by Vivian Gray
He lifted his hips off the sofa in upward thrusts that caused her to let out a loud cry of passion as he began to move quicker and quicker. There was no stopping now. His fingers gripped tightly on her hips as he pulled her down on him in a rhythmic motion. He bit the flesh of her back lightly as he let out a moan, which sent tingles across her skin.
As he crashed over the edge of bliss, she could feel the gush inside of her. He kissed her shoulder blade over and over again as he tried to catch his breath once more.
As calm returned after the sexual storm, Sophie turned around and wrapped herself around him, burying her face into his neck. His chest rose and fell dramatically, and she could feel his heartbeats on her skin. He grabbed a wool blanket from the back of the sofa and draped it over her. They were wrapped in a warm parcel of love. She finally felt she could think that word – Love. She was pretty sure that’s what this was.
Had they just bared their souls to one another? And did he just make a long-term promise or was he just getting carried away with lust at the time? Regardless, it was a moment she would never forget. She felt loved, though neither of them had actually said it.
Chapter Nineteen
Zeke
They had been holed up at Woodbrook for two days in lustful bliss. They’d made love several times, chopped wood, listened to old blues albums on a battery-operated tape player, and eaten all their supplies.
“I’m going to head to the nearest grocery store for food,” Zeke said, pulling on his coat. “It’s part of a gas station in the middle of nowhere – completely safe.”
“Can I come too?” Sophie asked.
Maybe she didn’t want to be left here alone. Fair enough. “OK. Sure.” It was safer to keep her by his side at all times anyway, he figured.
At the store, Sophie wandered off, which caused Zeke to stiffen up and keep watch momentarily before he realized she was heading for the “feminine products” and told himself to loosen up and give her space. She didn’t have to be under his wing every second.
She bought something at the counter quickly and returned to his side with the items in a brown paper bag under her arm.
Zeke chose meat, vegetables, and pasta – enough for a few days’ meals – and they made their way back to the cabin. They’d been so loved up there, he’d almost forgotten it was a safe house and not a love shack. They’d have to get serious about making plans. They’d call Stephan and Nathan later and see if there had been any developments. He wanted to get back into the thick of it and get on with the case, but at the same time felt the need to keep Sophie away from it all, where nothing could harm her. But hiding out in the cabin wasn’t really getting them anywhere.
Later that evening, Zeke called to Sophie that dinner was ready. He placed steaming plates of beef stir fry and noodles on the table, but when he looked up to see Sophie in the doorway, he stopped and rushed to her. “Are you OK?”
She was pale and moving slowly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just... tired I guess,” she said, smiling. He could tell it was a forced smile.
They sat in silence and ate. Well, Zeke ate, while Sophie pushed her food around on the plate for a minute before putting her fork down and sighing.
“Actually, I’m not OK,” she said softly. “I’m sorry to ruin this lovely meal. You’ve made all this effort, and I... I’m a mess.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked, leaning one hand across the table to touch hers.
“I took a test.”
He frowned. “What kind of.... Oh.” His mouth hung open.
“Yeah... that kind. And, it turns out... I’m pregnant.”
“Shit. I mean, wow. In a good way,” he said, his eyes wide. He dropped his fork on his plate and smoothed his hands down his jaw as he turned over the words.
“I don’t know what I expect you to do,” Sophie said, her eyes misting over with tears. “Run, probably.”
“Hell no,” he said, suddenly jumping out of his seat and kneeling on the floor next to her chair. “I’d never do that. I’ll stand by you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Cause you have to? You don’t have to.”
“No, not that. I want to. I know it’s not been very long but... I’m falling in love with you. I’m not going anywhere.”
Tears ran down her pale cheeks, and Zeke wiped them away with his thumbs. “In fact, I think you should be my wife. We should do this right.”
“Whoa,” she said, placing one hand on his chest. “Don’t be crazy. We barely know each other.”
“But we’re going to be parents,” he said with a grin. “We’ve already taken things that far. Shit, that sounds crazy when I say it out loud. But how can it be wrong? I know you feel it too – the connection. How many people go on to have kids who don’t feel half of what we feel already?”
“True,” she agreed, nodding and wiping her eyes with the napkin from the table.
“We would be a family,” he added, taking hold of her hands. “The family you’ve always wanted.”
She smiled. “Let me think about it before I say yes.”
“So, you’re going to say yes?” he said with a grin, which caused her to laugh.
He put his arms around her and hugged her so tight. He meant every word he’d said. He would rise to the challenge – be enough for her, protect her... and their child.
Chapter Twenty
Zeke
As soon as Zeke heard Sophie’s news he knew they had to leave Woodbrook and get on with facing their problems. He wanted the whole shitty ordeal over and done with so he could get on with planning his life... their lives.
Sophie went back to work, and the first thing Zeke did was visit Nathan.
The kitchen window was already replaced. It was as if nothing had happened. But a lot had happened.
“Your buddy Stephan had some interesting news from the coroner’s office,” Nathan explained before even sitting down. “Turns out, they had a visit from Troy just after Gary’s autopsy. They said he was quite unstable and refused to believe his brother was dead.”
Zeke listened in silence, his brow furrowed and his arms folded.
“They gave me some addresses, which I’ve used to track down his current address.”
Zeke stiffened and locked eyes with Nathan. “Shall we?”
Nathan nodded gravely. “232 Sanderson Drive, Davidson.”
Zeke called Sophie to explain where they were going. Something drove him to tell her every detail... in case something happened to him.
“I’m coming with you,” she said on the other end of the phone.
“No, Sophie, it’s not safe. Not now that... you know. I don’t want to put you in any more danger.”
“I’m coming,” she demanded. “I’ve been with you every step of this. I can help. I know the story so far. Plus, it might help to have a female with you, another dimension to the visit, maybe he’ll behave differently, or open up more to me.”
She had a point.
They went to pick her up at the shop. When Zeke arrived there, Sophie was waiting, already changed into jeans and a shirt.
“Hey,” Stephan said casually. “Be careful on this visit. You don’t know what state he’ll be in.”
“We will,” Zeke said gravely. “Has Sophie told you our news?”
Stephan frowned and looked from Zeke to Sophie, who was burying her face in her hand.
“What the hell?” she muttered under her breath.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he whispered. “I can’t wait to tell people.”
She looked at him with narrowed, scornful eyes.
“Surely, we can tell Stephan,” Zeke continued, in hushed tones. “No one else, until you’re ready. I promise.”
She sighed and looked at Stephan with hesitation written all over her face. “We have some pretty big... news. Damned big.”
Stephan’s eyebrows shot up in wonder. “Well... who’s gonna deliver it then?” He looked at Sophie, then Zeke, then back to her. “Come on, don’t leave me hanging.�
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“I’m pregnant,” Sophie said flatly, looking at the ground.
Stephan leaped two feet backward. “Oh my God, that’s amazing, Sophie. Wow. I... I can’t believe it.” He looked at Zeke with a wide grin. “Congrats, man. You have no idea what’s about to hit you.” He began laughing and rubbing his hair with one hand.
Sophie scowled and crossed her arms, which made Zeke feel terrible for blurting out their secret when she clearly wasn’t ready.
He nudged her arm and ducked down to peer into her eyes with a meek smile. “Come on, he was always gonna be the first to know, wasn’t he?”
She smiled at Stephan finally. “Yeah.”
Stephan embraced her with a huge hug. “I’m so happy for you. I really am. I think you’ll be great together... even jumping right into the deep end like this.”
“I’ve asked her to marry me too,” Zeke said.
“Jeez, you can’t keep that shut, can you?” Sophie said, looking at his mouth with a laugh.
“Wow. So, when’s the wedding?” Stephan asked.
“I haven’t said yes yet,” Sophie said scornfully.
“But you will,” Stephan said, with a questioning tone, then turned to Zeke and said with authority, “She will. I know it.” He suddenly began dancing around the garage, calling out:,“Whoop whoop, there’s gonna be a wedding, whoop whoop, there’s gonna be a baby.”
Stephan’s wife Ruth appeared at the door. “What? Oh my God!” She ran towards Sophie with arms outstretched. Zeke watched as Sophie’s face burned red as she sent him a furious look. He mouthed the word “sorry” but couldn’t help laughing at the same time.
Ruth launched into a monologue of advice about choosing a dress and moved right the way through birth to breastfeeding at lightning speed.
“Hey, sorry, but we’d better go,” Zeke interrupted, which judging by the look of relief on Sophie’s face, was the most sensible thing to come out of his mouth since he’d arrived at the shop.
She dragged herself over to his side and apologized to Ruth. “You’ll have to tell me all your best secrets when the baby’s closer,” she added politely.
Ruth and Stephan hugged and grinned at the new parents-to-be, which caused Sophie to let out a groan as they turned to leave.
“First thing I’m going to do is buy a padlock for that mouth of yours,” she joked to Zeke as they got to the car where Nathan was waiting.
“What was going on in there?” he asked. “Looked like fun.”
“Don’t ask,” Sophie said immediately.
He shrugged and smiled. “OK.”
Zeke smiled apologetically at his friend before they all hopped in and drove off towards the small town where Troy lived.
They arrived soon after in a small, ordinary-looking street of modest one-story houses. The three of them exchanged nervous glances.
“Let’s see if we can talk this live wire around and end this once and for all,” Zeke said, opening the driver’s door and stepping onto the sunny street.
They walked up the path together, Zeke ushering Sophie to the back.
He rang the bell, and after only a few seconds they could hear someone approaching the door on a hardwood floor. It opened, and there stood someone who looked exactly like Zeke’s former colleague Gary.
He had on camouflage pants, a dark green T-shirt, and heavy leather boots, as though he really was a soldier. But he wasn’t built like a soldier. He was skinny and pale. His pale blue eyes fixed immediately on Zeke, and he clenched both fists.
“I think you know why we’re here,” Zeke said calmly.
Troy said nothing. He looked past his visitors onto the street suspiciously, before moving to one side to let them in.
Zeke glanced at Nathan in surprise. They hadn’t expected this.
“Go through to the right,” Troy said in a flat, emotionless voice.
Once they were all in the living room, Troy stood in the doorway awkwardly. “It’s hot out. Do you want sodas?”
They all shook their heads. “No thanks. We just want to talk to you. We’re here as... friends,” Zeke said.
“Friends?” Troy said, shuffling his boots from side to side. “You’re not my friends. You let me down.”
Zeke stood up. “Listen, it’s OK. We just want to talk. We can help you… before someone gets hurt.”
“Before someone gets hurt?” Troy asked, punching his fist into his palm.
“Troy...” Nathan began.
Troy paced up and down in frustration. “I’m not Troy. I’m Gary,” he said. “Troy’s my brother. He died.”
Zeke swallowed hard and said softly, “Why are you following us? And more importantly threatening us?”
“I’m not. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Nathan spoke again. “Listen, it’ll all be OK if you stop now. If you get some help. We know you took Gary’s death badly, we understand. But you need to stop blaming us. You need to move on.”
“I need to get something,” Troy said and turned to run down the hall.
“Troy, wait,” Zeke said, rushing to the doorway.
Zeke, Nathan, and Sophie looked at each other with wide eyes.
“A gun?” Sophie whispered.
Nathan got up and pushed past Zeke quickly to run after Troy.
Zeke called out, “Nathan! No! Stick together!” But Nathan was already halfway down the hall when there was an almighty blast. Zeke carefully forced Sophie to the ground as the hall was engulfed in flames. They lay on the floor in silence for what felt like a long time, just staring into the inferno with desperate pain in their eyes. In reality, it was just seconds before Zeke’s survival instincts kicked in and he jumped to his feet, scooping Sophie up with a fireman’s lift, and ran out the door.
On the lawn outside, Sophie buried her face into his chest. “Nathan. Oh my God. Nathan,” she kept repeating in a whisper. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Zeke could feel the warmth of tears on his own face too as he watched the fire sweep into the living room, where they’d been standing only moments before, and burn one of his heroes with its ferocity.
Zeke slammed his fist down on the roof of his car in anger. “Why did he have to take Nathan with him? He was a great man.”
They hugged and watched the flames in stunned silence until the police and fire service arrived. At least this mess was over with Troy out of the picture.
Chapter Twenty One
Sophie
Life returned to normal after Nathan’s funeral. A new form of normal, though, in which Zeke and Sophie felt safe to live their lives without looking over their shoulders at all times. Things were a lot easier without a potential murderer on the loose.
Fire investigation teams had been hard at work for weeks and had released information on a trip wire set up by Troy, which went off when Nathan chased Troy down the hall. They didn’t stand a chance.
Sophie could tell Zeke was having a tough time getting his head around it. He’d finally managed to put the explosion of his past behind him, and then it happened all over again. It may have been on a much smaller scale, but it was just as devastating to him. But still, he had the baby to focus on. Sophie was booked in for her first scan in a few weeks’ time, and the thought of that was a definite tonic for them both. This new life held so much promise. They even started wedding planning. She’d spent a lot of time at his apartment lately, partly because she knew he needed support, but partly because she couldn’t bear to be alone all of a sudden. It was as if having this tiny human growing inside of her had already linked her to Zeke in even deeper ways, and she needed to be with him whenever she could.
At work one Tuesday morning, Sophie was concentrating on replacing a broken suspension spring, which was proving more difficult than normal due to the amount of rust and dirt under the hood. She looked down to see Stephan’s work boots next to the bumper and stood up.
“Hey,” she said, straightening up.
“Hey, do you fancy a coffee?
Take a little break?” he asked.
“Sure. That’s sounds good.” She wiped her hands on a cloth from her pocket. “Do we still have those triple chocolate cookies?”
