“Nothing but junk up there,” Carson said, real disgust in his tone. “So, we thought maybe you were after your so-called friend’s money, instead. We were trying to find out how much of it he had.”
“No, it’s more than that. I heard you say there’d be no real log of goods in, goods out, like, say, for an appliance store.”
Abigail quickly ran over what she’d said and felt a shiver of relief. He hadn’t heard their discussion about the thefts in June. She met the man’s gaze and tried to ignore the gun in his hand and flat-out lied. “Well, we figured it out.” She nodded her head vigorously. “Obviously the two of you were using the book store to launder money. Probably for the mafia.”
Farnsworth seemed to relax, visibly. “Good luck proving that. Get back to your search. Let’s see what you come up with. I’d be interested in knowing if Cleve had a safe deposit box. That’s the first step.”
“No. She’s not going to do any such thing.” Carson kept his hands up but took a step toward Farnsworth and away from Abigail. The man countered Carson’s move but somehow ended up a bit closer to Abigail than he had been. He waved his gun at Carson.
“Stop right there, or I will shoot you. I’ll shoot you through the head with not one bit of remorse. And then, after your little woman here does exactly as I tell her, I’ll shoot her, too.”
It was a standoff, and one that scared the living hell out of Abigail, even if she doubted the man would follow through with his threat as easily as all of that. For one thing, Farnsworth’s grip on his weapon wasn’t a grip of confidence. His hand was still shaking, and perhaps that made him even more dangerous. She didn’t dare look toward the trap door. She knew Caleb and Michael had to have heard their intruder. Caleb had arrived from Dallas still in work clothes, as it were. And though he’d left his white Stetson in the car, she had noticed his service gun was still on his hip when they entered the store.
She’d trust Caleb Benedict, Texas Ranger to act. The way Carson was moving told her he trusted his oldest brother, too. Still, Abigail was having trouble controlling her terror. Carson took another couple of steps to the side. A flash of insight helped her to understand he was trying to draw Farnsworth away from Abigail, but more, he was trying to make him move closer to the open attic door, to where, presumably, Caleb would be able to pounce or shoot or something.
“If you kill me, you’ll make Abby too hysterical to be of any use to you whatsoever, not to mention the sound of a gunshot is certain to bring the cops. The building next door is a home, not a business. Folks are bound to be there. Let the woman go. I’m a fucking CEO of a huge company. I can find whatever information you need easily enough.”
Farnsworth flicked a quick glance to her. She saw the instant his gaze took her in, and then, something about the look in his eyes made her even more terrified than she had been.
“You’re right. Not good planning on my part to shoot you first.” And then the man moved.
Before Carson could react, Farnsworth attacked, grabbing her right arm, hauling her off the chair, yanking her flush against his body with the barrel of his gun pressed into her cheek and his other arm around her neck. Abigail screamed, Carson cursed, and shouts erupted above their heads.
As fast as those few seconds exploded, time slowed to a crawl. Abigail felt the pressure of Farnsworth’s weapon lift from her face, watched as that weapon edged in a gradual arc to point toward Carson. She didn’t think. She simply reacted.
Her left arm swung up over her head, hard and fast as she smashed the glass paperweight against her attacker’s head. The sensation of the bludgeoning vibrated through her arm, accompanied by a sick kind of a crack. Time resumed with a pop.
When Farnsworth fell, he dragged Abigail down with him. She screamed again, even as the man’s gun blasted out its bullet.
Chapter Twenty
Abigail opened her eyes when someone lifted her into strong arms and held her close. She blinked and, for one horrible moment, didn’t know where she was or what had happened. All she knew was a terrible ringing pierced her ears and a stench wafted in the air that she recognized as coming from a gun that had been fired.
Michael knelt in front of her and cupped her face in his hands. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”
She didn’t hear him so much as she read his lips. His hands were shaking, and his face held such worry. Worry. Abigail jerked. That awful man had been aiming his gun at Carson when it had gone off! The arms that held her squeezed, and she realized Carson was holding her. He murmured to her, a just barely heard rumble of comfort. She inhaled deeply, breathing him in, and then Abigail relaxed. She looked over to where Caleb knelt over the unmoving form of Neil Farnsworth.
We’re all sitting on the floor. Why are we all sitting on the floor?
The ringing eased enough she could hear the low chuckles of all three of the Benedict men. Apparently, she’d spoken that last thought aloud.
“We’re on the floor, Miss Parker, because, to borrow a phrase from Grandmother Mattie, you’re made of stern stuff.” Caleb’s words got through her diminishing tinnitus.
“And that is grandmother’s highest compliment.” Carson rubbed his cheek on the top of her head. “Caleb’s right, baby. You are definitely made of stern stuff.”
As much as she’d love to think she deserved such high praise, she had reservations. “I don’t know about that. I think I fainted.” She felt her cheeks heating with the realization.
“If Farnsworth had grabbed me the way he did you, I’m not so sure I wouldn’t have done the same thing, sweetheart.” Michael leaned forward and placed a wholly too-small kiss on her lips.
A groan from over by Caleb drew her attention. “I didn’t kill him. Oh, thank God.” She closed her eyes in relief and sagged against Carson. When she’d heard and felt that horrible crack of the glass paperweight connecting to Farnsworth’s head, she thought she’d done just that.
Sirens shrieking in the distance, drawing nearer, got them off the floor. Abigail stood with Michael’s assistance and gasped when he picked her up and cradled her in his arms.
“My turn,” he said and carried her over to the single armchair in the room.
Carson followed, gave her his own not-enough kiss, then went over to keep an eye on Farnsworth. Caleb headed downstairs and returned moments later with a couple of uniformed Houston police officers.
Carson came back over to them and hunkered down in front of Abigail. He took her hands in his, brought them to his lips, and kissed them. “I’ve never been so frightened, baby. I was terrified that bastard was going to shoot you. When he actually grabbed you…” Carson closed his eyes and shuddered. When he opened them again, she nearly gasped at the determination she saw. “I can’t put this off another second. I love you, Abby Parker, and that is forever.” This time his kiss was deep, drugging, and delicious. His flavor was one half of the exact tonic she needed right then and there. She whimpered when he ended the kiss.
His gaze met hers, and she understood she couldn’t wait another moment, either. “I love you, too, Carson Benedict.” His smile was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. And then he got to his feet, laid his hand on her cheek, and returned to Caleb, clearly intending to lend a hand to his older brother.
“You and I will just sit here and watch,” Michael said. “You might as well know right now, sweetheart, I’m perfectly happy letting Carson lead the way. I always have been.”
When Abigail looked at Michael, she saw such love on his face it made her heart melt. “That means I’m fine with him being the head of our family. I love you, Abigail Parker. I’m going to love you until the day I die.”
“And I love you, Michael Benedict, just exactly the way you are.” She looped her arms around his neck, and when his mouth covered hers, she opened wide and gave him all she was. Here’s the second half of what I need. Because they weren’t alone, they ended the kiss together, and she laid her head on his chest. “At first, I didn’t understand how it could all
work out, but now I understand, a little. There are simply needs in me that only you can meet and others that are Carson’s.”
“That’s what Mother always says about the dads. That she needs what they each give her to feel complete. That, my darling, is the Benedict way.”
The Benedict Way. Abigail really liked the sound of that.
The police called for an ambulance. At the very least, Neil Farnsworth was suffering from a concussion. There was no doubt he’d be going to jail. He’d broken into the building and held her and Carson hostage, at gunpoint. Those were serious crimes in Texas. After Farnsworth was taken away, more officers arrived. Abigail was separated from Michael temporarily, as she had to give her statement. A female officer had arrived with the second group, and that woman led her into the kitchen, where they each took a seat. Abigail sipped from the cup of tea Michael made her just before he’d left to give his own account to another officer. Abigail related every event of the evening and answered every question the officer asked. She also told the woman about that first encounter with Neil Farnsworth and how she’d been uneasy in the man’s presence at that time.
Whether or not Farnsworth would be charged for any other crimes would depend upon what investigators found.
It was nearly eleven in the evening when she, Carson, and Michael were done with their civic duty. Abigail felt exhausted and worried these strong men would think less of her for not having much stamina. She felt shaky and weepy, though she held on to those tears. No way in hell would she cry in front of a room full of law enforcement personnel.
“Looks like you’re having an adrenaline crash,” Caleb said. He gathered her into a solid, brotherly hug, and then handed her off to Carson. “Suffered a few of those myself, Abby. The only way to get through them is to give in to them.” He looked directly at Carson. “See that you pamper her, brother. Like I told Michael, she’s definitely a keeper.”
Abigail blushed at the compliment. Caleb was on his way to Lusty. They said good-night at the curb. The eldest Benedict brother had a long drive ahead of him.
Abigail nearly fell asleep on the drive back to the apartment. Once inside, she thought she just might have caught her second wind.
“Will the police consider whether or not Farnsworth and Arbuckle were partners in crime during that man’s lifetime?” she asked.
“That, I don’t know. What I can tell you without a doubt is that the family will hire private investigators if the police aren’t interested in pursuing that investigation.”
Carson ran his hand down her back. She felt the slight tremor in his touch. She didn’t pretend to wonder about its source. Because he needed it, and she needed him, she turned and stepped right into his arms.
He held her tight, the kind of tight that made her believe she would never, ever be alone again. She’d never have to wonder if she mattered or if she had value because this man, and the one who pressed himself up against her back, valued her. They loved her, and that right there was a gift she’d never thought to call her own.
Abigail had felt a sense of belonging that very first day in Lusty. Now, belonging would never again be in doubt.
Carson cupped her face. “Since you love me, you’ll, of course, marry me.”
Michael coughed, and she had to wonder if he was smothering a laugh. Carson wasn’t a man to waste words. She’d had the sense that he was a man who went after what he wanted. There would never be any second-guessing for Carson Benedict once he’d made up his mind. And if the day ever arose when he did doubt himself, she would be certain to let him know he not only had her love he had her respect and her trust and her faith.
“Well, now, it would seem the thing to do, wouldn’t it?” She’d kept her tone sincere, but he caught the laughter in her eyes. She knew that because his smile turned sheepish.
“Is that a yes, baby?”
“Oh, it’s a most definite yes, even if you didn’t exactly ask me a question.”
“Pay attention, brother. Let me show you how it’s done.”
“Why? She said yes, and you can bet your ass I’ll never propose to another woman for the rest of my days.”
Michael seemed to be having a hard time getting hold of his mirth. Then he looked at Abigail, and his gaze turned not so much serious as reverent.
In all of her life, no one had ever given her such a look. “Abigail—my Abby. I love you with all that I am. I want to have children with you and grow old with you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Oh, yes.” She caressed Michael’s face, a single loving caress. “I love you both so much. I thought I’d live my life alone, and I was fine with that. But I’m better, much much better, when I’m between the two of you. There is just one thing I need. One thing I’d like to ask of you, to seal the deal.”
“Anything.” Both men spoke at the same time. She’d bet, in years to come, that was something they’d hone down to a fine science.
“You said something about my having you both inside me at the same time. I’ve been thinking about that a lot. I want that. I need that. I can’t explain it, but I need to feel you both being a part of me—so that we’re one flesh.”
Carson lifted her face and kissed her lips. His tongue stroked hers as his mouth devoured. “Are you sure, baby? We can wait. It might be uncomfortable for you.”
Oh, she knew that it would indeed be physically uncomfortable. She was about to become even more full than she’d imagined she could ever be. But that didn’t matter. Tonight, she’d pledged herself to these two wonderful men. Tonight, she needed to feel them both inside her. She couldn’t understand it or explain it but knew it for truth nonetheless.
“I’m very sure. Please, won’t you both make love to me?”
Carson looked over her head at Michael, who ran his hands down her arms, kissed her neck, then stepped back. Carson stepped forward and lifted her into his arms.
“You seem to like to carry me around, Mr. Benedict.”
“Oh, indeed I do, soon-to-be Mrs. Benedict. You’re such a lovely armful.”
He walked down the long hallway as if she weighed nothing at all. When he stopped and lowered her to her feet, they were beside the very large bed in the master bedroom.
“I feel like this is our sanctuary.” Abigail kissed Carson, sinking into his flavor, enjoying the way his tongue dipped and danced with hers. Then she ended their kiss and turned to Michael. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sampled his taste, shivering with the thrill of his mouth suckling on hers, imagining that same sensation on her nipples. She eased back and met both men’s gazes.
“There’s the flavor of you individually and then a very special essence when I have the taste of you both on my tongue at the same time. That is my new favorite flavor in the entire world.”
“Good, because you’re ours.”
She reached up to begin opening her blouse, but Carson stilled her hands.
“For this, let us. We need to be in control of this right now, baby.”
Because they’d felt so out of control at the store, earlier. Abigail dropped her arms and nodded.
Working together, they had her naked in under a minute, or so it seemed. When Michael lifted her into his arms and laid her in the center of the bed, she stretched out, arms above her head, legs slightly open, knees bent.
For these men, she would be all they needed, all they wanted. A friend, a wife, a mother, a counselor…or a sexy siren.
Oh, how I love being their sexy siren.
“You take our breath away, sweetheart.” Michael’s words felt like the most loving of caresses. Then, together, her men began to strip.
Talk about having one’s breath taken away. Naked, gorgeous, muscled, and hers. Abigail’s mouth watered at the sight of those two hard, yummy cocks. She doubted there’d ever come a day when she didn’t want these men.
Michael’s wide grin prompted her own. He stretched out on the bed next to her, rising above her. He lowered his head, and as his lips wooe
d hers, she let her eyes drift such. There was the taste of him, the scent of him, and the distinct way his mouth mated with hers. His hand swept down her body, fingers brushing under her breast, and that feel of him ignited her inner fire.
When he slipped his arms beneath her, she understood his intent and let him roll them so that she lay atop him. She ended their kiss and sat up, straddling him. Abigail shivered as her labia parted and his hard, naked cock nestled against her slit.
“I want you to ride me and let Carson fuck that hot little ass of yours.”
Abigail was beginning to really love their dirty talk. When Carson handed her a condom, she took it—and the quick, hard kiss he gave her.
She tore open the packet with her teeth, edged down Michael’s legs, and then worked the condom onto his cock. Of course, she had to pump his heated shaft a few times just to be sure she’d done a good job of it.
As she moved back up his legs, she met his wicked grin. She giggled when he reached for her, lifting her just enough that she could reach down and grasp his erect dick.
“Take me, now.”
How she loved it when Michael went all forceful on her. Abigail placed the head of his cock at her opening and then slowly, silkily, and, she hoped, seductively slid down until she had all of him inside her.
“You feel so damn good, Abby. So hot and wet and tight around my cock.”
“I love having you inside me, Michael.” She leaned forward, her hands on his chest, and began to do as he’d ordered. She rode him, her motions smooth and slow. She shivered as the friction of him moving inside her sent her arousal soaring.
Carson reached forward and moved her hands so they were flat on the bed, bracketing Michael’s head. Michael’s hands closed over her breasts, and she hummed with pleasure when he squeezed her breasts and lightly pinched her nipples.
“Beautiful.”
Carson’s one word of praise filled her with feminine pride. The sensation of his hand smoothing over her ass fed her hunger. And when he began to stroke over her anus with lube-coated fingers, a moan escaped from her very soul.
Labor Day in Lusty, Texas [The Lusty, Texas Collection] (Siren Publishing Menage Everlasting) Page 17
