Murphy's Law (10 page)

There was a good chance Stephen Benchley
knew where Abby was. If Al hadn’t talked, then Franklin probably had. Or would.
Murphy couldn’t risk staying here any longer. One man was already dead. He
wouldn’t be responsible for more bloodshed.

As he drove to his cabin, he studied the
tall pines and mountain peak surrounding him. He couldn’t protect Sara and Abby
here. There were too many places to hide that made them vulnerable to attack.
In order to protect them, he needed to focus all his attention on that alone.
He couldn’t do that here. He needed someone to take over the role as Sara’s
keeper so he could eliminate the threat.

Only one person could do that.

His mother.

For Sara, he would face her.

* * * *

Sara stewed over Murphy’s behavior for
hours after he returned. He had been withdrawn and tense ever since. He hadn’t
told her what he’d done in town or why he’d gone. She knew something had
happened. He was being stubbornly silent about it. His version of protection was
to keep her in the dark. It was driving her nuts. She wanted to know what he’d
done so she could be prepared for what lay ahead. If it had something to do
with Stephen, she deserved to know.

She waited until Abby went to bed to
confront him. He stood in front of the window.
Keeping watch
. Something
had definitely gone wrong and she had a feeling she knew what.

“Stephen knows where we are, doesn’t
he?” she asked, dreading the answer, but knowing it.

Murphy ran his hand through his hair and
made it stand on end. Normally she would have thought his hair too long, but on
Murphy it was very appealing. It made him look rugged and untamed, especially
with the five o’clock shadow. An exciting change from clean-cut, GQ style men
with smooth hands and even smoother lines. The world she’d married into didn’t
have real men. Murphy was a real man, strong, virile and potent. And to think
she might have gone through life never knowing the difference.

“It’s a safe assumption,” he admitted.

Sara clamped a hand over her mouth.
She’d known, yet it still hit her hard. “I have to go. I can’t stay here.”

She spun on shaky legs, ran into the
bedroom, pulled her bags from the closet and tore open dresser drawers,
spilling the contents of one in her haste. She had brought danger to Murphy’s
doorstep and she could never forgive herself for it. If she left now, maybe she
could save him from further trouble.

She’d been a fool to believe Stephen
wouldn’t find them. Another stupid mistake that could very well get Murphy
killed. She was such a fool. And she had done it again. Fallen for the fantasy.
The knight in shining armor who would solve all her problems and take away her
troubles. Murphy didn’t do it with charm and charisma, but with a scowl and
gruff attitude. He was a knight just the same. And she had fallen for it hook,
line and sinker. Now she’d put him in danger. Would she never learn?

Bras and panties spilled onto the floor.
With a frustrated cry, she dropped to her knees and began picking them up. A
hand landed on her shoulder and she looked up to see Murphy crouching beside
her. He stilled her hands and cupped her chin.

“Sara,” he said in a soft, firm voice.

“I have to go,” she whispered in a voice
that pleaded with him to understand.

“I know, but you have to slow down and
take a breath before you hyperventilate.”

He was listening. Relief flooded her and
she took a deep, calming breath. “Okay. I’m better now. I’m so glad you
understand.”

He looked confused. “Understand?”

“That I have to leave now. I appreciate
everything you’ve done for us. Thank you so much. I only wish I’d been able to
repay you.”

A scowl replaced his confusion. “We’re
leaving together, Sara.”

“What?”

“You’re not going anywhere alone.”

“Yes I am. I have to. I can’t ask you to
leave your home for me.”

“You aren’t asking,” Murphy said darkly.

“And you aren’t going.”

She hadn’t made a stand about anything
in a very long time, but this was important to her. She owed Murphy so much
more than she could ever give and she wouldn’t let him endanger himself for her
sake. He had done enough already. She met his eyes and tilted her chin up to
support her stand. If she hadn’t been certain he wouldn’t hurt her, she would
have retreated when she saw the thunderous expression on his face. Mercy, he
was mad as a hornet, but it felt too damn good and she wasn’t backing down.

She’d spent too many years letting
people bulldoze over her. Time to take back her life, and that began here.

“This isn’t the time to be spreading
your wings,” he growled.

“It feels rather good.”

His eyes darkened to a pewter gray.
“Sara,” he warned.

“No, Murphy, not this time. I will not
have you put yourself in danger because of me. I have taken care of Abby and I
until now and I’ll do it again. I could never forgive myself if Stephen hurt
you.”

“Not going to happen. Now pack your
things and try not to scare your daughter.”

Her eyes widened and she glanced over
his shoulder to see Abby sitting up in bed with her head cocked and a puzzled
expression on her face. Sara instantly pulled away from him and grabbed a pair
of panties next to his boot so she could stuff it in her bag. Her face flamed
when he handed her a pink lace bra. She snatched it off his finger and stuffed
it away before rising to her feet and moving to join Abby.

“We’ll leave in the morning.” Murphy
left the room.

Sara opened her mouth to correct him,
but decided not to. He wouldn’t listen anyway. Stubborn man. She’d just have to
prove it to him by slipping out while he slept. She’d done it before and if she
could sneak out of a house protected by guards and a state-of-the-art security
system, including cameras mounted on the walls surrounding the fortress and
steel gates barricading the entrance, she could slip out of a cabin with a
single lock on the front door.

She would do the right thing this time.

This wasn’t the ideal way to say
goodbye, but he’d left her no choice. One way or another she had to protect him
from Stephen, and leaving him behind was the only way she knew. She would
figure out what to do after she was gone.

With that in mind, she began to explain
to her daughter, hoping someday Abby would forgive her for taking her away from
the stoic man she had grown to love.

Chapter
10

Murphy cracked open an eye in time to
see Sara tug Abby toward the front door. Early morning sunlight filtered
through the window and the fire had burned down to embers, leaving a chill in
the air. He readjusted his position on the sofa and watched her pull the little
girl toward the door. Abby shook her head and dug in her heels.

Damn fool woman was trying to leave
without him.

“Sara,” he said softly. She turned, her
eyes wide when she noticed him lounging on the sofa. She stiffened and stopped
tugging on Abby’s hand.

“Did you sleep there?” she accused.

Expecting her to make a run for it, he’d
slept on the sofa. It had been damn uncomfortable with his feet hanging off the
end, but no way would he let her run away from him. She’d done enough of that
already.

Murphy swung his legs to the floor and
ran his fingers through his hair. “Give me a minute to lock up and we’ll go.”

He rose from the sofa and walked into
his bedroom before she could argue. If she decided to run anyway, he would
catch her before she hit the drive, so he took only a minute to lock things up.
He had packed their bags the night before, after dark. Sara stood where he’d
left her, watching him as he secured the cabin.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked when
he turned off the lights and nudged her toward the door.

Murphy handed Abby three Oreos as he
shut and locked the door behind him. She grinned and put them in her backpack.

“Relax,” Murphy said to Sara as they
piled into his SUV. “Everything is going to be fine.”

He saw the doubt in her eyes as she
closed her door and turned to make sure Abby was belted in. He didn’t blame her
for being hesitant when the only person she had to trust was a man with scars
who lived like a recluse in the Colorado Rockies.

“Where are you taking us?” Sara asked
once he had maneuvered onto the road. In the dim glow of the interior lights,
he could see the worry on her face.

“Somewhere safe with people you can
trust.”

“Is there such a place?” Sara turned her
head to stare out the window.

Murphy glanced sideways at her profile,
seeing a woman alone in the world, running for her life with nowhere to hide.
Now he was taking her somewhere she had never been and asking her to trust him
without offering her anything in return. Until now, he hadn’t realized what he
asked of her.

With a scowl, he reached over and
covered her hands with his. It wasn’t much, but the best he could do for now.
Once he got her home, his mom and sisters would take her under their wing and
do what they did best: nurture.

Her hands were clenched in her lap, cold
as ice. He felt them shaking and muttered a curse under his breath. He reached
over and flipped on the heater before focusing on the road.

A moment later Sara’s hand slipped into
his where it rested on his thigh, and her fingers laced through his. This time
he didn’t pull away.

* * * *

Sara trusted Murphy, but she worried
about the risk. He hadn’t told her where they were going.
Somewhere safe
.
Did such a place exist? No matter where she went, Stephen would find her.

Deep down, she wanted to let Murphy fix
everything. Just as she had Kent. Which only proved she was a weak woman
incapable of taking care of her own problems. What was so wrong with wanting to
be happy and leaning on a man who could clearly handle Stephen?

Murphy hadn’t wanted anything to do with
them, and now he was uprooting his life to help her. Beneath that rigid
exterior lay a man with a soft heart. She would drive him away for sure if she
told him how she really felt about him.

Then again, what did she know about
relationships? She had screwed up the first one and didn’t trust herself not to
do it again. Murphy wasn’t Kent and she wasn’t the young, naive fool she had
once been. Maybe the second time around she would get it right. If she got a
second chance.

She glanced down at their hands laced
together on Murphy’s thigh. His swallowed hers. His fingers were long and
tanned. There were calluses and scars on his palms and fingertips and she
longed to feel them on other parts of her body. Heat rushed to her cheeks and
she turned away to stare out the window before he noticed.

They drove straight through town and
were soon on their way, only stopping for a bathroom break. They found a
department store in a neighboring town and picked up a car seat for Abby.

For lunch they chose a fast food chain.
Murphy handed her a wad of bills and waited in the truck while Sara and Abby
went inside to order lunch. Even if she’d had money, she suspected he would
have made her take it anyway. Murphy was very good at taking care of others. It
made her want to lean on him even more.

He made it so easy after being alone and
scared for so long. How nice to lay some of her burden on his shoulders. And
such nice shoulders they were. Broad, strong and capable. Sighing, Sara focused
her attention on lunch and her daughter.

They washed up in the bathroom and
ordered burgers and fries for all three of them. Abby carried the bag while
Sara carried the drinks out to the truck. Murphy was talking on his cell when
they approached, his expression somber as he nodded once and put the phone
down. He turned to them when they climbed in and took the drinks from Sara so she
could help Abby put her seat belt on.

“Everything okay?” Sara asked when she
got in and shut the door.

He handed her the drinks and started the
engine. “Everything’s fine.”

“Burger and fries okay with you? I got
us coffee instead of soda.”

Murphy nodded and accepted the tall
Styrofoam cup she offered.

“We can take turns driving if you want.
Just tell me which direction to go.”

“We’ll get a motel room for the night,
so I’ll be fine.”

Sara unwrapped a cheeseburger and handed
it to him. “This is going to cost you a fortune,” she said quietly. “I hate
that you have to do this.”

“I can cover it.”

Sara took a bite and swallowed. “We can
save money by sharing a motel room.”

“I’m not leaving you alone.”

That should have been a comfort, but it
only caused angst inside her. The thought of sleeping in the same room with him
made her remember how much she longed to do exactly that. But, they would have
a chaperone in the form of a five-year-old. Probably a good thing because
everything confused her right now. Her feelings toward Murphy. The future.
Nothing made sense. She wanted Murphy, but she was afraid to have him. What if
it backfired like it had with Kent, and she ended up with another line of
mistakes? What if sleeping with him, which she wanted more than her next
breath, ended up being the worst mistake ever? She wasn’t sure she could handle
that.

Or would it be worth it?

* * * *

Sara lifted a tired Abby onto her
shoulder and followed Murphy into the motel room. He slung their bags over his
shoulder and unlocked the door, then stood aside so she could go in first.

The room was small and clean with two
double beds and a bathroom. Murphy turned on a light while Sara laid Abby in
one of the beds. She pulled the covers up to Abby’s chin and kissed her cheek
before turning to Murphy. He locked the door and drew the curtains.

“Mind if I take the first shower?” She
moved toward her bag he had set beside the door. Funny how she never worried
about Abby in Murphy’s care. She had always worried with Kent and his family.

Murphy came out of the bathroom. “It’s
all yours.”

The shower soothed her nerves only a
little. She saved enough hot water for Murphy in case he wanted to shower too,
and towel dried her hair. It had grown out since she’d left and it hung in soft
curls past her shoulders now. She liked it longer. Kent had always wanted her
to straighten it into a chic style that she had never really liked. Taking
control of her appearance again felt good.

She didn’t miss the designer clothes, or
the expensive jewelry and shoes that hurt her feet. Jeans and t-shirts were
much more comfortable. She’d traded expensive lingerie for plain old cotton
panties and simple lace bras, no longer a woman who needed the finer things in
life. All she wanted was to be happy. A family and home where she could be
herself.

A sigh escaped her lips as she stared at
her reflection in the mirror. Her face looked pale and drawn, with dark circles
under her eyes. The bruises had faded around her neck and the bump on her head
had healed well. Her cheekbones were more prominent and she had lost a few
pounds. She groaned. No wonder Murphy pushed her away--she looked terrible.

A light knock sounded on the door.
“Sara? You okay?”

She smoothed a hand over her t-shirt and
nylon running pants, and opened the door. “I’m finished, just let me gather my
things.”

“You can do it in the morning. Get some
rest.”

The driving they had done combined with
the restless night she’d had thinking about how she would miss Murphy was
taking its toll. Her eyelids suddenly felt very heavy.

“I am a little tired,” she admitted,
noticing the way he filled the doorway with his broad shoulders and tall frame.

Without a second thought, she stepped
closer and lifted on her toes so she could press a kiss to his cheek. When she
dropped down, she found him staring at her with an expression she couldn’t
read. Wanting to see some reaction, she leaned into him and this time pressed
her lips to his.

She kept her eyes open so she could watch
him and got more than she bargained for. His eyes darkened to deep silver gray
and flared with heat. The most erotic thing she had ever seen, it made her feel
a little wild. Murphy allowed her to control the kiss, not reaching for her or
taking over. He let her explore his mouth without coaching. Her heart beat
dangerously fast in her chest. She pressed closer, wanting to feel the entire
length of him, and dipped her tongue inside his mouth.

This time he growled low in his throat
and she suddenly found herself pressed against the door with Murphy’s full
length against her. The kiss no longer belonged to her. Murphy took control and
ravaged her mouth so thoroughly she would have slid to the floor if he hadn’t
held her up. Mercy, the man could kiss.

His hands spanned her waist, the tips of
his fingers brushing the underside of her breasts. Sara sighed into his mouth.
She wanted to feel his hands on her bare skin. She longed to feel his tanned
flesh beneath her hands.

“Murphy,” she moaned when his lips
seared a path down her throat.

Somewhere a door slammed and Sara
jumped. Murphy lifted his head and stepped away. A crease ran across his
forehead as he raked a hand over his face, wiping away the desire that burned
in his eyes.

Sara slumped against the door, dazed and
confused. She had never wanted a man like this, had never felt the urge to lose
control. The prospect of letting it all go and putting her trust in him scared
her.

She looked at Murphy and said in a voice
she barely recognized as her own, “I’m not going to apologize for that, because
I don’t regret kissing you. It was hot and exciting, and I’m not sorry. Good
night.”

She walked from the bathroom on shaking
legs, and crawled into bed with Abby. The bathroom door closed with a soft
snick
and she let out a long, slow breath. It was going to be a long night. No way
would she be able to sleep so close to Murphy and not remember how he made her
feel.

The shower turned on. She imagined
Murphy standing naked underneath a jet of water, and let out a loud groan.

A long night indeed.

* * * *

The farther north they drove the next
day, the more somber Murphy became. Both of them avoided the subject of the
kiss and tried to stay on neutral ground as they traveled. They crossed from
Wyoming into South Dakota and were still heading north. Murphy always seemed on
alert, consistently checking his rearview mirror and studying the cars around
them. Watching for danger. Sara felt safe at the same time as she worried about
Stephen. It wouldn’t be long before he found her--he always did. She dreaded
the day, because this time she had no escape.

She studied Murphy’s profile, set in
hard lines. How had the scars changed his life? What did he do for a living?
Where did he come from? Did he have any siblings?

She had grown up an only child, without
the company of siblings, though she had always longed for some. Her father had
left when she was six, so she had been raised by a single mom who’d worked
herself to the bone to provide for them. Even that hadn’t been enough. Sara had
been forced to work at age sixteen to help pay the rent. She had been a fool to
think she could go to college and start a career in teaching. Life was hard for
people who had to work for everything.

Once upon a time she had taken the easy
road. The first and last time she would. It had landed her in the middle of a
nightmare. Never again would she make that mistake. Nothing worth having was
free, her mother used to say. Sara had learned the lesson the hard way. If you
didn’t work for it, then it wasn’t worth having.