The Last Woman (All That Remains #1) (18 page)

He gazes at me intently before
giving me one of his long, slow kisses that always make me tingle from top to
bottom.

“And then I’ll smash her face
in,” I finish, smiling sweetly at him.

“I’ll hold her still for you,
darlin’.”

I answer the same questions
from Joseph, and he nearly crushes me in a bear hug. “This is the Abby I know
and love. If she says or does
anything
to upset you, please come to me.”

“Before or after I increase
her resemblance to a jack o lantern?”

The corner of his mouth
twitches. “I’m sure she’ll behave now that she’s terrified of you.”

“I can’t tell.”

“Trust me, honey. I promise
I’ll get her house finished as quickly as possible.”

Mandy returns that evening
with Joseph, laughing and chatting as though nothing out of the ordinary
occurred. After she showers and we all have dinner, Airen demands she meet them
outside to “discuss a few things”.

She regards him suspiciously before
forcing a smile. “Sure.”

Joseph follows them out, and I
peek out the window to see where they’re headed. They sit on the porch outside
Joseph’s room, which means I can see them from my room through the open window,
an opportunity I can’t resist.

Airen begins, “You should know
the only reason we invited you back here is because Abby suggested it.” Joseph
nods in agreement.

Mandy crosses her arms. “Y’all
always do everythin’ Abby wants? She’s got ya wrapped around her little finger.
I don’t understand it.”

“I believe the phrase you’re
looking for is
thank you
,” Joseph snaps.

“Abby may be able to let
bygones be bygones, but I’m not that charitable. If you try any more shit like
you did in the trailer…” Airen threatens.

“I won’t,” she interjects. “Ya
just looked so sexy standing there I got carried away.” She beams at him.
Suddenly, I’m picturing her at the bottom of the dry well, begging for rescue.

“Stop it! I don’t know how to
make this any clearer. I don’t want you. I love Abby, and if you keep flirting with
me and antagonizing her, you’re gone. You’ll be on your own.”

Listening to them, I’m
grinning from ear to ear.

“No matter what Abby wants,”
adds Joseph. “She’s too soft-hearted sometimes and right now she’s concerned
about Sara’s welfare. That’s the main reason you’re here.”

She looks mutinous. “I won’t
bother you or Abby,” she promises petulantly.

“Good, I’m going to unload the
truck,” Airen announces, and his footsteps fade as he walks away.

“I really don’t understand
what you two see in her. She’s not even pretty,” Mandy mumbles.

“Abby is a beautiful human
being. She’s a joy to be around, compassionate, and she puts others ahead of
herself. You could learn a lot from her,” he snaps.

Oh! I’m so caught up in
Joseph’s words I don’t notice he’s walking toward my room until it’s too late.

“But apparently she has a
sneaky side,” he scolds, when he catches me listening. He tries to look
disapproving, but can’t quite manage it.

I give him a sheepish smile
and shrug before throwing my arms around him. “I’m not half the person you are,
Joseph. I don’t know what we’d do without you. You’re so kind, good-hearted,
and smart. You don’t get enough credit for everything you do for us.”

“Hey, you saved my life and
rescued my son. I’ll never forget that,” he replies, his eyes shining with
unshed tears.

“Don’t cry! You’ll get me
going. I’ve never cried as much in my life as I have since I met you guys.”

Mandy is sickeningly sweet to
me the rest of the day, but I can see the look of resentment beneath her phony
smile. A look of scorn darkens her face whenever Sara talks to me. She must be
berating her once they’re alone, and I feel sorry for her. However, it gives me
an idea.

Walker spent two weeks driving
us crazy with his last birthday present, a handheld karaoke machine that also
works as a recorder. He recorded us constantly, interviewed us, and pleaded
until we gave in and sang. He left it with me when the batteries died and eventually
forgot about it. I replace the batteries and flip the switch to voice activate.
Now it’ll only kick on when someone is talking or making noise.

I double check to be sure everyone
is out of the house before creeping into Mandy and Sara’s room. Sara shouldn’t
have to live with this bitch. Sara’s side of the room is neat and clean, her
bed is made with light blue sheets, and a stuffed cow rests on her pillow. The
walls surrounding her bed are pasted with pictures of her with her parents, a
pretty red headed lady and a tall blond man, both smiling. Another shows Airen,
Carson, and Walker coming back from the lake with fishing poles propped on
their shoulders. Beside it is a shot of Jayla and me rolling out dough to make
noodles, covered in flour.

I’ve decided she’s staying
with us. I’ll dig my heels in on this one. I hide the recorder under Mandy’s
bed, back against the wall where it won’t be seen. It’s buried behind all the
clothes and junk covering her side of the room. My plan is to leave it record
overnight and retrieve it when they leave for Mandy’s house tomorrow. After
Airen and Joseph’s conversation with her today, I have a feeling she’ll have
plenty to say after we all go to bed. Feeling lighter, I head to the kitchen to
grab a snack.

Airen is in a mood when he
comes back inside with two wasp stings on his arm, so I decide to keep my
little spying game to myself for now.

“It was one of those big red
ones,” he says, as I hold an ice pack on his stings.

“Mahogany Wasps are
aggressive. They’ll sting you more than once, and they hurt like hell.”

“Have you been stung by one?”

“Mmm,” I agree.

“Where did it get you?”

“Under my eye.”

“Ouch,” he whispers,
blanching.

“They’ll feel better by
tomorrow. At least you aren’t allergic.”

He nods. “Let’s go to bed, and
you can make me feel better tonight,” he suggests, giving me that smoldering
stare.

Trying to conceal the instant desire
that fires in the pit of my stomach, I reply, “We’ll see.”

“Tease,” he accuses,
playfully.

“You know you like it,” I counter,
using his line.

The next day is one of those
days that make you want to crawl back into bed and nap. It’s been pouring rain
all morning with no sign of stopping anytime soon. The kids play video games,
happy to have a day to hang out and play. Joseph and Mandy decide to go to her
house to begin painting the kitchen. Airen decides it’s not raining too hard to
fish and heads out to the lake.

“What are you going to do?” he
asks.

“I have a new book calling my
name.”

“See you in a few hours.” He
kisses me goodbye and saunters out. It’s a perfect opportunity to retrieve the
recorder from under Mandy’s bed. Stretching out on my bed, I flip the switch
and settle in to listen.

“I’m tired,” moans Sara. I can
hear her yawn. Wow, this little toy picks up every sound.

“So go ta sleep,” Mandy snaps.
She has no intention of letting Sara sleep, however. “Ya wouldn’t believe what
those guys tole me! They act like I should be kissin’ Abby’s ass cause she let
me come back here, and she’s the one that attacked me!”

“Really?” Sara asks, sounding
bored.

“Yes! Said she was worried
about you! Bullshit! She’s scared Airen will sneak off to my house when she’s
not watchin’! She should be worried.” Her laugh is cruel.

“You think Airen would do
that?”

“Sugar, let me tell you
somethin’ about men. They all give in eventually. Show a little cleavage, shake
your ass in front of them, and they all fall in line.”

I’m so engrossed in the
recording I don’t hear the bedroom door open and close.

“Ahem.” Airen clears his
throat, and looks down at me with a stern expression. Fuck. I’m busted. I press
pause and meet his gaze. “Care to explain?” he asks. He looks serious, but
there is a glint of amusement in his eyes.

“I...uh...I’m worried about
Sara and how Mandy treats her when we aren’t around. She was giving her such
hateful looks whenever she spoke to me.”

“You think this is the way to
go about it? Eavesdropping?”

My cheeks ignite, but I stand
my ground as I’m studied by those beautiful, dark, disapproving eyes. “Do you
have a better idea? Look, I know it’s not right, but she’s given us every
reason to distrust her. I think Sara should stay with us when Mandy moves.”

“Sara is welcome as long as
she wants to stay.” He’s still staring at me, making me self-conscious.

“You know I’d never record you
or Joseph, or anyone else like this,” I plead defensively.

“I hope not,” he says with a
smirk. “You eavesdrop on me and I’ll put you over my knee.”

My mouth drops open. “Over
your knee?”

“Yep.”

“Like a child?” He has to be
kidding, but if so, he’s doing it with a straight face. He looks dead serious.

“It’s a childish thing to do,”
he teases, enjoying my shock at his unexpected threat.

“Well, it’s a moot point
anyway since I’d never do that to you. Besides, I’d probably like it.”

Now it’s his turn to look
shocked. “I’ll remember that.”

“Are you going to listen to
this with me or not, Mr. I’m-Suddenly-So-Moral?”

He smiles and shakes his head
as he relents. “Rewind it.” He shoots me a wary look when Mandy talks about him
sneaking to meet her. “You know I’d never,” he begins.

“Hush, I know,” I order
absently, focusing on the recording.

“I’ll have Airen eventually. Ya
can count on that. Do you really think he’s gonna stay with that ugly bitch? I
mean, really? I don’t know how she had Carson, how she got someone ta fuck her
ugly ass before.” She cackles.

Airen flips off the recorder.
He’s furious and obviously concerned about how I feel after listening to her
insult me. “That’s enough,” he snaps.

“I’ve been called worse by far
better people than her. It doesn’t bother me.”
It’s nothing you don’t
already know
, my inner voice reminds me. I push play again.

“Ya can have Joseph when
you’re older. He’s cute, but he’s into men too, and that’s kinda gross. I
couldn’t fuck him knowin’ that. Airen though, goddamn, I can’t wait until I can
get a hold of him. I’ll bet he can fuck like a champ all night long.”

“Well, she’s right about one
thing.” I grin at him, and he flashes me a sexy smile.

“What if he doesn’t want to
leave Abby?” Sara asks softly. My heart goes out to her. She is always stuck in
the middle.

“Then I’ll get rid of her.”

“How?”

“I’ll find a way, sugar, don’t
ya worry.”

“You aren’t going to hurt her,
are you?” Sara asks, her voice full of concern.

Mandy snorts. “Don’t worry. I
won’t hurt everyone’s precious Abby. It’s not necessary anyway. I don’t know
what she has over them. I mean what the hell? Does she have bacon flavored
tits? Ya watch and see, Airen’s too damn hot to keep on with someone like her.
I’ve just been too forward, too obvious. He must be the type that likes to
chase. All I have to do is be available. He can’t resist.” We can hear the
click as one of them turns off the electric lantern. “He’s gonna be naked in my
bed before the end of summer,” she gloats. The recording goes on to catch them
waking in the morning, but nothing else is said.

“That bitch is out tonight!”
Airen jumps out of bed.

I grasp his arm. “No, wait.”

“Abby, she’s crazy. I had no
idea she was that—hateful,” he says.

“I know, but you need to calm
down so we can consider what we should do.”

“Joseph needs to hear this.”

“I agree, but I hate for him
to hear the part where she calls him gross.”

“I think he can handle it,” he
scoffs, rolling his eyes.

Later that night, after everyone
is in bed, I tap on Joseph’s door. “Can you come with me for a minute?” I
whisper. He nods, perplexed, and follows me to the bedroom where Airen is waiting
for us.

“Are we finally going to have
that threesome?”

Airen slaps him on the ass
with a laugh. “You couldn’t handle it, buddy.”

“You need to listen to this.”
I explain what I’ve done, and his eyebrows shoot up.

“Again? You’ve become quite
the little spy, haven’t you?”

Oh Shit. Thanks a heap,
Joseph. Airen looks at me expectantly, waiting for my explanation.

“I may have...inadvertently
overheard your conversation with Mandy and Joseph yesterday,” I admit. Is he
going to be angry?

“Inadvertently overheard?” he
repeats, amused.

“I wanted to hear her
reaction.”