Evanesce (The Darkness #2)

by Cassia Brightmore

  “Fine. Just for a few nights. And you’re taking the guest room. On the 1st floor. And don’t think you’re getting any hanky panky, mister,” she added, shaking her finger at him.

  Gabe snorted. “Hanky panky? What, are you my 80 year-old grandmother?” Nora smacked him on the arm.

  “Shut up. You know what I mean. No sex. There will be no sex if you move in here,” she warned.

  Gabe stepped close into her space, forcing her to tilt her head back to meet his eyes. “Okay, baby, sure. I won’t fuck you again until you beg me to. And make no mistake, you will be begging me to,” he promised before scooping up his bag and sauntering out of the barn, whistling.

  Nora let out a frustrated growl and pulled on the ends of her hair.

  “I won’t be begging you to breathe, let alone fuck me!” she shouted after him, refusing to let him have the last say.

  “Ahem,” a voice called out from behind her. Whirling around she found Bobby regarding her with curiosity.

  “Ugh, just don’t ask,” she ordered him and returned to the task of brushing out Shadow’s mane. Goddamn Gabe probably knew Bobby had been there the whole time. Asshole.

  Bobby held up his hands and backed away. “Wasn’t gonna,” he replied, stifling a laugh. His boss sure was a spitfire when she was angry.

  A few hours passed uneventfully. Nora kept a watchful eye on Gabe from across the ranch. He had inserted himself right back into the thick of her life. Joking around with the ranch hands and jumping into the pit to help with some unruly cattle. Seeing him splattered with mud, his shirt sleeves rolled up revealing his tattooed arms, was a sight not to be ignored. As though someone had walked up to her pussy and tapped it on the shoulder, she was now fully aware of his presence. And she wanted more. She wanted to be rolling in that mud with him, riding his cock until he had her screaming his name in release. Gritting her teeth and clenching her thighs together, she looked down at herself. “Traitor,” she muttered. At this rate, she’d be begging him in front of her entire staff to please fuck her.

  “That’s a hell of a steed there, isn’t it?” Nora jumped out of her fantasy at the sound of Theo’s voice. The idiot was standing directly beside her and she was so lost in her daydreams she hadn’t even heard his approach. “Oh and the cattle are looking in good shape too, aren’t they,” he went for a conversational tone, but his grin gave him away.

  “Fuck off, Theo.” He laughed and swung an arm around her shoulders.

  “I just want to see you two happy again, sweet cheeks,” he told her. “But on a more serious note, I do have a bit of information that we should discuss.” Nora nodded and put her fingers in mouth to let out a loud whistle, gaining Gabe’s attention. Waving him over, she pointed to the house. Gabe nodded back in understanding and hopped the small wooden fence out of the pit in one fluid motion. He strode toward them, his jeans riding low and his shirt blowing open.

  “Jesus Murphy,” Nora muttered and turned to head inside, leaving the two boys to follow in her wake.

  Nora headed to the kitchen to pour them all a cold glass of iced tea. The hot Texas sun could be a killer most days.

  “Make sure you add rum to mine,” Theo called out as he took a seat at the large oak table. Nora loved this kitchen, it was her favorite room in the house. Filled with memories of her grandparents, it was the only part of the house that had felt like a home to her growing up. The delightful aromas of warm homemade pie would fill the air and the table was hand carved by her grandfather. Nora pushed the memory of her mother fucking one of the stable hands on top of it out of her mind—she would not let either of her parents rip away the only happy memories she had from her childhood.

  “I second that,” Gabe said as he strolled in. Nora rolled her eyes and prayed for patience.

  “Knock it off you two,” she said, carrying the drinks to the table. When they were all seated, she raised her eyebrows at Theo. “Well? What’s this new information you’ve learned?”

  Theo took a long drink of his iced tea before answering. “I’ve still got buddies in the Sheriff’s Department here. One of them let a few details slip. Apparently the higher-ups are concerned that this is a bigger problem than just some sick fuck kidnapping women and newborns. A much bigger problem,” he added.

  Gabe took off his hat and set it on the table. “So what is it? The mob or something?” he asked.

  “Not exactly,” Theo told him. “They are convinced that the Black Market is involved. These women…their babies, they are being taken and sold into the fucking Black Market.” Nora covered her mouth in horror at his explanation.

  “Dear God…are you sure? That can’t be right. Who would want to buy a newborn baby? For what?” she asked, bewildered. Those poor women. These heinous crimes were beyond her comprehension. It was clear they were dealing with individuals with no souls.

  “The better question is—how? How are these babies or these women getting from their homes into the Black Market ring? There has got to be a middle man somewhere,” Gabe said, scratching his jaw.

  Theo grunted in agreement. “I was thinking the same thing. Whomever they are using, this guys is smart. Calculated. There has been almost no evidence at any of the crime scenes. The boys down at the department are completely fucking stumped. Over at the Kenner’s,” he cast an apologetic look at Nora, “There was no sign of forced entry. The fucking alarm was still on. They are looking hard at Brent and it’s really hitting him and Sydney hard. They would never let something happen to Sophie. She was their miracle child,” he finished, shaking his head.

  Nora cradled her head in her hands. “That is just unbelievable. What kind of morons have they got running that department if they are wasting any of their time looking at Brent? For God’s sake,” she burst out. “Clearly they need to hire better law enforcement officers.” Theo and Gabe exchanged a look.

  Looking between the two of them, Nora knew they were up to something. “What? What are you two up to? I know that look and it never means anything good,” she accused.

  Gabe tried to look innocent and failed miserably. There was a smudge of mud across his forehead driving her to distraction. Standing up, she leaned over and wiped it away softly with her hand.

  “You’re filthy. Grams would have never let you in here in that state.” Gabe’s heart pounded in his chest at her simple touch. She was caving more and more each day and he couldn’t be more pleased. It wouldn’t be long before she was back in his arms where she belonged. Living without her had shown him without a doubt that he was not whole without her. Nora was one hell of a woman, beautiful, smart, funny and a force to be reckoned with when she was angry. The passion they created when they were together couldn’t be replicated. There was no better match out there for him, no woman he wanted more than her. She was his forever and he was damned well going to be hers. Whether she liked it or not.

  “Theo and I are going to look into this some. Under the radar. I have some contacts that will be willing to help us out. It may mean infiltrating some shady businesses which is another reason that we want you to be extra careful, Nora. We don’t quite know yet what we are going to be getting into and the last thing I want is you getting mixed up in this, baby.” Gabe revelation shocked Nora. Straightening her spine, she pointed her finger in his face.

  “You. Outside. Now.” Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and marched out the sliding glass doors that led to the ranch’s private backyard. She didn’t want any witnesses for what she had to say.

  Theo looked at Gabe. “Dude. You’re in for it. Bad call letting her in on the plan so early,” he told him.

  “You think? Could have warned me, you prick.” He smacked Theo’s hat off his head as he walked by to follow Nora outside. He found her standing under the shade of a large maple tree. As he approached, she whipped around.

  Nora’s blue-black hair flew around her face in a frenzy, her blue eyes glittering with fury. Her chest rose and fell in fits, her hands were clenched at her
sides and even though she barely came up to his shoulders, Gabe had no doubt she could pack a hell of a punch if she put all that temper into her swing. She was captivating and irresistible; knowing she was beyond fucking pissed at him just made him want to snatch her into his arms and chase her anger away with his tongue. He knew just what to do to make her moan and writhe in passion.

  “Have you lost your damn mind, Gabe? Is there some possible way that you’ve missed what the hell is going around here lately? Women are disappearing faster than we can blink. And their babies—” The horror was too much for her, she couldn’t bring herself to say the words. “You and Theo can’t go off half-cocked thinking you’re some kind of fucking super heroes, okay? If something happened to you…”

  Gabe sighed and slowly drew her against his chest, cradling her head. Drawing a hand through her thick hair, he sought to put her at ease.

  “Look, baby, you can’t let yourself get all worked up like this. We’ve got a plan to work with the authorities on this, Nora. We’ll be doing some investigating on our own, yes—but mostly we will work with them. I didn’t mean to cause you worry, baby.” He kissed her forehead tenderly before continuing to explain.

  “Theo let it slip that some outside resources are being brought in. Some Sheriff that has experience in cases similar to this. Brady James. Sheriff Brady James. So calm down, you know that I’ll be careful. I’m the best damn shot in Texas, after all. And you damn well better know I’ll never let anyone near you. Especially now that I’ve just got you back.” He spoke the last part ferociously. Nora was his, anyone trying to get to her, would have to go through him first.

  Nora took a deep breath and looked up into his warm dark brown eyes. His hard jaw was set, and the muscles beneath his chest were tense, but Nora knew that underneath his rough exterior—he meant what he said. He would protect her with his life.

  “Alright, Gabe,” she relented. “Let’s see what this Sheriff James has to say. But if you end up dead, I’ll kill you myself.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Sheriff Brady James rolled his cruiser to a stop outside of a large, sprawling home in Norton Springs, Texas. While it was by no means a short trek from Durham Heights, he preferred to be behind the wheel of his own cruiser, than any other mode of transportation. The need for control in all things was fierce in him, especially when dealing with cases such as these.

  Taking a moment to survey the ranch style home, he noticed two things. There was certainly no cost spared when this home had been built and there was a woman peering at him from behind the curtains in one of the main windows. It was obvious she was trying to remain unseen, but the way the billowing curtain kept swaying back and forth gave away her location.

  Chuckling, he unfolded his muscular frame from the car and headed to the front door. Before he could raise a hand to knock, the door was yanked open to reveal the tall figure of another man. Raising his brows, he waited expectantly.

  “Sheriff James?” the other man assessed him with hard eyes, as Brady nodded his assent. Recognizing authority when he saw it, Gabe thrust out his hand. “Good to meet you. Come on in.”

  Brady clutched Gabe’s hand in a firm grip, the two took a few seconds to study each other and a silent message passed between them; each recognizing the strength in the other. Noticing the woman hovering behind Gabe, Brady removed his hat, clutching it to his chest.

  “Glad to be here. Theo said to come straight here instead of the station, said you would be the best one to get me up to speed on things,” Brady had gone along with the request only because he trusted Theo like a brother.

  As he stepped into the doorway, he felt a vibration in his pants. His phone. He fished it out of his pocket and glanced down at the caller. Gwyn. Casting an apologetic glance at Gabe, he answered the call.

  “Darlin’? Everything alright?” Listening intently, his gaze wandered to the large room to the right of the front door. The culprit that had been spying on him through the window was now out of hiding and staring at him appreciatively. A young woman with dark hair and a sassy smirk.

  “Yeah, I just got here, sugar. Let me see what the details are and I’ll give you a call back. Remember to go straight home after your shift at the diner. Earl is going to give you a lift—so don’t even try driving that shitbox car of yours.” His tone left no room for argument, however he still had to hold the phone away from his ear slightly as Gwyn blasted him through the receiver for his high-handed manner. In the end, he won the argument and with a quick round of ‘I love you’s,’ he ended the call.

  Sighing, he turned to see the curious faces of Gabe and the woman, who had moved to Gabe’s side. “Sorry about that, folks. My woman—she worries.”

  Gabe nodded in understanding and motioned to Nora. “Sheriff, this is Nora. And that over there,” he pointed into the next room to the other female. “Is my sister, Quinn. Quinn, get your ass out here and say hello.”

  Quinn sauntered out and tossed a glare in Gabe’s direction. At eighteen, she was full of sass and spunk. A fact that drove Gabe to distraction as he tried without luck to keep her out of trouble.

  “Hello,” she complied, gracing Brady with a smile. Brady nodded at her in greeting and turned his attention back to Gabe. Quinn’s gaze was becoming a predatory one and the last thing he needed on his mind was a high school girl’s crush. The sooner he got down to business, the sooner he could get home to Gwyn.

  “Shall we…” he started, and Gabe took the hint. A pointed look had Quinn heading off to her room in a huff as he led them through the hallway and into a spacious kitchen, they all sat down at the table. Sensing the Sheriff wasn’t a man that needed coaxing into things, he got straight to the point.

  “So Sheriff, what do you know about the Black Market and kidnapping rings?” Gabe waited a few moments while Brady processed his question.

  “The Black Market huh? Well, I worked on a case back in New York City that we suspected the Market was involved in. A group of tourists went missing while vacationing from overseas. We had a lead that they were sold for body parts—er,” he cast a wary look in Nora’s direction, but she waved at him, motioning for him to continue.

  “Well, we were pretty certain that they were taken with the sole purpose of having their organs harvested for sale. We never did confirm our suspicions and then the trail ran cold,” he finished. “Not long after that I transferred to Durham Heights so I never kept up on the details of that particular case.”

  Gabe nodded, his face grim. “Other than that, is there anything else you know about cases like this that could help us?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. I just closed a serial killer case a few months back. Well, semi-closed. One of the killers is still on the loose. But we will find her, I’ve made it my personal mission,” Brady explained. Gabe had no doubt that Brady would see his task through, he seemed like a solid guy; a good cop.

  “From what you’ve told me and just going on instinct here, I’d say we are dealing with an outside source that is working parallel to the Black Market. Kidnapping these women and children and then making deals to sell them on the Market. It’s highly unlikely that anyone that is actually affiliated with the Market is arranging these kidnappings. These people don’t usually get involved in the dirty work—they hire others to bring the merchandise to them. In this case, it sounds like its newborn babies. I’m unsure where the women come into it though. Why take them?” Brady asked the question more to himself than to Gabe and Nora.

  “Sheriff, I completely agree with your theory. Theo and I had come to a similar one ourselves. We wanted to get your raw thoughts first, before you head into town and talk to the locals,” Gabe told him.

  Brady nodded, thoughtful. “Look, I can understand what you’re feeling. My woman was threatened a few months back and I would have walked off the ends of the earth to keep her safe from the torture she endured. My best buddy, he lost his wife. So, wanting to make sure the people you care about are as safe as they can be, is somethin
g that I can relate to. And from what I can see, you two care very deeply about one another. However, what I can’t condone is vigilante behaviour. Don’t go thinking that you can rush headlong into a situation you aren’t prepared or trained for. That’s how people end up dead. Trust me.” Brady was not a stupid man, he may not have known Gabe for very long, but after sizing him up he could tell that he was not a man that would stand by and not get involved—especially if he thought it would help keep his woman safe.

  “Gabe isn’t going to do anything illegal or stupid,” Nora spoke up. “Right?” she asked, with a pointed look at him.

  “Right, baby. I never do anything stupid.” Neither Brady nor Nora missed his evasive reply, but both let the matter drop.

  “How long are you going to be here, Sheriff?” Nora asked, hopeful that he would be around long enough to help close the case.

  “A few days at least, I had to take some vacation to come down here and they don’t give us a lot of that,” he laughed. “Plus, I don’t like being away from home and Gwyn for too long,” he admitted with a sheepish grin.

  “Gwyn…is that your wife?” Nora smiled at him.

  “Not my wife yet, but she will be. She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. So strong and lovin’. She’s so much more than I deserve. But I’ll be damned if I’ll ever let her get away,” he told them with a wink.

  Nora liked the Sheriff. He was a level-headed guy who was clearly protective when it came to the woman he loved. Looking between him and Gabe, she realized that the two were very close to mirror images of each other in the personalities department.

  “She sounds lovely, Sheriff. I hope I get to meet her one day,” Nora told him warmly.

  “Please, call me Brady. I have a feeling I’m going to see a lot of you two while I’m in town. Speaking of, I should probably head into the station and let them know I’ve arrived.” Brady rose from the table and placed his hat back on his head.

  Gabe stood and stuck his hand out, a gesture of friendship. “Good to meet you, man. I know that Theo wanted to touch base with you as well, he should be meeting you down at the station.” Brady took his outstretched hand and gave it a firm shake.