Page 10 of Shark’s Rise

“Siri, call Joel.”

“Confirm you’d like to call Joel My Driver.”

“Yes.”

“Calling Joel My Driver.”

The line rang twice before my faithful employee picked up. This man had been with me for a decade, and we had a comfortable rapport. Unlike Terryn, he always knew when to keep it professional, especially in front of other people.

“I’m right outside if you’re ready to go home,” he said.

“Actually, how do you feel about Twentynine Palms?”

“Personally, or in the way of driving you there?”

“I was thinking about the helicopter, actually. Are you up for it? I know it’s already been a full day.”

“Yeah, but think about it, an hour and change in the air versus at least three and a half hours and nightmare traffic getting out of the city?”

“Seems like an obvious choice to me too, but I’m not the one who has to fly or drive. So that’s why I’m asking you.” And how odd was it that I was giving someone in my employ an option? The Abbigail effect hard at work again.

Damn, I couldn’t wait to have her in my arms. Kiss her lips. Smell her skin. Growl dirty promises in her ear. My dick started waking up for the first time in days. I was beginning to wonder what it would take for the thing to feel alive again.

“Mr. Shark? Hello? Shit…lost him,” I heard Joel mumble.

“No. No, I’m here. Sorry. I got distracted by an email. We can leave as soon as I come down. I have a bag with me already. We don’t have to go out to the house.”

“All right, good. I’ll call over to the hanger and have the helo prepared. Weather looks good right now. I’ll check out my flight app and see what the route looks like. We should be able to stay VFR the whole way, and since we are leaving so early, we’ll land before the sun sets.”

“Perfect, Joel. I’ll be down in five minutes or less.” I hung up and shut down my computers. I went through the routine of securing my office for time away—locking my desk and other drawers and file cabinets. I didn’t need Terryn in here snooping. I grabbed the duffle I’d brought from home this morning and the smaller bag I’d packed for Abbi. I’d found some things around the house I thought she might appreciate having while she was away, and I’d hidden a few surprises in there for her too.

With a spring in my step, I made the descent to the lobby and out to the front of the building, where I slid into the back seat of the waiting car. Joel whisked us off to LAX and had us airborne with excellent efficiency. The man deserved a bonus for the effort he put into making this journey so seamless, and hopefully, Abbigail would be as happy to see me as I would be to see her.

While we were airborne, I dug through my pocket and pulled out the keychain Terryn had given me. I wanted to look take a closer look at the third charm on the ring. It was a logo or emblem of some sort. I didn’t recognize the design at the quick look I’d gotten when I was with my secretary, so I studied it for a few minutes while I had some downtime. I could have Elijah look up the image and see what he could find out when I got to the house in the desert.

We pulled up the long driveway of the safe house a short time later.

Hopefully I’d be able to change Abbigail’s attitude and give her a few reasons to smile again.

Chapter Three

Abbigail

The mind has a way of protecting itself in desperate times. Never was that better evidenced than in the dream I was having.

“Finally,” my dream-self rasped. “Oh, God, yes! Finally!”

Sebastian was here with me. Here in this house. In my sanctuary.

In my bed.

He moved his skillful lips away from mine. Trailed them tenderly down my neck—at first. But clearly he’d missed me as much as I had him, and his touch got more demanding. He might have missed me even more, if the steely erection stabbing into my belly was any indication. I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt him—no, anything—so hard in my life. His incessant rubs were almost painful. His arousal felt more like a fireplace poker than an excited penis.

“Mmmm, yes, baby,” I moaned to my dream lover.

“Open your eyes, Abbigail,” he crooned. “Let me see you, love.”

I writhed against him while squeezing my eyes closed tighter. “No. I don’t want to wake up,” I mumbled against soft lips. “I hate it here, Sebastian. I don’t want you to disappear again.”