My Forever Hero Read online

  “No, he won’t.” Tyler’s voice was flat. “It’s no big deal.”

  “This is a big deal because next time it could be a lot worse. These things have a way of escalating.” Marlee began to gently probe his abdomen. “Does it hurt when you breathe?”

  “No. I don’t think he broke any ribs this time.” Tyler closed his eyes.

  “Can you try to sit up so I can see your back?” Marlee tugged at his hands to help.

  “I think my back’s okay.” He struggled up and leaned forward. “It’s not hurting anywhere and I don’t think I got any blows there.”

  Marlee lifted his shirt. There were no scrapes or bruises, but she persisted. “I don’t understand why you won’t go to the hospital or police.”

  “I don’t want the fucking hassle.” Tyler eased back down. “It’s not happening.”

  Marlee took a moment of silence to imply disagreement and visually scan his apartment. It was the mirror image of hers with its one bedroom and bathroom, tiny kitchen and cramped living area decorated with imitation artwork, minimal furnishings, and a small television. There were few personal possessions of his beyond clothes, a computer, his cell, and a set of headphones.

  “We should get you cleaned up,” Marlee said. “Where do you keep your washcloths and towels?”

  “There’s some in the bathroom.” Tyler sighed.

  Warm wet cloth and towel in hand, she squished beside him on the couch and began to carefully clean his face. Tyler flinched as she dabbed the fresh cuts and bruises.

  “We should really disinfect these,” she said. “Do you have anything I can use?”

  “No, but don’t worry about it. Like I said, this has happened before so it’s okay.”

  “It’s not okay.” Marlee flung her hands in the air. “Family violence is never okay.”

  “He’s not family.”

  “He was your partner and could have killed you.”

  “Well he didn’t,” Tyler said.

  “How did you get away?”

  “Someone came along and he ran.” Tyler stared into his lap. “He’s a big brute of a coward and I hate the bastard.” Tears began to dot his beige cotton shorts.

  “What if he finds you again?” Marlee handed him a box of tissues, her voice softening. “You can’t run away forever.”

  Tyler took a few minutes before answering. “He’s paid me back now so he should leave me alone.”

  “Paid you back? For what?” Marlee was almost afraid to ask.

  “I hacked into his bank account and took some money.”

  “Like in stole?” Her heart dropped.

  “He thinks so.” Tyler sniffed. “It was my money too and he tried to steal it first by sticking it in his own account. I only took what belonged to me. I wasn’t going to leave him with everything.”

  “Hacking is a crime. You could have been charged.”

  “I know.”

  Marlee had heard enough. She helped Tyler to the shower then tucked him in for the night before going home and climbing into bed. When she turned out the light, her mind kept replaying images of a beaten up Tyler curled against her door. She’d always found the domestic abuse calls some of the hardest on her job and wanted to block those memories out. She needed to focus on something else.

  Her thoughts wandered to Abigail. She dared to imagine what it would be like to kiss her. She needed something to help her fall asleep and tallying smooches was much more appealing than counting sheep.

  * * *

  Marlee woke to the sound of movement in her kitchen. A cupboard door had opened and she heard the clinking of glass. The smell of coffee drifted into her room just as the smoke alarm shrieked.

  “Sorry!” She heard Abigail’s voice.

  “Tay? Is that you?” Marlee jumped out of bed, pulled on a pair of shorts and almost skipped across the floor.

  “I can’t believe I just did that.” Abigail scraped a piece of blackened toast over the sink.

  “What are you doing here?” Marlee brushed up against the counter, hardly able to contain her excitement.

  “I woke early and wanted to drop off another file before heading to the office.” Abigail’s cheeks reddened. “I hope you don’t mind that I used your key and made myself at home.”

  “Of course not.” Marlee touched Abigail’s arm. “I’m glad you feel comfortable to do that.”

  “I should have picked up something for breakfast, but I didn’t think of food until I got here. I hope it’s okay I poked around your kitchen to make something to eat.”

  “You can poke around my kitchen anytime.” Marlee grinned, thrilled at the thought.

  “I should get going.” Abigail avoided Marlee’s eyes.

  “Let me finish getting dressed while you eat your toast.” She wanted Abigail to stay.

  When Marlee came back, she found Abigail sitting at the dining table, scanning through an open file. Marlee sat down beside her.

  “These are the email addresses of every employee at AbTay Biosystems,” Abigail said, pointing at the column of names. “I still think the network has been hacked by an outsider, but the IT department can’t prove it. I thought maybe the personal emails would help.”

  “I wish I was more of a computer geek, but I’m not,” Marlee said, feeling inadequate.

  “But you’re a police officer so you may see something that an IT specialist wouldn’t. I’d also like you to look at my email account this evening.”

  “We can do that.” Marlee’s heart fluttered at Abigail’s belief in her. “We can see how many of these personal email addresses turn up in your contacts.”

  “Perfect.” Abigail got up to leave. “You’re already looking for patterns and I think this will be helpful.”

  Marlee followed her to the door and gave a friendly farewell hug. “I hope you have a good day, or at least one that’s tolerable. I’ll be thinking about you and sending positive vibes your way.”

  “Thank you.” Abigail seemed to collapse into the embrace. “It means a lot to me because I’ve felt so alone the last little while. I really appreciate your help.”

  “I’m glad.” Marlee eased back and looked into beautiful, blue, bloodshot eyes.

  Abigail stunned her with a kiss. It was a quick one, a dab on the lips before Abigail pulled back. Marlee stared at her, shocked. Then, without thinking, she leaned forward and pressed their lips together to taste Abigail’s fuchsia-tinged lipstick. Abigail’s lips remained limp so Marlee began to pry them apart with her tongue. A firm tongue began pushing back so Marlee sucked it into her mouth, prompting gasping moans, only some of which were hers.

  Abigail tore her tongue out of Marlee’s mouth and yanked back. “We can’t let this happen again. This is not who I am.”

  “Are you sure?” Marlee’s legs wobbled from the kiss.

  “Yes.” Abigail turned away and was out the door before Marlee could respond.

  Chapter Ten

  Marlee fought against the wind, sprinting along the boulevard toward the water as she tried to make sense of her feelings, and Abigail’s. Her sneakers were wet after stepping in a leftover puddle of the night’s rain and the air was salty stagnant with humidity despite the breeze.

  Suffocating from smothering lust, she needed to burn off energy and regain control before checking in with Tyler. Marlee longed for the openness of the beach to help clear her head, leaving pavement for sand in one large stride. A few dog walkers, three distant fellow joggers, and a lone pelican fishing in the surf were the only other signs of life on the serene shoreline.

  It started to drizzle as she slowed to catch her breath and relive the kiss again. The rain didn’t matter because Marlee was already soaked from sweat and aroused beyond belief. She pictured Abigail sitting alone at her desk, legs crossed and trying to ignore the pleasant throbbing in her groin. At least that’s what Marlee wanted to believe—that Abigail was feeling it too because there was no way that kiss had gotten things out of her system and the only moving on she w
anted to do involved progressing to an orgasm.

  When she got home, a lingering shower helped relax Marlee before heading to Tyler’s.

  Marlee let herself in when he didn’t answer the door. The living room was dark and empty. “Hi there, it’s me.” She called out, going into the bedroom.

  “Hey.” Tyler was awake, but his eyes remained closed. “What time is it?”

  “Ten fifteen. How are you feeling?” Marlee noted his pale face.

  “I think I need to go to the hospital.” Tyler’s eyes fluttered open, his breathing labored. “Can you take me?”

  “Of course I can. Are you in pain?” Marlee touched his stomach and he gasped.

  “It hurts like hell when I breathe.” His eyelids closed and quivered. “I must have broken a rib after all.”

  “I’ll call an ambulance.”

  “No, please don’t.” He started to get up. “I don’t want all the fuss. Could you just drive me? We can take my car if you like.” He pushed himself off the bed and headed to the bathroom.

  “I don’t know about this,” Marlee said. “You could have some serious internal injuries.”

  “I don’t need an ambulance,” Tyler stood at the bathroom door. “I just need a ride.”

  “I’ll get my keys.”

  When they arrived at the hospital emergency department, Tyler hobbled in while Marlee parked. She had forgotten to check her phone and was excited to see a message from Abigail, but her joy was short-lived when she read the four words. Can’t make it tonight. Marlee trudged across the parking lot, drowning in dejection.

  “It’s going to be a long wait.” Tyler had already been assessed by the triage nurse and was seated along the wall with many others. “You can skip out if you want and I’ll take a cab home.”

  “I’ll stay.” Marlee sat beside him, opening her laptop and connecting to the free WiFi. She didn’t want to be alone.

  “Are you stalking her?” Tyler leaned over, the website of AbTay Biosystems obvious on her screen.

  Marlee pulled away. “I’m just curious, that’s all. I didn’t expect to have a snoop sitting beside me.”

  “It’s not looking good for her, especially with the police pulling her in for questioning.” Tyler flopped his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. “If it was me, I’d…”

  “You’d what? Give up? Let everyone think you’re a criminal?”

  “Whoa.” Tyler’s eyes snapped open. “What’s going on with you?”

  “Nothing. I feel sorry for her, that’s all.” Marlee felt more rejected than sorry at the moment and didn’t want to talk about it. “I’m going to get a coffee. Want one?”

  “That’d be nice.” Tyler pulled his unzipped hoodie tighter around his chest then leaned back and closed his eyes. “I need something to warm me up.”

  Marlee knew what she needed as she searched for a coffee shop, but also figured a night of hot sex with Abigail wasn’t likely to happen.

  * * *

  Tyler had two broken ribs and a sprained pelvis. He was prescribed some painkillers and given a doctor’s note, as he wouldn’t be able to work for at least a few weeks.

  By the time they got home, the evening news was already detailing the day’s events. Marlee was relieved there weren’t any new reports about Abigail, but longed to know how the day had gone, especially since her texts were being ignored.

  She offered to make dinner for Tyler, finding an excuse to bake her filet of salmon. A fishy smell in her apartment was the least of her worries, especially as Abigail wouldn’t be visiting.

  “I don’t get it.” Tyler chewed a bite of fish as they sat at his dining table. “Abigail Taylor, taking you to get your car the other night?”

  “Why are you bringing that up?”

  “Don’t you think it’s weird?” Tyler asked.

  “Maybe she’s a weird woman.”

  “Have you heard from her since then?” Tyler put down his fork.

  “Would you like some frozen yogurt for dessert?” Marlee wasn’t going to divulge anything, even though she was dying to tell him about the kiss to get his opinion.

  “No thanks. You didn’t answer my question.”

  “Didn’t I?” Marlee stood up. “I should get going. I want to call my friend in Ottawa and it’s always awkward with the time difference.”

  “I bet you have been in touch with Abigail.” His eyes lit up. “Sit back down because I want to hear all about it.”

  “Do you want the rest of the salad?” Marlee rinsed her plate.

  “If you don’t tell me, I might have to hack into your computer to find out. I can do that, you know.”

  Marlee swung around, curious. “You can? How?” She remembered the bank account of his ex.

  He smirked. “I have my ways. I’ve always been good with computers and probably should have made it my career, but couldn’t stand the thought of uni. I applied to the airlines instead.”

  “You won’t find much on my computer so go ahead and hack all you want.” As much as she wanted to know more about his computer skills, Marlee wasn’t going to divulge her confidential relationship with Abigail. “See you later.”

  Back at her place, Marlee poured a glass of chilled chardonnay then parked on the couch, computer in her lap. She tried connecting with Kerry, hoping she was home and available to chat. It looked like there was some interference with the call and she was about to end it to try again when Tyler appeared on her screen.

  “How ya going?” He grinned back at her.

  “Holy shit, you weren’t kidding.” Marlee shivered with shock. “How did you do that?”

  “It was super easy because we’re running off the same network. You won’t tell anyone, will you?” He winked. “I’ll get out of your face now so you can have your chat with your friend. See you later.” He disconnected.

  Marlee slammed her laptop shut then began to rationalize bringing Tyler into her confidence. Hacking was against the law and she could get into big trouble. But then again, with Abigail’s permission, they wouldn’t be breaking any laws if they focused only on the network of AbTay Biosystems.

  She stared at the folder of email addresses and feared the hacking would have to go beyond the company and into the personal accounts of employees. Delving into personal bank accounts to track any large deposits would be an essential step in the search for clues, but it would be crossing the line. She finished her wine and had two more glasses before going to bed, her mind percolating ideas but still not made up.

  Chapter Eleven

  Breaking news that the police were getting closer to Abigail’s arrest headlined media on Monday morning. Speculation was rampant and reporters used words like “possible terrorist-links,” “global impacts,” “legitimate versus harmful research,” “the creation of superbugs,” and “deadliest weapons ever.”

  Despite all the hype, it remained unclear exactly what Abigail would be charged with. Marlee wondered if local police were grappling as much as she was to develop a basic understanding of what they were dealing with.

  Marlee had spent a quiet weekend avoiding Tyler and longing to see Abigail. She’d been regularly checking in on Tyler with brief texts, but was beginning to miss his company and felt like chatting. After a jog and shower, she made each of them a cup of coffee and approached his door. Her knocks went unanswered so she used the key he had given her to let herself in.

  “Hello?” She hesitated in the dark entrance, waiting for a response. His bedroom door was ajar so she turned on the entry light, put the coffee down, and approached the bed. He was still sleeping, his chest rising and falling. She touched his arm.

  He stirred, eyelids fluttering open. “Hey.”

  “I brought you some coffee. I thought you’d be up by now.”

  Tyler started to stretch then stopped to rub his side. “Ouch. It still hurts.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Tired.” He yawned. “I stayed up too late last night.”

  �
�What were you doing?” She really didn’t want to know.

  “Why haven’t you called your friend back?” Tyler dropped his feet over the side of the bed, feeling around for his slippers.

  “Is that what you’ve been doing all weekend? Hacking into my computer and spying on me?” Marlee’s jaw tightened.

  “I told you I would. The coffee smells good. Thanks.” Tyler got off the bed and picked up the mug. “Who’s Stacy? She sounds like a bitch.”

  “She is a bitch, but so are you for hacking into my personal life. What else did you find out about me?”

  “That you’re obsessed with Abigail Taylor.”

  “I am not!” Marlee raised a fist. She felt like socking him in the ribs for violating her privacy.

  “Whoa, please don’t hit me.” Tyler flinched.

  “Then stay out of my space.”

  “Okay, I will. Your interest in her seems one-sided anyway. I figured you for a stalker.”

  “You’re making it sound like I’m a criminal for wanting to know more about her.” Marlee was relieved Tyler hadn’t accessed her phone too. “If anyone has committed a crime around here, it’s you for hacking into my life.”

  “I hope you’re not planning to get me charged.” Tyler’s crusted morning eyes widened.

  “Then stay the fuck out of my computer. Deal?”

  “Okay.” Tyler put his mug down and started toward the bathroom. “Besides, I hardly snooped around your account anyway once I hacked into AbTay Biosystems.”

  “You got into Abigail’s company?” Marlee couldn’t contain her excitement.

  Tyler swung around. “I knew it. You’re still in contact. And of course you’d be using your phone instead of email to get in touch with her.”

  “I wish.” Marlee refused to admit to anything. She needed to think before incriminating herself any more. She headed to the door. “I’ll see you later.”

  The local television newscast kept repeating the same video clips about AbTay Biosystems over and over again. It was a mixture of shots from the last few days, but primarily focused on footage of Abigail being led into the police station for questioning, as though she’d already been found guilty.