Chapter 7

Midmorning, Laurel turned off The Killing Hour , which had shown Huck pulling over an obviously intoxicated Teri Bearing the night before. While politics had never interested Laurel, she could at least recognize a potential problem when one arose. Huck had performed his job, but the mayor was known to be a bulldog when it came to his family.

The office was too quiet without Walter. When had she begun to depend on him so much? She'd built an efficient team, and perhaps she didn't need to request additional agents. Her unit was able to cover every aspect of a case, and she could always rely on Fish and Wildlife, the Seattle FBI office, or even the local sheriff's office if necessary.

Perhaps she didn't want more people in her life.

Her phone buzzed, and she clicked a button. "Agent Snow."

"Hi," Abigail Caine said cheerfully. "How is my little sister?" The way she said it made Laurel think she was talking more about height than age. But that could be her own insecurities talking.

"Where's Jason Abbott, and when can you come in for an interview?" Laurel asked evenly. If anybody had a clue as to Abbott's whereabouts, it was the woman who'd suggested he escape.

Abigail sighed. "I don't know where he is right now, but I can assure you I know where he was an hour ago."

Laurel sat up straighter. "Excuse me?"

"The idiot walked right up to my door this morning and tried to break in. My alarm went off, and the security folks for my subdivision just notified me. I was teaching a class here at the school and didn't have my phone with me." Armed with several advanced degrees, Abigail taught classes at the Northern Washington Technical Institute.

What had been Jason's plan? To break in and wait for Abigail to return home? "Where is Jason now?" Laurel asked.

"No clue. My security camera caught him trying to break into my house, and I'm having the security people forward the information to you." Abigail's tone remained calm. Nearly bored. "The guy thought he'd break in and just wait for me to get home? Moron. Thinks he's smarter than my alarm system. He took off into the forest by my house, and the guys couldn't find him. They did notify the local police, who are investigating."

Laurel's desk phone buzzed. "Hold on for a moment." She answered. "Hi, Kate."

"Hi. Sheriff York is on the phone," Kate said.

Laurel sighed. "Abigail, I have to go. For now, you comprehend that Jason Abbott blames you for his lot in life and wants to kill you."

"I'm well aware," Abigail drawled. "I'm requesting FBI protection."

"My current resources allow for me to secure you in a safe house, but I'm unable to provide protection in any other scenario. We have a scarcity of agents." In fact, she'd love to squire Abigail safely away from her right now.

Abigail sighed. "I don't want to put my life on hold, and I guess my agent Norrs can protect me well enough."

Laurel paused in reaching for her other phone. "Why are you still dating Norrs?" In her experience, Abigail discarded men after she had finished using them. So she still must have a use for the FBI agent.

"Wayne is phenomenal in bed. We're quite the item now, you know."

A headache loomed at the base of Laurel's neck. So Abigail had more machinations in store for the FBI and Laurel's team. "Say hi to him and come in for an interview before I have you picked up by officers." She clicked off and answered the other phone. "Agent Snow."

"Hi. It's Sheriff York. Jason Abbott tried to break into Dr. Caine's home an hour ago."

"I've heard. Is there any chance you traced his movements?"

York coughed. "No."

Wonderful.

* * *

After a full day of searching fruitlessly for Jason Abbott, Laurel wished she'd gone on vacation with Walter. He'd texted twice with pictures of Ena drinking fruity cocktails by the beach. She was happy for him. Also a little envious.

With snow once again falling lazily outside in the darkness, Laurel sat on Huck's sofa and stared at the crackling fire. They'd picked up deli sandwiches on the way to his cabin after work. She blew on her tea, both hands around the mug, as Huck shoveled the driveway outside in the snow.

The puzzle of why Abigail would want Jason Abbott free led to one conclusion. She wanted to kill him.

Why?

What did he still know about Abigail that he hadn't already shared with Laurel and Huck? Or even with his attorney in an attempt to gain him favor with the court?

Her phone buzzed, and she jolted before grasping it. "Agent Snow."

"Hi, Laurel. It's Pedro. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to return your call. There was a terrible nightclub fire that has us all working overtime."

"Dr. Ortega. Thank you for returning my phone call. I'm sorry the nightclub fire took so many lives." She'd dealt with burned bodies before, and the smell never quite left. "I wanted to check on the victim from Iceberg River."

He coughed. "Sorry to cough at you. We're all fighting something here. I hope to get to your victim tomorrow or the next day, and I did receive the DNA sample from Captain Rivers."

Anticipation licked through her. "And?"

"It's in line along with the rest of the samples. I hope my lab is able to get to it soon." He came across muffled for a moment. "I apologize, but I need to get back to work. We'll talk soon."

"Of course. Thank you." She clicked off the line. So much for gleaning answers for either case. The fire shifted its color but failed to provide clarity. She dozed off until Huck and Aeneas entered the one-bedroom cabin, both shaking off snow.

She forced herself to awaken. "It appears to be snowing even harder than earlier." The local meteorologists had been largely mistaken about the weather that week.

"Yeah." Huck removed his boots and hung up his heavy jacket as Aeneas ran into the kitchen and started eating out of his dog bowl.

Huck padded over in his worn white socks with a hole in the right one. He sat next to her on the sofa and extended his jean-clad legs, crossing his ankles on the sofa table and pushing magazines out of his way. "What a night."

She leaned into him, careful of her tea. "Heavier snowfall is expected?"

"Looks like it. Windy night, too."

Laurel stared into the flames, her mind unsettled.

He tugged on her hair. "What's going on in that big brain?"

"My brain is of normal size," she said quietly. "I'm attempting to uncover Abigail's motivations. Why she'd want Jason Abbott out of prison."

"Huh. Sounds like a waste of time to me. Her motivations lack logic, and you're all logic."

She jerked and then settled. "I see."

"Hey." He turned his head to study her. "I said something wrong. What was it?"

How did he do that? She wasn't even looking at him. "The logic. That's not how you raise a baby. They need love. Hearts and kisses and whimsy."

His dark eyebrows rose, but he remained silent for several beats. "The heart is an organ, correct?"

She frowned. "Of course it is."

"Then how can love, an actual emotion, truly come from an organ in the middle of our chests?" He settled more comfortably against the sofa, still holding her close.

"I don't know."

He chuckled. "That's a statement I don't hear from you very often. If love or emotion doesn't come from the middle of our chests, why can't it come from our brains? There's a lot about the brain that we don't understand, right?"

"That's true," she whispered.

"So maybe those big thoughts you have are love. The way you love."

She blinked. That made sense.

"Perhaps you use more of your brain than others, or maybe your brain is just more efficient. Either way, doesn't that mean you'll be able to love better than most people?" He wriggled his toes toward the roaring fire, no doubt warming them. "So give yourself a break and stop worrying about it. You will love this baby exactly as he or she needs to be loved, and you're going to be a great mom. I promise."

There was no actual way he could make that promise, yet somehow his statement did make her feel better. "You're eminently likeable," she murmured.

"Yeah?" He grasped her waist and lifted her, easily planting her on his lap.

His casual strength stopped her breath in her lungs. Her body was reacting naturally to an obvious overture from a strong and capable male, yet he affected her heart, too. That little organ that shouldn't feel anything. She leaned in and kissed him, enjoying the way his fingers flexed on her hips. "I like your strength, as well."

He took over the kiss, his lips firm and his tongue seeking. Smooth movements had her shirt and bra flying across the room, and she chuckled.

Palming her breasts, he nipped along her neck, biting her earlobe. "Are you sure this is okay?"

She ran both of her hands through his thick hair, pulling so she could give him a little bite. The man probably needed sleep, but he was questioning her well-being. "Please clarify your question."

He leaned back, both hands on her breasts, his brown eyes liquid soft. "You and me. Right now with the baby and how you're feeling."

She caressed the sides of his neck, filling her palms with the strong cords. "I don't understand. We're already pregnant."

"Yeah, but . . . You haven't been feeling well. Are you up to this?"

"You mean sex?"

He nodded, slightly tweaking her nipples.

Liquid fire rushed down to her core, and she pressed against him. "I'm perfectly healthy, Huck. Surely you took anatomy or biology in junior high?" She wanted to laugh, but his expression remained so serious, she was afraid she might hurt his feelings.

"Yes, Agent Snow," he said with some exasperation. "I even passed both the biology and anatomy classes. But this is the first baby I've ever been responsible for, you haven't been feeling well, and she's inside you, so I figure I should at least ask."

Sometimes the grumpy captain was just too sweet to understand. "She?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. Why not?"

There was no way to know the sex of the child. "I promise that I am more than up to a bout of sex with you." The idea that he was so concerned when he obviously knew there was no need sent her desire even higher. Everything was different with Huck. She'd never realized that emotions, the real kind, could cause arousal. The more familiar she became with him, the more she started to trust him, the more she wanted him. Whatever they had went beyond the physical, and that was new to her.

"What are you thinking?" He unbuttoned her pants.

She reached for the hem of his shirt and dragged the heavy material over his head. "Just that you're sexy when you're all protective."

He leaned in and licked her nipple, causing her body to tremble. "That's probably a good thing, because my nature, according to you, is protective."

In a nutshell. She'd never required protection from a man, but this one wasn't giving her a choice. It was an interesting conundrum considering their chosen professions.

He slid his hand inside her pants and found her, entering her with two fingers.

She gasped and leaned against him as need coursed through her.

"There we go," he murmured, wrapping one arm around her waist and standing. "Let's get you out of your head." He skirted the sofa table and strode into the lone bedroom, leaving the crackling fire behind them.

"You're the only person in the entire world who's managed that feat," she said as he laid her down and tugged her slacks off.

He grinned, unzipping his jeans and shoving them to the floor before removing his socks. "I like that."

She'd figured he would. Everyone wanted to feel special. Huck Rivers actually was unique. She reached for him, and he dropped to his knees, his mouth finding her sex.

He was also exceptionally good at this.

She closed her eyes as he quickly drove her up with his talented mouth and tongue, and she cried out his name as the orgasm roared through her. Softening, she came down, mumbling about true talent. Her brain remained fuzzy.

He levered himself over her and slowly entered her, his gaze intense.

She dug her nails into his rigid triceps, widening her legs. "Everything is perfect, Huck," she whispered, somehow knowing he needed reassurance. She couldn't read people, but she was beginning to understand his needs. Maybe it was her brain or perhaps her heart, but she wanted to truly know him. To let him completely understand her.

He entered her fully and then kissed her, going deep. "You're good?"

"I feel wonderful," she said honestly, wrapping her legs around his waist. They barely reached, but if she wiggled, she could link her ankles together.

He groaned and pulled out, only to push back in. Gingerly. Almost hesitantly.

She clapped both hands on the sides of his rugged face and yanked him in for a hard kiss. At the end, she nipped his bottom lip.

His eyes sparked, and she watched, entranced.

Then he pulled out again and shoved back in, setting up a hard hammering that beat the headboard against the wall. Desire ripped through her as hormones clashed and nerves ignited, forcing her to close her eyes and hold on to his arms. Pleasure whipped through her, zinging through every erogenous zone.

He changed the angle of his thrusts, and she detonated. The orgasm rolled wave after wave through her, and she rode them, letting vivid colors fill her mind. He continued to pound, finally grinding against her and shuddering with what felt like a powerful climax.

Still inside her, he lifted his head, his sleepy eyes studying her. "You still good?"

She grinned, her body satiated. "Yes. For now. We're just getting started, correct?"

His lips touched hers as he spoke. "Definitely."

They made love again and then drifted off to sleep only to awaken once more with the captain raring to go. That orgasm had her holding her breath, and then she dropped into a deep sleep.

The buzzing of a phone pulled her groggily from a REM cycle in which she was searching for river rocks to decorate a patio. "Agent Snow," she yawned into the phone.

"It's Nester," the agent said, his voice raised. "My sister was hit by a truck jogging this morning in Seattle. I have to go. I have to."

She sat up, pushing her hair out of her face. "Of course." Calculating the workload without Walter and Nester, she forced herself from the warm bed, her feet landing on the chilly wooden floor. "Go to Seattle."

Huck switched on a light, his eyebrows raised.

Nester gulped, and the sound of a vehicle starting came over the line. "I can work remotely. I promise I will."

"I know." She looked out at the dawn barely breaking through the clouds and shivered. Jason Abbott hunted women even now, and she'd find him on her own if necessary.

It felt as if fate were on his side.