“Bastard,” Abraham growled.
“Pretty much. I’ve not laid eyes on him since then…not even after the accident,” she put up her hand, obviously knowing he was about to ask about something. “I’m getting to that,” she stated. “I worked at the main hospital in the city under Dr. Greene. We were assigned to a case for a young man who’d been severely beaten and had been placed in a medically induced coma, due to the swelling on his brain. He was the key witness in a murder trial and had been guarded since the day of his arrival.
“Dr. Greene acted more and more stressed as the time drew near to reverse the meds and wake up the patient. When the day finally arrived, I found him at the bedside pushing a medication into the man’s IV. Apparently, I’d startled him because he dropped the vial, which rolled to my feet. It was insulin.”
“And that’s bad?” Abraham asked.
“It is if you’re not diabetic. Not to mention the dose he gave was enough to kill a horse! Anyway, I hit the code button on the wall, and the guards and nurses swarmed in. He never had a chance to run, and after I gave my statement to the guards—who were actually police officers—Dr. Greene was arrested on the spot and carted off to jail.”
“And the witness?”
“He didn’t make it. The vial was empty, so I’m guessing he gave the entire thing. When the man coded, we worked for over an hour to get him back, but in the end, there was nothing we could do. Of course, I had to testify against the doctor, and that’s when the threats started.”
Chapter Eight
Stephanie shivered and was grateful when Abraham held her closer. He was so strong and warm, and she drew strength from the comfort he gave.
“At first, they were insults and small acts of vandalism, but when they began to escalate, I had to involve the police again.”
“That’s exactly what you should have done,” Abraham said, agreeing with her decision.
“The only problem was the police weren’t able to track the threats because the men were using prepaid cell phones then dumping them. I’d already decided to move when the accident happened.
“I’d left work and was driving toward my new apartment just outside the city limits when my brakes failed, and I skidded off the road. I hit a tree head-on, and the next thing I knew I was in a hospital bed. The first thing that registered was the pain, and when I reached for my stomach…I just lost it.”
Stephanie’s voice broke, and she paused to collect herself before continuing. Abraham must have understood. He remained silent but gently rubbed her back.
“They said she was killed instantly. I was only six weeks from my due date, and I had everything I needed. Crib, clothes, bottles, diapers, the whole nine yards. I ended up donating it all to the hospital. I just couldn’t stand to look at it.”
Stephanie looked up into Abraham’s face, noting the sympathy and love shining in the depths of his eyes, and she felt the first tear fall. “I never got to hold her, Abe,” she sobbed. “I never got to tell her how much I love her or even kiss her little cheek. She was just…gone.”
“They didn’t let you see her?”
“I was out of it for days, only waking for brief moments before slipping under again. The nurse, once I’d calmed and become more rational, explained it was better if I didn’t see her. She’d been crushed inside of me.”
“I’m so sorry, Stephanie. Sweetheart, I would take this from you if I could. I don’t ever want to see you hurt.” His voice was soft and soothing, and Stephanie cuddled into his chest, trying to wrestle her emotions under control.
“Until yesterday, I’d thought it was an accident. Those bastards sent flowers with a card that held a photograph.” She sniffed. “It was of me…in the car. I was smashed between the seat and the steering wheel. There was so much blood everywhere.” She shuddered. “They must have thought I was dead, maybe taking the photo for proof. Who knows?”
“So these are the same men who are after you now?”
If she wasn’t mistaken, his tone implied he wanted it to be the same men. “I think so. How else would they have the photograph?”
“Good because I’d like to have a little chat with them before the police have a chance to apprehend them. I’ve got a few connections, so I’ll see what I can do,” he promised.
“I’ve been getting phone calls, too. From the prison,” she confessed.
“The one the doctor is in?”
She nodded.
“How is he managing that?”
“I don’t know. My phone number isn’t even listed, so he shouldn’t have been able to get it.”
Abraham felt as if he was being torn apart. The things she’d endured alone were staggering. All of the physical and emotional pain she obviously still dealt with left him in awe of the woman who was now his, and he vowed she’d never again have to suffer through her sorrows alone.
It was painfully clear some of her pain stemmed from the lack of closure with her child. An idea formed as to a way to offer her just that, and he hoped like hell it proved true.
As for these phone calls, that sounded like a corrupted guard. He’d find out soon enough. It wouldn’t be too hard to find the guy, and with just a few inquiries, he would do just that.
With his military training and his undercover work for the government, Abraham had garnered a healthy list of influential contacts. After just a few well-placed calls, he’d know the name of the prison, the cell number, any cellmates and the guards assigned to Greene’s watch. Hell, he could find out what the man had for lunch and when he’d taken his last dump if he wanted.
Stephanie shifted against him and winced, bringing his attention back to the vivid bruising on her upper chest and along her side. The undershirt of his she now wore covered the marks, but he’d glimpsed them while Sarah had removed Stephanie’s wet clothing earlier.
“Where did those bruises come from, Stephanie?” he asked. “And please don’t tell me that you got them from moving furniture before the storm.”
“I never said that I got them from moving stuff. I said that it was while we were moving things,” she stressed. “It’s from paintballs.”
“I’m not following you. Why were you two playing with paintballs?”
The puzzled look he wore would have been comical if she wasn’t so certain that her answer would lead to an explosion. “We weren’t playing with paintballs. We were moving furniture when a black car drove by and slowed down. Sarah was walking backwards, and I shoved the coffee table at her when I saw the gun barrel.” He tensed beneath her, and she sighed, resigning herself to yet another lecture. “Don’t worry, though. Seeing Sarah that pissed off was a really scary thing. I thought she would kick my ass for a minute there. Her eyes were almost glowing.”
“You could have been killed!” he snarled.
“I know,” she whispered.
Stephanie knew that he was upset with her, was probably mad as hell, actually, so she pulled her aching body away from his. The morphine was kicking in, making her movements sluggish as she began to droop. Perhaps she’d taken a bit too much since she rarely ever took narcotics of any sort.
“Whoa, where are you going?” Abraham scooped her up and had her sprawled over his chest in but a moment. “Your eyes are really dilated, honey. Are you okay?”
“I don’t ever take narcotics.” She knew that her words were pretty slurred, but she was so tired now. “You’re mad. Just leave me here, and I’ll sleep. You don’t have to stay.”
Abraham sighed and brushed a soft kiss over her lips. It felt really nice. “I’m not mad at you, I’m upset over this situation.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Abe.” Everything was so heavy now. It was all she could do to stay afloat with the darkness pulling at her, offering a peaceful reprieve.
“Go to sleep, sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere.”
As if her body had only awaited his permission, she dropped off into a deep slumber.
Chapter Nine
Abraham
awoke a few hours later to the feeling of being watched. Keeping his eyes closed and his breathing even, he opened his senses and noted the strong scent of wolf…and Adam.
Stephanie was laying on her back now, one arm across her middle while the other rested on the pillow beside her head. He was loath to wake her, so he slowly shifted until he could rise without disturbing her rest.
As soon as he gained his feet, Adam’s pet, a female wolf called Storm, crept onto the bed to curl up at Stephanie’s side.
“What the hell are you doing in here, Adam?” Abraham growled. “Get your pets out of my bedroom.”
“I wanted them to be familiar with her.” Adam nodded toward the bed, the worry in his eyes smoothing the fine edge of Abraham’s anger.
“Why? They’re your wolves.”
“Because if they stay here, you have that much more security in place.” Adam gave a visual command with his hand and Lightning, the male wolf, approached the bed to sniff Stephanie’s arm, no doubt learning her scent.
“Explain to me just why you feel that is necessary.”
“Because the sheriff only has one of the men who attacked her in custody—well, he did, at least.” Adam rubbed at the back of his neck while casting another worried look in Stephanie’s direction. “She’d shot out his knee at the clinic, so the police took him to the hospital. They’re still not sure how, but the poor bastard was strangled to death with the cords to his hospital bed.”
“Damn! I was really hoping to get my hands on one of these men.” Abraham was aware his icy tone had set the wolves on edge, but there was nothing he could do about it. His eyes raked over his mate’s sleeping form and noted the little frown pulling at her mouth. A bad dream, perhaps? “I guess it couldn’t hurt to have them around, as long as they don’t make her uncomfortable.”
“She’s not Erica, and she’s tough as nails. Just look at her.” Leave it to Adam to guess that the accident had brought back bad memories. He always had been the most sensitive of the brothers, despite his smart-assed personality.
“I am, and do you know what I see? I see my mate. I see a woman who should have never endured any of the suffering she has.” Abraham hung his head, fighting to swallow the lump quickly forming in his throat. “She lost a child, her child, and hasn’t been able to gain any closure.” He looked up to see Adam’s stricken face and swore those were tears shining in his eyes. “I might have kept her from that pain if I’d found her sooner.”
“There’s no way to know that, Abraham. She may have still lost the baby. Sometimes Mother Nature—”
“Had nothing to do with it,” he growled. “Those assholes messed with her car then left her for dead after she crashed.”
A low, rumbling growl sounded from deep within his brother, and Abraham smiled, knowing it was little more than a baring of teeth at the moment.
Before he could say any more, Sarah burst into the room. “They found the car!”
“Where?” both men asked in unison.
“Not far from the end of your road. It looks like they lost control and went off in the trees. You had better get there quickly if you want to check things out. Erik was getting ready to call Gus at the sheriff’s office so they can try to lift some fingerprints.”
Abraham cast a nervous glance toward Stephanie. He didn’t want to leave her here without saying something, so he moved to her side and bent to her ear. “I’ll be back in just a little bit. Sarah will be with you, so don’t worry.” He placed a gentle kiss on her lips before pulling back. “I love you, Stephanie.” It felt so nice, so right, to be saying that aloud.
“Your mother is on her way over, as well, since your father was informed of the situation, so we’ll keep an eye on her until you can get back.”
He groaned at that news. His father was an alpha male, just like his sons, but a man of few words. He never really spoke to anyone unless it was necessary. Abraham’s mother, however, usually possessed the subtlety of an F-5 tornado, so he was hoping Sarah could keep her from scaring off Stephanie.
“You don’t need that horrified look on your face, Abe,” Sarah chided, trying and failing to hide her grin.
“You’ll keep her from stressing Stephanie out?”
“I’ll handle things. Don’t worry. And be sure to take these two with you,” Sarah ordered, pointing to Storm and Lightning. “We don’t want her to wake up screaming. She’s had enough shocks to her system today.”
Abraham nodded, “We’ll be back as quickly as I can manage. Take care of her for me.”
“I will.”
* * * *
Stephanie awoke to the sound of quiet conversation. First, she heard Sarah then another female voice, this one clearly worried.
“She’s going to be all right, isn’t she?” the other woman asked. “I don’t know what would happen to Abraham if he lost her. When Erica died in that accident, I nearly lost my son, as well, even though she wasn’t his mate.”
Who was Erica? The thought of another woman having a piece of Abraham’s heart sent a wave of jealousy pouring through her.
“I think she’s waking up. Stephanie? I have some water for you, so open your eyes for me,” Sarah urged.
“Where’s Abe?” she croaked before accepting the straw at her lips.
“They found the men’s car and went to sniff around to see if they could get a scent. Adam took his wolves, too. They’ll be hanging around the house until this situation is resolved, so don’t panic if you see them. Storm seems to like you already,” Sarah laughed.
“Storm?”
“That’s the female wolf. The male is Lightning,” the other woman answered. “I’m Angela, Abraham’s mother. How do you feel, dear?”
Stephanie considered that for a moment. Aside from where her arm had been cut, she was just a little sore. “I’m good,” she replied. “I’ll be sore for a few days, I’m sure, but I’ll survive.”
“Of course, you will. Now, dear, Sarah told me about these men who are after you. You did the right thing, testifying against that doctor, so don’t worry about a thing. Abraham will find them—God help them when he does—and then everything will be all right. If I know my Abe, he’s already working on things.”
“He was on the phone as he and Adam left, so you’re probably right,” Sarah added. She turned to Stephanie to explain. “Erik and I were talking earlier, and he told me about the extensive connections Abraham made while he was in the military. Apparently, he’s been responsible for the protection of some pretty important people.”
“I thought he was a Navy SEAL?” Stephanie replied, a little confused.
“He did a lot of things. Sniper, special forces, undercover, personal protection and security details, just to name a few,” his mother announced proudly. “Of course, his work took him away from home more than I liked, but that’s just a mother’s worry.”
“Does he still go away often?” Stephanie didn’t like the thought of being left home alone for long periods of time while he was on assignment.
“Oh no, dear! He won’t be taking on anything like that anymore.”
Stephanie heard the unspoken “now that you’re here,” and hated that he felt the need to give up a part of his life for her.
“Now you stop that right now,” Angela scolded, making Stephanie jump. “Abraham gave up all of that a while ago, and he only takes an occasional odd job if he feels like it.”
“Um…okay?” Stephanie looked to Sarah, to find her rolling her eyes.
“You’re his mate, honey. His life revolves around you and your happiness now. You are his life now, so please be careful. We nearly lost him once, but I already know he would die without you.”
“Nearly lost him?” Stephanie tried to keep in mind that whatever had happened was in the past, but fear still crept into her voice. “What happened?”
Angela looked uncomfortable now. She obviously hadn’t meant to let that slip, but it was too late. With a resigned look in her eyes, she explained. “After he was disch
arged from the military, Abraham took some security jobs for some pretty high profile people in the government. There was a girl named Erica who was assigned to one of his teams. The two of them just sort of clicked and became extremely close friends. She fell in love with Abraham, and while he loved her, as well, it wasn’t the same. She wanted the whole deal, with marriage, kids, a home, the whole nine yards.”
“But Abraham didn’t?”
“No. He loved her and tried to give her what she wanted, but he knew that it wasn’t fair to her. He knew if he ever met his true mate, Erica would be destroyed when he left.
“Abraham held more of a brotherly love for her than anything else, but she was also his best friend. They had a long discussion about their relationship and, since she knew what he was, she understood.”
“That must have been hard on her, despite her understanding,” Stephanie commented.
“It was, dear. Erica decided to go and make a surprise visit to her folks as a way to get the space she needed. Abe was upset he’d hurt her and made her promise to call him as soon as she got to her parents’ house. When he got the call from her cell, though, it was the police.”
Stephanie gasped, her hand going to her throat.
“According to the officer, a drunk driver had run a light, smashing into the driver’s side of her car. They found Erica’s phone in her hand, with Abe’s number up on the screen. He was also in there as her emergency contact, so he was the first one notified. They’re not sure if she was alive after the crash and trying to call him, or if she had been doing so before she was hit. She died from internal bleeding. Apparently, her spleen had ruptured, and she had a punctured lung, amongst other serious injuries.”
“Oh my God,” Stephanie whispered, tears clogging her throat.
“Abraham went ballistic. He’d been working in his garage out back when he got the call, and he demolished it. We found him lying underneath one of the walls that had collapsed from the damage he’d inflicted upon it.” Angela sighed, looking so weary Stephanie wasn’t sure if she would continue. “I have no doubt he could have freed himself, despite the injuries from his rampage, but he had just given up. He’d succumbed to his grief.”
To Protect His Mate Page 6
