In Jack's Arms (Fighting Connollys) (6 page)

Jack considered the detective's concern for Abby and Mattie a testament to the other man's character.

"Mattie wanted to stay inside, but you might pop in to see him before you go. He was pretty rattled."

"And Abby?" Eric eyed her for a moment. "She might fool other people with that calm, cool exterior but not me. I've known her too long for that."

Not for the first time, Jack wondered if there wasn't something more to the friendship and history

between the pair. "I've got it under control."

Eric's eyebrows arched at his possessive tone. "So you finally worked up the courage to stake your

claim?"

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Was it that obvious?"

The detective snorted. "You went behind my back to bribe the summer league coordinator to put Mattie

on your team. I wouldn't be much of a detective if I didn't put two-and-two together."

"It wasn't like that," Jack grumbled.

Eric snorted. "Yeah, man. Sure it wasn't." Growing serious, he said "Listen, this brick thing? It's probably a one-and-done deal. The 1-8-7 crew knows better than to push too hard with Abby."

"I hope that's true. I keep telling myself she's respected in the community, and her shop helps lots of people. They don't need that kind of backlash."

"True, but it's more than that." Eric hesitated. "You need to talk to Abby about her connection to Besian Beciraj."

Jack's jaw tightened when the name of the Albanian mob boss who had put his family through hell only

a few short weeks ago registered. He glanced at Abby who was talking to her neighbors. He refused to

believe that she could be involved in any dirty dealings. She wasn't that sort of woman.

Was she?

"I've got to run, Jack. Should I put a car on the house or—"

"I'm staying," he interjected. "I'm not leaving Abby alone at night until this mess is cleared up."

"I'm glad to hear that." Eric smacked his arm. "Don't hesitate to call me. I'm always available for my friends. Tell Mattie I'll touch base with him tomorrow and see if he'd like to go out for a bite later this week."

"Will do."

Jack returned to Abby's side and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She smiled up at him and

continued on with her conversation. Once the neighbors and police were gone, Jack followed her back

inside the house. While she checked in on Mattie, he grabbed a broom and dustpan and got to work. The

brick had been taken away by the police as evidence but the mess remained.

He was scooping up glass shards when Kelly and Finn arrived. His youngest brother had a toolbox and

slab of plywood from the scrap collection in the garage at the house they shared. Finn carried a small

overnight bag and a tarp. Eyes narrowed and jaws clenched, they surveyed the damage.

Finally, Finn spoke. "Our fix won't be pretty but it will do until morning." He lifted the overnight bag. "I packed your things. I figured you'd be staying here tonight." Lowering his voice, he dropped the small piece of luggage on the nearest chair. "Make sure you keep that away from Mattie—if you know what I mean."

Jack got the message loud and clear. Mattie's curiosity could make for a dangerous situation if he started going through the bag and discovered a handgun and ammo. "Understood."

"Oh! Hey." Abby reacted with surprise upon finding his brothers in her living room. Her gaze flitted to the tools and supplies. "Wow. Thanks. That's really nice of you two to come over so late to help."

"We're happy to do it," Finn assured her.

"We'll be out of your hair in no time," Kelly promised and got to work.

Jack stepped closer to Abby and brushed his knuckles down her cheek. "Is Mattie all right?"

"He's already fast asleep." She leaned into his touch and smiled up at him. "I guess you were right about how to deal with him." Inhaling a long breath, she said, "If you don't need my help, I'll go finish up those dishes."

"We've got this covered."

She nodded and left his side, her slow movements showing her reluctance. He sensed she was

beginning to feel the crash from the fight-or-flight response that had kicked in when the brick had come

through the window. As soon as the repairs were complete, he would make sure she got the attention she

needed.

"So whose ass are we kicking?" Kelly asked as he held up one side of the plywood while Finn

hammered nails in place.

Jack readjusted his side of the plywood slab so it completely covered the shattered window. "We aren't kicking any asses just yet. This is a tangled mess, and I need to know all the angles before we act. We can't do anything that would put Abby or Mattie at risk."

"You think this is tied in with the robbery at her store?" Finn asked as he gingerly stepped around the flowers planted in the bed beneath the window.

Jack shook his head. "This was personal. That robbery wasn't."

"What did they take?"

"Video cameras, cell phones and cameras," Jack said. "Abby told me that nothing else was touched, not the jewelry or guns or knives."

"That's weird."

Jack thought it was more than weird. "It feels calculated. Someone wanted those items for a very

specific reason."

"Maybe it's a situation like the one with Bee," Kelly suggested. "Someone got a hold of those pictures of Jeb and used them to blackmail and extort her. Maybe someone pawned a device with sensitive photos on

it. If you wanted it back, you would steal everything to provide some cover for your actions."

It was a possibility Jack hadn't considered. "If that's the case, I hope it was only someone trying to get back evidence of an affair or a sex tape and not an even worse crime."

"My advice?" Finn finished hammering the final nail. "Tell Abby to let it go. File her police report. File with the insurance. Leave it at that. If someone was willing to break into a business to get back a phone or a video camera, they're committed. She doesn't need that sort of trouble."

As usual, Finn offered sound advice. "I'll talk to her. You got a tape measure in that tool box?"

"Yep." Finn found the item in question, a notepad and pencil. They measured the window and Jack

jotted down the numbers.

"Leave the tool box," he said as Kelly tidied up the area. "I need to take a look at the dishwasher."

"Figure out what you need and text me the info." Kelly stepped back to examine the plywood. "I'll head in to the hardware store first thing in the morning. Pop needs to get out and walk around some. I'll take him with me."

Jack considered his youngest brother for a moment. Since the fight and the shooting that had nearly

killed their father, Kelly hadn't reported to work at the private security firm where he worked. "When are you going back to Lone Star?"

Kelly shrugged and tucked the hammer into the toolbox. "I'm not sure."

Jack's eyebrow raised and he shot a look at Finn. "You are planning to go back to work sometime?"

"Maybe," Kelly answered. "While I've been healing up from the tournament and taking care of Pop, I've been doing a lot of thinking."

"About?"

"About what I want out of life," he said matter-of-factly. "Since the day I graduated high school and shipped off to boot camp, I've been putting my life on the line for someone else. Maybe it's time I put me and the people who mean the most to me first."

"You mean Bee," Jack guessed.

"Yes. I nearly lost her. I realize how lucky I am that she gave me a second chance to fix things and

make them right between us. She's it for me, Jack. She the one. She's the woman I'm going to marry

someday. Right now? She needs me
here
. That's right where I plan to be."

Pride welled upside him. He reached out and tousled Kelly's short hair. "Listen to you! Talking like a big boy!"

Kelly smacked away his hand but couldn't stop the grin that tugged at his mouth. "Screw you."

Finn joined his laughter but Jack could tell he was equally as proud of their younger brother for

growing up and doing right by Bee. Her career was about to skyrocket, and she needed the full support of

her man. It was good that Kelly was willing to take time off and commit totally to her.

When his brothers were gone and he was satisfied with the patch job they had done on the window,

Jack locked the front door and grabbed his bag. He ducked into the kitchen, but Abby had already finished

her chore. Heading down the hallway, he checked on Mattie who slept peacefully before continuing his

search for Abby.

The room next to Mattie's had a locked door. He assumed it had belonged to their grandfather and left it

alone. The door across the hall was slightly ajar. He heard the sound of rustling fabric and knocked softly.

"Abby? May I come inside?"

"Yes."

He pushed open the door and stepped inside her bedroom. The serene space felt instantly relaxing with

its soft gray walls and crisp white bedding. Dressed in tiny shorts and a tank top, she displayed inch after tantalizing inch of her trim legs. His tastes had always run to thicker, more voluptuous women, but there

was just something about Abby and that perky dancer's frame that revved his engine.

The dimmed bedside lamps cast a warm glow to her rich, dark skin. His fingers just itched to get on her,

to glide along her calves and up her thighs. He wanted to peel away those clothes and feel her naked

beneath him while he worshipped her with his hands and mouth. He couldn't wait for his chance to pin her

down and slide his tongue between the delicate petals of her pussy. He would have her screaming his name

in no time.

Shaking himself from those tempting thoughts, he said, "We have the window boarded up for the night.

Kelly offered to hit up the hardware store in the morning. If you don't mind, I'll keep Mattie with me so he can help us get the window replaced and fix the dishwasher."

"Are you sure? He can be difficult when it comes to tasks like that."

"I'm a patient man." He needed her to know that he was up for the challenge and in this for the long-haul. "Mattie likes hands-on work. I'm sure he'll love getting his hands dirty and learning some new skills."

"He will." She pinched the front of her shirt and rubbed the cotton between her fingers. The

vulnerability reflected on her sweet face hit him right in the gut. "You're staying, right?"

"I'm staying." Dropping his bag, he crossed the space between them and dragged her into his arms. He sat down on the edge of her bed and tugged her between this legs. She perched on his thigh, and he

wrapped his arms around her, cocooning her in place and sharing his heat with her. "I'll keep you safe, Abby."

She clutched at his shirt and nuzzled into him. "I keep thinking about what happened. I know they

wouldn't have stopped with a brick if your truck hadn't been parked in the driveway."

He had been thinking the same thing but didn’t want to frighten her by confirming it. Instead, he kissed

her long and slow and deep. When he felt the tension leaving her body, he eased off and peered into her

eyes. "I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere. No one will hurt you or Mattie."

She let loose a relaxed sigh and snuggled into him a little more. Detective Santos' instruction to ask

Abby about her relationship with the Albanian mob boss ricocheted around his head, but he didn't think

this was the right time. After such an incredibly long and stressful day, she needed to rest. Tomorrow he

would get the truth out of her.

"If you'll let me borrow a pillow, I'll set up on the couch in the living room."

Her fingers tightened around the fistful of his shirt that she held. "No. I…" Her voice trailed off, but he didn't push her. She had to be the one to ask. Running her finger along the collar of his shirt, she eventually worked up the courage. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

He tipped her chin with his fingers and traced her full lower lip. Grinning, he said, "Try and get rid of me."

She issued a sarcastic snort. "Once you get a good look at the whole package that comes with Miss

Abby Kirkwood, you'll probably go diving out that broken window."

She said it in a way that told him every other man she had dated had done the exact same thing. "Abby, I've been friends with you for quite a while now. I'm fully aware of the dynamics. I won't sit here and say that I understand what it's like to be a twenty-four-seven caregiver and guardian to a special needs adult, but I know what it's like to sacrifice for family. I understand that dating might be tricky."

"Tricky? Jack, it's a minefield."

The imagery that word evoked was too harsh and too violent for the lighthearted way she had used it.

Memories of the IED that had claimed Finn's leg and the one that had nearly killed him a few months later

blasted him. The chaos, the pain, the panic—it all came flooding back to him. He tried not to show how it

affected him, but Abby caught the small flinch and wince.

"Oh God! Jack! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean—ugh. That was really stupid of me."

"Stop." He admonished her firmly but gently. "You don't have to walk around on eggshells around me."

He cupped her face. "Baby, we've both got baggage. It's been four years since I left the Corps, and I still have nights where I can't sleep, where I just sit in front of the television and play an endless loop of my deployments in my head."

She pressed her lips to his cheek. "You're the strongest man I've ever known—and I don't mean

physically. Everything you've been through and everything you've accomplished? It's amazing, Jack. When

I see what you've done for your brothers and your dad, I'm just blown away by you."

He swallowed nervously. Receiving praise had always been an uncomfortable exercise for him. He

deflected his discomfort by turning the praise around on her. "You're the amazing one. After everything your mother did, you're still filled with such kindness. The unconditional love you show Mattie and the way you defend and support him and fight for him to have every opportunity he deserves? That's what makes