Alison and Stephan had, in fact, been preparing the small homestead for what must have been quite some time. In small enough increments that nothing jumped out in their bank account, they had systematically rebuilt the cabin, installed solar panels and a generator. The walls and roof looked new, and there was a small shed built on the far side of the building. They had a well-established vegetable garden and had even planted what looked like fruit trees. They truly were settling in to a fully self-reliant lifestyle with their newly established ‘family’. It both sickened and scared me to think what could have happened if we hadn’t found him when we did. Alison was obviously suffering from some sort of mental breakdown, and with weapons lying freely around the home, she could have easily done something that would have altered the outcome of this mission. I couldn’t think about that possible outcome, though; it almost made me sick to my stomach to think of what could have been, and there was no use dwelling on the could-haves when we had completed our mission successfully.
“This was a good outcome,” Maitland murmured from beside me, his thoughts obviously mirroring mine. “I would have to say it was a successful joint task force effort, even if your little lady did jump the gun.” He gave me a small smile which seemed to crack the stiff, icy composure I had become accustomed to. “Mind you, I think your team did most the work. I think we owe you one, Mr. Montgomery.”
“It was a joint effort, and as long as you aren’t going to drag one of us in for murder, we might be able to do business again in the future.” Maitland nodded and looked back towards Alison’s body which was being lifted onto a gurney for transport.
“Your stories all match up, and the evidence appears to confirm it. I’ll need a statement from Eli at some point, though.” Maitland raised a hand when I went to speak. “Not tonight, not tomorrow, but at some point. The medics said he appeared unharmed, but you should take him back to Claymont Memorial just to be sure. I can recommend a good child counselor, if you don’t know of one.”
“Thank you,” I murmured.
“You’re welcome. Why don’t you get your lady and boy out of here, Montgomery? Your team is free to go. If I need anything, I’ll call.” I shook the sergeant’s hand before moving swiftly back to Annie and Eli. Eli was fast asleep in her lap in the back of the car. Knowing there was no way she was going to give him up, I carefully wrapped the seatbelt around the two of them and pressed my lips to Annie’s cold forehead.
“Let’s get some heat on in here,” I suggested. Before I could move away, she reached for my hand. The gratitude in her tear filled eyes almost brought me to my knees. “Don’t say thank you. He’s mine to protect, too, as are you. It’s my honor and duty to protect you, and the only thing I need in return is to know that you are both safe,” I glanced up at her tear filled eyes, “and you won’t leave,” I added. There it was, the final thing that filled my veins with cold fear, the thought of them leaving Claymont, leaving me.
“Where else would we go?” Annie whispered. “Our home is here, with you.”
God, this woman undid me. Her shy confessions and loving words filled my heart with a sense of peace that had been missing for too long. Her hand was still in mine, and I pressed a kiss to her fingers before pressing her palm against my chest, right over my rapidly beating heart.
“Your home is here, with me.” I echoed her words and enjoyed the sound of them.
I slipped into the driver’s seat and drove away from the nightmare that had threatened to break us. Annie had done so well. She was a remarkable woman, and the way she fought for her son made me proud. I would still have to spank her sexy ass red for sneaking off on her own the way she did, but if the situation had been reversed, there was no way I could have remained behind like that. As the tires on my SUV found the asphalt once again, I began the steady descent, away from our nightmare, and with each passing mile, I felt more and more in control. Annie was safe, Eli was safe, my family was going home, with me, and I would be damned if I would ever let them go.
Chapter 23
Annie
Fear was a terrible thing. It wrapped itself around your heart and threatened to squeeze the life right out of you. In the weeks following Eli’s abduction, I tried to allow things to return to normal, just like I had been determined to while searching for Eli, but I just couldn’t. Taking my eyes off Eli for even a minute was painful. Eli, for the most part, bounced back with the resilient strength only children possessed. He even took the news of his father’s death with a quiet acceptance that startled me. Dillon found a child therapist who Eli visited within the first week of coming home. Eli liked Dr. Hirst and had no objections to talking to him, and two months later, Eli’s nightmares had reduced dramatically. He was laughing and telling jokes again, just like the Eli we all knew and loved, and he was even talking about going back to school. Me, on the other hand, I was still trapped within the smothering embrace of fear. I couldn’t allow Eli to disappear from my line of sight for even a moment. I was plagued with panic attacks, and anxiety pressed heavily on my shoulders. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Alison holding a gun to Eli’s head, I saw the terror in his eyes, and I felt the same panic and helplessness I had felt on that night like scorching acid running through my veins. The only thing that kept me functioning was Dillon’s staunch presence at my side. He talked me through my panic attacks, held me when I collapsed into a miserable mess, and just as he had promised, he systematically pieced me back together again. Life for me was one day at a time. Some days it felt as though I were climbing an endless mountain, then there were days that weren’t quite so steep or tiring.
I was seeing a therapist, Mercy’s husband, David, to be precise. On my arrival to Claymont, I had spent many hours sitting and talking with David. His patience was mind boggling, and my trust in him made it easier to go through the motions of recovering psychologically.
It would be a long road to get to ‘normal’, but as my friends constantly reminded me, normal was overrated. I was content to settle for happy, and Dillon was doing everything in his power to make sure each and every day was filled with happiness.
*
“Hi, Sam,” I murmured quietly as I stepped into the doorway of Dillon’s office. Sam turned in his chair and smiled. Dillon had told me Jessica left a couple weeks ago, Sam was officially single, and he looked all the better for it.
“Hey Annie, where’s Eli?” It was unusual to see me without Eli at my side now days, but tonight I was making my first real attempt towards recovery.
“He’s with Charlie and Rebecca.” I gave Dillon a pointed stare. “He’s staying the night.” Dillon’s brow rose with surprise, then a devious smile consumed his features.
Sam stood and moved to the doorway. “Okay, Boss, I’ll let you know when that email comes through. In the meantime, there is a box of frozen lasagna in the freezer with my name on it. Night all.”
I smiled as Sam passed by and Dillon stood, edging around to the front of his desk where he leaned casually, his arms crossed.
“We have the night to ourselves?” he asked, and I nodded. To say I was nervous was an understatement, but I couldn’t smother Eli, he couldn’t live his life in a bubble.
“Charlie and Rebecca took him back to their place for a sleepover. For some reason, he thinks that being that much closer to the new house will mean he gets in there quicker tomorrow.”
Dillon had bought his first home a month ago, and tomorrow was move in day. ‘Our’ home; I was still getting to the idea. It felt like a handout, but Dillon insisted it was no different to the free coffee I gave him at the café, and he easily waved off the few hundred thousand dollars difference in cost.
“Smart boy,” he murmured before grabbing my wrist and pulling him into his body for a sweet, lingering kiss. This kiss of course quickly grew passionate, and Dillon’s strong hands gripped the globes of my behind, dragging me against his hard, warm body.
The hardness at his groin pressed against me and I couldn’t help but respond,
my hand dropping to grip him through the fabric of his cargos. Dillon groaned and turned me, lifting me to sit on the side of his desk. I barely had time to acknowledge where the sweet kiss we had begun with was headed. Dillon’s lips didn’t leave mine, one hand pushed my skirt high, while the other tugged impatiently on my panties, pulling them down my thighs and over my knees. The next thing I knew he was slowly nudging his hardness into my body. A rough hand under my top pushed the cup of my bra down before his fingers played gently with my nipple.
“You like that, Sunshine?” he whispered in my ear, his relentless kiss finally coming to an end.
I couldn’t respond. He had been so quick to seduce the panties right off me that I think I was in shock. The brightly lit room didn’t even have time to enter my thoughts, though the open door at his back certainly did. It was late, and I hoped all the staff had gone home for the day. I knew Dillon wouldn’t put me in a compromising position like this if he expected someone to walk into his office.
Dillon gently pushed my chest, encouraging me to lay flat across his desk. Then he lifted my legs until they were propped against his chest, my calves draped over his shoulders. I would have been embarrassed if his talented fingers hadn’t begun to strum my clit.
“Oh, God,” I panted.
“You look stunning like this,” he confessed as he began to thrust and retreat with long, slow strokes. “Look at us, Annie, look how perfect this is.” My eyes, which had closed under his passionate onslaught, opened. The intensity in his gaze caught my attention, and I couldn’t look away. There was so much love and need there it brought tears to my eyes, yet not a single tear spilled. There had been too many tears lately, and I refused to let another one fall, not today, not now. All too soon his perfect rhythm stuttered until his thrusts became shallow. His finger still played over my sensitive nub and my body was quickly engulfed in a flood of tingles as I flew into the heights of an orgasm. As my mind slowly put itself into functioning order again, I noticed Dillon was now collapsed forward over me, his elbows stopping him from crushing me.
“Wow,” I breathed after a short time.
“We should make this a regular thing,” Dillon suggested. “Friday afternoon office sex.” I laughed as Dillon carefully withdrew from my body.
“With the kind of people you work with, they’d find out what we were up to in no time.”
“Good,” Dillon said easily, retrieving my underwear from the floor while I straightened my top. “Then maybe they’ll be sure to clear out in plenty of time.”
Dillon handed me my underwear while he quickly zipped up.
“You down with pizza? I’m starving,” he asked, rubbing his stomach. It was just like a man to be done with sex and immediately think about food. He leaned forward and kissed me as I slipped off his desk. His easy, unashamed attention and love for me had me stop in my tracks. He loved me; he really, truly loved me. When he saw me watching him, unmoving and contemplative, he raised a brow in question.
“I love you.” I blurted the words out quickly. I wasn’t sure how he would respond, but I needed to say it. Dillon now also stilled, his hands frozen over the paperwork we had messed up during our lovemaking. “It’s probably too early to say that, and I hope it doesn’t send you running for the hills, but I wanted to say it, and I’ve been thinking of the right time and how I would do it.” I shrugged, and suddenly felt awkward and unsure of myself. “Maybe it’s post orgasmic bliss or something,” I grumbled when he still said nothing.
“You beat me to it,” he finally murmured. “I had it planned. Our first night in the house, I was going to shower with you, make love to you, then I was going to tell you.”
“Really?”
“You ruined it,” he said with a smile. “But feel free to go ahead and say it again.” I returned his smile yet felt my blush all the way to my toes.
“No way, you haven’t even said it yourself yet. I put myself out there, and I’m not doing it again until you do, too.”
“I love you.” His words came effortlessly and without hesitation. We just stared at each other like love-struck fools.
“I love you,” I said again, taking a step towards Dillon.
“I love you,” he said with a cheesy grin.
“Don’t ever stop,” I said in a more serious tone. It was a new fear to add to the list of fears I already held onto; I now feared losing Dillon.
“Never, I promise,” he whispered taking dragging me into his arms. “You’re stuck with me, Sunshine, forever.”
It could have been a cheesy moment from a romance movie, but it wasn’t. It was honest, it was romantic, and most of all, it was a promise I would hold him to.
*
“Dillon!” yelled Eli as he ran down the steps and flew into Dillon’s arms.
He had to drop the box he was carrying to catch him. It was late, after ten; we had slept in, an unusual concept I hadn’t indulged in since before Eli was born. It wasn’t exactly sleeping in, though; we really didn’t get much sleeping done. Luckily, I had given Rebecca my key to the new house so when Eli woke them at the crack of dawn, they were able to satisfy his bursting excitement by taking him to our new home.
“Hey, little man, you got everything under control?” Dillon asked, settling him down on his feet.
“Yep, I helped Charlie carry my suitcase to my room,” he said proudly.
“Good job, soldier. How about you help your mom with those boxes?” Eli was quick to grab the other side of the box I was carrying.
“Thanks, Bean, you are such a great helper,” I said with admiration. Eli preened under my praise.
“Damn, I don’t know how you do it,” Charlie said, shaking his head as he walked down the stairs. “It was almost midnight before Rebecca finally coaxed him to sleep, and he was awake the minute the damn sun popped over the hills this morning.”
“Trust me,” I laughed as I dumped the box on the kitchen counter, “that’s not normal. In fact, I’m usually up well before him, and he’s always in bed before eight. It’s really quite easy, so maybe you and Rebecca should get a move on and start making babies.” Rebecca, who was wiping down the kitchen shelves before she began putting stuff away, snorted.
“Charlie’s scared we’ll have a boy who will end up dating Celeste, and he’ll have to face the wrath of Jaxon.”
“That would be sweet, your baby and theirs ending up soul mates or something,” I said wistfully.
“Don’t even say that, Annie. Jaxon as an in-law? That’s just damn mean,” Charlie grumbled. Rebecca sighed, and I noticed the longing in her expression. Apparently, Charlie did, too.
“You want a baby, Betty Boop?” Rebecca was unnervingly quiet for a long time.
“It wouldn’t be terrible,” she said. Silence once again fell on us. I tried to pretend I wasn’t listening as I began looking through the boxes.
“Well, let’s have a baby.” Charlie said it like it was a no brainer, and Rebecca’s eyes lit up as she stepped towards him.
“Really?”
“Yeah, really. But if we have a boy, he is banned from dating Celeste Carter.”
“Deal,” Rebecca breathed before jumping into Charlie’s arms. They were kissing pretty passionately when Eli feigned a puking sound from behind us.
“That’s so gross,” he complained as Rebecca and Charlie peeled themselves apart.
“Give it five more years, and you’ll be singing a different tune,” laughed Charlie. “Come on, little man, let’s go start unpacking your momma’s car.”
Charlie, Rebecca, and Eli made their way outside, leaving Dillon and I alone in the kitchen. He was standing at the wide, glass kitchen doors that looked out over the large backyard. He had that look on his face, the one that usually meant deep and meaningful thought.
“What about you?” he said, not looking away from the view outside.
“What about me?” I asked, a little confused.
“Have you thought about having more children?”
The
thought took me by surprise, but it didn’t fill me with fear or worry. In fact, the idea left an unfurling feeling of warmth in my heart.
“Do you want a child?” I asked him right back.
“I asked first,” he said with a grin, finally turning to face me. “And I’ve got a child. I’ve got Eli.” I smiled as he stepped forward, and I melted into his open arms.
“I’m not ready right now, but the thought of having another baby, a brother or sister for Eli, it’s definitely something I would consider.”
Dillon let out a long sigh. “Yes, I have thought about seeing you pregnant with my child,” he admitted.
“It wouldn’t be terrible,” I echoed Rebecca’s words.
“No, it wouldn’t, and until you’re ready, we can practice with lots and lots of O’s.”
“Can I have an orange too?” asked Eli as he dumped a small box beside the one I had placed on the counter.
Dillon laughed. “Sure thing, little man, let’s go out to the car and find the basket of fruit your momma brought along.”
Dillon gave me a wink before following Eli back out the front door.
I knew my happily ever after wouldn’t come overnight. I knew I had a long way to go before my head and heart were completely settled and carefree, but this was the perfect start to what I hoped would be the perfect ending.
Mother's Love Page 23
