by Faith Gibson
“Matty, do you want more lasagna?” she asked, testing the waters. Her brother’s eyes widened as he looked to Frey for permission.
“I’ve already told you both, make yourself at home. You don’t need to ask if you can have more food, Matt. If it’s in this house, you’re welcome to it,” Frey huffed. “As a matter of fact, I’m having a second helping.” He didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he grabbed Matt’s plate along with his own and dished out more for them both. “Abbi?”
“No, thank you. I’m full.” She smiled briefly. Yes, this man was too good to be true.
“Your sister and I have already discussed this, but until this thing with Troy is settled, you and Abbi will have a ride wherever you go. I’m not trying to cramp your style. If you want to go out with friends, that can be arranged, but I’d prefer you hang close to the gym or my house for the time being. Whoever is driving you will be nearby at all times. I promised you I’d keep you safe, and if that means having someone watch your back twenty-four seven, then that’s what I’ll do.
“Abbi, I’ll drop you off at work before I take Matthew to school. Either I or one of my men will be close by all day for both of you. I will pick you up and take you to the community center for your classes. Matt, Sixx will be picking you up and bringing you back here. Abbi, Jasper is going to come over here Saturday and take your statement so you can file a restraining order. I would take you to the precinct, but if Troy has friends in the department, you don’t need to be seen down there. He’s probably going to figure out you’re gone any minute now, and your phones are going to blow up. We’ll get you both new phones with new numbers tomorrow. For tonight, you can just turn them off. Actually, it would be better if I could have the sim cards out of them so I can destroy them. That way, he can’t track your whereabouts. He is a cop after all.”
“I don’t know what a sim card is, but here’s my phone.” Abbi took her phone out of her purse and handed it to Frey. He turned the phone over and opened a compartment on the back, removing a little black disc. Matthew mimicked Frey’s movements, and handed his card over. Frey stood from the table and went to the bathroom in the hall. The toilet flushed, and he returned. Instead of sitting, he grabbed his plate and took it to the sink.
Abbi stood and reached for Matt’s plate, but he shook his head, “I got it.” He took his plate to the sink and just as Frey had, rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher. Frey spooned out the few leftover noodles into the garbage can and put the dish in the sink to soak. With only her plate and glass left, she rinsed them both and placed them in the dishwasher.
“It’s been a long day. If you don’t mind, I’m going to turn in.” Abbi wanted time alone to digest the events of the day. Had it just been that morning that Troy assaulted her in the shower? And now, here she was in another man’s home.
“I don’t mind. If you hear someone walking around during the night, it’s me. I hate to admit, but sometimes I have nightmares and can’t sleep. I just don’t want you to be alarmed.”
“Thanks for the heads up. Well, goodnight, Frey. Matty, I will see you in the morning.”
“Night, Abs,” Matt hugged his sister but didn’t follow her upstairs. She really couldn’t blame him. This was the first time in a long time her brother had a man in his life that paid attention to him. She climbed the stairs to her room. Before she shut her door, she glanced at Frey’s room. She couldn’t imagine the kinds of nightmares he had, but she bet they had to do with the wars he’d been in.
Abbi took time to look around the bedroom she’d chosen. It wasn’t lost on her that she chose the one across the hall from Frey’s. For a spare room, it was large, larger than her bedroom at home. As with downstairs, the furniture was masculine yet attractive. The bed was king-sized, and she couldn’t wait to sink into the rich looking bedding, but not yet. Abbi was dirty. Even though she’d showered that morning, she felt sullied. Troy always made her feel that way. She didn’t want to slip under Frey’s sheets with any lingering trace of her husband on her, so she took a quick shower.
She had left every nightgown at home. She refused to bring anything that reminded her of Troy. As soon as she could, she was going shopping for clothes that fit her. She’d seen the way Frey’s eyes traveled over her legs when she stepped out of the house wearing jeans. But then again, he’d seen her in next to nothing when he caught her dancing. After putting on a pair of cute pajama pants and t-shirt, she slid between the sheets of the king-size bed. There were no sounds coming from downstairs. If Frey and Matt were still up, they were being quiet. Feeling safe for the first time in forever, Abbi rolled over, hugging the extra pillow to her body and sent up a silent thank you to whoever was listening.
Abbi was wakened by a loud rumbling. She lay still, listening. The noise was low but constant. When the sound continued, she sat up and pushed back the covers, lowering her legs over the side of the bed. When she opened her door, the sound, coming from Frey’s bedroom, intensified. He’d said he had nightmares. Was he having one now? As she placed her hand on his doorknob, Matthew’s door opened. “What the hell is that?” he asked, his voice scratchy from sleep.
“I think Frey’s having a nightmare. Go back to bed.” When Matt complied, she turned her attention back to the door in front of her. The moaning hadn’t lessened in the minute she’d been standing there. Taking a deep breath, she turned the knob as quietly as possible. The sight of a nearly naked Frey grabbed her attention. The huge man was thrashing about in his bed, the covers tangled around his legs. Abbi didn’t know if it was safe to wake him, but she couldn’t stand watching the torment he was going through.
“Geoffrey,” she whispered as she stepped into his room. “Geoffrey,” she said a little louder when her voice wasn’t penetrating. “Frey!” she yelled. Before Abbi could think, Frey was out of bed and had her pinned to the wall. His huge body covered hers completely. Her arms were shackled above her head in one of his huge hands. Chest heaving, his breath was coming in harsh pants. Frey’s cock grew hard against her stomach. She raised her eyes and gasped. She could have sworn she saw fangs protruding from his mouth. Frey leaned his head in close to her neck, his nose skimming along from behind her ear, down to her shoulder. Abbi closed her eyes and waited for his sharp teeth to sink into her skin.
Chapter Fifteen
“Sir, are you sure the building’s empty?”
“Infrared shows only adults.”
“What about women, Sir?”
“Son, I gave you a direct order. Fire the goddamn missile.”
Don’t fucking call me Son. “Yes, Sir.” Frey locked on to the target and fired. Direct hit. The pilot flew the jet low over the kill zone. Frey’s shifter vision allowed him to see the carnage, drink it in, focus on every last piece of shrapnel. His stomach threatened to come out his throat when he saw the scattered remains of several children.
“What the fuck? You said the building was secure!” Frey screamed into his com. The tiny, decimated bodies were burned into his brain. He felt the deaths deep in his soul. “No, No, NO!!!”
“Geoffrey.”
“No, I won’t do it again!”
“Geoffrey!”
“Shut the fuck up! I told you I can’t do it anymore!”
“Frey!”
Frey grabbed his CO by the neck and pinned him to the wall. Oh gods, that wasn’t his CO. Fucking hell, he had Abbi. Her body felt so good, smelled so fucking good. His nose was buried in her neck, fangs out. Fuck, he had to let her go, but he needed to get his shifter under control. Had Abbi seen his fangs? Fuck! What was she doing in his room?
“Frey?” Abbi’s voice was strained.
He didn’t remove his nose from her neck as he whispered, “Give me a second.”
Abbi remained frozen beneath him, not that she could move if she wanted. Her heartbeat was frantic. He had probably scared the shit out of her, but he couldn’t move back. Not yet. The thin t-shirt she was wearing did little to hide her full breasts. Between his fangs popping ou
Frey released Abbi’s arms and took a step back. He couldn’t bear to look at her, to see the fear in her eyes. He walked over to the window, keeping his back to her. He didn’t need to push the curtain aside to know the moon was high and full. He could feel it in his soul. The Gargoyles always knew where the moon was. A small hand on his back surprised him. He turned his head finding Abbi next to him.
“Does that happen to you every night?” she asked, removing her hand. Frey immediately missed the connection.
“Not every night, but most.” He searched her eyes for fear, but instead he found sympathy. “I’m sorry I woke you.” Abbi was staring at his face, his mouth, as if searching for something. Had she seen his fangs? He turned back toward the window, this time he did move the curtain aside so it would appear he was looking out. She might find it odd, him staring at the closed drapes.
“I’ll leave you alone.” Her fingers ghosted across his skin. Frey didn’t move, didn’t turn around. His cock still hadn’t deflated from being pressed against Abbi’s body, and the touch of her hand on his arm had him growing harder. He wasn’t embarrassed for waking her; he just hoped he hadn’t scared her.
“Abbi?” He still couldn’t look at her. “I’m sorry if I scared you.”
“It’s okay,” her voice came from across the room. He waited until he heard the soft click of the door closing before he turned around. Scrubbing a hand down his face, he let out a huge sigh. That had been too close for comfort. Instead of going back to bed and risking a repeat performance, Frey slid on a pair of jeans and headed to the lake.
The full moon lit the pathway leading to the dock. Not that Frey needed the light. Between his shifter eyesight and muscle memory, he could make the walk with his eyes closed. When he reached the end, he didn’t bother rolling his pants up. He sat down and dangled his bare feet in the cool, calm water.
Matthew’s presence seeped into Frey’s mind before he heard the boy’s feet tapping along the wood planks. “Mind if I join you?” the teen asked, not bothering to wait on an answer before he sat down.
Frey grinned at him, “I don’t guess it matters.”
“I figured since you were already down here, maybe you could go ahead and give me my first lesson in meditation. I mean, that’s why you’re down here. Right?”
“How’d you get so smart?” Frey laughed. “Yes, that is exactly why I’m down here. Okay, first thing close your eyes.”
“Don’t we have to sit cross-legged?”
“Nope. It’s not about a position of your body, but your mind. Now close your eyes.” When Matthew complied, Frey continued, “Listen to the sounds. Separate them. Put the frogs in one compartment, the crickets in another. When the owl hoots, put him somewhere else. This will take a while to master, but that’s the first thing you have to do, recognize everything around you and put them in different boxes.” Frey closed his own eyes and did what he told Matt to do. It would surprise him if the teen could sit still for more than five minutes. When they had been silent for a while, Frey said, “Tell me what you hear.”
“Frogs, crickets. I haven’t heard the owl yet. There’s a dog barking in the distance. Something splashed in the water.”
“Very good. Do you hear a heartbeat?”
“Just mine beating in my chest.”
There was no way Matt could hear his sister’s heartbeat. Frey shouldn’t be able to, but with his enhanced senses, he knew Abbi was behind him. He had known the instant she stepped onto the pathway that led to the lake. Instead of calling her out, he allowed himself to feel her presence course through his body. Her pulse was strong as it found his and the two synchronized. Frey couldn’t imagine how strongly they would be connected if they were ever truly mated to one another.
Frey was proud of Matthew for sitting still as long as he had. “I’m impressed, Matt. You did very well for your first time. I want you to practice at least once a day. You are welcome to come back to the lake where it’s peaceful while you are getting the hang of it. If you get a chance, though, I want you to try and separate the sounds when you are somewhere busy. Eventually, you will be able to push everything out of your mind except what you need to concentrate on. When I get you in the ring, I want you focused solely on fighting… your rhythm, breathing, form. There can be no outside distractions if you are to become proficient.”
“Wow,” Matt whispered.
Frey didn’t think his speech was wow worthy, so he asked, “Wow, what?”
“I’ve never seen daylight break.” Matt was looking around, seeing the lake for the first time.
Frey couldn’t remember the first time he’d watched the sun come up. That moment when the darkness gave way to the light, so gradually, yet so suddenly, you didn’t realize it had happened. “It’s spectacular, isn’t it?”
“No wonder you come down here. I...” Matt hesitated. Frey didn’t want to push, but he was interested in what the boy had to say.
“You?” he prodded.
“It’s nothing. Well, it’s something, but it doesn’t matter. Me and Abbi won’t be here that long.”
“Matt, as long as you are here, this is your home. The house, the lake, the woods, all of it. If there comes a day you and Abbi decide you’re safe again and you leave, you are still welcome here. Anytime.” Frey knew he was getting too close to the boy, but Matt was part of Abbi and that meant he was part of Frey. Even if Abbi never allowed him in her life, he would continue to be a positive role model for Matthew.
Matthew opened his mouth to say something then closed it. He looked away from Frey, his shoulders hunching. Frey wasn’t going to push.
Matt cleared his throat, finding the courage to ask his question. “Have you ever killed anyone?”
That had not been what Frey expected to come out of the teen’s mouth. “I was in the military, been in several wars. So, yeah, I have.”
“How did it make you feel? Did it give you satisfaction or…”
“Taking a life for any reason is serious, Matt. I was in a war; it was kill or be killed. Have you given this a lot of thought?” Was the boy contemplating taking out his brother-in-law?
“Not really. It’s just sometimes I wonder if the world wouldn’t be better off without some people in it.”
“I have to say, I can understand where you’re coming from. Not all bad people end up in jail, but we have to try to let the justice system do its job.”
“I guess.” Matt stared off across the pond, deep in thought.
“I need coffee. Feel free to stay down here as long as you like. Well, at least until you have to get ready for school. I’m going to see about getting you a math tutor for later on, if that’s okay.”
Matt nodded. “I really appreciate it. I get out of school at three, and I don’t have to work afterwards, so any time after that would be great.”
Frey was proud of Matthew for willingly spending his Friday night studying instead of doing whatever it was teenagers did now days. “I’ll see you back at the house.” Frey stood and headed away from the lake, following Abbi’s retreating footsteps. She was walking quickly. Every so often her steps would falter, and she would let out a soft curse. Frey figured she was barefoot. He took his time behind her, giving her a chance to either hide out in her room, or confront him in the kitchen. Either way, he was ready for his morning jolt of caffeine.
When he reached the kitchen, Abbi was nowhere to be seen. As he prepared the coffee pot, he reached out, sensing she was pacing back and forth in her room. He took the opportunity to call Sixx. Not only was he going to ask him to keep an eye on Matthew while he was at school but also tutor him. Frey would be the one to watch over Abbi.
After he hung up with Sixx, he called Uri, asking him to hold training by himself, explaining why. When he was off the phone, he checked the refrigerator. Not a lot to choose from. Normally, Frey didn’t eat breakfast. Instead he prepared a protein shake at the gym. He would have Abbi add breakfast items to her grocery list, and he would stop at the store later. The back door opened, and Matt came in, more subdued than usual.
“I was just checking to see if I had anything for breakfast. It’s slim pickings. I can stop and get you something on the way to school if you’d like.”
Matthew pointed at the coffee pot. “That’s breakfast enough for me. Besides, I can grab something in the cafeteria.”
Frey pulled out a second coffee cup and handed it to Matt. “Milk’s in the fridge, but I’m all out of sugar.”
“That’s all right, I drink it black anyway.” Matthew helped himself to the steamy liquid, sipping it carefully. “Ahhhh, the elixir of the gods.”
Frey laughed, but he felt the exact same way. “Truth.” As he sipped his own cup, his body tingled, his chest tightened. Abbi was close.
“Can I have some of that elixir?” she asked as she entered the kitchen, grinning at her brother. Her smile alone was enough to bring Frey to his knees. He had been through countless battles, nearly getting shot out of the sky, but never had he felt anything like what his mate did to him. This female unsettled him in ways he couldn’t fathom. And they weren’t true mates. Not yet.
He opened the cabinet and handed her a cup. “Like I told Matthew, we have milk but no sugar. If you would, add whatever breakfast items you’d like to the grocery list.” If Frey was honest with himself, he was happier in that moment than he’d ever been in his life. Having Abbi and Matt with him in his kitchen felt like he had a family. He couldn’t remember being young, having his parents and brothers in the same house. It was too long ago. With all three of them together, his big house finally felt like a home, even if it was temporary.
-->
