Whispers

by Jen Talty

  Rules, dear. And you have the power. Connect. Connect.

  Screw your rules. Find Owen, and get him back here.

  Stall. Just stall.

  Okay.

  “Don’t try anything funny or I’ll shoot.” He waved the gun at her grandmother’s old, wooden rocker. “Sit down.”

  “Take whatever you want and just leave. I won’t try to stop you.” She wanted to roll her eyes at her own stupidity. Of course she wasn’t going to stop him, the man held her at gunpoint.

  “Just do as you’re told.” He took two steps forward, pushing the gun in her face.

  She swallowed her pounding heart. “Okay. Okay.” She tightened the belt around her waist, painfully aware she was completely naked beneath the robe.

  Where was her cell phone? She could have left it in the car, or maybe in her purse in the kitchen.

  She scurried across the room, plopping herself down on the wooden chair. “What do you want?”

  “Right now for you to shut the fuck up.” The intruder moved to the front of the house and looked out the window, all the while keeping his gun pointed at her.

  Thankfully, his movement gave her a chance to scan the room. There had to be something she could use to defend herself. Not to mention she knew the house phone was here, somewhere. Although, it probably would be dead since she never charged the damn thing.

  “Get up,” he shouted.

  Courtney stood on shaky legs.

  The intruder shoved the cold metal weapon into her shoulder blades.

  “I’ll give you whatever you want.” Her voice trembled.

  Owen, where are you?

  Save me, Owen.

  A light flickered in the woods behind her house. Could someone be out there? She blinked, trying to focus, but all she could see was a faint glow through the trees.

  “Lady, you’re my ticket out of here.”

  “How so?” She tried to calm her heart rate and her breathing. Somehow, she had to get the attention of whoever lurked in the shadows in her backyard.

  “You’re going to put on some clothes and drive me to the bus station. Buy a couple of tickets and make sure I get out of this town.” He jerked her body.

  “How am I going to do that?” She studied him, getting every detail in case she had to give a description.

  God, she hoped she’d live to do that.

  In her mind, she made a checklist of his defining features.

  Blue eyes.

  High cheekbones.

  Stubble. Maybe two days’ worth.

  Square chin with a dimple.

  Long, blond hair pulled into a ponytail.

  Reach out to Owen. Can you feel him?

  She closed her eyes and concentrated. A warm sensation, like being in a bath, rolled across her skin. She opened her eyes. He’s close.

  Your connection is strong.

  “Come on. We’ve only got a few minutes.” He shoved Courtney back into the family room and up the stairs.

  She swallowed the bile smacking the back of her throat. My jeans! That’s where she’d left her cell phone. “I need to use the bathroom.”

  “Like hell.”

  “There’s no window, so it’s not like I’m going to jump.”

  He pushed the gun harder against her back.

  Sarcasm might be the death of her.

  “Where is it?”

  “In my bedroom.” She led the way, trying to pick up the pace so she didn’t have to feel the metal barrel against her back. But the asshole seemed to shove it deeper in her skin.

  He grabbed her arm and held on tight. So tight she knew it would bruise.

  “You have exactly three minutes.”

  She nodded.

  “And keep the door open.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  He raised and swung.

  Smack!

  The back of his hand slammed down across her cheek. She fell to the floor, cupping her face.

  “Lady, you ain’t got nothing I haven’t seen before. Now get your clothes, get dressed, do your business. You have two minutes.” He yanked her to her feet and shoved her into the sink.

  Her hip crashed into the corner.

  She blinked a few times, trying to gather her thoughts as she slipped on her jeans.

  Something must have caught his attention because he stood by the door with his back to her. Quickly, she yanked out her cell phone. Making sure it was on silent mode, she hit Owen’s number and then shoved it in her pocket. She pulled an old sweatshirt over her head.

  “Let’s go,” the intruder said, waving his weapon.

  “Why don’t you just take my car and my money and leave me here,” she pleaded, hoping Owen had answered the call.

  He shook his head. “Not going to happen.” No move.

  She scurried down the stairs and through to the back of the house. Her hands trembled when she reached for her keys on the table by the door.

  Owen.

  He was here.

  She could feel him

  “I had him red-handed with my laptop in his hands.”

  Owen nodded. “You did the right thing by letting him walk when he pointed a gun at you. No use in getting killed over a few items that can be replaced.”

  Owen, where are you?

  Great. Now he’s got Courtney in his head.

  He ignored the voice. Courtney was safe and sound where he’d left her. Hopefully with her light on. He stood at the edge of the driveway to the Gilmore residence and reached for his cell phone and hit Becky’s number.

  “Nothing yet, Chief,” Becky said. “We’ve pretty much combed the area. He must have slipped through somehow.”

  “He’s on foot, he couldn’t have gone far.” The hair on the back of his neck prickled.

  Owen? Help me. Courtney’s voice bounced between his ears.

  You did hear that, right?

  Loud and clear, Lilly. He pulled out his cell phone.

  Missed fucking call with a voice message from Courtney. But he didn’t need to listen because deep in his gut, he knew she was in trouble. He tapped Becky’s number. It rang once.

  “What is it, Chief?”

  “Where are you, exactly?”

  “Exactly? Standing at the edge of the woods by the Nash house. We’ve combed the entire area.”

  “Are the lights on at Courtney’s place?”

  “A few, why?”

  “Put a few men in strategic places and don’t let anyone enter or leave that house. Do I make myself clear?”

  Good boy, Lilly said.

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tell her I want French toast for breakfast every morning when this is over.

  You’re going to have to tell her that yourself.

  I will. He paused for a moment. I can hear her calling me. How is that possible?

  Another question you’ll have to ask her.

  “Why?” Becky asked.

  “Call it a gut reaction. Kind of like your woman’s intuition.”

  “Whatever you say, boss.”

  He raced to his car, his heart pounding so fast he didn’t think he’d be alive by the time he got to Courtney. “Hold on, babe,” he whispered as he drove through the windy neighborhood streets. About a half a mile away, he shut down his lights. He parked the patrol car around the corner and took in a few calming breaths as he made his way into the woods where Becky hid.

  “We’ve seen two shadows,” Becky said, stepping from behind the large tree he, himself, had been leaning up against earlier. “Last we could tell, they had just come downstairs.”

  “I’m going to enter through the garage.” He drew his weapon, checked it over, and then looked directly at Becky. “Someone covering the front?”

  “Yep.”

  “Got my back?”

  “Let’s go, boss.”

  He crouched down as he raced across the backyard toward the garage. Pressing his back against the wall, he eyed Becky who had made her way to the other side.

  She nodded.

&
nbsp; Slowly, he reached for the handle. The doorknob didn’t turn.

  Reaching into his pocket, he dug out his keys, fumbling with them until he found the right one. Being as quiet as he possibly could, he unlocked the door and pushed it open.

  He stepped into the dark garage, weapon at the ready. Her car was where it should be, and so far, nothing seemed out of place, until he heard footsteps and then voices.

  He ducked behind the passenger side of the vehicle.

  Out of sight, he held his gun across the hood of the car, aimed at the door just as it sprang open.

  “Don’t do anything stupid,” a male voice said.

  “No worries there.” Courtney’s voice sounded solid. Strong. That was a good sign.

  I’m here, babe.

  Don’t call me babe.

  I’ll remember that.

  Owen spread his legs to hip width and waited. Patience was the key to everything. Courtney came into view first, and his heart did a little flutter when he saw metal aimed at her head.

  “Like I said before, little lady, don’t do anything to raise suspicion, or I’ll shoot you dead.”

  Courtney nodded, hugging her middle, and looking directly in Owen’s direction. Her eyes pleaded with him to save her.

  Timing was everything. If he scared the asshole, his finger might slip and pull the trigger, sending a bullet into Courtney’s skull, and that wouldn’t do. Owen cleared his throat. Not loudly, but just enough to let the burglar know he had company.

  “What the fuck?” the burglar said. “Who’s there?”

  “Just your friendly neighborhood cop,” Owen said. “Why don’t you let her go, and we can talk.”

  “Fuck you.”

  Owen’s eyes had adjusted to the dark, but the light seeping into the garage from the open door to the house made it difficult to see everything. He figured the burglar didn’t have a good read on him either. “Turn the lights on, let the lady go, and we can talk.”

  “She and I are getting in that car and driving out of here. You try to stop us, she dies.”

  “Then so do you, asshole, because I’ve got a gun pointed right between your eyes.” His hands were steady as always, but his heart raced out of control.

  Well now, that certainly got the jerk’s attention. The burglar inched behind Courtney. “I don’t think you want me to kill the pretty lady.”

  “Not really, because I’m not in the mood to kill you.” Owen focused on the man, not the love of his life. Her fear seeped through the air, landing on his skin. He shivered. “Besides, even if you manage to shoot her, and me, there are at least five cops outside. You’re not going far, so I’d put the weapon down and let her go. You don’t want to add murder to your already long list of crimes.”

  Silence filled the room. Owen held his stance, and Becky inched her way through the door. Two guns were always better than one.

  “More like ten cops, boss,” Becky said.

  The burglar jumped.

  Courtney, this would be the perfect time to hit him. Owen watched as Courtney hurled her elbow into her assailant’s gut.

  “Nice job,” he whispered, jumping over the car and diving on the burglar and in the process pushing Courtney out of harm’s way.

  A loud pop echoed in his ear and a second later, a sharp pain stung the side of his arm. “Shit,” he mumbled, reaching for the burglar’s gun. “I hate it when that happens.” Owen wrestled the gun from the man and shoved it toward Becky. “You are under arrest.”

  Owen twisted the jerk’s hands behind his back and clicked on the handcuffs. He yanked the burglar to his feet. A quick glance at his arm let him know the bullet only grazed his skin.

  “Becky, get this asshole out of my sight.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Owen!” Courtney yelled, jumping up from the ground and throwing herself at him.

  He braced for impact, grabbing her with both arms and pulled her in tight. He lined her cheeks and neck with soft kisses. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine now.”

  “He didn’t hurt you?”

  “He hit me, but that’s it.”

  Owen’s breath caught in his throat. “I’m sorry.”

  I’ll leave you two alone for a little while, Lilly whispered.

  Probably a good idea.

  He tried not to respond to the voice, but his body betrayed him when he tensed for a moment.

  “You heard that, didn’t you?” Courtney glanced up at him with a few tears rolling down her cheeks. The left one was lined with a dark bruise.

  He pressed his mouth against hers in a simple, but promising kiss.

  “Um, Chief. We’re gonna need a statement from Miss Nash,” Becky said with a definite giggle caught in her throat.

  “Take it inside, and I’ll make sure she comes down to the station a little later to sign it.” Owen ran his thumbs under her eyes. “I’ll be right in, okay?”

  She nodded, running her hands up and down his arms. “Ouch,” he muttered when her finger accidentally dug into his superficial wound.

  She looked at his arm, and then back at him with wide eyes. “The bastard shot you!”

  “It’s just a nick.”

  “Excuse me while I beat the shit out of him. No one messes with my man.”

  Owen couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing. He tried to tone it down when she pouted at him, but it just made him laugh harder. “Sorry, sweetheart.” He kissed her nose. “Now go with Becky. I’ve just got a few loose ends to tie up here.”

  “I need to clean that wound.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He smiled and watched her enter the house. He sighed. This was a lot more than he’d bargained for. And while he knew he was falling head over heels for the woman, it still scared the crap out of him.

  You run, and I’ll hunt you down.

  I’m not going anywhere. Relax, Lilly.

  6

  Owen watched Becky pull her patrol car out of the driveway, surprised by the nerves rattling around in his brain. Finally, after a very long night, he would be alone with the girl of his dreams. So, what was his problem?

  “It’s cold out there,” Courtney said. “And your wound is going to get infected if you don’t let me take care of it.”

  “I’m coming,” he said. When he turned toward the house, his breath left his body like someone just smacked him on the back.

  She stood in the doorway wearing a pair of flannel boxers rolled down at the waist and a spaghetti strapped top that barely covered her. “Get in the house. You’re practically naked. Someone might see you.”

  She smiled wickedly. “Jealous, are we?”

  “No.” He scowled. “But like you said, it’s cold out here.”

  “Then come inside and let’s get all hot and bothered.” She rolled her strap down her shoulder.

  “You are a very bad girl.” The blood flow increased in certain parts of his body as he stepped into the garage, clicking it shut.

  “I can be.” She turned and kicked up her foot.

  He waited a moment before following her into the house. “Got a Band-Aid?”

  “Already on it.” She led him to the sofa. Her soft fingers wrapped around his thick arm. “Does it hurt?”

  “No.” He glanced down at the bottle in her hands. “But I think it’s going to when you pour that shit on it.”

  “You big baby.”

  “Yeah. I think I will need you to nurse me back to health.” He watched her dab the cotton ball and gently place it against the wound on his arm. This was how life was supposed to be. Meant to be.

  “There, all done.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Anytime.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’m going up to bed. Are you coming?”

  “Yeah,” he said as if it were an everyday normal occurrence. “Just want to make sure everything is locked up tight down here.”

  She rose. “I’ll see you upstairs.”

  He tilted his head, watching her hips sway back and forth
as she took the steps slowly, occasionally looking over her shoulder and smiling.

  He walked through the house, knowing he was simply stalling.

  He had to go up there sometime before the sun rose.

  Right before he flicked off the family room lights, he found her shorts and top. He groaned. His heart pounded so fast it hurt. He started unbuttoning his uniform top and raced up the stairs until he stood at her bedroom door where he found her, already in bed.

  Naked.

  Not under the covers.

  “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” he questioned, staring at her creamy skin. He unhooked his belt and removed his gun, placing it on the nightstand while he soaked in every inch of her glorious body. A body he’d have the pleasure of doing wicked things to for the rest of his life. Yeah, his life just got a whole lot better.

  “Oh God, no. Just trying to get your attention.”

  “You had it, fully clothed.”

  “Want me to get dressed again?” she questioned, but she made no attempts to move.

  “No, not really.” And without further ado, he shed his uniform and climbed on the bed next to her, running his fingertips across her middle, enjoying how her muscles tightened under his touch. “I’m sorry I acted like a jerk earlier. I did believe you. I was just being—”

  “...a man?”

  “Well, I am that.”

  “I understand. I shouldn’t have played games, but I didn’t know what to do. You were so distant when I first moved back. I got desperate.”

  “I know. I’m sorry about that. How can I make it up to you?”

  “You’re doing it now,” she said, gliding her hands across his chest.

  “I’m not good at the relationship thing.”

  She looked up at him and smiled. “We can take it slow.”

  “I think we’re past slow. I mean, I’m in bed with you naked about to do unspeakable things to you.”

  “Looking forward to the unspeakable things.” But I should tell you that I love you, you big oaf.

  “I love you back,” he said. “But why must you call me an oaf?”

  She jumped up, wrapping the sheet around her body. “I didn’t call you an oaf, and you love me?”

  “Didn’t you say you loved me too?” Talk about being confused. He heard her say the words. Well, it was more of whisper, but it was her voice.