But she was still holding something big back from him. And the guilt was eating away at her. If he found out the truth, that she’d been lying all along...
Well, he wouldn’t want anything to do with her anymore.
She was reaching for the door before her brain warned her that something was wrong. The door was open, the wood around the lock splintered.
Oh shit.
HE KNEW AS SOON AS he got to her place, that something was very wrong.
Yeah, the cop car sitting outside was a big fucking clue. As he pulled up outside her place, parking in behind her piece of shit car, he hoped he hadn’t made a huge mistake in waiting so long to come back.
Two days. It had been all he could give her. And he’d taken that time to set a few things in place. He’d re-organized some meetings to free himself up. He’d also done a bit of online shopping for some things that might help her feel more at ease with him. To make up for the mistakes he’d already made with her.
But none of that was important if she was hurt...
He jumped out of the truck, not even bothering to shut the door as he raced towards the house. The front door was at a strange angle and he noticed the dent in it as though someone had rammed their boot into it.
When he walked inside, he came to a stop. His heart was racing. He stared around in horror. If there was anything that hadn’t been turned over or smashed, he couldn’t immediately see it.
He heard the quiet murmur of voices coming from the living room and headed that way. Inside, he could see the couch cushions slashed, the insides pulled out.
What the fuck? The T.V. was pushed over. There was glass and shit everywhere. This wasn’t a normal robbery.
“Kent?”
He moved his gaze towards the kitchen where Abby stood next to Ed. He studied her, not going to her immediately, wanting to calm himself slightly. If she’d been here when this person had broken in... he had to swallow against the bile rising up his throat.
Fuck. Fuck.
“What are you doing here?”
She appeared unharmed. Physically, anyway. She had her arms wrapped around her waist defensively, as though hugging herself. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, her face pale. In shock.
“Abby.” He took a step forward and she stepped back. He stilled.
Ed shot him a look, filled with curiosity and something else. “Kent, what are you doing here?”
“I came to see Abby.”
“That so?” Ed shot his gaze back to Abby. “You said there was no one you wanted me to call, Abby.”
She’d said what?
“Abby, why didn’t you call me immediately?” he asked in a low, calm voice. Much as he wanted to lecture her, he was going to have to give her a chance to explain.
Whoever had done this to her house had been either in a rage or searching frantically for something. Everything had been destroyed and she didn’t have anything worth taking. So, what had they wanted?
Why hadn’t she called him?
“I...I knew you were busy in meetings today.”
He frowned. True. But didn’t she know that she was more important than any meeting? Obviously not, since she’d chosen not to call him.
“I don’t care how busy I am, something like this happens, you call me, understand, little girl?”
She blushed slightly and glanced over at Ed. The sheriff gave him an assessing stare. “Like that, is it?”
Kent nodded. “It is. And from now on, if there’s ever any trouble involving Abby, I expect a call straight away.”