Chapter 29

ABBY

By the time we're standing at the surf, my heart is racing so hard, so fast. We haven't even done anything yet, but the anticipation of stripping naked and loving him out in the open shoots through me. The sand moves between my toes as we talk about nothing and stare out at the sea. Jack tugs my arm and leads me down the beach. We continue talking and walking until the house is no larger than a speck on the horizon. My palms have grown hot  -  hell  -  all of me is hot. I didn't think we'd be this far from the house. I didn't think about this at all. It's hard to imagine the Jack I knew back then thinking about me this way, so long ago. My fantasies were lackluster compared to his. I could never dream past kissing those lips. I may have dreamed about him a few times, but the only thing I remembered afterward was the feel of his hands on my skin and his lips on my mouth. I never thought I'd do anything like this. I want to make him happy. I want to shirk off the old Abby and give myself to him. I want to forget today. I want to lose myself in Jack.

Neither of us is speaking. We stare at each other under the waning moon. It casts a pale glow across the water, shedding just enough light to see. Jack's eyes are dark and his eyelids grow heavy as he watches me. I breathe in jagged breaths through my mouth, trying to calm my nerves, but they won't calm. Jack doesn't ask me again. He doesn't give me a chance to escape from my promise. This is going to happen. In a few moments, he'll have me naked on the sand.

As Jack reaches for me, the sound of a siren fills the air. We pause, and it's like we both know what's going to happen. Dread fills my stomach as Jack's hands drop from my cheeks.

Fear makes my heart race faster. Jack starts to walk up to the house with me on his heels. His shoulders square off like he intends to inflict some damage. I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't Nate. The police detective rounds the corner of the house and calls out for Jack.

"Jack Gray! Get your ass over here!" The cop marches quickly toward the cottage, looking for Jack.

Jack calls out, "I'm over here. What's wrong?" It's the first question out of anyone's mouth when a cop shows up. It's never a good sign.

"The car that just left here didn't make it past the end of the block." Nate waits for me to reach them before saying more. I run up the beach toward the studio.

Breathless, I ask, "What happened?"

Nate has a somber look in his eyes. It's the warning that this is bad news, the worst. "The car caught fire. The driver couldn't escape. I'm sorry to ask you this, but I need you to come and see if you recognize the man. He was last seen leaving your property, and with the things that happened earlier today..."

Jack holds up his hand and nods. He takes my shoulders and we follow Nate down the street to a burning car. The air is filled with the scent of scorched plastic. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. Every step closer makes me more nauseous. If this is Gus..., that's all I keep thinking. Gus and Kate left together, laughing and teasing me. This can't be happening.

Squeezing Jack's hand, we step toward a stretcher with a black bag tied to it. Shaking, I feel my eyes prickling from the smoke. I can't breathe. I can't believe this is happening. The flashing red and white lights from the fire engine, all the sounds and people pass in a blur. I don't notice them. Nate takes us past the yellow tape to the black bag. When he unzips it, my chest collapses. I expect to see blonde hair and Gus's face, but it's not him.

Gasping, I look away and bury my face in Jack's chest. I choke, as I try to breathe without vomiting. The image of Jackson's charred flesh is burned into my retinas. I cling to Jack. He holds me tighter. I hear him speaking to the officer, but none of it registers.

Chapter 30

JACK

When that bag zips open, he's sure that it will be Gus that's inside, but it isn't. The man who came looking for Abby is in there. The guy that had the audacity to show up and announce himself as her ex. Abby throws herself into Jack's arms. Shock lines Jack's features. He nods at the man holding the body bag open and turns Abby away.

"That's Jackson. He was friends with Abby. He left our house about half an hour ago. Maybe a little bit more." Jack is breathing hard, but he doesn't let go of Abby. He won't let her see. Her life has already been fucked up beyond belief.

Nate follows them as Jack and Abby step away from the body as it's loaded onto the truck. "Do you have his last name, Abby?"

She looks up. Her face is lined with grief and shock. She swallows hard. "Wright. His name is Jackson Wright. He was staying nearby. His father is Tatum Wright."

"The real estate tycoon out in L.A.?" Nate asks, scribbling on a notepad that he pulled from his pocket.

Abby nods. "Yeah. Jackson is...was... his only son." She presses her lips together, but it doesn't stop her jaw from trembling. When she looks up at Jack with those eyes, he knows that he has to get her out of there.

"What happened?" Jack asks bluntly.

Nate makes a noise at the back of his throat and explains. "The best we can figure so far is that someone rigged the car to burn. It looks like it started under the hood, but the fire marshal will have to confirm that. The car stopped here and burst into flames. The driver tried to get out, but the seatbelt wouldn't release. He screamed for help, but the people couldn't do anything. The car was engulfed in flames. They couldn't reach him. Someone tried. The ambulance took him to the hospital. He has third degree burns on his hands and arms. Jack, this had to have been done when the car was parked and the last place it was parked was - "

"At my house. Fuck." Jack holds onto Abby and looks down at her tiny form. She's strong, but no one survives shit like this unaffected. Jack breathes hard, but the acrid smell of burnt car fills his lungs.

"Did this guy have anything to do with the museum or the opening in Biloxi? I heard there was an incident there, as well."

Shaking his head, Jack explains, "No. This guy had no connection to anything but Abby. They were friends a long time ago - went to the same college." He left out the part about them dating. He didn't know why, but it seemed like it would hurt her now.

Nate groans and jots more notes. "He was driving a black Beamer," he says, taking a sidelong glance at the car.

Abby comes to life in his arms. "Jack has a black BMW. It's usually parked out front during the day."

"Where is it now?"

"Around back, locked in the garage."

Abby's face contorts in pain. Tears streak from her eyes. Her hand covers her mouth as she gasps, "That was meant for you." The realization slams into Jack at the same time Abby says it. This is more than eggs and bricks. Something's changed. The pit of his stomach twists hard. The look of terror on Abby's face makes him want to take her and run.

"Or both of you," Nate says. "Listen, Jack, I need to know everything you've heard about the Brimstone group. This looks bad. Very bad."

Jack follows Nate to his police cruiser and tells him everything he knows about the group and the way they function. Jack has been watching them for years, hoping that his name would never be posted on their site.

"I don't know, Jack," Nate says, closing his pen. "This sounds personal."

"This sounds like someone wants to see me burn," Jack agrees. Running his fingers through his hair, he takes a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Listen, maybe it is Brimstone or maybe it's not, but I can't have these people - whoever they are - gunning for me and Abby."

"I'll leave an unmarked car by your studio. They'll keep an eye on things until this works itself out."

"And if it doesn't?" Abby asks, her voice pinched like someone is standing on her throat. "What then?" Abby looks so frail, so small standing there. Her green eyes are like dinner plates, wide and scared. Jack walks over and holds her tight. No one answers her because there are no answers, not right now.

After a moment, Jack says, "I'm sorry, Abby."

Tears streak Abby's face, but she doesn't sob. "It's not your fault, Jack. Someone did this to him, someone who was aiming at you." The tears flow faster now. "I couldn't bear to lose you, Jack," she cries and holds onto him tight.

For the first time in a long time, Jack is unsure of what to do. No one has ever tried to physically hurt him before, and this was more than that. They wanted him dead. The flames, the fire, it seems like a pretty good visual for the Brimstone nuts. They think he should burn in Hell and would be all too happy to see that happen. Jack holds Abby tightly. He finally has the girl of his dreams. There's no fucking way that he's letting some hate group tear them apart.