by Faith Gibson
“Did I do something wrong?” Abbi asked when the silence was too much to bear.
“What? No.” Frey stopped and put his hands on her upper arms. “You are perfect, so please stop second-guessing yourself at every turn.” Frey tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. It was a move she was getting used to. His fingertips lingered behind her ear as his thumb caressed her cheek. Even though the movement was sweet, it sent a chill over her body. Abbi shivered, and he immediately pulled her into the warmth of his embrace. She didn’t allow herself to think how wrong it was. No, this feels right. This feels like home. She wrapped her arms around his waist and turned her head so her ear was against his heart.
Frey stroked her hair, over and over. She had no idea how long they stood there, silently, just being. He kissed the top of her head before tipping her chin up so he could see her face. “Perfect,” he muttered. He turned them so they could start walking again, this time wrapping a strong arm around her shoulder. “Tell me your schedule for next week.”
“I have classes at the community center Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I need to work on the dances for the fall festival, but I can do that from home. I mean, your house, not…”
Frey squeezed her shoulder and softly said, “This is your home.”
“Frey…” Abbi stopped, but he urged her on along the pathway.
“No, don’t overthink it. This is your home for as long as you want it. Now, what about seeing an attorney? When are you going to squeeze that into your busy schedule?”
“Kaya gave me a name, but I haven’t had a chance to contact her. She’s probably you’re cousin, too. I swear, you know everyone.” Abbi elbowed him playfully in the side.
“Is it Victoria Holt?”
“See, you do know everyone.”
“One day soon you will meet Jonathan and Priscilla, Rafael’s housekeepers. They are more like family, but they keep the manor running like a fine-tuned instrument. Priscilla’s the one who taught me how to make lasagna. Anyway, Victoria is their niece, and one hell of an attorney. Also, Rafael is all about keeping things in the family.”
“Jonathan’s a housekeeper?” Abbi had heard of butlers but not male housekeepers.
“He’s so much more than a butler. He takes care of the garden and the grounds. He is a chauffeur and a top-notch mechanic. Where Priscilla is a mother to us all, Jonathan fills the void for those of us who’ve lost our fathers.”
“So, you lost your parents, too?” Abbi knew the pain of losing those closest to you all too well.
“It was a long time ago, but yes. Now, back to Victoria. There are some things I need to talk to you about before you contact her. Things that are going to weigh heavily when she takes Quinn to court.”
“Like what? We don’t have anything, not really. Just the house, and he can have it. I don’t want to live there.” When it was all said and done, Abbi wanted a clean break from Troy with no sad reminders of her past.
“Let’s sit down.” They had reached the end of the dock. There was a bench off to the side that faced the water. Frey put his arm around Abbi’s shoulders and kissed the top of her head. She loved the intimacy of the gesture. She relaxed into his side, feeling content for the first time in years.
“Abbi, we’ve uncovered some things about Troy. There’s no way to soften the blow, so I’m just going to tell you. He and your Aunt Judy were partners of sorts. Money traded hands between the two of them. Money that should have been yours and Matt’s. We found communications between them that started when you were still in high school.”
Abbi leaned away from Frey so she could look up at him. “I don’t understand. Judy was broke. She was always coming around asking my mom for money. Dad wouldn’t let Mom give her any because she would just spend it on drugs. A couple of months before the accident, they had a huge blow-up. Judy showed up at the house stoned out of her head. She was threatening Dad, saying he’d regret being a selfish bastard.”
Frey tightened his grip on her shoulder. “I don’t know where Judy came up with the money, but five thousand dollars was deposited into her bank account. A few days later it was transferred to Troy’s account. That was two days before your parents’ accident. Abbi, I think Troy killed your parents.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Frey didn’t know any other way to tell her than to rip the Band-Aid off. “I’m so sorry.”
“That’s crazy. Why would Troy do that? Kill my parents for five thousand dollars?”
“It was more than that, Sweetheart. He and Judy split the money in your parents’ account. The money that was supposed to have been yours and Matt’s, they split evenly. She got the house, he got you.”
Abbi stood and began pacing along the bank. She wrapped her arms around herself, mumbling. Frey wanted to pull her down into his lap and comfort her, but she had to digest what he’d told her. When she stopped in front of him, her body was shaking. He never wanted to see the look she had on her face again. “Can you prove it? Can you prove any of what you just told me?”
“We can’t prove he was responsible for the brakes going out on their car; it’s been too long. But the money changing hands, we absolutely can. He still has the same bank account he’s had since he was a teenager. It is with a different bank than your joint account. You need to call Victoria and set up a meeting as soon as possible. We will hand over the documents regarding the bank accounts. She will take it from there.”
“I was so stupid. I always thought something was going on between them, but I turned my head. I told myself they wouldn’t do that to me. God! I knew Judy was mad, but that’s just twisted. I wish she was alive so I could kill her!” Abbi’s body continued to shake. Frey stood and drew her into his arms. He hated seeing her so torn up, and he’d done it to her. No, that motherfucking husband of hers did it.
“I want to see Victoria. Now.” Abbi twisted out of his arms and took off toward the house. Frey caught up with her in a couple of steps and quietly followed her inside. She ran upstairs, but Frey didn’t go after her. He reached out with his shifter senses and listened to make sure she was okay. Abbi ran back down the steps and sat down at the kitchen table. She had a business card and her cell phone with her.
Abbi placed the call to Victoria, asking when she could meet with her. Obviously Kaya had already spoken with the attorney, because she had been waiting on Abbi to call. “Today?” Abbi looked up at Frey, raising her eyebrows. He nodded. He wanted this taken care of immediately, before Abbi could change her mind. Now that she knew what a piece of shit Troy really was, he didn’t think he had anything to worry about. “Today would be wonderful. Where would you like to meet? Okay, can you hang on a second please?” Abbi put her hand over the phone, “She wants to meet at the manor, but I don’t want to leave Matt alone.”
“I’ll have one of the guys watch Matt. Tell her the manor’s fine, but give us an hour.”
“Ms. Holt, we will meet you at the manor. Is an hour okay? Great, thank you. Yes, see you then.”
“Looks like I’m going to see Kaya’s home after all,” Abbi said when she hung up.
“Let me make some phone calls, get someone on their way over here, and we’ll head that way.” Frey knew a lot of the guys would already be at the manor for family day. He’d leave it up to Rafael on whether or not they stayed since he was bringing Abbi. Uri was busy with the gym, so Lorenzo agreed to come over.
“Lor is coming to stay with Matt while we’re gone. He’ll be here in just a few minutes and then we can go.”
“Uh, Geoffrey?” The sheepish look on Abbi’s face was so cute.
“Yes, Abbi?” He grinned, anxious to hear what she wanted.
“I saw a jacket and some boots in my closet, and I was wondering, could we, uh, maybe, take your motorcycle to the manor?”
Frey had bought the riding gear on the hope that one day he would get Abbi on the back of his bike. He never expected her to suggest it. “Absolutely. Why don’t you gear up, and I’ll go tell Matt we
Abbi nodded then jogged upstairs to get ready. Frey was ready to have Abbi sitting right behind him, hugged up tight. Then again, his body was still humming from her getting off earlier. It was probably a good thing Matthew came outside when he did, or Frey would have had Abbi buck naked on the deck, pounding his cock into her pussy. The remembrance of her grinding on his dick would be the only masturbation fodder he would need for a long time. The bliss on her face was embedded on his brain. The scent of her arousal was fresh in his memory. The sound of her sweet moans had been better than any mood music. If he could record the noises she made when she was coming, he’d make millions.
Frey adjusted his cock before he went into the gym. Matt was snoring softly. Frey hated to wake him, but he didn’t want him to be alarmed when he woke and neither Frey nor Abbi were home. The rumble of Lorenzo’s bike sounded from down the long driveway, and he knew he needed to give Matt a heads up. “Matthew…”
“Hmm?” He blinked his eyes and tried to open them. The pain pills were keeping him pretty zonked.
“I need to take Abbi to see an attorney. Lorenzo’s here to stay with you. Is that okay?”
Matt opened his eyes. “An attorney? What’s wrong?” He gingerly sat up.
“Don’t move, Buddy. Abbi’s going to file for divorce from Troy. A friend of the family is a lawyer, and she’s willing to meet Abbi today. Are you okay with Lor staying here until we get back?”
“Yes, God yes. Hell, I’d stay with Aunt Judy again if it meant getting Abs away from dickhead.”
Frey flinched internally. Matt had no idea what his aunt had done. If Frey had his way, the boy would never find out. It was bad enough that Abbi knew.
“Knock-knock.” Lorenzo was standing at the doorway. “Hey, Matt. How are you feeling?”
“Tired. Sore. Sleepy. I’m afraid I’m not going to be very good company.”
“That’s no problem. I’m pretty sure I can entertain myself while you sleep.”
Frey ruffled Matt’s hair. “You get some rest. We’ll be home as soon as we can.”
Matt’s eyes closed, and he was out within seconds. Frey and Lor walked back through the house to the kitchen just as Abbi was coming through the other side. Lor let out a low wolf whistle, and Frey let out a low growl. He totally agreed with Lorenzo’s assessment of his mate, but his beast didn’t like anyone else noticing. Abbi had applied a small amount of make-up, fixed her ponytail, and had donned the boots and jacket. “Is this okay?” she asked, indicating her clothes.
Lorenzo was smart and kept his mouth shut. “It’s perfect. You’re perfect. Lor, thanks again, Brother.”
“No problem. I’m just adding it to your tab.”
Frey shook his head, grinning, and took Abbi by the hand. He led her out to the garage where the sleek, black motorcycle waited. “Oh, crap. I don’t have a helmet.”
Once they were inside, Frey gestured to a shelf where his helmet was stored. “I wasn’t sure of your size, so I got one of each.” Four shiny black helmets sat side by side on the shelf. He handed her the smallest one. “Let’s try this one first. It should be snug, but not so tight it hurts your head.” She slid it on and grimaced. He held out the next one, and she swapped with him. She didn’t make a face this time. When it was in place, Frey said, “Shake your head no.” Abbi frowned but shook her head as he asked. “Is it too loose?”
“I don’t think so. Feels good.” Abbi shook her head again. “Yep, we’re good.”
Frey ran the chin strap through both hooks then looped it back through the inner one, cinching it tight. He snapped it in place and straightened the helmet, taking a few seconds to admire the view. “Next time, you’ll have to show me how to do that,” Abbi said.
Next time. Frey was ecstatic she was planning on a next time. He put on his own helmet with Abbi observing his fingers work the strap. He handed her a new pair of sunglasses with safety lenses and put his own pair on. Normally he didn’t wear them, but he wanted to show Abbi he cared about their safety.
Frey lowered the passenger foot pegs before straddling the bike. He stood it up and pushed the kickstand up with his heel. “Put your left foot there and swing your right leg over.” When Abbi was seated behind him, he told her, “I’ve never doubled anyone. Never expected to. We’ll have to get you a back rest, but for now, you’re gonna want to hold on really tight.”
Abbi scooted herself forward until she was flush against Frey’s body. She wrapped her arms around his stomach and put her chin on his shoulder. Gods, he could get used to this. He turned the key, pushed the run button and then hit start. The massive machine came to life underneath them. Abbi giggled. He looked back to see a smile on her face. “Hang on, Sweetheart.” Frey toed the gearshift down into first and eased off the clutch. Her arms were locked around him, her hands splayed across his stomach. When they cleared the gate and were on the road, Frey let loose on the throttle, toeing up through the gears. When the wind hit Abbi in the face, his girl let out a loud woohoo. Yeah, he could totally get used to this.
The road Frey’s home was on was a winding, two-lane country road that went on for several miles. There were no real shoulders as the land on either side was mostly woods. Frey rarely met another car since there were only a couple of other houses on the road. He knew the twists and turns like the back of his hand, but he didn’t want to scare Abbi on her first outing, so he took it easy. When they were about halfway to the turnoff, Frey noticed a car gaining speed behind him. “Abbi, I need you to hang on tight, okay?”
“What’s going on?” she asked and tried to look behind them.
“I think we’re being followed. Please, Sweetheart, just hang on.” As soon as Abbi tightened her grip, Frey twisted the throttle, and the bike rocketed forward. The car sped up as well and got within inches of the back tire. Frey gunned the bike and put as much distance between them and their pursuer as possible. Knowing there was a stop sign coming up, Frey pulled an evasive maneuver that he prayed to the gods wouldn’t get Abbi hurt. When they were closing in on the end of the road, Frey slowed the bike. The vehicle behind him got within two car lengths, and Frey swerved into the oncoming lane, braked hard, and the car sped past them.
The intersection wasn’t normally busy, and the driver in the car was lucky. He slammed on his brakes at the last moment as he approached the stop sign. There happened to be no oncoming traffic, so he managed to get away unscathed. “That’s George’s car,” Abbi said calmly from behind Frey. It might be George’s car, but Troy Quinn had been the driver.
Frey pulled the bike off the road to check on Abbi.
“Are you okay?” he asked, twisting to look at her.
“Yeah, you’re a really good driver. It would seem Troy has found me, though.”
“I thought you said that was someone named George. Who’s George?”
“George Novak, Troy’s best friend. When Troy can’t keep tabs on me, he has George do it. The guy trailed me all during college since Troy wasn’t there to do it himself.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? You seem really calm about all this.” Frey couldn’t believe she wasn’t freaking out. He was freaking out.
“I’m sure. You promised to protect me. Until you prove me wrong, I’m going to trust you.”
“But I’ve already let you down. Let Matt down.” Frey should have kept his mouth closed, but he wanted there to be nothing but truth between them. At least as far as their feelings were concerned. He couldn’t tell her the truth of the Gargoyles, not yet.
“No, Michael let us down, but I’ve had time to think on that. He couldn’t have known Troy would be out back at the exact moment Matt took the garbage out. Even though I don’t really know you, I sense there’s something different about you. I haven’t known very many men in my life, but I feel something when I’m around you. I’ve read about gut instinct and women’s intuition. Whatever it is, my heart is telling me I can believe you. Believe in you. If I had trusted my gut with Troy, I wouldn’t be in this mess right now. Until you prove me wrong, I’m putting my trust in you and your tribe of Amazons.”
Frey’s head was spinning. Between her words and her hands rubbing across the ridges in his abs, he felt like he was in a dream. One from which he didn’t want to wake up. He had to wake up. If Troy decided to come back for them, they were sitting ducks. Frey didn’t respond, instead he pulled Abbi’s hands tighter around his waist and continued on to the manor.
Frey was on high alert, watching for the gray sedan to come at them again. Instead of taking the direct route to Rafael’s, Frey took some familiar back roads, just in case. Without further incident, they arrived. Frey rolled up to the gate and stopped beside the security box. Speaking in Italian, Frey said the words she is the light of my life, my saving grace into the speaker. At that moment, he knew he spoke the truth. Even during times of war, Frey had never had a more clear purpose than the woman seated behind him. Frey may be protecting her from her husband, but she was saving him from himself. His past.
“What did you say?” she asked, her chin on his shoulder.
“I said my girl is beautiful.” Frey couldn’t admit the truth to her. Not yet.
He proceeded through the now open gate and rode slowly down Rafael’s drive. The manor came into view, and the lack of vehicles surprised Frey. Rafe must have sent most everyone away. One of the detective’s vehicles was parked alongside a shiny Mercedes convertible. Victoria was already there. Abbi slid her leg over the bike like a pro. Frey stood next to her and showed her how to unhook her strap. He placed the helmets over the mirrors and took her hand, leading her to the back door.
As soon as they entered the kitchen, Priscilla was greeting them. “Geoffrey, there you are. And you must be Abbi. Aren’t you just the prettiest thing? Now come on in. I saved you some cookies. I had to hide them from the rest of the boys. You know how they are about sweets.”
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