abby, if you need my help, consider it done.”

Abby’s smile grew bigger as she took in the silent giant’s words. He wasn’t someone who spoke often, he liked to calculate and evaluate every more before he made them. His approval spoke volumes. “Finally,” she said with sigh. “Thanks, Briggs.”

Briggs’ words stunned the rest of them into silence. He gave his help willingly, which is more than she could say for the rest. He believed in her.

Butch gazed into her eyes. His silent plea for her safety went unanswered. He dropped his gaze to the table and mumbled. “What’s your plan?”

She wanted to jump up and down like a five-year-old given a piece of candy, clapping her hands in triumph, but she refrained. “I’m the bait. We can work out the details tomorrow because I’m dead tired.” Her gaze flew to Emma’s. “Which room can we stay in?”

Chapter 15

Exhausted, Abby laid her head down on the soft pillow. Darkness consumed her before Sam even emerged from the shower. Abby blinked and stretched. Her hand lightly poked the body in bed with her.
I slept with Sam
. Sam was lying on his stomach with his face turned from her. He hadn’t even flinched from her poke.
The poor guy must be really tired.
Abby silently threw her legs off the side of the bed and slid out of the comfort of the covers. There was no time like the present to get started on the files about Daley.

After a shower and changing into some of the clothes her sister had left her, she padded down the stairs toward the smell of coffee. The sight of John sitting at the table in the early morning hours startled her. He was digging through Sam’s box of files.
When did he get those?
She must have been more tired than she thought.
John walked over to the coffee pot, came back with a steaming mug, and handed it to her. It had been a long week, and Abby needed it to kick-start her brain into functioning.

“Well, I guess we need to figure this out. I’m not going to lie and tell you that I like your plan to be used as bait. But I trust that you know what you’re doing and besides you have the guys to help you catch this psycho. So I thought I’d help.”

John pulled another file out of the box and opened it. He wasn’t an investigator, but a son on a mission trying to help his mom. Abby kissed his cheek.

“I love you, John,” she whispered in his ear. She was so proud of the man he’d become. She couldn’t have hoped for better. Abby sat down and sipped her coffee while watching her son look through the files. Her heart swelled with pride. She should have known he would be in this with her. The goofy grin she must be wearing said it all.

Abby took the file, thinking,
I’m so blessed.
She had just started her third file when everyone else began to trickle in, starting breakfast and asking questions she’d tuned out. A picture from the file had her engrossed. There was something about it, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She didn’t even notice when Sam had came into the kitchen until he leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of her wet hair. “That’s his first victim, the murder I witnessed.”

Abby pulled her gaze from the woman in the picture to his face then looked back at the picture in a new light. “There’s something about this picture…”

Emma walked into the room. “Momma Mae said be sure to check out the details.” A hush fell over the room, and Emma stopped. “What?” Emma shrugged her shoulders. “You all know she’s vague.” Emma continued walking toward her waiting husband by the coffee pot.

Sam leaned over and whispered, “Who’s Momma Mae?”

She was so engrossed in the picture, she didn’t think before she said, “A ghost that only Emma and Jake can see.” Abby’s hand flew to her mouth as she looked up expectantly at her sister. She hadn’t meant to give away one of their family secrets.

“It’s okay, Abby. Momma Mae likes him.” Emma pointed with her mug toward Sam.

Sam’s brows drew together, and his lips turned down in a frown. “A ghost?”

“Yeah, it’s a long story. I’ll fill you in on the details later. There’s a lot we still need to talk about.” Abby glanced back down at the picture, trying to take in every small detail, she studied every square inch of the photo. She whispered, “Details, details, details.” She tapped her finger to her chin. You could almost see the light turn on. Her eyes widened, and she jumped from her chair, barely missing knocking her coffee over on the table.

“I’ve got it. I’ve seen that locket before.”

Emma walked over to her and took the picture out of her hand. “Let me see.” Emma narrowed her eyes and her brow scrunched together. “It looks just like the same one Mrs. A had on yesterday.” She handed her back the picture and went to snuggle on Jake’s lap. Emma looked up at her, “What would she be doing with a dead woman’s locket?”

“I’m not sure, but it’s worth a shot to give her a call. Maybe she knows something.”

Jake kissed his wife and repositioned her in the chair he abandoned. He pulled out his cell, dialed a number and hit the speaker button. One ring, then two before the little old lady’s voice on the other end filled the room. “Hello.”

“Uh, no, not yet. Mrs. A, Listen, Abby mentioned that she liked a new locket you were wearing. Can you tell me where you got it? I’d like to see about getting Emma one for when the baby comes.”

“Sure dear, he’s renting the lake cabin. The address is 115 Lake Drive. Mr. Smith just came to see me today. He was very interested when I mention he needed to meet Abby.”

“Mrs. A, will you call me if you see him again?” Jake took the phone off speaker and placed it to his ear, and after a few more quick words, he disconnected the call.