Second Chance (30 page)

With a low, deep growl, Cole rolled her to her back, spread her legs wide, and plunged deep, pistoning into her over and over.

Keeley held on tight, glorying in giving not only her body but also her heart to this remarkable, wonderful man.

Cole woke on a strangling nightmare. Jerking awake, his heart pounding with panic, he searched the room for a threat. Dawn was breaking, lighting the room to give him just enough vision to see there was nothing wrong. The room was calm and serene; the woman beside him deeply asleep.

Pulling away slightly, Cole gazed down at the beauty of Keeley. She had given him her body in the sweetest, sexiest way he could imagine—an irresistible combination of innocent wonder and earthy sensuality. Watching Keeley explore her own sexuality had been an exercise in self-control and patience. Explosion had been imminent at the first touch, but as she’d watched him in the mirror, those dark, beautiful eyes heated with desire, he’d come as close as he’d ever been to losing control.

He sighed as he settled his head back onto the pillow and tightened his arms around her. A multitude of emotions writhed through him, but not one of them was regret. No matter what happened in the future with him and Keeley, their lovemaking last night was not something he could ever be sorry about.

He’d come to Fairview to help find two little girls, not fall in love with their mother. There were a dozen reasons why their relationship was wrong. He was six
years older—not a lot of years, but in many ways, Cole felt ancient … way too old and damaged to have fallen in love with such an innocent. He’d seen and experienced things few people had—evil, hideous things. Keeley was a small-town girl, with small-town values and a tender, generous heart. And Cole often wondered if the beatings, torture, and drugs he’d endured had demolished everything good in him. What did he have to offer her but a scarred body and a severely hardened heart?

What did he and Keeley have in common other than the fierce determination to find her children and a burning desire for each other?

Keeley made a soft moaning little sound in her sleep. A sound that should turn him on … and it did, but it also clutched at his heart. Whether it was right or wrong, whether they had anything in common or not, and whether she would understand when he told her the truth, he didn’t know. All he knew was that for this moment in time, with this beautiful, sensuous woman, he’d found a contentment he never thought to feel again.

Gathering her in his arms, he held her close and allowed himself this happiness. How long it would last, he didn’t know, but for right now, Cole had found peace.

Wesley picked up his ringing cellphone. “Yeah?” He made his tone belligerent and challenging. Damned if he’d cower to the bitch.

“Cole Mathison is not dead.”

Hell, he’d done his best; no way would he apologize. And he sure wasn’t going to admit it to her, but the guy had scared the shit out of him. What kind of man reacted to almost being killed the way Cole Mathison had?

When he’d seen Mathison jump out of his Jeep, Wes had known he’d failed. So he’d panicked and shot at him. Any other man would have taken cover or run. But what’d the giant do? He’d rolled to his feet, pulled his gun, and shot back. Hell, Wes had no experience with that kind of man. Anybody he’d ever tried to kill, he’d always succeeded. And they sure as hell had never fought back. Was it Wesley’s fault that the guy was hard to kill?

Not that she needed to know that; her opinion didn’t matter, but he still had his pride. “So what?”

“‘So what?’ That’s all you can say?” she screeched. “I hired you to do a job. You failed.”

“I ain’t asking for the money. Big damn deal that he ain’t dead.”

“You know he’s screwing her, don’t you?”

That got his attention. “Why didn’t you tell me that?” Damn, he might’ve tried even harder if he’d known the bastard was getting for free what Wes had been working so hard for.

The exasperated huff that came through the phone line pissed him off and sealed her fate. He was tired of her bitchy, arrogant attitude … always acting as if she was better than him.

“Would that have made a difference?” she asked.

“It don’t matter. Once I have her, she’ll forget all about him.”

“You didn’t do the job. There’s no need for me—”

“Don’t you even think about backing out. If Mathison ain’t dead, that’s your problem, not mine. Killing him has no bearing on me getting the woman. Now, either deliver her to me or I’ll be telling the entire town exactly who hates Keeley Fairchild so bad she had her children kidnapped and sold.”

He could almost hear her teeth grinding together. Finally she snapped, “All right, fine.”

“Good.”

“She almost never leaves the house anymore. And she’s got one of those LCR guys with her when she does.”

“Ain’t my problem. Don’t tell me about the labor pains … just give me the baby. No, wait, I already got her babies.” He couldn’t hold back the laughter from his little quip. When she didn’t join in, he snarled, “You better make sure those men aren’t with her or I’ll blow them to hell, along with the woman, and then I’ll come looking for you.”

“I’ll call you as soon as I know something. Do you have what you need?”

Rubbing his crotch, he laughed. “Baby, you know better than anybody that I got everything I need and more.”

“Not that, moron. Are you going to do her there or take her somewhere else?”

“Why?” Then comprehension hit. “You want to watch, don’t you?”

“Of course not. I just want to make sure you keep your end of the bargain. Once you’re through with her, you have to let her go.”

She was lying. He heard the excitement in her voice. Damn, he wished again that the bitch wasn’t such a bitch. They had so much in common.

“I’ll do her at my cabin. I can arrange a little hiding place for you. You’ll be able to watch the show and she’ll never know you’re there.”

“And no killing. Right?”

“Baby, I ain’t ever killed anyone I screwed. At least not yet.” He let the threat hang in the air. She knew if she betrayed him again, he’d do more than kill her. Before he finished with her, she’d be begging to die.

Her tone a little more wary, she said, “How long are you going to keep her?”

“Till I get my fill.”

“Unless you want the FBI back on your ass, you’d better be happy with no more than a few hours.”

She didn’t need to know he had a place all ready for Keeley, hundreds of miles away from Fairview. His secluded cabin would be impossible for anyone to find, including the FBI and those LCR people. “I’ll just make sure I enjoy myself for the short amount of time I have.”

“I’ll call you as soon as I make the arrangements.”

“I’ll be ready for her.”

   Keeley stood in the giant foyer of her house. Though she’d never loved this house the way Stephen had, it had been home.

Five more cameras had been found, placed strategically throughout the house. The person who had planted them had known exactly which rooms Keeley used the most: the kitchen, her bedroom, her office, the twins’ playroom, and the small sitting room at the back of the house. Every one of those rooms had been her haven, a place of total security for her and her children. She felt violated; she was furious. And that fury was directed not only at the unknown sadistic voyeur but also at herself.

How incredibly clueless could one person be? It wasn’t so much that this freak had spied on her, though that was bad enough. But her babies … they had been exposed, endangered. If she’d been more aware, less trusting, could she have prevented her children from being taken?

She had purchased the most up-to-date security system to protect her home and hadn’t even considered that it had already been invaded.

“Don’t do this to yourself, Keeley. Don’t blame yourself for someone else’s perversion.”

She whirled around to Cole, who stood at the entrance. “How can I not blame myself? Here I was, living
in this house, thinking my family was protected, and apparently we’ve been the object of someone’s sickness for as long as we’ve lived in this house.”

Cole’s expression was a mixture of fury, sadness, and compassion. “We’re contacting the builder, along with every contractor that was involved in any of the construction. Someone had to have seen something.”

She whirled back around and gazed at what might not have been her dream home, but had been home all the same. Now it would be the place she and Hannah would live until Hailey returned. She had planned to move anyway … she wouldn’t wait till she sold it. As soon as Hailey was back home, they would be gone.

A warm, hard body pressed against her back, and long, muscular arms wrapped around her. “I know I keep saying this, but it’s the truth. We will find this person, Keeley. And we will find Hailey.”

Turning in his arms, she gazed up at the man who’d become so important to her. For almost a week, they’d stayed holed up in the safe house. Ethan and Shea had left to go home for a few days, leaving Keeley, Cole, and Hannah together. While Keeley had worked on her laptop, Cole had played games with Hannah. They’d cooked meals together and Cole had taught Keeley how to make the best hamburgers she’d ever eaten. And every single night he had loved her into oblivion.

Standing on her toes, Keeley leaned into him and pressed a soft kiss to the beautiful mouth that had given her such pleasure. “I’m so glad you’re here with me. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

Cole returned the kiss and then pulled slightly away. “You would have managed. You’re a hell of a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

Since most of the time she felt like a basket case, she silently disagreed with his assessment. “What are you going to do today?”

His frown one of distaste, he said, “Have lunch with Elizabeth.”

“Again?”

“She claims that our last lunch together was interrupted too many times to really talk.” He shrugged. “She’s the one who allowed all the interruptions. However, she said that Miranda will be joining us. I’m looking forward to getting to know her better.”

Keeley shook her head. She knew her friend had nothing to do with any of this, but Cole needed to be convinced.

“I told Mrs. Brackett that I’d come in today and look at some new dresses for Hailey and Hannah. And then Jenna’s coming over for a late lunch.” She grimaced. “I think finding out where I’ve been the last few days is number one on her priority list. I hate having to lie to her.”

“I know, Keeley, but until this is over, we keep everything within our small circle. Just tell her what we discussed—that I took you and Hannah away for a few days of rest.”

She sighed. Even though she understood, it was still difficult holding anything from her best friend. “Okay, I will.”

“And make sure you stay with Ethan the entire time you’re out, okay?”

She leaned in again and placed a kiss on his stern, stubborn chin. “Will do. And please, you be careful, too. You’re as much of a target as I am.”

A slow smile, sweet and incredibly sexy at the same time, lifted his perfect lips. She traced the beautiful curve with her finger. “Why are you smiling?”

“I was just thinking how good it feels to have you worry about me.” Desire heated his eyes. “I like it.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she whispered, “Good.”

Cole covered her mouth with his, and for just a little while, Keeley blanked out everything but the beauty of what this man could make her feel.

   “Thanks for bringing me to town, Ethan. I know you’d rather be back home with Shea.”

Ethan grinned. “Are you kidding? I left her in our bedroom reading baby name books. Believe me, I’d rather be just about anywhere else. That woman has changed the baby’s name at least twenty times in the last twenty-four hours, and we still don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl.”

Keeley laughed, remembering how she’d agonized over the very same thing. Choosing your child’s name was an important decision.

She pushed open the door to Mrs. Brackett’s children’s store.

“Miss Keeley, how are you?”

Keeley hugged the fragile, elderly woman. She was one of the few older townspeople who wasn’t afraid of Elizabeth Fairchild’s wrath and had been kind to Keeley from the moment they met.

“I’m doing fine, Mrs. Brackett.” She pulled away and nodded toward Ethan. “This is a friend of mine, Ethan Bishop. Ethan, this is Cindy Brackett, one of the sweetest ladies ever born.”

The white-haired, pale-cheeked Mrs. Brackett blushed like a schoolgirl as she shook Ethan’s hand.

“I’m going to look around a few minutes.” Keeley winked at Ethan. “If you really want to see Shea’s eyes light up, why don’t you take a look at those newborn clothes over on the far wall.”

The delighted look on his face tugged at her heart. This giant of a man was thrilled that he would soon be a father. She watched as he walked away, making sure he was headed in the right direction. Then, turning
to Mrs. Brackett, she said, “You found some things for me?”

“Yes, I just got a new shipment of dresses in last week. They’re the sweetest things.” She headed to the back room. “I put a few away for you to take a look at. I’ll go get them for you.”

Keeley spotted a giant stuffed pink poodle she couldn’t resist. And then, unable to stop herself, she pulled down a stuffed monkey the same size. Her eyes blurred as she looked down at the goofy face on the stuffed animal. Hailey adored monkeys. They’d had to destroy the one with the camera; this one would be a good replacement.

Mrs. Brackett’s voice came from the back room. “Keeley, can you come back here, please?”

Putting the animals aside to pick up before she left, she walked through the door into the stockroom. Boxes were neatly stacked on shelves, and clothing hung from every available hanging space. Keeley glanced around, not seeing Mrs. Brackett. “I’m here, where are—”

A hard arm wrapped around her from behind and a cloth covered her face. She tried to open her mouth to scream and inhaled a sweet, sickly scent and everything went dark.

“I’m afraid Mrs. Fairchild is indisposed and has to cancel the luncheon,” Patrick said.