Saving Sabrina Ch. 02

The shocked look on his face when he said the last part made her wonder if she'd almost shared something he hadn't meant to. She was unsure about whether or not to ask, but then he kind of shrugged, let out a deep sigh, and continued.

"I know Cassie told you that when I was in the Marines, I went to Afghanistan. With my job, we weren't really supposed to be in much danger, but in a war, things can happen. I lost a couple of pretty good friends and it took me a long time, and some therapy through the VA, before I could figure out how to handle that pain. So, I promise, I may not understand how your situation feels, but I know what it's like to hold on to too much."

Sabrina was looking into his eyes as he revealed a secret he'd kept from everyone, except his father and his boss. His mother and sister didn't know anything had happened or that he'd been to therapy. She could almost feel his pain, could see it in his eyes when he talked about it. Without thinking and without knowing why, she knew she had to take it away.

Andy had closed his eyes when he spoke about his secret, so he didn't see her move, but with his arms around her, he felt her shift. The touch of her soft lips on his quickly brought him out of his pain and his past, and right into this moment, here with Sabrina pulling him closer and kissing him gently.

Their arms tightened around one another and the kiss deepened, going from one intended to soothe to one intended to arouse in the space of a heartbeat. Her lips opened quickly, inviting his tongue in and he never hesitated to accept the invitation. He could feel her breasts pushing against his chest as she pulled him closer, her hands on his back grasping at him.

As suddenly as the kiss had begun, it ended as they both pulled their heads away, almost in shock. Sabrina's eyes were huge, her heavy breathing a clear sign that what had just happened between them had affected her. Andy imagined he looked the same to her and judging by how tightly his suit pants were fitting, she definitely had his body's attention.

"Andy..." She said, at the same moment he spoke her name. They both looked at each other sheepishly for a moment, before he gestured for her to continue.

"I'm not sure what happened there, or why I kissed you, but I'm sorry. I'm obviously a basket case, a candidate for the nut house. I should be locked away somewhere, committed, I might be a threat to my self or others..." She tried to continue speaking but that's hard to do when someone is kissing you. Once she'd stopped trying to talk against his lips and started kissing back, Andy pulled away slowly.

"Sabrina, I don't know why you kissed me either, but I'm sure as hell not sorry. The only thing I regret is the timing." He said.

"You're not?" She asked, unsure that she'd heard him correctly.

"I wanted to kiss you years ago, by the pool at my parent's house, with my sister sitting a few feet away from you. I've always wondered why I didn't. I'll never regret that I finally got to find out what your lips taste like. But the timing sucks, we've got a lot to figure out, and a lot to do."

For those few moments when she was kissing Andy, all of her worries and troubles had faded away, lost in the nothingness as her entire being was focused on nothing but the man in front of her and the sensations in her own body. As he spoke, they returned but even now they seemed less monumental.

"I know, and I know that I'm still in danger and until it's over, it's not really the right time or place for that. But, for the record, I had those same wants and wonders. And I don't regret it either." Sabrina said, pulling away from him but taking his hand in hers.

"You said we needed to talk, so we probably should while I have enough willpower not to attack you again." His laughter was the only reply she got for a moment.

"Hon, once this is all over, you are welcome to attack me whenever you want. But, yeah, we need to talk. We have a decision to make." He said, gently squeezing her hand.

"With no real leads to follow yet, we need to decide whether you should go into hiding, or we should try to draw this bastard out."

"How would we do that?" She asked.

"By going back to New York and back to your life. The only difference is, you'd have round the clock security, both overt and undercover. Once you are back in the open, maybe he'll make another move and we can catch him."

Although the thought terrified her, she could see the logic in it.

"And if I go into hiding?"

"Again, constant security, but the odds of him finding you will be slim to none. Only my boss and your security team will know where you are. We have a lot of safe houses and we keep them very secret. Only our top people know where they are. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, you will have dropped off the face of the Earth."

She was quiet for a moment before she asked her next question.

"How long would I have to hide?"

"Until we feel that it's safe for you to go back to your life. The problem with that plan is that this guy could just go to ground and wait until you reappear before continuing his harassment. Without any leads, there's little chance we could catch him while you are safely hidden."

"So, I either hide like a scared mouse or put myself out there as bait?" She summed up, wondering which he thought would be best.

"To put it bluntly, yes." He answered, gazing into her eyes to see how she was taking the options. He hated the idea of putting her in more danger, but the facts were that they had no chance at present of finding her stalker unless he made another move. And the only way to try and make that happen was for her to reveal herself.

Sabrina sat quietly, thinking about both possibilities and what they could mean for her. On the one hand, she could be safe for a while without having to worry, but what if they decided she didn't need security anymore and then he came after her. On the other, she would be going back to a place that she once liked but now was horribly frightened of, to try and coax out her stalker. Yes, she would have security, but there is no telling what could happen.

Would Andy be by her side, no matter which choice she made? She believed he would. If she went back to New York, she would be putting him in the same danger that she would be in. Would he get hurt? Would he blame her if he did? There didn't seem to be an easy choice and her head was spinning too fast to make one now.

"Can I have a little while to think about it?" She asked.

"Of course. I never expected you to decide right now. Take some time, relax, think about both options, and let me know when you decide what you want to do. You are safe right now."

He stood up and walked towards the door, stopping and turning when she called his name. She climbed off the bed, hugged him, kissed him lightly, and then walked past him towards the bathroom. Even that simple kiss rocked him to his core. He watched her as she walked away and realized that he had been right earlier. Those jeans did make her butt look spectacular.

+++++

After finishing his conversation with Sabrina, Andy went downstairs, checked in with his men on patrol, and stopped in the kitchen for a bottle of water. Sasha was just finishing her cleaning as he entered.

"How is Sabrina?" She asked, closing a cabinet after putting away coffee cups.

"She's fine. Had a good talk with my sister, I gather. We talked a little bit. She's got a decision to make, but I told her to take her time thinking about it."

"Run and hide or stand and fight?" Sasha asked, having already thought about it while she kept her hands busy.

"Got it in one. With no leads from the police, those are the only two options I could see."

"Which do you think is the best choice?"

"It's a tough call. I certainly don't want Sabrina in any more danger, but if she hides, she may just be delaying the inevitable." He said, taking a drink of water.

Sasha was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. When she did, Andy's eyes almost bugged out.

"Judging by the gloss on your lips, you two did a little more than talking while you were up there. Should I be asking about your intentions with my baby sister?"

He took another drink of water to buy himself some time to think and then risked a glance at her. The way the side of her mouth was curved up told him she was fighting a smile, but she took the question seriously.

"To be fair, she kissed me. The first time. After that, it was definitely mutual. I also told her there is so much going on in her life right now, it might not be the right time for us."

Sasha nodded.

"That's true. However, a woman's heart rarely cares about the timing. If she should turn to you for comfort, I would hope you wouldn't turn away from her."

To Andy, this had to be one of the strangest conversations he'd ever had. At that moment, Sasha reminded him a great deal of Cassie, who was always after him to find a woman and settle down. The way she said it, especially after she left for Japan, made him think she had someone in mind. Given everything going on now, he wondered if it was Sabrina.

"I'm not sure I could turn away from her if I tried. It took everything I had to stop kissing her." He said honestly.

"I guess that when this is over, you two need to figure out what's next. Is this just a passing attraction due to stress and proximity or is there something else here, something real worth taking a chance on? That's a question you'll both need to consider."

Neither one heard Sabrina come down the stairs. She had headed to the kitchen to get something to drink and to join her sister in cleaning up, but when she realized that they were discussing what happened upstairs, she stopped and listened. She wasn't angry with her sister's questions, or with Andy's answers. Finally, she decided it was time to stop hiding.

"That is something that Andy and I will have to decide, Sasha, when the time and circumstances are right." She said, walking into the kitchen. As she watched them both stare at her, mouths agape, she took the bottle from Andy's hand, took a long drink, sat it on the counter, kissed him on the cheek, and walked away.

Andy was still frozen in shock, his hand now cupped around air where his bottle of water had been. Sasha, however, found the scene hilarious and peals of laughter followed her sister out of the kitchen.

+++++

There was no outside light coming into the room. There were two windows, but both had plywood nailed over them, covered with thick black curtains. The only light came from a desk lamp sitting on a table near the door. It was angled to throw its light onto the opposite wall.

The other three walls of the room were painted black, however this one was painted blood red. Taped to the wall were pictures, letters, and newspaper articles. There was one common thread between them all. The Bitch.

The carpet that previously padded the floor had been pulled up, exposing the subfloor underneath. This too had been painted black. In the center of the room sat a single blood red rug. On that rug sat Vengeance.

In one hand, it held a recent issue of some glossy fashion magazine. The other hand held a pair of scissors. Using them, it cut out another picture of the Bitch. She was posed with another girl, whom Vengeance carefully cut away, leaving only the Bitch behind. Glancing up at the wall, it found the perfect place to add this new picture and rose with tape in hand.

Each time it added a new item to the wall, the fury burned brighter. How dare the Bitch think she deserves this kind of life. To be seen, admired, adored. The Bitch deserved nothing but pain and despair. And Vengeance intended to be sure that she got all she deserved and more.

It took the remains of the magazine to the only other object in the room, an old wood burning stove. It had already lit the stove when it entered the room, knowing it would have need of it. Opening the door, it fed the magazine into the flames, relishing the day it could introduce the Bitch to an even hotter fire.

"One day soon, you will burn in the hottest flames. For the fires of Hell await all sinners and traitors, Bitch!" Vengeance said in its raspy voice.

"One day soon..."