Isabelle Jackson's Secret Agent, Book.Lover.Writer [the ebook reader TXT] 📗

the other room and pulled me onto the bed with him. Keeping an arm around me he pulled the covers over us and scooted close to me. “Tell me what happened Aiofe.” He pleaded.
“I can’t.” I insisted, feeling the tears sting my eyes.
“Have I done anything to make you afraid of me?” he asked.
Grudgingly I responded “No.”
“Have I hurt you?” he persisted.
“No,” I sighed.
“So then why won’t you tell me who hurt you?”
“Because there’s no reason to. He’s in jail and it’s in the past.” I said defensively.
“Amore Dei!” he exclaimed.
“Don’t curse at me.”
“I didnt... I said ‘for the love of god.”
“Oh…”
“He stabbed you...” he said piecing it together. “The bastard stabbed you repeatedly…” he growled angrily.
“That’s not all…” I whispered.
Turning me to face him he cupped my jaw. “What did he do you to Aiofe?”
Closing my eyes the images flashed across my eyelids making me wince at the remembered pain. Pulling me close Tom whispered soothing words in my ear and stroked my hair. Snuggling closer to him I pressed my face into his chest and began my story.
“It was almost five and a half months ago…I was with my boyfriend…” I shuddered at the memory. “He said he wanted to show me a surprise so I met him at his place. When I got there he was in the bathroom so I sat down on his couch to wait. I heard a noise and then something was shoved over my mouth and nose and I blacked out.” I had to stop and take several deep breaths before going on.
“When I woke up I was in this sealed glass room and he was on the other side…I told him that it wasn’t funny and to let me out but he just laughed and said it wasn’t a joke.” Tears started to leak from the corners of my eyes and I wiped them on his shirt. “He was still laughing when he turned this valve and water started pouring into the room… He left me in there and let the water completely fill the room till I was completely underwater. I almost drowned and all he did was sit there and take pictures and grinned like a stupid F***.
“When I was almost out of air he drained all the water. He did that so many times I lost count…the last time, I was laying there coughing and spitting out water he walked in and grabbed me by the hair then dragged me onto a table and tied me down…” by this point I was barely able to talk cause I was crying so hard, Tom just laid there and held me not saying a word but tensing up more and more as I continued. “He…he climbed on top of me and pulled out this knife and he… he…”
“Shhh. Shhh its ok your safe now… its ok…” he murmured and stroked his fingers through my hair. He was shaking so bad it felt like he was having seizures but I clung to him and cried. I cried so long and hard that I eventually cried myself to sleep. I’d never told anyone, not even the department’s psychiatrist what had happened.
All they knew was that I was wet and that I was suffering from multiple stab wounds. They had walked in and found him in the process of sliding the knife into my stomach just a few inches above my belly button. Tom was the first person to ever hear all the details of the week I’d been held captive and tortured.


Chapter Four
The following morning I woke up to find myself curled into Tom’s side with my head on his chest. My leg was thrown over his and his arm was wrapped around my waist. My fingers on my right hand were entwined with his and our hands were resting over his heart. He was still sleeping, or so I thought till he spoke softly. “Good morning Aiofe.” I buried my face in his side.
Rolling onto me he gazed into my eyes before resting his forehead on mine. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.” He whispered. Getting up he pulled me with him and gently pushed me to the closet. “Riding gear Aiofe, today we go riding!” he said grinning before disappearing into the bathroom. Grinning a little myself I got ready. Walking out of the closet afterwards I ran right into Tom who was standing just outside the door.
Before I could fall he pulled me against his chest and catching me off guard, leaned down and captured my lips in a searing kiss that had the butterflies in my stomach acting up again. Moaning I pressed up against him and pulled his mouth back to mine when he started to pull away. Groaning deep in his throat he picked me up and pressed me against the wall, rocking his hips up against mine. I moaned and leaned my head back exposing my throat which he quickly focused his attention on.
Sucking, kissing, and licking at my neck he covered my mouth as I got louder and gripped his broad shoulders. Suddenly a knock sounded at the door and we froze. Tom looked up into my eyes and growled like an animal which made me giggle, why I don’t have a clue. “Go away were busy.” He called hoarsely and returned his attention to my neck making me grip his shoulders and moan again. The knock came again only this time more persistent. Setting me down Tom stomped over to the door and yanked it open. “What?”
“Boss is waiting outside.” Dan said taking a step back.
“Fine tell him we will be there in a minute.” Slamming the door shut he sauntered back over to me and gently guided my back to the wall again. Leaning over me kissed me. “We’ll continue this later…can’t keep the boss waiting.” He muttered against my neck.
“No of course not.” I said shoving past him. “Can’t keep the mass murdering crime lord waiting can we.” I muttered and stormed out of the room. Tom came after me and pulled me to a stop.
“What’s the matter Aiofe?” he asked concerned.
“What’s the mater? What’s the matter! How about the fact that you’re a criminal and I’m a cop! Cops don’t get involved with criminals!” I yelled.
“I~” He started to say something but stopped.
“You can’t deny it cause its true.” I pulled my arm free and continued walking. Tom fell into step beside me with his hands in his pockets and his head down.
“Isabelle!” Arturo greeted me as we came outside. Grabbing my hand he led us over to the stables. “Pick which ever one you want.” He said gesturing to the two dozen or more stables containing all kinds of horses.
Looking at all the horses one in particular caught my eye. He was tall and proud, a magnificent animal. Black as night with a flowing black mane. He had his head over the stall and was looking right at me. As I approached he whinnied and stamped his hoof. I started to walk up to his stall door when Arturo pulled me back. “Not that one. He’s too wild, not even my best wrangler can tame him. He’s a straight up wild Arabian stallion.”
“Maybe he just needs the right wrangler.” I said shrugging off his hand and quickly stepping into the horses stable. “What’s his name?”
“Pyrois, it means fiery…suites his temperament. So why don’t you just come out of there before he decides he doesn’t like you anymore.” Arturo said edging toward the stall door. Pyrois reared up and charged the stall door. I stepped to the side but he wasn’t paying attention to me. He went straight for Arturo, but when he backed off Pyrois settled down and turned back to me where I was leaned against the back of the stall. Snorting he walked up and bumped me with his muzzle.
He sniffed around my ear making me laugh as the whiskers tickled my ear. “I’ll ride him you guys go get your horses.” I called as I put a blanket on Pyrois’s back then a saddle. Thumping Pyrois’s stomach to make sure he wasn’t filling it with air I synched the strap up and climbed into the saddle. Tom rode up on a white stallion as I walked Pyrois out of his stall. Tom eyed the horse warily as we walked them out of the barn.
“Where are we going?” I asked reigning Pyrois to a stop at the door.
“The waterfall.” Arturo said riding up on a beautiful chestnut horse. Kevin and Dan rode up together and we were off. Arturo was in the lead followed by me and Tom with Dan and Kevin bringing up the rear. It took us nearly two hours to reach the waterfall but I enjoyed every minute of it. Birds flitted through the trees overhead and fish swam through the stream on our right.
Dismounting I tied Pyrois’s reigns to a low hanging tree branch near where I would be sitting by the waters edge. Slipping off my boots and socks I dropped my feet into the cool water and sighed. Tom sat next to me and handed me a sandwich. “Its turkey.”
“Thanks.” I mumbled and ate the sandwich then threw the crust to the birds. We sat and enjoyed the sun, swam in the water and lounged around in the grass for the remainder of the day before heading back. Dressed in a blue silk dress and white diamonds I headed down to dinner alone. Tom had said he needed to go take care of something with Arturo as soon as we had arrived back after the ride so I hadn’t seen him all evening. Dan and Kevin had disappeared shortly after so I’d been left locked in my room to do whatever all evening.
As I descended the stairs I noticed that the floor was covered with deep red rose petals. They made a path into a room with a round table adorned with two red roses plucked from the garden. There were only two place settings and Tom stood behind one chair. “Please, sit.”
“Where is everyone?” I asked taking the seat he held open for me.
“Having dinner somewhere else tonight.” He responded taking the seat opposite me and serving pasta onto my plate. Catching my grin he smiled. “What?”
“Pasta is my favorite.”
“Oh that’s good to hear.” He laughed. “I was hoping it wasn’t something you hated.”
“Not at all,” I said around a mouthful of noodles, we both started laughing. We sat and talked while finishing our meal and drinking wine. Then Tom turned on the radio and stood up.
Extending his hand out to me he asked in a serious tone, “Would you like to dance Aiofe?” Smiling I accepted his hand and he pulled me into his arms. Pulling me close he spun us around the dance floor and soon we were laughing again. The music slowed and I rested my head on his shoulder. We danced past the gap ion the curtains and he froze for just a second before continuing on like normal.
“What’s the matter?” I asked gazing up at him.
“Nothing Aiofe.” He said kissing the top of my head.
Pulling away slightly I gave him a curious look. “What’s Aiofe mean?” I asked.
Pausing he smiled down at me. “It means beauty…I heard a story as a child about a warrior princess named Aiofe who was brave and strong. She conquered every obstacle thrown her way…you remind me of her.”
“Oh…” leaning my head against his shoulder I grinned. The music stopped and Tom tilted my chin up to kiss me. The kiss was more intense and passionate than ever before and I clung to