Sweetest Obsessions - Anthology

by Anthony, Jane

  With all the struggling with Lincoln, somehow they broke the surface of the water. They both took a large breath before they went back under, Lincoln’s hands securely on his shoulders and his hands on Lincoln’s arms.

  Carter didn’t even have time to search for Rose—get a glimpse of her. He had to trust she got out of the water and to safety. He would never let Lincoln get his hands on her again.

  That thought brought forth a powerful punch right into his gut. Lincoln jerked away, his mouth opening, a bit of water rushing in. Before he could gain his composure, Carter went at him again, trying to throw another punch.

  Lincoln reacted by dodging the punch, his hand going behind his back. Swinging his arm to the front, a large knife glittered in the water.

  He just changed the course of the fight. Carter could only be thankful he didn’t have the knife out when he had held Rose in his dirty clutches.

  Lincoln swung at him. Carter flinched as the knife sliced his arm. Instead of retreating again when Lincoln took another swing, he charged at him, pushing his legs forward, grabbing Lincoln’s hand that held the knife.

  It all came down to strength. Lincoln shoving hard to dig the knife deep into him, as he shoved equally hard to get him to release the knife.

  Rose’s beautiful face flashed before him. Her sweet smile. Her delicate laughter. Her soft skin.

  Twisting and jerking with all his strength, the knife changed direction and thrust deep into Lincoln’s gut. Lincoln’s mouth gaped open. He jerked several times, then his grip loosened, his hands going limp.

  Carter didn’t stick around, his lungs screaming for air once again. He broke the surface quickly, darting his head around, searching for Rose.

  “Carter!”

  At the sound of her voice, he nearly went back under from relief. He swam hard toward the bank of the river where Rose stood, her arms around her stomach, the fear clouding her eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jade running toward them.

  He knew his partner wouldn’t let him down, coming right away.

  As soon as he hit the bank, Rose helped him out of the water, burying her body into his embrace. He hugged her back tightly, kissing the top of her head hard. He was never letting her go. Never. He’d do whatever it took to make this relationship work. He’d even let her help him get over his fear. He’d do whatever she wanted him to. Pulling her tighter in his arms, he knew he’d do anything to keep her in his life.

  She sobbed quietly into his chest. He had no idea what to say, if he should even say Lincoln was dead. She had to figure he was since he hadn’t resurfaced.

  Jade dropped to his side as soon as she reached them. “Are you okay? Where’s …” She looked at the water flowing steadily behind him. “Is he …?”

  He nodded, thankful Jade knew not to ask the full question. Rose didn’t need to hear the words that Lincoln was dead. That he killed him. And he’d do it all over again.

  “I tried to stall him. I tried everything to get him to let Rose go. I didn’t want this to happen.” Carter kissed the top of her head again, hoping Rose understood what he just said. He didn’t want to kill Lincoln. Because when it came down to it, he had been her best friend.

  “He confessed to killing all those women. I didn’t know the real reason behind it, but I made an educated guess, and I was right. He confirmed it. It was a sex trade business.” His grip strengthened even more around Rose, hating to talk about this right now, but he couldn’t ignore it. “He has an area in the basement of his bar. There’s probably more women there right now.”

  Jade nodded. “I’m on it. There’s an ambulance on the way.” Her eyes glanced at his arm. “You need it.”

  Glancing at the cut on his arm, he nearly forgot Lincoln sliced him. But it didn’t matter. He won the fight. He would always win the fight when it came to Rose.

  Jade stood up and walked away, pulling out a phone she must’ve borrowed from another officer.

  Rose lifted her head, her eyes filled with water, her cheeks stained with tears.

  Brushing her cheek, he pressed a light kiss to her lips. “I’m sorry, Rose. I’m so sorry.”

  Her head went back to his chest, silent tears answering.

  “I love you.”

  Her hands squeezed the back of his wet shirt as she whispered, “I love you, too, Carter.”

  15

  It was good to be home.

  For a while there, Rose hadn't been sure that she would ever step foot back inside her apartment again.

  Lincoln had been insane.

  Really and truly insane.

  It still didn't seem real. It was like one big, horrible dream, that at any second she would wake from, still in bed, with Carter’s arms around her, and she and Lincoln would have lunch together, talking and laughing like they usually did.

  Despite everything he’d done, she didn't want Lincoln to be dead.

  Now she could never get the answers she needed to understand why this had happened. She knew what he’d said while they were standing on that bridge, but it didn't explain anything. She still didn't know why or how her sweet friend had become a man who abducted young girls and used them to line his own pockets, then sold them or killed them like they were nothing.

  A man who had tried to kill her.

  Lincoln had taken her with him when he jumped off that bridge.

  Rose kept replaying the fall in her mind.

  It felt like an eternity. Her already queasy stomach had spun wildly, as had her head, making her so dizzy it had been like the world was spinning around and around her as they fell toward the water. The landing had been brutal, like hitting concrete, and by the time she had come to her senses, Lincoln had already been dragging her down deeper into the river.

  “You’ve been quiet, haven't said a word since we left the hospital, are you okay?”

  She jumped as Carter touched her shoulder.

  For a moment, she had forgotten he was still with her.

  Pasting on a smile, she looked up at him. “I’m fine.”

  He looked at her with assessing golden eyes, then shook his head. “Of course you’re not okay. I’m not okay, and I wasn't the one who was kidnapped and thrown off a bridge.”

  At the mention of the words, her mind threw her back into the river.

  The icy water swallowing her up.

  Her lungs screaming for air, but there was none to be found.

  Lincoln’s hands wrapped around her wrists, pulling her deeper underwater.

  “I wish you’d taken the counselor’s card.” Carter looked down at her with worried eyes. “I think it would have been a good idea for you to talk to someone about what happened.”

  Rose wrapped her arms around Carter’s waist and rested her head against his chest, right over his heart so she could hear its steady beating. “I don’t need a counselor; this is what I need. Just you. You and me together.”

  Carter pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair, then lightly kissing the top of her head. “This is what I need, too.”

  They stood there together, just holding one another for several minutes. Right now, this was the only place that made her feel like she could make it through the next few days and weeks and months, just like Carter was the reason she had made it through the last few days.

  And today, he had saved her life.

  If someone had asked her a week ago if there would ever be anyone in her life who would jump off a bridge for her, she would have given an emphatic no. But now she had someone who loved her that much.

  “Did I thank you already for saving my life?” she asked. The last few hours were a bit of a blur, going to the hospital, being examined in the ER, being interviewed, then driving here. She couldn’t remember if she had thanked Carter yet.

  “You did, several times.” He gave a small chuckle.

  A simple thank you didn't seem like enough. Carter was terrified of the water and yet, he hadn't hesitated to jump into that river to save her. And he’d been
hurt. There were a dozen stitches in his arm from his tussle with Lincoln in the river. She was so grateful that a gash on the arm was the only injury he had walked away with. If Lincoln had killed Carter, she didn’t know how she would have survived. She probably wouldn’t have survived. Lincoln would have come after her, never stopping until he got what he wanted. Thanks to Carter, she was safe now.

  “Well, I'm going to say it again and probably a dozen more times. Thank you.” She tilted her face up so she could kiss Carter’s jaw.

  He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted her face up a little more so he could kiss her on the lips. “I'd do anything to protect you.”

  “I know you would.” And she really did. Rose didn't have a single doubt that Carter would always do everything in his power to keep her safe.

  “Do you want something to eat?”

  Rose curled her nose up. “My stomach is still too queasy to eat anything.”

  “You were holding your stomach when I drove up behind you and Lincoln on the bridge. Did he hurt you?”

  “I just get carsick,” she assured him.

  “If you don’t want to eat—it’s still early, but you could go to bed. I know you must be exhausted.”

  She was, but she didn't want to sleep. She knew what she wanted to do. Rose wanted to reaffirm life. She wanted to relish being alive and falling in love. “I do want to go to bed,” she said, stifling a giggle when she saw disappointment flash across Carter’s face, “but I don’t want to go to sleep.”

  “Oh.” Carter arched a brow.

  “I want to make love to you over and over again, and then fall asleep in your arms, just like I did last night.” Being bold like this with a man about sex was still new to her, but Carter made it easier because she knew that he loved her and that he wanted to be with her. It made her feel a little less self-conscious and that meant she could relax and enjoy without pulling herself out of the moment.

  “That, we can do.” He smiled.

  Carter picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist. Somehow he managed to kiss her, keep one arm around her waist, and remove the coat Jade had given her to wear home, as well as the hospital scrubs she’d gotten at the hospital when the cops took her clothes for evidence.

  “Why am I naked and you’re still fully dressed?” she teased when he laid her down on her bed.

  “We can fix that.” He winked and removed his own set of scrubs.

  Once he was naked too, Rose’s gaze scanned his body. He was toned to perfection, and while it wasn't something she was impressed by—she wanted a guy with a good heart, not a good body—she was glad that Carter had both, because if he hadn't been strong enough to fight off Lincoln, then they might both be dead right now.

  “Enjoying the view?” Carter asked with a grin. “Because I know I am.”

  Her cheeks heated, but she couldn’t help but giggle. She was enjoying the view. “It’s a pretty great view, but I know from experience that it feels even better than it looks.”

  “Can’t argue with that.”

  Carter had already put on a condom, and as he slid inside her, so many thoughts and emotions rushed through her—excitement that she had found someone to love, disappointment that her parents and Evie weren't alive to share this wonderful time of her life with her, and confusion over Lincoln. But most of all, what she felt was love.

  So much love that it welled up inside her. As she and Carter moved in unison, it seemed to grow even bigger. She’d never felt anything like this before, but it was amazing. Love was the most magical thing in the world.

  “I love you, Carter,” she whispered.

  “I love you, too,” he whispered back.

  Her world exploded into a million sparkly stars, and as the sensation slowly faded, she sank back against the pillows feeling happier than she had known it was possible to be.

  And it was all thanks to Carter Dixson.

  Evie’s death might leave a huge hole in her life and her heart, but it had also led her to the most wonderful man who she couldn’t be more excited to share her life with.

  Thank you, Evie, she thought to herself. Thanks for giving me Carter.

  “Carter, where are we going?” Rose asked as she looked out the window at the scenery as they drove. “You wouldn’t let me out of the bedroom while you did whatever you were doing, and now you won’t tell me where we’re going.”

  Grabbing her hand, he pulled it to his lips and pressed a tender kiss to it. “It’s a surprise. If I tell you, I might change my mind.”

  Looking puzzled, she lightly smiled and squeezed his hand. “Are we almost there? I’m starting to feel a bit nauseous.”

  That was good to know she got carsick. He’d know never to plan a road trip. Thankfully, this trip wasn’t that far. When it popped into his mind this morning, he had doubts the entire time he prepared everything. But those doubts didn’t matter. Making Rose happy, making her see he was in this for the long haul, was what mattered.

  “We’re almost there. I promise.”

  He held her hand as he took a turn and drove less than a mile, taking another turn into a parking lot he hadn’t expected to be in so soon again. Although, he parked on the other side of the lake. He wasn’t ready to go to the side where they dragged all the bodies out of the water. This side of the lake was just as nice.

  “Carter?” Rose looked at him, confused. “What are we doing here?”

  He kissed her hand once more. “Come on. I’ll show you.”

  They exited the car. Rose waited on her side of the car while he went to the trunk to pull out the picnic lunch he’d prepared. He didn’t have a basket to put everything in, so he used a grocery bag he found in Rose’s pantry. He had to sneak one of her blankets for them to sit on. He wanted this to be romantic and special. At least with what he had at his disposal, because although he wanted to do this for her, he hadn’t wanted to leave her alone for a second. And not because he thought she needed it, but because he did.

  His mind still replayed everything in his head. Over and over. Her falling over the side of the bridge. Lincoln tugging her below the water. Fighting with him. He might never stop replaying it over in his mind.

  Sliding the blanket over his arm, he grabbed the bag, then closed the trunk and grabbed Rose’s hand, leading them to the path that led to the lake.

  “We don’t have to do this.”

  A tender smile touched his lips, then, because he couldn’t resist, having to touch or kiss her constantly since they returned from that nightmare, he kissed her hand again. “It’s something I want to do.”

  To show her how much he loved her. How much he needed and wanted her in his life.

  When they broke through the path, the lake glistening before them, he veered to the right toward a nice patch of green grass peeking out of the woods. He might be ready to come to the lake to show her he was ready to work on his fear, but he wasn’t ready to sit right next to the lake. This would have to do for today.

  Smiling, he let go of her hand, happy to see a sweet smile on her face. He held out the bag, needing her to hold it while he shook out the blanket and laid it out on the ground. Taking the bag back, he started pulling out the food he prepared. Nothing fancy. Some turkey sandwiches with mayo. A bag of grapes and strawberries. A half-empty bag of chips. And for dessert, some cookies Rose must’ve baked at some point. Either that, or they were the best store-bought cookies he had ever tasted, because he’d eaten a few while he packed everything.

  Once he had everything situated, he grabbed her hand and sat down with her. Almost forgetting, he grabbed two bottles of water out of the bag and set them on the blanket as well.

  There.

  Done.

  A picnic by the lake.

  His smile started to falter as he looked out across the lake. A small, fragile hand squeezed his, diverting his attention away from the glittering blue water and to the beautiful woman next to him.

  “This is the sweetest thing anyon
e has ever done. I know how hard this must be for you.”

  Heart pounding lightly, he would agree. Yes, this was hard for him.

  Leaning forward, he kissed her. Slowly and tenderly, pouring all his love for her in the one sweet kiss.

  But it wasn’t too difficult with her by his side.

  “This isn’t so hard. Not when you’re next to me.” A shaky smile appeared. “Maybe next time, we can sit a little closer to the water. Even though I jumped into a river, it doesn’t mean I’m a fan yet.” His expression turned fierce. “But know this. I will always do anything to protect you. Anything.”

  “I know.” Her eyes turned sad. “I keep replaying it all in my mind.” Then she looked at the water. “I think this was a great idea. A picnic is lovely.” Her eyes met his. “We can heal together.”

  “Definitely together. Always, Rose.” He lifted her hand to his chest. “You have my heart. You have all of me. I’ve never given that to anyone.”

  Doing so now wasn’t as scary as he thought it might’ve been. Rose was the best thing that ever walked into his life. The reason why wasn’t the happiest, but he couldn’t change the past. He could only hang on tightly to the future and show her every day how much he loved her.

  Grabbing two plates, handing one to her, they started filling them up with the delicious food. Rose took a bite of her sandwich, her eyes lighting up with pleasure. “Thank you, Carter. For all of this. We should make this a weekly ritual.”

  He laughed, nervously. “That’s a bit optimistic. How about monthly?”

  “Every two weeks?”

  More laughter left his lips as he took in her sparkling eyes, her sweet smile, and the way the sun hit her just right, haloing her like an angel.

  “You’re a tough negotiator.” A crooked grin emerged. “Every three weeks?”

  “Two and a half.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her. Sealing the deal. “Done. I love you, Rose.”

  A light, happy sigh floated out of her lips. “I love you, too.”

  They sat by the lake, the water shimmering in the golden sunlight, looking calm and carefree, like it wasn’t a monster that could swallow people whole.