They heard running steps and Cassandra approached, stopping on a skid.
Abby stood up and Cassandra’s eyes fell on her, dropping immediately to her sweater.
“What happened?” she asked.
“She attacked,” Fenella told Cassandra.
Cassandra looked at Angus. “Did you get her?”
“No I didn’t get her,” Angus snapped, straightening. “The she-bitch bested me,” he looked mortified for a moment then bellowed, “She bested A McPherson!”
“Be quiet,” Honor hissed, “we’re in town.”
Abby turned to Cassandra and announced, slowly, clearly and loudly, “Your… amulet… rocked!”
Cassandra leaned back, put her hands on her hips and smiled. “Did the trick, eh?”
“It rocked!” Abby repeated, incapable of further speech.
“I’m good with a charm,” Cassandra informed her.
“Well, you better make sure we all have some,” Angus announced. “Vivianna knows she’s met her match. She might have been surprised Abby had magic tonight, but she’ll no’ make that mistake again.”
Abby looked at Fenella and Honor, her shoulders drooping, and she muttered, “Great.”
“Don’t worry. I have some other tricks up my sleeve,” Cassandra said so confidently, Abby actually believed her.
Then, to her surprise, Angus grinned at Abby, “Lucky for you, lass, now I know what I’m up against. And The McPhersons got more tricks than a spirit-bitch-from-hell, believe you me.”
Fenella got close and put her arm around Abby’s waist. “Well that sounds good, doesn’t it?” she asked.
Abby, who would vastly prefer not to be battling a ghost and that night she’d learned exactly what that meant and it petrified her, had to admit Fenella was right.
It didn’t occur to Abby, until she quietly closed and locked Cash’s front door, that she’d forgotten to phone him when she left the castle.
This wasn’t surprising, considering she was freaked out when she’d left the castle. And this freak out meant she had to concentrate on her driving and, therefore, she hadn’t thought to call Cash. Instead, her thoughts had centred on getting home in one piece.
It wouldn’t do to survive Vivianna only to die in a tragic car accident.
Although it was late, the castle more than an hour’s drive away, she wasn’t surprised to see no light shining from upstairs but a light coming from the back hall.
This indicated Cash was downstairs, likely working, maybe drinking a whisky, maybe getting concerned (or more likely angry) waiting for her call.
She took off her coat and soundlessly hooked it on the banister with her purse and she headed downstairs.
Her shoes were quiet, the rubber soles making no noise.
This was how she could get through the house and down the stairs without Cash hearing.
Or, more to the point, this was how she could get through the house and down the stairs without Cash and Suzanne hearing.
For Suzanne was there.
Abby knew this because, four steps from the bottom, she turned her head and she saw them in the kitchen.
She saw them in the kitchen, embracing.
More than embracing.
One of Suzanne’s arms was locked around Cash’s neck, her other hand in his hair, her body was pressed to his. His hands were gripping her waist just above her hips. Her lips were on his, his were on hers and both of their mouths were open.
Abby felt her heart clench as her stomach lurched and neither of these felt good.
In any way.
So, unfortunately, when she spoke, her voice held a fierce tremor that betrayed her emotion when she asked what was supposed to come out coolly, “Am I interrupting something?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Abby Tells Cash
At the sound of her voice, Cash threw Suzanne away from him and Abby watched as she flew several steps back, her hands going behind her, she collided with the counter.
Her eyes went to Abby and her expression could only be described as smug.
Then Abby heard Cash ask bitingly, “Where the fuck have you been?”
Abby’s gaze shot to Cash and he was standing, turned to her, hands on hips, staring at Abby, looking angry.
Angry.
At Abby!
Cash was angry at Abby.
Abby’s mouth dropped open.
Her eyes slid back to Suzanne whose smugness had hit the stratosphere.
Mindlessly, Abby turned and ran up the steps taking them two at a time.
She got to the upstairs banister and had her purse in her hands before strong fingers closed around her upper arm in a vicelike grip and she was yanked backwards.
Her eyes flew to Cash’s.
“Let me go!” she shouted, tugging at her arm in his grasp.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he asked, eyes narrowed on her purse, fingers not letting her go.
She stopped struggling and yelled, “I’m leaving!”
“The hell you are,” he snapped, wrenched her purse out of her hands and threw it into the lounge.
Abby watched it sail then land on the floor then she looked back at Cash and screamed, “Would you stop throwing my stuff!”
He ignored her demand and used her arm to pull her close. “You should have been home an hour ago. Or, it would seem, you should have fucking phoned an hour ago to say you’d be home now.”
Abby saw Suzanne join them at the top of the stairs, she was pulling on her coat, flipping her hair over the collar and looking happy as a clam.
Abby’s eyes moved back to Cash and she drawled with saccharine sweetness, “I’m so sorry I didn’t give you plenty of head’s up to get rid of your kissin’ cousin before I got home.”
She watched Cash’s head jerk, his brows shot together and then his lip curled in disgust.
“You think I’m fucking around on you?” he asked, deep voice filled with incredulity then he went on, “with Suzanne?” he uttered her name like it tasted foul.
Abby looked back at Suzanne and she’d lost her smug, happy look.
Abby’s eyes clashed with Cash’s again when she accused, “I just saw you kissing her.”
“No, you just saw her kissing me,” Cash shot back instantly.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Suzanne cut in, moving toward the door and Cash turned, taking Abby with him, his hand still on her arm.
“I’ll deal with you later,” Cash clipped to Suzanne.
“I’ll look forward to that,” came Suzanne’s sultry purr.
Cash’s body went solid and the air in the room, already thick, became suffocating.
“Don’t mistake me, Suzanne,” Cash’s voice was a low, menacing warning and Abby watched as Suzanne paled.
Recovering swiftly, she offered, “I’ll let myself out.”
“You do that,” Cash stated then, dismissing Suzanne completely, he turned back to Abby and started, “As for you –”
At that, with a vicious tug Abby yanked her arm free and vaguely heard the door close behind Suzanne. She was too deep in a tizzy at all she’d experienced that night at the castle, and what she’d just seen, to proceed with caution.
She stomped around Cash and into the lounge, muttering angrily, “I cannot believe after all I went through tonight,” she bent down to pick up her purse and looked up at Cash who had followed her, “for you,” she snapped, rising, “only to come home to see you groping Suzanne.”