Abducted Heart (Z-Series) by Jerri Drennen

blackmail you?”
    “No, Daddy. Lynch came here to help. How could you assume such an awful thing?”
    “You know what kind of father he had. He's scum. Always was, always will be.”
    “Who are you calling scum?” Lynch's mother shouted, rushing into the room. “My son has been serving his country for the past ten years to keep you and every other man, woman and child in the US safe and you have the nerve to call him scum.”
    “Who is this?” her father asked Casey.
    “This is Lynch's mother, Patricia.”
    Her father sniffed and looked away, giving Casey the once-over. “What's going on here? Looks like you're having a little dinner party. Where the hell is your husband, Casey? Do you think he'd approve of Rendell being here?”
    Casey's jaw dropped. He all of a sudden cared what Brent thought? Clearly her husband was the lesser of two evils in Daniel Wheaton's eyes. Lynch was the devil incarnate to him.
    “Look, Daddy, this isn't a good time. I need you to leave.”
    “I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on.”
    Casey wanted to cry. The last thing she needed was her father involved in this whole mess. He'd just make it worse.
    “Look, we're all tired. I think we should go home and get some rest.” Patricia's suggestion drew everyone's attention to her.
    “When Casey tells me what is going on, I'll consider it.”
    “I'll tell you, Daddy. But I'm too tired right now. I'll call you first thing in the morning.”
    Her father glared at Lynch, then without another word, left.
    “I'll have to tell him everything tomorrow. He won't let me out of it.”
    “Hopefully I'll have a plan devised by then.” Lynch smiled at both Casey and his mother.
    “I need to call a cab since I lost my ride.”
    “Just take your car. We can take Casey's tomorrow.”
    “You sure?”
    “Definitely.” He kissed his mother's cheek, then handed her the keys and walked her out.
    Casey dragged herself to the living room and dropped down onto the sofa. What a disaster the night had been. Poor Alex had to be hurting. To think your son could do such a thing when you hadn't raised him like that.
    “You okay?” Lynch asked, standing a few feet away.
    She hadn't even heard him come back. “I'm wondering about Alex. What do you think he's thinking right now?”
    Lynch shrugged. “Probably the same thing I am?”
    “And that is?”
    “What happened to Brent to make him a sociopath?”

 
     
    CHAPTER ELEVEN
     
     
    A crackle of raw energy filled the air in the room. Lynch and Casey were alone and that was a potent combination, especially after what happened with them that morning. If the security alarm hadn't gone off, they would have finished what they had started.
    The thought had his cock going rock hard. “Why don't we go to bed?”
    Wrong thing to say, Rendell .
    She stared at him. It was clear she shared the same thought.
    Did she want him as bad as he wanted her?
    “Where is Zack?” she asked, her voice wavering.
    “He had a date.”
    “What? With who...” Her eyes narrowed and darkened a shade. “Please tell me it wasn't with Chelsea.”
    “Hey, I tried to talk him out of it.”
    “You don't think they'll...”
    Lynch had to smile at Casey's reluctance to say the words. “If Zack has his way, yes.”
    She bit down onto her bottom lip. “I don't want Chelsea hurt. You know she's been my best friend since forever.”
    “I know. I told Zack that. He's had a dry spell with women lately, so you know he's going to jump at the chance when it's offered. Chelsea is stunning and hard to resist.”
    A look crossed Casey's features but Lynch wasn't quite sure what it was about.
    “I'm tired. I'm going to bed,” she said abruptly, then turned and walked up the stairs, leaving Lynch to wonder why she'd all of a sudden needed to leave.
    What was that ?
    Lynch should be glad not to be in the same room with her since all he'd wanted to do was take her in his arms and make love to her.
    Before turning in, he went