Claimed by My Silent Protector

Chapter Six

Lincoln’s POV

I tell Hallick that I’m taking Abbey and Robyn back to their apartment, giving the soldier a pointed glare when he opens his mouth to argue with me. Slamming his lips shut, he raises an eyebrow at me, his silent warning clear, take care of them or he’ll take care of me. He’s got nothing to worry about though, nothing will hurt this woman or her daughter under my watch, it’s just not happening.

Abbey climbs into the back seat of my truck tucking Robyn into her side and placing the seatbelt around her before doing the same for herself. I want her up front with me, but I know why she’s doing this, I don’t have a car seat so she’s doing what she can to keep her daughter safe in the car.

I pull out from where I’ve parked, which is thankfully far enough away that the explosion from Abbey’s car hasn’t caused any damage, and head toward the nurse’s home, driving slower than my grandfather when he would take my grandma to church on a Sunday.

The ten minute journey takes almost twenty and by the time we get there, Abbey is a nervous ball of energy. She yanks open the door of my truck before I completely roll to a stop, grabbing her four year old and jumping out, practically running for the door to her apartment complex, leaving me less and less sure that the events of today are a mistake.

‘Abbey, wait!’ I call out, throwing the truck into park, and hurrying after her, catching the door to the building just before it slams shut behind her, locking me out.

‘Abbey!’ I yell again as I step inside, only catching a brief glimpse of her fiery red hair before the doors of the elevator slide shut, locking her and Robyn inside. Knowing her apartment is on the third floor, I head for the stairs, taking them two at a time before shoving through the fire door that leads to the corridor that will take me to her home.

I am just in time to watch Abbey as she stumbles into her front door, Robyn clinging to her body, the panic on the nurse, palpable as she slams her apartment door closed behind her.

‘Abbey!’ I call out again, heading after her, my long strides eating up the space until I reach her front door, my fist lifting immediately as I start to pound on the solid wood aggressively.

I can hear crashing coming from inside, but the red head doesn't come to the door, spiking my worry further. I hammer again, my need to check on her heightening with every second that passes, my lingering hope that her car being targeted being a mistake slipping away with each pound of my fist, something is really f.ucking wrong.

‘Open the damn door Abbey’ I order loudly, ‘don’t make me break it down.’

The sound of a bolt slowly sliding across has me stall, and I freeze in place as the door slowly opens in front of me, just enough for me to see one of her hazel eyes looking up at me in fear.

‘Oh! You’re still here’ she mumbles as my hand slams down on the wood still between us, forcing the door wider as she flinches instinctively, terror flickering in the depths of her eyes as she looks up at me.

‘What’s going on?’ I demand, my gaze following hers as she glances back down the hallway before snapping her gaze back to me again.

Abbey’s lips part but no sound comes out, her tortured gaze slicing through me, awakening the need inside me to protect.

‘Abbey?’ a worried voice calls out behind me, and I turn to find an older woman standing in the doorway of the apartment next door, her gaze bouncing from me to the red head in concern. ‘Are you alright? I was worried when you didn’t bring Robyn over, is everything OK? Do you need me to call the super?’ she offers, her eyes flicking to me and back to the woman beside me.

The nurse forces a smile to her lips as she shakes her head, ‘no, everything’s fine Mrs Fallow, I’m so sorry about the noise, I had headphones on and didn’t hear my friend knocking.’ The older woman’s brow creases, but she doesn’t argue with Abbey, instead she nods slowly. ‘So you don’t need me to look after Robyn today?’ she asks uncertainly.

Abbey shakes her head again, ‘No, it turns out I got my days mixed up, I don’t have a shift today’ she replies, ‘I’m sorry for messing you around Mrs Fallow, and for not telling you earlier.’

The older woman nods, giving Abbey a small smile as she steps back into her apartment. ‘Well if you are sure you are OK dear . . ‘ she murmurs, her eyes finding me once again as I cross my arms over my chest, staring her down.

‘I’m fine, thank you’ the nurse calls back, giving a small wave, and waits until Mrs Fallow closes her door again, leaving us alone.

I turn back to Abbey, raising an eyebrow as she looks up at me, her eyes narrowing as I silently wait for her to explain what the f.uck is going on with her.

‘What?’ she demands, mimicking my stance, ‘why are you looking at me like that?’

‘What is going on’ I growl out, my voice leaving no room for bulls.hit right now.

‘Nothing! I just had to get home, you didn’t have to come up’ she retorts, a flash of her usual fire surfacing as she focuses on me, her attitude sliding into place like armour trying to shut me out. ‘You can go now’ she adds pointedly, jerking her chin upward toward the hallway behind me.

I snort derisively, knowing full well that isn’t happening. I tower over her as she holds my gaze, the pair of us in a silent stand off, until with a growl of annoyance, she turns on her heel, and storms her way into her apartment with me close on her heels, shutting the door behind me.

Once inside, I frown as I spot a suitcase sitting just outside of the cupboard that stands open in the living area.

‘Are you going somewhere?’ I ask, my eyes flying up to meet Abbey who looks away refusing to meet my gaze.

‘Uh . . Robyn and I are going on a little trip’ she mutters evasively, ‘for her birthday.’

I scowl at her obvious lie, ‘you were on your way to work an hour ago Abbey’ I retort.

The nurse shrugs, ‘what? I felt spontaneous! I realised this is the last year before Robyn starts school, what’s wrong with me wanting to spend some quality time with my daughter?’

I can’t stop the bark of laughter that falls from my lips at her words, this woman is the least spontaneous person I have ever met! Her and Robyn’s life is planned better than a military mission, the one time the women got her to come out to a club had taken weeks of planning before she would agree.

The memory of that night slams into me and I’m suddenly sucked back into the dark corner of the club as bass music thumps through my veins, the alcohol I’ve consumed making me reckless . . .

‘Lincoln!’ the sound of my name snaps me back to the present where my eyes find Abbey who is staring at me angrily, her arms crossed over her chest, pushing up her breasts enticingly and I have to force my eyes to stay on her face.

‘You need to stop bulls.hitting me’ I reply, my own voice coming out harsher than I mean it to, but f.uck, that’s what that memory does to me.

‘I’m not bulls.hitting you’ the red head huffs.

‘Mommy! Bad word! You have to put ten cents in the jar!’ a little voice announces from my right and I turn to find Robyn standing at the end of a second corridor that I assume leads to the bedrooms.

‘Robyn!’ Abbey’s attention swings to her daughter, ‘what are you doing out here? I told you to get your things.’

‘You were shouting’ she mutters, the toe boots scuffing the carpet at her feet, ‘you sounded angry.’

Abbey swallows thickly, ‘we’re not angry, Lincoln and I are just discussing something’ she replies, ‘now go back and get your stuff together.’

‘But I have everything’ Robyn argues, ‘It’s all on my bed, like you told me.’ Her face falls slightly as she looks up at her mother, ‘why do we have to go again? Can’t we just stay?’

My frown deepens at the little girl’s words, again? Just how many times have they moved over the years? What the f.uck is going on?

Abbey swallows again, her gaze flicking to me momentarily before back to the four year old.

‘Baby, please . . just go back to your room, this is grown up talk, I’ll . . . I’ll be there in a minute’ Abbey sighs, her daughter’s eyes dimming as she nods before turning around and walking back to a doorway halfway down the hallway and disappearing inside.

Once the door clicks shut, the red head turns back to me, determination in her eyes as she points behind me.

‘You need to go’ she orders firmly, ‘I’m busy right now and you are holding me up.’

I shake my head, glaring down at her as she glowers back at me, her anger building as I refuse to do as she says.

‘Leave’ she orders again.

‘No’ I reply simply.

‘Lincoln! This is my home, you can’t not leave when I tell you to’ the nurse snaps.

I shrug, because we both know that even if she tried, she couldn’t move me an inch.

Realising I’m not going, she throws her hands up in frustration. ‘For God’s sake Lincoln! I told you to leave, don’t make me call the police’ she threatens.

A smirk crawls across my face as I shake my head slowly, ‘you won’t’ I retort.

‘Why wouldn’t I?’ Abbey demands bitterly.

I lean closer, and I feel her breath hitch as I invade her space just enough to bother her.

‘Because’ I murmur softly.

The nurse looks about ready to hit me, her fists clenched at her sides, a five foot five ball of fury but I just wait her out.

Finally, with a snarl of frustration, she mutters, ‘fine, I won’t, but only because I don’t have time.’ Her shoulders sag in defeat, her gaze falling to the ground as she sucks in a breath, ‘please Lincoln’ she murmurs, ‘go . . just . . go.’

I step closer, my arms itching to circle her body, pull her into me, her desperation, the crushing of her spark pulling at something deep within me.

Instead, I use one finger to tip her head up toward me, the pure desolation I find there ripping me in two. Gone is the sassy, confident woman that I know, the one that gave as good as she got and took no s.hit from anyone. Instead, I see only a deep aching fear swirling in her depths, overriding her fight, leaving only flight in its wake.

‘Abs’ I breathe, my own voice cracking as I stare into her hazel eyes, ‘please kitten . . let me help you.’

Abbey’s shuddering breath blows across my skin as we stand together, locked in a moment.

‘You can’t’ she whispers finally, a single tear running down her cheek, ‘no one can.’

I shake my head, my thumb reaching out to wipe across her skin, ‘try me’ I beg quietly, ‘Please?’