by Faith Gibson
Once everyone was dressed and ready to go, they headed toward the garage. Frey had already pulled his truck out of the garage, not expecting Abbi to ride in his Jeep. “Where’s the Jeep?” Matt asked.
“In the garage. This will be more comfortable for Abbi.” Frey opened the door and held Abbi’s bags while she climbed in. Matthew hopped in the back, sliding across to lean forward between the two front seats.
“How many vehicles do you own?” he asked Frey.
“Three for now. Besides the truck and jeep, I have a Harley, too.” Frey started the truck and eased down the driveway. The gate automatically opened as they neared and closed behind them.
“You sure do have some cool shit,” Matt said as he leaned back.
“Matthew!” Abbi chastised him.
“Well, he does.” Matthew sat back, looking out the side window.
Frey laughed softly. He never had to worry about money. He’d always had plenty, but when Sixx came into their lives and started investing the Clan’s money, he’d made them all wealthy beyond their wildest imaginations. None of the Stone Society would ever have to worry about their finances. Neither would their kids or grandkids, if and when they ever had them. “I have made some really good investments over the years. Something we need to do is look at getting you some new wheels.”
“You can’t do that,” Abbi declared from her side of the truck.
“Don’t worry; I’m not buying him a new Corvette. But you have seen the piece of shit he drives, right? I want him to have something dependable.”
“His car may not look like much, but it is dependable, and he paid for it himself. We can’t afford anything newer right now.” She turned her gaze to the window.
Frey knew he’d just stepped in deep shit and hurt their feelings. He didn’t know what it was like to have to scrape by for the necessities.
“I’ll make payments. We can set up a schedule, and you can take it out of my check from the gym.” Matthew was obviously onboard with having something newer to drive.
“That’ll work. We’ll go this weekend,” Frey told Matt’s reflection in the mirror. The kid nodded and smiled. Fuck. Just the basic needs being met were putting a smile on the kid’s face. Yeah, Frey was going to put a hurting on Troy Quinn.
“We’re close to some drive-thrus. Are you sure you don’t want anything?” Both said they were fine, so Frey drove on to the elementary. “We are going to drive by slowly, and I want you to look for Troy’s vehicle. If he’s here, we’ll drive around back.” Both Abbi and Matthew searched, and neither saw him. Frey pulled up to the front door and let the truck idle. “What time do you get out of here?”
“I will be finished by three-thirty.”
“Okay, I’ll see you then. Abbi, if Troy tries to give you any trouble today, call me immediately.”
Abbi smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Geoffrey.”
Frey wanted so bad to lean over and kiss her lips. Until she was his, he had to tame his beast. “Have a good day.” He waited until Abbi was safely inside before driving off.
“You like her, don’t you?” Matthew asked as he climbed in the front seat.
“Yes, she’s really nice.”
“No, I mean you like her like her. It’s okay if you do. She needs a good man in her life instead of that piece of shit she’s married to. Please tell me you like her.”
Frey laughed at the puppy dog eyes Matthew was giving him. For a seventeen year old boy who was almost a man, he could act really child-like. He figured that was because Matt hadn’t had a decent role model in ten years.
“Yeah, I like her like her. She’s pretty, and smart, and one helluva dancer.” Frey couldn’t help the shit-eating grin plastered across his face.
Matthew gasped. “You’ve seen her dance? When?”
“Last night when I went to the community center to talk to her. She laced up those funny looking pink shoes and twirled around the room. It was the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.”
“Yeah,” Matthew agreed, grinning.
When they got close to the high school, Frey pointed out Sixx, sitting in one of his many cars. “That’s Michael Gentry. He will be close by all day. When you get out of school, he’ll pick you up. Here’s his phone number. If you have trouble of any kind, or see Troy before you reach Sixx’s car, call him.”
“Sixx?” Matthew asked, confused.
“Yeah, Michael worships the old rocker Nikki Sixx. Dresses like him on weekends. It’s really funny to see him with his hair all spiked. Don’t worry; you’ll get a glimpse of the glamour queen tomorrow.” Frey couldn’t help but smile when his mind brought forth an image of his rocker wannabe cousin.
“Cool. Frey, thanks for this. I still don’t get why you chose me and Abbi, but I’m glad you did.” Matthew didn’t allow Frey to respond. Instead, he jumped out of the truck and gave Frey a backwards two-finger salute as he walked away.
“The fates chose you and Abbi, and I’m also glad they did,” Frey told the teen’s retreating body.
Chapter Sixteen
Troy woke with the sun in his face coming through the front window. He’d fallen asleep on the couch when he came in the night before. He had every intention of showering the scent of the two women off his body before taking what was his from Abbi. Shit, he couldn’t believe he’d slept so late. She could have at least woken him before she left for school. He’d have to get on to her for that.
His mind drifted back to the previous night’s events. Those two girls had been a trip. They had definitely put on a show for him and George. It’d been a while since he and his best friend had tag-teamed the ladies. Before George was married, they did it at least once a month. Then his friend became a little more discreet in his cheating. He wasn’t careful enough, though. The marriage lasted all of six months, and once the divorce was final, the threesomes were back on. And now that Troy was on second shift, he could see them happening quite often. As a matter of fact, the four of them had already decided tonight would be a repeat performance.
Troy lay back down on the couch and flipped the television on. He didn’t have to be at work for a while, so he was going to enjoy the quiet without his wife banging around the kitchen.
Frey had called Lorenzo and asked if he could watch the school while Frey ran his errands. Mason was manning the gym. He really should be there himself, but Abbi and Matt were too important. He’d close the gym before he’d neglect their well-being. His first order of business was to purchase them both new cell phones. He didn’t ask Abbi if it was okay to get Matt a smart phone, he just figured it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission. He was also going to make sure they both had dependable cars, whether Abbi liked it or not.
He pulled into the grocery store parking lot and killed the engine. Before he went inside, he took the grocery list out of his pocket and stared at it. Abbi had written very little on the list. Fuck it, he’d buy what he thought they would like. Once inside, he grabbed a cart and started in the produce aisle. He grabbed the essential vegetables and headed to the meats. By the time he was finished, he had everything on the list plus enough other items to fill the cart. He paid for the groceries, returned home, and put them away. While he did that, he put both their phones on chargers.
He didn’t know if they liked steaks or would prefer hamburgers, so he marinated steaks, just in case. If they chose hamburgers, those were easy enough to pat out later. When that was finished, he grabbed both phones off the chargers and headed back toward town. He stopped first at the high school, asking to speak with the principal. The secretary sat staring momentarily before finally gathering her wits about her. Frey had that effect on almost everyone. When the principal came out of his office, he smiled and shook Frey’s hand. If they had been in the dojo, he would have bowed.
“Scott, how are you?” Frey asked one of his newest students.
“Doing well. Looking forward to our next class. What brings you here?” Scott wasn’t a tall man, but he was stocky, m
uch like Gregor.
“Can we speak in private?”
“Sure, come into my office.” Scott escorted him into the inner room and shut the door.
“One of your students is being abused. He came to me for help, wanting to train, and I’ve taken him under my wing, so to speak. The reason I’m telling you this, is his abuser is his brother-in-law who also happens to be a cop.”
“Matthew Swanson. I knew someone was getting to the boy. I’ve seen the bruises, but he clams up when I ask him about them. He always says it’s some punk from work. Dammit, I should have turned him over to child services anyway.”
“He’s protecting his sister. I wanted to ask you to keep an eye on Matt while he’s in the building. I have someone outside watching him. Here is a list of my men with their pictures. If you see any of them lurking around the building, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t call the cops. They will stay out of the way unless they feel there’s a threat to Matthew. If they come in the school, it’s for a good reason.”
“I’ll let the teachers know to be on the lookout. What else can I do?”
Frey pulled Matt’s cellphone out of his pocket. “Please give this to Matt. His old one was compromised.”
“Thanks for the heads up. I’ll do everything in my power to keep him safe inside these walls.” Scott held out his hand, and Frey shook it gratefully.
His next order of business was taking Abbi’s phone to her and alerting her principal of the dangers of Troy Quinn. Once that was taken care of, he relieved Lorenzo of his post and took up residence in the elementary parking lot. While he waited, he called Rafael and filled him in on what was going on. His King was understanding as well as supportive. They were family, and as such, mates came first. It didn’t matter that Frey and Abbi hadn’t completed the bond, just like when Dante went after Isabelle and Connor. With any luck, Frey would get Abbi away from her dickhead husband. Hopefully one day, even if it took years, she would feel something other than the mate bond for Frey.
Sixx called relaying he had Matthew safely on his way home. Frey could hear the boy chattering excitedly in the background. “What’s the kid going on about?”
Sixx sighed. “Apparently, I look like a rock star.”
“Well, we all knew that.”
“I’ll see you later.” Sixx cut the connection. Frey laughed out loud, knowing how much of a handful Matt could be when he got going. Frey leaned his head back and smiled. He couldn’t remember smiling or laughing as much as he had in the last few days. The kid brought it out in him. He wanted to return the favor.
At three-thirty on the dot, Abbi walked out of the school, looking more beautiful than ever. He had wanted to compliment her clothing that morning, but didn’t want to make her feel awkward. There would be plenty of time to build up her self-esteem later. She climbed into the truck and smiled. “How was your day?” he asked as he drove away from the school.
“Same as any other Friday, with the exception of some man bringing me a new phone.” She sheepishly smiled and looked away. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. What time is your class at the community center?”
“Normally at 4:30, but I canceled it for today. Troy has a habit of showing up there unannounced, and I didn’t want to risk it.”
“Very good. Matthew’s already home, so let’s go see about feeding him.”
Abbi didn’t respond. She did, however, stare at Frey’s profile. He could feel her eyes on him, and his beast was punching him from the inside. You can just simmer down there big boy. It’s gonna be a while before you get loose with this one. “Do you want to tell me why you’re staring?” he asked.
“Do you want to tell me why you care so much? I know there are good people in the world, but you are going above and beyond.”
Frey couldn’t stop his hand from reaching for hers. She didn’t pull away; if anything, she held on a little tighter. “I have already tried to explain it the best way I can. Abbi, I am attracted to you. I’m not going to call it love at first sight, but I felt an immediate connection to you the first time I saw you. If you were single, I’d be asking you on dates, begging you to let me get to know you better. The situation is a little strange, I agree, but I still want that chance to know you and for you to know me.” He glanced her way before turning his eyes back to the curvy road his house was on.
Abbi continued staring at his profile. Instead of responding, she threaded their fingers together. The rest of the drive was made in a sweet silence. Frey pulled up to the gate and said, “Open says me.” The gate opened and Abbi let out a giggle. He raised his eyebrows at her and asked, “What?”
“You do realize it’s ‘open sesame’, don’t you?” She was still giggling when he huffed at her.
“Not at my gate it’s not.” He pretended to be disgruntled, but Abbi’s laugh had him smiling quickly.
As they rolled up to the garage, Abbi asked, “Who’s car is that?” Sixx had chosen to drive his Bugatti Veyron. No wonder Matt thought he was a rock star.
“That would be Michael’s. I’m afraid to let you close to him.”
“Why?” Abbi asked excitedly.
Frey cringed. “See, you’re already excited, and you’ve only seen the car. All the women love Sixx. That’s what Michael calls himself, after the guitarist, Nikki Sixx of…”
“Motley Crue! I love that band. Does he really look like a rock star?”
“Only on the weekends. Come on, let’s get this over with.” Frey knew it was a lost cause. Why would Abbi want a big oaf like him when someone as good looking and sophisticated as Michael was around?
The front door opened, and Matthew bound down the steps. “Have you seen this car? Holy shit! It goes like two hundred plus!”
“What?” Abbi wasn’t impressed with Sixx now. Frey knew there was no way Sixx would have gone that fast with the kid in the car, but he wasn’t about to clear that little misunderstanding up.
About that time, the culprit walked out the door, shaking his head. “It does go that fast. We didn’t go that fast. Hi, I’m Michael.” Sixx kept his hands in his pockets and stayed back from Abbi.
“Nice to meet you. Thank you for watching over Matt today.” Abbi pulled Matthew into a hug, keeping him away from the expensive sports car.
“You’re welcome. Matt, are you ready to study?”
“Yeah, sure. And while we’re getting set up, I’m going to show you the lead singer for Cyanide Sweetness. I swear you look just like Desi Rothchild.”
“What did you say?” Sixx asked accusingly.
“Man, the lead singer of Cyanide Sweetness. We’ve already discussed this.”
“Yes, but you didn’t mention his name. Never mind, let’s go.”
Sixx and Matthew climbed the steps, disappearing into the house to study, leaving Frey and Abbi alone. “I went to the store, and I have steaks marinating. Is that okay, or would you prefer hamburgers?”
“Mmmmm.” Abbi groaned enthusiastically. “I can’t remember the last time I had a grilled steak.”
Surely she was kidding. Everyone ate steaks. Everyone except those who couldn’t afford it or had a fucktard for a husband. Frey knew cops didn’t make a lot of money and neither did school teachers. But surely, between the two of them, they could have bought the beef on sale at some point. “Steak it is, then. I will fire up the grill then get started on the potatoes.”
“Let me do those. I wouldn’t feel right you doing all the work.”
“I’d appreciate that. The potatoes are in the pantry. There’s also stuff for salad in the fridge if you want to tackle that too. I suck at peeling vegetables.”
Abbi laughed and told him, “I’ll have to teach you the proper way to do it then.”
Frey wanted Abbi to teach him all sorts of things, and most of them had absolutely nothing to do with food. They worked in tandem, Frey manning the grill, Abbi handling the salad and potatoes in the kitchen. When everything was ready, Frey called out to Sixx.
“
There’s no way he heard you.” Shit. He really needed to be careful around her. She was highly observant. Her eyes widened when Sixx and Matt came down the steps.
“What is that smell?” Matthew stood at the entrance to the kitchen and sniffed the air. Abbi laughed at her brother.
“It’s steak.” She whispered, almost reverently. Frey didn’t miss the look between the two of them, nor the one Sixx gave him.
“All right, I’m out of here. I’ll see you at the restaurant in the morning.” Sixx bumped knuckles with Matt and nodded at Frey and Abbi.
“Man, he’s the coolest!” Matthew was bouncing around the kitchen. Frey couldn’t blame the kid. Sixx was pretty cool for an old man.
Abbi dished out salad into a bowl, and said, “Yeah, if you like the brooding silent type, which I don’t.” She glanced at Frey and smiled. His heart soared.
Chapter Seventeen
The three of them sat at the table, eating, talking, and basically acting like a family after a day at work and school. Frey was afraid to get his hopes up, but dammit, he wanted this. All of it. When they finished eating, they all pitched in and did the dishes. Afterwards, they went into the large living area, and Frey told them to pick a movie to watch. When he opened the hidden cabinet on one side of the wall, Matthew just about had a teenage seizure. Frey could open his own video store with all the movies he had. “If you can’t find any on that side, check in here.” He opened the cabinet on the other side which secretly housed the video player as well as several different gaming systems.
“Holy shit, Batman!” Matthew began looking through the myriad of video games.
“Matty!” Abbi chastised him for his language, but Frey could understand the teen’s excitement. When Matt confided he didn’t play basketball, because he had to work, Frey guessed then the teen probably wasn’t allowed to have any of the smaller things that would make a kid happy. “You can go through the videos while I’m at work. Go ahead and pick a movie.” Even though she was fussing at him, she did it with a soft voice and with love. It was probably her teacher voice. Frey would love to see her interact with her students.
