Chapter 28

Laurel finished drying a plate and handed it to Huck to put away in his cupboard.

"Another wild night," he murmured, looking over his shoulder toward the crackling fire.

Laurel's entire body felt as if it had been through a meat grinder. "This suits me. Thanks for making dinner."

He chuckled. "I'll make scrambled eggs anytime you want."

That had been exactly what she needed.

"Go sit down by the fire," he said. "Do you want ice cream for dessert?"

She perked up. "Absolutely. I didn't know you had ice cream."

"I bought a carton the other day. Do you want chocolate or butterscotch topping?"

"I'll take both." Yet another advantage to being pregnant—no guilt about eating sugar. She walked over to sit on the sofa and extended her feet the way Huck always did, then leaned back to shut her eyes. A wet nose instantly pushed against her hand, and she started petting the dog. Taking that as encouragement, he hopped up onto the sofa and spread himself across her lap.

She opened her eyes and looked down. "I'm pretty certain you're not supposed to be up here, buddy."

He closed his eyes and pretended he was asleep. She wasn't in charge of training him, so she would leave any correction to Huck. Plus, it felt good to have the dog on her lap. She looked over to the corner where Fred stretched out on Aeneas's bed by the fireplace. The cat opened one eye, seemed to judge everything was good, and went back to sleep. He sure had made himself comfortable at Huck's with very minimal fuss.

"Have you heard from your mom?" Huck asked from the kitchen.

"Yes. She and Dolores are having an absolute ball at the spa. They had their pictures taken and their auras read from the photographs." The procedure hadn't made any sense to her, but as long as Deidre and Dolores enjoyed themselves, she was happy. More importantly, they were far away from Genesis Valley right now.

Her phone trilled, and she lifted it to her ear. "Agent Snow."

"Hello, dear sister. How are you?"

Laurel looked at the darkness outside. "Abigail. I called you earlier but only reached your voicemail."

"I've been busy," Abigail said. "I do have a life outside of you. I still teach at the college, you know."

It was unfortunate the job didn't keep Abigail busy enough. "So you were grading papers?"

"That I was. Today's youth just aren't as smart as we were. Have you noticed that?"

Laurel didn't have time for this. "Have you shot a sniper rifle lately?"

Abigail burst out laughing. "A sniper rifle? No, that's not something I have ever done. Why, do you want to take sniper lessons together?"

Laurel rolled her eyes. "No. Where is Jason Abbott right now?"

"Hell if I know," Abigail said. "I wish you'd go ahead and catch him because I'm tired of looking over my shoulder all the time. You know he's going to come for me."

Laurel wiggled her toes in front of the blissful fire. "Yes, I believe he wants to harm you. Probably both of us, but you first." It made sense. The woman had experimented on Abbott, and he blamed her for his problems. "Did you know he kept journals?"

Abigail fell silent for a moment. "No. What kind of journals?"

Her voice held a different note, but Laurel couldn't read it. Was that concern or hesitation?

"Journals all about your time with him," Laurel guessed. Or maybe he'd detailed his killings. They must hold important information, or he wouldn't have risked the wrath of the FBI to steal them back.

Abigail cleared her throat. "I did not know that Jason kept journals, but I sure would like to read them. Do you know where they are?"

"I do know where they are," Laurel said. "There is no way I'll allow you to read them." She figured Jason Abbott had them, so she was telling the truth. She did know who had the journals, and hopefully he was too arrogant to destroy them. No doubt he'd spent a lot of time detailing his kills so he could go back and relive them by reading through his diaries.

"Now, Laurel, I would very much like to read these journals. Perhaps I can help you decipher what was going on in Jason's head during these last difficult months."

How unnerving the existence of the journals must be to Abigail. What exactly had she done to Jason during those experiments? "I don't think so," Laurel said as Huck crossed around and handed her a bowl of ice cream.

Was Abigail playing some sick game? She could've been the sniper, which meant she already knew about the journals. Yet, did that track? Laurel's temples ached.

"Aeneas, down," Huck ordered. The dog looked at him but obeyed, slinking over to flop down on half of his bed. Fred looked at him and struck out with a paw. Aeneas ignored the cat and shut his eyes.

Laurel looked down at her ice cream. "When was the last time you spoke with Jason Abbott?" she asked Abigail.

"You already know the answer to that. I visited him in jail, hoping to help your case. Now I'm done talking about Abbott." The sound of Abigail drinking something came over the line, most likely a cabernet of very good vintage. "I heard on the news that Haylee Johnson was killed by the river, just like the first still-unidentified victim and that insipid Teri Bearing. Is it true?"

"Yes," Laurel said. "We found her body yesterday."

Abigail chuckled. "I suppose that's one way to end a lawsuit."

Laurel jolted. "Excuse me?"

"Come on, Laurel. That twit was suing us, and now the lawsuit will go away. I'd say it was a good day for us, don't you think?"

Laurel placed the bowl of ice cream on the table next to the end of the sofa, feeling ill. "No, I don't think it was a good thing, Abigail."

"Well, tomato, tomaaaato. Have a lovely evening, sister. I hope we can get together soon." Abigail ended the call.

Laurel looked at her phone and shook her head.

"What?" Huck asked.

"Perhaps evil actually does exist," she murmured.

* * *

Huck rolled over onto his side and punched his pillow, trying to keep from awakening Laurel. So much danger was coming for her right now that he couldn't sleep. That psycho sister of hers was going to make a move sometime, and he had no idea what that would look like. Abigail's interest in the baby bordered on terrifying.

He was in the way. He knew it. Though he had faced plenty of danger in his life, he'd never had something he wanted to protect so badly. Somebody. Laurel Snow had grabbed his heart and held it from the first time he'd met her, although he'd fought his feelings as long as he could. He was grumpy and difficult, and nobody should have to deal with him on a long-term basis. But she seemed to want to stick with him, and somehow, she accepted him with all of his many faults. He didn't deserve her.

But she was pregnant now, and he had to protect her and the baby. No kid of his was going to grow up without a dad as Laurel had. Or the way he'd grown up without a mother. Not if he could help it.

The ring he'd bought was in his sock drawer. The timing had to be right with Laurel, and he knew she wasn't there yet. She had just wrapped her mind around the idea of being a mom. He didn't want to push her. For somebody with a genius IQ, she truly didn't see herself clearly. The woman had more heart than anybody he'd ever met, but she had no clue about that.

He could be patient. She seemed to accept his need to protect both her and the baby, so he could wait forever for the words or a ceremony if that's what she wanted.

His presence in her life was what she needed. His ability to protect and defend. That he'd provide for sure.

She rolled over to face him. "You are thinking so hard I can't sleep."

He blinked. "You can feel me thinking?"

She frowned, pursing her pretty pink lips. "I suppose not. I guess from your movements, and your punching the pillow, I surmised that you were having difficulty sleeping. Most people can't sleep because they're thinking or worrying and not relaxing. Hence . . ."

Hence. He loved that. Hence. It was adorable how she explained every situation with logic. He tugged her onto her back and covered her, noting her small smile and letting it fill him. "You think you're so smart," he teased.

"I am smart. Objectively speaking." She scratched her nails down his bare flanks.

Of course she was. She was also fucking gorgeous. Moonlight filtered in, showing those incredible heterochromatic eyes. One blue, one green, both hugely intelligent. The extra starburst in one was just another sign of her being a unicorn among people. If he said that, she'd calmly explain that unicorns didn't exist.

She was wrong.

They most certainly did, and she was one of them.

Her lips curved. "What are you thinking about?"

"You." He kissed her, delving deep, loving how quickly she returned the kiss. Her small body shifted restlessly beneath him. Sometimes the delicacy of her frame caught him off guard. Her brain was so big, sometimes he forgot that the woman was a mere five foot two. He licked along her jawline and down to her collar bone, smiling at her quick intake of breath.

She bit into his shoulder.

Fire lanced through him.

"You bit me." He levered himself up.

She grinned. "You're being too gentle again. I'm perfectly healthy."

Oh, yeah? He shifted to the side, rolled her over, and smacked her perfect ass.

She jolted and then burst out laughing. "You did not."

"I did." He smacked her dead center again.

"Huck Rivers." Laughter and something else sounded in her tone. Need.

He yanked her T-shirt over her head.

She laughed.

He cupped her butt and ran his fingers down and between her legs, finding her wet. "Interesting, Agent Snow." He tore off her panties and kicked his boxers out of the way before pulling her up onto her hands and knees.

"Huck?" she breathed.

"Yeah." He positioned himself at her entrance and then slowly pushed himself in.

She tossed back that wild auburn hair, and it curled across her bare back.

He leaned over her and nipped her delicate nape. She shivered. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes," she breathed.

Good. He lifted back up, grabbed her hips, and pounded into her. Hard and fast he moved, enjoying the perfect outline of his hand on her butt. Heat roared through him, so he switched his angle, feeling her body tremble.

She tensed and then gasped as her body gyrated with an orgasm, gripping him so tightly inside her that he saw stars. He let her ride the waves before he allowed himself to let go, his climax stealing his breath.

He withdrew and tugged her to his side, spooning his big body around her.

She slapped his hand. "I can't believe you spanked me."

He snorted, kissing the back of her head. "That was a love slap. Behave yourself so you don't learn the difference."

She chuckled, the sound sleepy. "I have a gun, Rivers. Never forget it." Then she dropped instantly into sleep.

He held her tight, listening as a punishing rain began to fall outside. The thoughts returned, and he allowed them in this time, content as she breathed evenly against him.

There was no line he wouldn't cross to keep her safe.

Not a one.