and picked up the folder while she was occupied with wrestling Cameron for the page he'd found. “I'll take that ... in!” she said, racing back across the yard.
He held it out of her reach, frowning as he flipped through the pages. “What is this?"
Abby managed to grab one corner of the folder. “Mine!” she said tightly. “And if you don't mind, I'd like to have it back!"
His face hardened, but he handed it back to her. “Now you can explain to me what it is and why you have it."
Abby felt the blood leave her face as it settled inside of her with inescapable clarity that he'd seen enough to totally blow her cover story. Biting her lip, she focused on carefully smoothing and arranging the papers, trying frantically to think of a believable lie to tell him.
One look at his face, however, was enough to dissuade her that she could possibly come up with anything he was likely to swallow. Glancing around uneasily, she discovered that not only was Cameron waiting for an explanation, but that Adrian and Jerico were striding around the side of the house.
"Excuse me,” she said abruptly, whirling on her heel and heading toward the house at a brisk trot.
For all the good it did! Seth and Cameron fell into step on either side of her. Adrian and Jerico altered course and headed straight toward her, cutting off any possibility of retreat. Clutching her folder to her chest, she looked up at them fearfully as they surrounded her.
Adrian and Jerico frowned, glancing from her white face to Cameron and Seth's grim ones. “What's going on here?” Adrian demanded.
"We're waiting for Abby to explain that,” Seth growled. “Although ... I have to wonder if that's even your name."
Some of the sheer terror dissipated—not the panic, not enough to think straight, but enough that her heart ceased to feel as if it was going to burst from the frantic pounding. He'd seen something that had aroused his suspicions—evidently Cameron had, too, but she couldn't for the life of her remember what had been on the pages she'd confiscated from them. Swallowing with an effort, she licked her dried lips. “What do you think's going on?” she asked a little hoarsely, hoping he'd give her some clue.
He gave her a look. After glancing around, however, he took her arm and escorted her into the house. “We'll talk inside."
Oh! Let's don't!
Abby balked, but she discovered fairly quickly that it wasn't going to do her any good to try to put on brakes. She wasn't certain he even noticed. It sure as hell didn't slow him down. He didn't stop until he'd dragged her into her living room.
"Sit down,” he barked.
"I'd rather stand!” Abby said stiffly, although her knees were knocking together.
His lips tightened. He leaned low, until he was almost nose to nose with her. “Sit ... down!"
Jumping, Abby wobbled over to the couch and collapsed on it.
"Give me the folder."
Abby clutched it tighter. “No!"
"God damn it, Abby! Give me the damned folder!"
Abby glared at him, too panic stricken to focus on much besides hanging on to the ‘evidence'. “I will not! It's mine ... you don't have a warrant!” she exclaimed on sudden inspiration. “I want a lawyer!"
His eyes narrowed. “Why do you need a lawyer?"
Abby blinked at him several times, glanced at the other men ranged around her and finally returned her attention to Seth. “Because ... because ... well, I'm just not going to talk to you until I talk to one!"
Cameron leaned down while she was distracted and pried the folder away from her, nearly dragging her off the couch in her desperation to cling to it. Stalking across the room with it, he dropped into a chair and opened it. Seth, Adrian, and Jerico followed him, leaning down to grab several sheets each.
For many moments, all Abby could do was stare at them. Abruptly realizing they were distracted, she leapt to her feet and bounded down the hallway to her room, slamming and locking the door behind her. Hearing thundering
He held it out of her reach, frowning as he flipped through the pages. “What is this?"
Abby managed to grab one corner of the folder. “Mine!” she said tightly. “And if you don't mind, I'd like to have it back!"
His face hardened, but he handed it back to her. “Now you can explain to me what it is and why you have it."
Abby felt the blood leave her face as it settled inside of her with inescapable clarity that he'd seen enough to totally blow her cover story. Biting her lip, she focused on carefully smoothing and arranging the papers, trying frantically to think of a believable lie to tell him.
One look at his face, however, was enough to dissuade her that she could possibly come up with anything he was likely to swallow. Glancing around uneasily, she discovered that not only was Cameron waiting for an explanation, but that Adrian and Jerico were striding around the side of the house.
"Excuse me,” she said abruptly, whirling on her heel and heading toward the house at a brisk trot.
For all the good it did! Seth and Cameron fell into step on either side of her. Adrian and Jerico altered course and headed straight toward her, cutting off any possibility of retreat. Clutching her folder to her chest, she looked up at them fearfully as they surrounded her.
Adrian and Jerico frowned, glancing from her white face to Cameron and Seth's grim ones. “What's going on here?” Adrian demanded.
"We're waiting for Abby to explain that,” Seth growled. “Although ... I have to wonder if that's even your name."
Some of the sheer terror dissipated—not the panic, not enough to think straight, but enough that her heart ceased to feel as if it was going to burst from the frantic pounding. He'd seen something that had aroused his suspicions—evidently Cameron had, too, but she couldn't for the life of her remember what had been on the pages she'd confiscated from them. Swallowing with an effort, she licked her dried lips. “What do you think's going on?” she asked a little hoarsely, hoping he'd give her some clue.
He gave her a look. After glancing around, however, he took her arm and escorted her into the house. “We'll talk inside."
Oh! Let's don't!
Abby balked, but she discovered fairly quickly that it wasn't going to do her any good to try to put on brakes. She wasn't certain he even noticed. It sure as hell didn't slow him down. He didn't stop until he'd dragged her into her living room.
"Sit down,” he barked.
"I'd rather stand!” Abby said stiffly, although her knees were knocking together.
His lips tightened. He leaned low, until he was almost nose to nose with her. “Sit ... down!"
Jumping, Abby wobbled over to the couch and collapsed on it.
"Give me the folder."
Abby clutched it tighter. “No!"
"God damn it, Abby! Give me the damned folder!"
Abby glared at him, too panic stricken to focus on much besides hanging on to the ‘evidence'. “I will not! It's mine ... you don't have a warrant!” she exclaimed on sudden inspiration. “I want a lawyer!"
His eyes narrowed. “Why do you need a lawyer?"
Abby blinked at him several times, glanced at the other men ranged around her and finally returned her attention to Seth. “Because ... because ... well, I'm just not going to talk to you until I talk to one!"
Cameron leaned down while she was distracted and pried the folder away from her, nearly dragging her off the couch in her desperation to cling to it. Stalking across the room with it, he dropped into a chair and opened it. Seth, Adrian, and Jerico followed him, leaning down to grab several sheets each.
For many moments, all Abby could do was stare at them. Abruptly realizing they were distracted, she leapt to her feet and bounded down the hallway to her room, slamming and locking the door behind her. Hearing thundering
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