“This is my home. Respect it.”
Quinn stared the man down. “I was a sheriff of a small town. I don’t usually go into people’s homes and disrespect them. I was raised better than that, and I know the rules.”
The man stared at him. “Follow me.”
Inside, he greeted a woman with a kiss. “Hey, baby girl. We have company.”
She turned and smiled at them. Then she saw the guns on their hips, and it vanished. “What’s going on, Adam?”
He took her by the hand and led everyone into their living room. “No, these nice people,” he began, emphasizing the word ‘nice’, “are here to talk to you. They’re investigating a case, and they think that you might be able to help them out.”
“Oh.”
Callie took a seat not far from her and offered the woman her hand in greeting. “I’m Doctor Callista Gaines, and this is my husband Detective Quinton Gaines.”
She shook both of their hands warmly. “Welcome to our home. Can I get you some tea or coffee?”
Callie appreciated the offer, but she didn't want to spend any more time there. Already, the sheriff was giving them a less than happy look.
Well, it was nice to see that she was a tad bit less hostile than her husband.
“I don’t understand what I could have to do with anything you’re investigating. Since marrying Adam, I tend to live on the straight and narrow.”
He dropped his arm around her shoulders in reassurance. It was also a clear sign to Callie and Quinn that he was protecting his woman.
“Do you know Melissa Miller?”
She smiled. “I do. We grew up together. Many years ago, we were best friends and neighbors. Is this about her family dying? I just heard about her daughter and son yesterday. Dying in a fire is a terrible thing.”
Quinn was surprised that the sheriff didn't tell his wife the truth. Then again, if his wife wasn’t in law enforcement, he wouldn’t bring the mess home to his castle either.
“Yes, it is. What can you tell us about Melissa when you were in school together? Your old teacher said you were close.”
She laughed. “We were as thick as thieves.”
“So, can you take us back to right before she found out she was pregnant?” Callie asked. “We’re asking not to pry into her business, but we’re running a parallel case that involves her daughter, Avalon.”
“Oh.”
This was where they had to tread lightly. The sheriff was listening, and he was far from a stupid man. He would start putting it together, and that was the last thing they wanted.
“Well, we all hung out in school. Our group wasn’t too big. It was Missy, myself, Philomena, and of course my Adam.”
Interesting.
The man never mentioned her was close with the Millers. Then again, they didn't ask. He wasn’t big on sharing, and you could see that he wasn’t happy this information had come out. It was clearly written on his face.
“Can you share some information about her?”
“Sure. She really liked poetry. She would talk about it nonstop. Honestly, she was a really sweet girl. I don’t get to see her much anymore because after a while, this town killed something in her. She rarely returns home now that she inherited all her husband’s money.”
“Is it odd she didn't come in for her mother’s funeral?”
The woman chewed on her lip. “No.”
“Why?” Callie asked, trying to keep it as light as possible. She didn't want to piss off the sheriff, but she needed to dig deep into the dirt.
“She didn't like her parents, particularly her mother. She had them all under his thumb. When Missy found out she was pregnant, she had to leave. If she didn't, they would have forced her to have an abortion, or possibly something worse. While they were religious, they also cared about their image.”
Callie didn't want to think about what she could mean. She’d investigated cases where people abused pregnant women to get them to miscarry.
She placed a hand over her own baby bump, trying not to go there.
“When she got into trouble, it started the downward spiral. The second she found out she was pregnant, it was like the world was coming to an end.”
They listened to her.
“The Millers laid down the law with their girl, and she broke the rules. The second she was pregnant, and still in school, she knew she was in trouble. Horace and Mary Louise wouldn’t go for that at all.”
“Who were the men she hung out with?” she asked.
“Other than her cousin Frank, her cousin Wade, or my Adam, she didn't really see many. She was really a homebody. We spent a lot of time at their place. Her momma liked to keep an eye on her.”
Rightfully so, but she obviously didn't do a good enough job. Quinn thought about his daughter and the reception he’d have for any boy who touched his girl.
“Do you know who got her pregnant?” Callie asked.
The woman hesitated.
“We really need to find her daughter’s father. Our case centers around that.”
“If I could help you I would,” she offered. “The thing is, she didn't really tell any of us. It was odd because we told each other everything. When Adam and I first did it, I told her and Philomena. We laughed and giggled, but when she lost her virginity, there was no talk. She began closing down on us. It was the beginning of the end, so to speak.”
Adam looked a little bit embarrassed at the route the conversation was taking. His wife noticed and patted his leg. “Adam, she’s pregnant. I’m sure she knows what sex is.”
Callie laughed, rubbing her bump. “This is our second child, so we’ve done it at least twice,” she joked.
Polly laughed.
Now Quinn looked mortified.
“When she found out she was expecting, she dug up money and left. She borrowed cash from anyone who had any. Philomena and I both chipped in. We really thought it was for an abortion. Then surprise, surprise—she came back with a baby.”
“Was she okay when she came back?” Callie asked.
“You know, she wasn’t too bad. For a while, after she dumped the child off at her mother’s, she was coming back to life. Then her new man died, and she went off the rails. I think she felt safe with him. When Missy returned, that was her priority. She looked lost without her husband to stand guard.”
That was curious.
“Here’s something I didn't understand. She had two more kids, but they never used her new husband’s name. Why?”
Polly shook her head. “One day, when we were meeting for coffee, she told me that she’d never be under a man’s thumb again. She used her maiden name when she got married, and for those kids—God rest their souls.”
Callie closed up her tablet. “You’ve been a lot of help, Mrs. Lawrence. I really appreciate your openness.”
“Can I ask you something?”
Callie waited for it.
“Is she coming back to bury her kids? I mean, she gave birth to them, and that should mean something. I could never have kids, but if I did, and something happened…I’d want to be here to say goodbye. I never understood how she could walk away from that first baby, and now her other two. Something damaged her.”
Quinn took over. “I spoke to Melissa. She’s coming back. She should be here tomorrow.”
Polly looked more relaxed.
“I’m glad she’s doing the right thing.”
Callie wanted to point out that she’d ditched her first child like she was trash, so anyone’s magnanimous feelings for Melissa Miller were probably misplaced.
“Thank you for your time.”
They shook hands and headed out. In the driveway, the sheriff caught up.
“Thank you for being respectful. I love my wife, and I don’t want anything to upset her. I didn't tell her what’s going on here in Fredricksville. This is our home, and the last thing I want is for her to be upset.”
“We get that, Sheriff. We both face some pretty shitty things every day,” Quinn stated.
<
br /> Callie wasn’t done with the man. She’d been studying him, and something was bothering her. “You knew Melissa in high school?”
He stared at the woman. “Yes, I did.”
“Did you have a sexual relationship with her, Sheriff? If we took your DNA, and a sample of Avalon Miller’s, we’re not going to find out that you’re her daddy, are we?”
He glared at the woman.
“Here I was just thinking that I was wrong about you two. I may have started to even like you. Now, I see that was clearly a moment of insanity.”
Callie shrugged. “It’s a fairly straight forward question. I think a simple yes, or no, will put this to bed.”
Quinn crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for the man to own up to it. “We’re not going to tell your wife anything, okay? We’re simply looking for a link.”
“I did have sex with her, but not anywhere near the timeline to have gotten her pregnant. Polly and I broke up. One night, I met up with Melissa and her cousins. We got drunk, and we had sex. It ended there.”
Callie stared at him. “We may still need that DNA.”
“You know what, Doctor?”
“What?”
“You can have it, just get a warrant. When you have that paper in your hand, I’ll be more than happy to let you swab my mouth. Hell, I’ll jack off in a cup if that’s your cup of tea. Until then, you’ll have to drive yourself crazy at night wondering.”
She wasn’t surprised.
This man wasn’t going to be an easy nut to crack.
Quinn wanted to tear out the man’s tongue, wrap it around his neck, and strangle him with it.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Callista stated, heading toward their car.
“Good luck at the bar.”
Quinn didn't like the way he said that. It twisted his gut. He couldn’t wait until this was done.
He really wanted to get home.
CHAPTER Twenty-three
T he time passed slowly. It was nearly enough to drive her insane. As Avalon sat in the darkness of her mind, and cave, her body began picking up little traces of what was coming. Her gift was forcing her to face the inevitable, and it wasn’t pretty. The timeline was set, and they didn't have much time left together.
It was no longer measured in weeks or days.
She could see the end game in the near future, and it was now hours. That sickened her. She couldn’t hold it back. She saw the building where she would die.
She saw Nate on the ground being shot.
No matter what she did to manipulate the outcome, it all ended the same.
Death.
It terrified her on some deep level. Avalon had seen many scary things in her life. The images haunted her every waking step, but nothing frightened her more.
She was going to lose him.
He was going to lose her.
She wanted to rage around, but what could she do?
Despite it all, nothing had changed. Maura and Luke didn't alter fate. They only pushed it closer. All their attempts had done nothing more than piss off the fickle fate.
It was coming.
They couldn’t stop it.
As she sat there, wiping her eyes, Avalon made a choice. She wouldn’t weep about what was coming. Instead, she’d spend the last few hours she had with Nate loving him.
If she was going to die, she wanted to have peace as she went.
It was her dying wish.
On death row, you’re given your last meal, but food didn't matter to her. Nate did. He was the last thing she wanted to taste before it all exploded around her.
He was what she craved.
When the wood scraped along the ground, Avalon lifted the gun toward the entrance. She saw the figure in her mind’s eye, and immediately lowered it.
She could tell it was him.
He felt good.
Immediately, the misery began ebbing away.
She had that moment with him, and that’s all that mattered. In the end, he was everything to her.
“Avi, baby, it’s me.”
The light filtered into the mine. Nate could see her sitting there, and the tears had stained her cheeks. “Are you okay?” he asked, moving toward her.
“I am now that you’re back,” she admitted.
He dropped to his knees beside her, and gently pushed the blonde hair from her face. “What’s wrong?”
Where to begin?
She was dying soon.
So might he.
They didn't have a future.
There’d be no marriage or honeymoon.
Everything was wrong.
“I missed you that’s all.”
His heart skipped. “I thought about you every step of the way,” he reassured, leaning down to kiss her on the lips. “I found dinner for us,” he stated.
“Fish. I can smell it.”
“I hope you like it,” he offered. “If not, I can try for something else.”
She stared blindly up at him. “Can we eat later?” she asked. “I’m not hungry right now. Well, not for food.”
Her words trickled across his body like silk across flesh. They raised goose bumps across his arms and tightened his lower body.
“Avalon?”
“I need you to hold me, Nathaniel. I need you right now. The visions are pulling me under, and you’re the only one who can save me. Please save me.”
He heard the urgency in her voice, and it was tinged in pain. Her suffering made him ache along with her. Nate would do anything he could to heal her. His love for Avalon was endless.
“What do you need, Avi?” he asked.
“Touch me.”
They were the only words he needed. Pulling off his hoodie, he threw it on the ground. Next came the Kevlar vest. By the time he was done, he was ready to give Avalon anything she wanted.
He’d die for her.
Moving toward the sleeping bag, he gently pressed her to her back. Covering her body, his mouth and hands wandered. The cave was dark, except for the tiny rays of light working their way around the wood blocking the entrance.
Nate understood how she felt, always swathed in darkness. It made him want to love her more. When her hands found his back, they stroked softly across his flesh, reminding him that this was the only woman in the world for him. Her touch lit him on fire, burning away the many sins he’d been forced to witness.
“Avi,” he murmured, his mouth working its way down her collarbone. As she wiggled beneath him, Nate found it hard to go slow.
He was starving for her.
Avalon returned the kiss, her tongue and lips tangling with his. When she bit his lower lip, a moan was set free.
“Jesus, I want you,” he muttered.
Her hands wandered across his chest, taking a moment to stroke the tattoo on his body. Then they headed lower. At the button on his cargo pants, he let out a hiss.
“Yes, please,” he murmured, being completely undone by the woman beneath him. She may have never had sex with anyone else, but she was a fast learner. Her body knew his, and it drove him wild.
She touched him with gentle fingers, sharing all the love she had for him. If this was it, she wanted it to be burned into his mind. As she stroked and teased, his mouth made love to hers.
It was like he was trying to devour her whole.
She loved it.
“Oh, Nate,” she murmured into the kiss, right before diving back in. She never wanted to forget the way this felt.
He broke free, pulling her in to a sitting position. Easily, he tugged her clothing from her body.
“I need you, Avalon. I’ll always need you.”
Quickly, he got her naked, right before dropping what remained of his clothes. He wanted a redo. When this was over, he longed to take her somewhere soft, warm, and full of comfort. With all the hardness in her life, he needed to give her peace. If he could have her for the rest of his life, he would vow to do just that.
As he pressed her back into the sleeping bag, h
is body fitted perfectly over hers. She responded to his touch, wrapping her arms and legs around his body. The second she did, he found his way home.
Slipping into the heat, there was that sigh of completeness. It came from them both and filled the silence of the cave.
“If you stay with me forever, I’ll never let you hurt again,” he promised. “I’ll love you until I’m old and can’t stay with you anymore.”
A sob broke free. “Nathaniel.”
He began moving, refusing to go there. He could tell what was bothering her. They may have only had a little time together, as fate let their lives touch, but he knew.
Nate understood.
He was just as scared.
She held on through the storm, letting him offer her peace. It was there, but it wasn’t alone. Through it all, the knowledge of what they were losing loomed.
“I love you, Avalon. I’ll love you forever. You’re meant to be my girl, my woman, and one day my wife.”
The tears broke free as he made love to her. The silky, effortless glide into her body chased some of the demons away, leaving a heated desire to hold onto him forever.
As her body made the climb, teetering precariously on the edge, Nate pushed her over, and then held on with all he had. His hand cradled her neck, his fingers working over the tattoo that bound her to him.
“More,” he urged, continuing on as she quaked around him. “I want all of you, Avalon. Don’t hold back.”
Her breath shuddered as he continued to take everything she had to offer. As Nate buried himself in her body, she held on, reveling in the feelings that flooded through her.
This was love.
He was peace.
Nothing would ever match this.
She could see his heart, and it shone bright against his aura. It was pure, it was filled with love, and it belonged to her. “I love you so much,” she murmured, running her mouth along the side of his throat to taste him. As her hands found his hair, she held him to her.
“God, I need you.”
She needed him too. “If we get separated, I’ll find you again one day. I promise,” she whispered.
His body shook. Nate knew the cold hard facts. He couldn’t keep her locked to him like this forever. While he wanted to make her stay, she would break out of the cage.
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