by Faith Gibson
Abbi sent a silent prayer to every deity who might be listening. Please don’t let me get pregnant.
Chapter Three
Knowing Julian would still be at the lab, Frey went there after leaving the manor. He let himself into the locked building and found his younger brother in front of the bank of computers where he spent most of his time. Frey didn’t know how Julian and Nikolas could sit so long and stare at the screens. Unless he was meditating, he hated sitting still. He needed to be moving. It was one reason he’d opened a gym. He ran a business that allowed him to spar and work out while making money. Not that he needed the money. Like the other Gargoyles, he had more money than he could spend in his long lifetime. Sixx made sure of that.
“Hey, Little Brother. What the fuck is going on? I went by the manor to talk to Kaya, and nobody was home. I called Rafe, and he asked me to rearrange all the patrol schedules. Said you’d fill me in on what’s going down.” He sat down in Nikolas’ empty chair and assessed his brother’s mood. Julian and Nikolas were as close as siblings could be without being twins. Julian had to be missing Nik badly.
Jules stopped typing and ran his hands down his face. “How much time do you have?” Julian picked up something that resembled a transmitter and twirled it between his fingers as he spoke. “Talk about a mess. I guess I should start at the beginning. Isabelle has a child, Connor, who has been living with Isabelle’s foster family for the last six years. She has been hiding the kid, because she didn’t want her former father-in-law to get his hands on his dead son’s heir. Someone found out about Connor and sent Isabelle a note. She panicked and called Dane. Having experience in kidnappings, he wanted her to allow him and Kaya to handle the situation.
“Dane has a contact in New Nashville. Corey, the contact, called in a favor with the sheriff’s department where the foster family lives. They went to the home and found the foster father, Rico, dead. There was evidence of Maria, the foster mother, being dragged through the house, and her body was found a few blocks away. She is in a coma in a hospital in New Nashville. That is where Rafael is now. There was no sign of Connor.” There was a notification on one of the computers, and Julian turned to check it out. Frey kept quiet, clasping his hands behind his head.
Julian returned his attention to Frey. “Somehow, the kidnappers got Isabelle’s cell phone information and texted her, telling her to head to the airport. Tessa was going to go in her place, but Isabelle gave us the slip. Long story short, Isabelle is on a plane, and Dante is on the Clan jet going after her.”
“So, Isabelle called Dane instead of Dante. I bet he was upset.” Frey would be if his mate called someone else for help, even if that someone was her brother. Technically, they weren’t mates since they hadn’t officially bonded. Still, it had to hurt.
“You could say that. Tessa had a plan, a good one, to disguise herself as Isabelle. Before she could get back with the supplies she needed, Isabelle snuck out and headed to the airport.”
“What a clusterfuck. Why can’t one of us find a mate that doesn’t have a target on their back? Speaking of women, what’s going on with yours?”
“Nothing is going on with mine. I am too busy trying to keep everyone else’s alive.” Julian had one of the most important jobs in the Clan, whether he realized it or not. Frey was often envious of how smart his little brother was. Julian’s I.Q. was off the charts. His mind was a weapon all its own, and if the government ever found out what Julian was capable of, he would become a wanted man.
“Truth, Brother. Truth. And Isabelle has a kid? How did Dante take the news?”
“Same way we all did. Shocked at first, but then we all realized we don’t know her. Why would we have known she has a kid? I know nothing about Katherine that I haven’t read in a file online. I’m sure she has secrets like the rest of us. Dante has already accepted Isabelle, and he’s ready for a family. He will do the honorable thing and accept Connor without hesitation. Wouldn’t you?”
“Of course I would. We all have pasts, good and bad. We cannot judge others without judging ourselves. I would hate to have stones cast my way for the shit I’ve done. Besides, I’m ready for a rugrat or ten myself.” And that was the truth of it. Frey kept his past to himself. He never wanted his Clan to know the things he’d done during war, the atrocities he’d seen. Meditation helped, but his nightmares sometimes got the best of him. If he was ever lucky enough to find a mate, she’d have to be a strong woman who could put up with his thrashing about during the night.
“Do you ever think about him?” Julian stopped typing long enough to look at his brother. Frey didn’t have to ask who Jules was talking about.
“All the time. At least now I can think about the good times and what a good father he was.” Roberto Di Pietro, the younger brother of Edmondo, had been a good father, and a great fighter. He blamed himself for Edmondo getting killed, even though he hadn’t been around when it happened. He was the reason Frey had joined the military so often, following in his father’s footsteps.
When the female Goyles started becoming extinct, Frey had all but given up the dream of having a family. Now that he knew it was possible, it was almost all he could think about. As much as he wanted children of his own, Frey knew he’d never be half the dad his own had been.
“I need to adjust the patrolling schedule, now that Gregor and Dante are out of the country. We are going to continue with sword training. Rafe doesn’t want me to postpone working with the rest of the Clan. I am meeting Uri in the morning at the armory, and we will proceed as planned. Dante has already spoken to Oksana and given her an extended vacation. Even though she is in the know about us being Goyles, I don’t want her around when we’re all half naked and swinging swords. I’d hate to give the old girl a heart attack.” Frey grinned at his brother.
Julian barked out a laugh. “Hell, you’re enough to give someone a heart attack just by walking into a room. Have you seen yourself?”
Frey knew he was intimidating. Even if he weren’t a full-blooded Gargoyle, he would make most anyone stop and take notice. Wanting to turn the attention away from himself he asked, “Heard anything from Nik?” Frey had wanted to go with his brother to help look for Sophia. It had been a long time since he’d been on a mission. Search and rescue was one of his many talents. Rafael suggested Gregor be the one to go since his mate was bound and determined to help find her cousin.
“I talked to him this morning to put him in touch with Ezekiel. Since they’re both searching for Sophia, we figure it’s better if they work together. Now that Gregor has gone to help Dante, his plan to help Nik has been delayed. Hopefully both outcomes will be positive, and we can get Nik home soon.” It was evident by his voice that Julian missed their brother.
They talked about the half-bloods, and how so many of their lives had been connected without them knowing it. Frey mentioned mating with humans which brought the conversation to Kaya. Julian asked, “If you don’t mind me asking, what did you want to speak to Kaya about?”
Frey sat up in the chair, leaning his arms on his thighs. “One of her cops. Apparently he’s a douchebag that likes to beat on his wife and her younger brother. The kid came into the gym wanting to learn how to fight. I want more intel before I go to bat for him.”
“Why don’t you just kick the cop’s ass and scare the shit out of him?” Julian cocked his head to the side and smiled. Being a shifter, Julian could hold his own in a fight, but he didn’t have the extensive training Frey did. If he wanted, Frey could subdue a person just by gripping their shoulder. He could also kill a man with a quick blow to the chest.
“I wish it were that simple. This is something I’ve got to tread carefully with. Now, I will leave you to your monitors. I’ve got to hit the skies. Maybe I’ll get to kick some Unholy ass instead,” Frey said with a grin.
“Here.” Julian tossed the item he’d been fiddling with to his brother. “New technology. Tessa got it from Jonas, and I want to test it out before I attempt to duplicate it. I
As Julian explained how it worked, Frey turned the plastic over looking at both sides before sliding it over his ear. He pulled a cigar out of his pocket and bit the end off. Pointing the unlit stick at his brother he said, “Call me if you need me. I’ll be here.”
Julian nodded and turned back to the screens. Unease was rolling off his brother. Maybe he was tired of sitting still after all.
Even though his patrolling had been free of Unholy, Frey hadn’t slept well. His thoughts strayed to the young man with the bruised face. Hopefully the sister would sign the permission slip, and Matthew could begin his training soon. Frey opened the gym as he did every morning. He had a couple of hours before he was to meet Urijah at the armory. There were a handful of people that liked to work out before they went to their jobs, but nobody needed a sparring partner this early. So, instead of hitting the boxing ring, Frey hit the speed bag. Even though he didn’t need to, he wrapped his hands. If he punched a bag for hours on end with no protection, someone might get suspicious. He began working on the small bag that was located close to the front door, taking care to keep his shifter speed in check.
About twenty minutes into his warm-up, Frey started feeling light headed. He grabbed the bag, stopping its motion, when a woman walked into the gym. His stomach churned as he took in her features - mousy brown hair, dull blue eyes, and frumpy clothes. The same hair and eyes he had seen on Matthew. This was Matthew’s sister, Abigail Quinn.
“Excuse me. Do you know where I can find Mr. Hartley?” she asked quietly, her eyes not meeting his longer than necessary.
Frey found his feet and forced them to close the distance between him and this broken creature. “I’m Mr. Hartley. Geoffrey Hartley. You must be Abigail.” He quickly removed the tape from his right hand so he could shake hers, skin to skin. Dumb move. When she placed her small hand in his, he about fell to his knees. What the hell? Frey never got sick, never felt faint.
When she took her hand from his, he felt the loss. As Frey stood frozen in place, he realized he was looking at his mate. Fuck me. I find my mate, and she’s married to an abusive motherfucker.
“Please call me Abbi. My brother asked me to come by and sign a consent form. May I ask what he’s signing up for?” Her voice was soft and musical. Frey wanted to hear it again.
“I’ll call you Abbi if you call me Frey.” He waited, but she didn’t speak; only nodded. Frey was ready to throttle the man who had taken the life out of both Abbi and her brother.
“Matthew wants to take a self-defense class. After seeing his face yesterday, I’d say that is a wise decision. Do you know where he got the bruises?” Frey begged her silently to be honest with him as he stared at her swollen bottom lip.
Abbi shifted from one foot to the other. Not in the bouncy way her brother did. Her movements were timid. She clasped her hands together when she answered, “He’s always getting into fights. The bigger boys pick on him. Can you help him, Mr. Hartley?” Her pleading eyes found his. She was afraid for her brother, and she wanted Frey to help.
He couldn’t stop himself. The need to be near her was overwhelming. Frey moved a step closer and took Abbi’s hand in his, running his thumb across the soft skin of her knuckles. “Yes, Abbi, I can help him.” And you. Her small fingers curled tight against his, as if she knew instinctively Frey was her lifeline. They fixed their gazes on each other, and he took the opportunity to search her soul. Those beautiful blue orbs staring at him should be filled with love and happiness, not fear and wariness. Abbi blushed and looked down.
“I’m sorry, that was…” She backed away.
“No, I apologize, Abbi. You’re stunning. Please forgive me for staring.” Frey didn’t miss the breath she sucked in when he complimented her. He had seen too many battered women over the centuries to not recognize what he was seeing. Underneath the ugly duckling façade her husband had convinced her of over the years was a beautiful swan just waiting to break through. Right then and there, Frey vowed to break through to the swan.
Chapter Four
Abbi couldn’t think. She had been around a lot of men in her life, mostly fathers of her students. She had even visited the precinct where Troy worked a few times. Never in her twenty-seven years had she ever come across someone as arresting as Geoffrey Hartley. If he was going to be Matt’s teacher, she was almost afraid for her brother. This man had to be at least six and a half feet tall. His shoulders were so broad, she didn’t know how he found clothes to fit. He would break Matt like a twig. She was reading over the paperwork Matt had already filled out while watching Frey out of the corner of her eye. God, he smelled so good, like an afternoon rain shower and man.
“Is everything all right?” he asked her. Crap, had he caught her ogling him? What was she doing anyway? She was a married woman. Still, just because she was tied down didn’t mean she was dead. Anyone would have to be six feet under, toes up, to not take notice of the powerful male that was Geoffrey Hartley.
“I’m fine,” she whimpered as she scribbled her name on the designated line. She held the clipboard out and when he reached for it, his hand covered hers. As soon as their skin touched, Geoffrey inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. Did he not know she was married, or did he touch all women that way? She would hate to be the object of his affection. Troy wasn’t a small man, and in the bedroom he scared her. She couldn’t imagine being underneath a man as large as Frey. She stood quickly, hoping to break the connection. The man’s nostrils flared as his eyes popped open.
Instead of releasing her, he reached out with his other hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered as he whispered, “Beautiful.” She searched his eyes to see if he was just messing with her. She knew her appearance was less than stellar. Maybe when she was a teenager and dancing, she had been pretty. Now she was a mess. Troy insisted she dress like her dead grandmother so no other man would think twice about how she looked under the baggy clothes. She wasn’t allowed to wear much makeup or fix her hair. She was lucky she had naturally wavy hair, or it would never look decent. The one time she’d gone to the salon and had lowlights put in, he’d gone to the store and bought a box of color and made her change it back that night.
The dark brown eyes staring intently into hers showed nothing but truth. Even a frumpy mess, this man thought she was beautiful. No, no he didn’t. He just wanted in her pants. Sighing, she pushed the clipboard into Geoffrey’s hand and backed up. “If that’s all, I need to get to school. It’s my turn for bus duty.” Not that he cared about that.
“I take it you’re a teacher?” Frey placed the clipboard on the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. His biceps bulged. Why did the man have to be so enticing? She hoped Matt never needed her to come to this place again. The temptation was too strong. Stop it Abbi. He isn’t interested in you. Well, maybe screwing your brains out, but that’s what all men want. The only thing they want.
“Abbi?”
“What?” He had asked her a question.
“I asked if you’re a teacher.” He was frowning. God, was he mad at her? Oh crap!
She backed up, putting some distance between them in case he was mad. “Yes, I teach second grade at New Atlanta.”
“Abbi, please.” His hands were out, palms up. “I would never hurt you.” He lowered his hands, his fists opening and closing. He was pissed, but not at her. Did he know? Had Matthew told him about Troy? “I am a real man. Real men do not harm women. Not their bodies, not their faces, and definitely not their hearts.” He shook his head and turned his back to her. His shoulders were moving up and down as if he was having trouble breathing.
“Geoffrey, I…”
He turned suddenly and quicker than she could imagine, he was right in front of her. He lifted her chin gently. “I promise you, I will never lay a hand on you in anger. Do you understand?”
Abbi could only nod. Geoffrey’s presence, his body this close to hers, had her stomach fluttering and the juncture between her legs coming to life. She barely remembered being turned on in high school when the captain of the football team kissed her behind the bleachers after a game. Not once since then had she felt alive. Wanted. Frey’s nostrils flared again, and as quickly as he’d come to stand before her, he was back a few feet away.
“I will take very good care of Matt, I promise. I hope you have a good day at school.” He offered her a smile as he dismissed her. If she never saw another smile again in her life, that one right there would be enough to die happily with. How could someone so large and intimidating have the smile of an angel?
She smiled back. Truly smiled at him. She didn’t have to force it the way she did with Troy. This man brought out something in her, something she hadn’t known she was missing. “Thank you. You have a good day at…whatever it is you do all day.” She blushed and ducked her head. As she rushed out the front door, she heard the deep laughter of a man who was happy.
Abbi arrived at the school and parked in her regular spot. Her thoughts were on Geoffrey. I’ll call you Abbi if you call me Frey. “Frey…Frey…Geoffrey” She whispered his name out loud, testing it on her tongue. Pounding on her window caused her to jump.
Troy was standing there, hands on his hips, a scowl on his face. “Get out of the car, Abigail.”
Abbi took a mental stock of her appearance. She had snuck out of the house while Troy was in the shower, knowing it was the only way she could leave early. Her clothes were the normal baggy ones she dressed in for school. She had on the barest amount of makeup she could get away with. Her hair was just her hair, except Frey had pushed it behind her ear. She absentmindedly touched the spot where his fingers had lingered. “Abigail!” Troy’s impatient voice reminded her where she was. Abbi grabbed her purse and briefcase before opening the door. Usually Troy didn’t cause a scene in public. He wanted the good people at her school to believe he was a fine, upstanding officer of the law.
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