Chapter Twelve
Sabrina
“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE DOING this,” Mia whispered as we leaned into each other. The herd of bridesmaids surrounded us in the dark as we walked down the paved path to Cash’s cabin. Oh yes, the group had decided to come for the show—and because no one believed I would actually do it. They weren’t exactly wrong. My plan was just to ask Cash for a pair of underwear he wasn’t wearing and to see if he was still willing to get me that background check.
“I know,” I whined. “Maybe he won’t be there.”
“Let us pray.”
Oh, I was saying all the prayers in my head. Note to self: never attend another bachelorette party unless I’m the one hosting it.
Lexi’s friends were tipsy and giggly and tripping all over themselves while singing “I’m Too Sexy.” PS: It wasn’t sexy.
The closer we got to the cabin, the more knots appeared in my stomach. This was not how I’d pictured my night going. At. All. I kept telling myself it was to save my baby sister. Maybe if she saw me playing along with her stupid games, she would know how much I cared about her. Sure, I couldn’t make all her dreams come true, nor did I appreciate her bratty, grumpy side like Soren did, but I’d totally give her a kidney if she needed one, and I had her back, even if she didn’t think so.
Cash’s cabin emerged in the distance, nestled amid a dense cluster of towering pine trees whose scent lingered in the crisp, cool air.
I tugged my jacket tighter around me, wishing to be anywhere but there. I’d even rather be back with Felix, who I was pretty sure I was now dating based on how well acquainted we’d become. Thanks to him, my hair was a tangled mess, but wow, could he give a good head rub.
Lexi snuggled up to my side, which was so unlike her. Maybe it was the alcohol. “Thank you, big sister. You’re making this the best night ever.”
“Why? Because I’m giving your friends a laugh?”
“No,” she sounded offended. “You’re just not usually this fun.”
Oh. That made it much better. And I was a fun girl. Just last week I went to a paint night at my local library to support one of our clients. If that didn’t scream fun, I don’t know what did.
“Maybe we have different ideas about what fun is.”
“We totally do,” Lexi said, ever so seriously.
“Well, don’t expect me to do this ever again.”
“I’m only doing this to help you. It’s obvious that you’re really into him, but you refuse to admit it.”
I wished she were wrong. The thing is, I couldn’t admit it because it didn’t matter. Cash was categorically not husband material. And I wanted a husband—like a fully human one I could take pictures of. “Maybe next time you assume I like a guy, you can think of something else for me to do to get his attention.”
Lexi giggled. “Maybe next time you can sing ‘Twist and Shout’ in a parade.”
“You need to quit watching Mama’s old movies.” Although re-creating the scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off would have been an easier task than the one I was facing.
“If you play your cards right tonight, maybe Cash can be your Jake Ryan.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re a nut.” And little did she know Cash had already played that part. He’d excelled at it, but sadly, he didn’t want that role.
Lexi laughed and ran to be with her friends.
Mia’s brows raised. “What was that?”
“I’m guessing the alcohol.”
Mia pointed to her nose. “Good guess.”
The eleven of us stopped at the decorative sign that said Rocky Top Cabin . Unfortunately, Cash’s car was parked next to the cabin, indicating that he was probably there, although there didn’t seem to be any lights on.
“I think he’s sleeping,” I said, hoping they would have mercy on me, all while thinking it was weird that Cash would be asleep by nine. But I hadn’t seen him at the lodge, and it wasn’t like there was a hopping nightlife around here.
No such luck.
“He’s going to get quite the wake-up call.” Jade wagged her brows.
It probably wasn’t every day a woman knocked on his door, asking to borrow his underwear. Or maybe it was. Look at the man. I wished I didn’t have to—he caused the most conflicting emotions.
“Go big sister!” Lexi shouted. “Woo-hoo!” She was definitely tipsy.
It would mortify Mama if she knew what we were doing. It mortified me, but I took a second to watch Lexi and I remembered the baby girl Daddy had put into my arms at the hospital. I’d kissed her cheeks and promised to love and protect her for all my life. Then she spit on me. I had a feeling that was basically a preview of our future, but I had to do something.
Mia squeezed my hand. “Good luck.”
“Yeah,” my voice trembled. I tiptoed up the stone path to the sound of tittering. I just needed to get this over with. It wasn’t like I didn’t know him, and he would probably get a good laugh out of it. With those thoughts, I ran up the steps to the small porch and knocked on the door. Nothing. Oh, this was good. So good. I knocked again and—praise—it was dead silent. I turned, feeling so relieved. “He’s not here.” Or he slept like the dead. Either way, I was grateful.
My tiny moment of solace burst when my dear sister ran up, jangling keys in my face. “I swiped the master key for his cabin.”
“Lexi, you’re not supposed to do that.”
“Oh, please. Cash won’t care. Go in there and wake that sexy hunk of a man up.”
“He’s probably not even in there.”
“Where else would he be?”
I shrugged, desperately trying to think of something. “Horseback riding.”
Lexi rolled her eyes. “The stables have been closed since dusk.”
“Maybe he’s taking a moonlit walk with someone he met here.” That thought filled my belly with hot envy.
“He only has eyes for you. Take the keys and have some fun. If you don’t come back out, we won’t blame you.”
“Oh. My. Gosh. Nothing is going on between us.”
“Yet.” She grinned.
“Do it! Do it! Do it!” Lexi’s bridesmaids, minus Mia, shouted.
“Fine.” I swiped the keys out of Lexi’s hands, hoping one day she would remember that I’d done this for her, that I loved her, and that I would never do anything to hurt her on purpose.
With shaky hands, I put the key in the dead bolt and turned it until it clicked. Next, I placed the key in the doorknob and took a few deep breaths in and out before I worked up the courage to twist it open. Several thoughts barraged me, making me hyperventilate. Thoughts like, What was Cash going to think about me breaking into his cabin? What if he wasn’t wearing underwear? Yikes.
“Do it,” Lexi demanded.
I closed my eyes and opened the door as the bridesmaids cheered me on.
I hurried to step in and close the door behind me so that Cash didn’t hear them. It was then I noticed a thin red laser line across the bottom of the door. You know, like the kind you see in movies protecting priceless works of art. Had Mama and Daddy added new security systems to some of the cabins? There wasn’t one in the cabin Mia and I were staying in. Weird.
Regardless, I needed to get this over with. “Cash,” I whispered into the darkened living room, where I could only make out the outline of the furniture. “Cash,” I called again, this time louder, trying to project my voice up to the loft where the bedroom was located. Nothing but silence. Maybe he wasn’t here. Was he with someone else? I shouldn’t care, but I did.
With that thought, I marched up the wooden steps, none too happily, to the loft-style bedroom. There was another laser light across the threshold of the loft. Hmm. Something seemed off. Why did so much weirdness surround Cash? I was determined to find out, so I flew up the rest of the stairs and jumped over the laser. When I landed, my gaze immediately drifted toward the bed against the far wall, near the window with the curtains shut tightly. The made-up bed was empty. Where was Cash? He had probably hooked up with some gorgeous woman staying at the resort. Stupid man. He could do whatever he wanted.
Now more than ever, I just wanted to get this ridiculous game over with. I would grab some underwear out of his drawer and call it good. No one needed to know he wasn’t here. I hated that it hurt so much to think of him with someone else.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket so I could use it as a flashlight to snoop through the drawers. As I walked over to the dresser, I noted how pristine the room was. He was sort of a neat freak—it was a quality I admired in a man. I’d dated my fair share of slobs, so it had been nice to be with someone who liked to keep things tidy. But I needed to focus. There was no reason for me to waste any time thinking of the things I liked about Cash when I clearly hated him now.
I opened one of the top drawers of the mirrored dresser, hardly believing I was doing this. I took a second to look in the mirror and say to myself, “This might be the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.” My reflection agreed. It didn’t stop me from rummaging through the first drawer full of socks neatly folded together and separated by style and color. Just for fun, I mixed them up. Not sure why, other than maybe it would irritate him, and it oddly gave me some satisfaction. While mixing up his socks, I realized something was off about the drawer. It didn’t seem as deep as the one in the dresser in my bedroom, which was otherwise identical. I pushed on the bottom of the drawer and heard a click.
Uh ... what was that? I pushed it again, and this time the bottom of the drawer moved, allowing me to slide it open. I tossed some of the socks out and shined my phone into the space. There I saw what looked like high-tech gadgets with blinking lights. I think one of them might have been a listening device, but I couldn’t be sure. Something was hinky, though. Intrigued, I started rummaging through the next drawer, which was indeed filled with his underwear in assorted colors and styles, everything from boxers to tighty-whities. After I finished searching, I would snag a pair for Lexi’s dare.
Once again, I found another hidden drawer, but this time what I found was more disturbing. Holy crap. Before my eyes were guns and knives. What in the world was Cash into? Who was he? I furiously moved to the next drawer and found some crazy things hidden beneath his T-shirts, which smelled yummy, like spiced vanilla. But that was neither here nor there, considering what I’d discovered. We are talking things like straight out of a movie. There were fancy watches with strange buttons, night-vision glasses and binoculars, and tiny cameras. Was Cash a creepy voyeur? Now that I thought of it, he had acted oddly when I’d mentioned spying on people from the bushes when we walked around the lake.
What if he was really doing that? What if he was a serial killer and that’s why he’d disappeared? Oh. My. Gosh. I could have been a victim. Maybe that was still his plan—that’s why he’d come back.
I’d seen enough. I was going to call the police. Something was not right. At. All. Cash was what Mia and I called a douche canoe—a man who sails through life, leaving a path of destruction as he goes, not caring what kind of damage he leaves in his wake. And this proved it.
I turned off the flashlight on my phone and headed for the stairs. I needed to get everyone in our group out of there and call the authorities. Only, I discovered one little problem with that plan as I heard the front door open down below.
Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. What should I do? It was obvious I’d been here, leaving his socks and underwear scattered all over the floor. He was going to have to kill me now because I knew his secret. Nothing in my life had prepared me for this scenario—not even all the crime podcasts Mia and I had listened to while baking. Oh, poor Mia, she was going to be so sad when I died. And Lexi would go on to marry Soren. I couldn’t let that happen, so I did the only thing I could think of.
“I know who you are, and I’m calling the police, and people know I’m in here!” I shouted out while fumbling to dial 911. What was wrong with my fingers? “Just stay away fr—” I didn’t get to finish my sentence. A powerful hand I knew well covered my mouth while Cash removed the phone from my hand, letting it fall to the floor. In his clutches, I stopped breathing. How had he snuck up on me? I hadn’t even heard him come up the stairs. This was it. I was going to die at the hands of the only man I’d ever truly fallen in love with. How had I missed all the serial killer signs? Not sure what those were, exactly, but there had to have been some, right?
Tears formed and dripped down my cheeks onto his hand, my life flashing before my eyes.
“Sabrina,” he whispered in my ear, holding me from behind. “I’m not going to hurt you. Just relax.”
Isn’t that what they all say before they kill you? Again, I was basing this off the movies I’d seen.
“I’m going to let you go, but I need you not to run or scream. You’ve obviously seen some things, and I’m not sure what you think you know, but I can explain. Promise me you’ll give me that chance.”
I nodded even though my plan was to scream my head off and run. I knew my chances weren’t good, considering his stealthy ways, but I wasn’t going down without a fight. With any luck, Mia or someone would come in and discover what had me delayed. They had to have seen Cash come in. Or was he so sneaky he’d evaded detection? Did they think some sexy things were going on in here and decide to just leave me? Or had he massacred the entire bachelorette party?
Cash removed his hand, and I immediately bolted for the stairs. “Help—”
Once again, Cash grabbed me and prevented me from finishing my plea. But it wasn’t his hand silencing me this time—it was his lips. Oh yes, his warm, supple lips moved over mine while his hands securely held mine to my side, pinning me in place. I knew I was supposed to hate him and his kisses, but all reason left me when the chemical cocktail hit, and suddenly I felt like I’d come home. The way his mouth softly but sensually controlled mine had me feeling weak in the knees. It had me gripping his hands and pulling them around me to bring our bodies flush against one another, just like in years past. Without even thinking, my lips parted, and his tongue slid in. It was then that my brain kicked in. What was wrong with me? He was a voyeuristic killer, and here I was just letting him have his way with me.
I leaned away from him, more scared of myself than Cash for how easily I’d let him take me in. “Who are you?” I cried, knowing it was no use trying to escape.
Keeping ahold of me, he looked around the dark room at his scattered belongings. “Who do you think I am?”
“I don’t know. At the very least, a voyeur. At the very worst, a serial killer.”
His eyes widened. “How could you think that of me?”
“I don’t know. You have guns and creepy surveillance equipment, and I can’t take pictures of you.” It was then I noticed his clothes. “And you’re wearing nighttime camo. I don’t know what to think. Just let me go. My sister and her bridesmaids are waiting.”
Cash smirked. “They told me what you came in here for. I let them know I was happy to oblige, and they could leave, so they did.”
“Ugh.” I pulled away from him. “What kind of woman do you think I am?”
“Well, you thought I was a serial killer, and you just kissed me.”
“I didn’t kiss you—you kissed me.”
“You kissed me back.”
I totally had, and I hated myself for it. “Well ... I couldn’t help it,” I lamely defended myself. “It was just a survival instinct.” Yeah, that’s what it was.
Cash took my hand back and pulled me to him. “Should we test out those instincts again?”
Oh, yes. I mean ... “No. Absolutely not. Who are you, Cash?”
He ran a hand over his head, taking off his gray stocking cap. “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.”
“Try me, or I will call the authorities.”
“Damn it, Sabrina. How did you find the hidden drawers?”
“Why do you have hidden drawers?” I countered.
He stood there staring blankly at me, not saying a word.
“Fine.” I picked my phone up off the floor. “I’m leaving, and I never want to see you again,” I choked out, feeling the pain of my words. Why did it hurt so badly to say them? Obviously, Cash wasn’t the man I thought I’d fallen in love with. Yet he still had a pull on me.
I made it to the stairs. This time, Cash made no attempt to stop me. My foot landed on the first step.
“Sabrina,” Cash’s voice halted me. “Please, don’t go.”
“Why should I stay?”
“Because your family is in danger, and I need your help.”
“What do you mean, my family is in danger?”
He sat on the edge of the bed and sighed. “Soren isn’t who he says he is. His real name is Izan Alfaro. He’s a diamond smuggler and a murderer, for all intents and purposes.”
I grabbed the stair rail and gasped. It was much worse than I’d imagined. I’d just figured Soren was a swindler. “How do you know this?”
Cash caught hold of me with his eyes. An intensity like I’d never seen before washed over him. “Sabrina, I’m a spy.”
Uh . . . say what?