by V. K. Powell
“But you never came back. You didn’t call. Nothing.” Loane heard the pain in her voice and hated her weakness. She wanted to be indignant, to hold Abby accountable, but it still hurt too much. The more she heard of Abby’s ordeal, the more ashamed she felt for holding onto her resentment.
Abby raised Loane’s gloved hands to her lips and kissed each one. “I was afraid for you. I was worried the bomber would go after anyone connected to the case. Since we don’t know who the leak is in ATF, I couldn’t take the chance of leading him to you, making you a target. I desperately wanted to call you when I got to the neighbors’ house. Believe me.”
“How did you make it with a broken leg, carrying a child?”
“I fashioned a crutch from a piece of pipe. It was a slow process.”
Loane tried to reconcile the picture Abby’s family had of her as a defenseless, dependent individual with the one she’d seen of a self-reliant, resourceful, and highly determined young woman. She’d had more courage than Loane to keep fighting against the odds instead of running away. Her heart swelled with pride at Abby’s abilities and what she’d come through.
“After the shock of the explosion wore off, I was relieved because I thought the case was over and I was free to tell you the truth. But Barrio insisted that I return to Miami with Blake and reestablish myself with the Torre family. I couldn’t walk for weeks, and when I finally got out of the house, Carl had guards around me all the time. He was afraid that whoever killed his family might return. I became even more determined to protect you. Tell me you understand.”
Loane withdrew her hands from Abby’s and rubbed her palms together. She wouldn’t lie to her. How could she explain how wrong life had gone? Their chance had been stripped away before she even acknowledged that she wanted it. Actually, she’d given up. She’d never felt worthy of that kind of love, and the universe had proved her right.
“I was out of it for a while, on pain medicine for the burns. When I’d healed enough to be coherent and asked questions, you were gone, presumed dead. I called your cell phone every day and left messages. I tried to find your family…that makes sense now. I wasn’t looking for Marconi.”
“That must’ve been hell for you. It was for me, and I didn’t think you were dead.”
They sat in silence for several minutes. Loane imagined neither of them knew what else to say. They’d shared so much, cleared up so many assumptions and misunderstandings, that it was hard to take it all in. How different their lives would’ve been if she’d had even a tiny sliver of hope that Abby was alive four months ago. Now that she knew the facts, the hard part began—figuring out how she felt about it.
“Carl said you got fired from your job.” When she didn’t answer immediately, Abby tried again. “I know that look. You quit, didn’t you?”
Heat rose to Loane’s face. “Not exactly.”
“Let me guess. You went off on your own to find out what happened to me, the bosses didn’t like it, and you quit. Am I close?”
Uncanny how accurate she was, but she’d always been able to read Loane like a transparency. “Pretty close. What else could I do? Nobody would tell me anything. I couldn’t live not knowing. And I didn’t quit. I took an extended leave of absence.” She swung her legs under the picnic table like a kid, unable to look at Abby, waiting for her disapproval.
“Loane.” When she met Abby’s stare, the only thing she saw was understanding and acceptance. “I love you, Loane Landry. I waited too long to say those words for the first time, and I’ll never hold back again. Can we get past this?”
This was everything she’d hoped for—Abby alive and well, declaring her love and wanting their relationship to move forward. Why was she hesitating? Because Abby had chosen not to tell her the truth about herself and her job. She hadn’t trusted Loane and that stung. But they’d only been dating a short time. They hadn’t made a commitment to each other, and Abby didn’t owe her anything.
“I saw something in your eyes that night, Loane, and I so desperately wanted to hear you say whatever it was.”
“Abby, I’m not sure if I can—”
“What?”
“Pretend all this never happened.”
Abby straightened and pushed back on her seat away from Loane. The love and hope in her eyes changed to surprise, and the curve of her mouth tightened into a grimace. “I thought you’d understand the sacrifices I had to make starting out in this profession. I followed the rules to the letter to prove myself. It didn’t feel like I had a choice, Loane. The commitment was made before I met you.”
“One of the reasons I loved my job was because of that commitment, but there’s something even more important. You have to depend on your partner in any situation. Knowing she’ll be there, not having to wonder about it…ever. For that to happen, you have to totally trust each other. I thought we did.” She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “I wasn’t just your cover officer, Abby. I was your lover and you left me behind that night.” She propped her elbows on the picnic table and slumped forward. All the emotions she’d bottled up for months gushed out at once, and she was exhausted.
Abby didn’t respond. The only sounds were the rustling of trees in the afternoon breeze, an occasional robin, and infrequent street noises from the surrounding neighborhood. All of the possibilities from earlier had evaporated. Abby loved her, and she was pretty sure that she loved Abby, but it wasn’t enough. “Love conquers all” obviously didn’t apply to her life.
“So, what happens now?” Abby asked as she wiped tears from her eyes.
Loane’s truth would hurt them both, but she had to be honest. “I don’t know.” Abby flinched and captured her bottom lip between her teeth. “I can’t tell you what you want to hear.”
“I won’t walk away from you, Loane.” Her gaze held Loane’s and tears fell again. “You’re my heart and soul, and if it takes the rest of my life to prove it, that’s what I’ll do.”
“Abby…I—”
“You don’t have to say anything, but don’t shut me out, Loane. I need you.”
She wasn’t sure what lay ahead for them personally, but she couldn’t let Abby pursue gunrunners alone. “We still have a case to solve. I can’t set you loose on the world, a rookie ATF agent, with no guidance.” Loane smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
“I have to see it through.”
“Do you want some help?” Loane wasn’t sure why she’d said that. Her feelings for Abby were all over the place. Though she wouldn’t be much help without the GPD behind her, she wanted to maintain contact, even if it was professional, until she figured the rest out.
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t. I offered.” Abby looked around the park again like she was expecting someone, and Loane got an uncomfortable feeling. It was like watching Tyler when he was a kid trying to lie. He couldn’t pull it off while looking her in the eyes. “What are you not telling me?”
“I don’t want you involved in this anymore.”
“It’s too late for that.” Abby’s emotional struggle played out across her delicate features. Whatever she was holding back terrified her.
“Don’t you get it? I’ve already lost three people I considered friends. If I lost you, I wouldn’t survive.”
“I can take care of myself, Abby. We’re both in the protection business, so we better get used to trusting that we can take care of ourselves.”
Abby’s shoulders drooped. “Carl Torre thinks you had something to do with the explosion. That’s one of the reasons he wanted me to come back here, to keep an eye on his business and you. He’ll be snooping around too. I won’t be able to hold him off forever. I’m afraid I might’ve led him right to you. So you have to really disappear. Let me handle this.”
After everything that had happened between them, Abby was trying to take care of her. That had to mean something. Loane wished she knew, gut-level knew, what. “Thank you for telling me. I appreciate that you love and want to p
rotect me, but I’m not going anywhere. We’ll figure it out together. Is that why you were at the strip club, following a lead?”
“I’m the new manager. I drove a van up from Miami that I’m pretty sure was full of weapons, but I didn’t get a look inside. Now my new office person has found some financial discrepancies in the books. If I could just connect the two, but I don’t know where the guns are.”
Had Vi met Abby, the new manager? She dismissed the thought. Vi would’ve said. She smiled across the picnic table at Abby. “I do.”
Chapter Fifteen
“You know where the guns are?” Loane nodded and a spark flashed in her blue eyes. How had she managed to find a stash of weapons while dealing with everything that happened to her? Abby’s admiration and affection for her grew even deeper. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense.”
Before Loane could answer, Abby’s business cell rang. She looked at the caller ID and winced. “Sorry, I have to get this.” Giving Loane’s hand an apologetic squeeze, she answered. “Hello, Carl.”
“How is everything?”
The tiny hairs on Abby’s arms bristled. The warmth and familiarity that had been in his voice before she left Miami had disappeared. She hadn’t been gone long but something had changed. “Things are fine, Carl. The club is running smoothly, capacity crowds every night.”
“Where are you right now?”
Abby looked at her watch. She’d left the club before two and it was almost three. “I’m having a late lunch.”
“How soon can you be back?”
“In Miami?” The conversation wasn’t making sense and she had an apprehensive feeling.
“To the club. I’m in Greensboro.”
She felt the color drain from her face and Loane gave her a questioning look. She mouthed, He’s here. “Why? I mean, is something wrong?”
“We need to talk. I’m in the office and there’s a young woman here I’ve never seen.”
“That’s Kinsey, the new office person I hired. I texted you about her.”
“Still, I’d like to talk, and I have other meetings scheduled this afternoon.”
“How soon can I be back?” She asked the question aloud so Loane would know what she was dealing with. Loane gave her a nod to indicate she understood. “Give me fifteen minutes.”
“Good. See you then.”
Carl hung up and she turned to Loane. “I’m so sorry, hon. He’s not happy. I can hear it in his voice. Can we get together later?”
“Are you safe with him?”
“He can be prickly and a bit overbearing, but I’ve never known him to be violent.”
“Do what you have to. I need some time to think.”
“Promise me you won’t make any decisions before we talk again.” She was afraid that the grief and anger Loane had undoubtedly experienced the past months would resurface and drag her back under. “Promise.”
“I promise. Besides, you still don’t know where the guns are.” The smile forming at the corners of her mouth gave Abby hope.
“You’re absolutely right. But we better get some proof soon. What if Carl is here to make arrangements to have them moved?”
“I’ll keep an eye on them.” When they rose, Abby stumbled sideways and Loane circled her waist to support her as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “Are you all right?”
“A little stiff. Guess we both have scars from this ordeal.”
“It’s from the explosion, isn’t it? Your broken leg?” She nodded, and Loane’s lips tightened in an expression Abby recognized as an attempt to hide her emotions. She loved her for caring. “Let me know when you’re free.”
“I’ll call you.”
When Loane started to move away, Abby held her hand, took out a pen, and wrote her cell number on her arm above her glove. “In case you’ve already lost my new number. Now you have to do something with it soon. Number one speed dial would be good.”
Loane smiled, and Abby watched the gentle sway of her ass as she walked back to her Jeep. Leaving Loane to ponder all this new information by herself didn’t set well with Abby. She wanted to be there to answer questions before they became prickly needles in her mind. She wanted to be with Loane, not facing the unpleasant task that awaited her at the club.
When she opened the office door, Carl Torre stood over Kinsey staring down at the computer screen. She squeezed the doorknob until her composure settled. Was Carl computer savvy enough to figure out Kinsey had run an analysis program? Her best defense was a good offense.
“Carl, great to see you.” She opened her arms, gritted her teeth, and gave him the most genuine hug she could muster. “What a pleasant surprise.” She nodded toward Kinsey. “I gather you’ve introduced yourselves. Kinsey is fantastic. She’s already done an income-and-expense report, and it looks great.”
“Yes, we’ve met and she’s shown me the program. Nice work, young lady. But do you mind if your boss and I speak privately?” The tone of his question made it clear that neither she nor Kinsey had an option.
“Of course not, Mr. Torre. Nice to meet you.”
Kinsey grabbed her bag and gave Abby a wink on the way out. She prayed that meant Carl was clueless about her questionable discovery. When Kinsey closed the door, she turned back to Carl, the nerves in her stomach a knotted mass. “So what brings you all the way to North Carolina? You didn’t mention anything about meetings here when I left Miami.”
“Do I need a reason to check up on my business?”
“Of course not. I’m just concerned that something has happened.” Carl wouldn’t meet her gaze. “Or maybe someone isn’t happy with my management style?” His head snapped up. One of his goons had whined to the big boss.
Carl motioned for her to take a seat. “Well, you can hardly blame the guys. They get a new boss, a woman, by the way. I forgot to tell them that part. And after only one day, you hire someone new. It had to grate.”
“But you understand why I did it, right? I mean, it all seemed strange to me.” Abby was taking a risk with her approach, but she had to stir the pot to make the dish she wanted. Carl’s expression told her he had no idea where she was going with this but didn’t want to look clueless. “The furniture?” she added.
He waited, obviously unable or unwilling to take the bait.
“The furniture you sent back with me disappeared. I thought Ray and Tiny were hiding something. The wrong-shipment story seemed plausible enough, but it didn’t ring true. It made me wonder about other aspects of the business. As a new boss, I needed a financial baseline—for my peace of mind and your protection. They’ve been running the club almost four months practically unsupervised.”
The creases in Carl’s forehead deepened. Had she gone too far? Ray and Tiny had worked for Simon, never directly for Carl. She was gambling on the possibility that their loyalty had never been tested.
“I see what you mean. That does make good financial and business sense.”
“Thank you.” She tried not to let her relief show. Acting was all about expressing emotions, but in this case doing the opposite was more challenging. Emboldened by his agreement, she pushed further. “Do you know for a fact that the furniture was returned? I haven’t seen any new stuff come in.”
“Let’s not get sidetracked with furniture. I have something more important to discuss.”
What could be more important than the stability of his business? The answer occurred to her before he spoke and she almost gasped.
“I’ve got a lead on that cop I told you about. Her name is Landry. Tiny said she’s been in the club twice, apparently gone rogue and changed her appearance. Last night she helped the guys with a belligerent customer. I want to know whose side she’s on.”
Abby focused on Carl, forcing a blank expression when she wanted to scream, to direct his energy and attention away from Loane.
“I want you to get close to her, Abby.”
“You want me to what?” She refused to involve Loane in this case any further
. The risks were too great. Whatever his plan, she wanted nothing to do with it.
“She’s like you—into women—so I figured you could make a move and find out if she had anything to do with the explosion. I wouldn’t normally ask something so…personal, but it’s for Simon, Sylvia, and Alma.”
Get close to Loane? That was indeed her intention, but absolutely not for this man or any of his nefarious purposes. Even the appearance of complying with his request could cheapen her relationship with Loane. She needed to know his intentions. “For what purpose?”
“I don’t know yet. I want to be sure she was involved. Maybe we just need enough leverage to get her on our side. Maybe…” He shrugged and Abby filled in the ending with an image of Loane injured or killed. “Consider it a test.”
He wanted vengeance for his family, and he wanted to know that he could count on her completely. If she delivered Loane to him, she would have his trust. Never happen. She wouldn’t relinquish one hair from Loane’s head to this man. “I can’t do that, Carl.”
“I know I’m asking a lot.”
“Why do we need her anyway? Is she still a cop?” She tried to reason with him without revealing things she already knew.
“She’s on temporary leave. Sooner or later she’ll be back in the fold. An inside source is always useful. Get close enough to exert a little influence. You don’t have to sleep with her, unless you want to. I hear she’s quite a looker.”
The emotions that boiled inside Abby threatened to destroy her composure. A sickening taste crawled up the back of her throat and she swallowed hard. “I’m not comfortable with this, Carl. I’m not into violence or prostituting myself.”
“Who said anything about violence? And the prostituting could be fun.”
“If you find out she was involved in the explosion, what then?”
“Let me worry about that. In the meantime, think about it. You and I could have a long, prosperous business relationship. But first, I need to know that I can depend on you.”
“I saved your nephew’s life and might’ve saved you financially by double-checking the books. How much more proof do you need?”
