Read Online After Midnight: (A Penguin Special from Signet Eclipse) (Killer Instincts) by Elle Kennedy - Free Book Online
Authors: Elle Kennedy
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caress seemed to calm him.
“It’s okay,” she said awkwardly. “You’re okay now.”
The sound of her voice penetrated his distressed state. His sobs quieted abruptly, and then a pair of enormous blue eyes peeked up at her.
Abby’s heart squeezed when she noticed the tears clinging to his lashes and streaming down his cherub cheeks. She tightened her grip around him, breathing in his baby-powder scent. He still wore the blue T-shirt and brown shorts he’d had on when he was abducted, but he looked healthy and clean despite five days of captivity, which told her that Eshe Salib must have been taking good care of him.
“Mama,” he whispered. “Want mama.”
“You’re going home to your mommy and daddy now.” Abby gently stroked his back, then smoothed silky-soft curls off his forehead. “You’ll see them soon.” She glanced at Noelle, whose attention was focused on the road. “Everything went smoothly?”
The blonde nodded. “The bedroom window was open. I snuck in, grabbed the kid, snuck out.”
She sank her teeth into the side of her cheek. “Hopefully they won’t have any trouble with Nazara.”
Once again, the notion of Kane getting hurt burned her throat like battery acid. God, she couldn’t lose him. He was the only man she’d ever loved, the only one she’d ever opened herself up to, and she wasn’t sure she could survive losing him.
“He wants me to be a different person.” The words shuddered out before she could stop them.
Noelle slowly shifted her head. Since her pale blue eyes were veiled, the disagreement she voiced was unexpected. “Nah. Kane knows who he married.”
“Does he?” Desperation clawed up Abby’s throat. “He’s talking about leaving the team and moving to Michigan.
Michigan
. I can’t do that. I can’t be a soccer mom who lives in the suburbs and drives carpool and bakes cookies while I wait for my kid to come home from school. It’s not me.”
“He doesn’t want that, either.” Noelle chuckled. “He might think so now, but trust me, he’ll wise up. Kane’s a soldier, wired for action. He wouldn’t last a day in the burbs.”
“The work we do is too dangerous,” she said, fighting a burst of panic.
“Sure, it’s dangerous. People get hurt, people die. But if you want to pop out this kid, you can find ways to make it work.” Noelle shrugged. “You and Kane can alternate missions so one of you will always be home with the rug rat.”
Surprise widened Abby’s eyes. The nonchalant—and perfectly logical—suggestion was unexpected. It also made a hell of a lot more sense than Kane’s implausible idea to move to frickin’ Michigan. It hadn’t even occurred to Noelle that Abby would have to change her entire personality and cram herself into a cookie-cutter life that would never, ever suit her.
So why did her own husband think it could?
The depressing thought unleashed the flood of emotion she’d been trying to keep at bay. The tears finally spilled over, streaming down her cheeks in hot, salty waves. When a soft sob choked out of her mouth, Noelle cursed under her breath.
“Goddamn pregnancy hormones.” The blonde shook her head in dismay. “Quit crying, Sinclair. You’re upsetting the rug rat.”
Sure enough, Tommy Aberdeen had started whimpering again, and she instinctively murmured encouragements. “It’s okay, sweetie,” she said hoarsely. “Go to sleep. When you wake up, you’ll see your mama. I promise.”
As she rubbed his back, the little boy quieted down, one chubby hand sliding up to touch her face. He wrinkled his nose when he felt the wetness there, then pursed his lips, rose up on her lap, and smacked a kiss right on her cheek.
Abby’s heart cracked in two, though she wasn’t entirely sure what caused it. The sweet, simple gesture, or the pure, earnest trust shining in the boy’s eyes. Nobody had ever looked at her like that.
Nobody but Kane.
Would their child look at her like that?
Her throat closed up
“It’s okay,” she said awkwardly. “You’re okay now.”
The sound of her voice penetrated his distressed state. His sobs quieted abruptly, and then a pair of enormous blue eyes peeked up at her.
Abby’s heart squeezed when she noticed the tears clinging to his lashes and streaming down his cherub cheeks. She tightened her grip around him, breathing in his baby-powder scent. He still wore the blue T-shirt and brown shorts he’d had on when he was abducted, but he looked healthy and clean despite five days of captivity, which told her that Eshe Salib must have been taking good care of him.
“Mama,” he whispered. “Want mama.”
“You’re going home to your mommy and daddy now.” Abby gently stroked his back, then smoothed silky-soft curls off his forehead. “You’ll see them soon.” She glanced at Noelle, whose attention was focused on the road. “Everything went smoothly?”
The blonde nodded. “The bedroom window was open. I snuck in, grabbed the kid, snuck out.”
She sank her teeth into the side of her cheek. “Hopefully they won’t have any trouble with Nazara.”
Once again, the notion of Kane getting hurt burned her throat like battery acid. God, she couldn’t lose him. He was the only man she’d ever loved, the only one she’d ever opened herself up to, and she wasn’t sure she could survive losing him.
“He wants me to be a different person.” The words shuddered out before she could stop them.
Noelle slowly shifted her head. Since her pale blue eyes were veiled, the disagreement she voiced was unexpected. “Nah. Kane knows who he married.”
“Does he?” Desperation clawed up Abby’s throat. “He’s talking about leaving the team and moving to Michigan.
Michigan
. I can’t do that. I can’t be a soccer mom who lives in the suburbs and drives carpool and bakes cookies while I wait for my kid to come home from school. It’s not me.”
“He doesn’t want that, either.” Noelle chuckled. “He might think so now, but trust me, he’ll wise up. Kane’s a soldier, wired for action. He wouldn’t last a day in the burbs.”
“The work we do is too dangerous,” she said, fighting a burst of panic.
“Sure, it’s dangerous. People get hurt, people die. But if you want to pop out this kid, you can find ways to make it work.” Noelle shrugged. “You and Kane can alternate missions so one of you will always be home with the rug rat.”
Surprise widened Abby’s eyes. The nonchalant—and perfectly logical—suggestion was unexpected. It also made a hell of a lot more sense than Kane’s implausible idea to move to frickin’ Michigan. It hadn’t even occurred to Noelle that Abby would have to change her entire personality and cram herself into a cookie-cutter life that would never, ever suit her.
So why did her own husband think it could?
The depressing thought unleashed the flood of emotion she’d been trying to keep at bay. The tears finally spilled over, streaming down her cheeks in hot, salty waves. When a soft sob choked out of her mouth, Noelle cursed under her breath.
“Goddamn pregnancy hormones.” The blonde shook her head in dismay. “Quit crying, Sinclair. You’re upsetting the rug rat.”
Sure enough, Tommy Aberdeen had started whimpering again, and she instinctively murmured encouragements. “It’s okay, sweetie,” she said hoarsely. “Go to sleep. When you wake up, you’ll see your mama. I promise.”
As she rubbed his back, the little boy quieted down, one chubby hand sliding up to touch her face. He wrinkled his nose when he felt the wetness there, then pursed his lips, rose up on her lap, and smacked a kiss right on her cheek.
Abby’s heart cracked in two, though she wasn’t entirely sure what caused it. The sweet, simple gesture, or the pure, earnest trust shining in the boy’s eyes. Nobody had ever looked at her like that.
Nobody but Kane.
Would their child look at her like that?
Her throat closed up
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