Chapter 2

  I’ll follow you anywhere. Unless it’s to the gym. I don’t do the gym.

-Ember

Gabe

 

"What next?”  I asked her.

 

The question came out sounding calm and remote, which couldn't have been further from the truth.  My mind was fighting my body; my body wanted to kill the "almost" rapist.  To pull him apart with a pair of pliers, one chunk of flesh at a time.  Starting with his dick.

 

My mind, however, knew that I needed to calm myself and focus on Ember.

 

I forced myself to sit on the kitchen chair, looking calm cool and collected.  The can of Coors in my hand didn't receive the same consideration. It was completely crushed; now that I thought about it, my hand ached from the grip I had around the crushed aluminum.  Not like it mattered.  There was a sharp pain somewhere in the vicinity of my heart that overshadowed any other pain I had.  

"He tackled me from behind.  I was stunned at that point and didn't react much until he grabbed my hair and ground my face into the gravel.  I was on my stomach when I felt the burn run down my back.  I was screaming and trying to fight back, but he was a lot stronger than me.  Luckily, I had my phone in my hand and was able to speed dial you.  I got knocked out at some point; when I woke up, the guy was gone and there were a few police officers walking up to me.  You know what happened from that point.”  She said in a flat voice with no emotion at all.

 

I studied her face, and sure, she looked frightened, but there was also fierce anger.  The type of anger that makes you sloppy, and can get you into hot water if you're not careful.  During a fight, anger can be used against you.  I needed Em to get past the anger, because it was going to wear her down if she didn't get it under control.

 

"What's wrong?  I mean other than the obvious.  What else is going through that head of yours?”  I asked her.

 

"I'm so fucking pissed at myself.  I never should have left so late; and, since I did, I really should have had someone with me.  I was useless.  I couldn't fight back.”  She whispered.

 

I got up, and dropped to my knees in front of her.  I traced the bruises on her jaw lightly with the knuckle of my pointer finger.

 

"I'll teach you how to defend yourself, honey.  You'll never feel like this again.  Do you know how to shoot a pistol?”  I asked her, while staring into her eyes.

 

Ember's eyes were hazel.  Sometimes they were blue, sometimes green, and even brown in the right light.  Now they were a deep, vivid green.  They looked like they were shooting emerald sparks with how intent she looked at me.

 

Ember leaned forward and ran her nose along the bridge of mine. 

 

"Thank you for coming, Gabe.”  She said and lightly kissed me on the cheek.

 

My hands itched to grab hold of her hair, to bury them within her luscious mane, just to see if it was as soft as it looked.  Giving in to the urge, I let my fingers run thorough her hair, hanging in waves down her back.  It was so silky smooth.  Most women's hair that I’ve touched had a stiff feeling to it, but Ember's was light, cool, and smooth.  It was an odd shade of blonde; a white blonde color with reddish hues when she moved, especially in the sunlight.

 

It wasn't usual for her to have her hair down either, so I continued to play with it.  I never get to see it like this. 

  

I’ve also never taken these types of privileges before.  I knew that she was too good for the likes of me.  However, after the scare tonight, I decided that she was going to be mine, whether I deserved her or not.  I would give her everything and do anything she asked.  Except let her go.

 

"And, yes, I can shoot a pistol.  I can also shoot a rifle, a shot gun, and a submachine gun.”  She said with a smile.

 

"How do you know you can shoot a submachine gun?”  I asked curiously.

 

She gave me a wide smile that showed off her beautiful straight teeth.

 

"James and Max took Cheyenne and I once.  They got us guest passes and we drove up to their base over a long weekend.  It was a blast.”  She said.

 

I let out a deep laugh when I saw the satisfaction on her face.  She would enjoy something like that.

 

"Alright, in that case, I have a .38 you can have.  I want you to carry it on you from now on; but not in your purse, on your person.  We can get you a pancake holster for your back, or an ankle holster.  Whatever you want, but I want you to carry it on you at all times.  We will go to the range as soon as you feel up to it and test your reaction time.  Got it?”  I asked.

 

She gave a nod, and I noticed she was fading fast.  The pain meds were creeping in and she would be out like a light shortly.

 

"Time for bed, honey.”  I said as I helped her stand.

 

She stood slowly, and picked her can up to toss into the trash.  She kept the tab though.  She pulled the chain that was around her neck and unhooked it, then threaded the tab onto her necklace and re-latched it around her neck. 

 

I gave her a quizzical look, but she waved me off.

 

I made my way to the hallway and turned towards the guest room, but Ember didn't follow me.  She turned to the right instead and headed into my room.  I waited a few minutes for her to come back, but she didn't reappear.

 

I broke down and strode to my room, only to freeze in the doorway at the sight that was before me.  Ember was on her knees on my bed.  My black shirt didn't leave much to the imagination, since it had ridden up over her bottom and exposed her plain white cotton bikini underwear; the shorts she wore on the floor next to the bed in a heap. 

 

The position she was in was an odd one.  Her ass was in the air, with her knees tucked under her.  Her arms curled up tightly to her chest, and her hair was a mess all around her.

 

The position she was in reminded me of when Sam’s girls fell asleep.  They sleep in the exact same position that Ember was in right now.  It didn't look the least bit comfortable, but it obviously had to be since she was dead to the world.

 

My cock hardened, painfully, behind the fly of my jeans.   I pressed the heel of my palm down hard against it, looking for a little relief.  Didn't help though, only made me that much more aware of it.  It didn't matter anyway.  Ember could be in a rag, throwing up with chicken pox and I would still want her.

 

Heaving a sigh, I walked to the bathroom, took a piss, brushed my teeth and changed into my pajama bottoms.  I had to rip the tag off first since I never slept in anything but my underwear.  Anyone who ever had to be up in a hurry knew better than to go naked to bed.  ‘Always be prepared,' was my motto.  Sure would look funny to be running out of the barracks and looking over to see a friend’s dick swinging.  The pants were entirely for Ember's benefit.  I didn't want her getting upset with being in bed with me practically naked.

 

Grabbing my boots, I shoved my .45 into the left boot before opening the door.  I turned off the light, and walked quietly to bed.  There she was again.  In the exact same position.  Placing my boots and gun next to the bed, for easy access, I stared down at her sleeping form.  I couldn’t make much out other than her silhouette, but what I could see took my breath away.

 

I contemplated how to sleep around her since she was in the middle of the bed, but decided to get in and shove her over some. Well, maybe not shove.

 

I eased down beside her and moved her carefully over to the other side of the bed.  I laid there, stiffly, for five or so minutes before finally relaxing enough to reach for the covers.  I pulled them over both of us and placed my arms behind my head.

 

I was nearly asleep when I felt her creeping towards me.  I didn't think she was awake because she was making the funniest noises.  They were somewhere in between whimpers and moans.  It didn't take her long before she was straddling me with her head tucked underneath my chin.  I left my arms right where they were.  This was going to be a long night.  At least the noises stopped when she finally settled.

***

Ember

If I didn't have to piss like a racehorse, I would never move.  I was so very comfortable.  I knew exactly where I was, too.  Cracking an eye open, I searched the area for a clock.  Finally spying it projecting onto the wall across the room, I focused on it until my eyes cleared of some of the bleariness.  Ten till four.

 

Good.  I had a reason to come back to bed.

 

I gently eased off my Gabe bed, and shuffled stiffly to the bathroom.  I didn't bother closing the door, because I honestly didn't have the gumption to do anything more than walk straight to the bathroom.

 

Since I was already up, I popped a pain pill and drank it down with water from the sink.  I hope that it kicked in soon because my back was throbbing.  With each step I took, tiny sparks of pain shot down the length of the cut, and I had to grind my teeth to keep from whimpering.

 

It took me a few pain-filled minutes, but I was shuffling back to the bed in no time.  I contemplated walking around the bed but decided I just might die if I had to walk any further, so I went to the same side where Gabe was.

 

I crawled back onto the bed and went back to the same exact position I’d just left.  Straddling Gabe with my head tucked under his chin.  I wasn't sure if he was awake or not, but I didn't want to take anything for granted.  I was going to lay on Gabe, because this was the one time I could do it and actually have an excuse.

 

All the tension left my body, and I fell into a deep sleep once again.

***

Gabe

She was seriously trying to kill me.

 

I honestly thought it couldn't get any worse; however, I was mistaken.  I’ve spent the last five hours in a light sleep, waking every time she moved slightly.  At least, earlier, her crotch rested over my belly.  This time, her crotch was nestled snugly against mine.  It took absolutely everything I had to keep my cock from going rock hard.

 

I thought about the smell of rotting flesh, the sight of a gunshot wound, gray matter leaking out of a blown apart head, and everything else truly disgusting to keep my mind from the party that wanted to happen below my belt.

 

Fuck me.

 

I've thought about this for over a year.  Every time I saw her.  If she was in the room, I could pound nails with my dick.

 

Not that I was good enough for her.  I knew that and she knew that.

 

I’d had a fucked up childhood.  On top of my shit upbringing, my three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan only compounded my problems. 

 

My step-father made sure to tell me every day that I wasn't good enough. Or smart enough.  Or even halfway decent looking.  I constantly heard from him that I was a mutt and would never amount to anything.

 

Apparently, half-Brazilian and half white were considered a mutt to him.  My Brazilian father died when I was twelve, of cancer.  My mother couldn't afford to work and support us, while paying his medical bills, and she married to make our life easier.  Little did she know that she was going to turn my life into a living hell, all the while thinking she was making everything better.  She married for all the wrong reasons.  She never loved Patrick.  I never once heard her tell him she loved him.  He used to say it all the time, but my mom would smile and go about what she was doing.  That was what made it so bad for me.

 

I look a lot like my father.  Tall, at two and a half inches over six feet, with a dark tan.  Jet-black hair and a muscular build.  Not too bulky, but nothing to sneeze at either.  I was literally the carbon copy of my dad.  I didn't have one ounce of my mom’s features, except for her cerulean blue eyes; which looks totally fucked up with my dark features.  He saw in me the reason my mom would never love him like he loved her.  So he took it out on me.

 

He never hit me, but his words could be as cruel as a whip.  I spent seven years living in an emotional hell, and my mom never even knew.  I would never have told her though, and he knew that.

 

I set out in life to prove that bastard wrong.  I kept to myself and tried to make myself invisible.  I never spoke unless spoken to; I kept my head on straight, worked thirty hours a week at a local construction company after school and on weekends.  I studied my ass off to graduate with honors at sixteen, then joined the military.  My mom wasn’t too happy about that, but she sensed that I wasn’t content and she’d do anything for me. So, she let me go.

 

I left my stepfather’s home and never looked back.  My mom came to me every time I had leave.  She would spend the two weeks with me, or, sometimes, the rare month at the location where I was stationed.

 

Her last visit I knew something was wrong as soon as I saw her.  She waited to tell me until I was home that she had cancer.  The same type of cancer that took my dad.  Lung cancer.

 

What was ironic was that neither one of them smoked a day in their lives.  They both were extremely healthy.  We ate right, and we were very active outdoors.  My dad worked as the supervisor for a local construction business, he was in peak shape at forty-two.  My mom was also active, at forty-eight.  She was a server at the local diner, and on her feet for hours a day.  It was just a cosmic joke that they both died of the same thing.  Just another fucked up thing that happened to the people I loved most in this world.

 

Ember shifted on top of me and brought me back from my wanderings.  A quick glance at the clock showed that it was now five in the morning.  Good, early enough that I could workout.

 

I slowly eased out from under Ember and stood.  Adjusting myself in my god-awful pajama pants, I pulled the covers just to the top of her hips so I didn't agitate the wound on her back.

 

Spinning on my heels, I went to the closet and located my tennis shoes on the floor, grabbed a pair of running shorts from the shelf, along with a pair of socks and exited the bedroom.  Something needed to be worked out, and it was obvious to me that I wasn’t going to be getting what I really wanted.  Treadmill, here I come.

***

An hour and seven miles later, I was dripping with sweat.  I had just climbed off the treadmill when Ember came into the room.  She was adorable.  Long hair tumbling down her shoulders, nearly to her hips.  It looked like she just rolled out of bed, and didn’t bother combing it in any fashion.  The t-shirt was hanging off one shoulder.  Still no pants, but the shirt came just to the top of her knees; nothing good was showing.  She was rubbing her face with her hands and yawning.

 

“You can go back to bed, there was no reason you needed to get up so early.”  I said to her.

 

She continued to yawn, but spoke anyway, “I have to be at work in thirty minutes.”

 

“I already called the director for you.  They know what happened last night, and want you to take a week or two off work; until you’re more comfortable and your stitches are out.”  I said.

 

“Dammit, Gabe.”  She said exasperated.  “You had no right, I would’ve been okay!”

 

“I know you would have been good, but I also wanted them to address the security issue they have there.  They won’t have the cameras set up for another week.  Therefore, it gives you a little time to heal.  I also want to teach you some basic self-defense, just in case you run into this problem again.”

 

“I don’t think I’m up for anything to physical right now.  My back is throbbing like a bitch, and the pain medication doesn’t seem to be helping at all.”  She said.

 

“That’s understandable.  They only gave you what amounts to extra strength Motrin.  It probably won’t do much but take the edge off.”  I said.

 

“Well doesn’t that just blow?  I was nearly raped, my back is sliced from my shoulders to my ass, and all they can give me is a fucking Motrin?  What the fuck.  I think I deserve the good shit.”  She complained.

 

Rage started burning in my belly again at the flippant way she’d just said she was almost raped.  Surely, she was taking this too easily.

 

“Don’t make light of this, Ember.  You could’ve been seriously injured, or even killed.  You were a very lucky person last night.  I got a message from Luke, not even ten minutes ago, saying that they think this is gang related, and they need your statement as soon as you’re ready to give it.”  I ground out. 

 

“I’m not making light of this, Gabriel.  I’m just trying to blow some steam.  I know what could’ve happened; I know I was lucky.  I just want everything to go back to normal and to not think about it anymore.  It didn’t happen, so let’s not dwell on it.  I’ll go give a statement as soon as you can get me down there.  But we better hurry because Cheyenne won’t wait much longer before she’s all up my ass.”

 

“Alright, let’s get going then.  You aren’t allowed to take a shower as per doctor’s orders.  I have some of your clothes still here from when you changed here a while back.  I’ll set them out on the bed, and you get changed while I’m in the shower.” I ordered.

 

With that, I left the room and headed for my bedroom closet.  I pulled her clothes off the shelf at the top of the closet and tossed them onto the bed before heading into the bathroom.  Once in the shower I soaped and rinsed.  Palming my erection, I ran the soap over it, then stopped.  What if she heard me?  That only made me hotter.  It wouldn’t bother me a bit to have Ember join me in here.  I would totally welcome it.  Only wanting one woman put a damper on my sex life.  I tried being with someone about six months ago, but I wasn’t able to get it up; she just wasn’t Ember.  It was incredibly embarrassing, and the look on the other woman’s face made me never try again.

 

Having only a door in between Ember and me was torture.  Seeing her wearing my shirt set off something primal inside of me, and made me wish for things I’ve never had before.  Deciding that a door and the shower were loud enough to balance out the sounds, I took my erection in hand again and gave it a rough tug.  Reaching down with the other hand, I ran it over my balls, tugging on the sac lightly.  Shutting my eyes firmly, I worked up a good rhythm. Squeezing my balls a little tighter, I started crudely yanking on my dick.  Lightening shot up my spine, and I groaned Ember’s name quietly, shooting my semen all over the glass enclosure of the shower. 

 

Fuck.  I’ve never come that hard, and all I was doing was thinking about her in my clothes. 

 

Grabbing the showerhead, I washed the mess I made off the glass, then quickly shut off the shower.  I toweled dry, and wrapped the towel around my waist before heading back into the bedroom. 

 

Ember was on the bed, the jeans I’d dug out from the closet covering her nicely shaped ass.  She didn’t have a shirt on, only a sports bra.  The bandage was a stark white against her tanned back.  I walked over to her, and ran my finger lightly down her side.  She shifted slightly away from my touch and giggled.  Goosebumps broke out all down her side; I longed to run my tongue over them.

 

“That tickles.”  She giggled.

 

“We’ll have to change this later when we get home.”  I noted, tapping the side of her bandage.

 

“Okay.”  She mumbled into the mattress. 

 

“Why aren’t you dressed yet?”  I asked her.

 

“I can’t get my pants buttoned.  You must’ve dried these when you washed them, and now they’re too tight.”  She announced miserably.  “I don’t dry any of my jeans because they’ll shrink up in the dryer; then I have to lay down to snap them, which I can’t do today because then I’d have to lay on my back.”

 

“Well, stand up, and we will see what we can do.”  I instructed.

 

She stood up and turned around.  Her first two buttons were undone, so I pulled her to me by the waist of her jeans.  When I curled my fingers around the waistband, I quickly realized that she wasn’t wearing anything underneath.  My fingers encountered hair, and nothing else.

 

I inhaled sharply, and my eyes shot from the buttons on her jeans, to her eyes. 

 

Ember was biting her lip while her eyes focused on my hand.  I abruptly made the decision to go for it.  I’ve been so strung out this last year that I knew something had to give.  We’ve been skirting around the elephant in the room for too long.  No more.

 

“I think we’ve denied this for too long, Ember.  It’s gonna happen.  I don’t think I can keep myself away from you for much longer.  I’m running out of excuses to stay away.”  I said to her, while moving my fingers back and forth over her springy curls. 

 

I found myself wanting to undo the last two buttons on her jeans, so I did.  The fly of the jeans read ‘Lucky you,’ and damned if I didn’t feel like a lucky fuck.

 

Her voice quivered as she said, “Umm, you’re supposed to be helping me button those, not unbuttoning them.”

 

Of course, she didn’t respond to my earlier statement, but that also wasn’t a “no” coming out of her mouth.

 

My dick was making a tent out of the towel that was wrapped at my hips.  Ember’s eyes kept wandering down to it, before they shot back to mine.

 

“I only wanted to see if the upstairs and the downstairs matched.”  I hedged.

 

With that statement, I let my eyes wander down until they sought what they were looking for.  Yes, the top matched the bottom.  I let my hand drift off her waistband, and buried my fingers into her curls, tugging gently.

 

“Soon, maybe not tonight, or tomorrow, but soon.”  I declared, before reaching down and buttoning her jeans, all the way to the top.

 

When I straightened, the fold in the towel fell just right; my dick escaped the confines of the towel.  Ember’s eyes widened when she saw it, but quickly averted her head.  I laughed as she looked at the ceiling, then the curtains, while covertly looking down at my dick.  

 

Yes, it would be soon.  I wasn’t holding back anymore.  She was screwed.  Literally.

***

Ember

Oh my god.  Oh my god.  OH MY GOD!

 

This was more than I ever could’ve hoped for; I’d fantasized about this very moment at least a hundred times.  Gabe’s been Mr. Stoic ever since I met him.  He never spoke much.  He’s just the dark, formidable presence at your back.  He’s spoken to me more in the last twenty-four hours than he has in the last year.  I never would’ve thought my feelings were returned by him.  I thought I was the only one with the overactive imagination.  Every time he walked into the room, my heart would start beating double time; the butterflies in my stomach felt more like hummingbirds zipping around, and sweat would start to form in the most awkward places.  He always seemed so calm and cool.  If today was anything to go by, he’s been feeling it almost as bad as I have.

 

In an attempt to get my mind out of the gutter, I started giving orders.  “Okay, I’m going to send Cheyenne a text message from the truck.  You need to haul-”   I informed him before pounding interrupted my request.

 

Fuck.  Too late.

 

I let out a long-suffering sigh before walking to the door and swinging it wide.  There she stood.  My best friend in the whole entire world, and her two boob ornaments that were stuck to her tits ninety percent of the time.  Don’t get me wrong, I love those two girls from the bottom of my heart, but they seem to be attached to her boobs the majority of the time.  I mean, shouldn’t they be done at a little over a year old?  Not that I have a problem with breastfeeding, it just kinda creeps me out.  Not to mention she tried to shoot me with her milk missiles once.  I ran away from her just as I do when I see those nasty huge cockroaches scuttling across the floor.

 

The two boob ornaments wore matching outfits today.  How surprising.  They were cute though; sporting two Spiderman onesies with ruffles on the butt.  They were supposed to be gag gifts, but Cheyenne loved them.  Their hair was rather crazy today.  It looked like mommy forgot how to use a comb. 

 

Steeling my spine, I finally scrounged up the courage to look at Cheyenne.  I flinched at the fury I saw there.  I knew she was pissed, but she looked like I ran over her cat, and then backed up and did it again to make sure I really got it. 

 

“I’m assuming you’re pissy because I wouldn’t let Sam bring you to the hospital last night?”  I asked with feigned innocence.

 

“Pissy.  Yea, bitch face, you could say that.  How could you do this to me?  I’ve been worried sick, and just look at you!  You were going to try to sneak out weren’t you?”  Cheyenne seethed.

 

Motioning to Gabe with my thumb I said, “I have to go give a statement at the popo station.  Gabriel here said I could hitch a ride with him.  I’ll explain everything when I get back, pinky promise.” 

 

Glaring at me, she turned and marched off without another word.

 

“That went well.”

 

Gabe shook his head slowly and we both headed out. When we got to the truck parked outside his duplex, he escorted me to the passenger door.  He helped me inside carefully, and then walked to his own door, jumping in a lot more gracefully than I had.  The truck started with a dull roar, vibrations started and gave me a little feeling of euphoria.  There was something about a good sounding truck that did it for me.

 

“This sounds great!  When did you get this?”

 

“Yesterday, actually.  I needed to be able to do stuff that my bike couldn’t do.”  He explained simply.

 

“Well that’s cool.  Can I drive it?”  I asked sweetly.

 

“Absolutely not.  I’ve known you for a year now, and you’ve gotten into two fender benders and sideswiped a car.  No way will I let you touch my brand new truck.”  He told me firmly.

 

“Oh that’s bullshit!  None of those were my fault!”

 

“Whose fault was it?”

 

“Well the time I sideswiped a car, it was because there was this massive grasshopper in the car with me.  He flew in my window and landed on my leg. I tried to flick it off, but he started going crazy and attacked me.  I don’t do bugs, and I swear to God this one was a mutant.”

 

“Whatever.  You’re still not getting my truck in your crazy hands.”

 

Sulking, now, because he could possibly be right, I watched as we passed all the sights and sounds of downtown Kilgore.  The police station was located in the historical district.  Flowers were dying in the potted plants that lined the middle of the road.  Texas heat, in the summer, was a bitch, and when it didn’t rain, it got worse.  Everything was brown by the time summer ended.

 

Each bump Gabe hit jolted my back; tears threatened to spill out of my eyes, since my painkillers were wearing off, not that I said anything.  Gabe didn’t mean to hit every fucking pothole on this side of the Texas line; he was just doing that naturally.  I wasn’t going to say anything because I knew he’d feel bad if I made him aware of it.  I just wanted to get this shit over with as fast as possible and go back to Gabe’s nice warm bed.  Preferably with him in it.  Underneath me, with that lovely cock I saw a quick preview of, inside of me.

 

Gabe found a parking space close to the front doors.  I was a tad nervous.  I’d never been to the police station before, and I didn’t know what to expect.  Gabe’s presence at my side calmed me down some, as we walked through the double glass doors.  It wasn’t anything special.  A lobby to the left, where there was a door with metal detectors on it.  To the right there was another door with a locked keypad entry.  Towards the front was a glass wall with women sitting behind the glass, waiting on the citizens.  

 

I opened my mouth to ask Gabe where to go, when a man I’ve only met a handful of times walked out of the room to my right.  Luke Roberts.  He sure was a cutie.  Tall, with a nice build.  He had a shock of bleach blonde hair that was clipped in a no nonsense cut close to his scalp.  He was wearing jeans and a KPD shirt, which stood for Kilgore Police Department.  He strode right on up to us and did the man hug-shake with Gabe. 

 

They were nearly the same height; Gabe just a bit shorter than Luke.  Where Luke was blonde, Gabe was dark.  Where Luke had a light tan, Gabe was a nice golden brown.  Luke looked like a golden warrior, where Gabe reminded me of a death angel.  His looks were dark and menacing.  The look was reinforced since he was wearing a black t-shirt with dark washed jeans and motorcycle boots. 

 

Luke turned to me after his man hug and made eye contact.

 

“How ya’ doin’, Ember?”  Luke asked me.

 

Glancing around, I scratched my arms with my nails.  “I guess as good as I can be.  Can we get this shit over with, please?  This place is giving me hives.” 

 

Luke looked a tad startled by my blunt reply; Gabe wasn’t.  He was wearing a shit-eating grin. 

 

Luke spun on his heel and headed back to the locked door; Gabe and I followed behind.  He led us through a maze of hallways, passing through what looked like a huge room with desks everywhere, and finally coming to a stop at a small office.  He held the door open for us, and closed it behind us.  He made a gesture to a seat that was in front of a rickety old desk.  We all took our spots.

 

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road.”  I informed him, and then went into my tale without preamble.

 

As I spoke, Gabe stood behind me and gave me moral support.  I didn’t think I really needed it, though.  Yes, it was a horrible thing that happened to me.  Yes, it could’ve been a hundred times worse, but it wasn’t.  I was hurt, but I wasn’t raped.  I was roughed up, but I wasn’t so bad that I needed a hospital stay.  I think my mind was trying to protect me from the could-have-beens.  Everyone was expecting me to fall apart, but I wasn’t going to give the fucker the pleasure.  I was royally pissed. 

 

Luke spoke in gentle tones when asking me questions, and when we were through, he gave a long drawn out sigh and ran his hands over his face roughly.

 

“Alright, this is what’s going on.”  He started.  “Apparently, there is a new process the Blue Skulls are using when they initiate their newest members.  Senior members follow the initiates around for a few days, and see who they hang with, or who they look up to the most.  If they see a certain someone that the initiates are close to, then the seniors think up acts that they know the initiates won’t want to do; they’re forced to do it so they can prove that they’re loyal to the Blue Skulls.  The victim has to be someone they know, or have helped.  The reason we know all this is because we caught a perp, about a week and a half ago, beating the shit out of an older woman who gave him side work when she knew the boy could use the money.  The neighbors heard the commotion and the cops got there in time to catch the little fucker.  He was only thirteen, and was easy to crack.  The old woman is dead, by the way.  We aren’t sure if another member did it, but she was released from the hospital on a Monday.  Later that week, we got a well check on her when the granddaughter couldn’t reach her while out of town; found her dead in the kitchen.  Gunshot wound to the head.  We can only assume that it was related.  And that’s how we end up with all of this.”  He explained as he waved his hands over the notes he took.

 

Gabe paced like a caged panther.  His movements were graceful, yet calculated.  I watched, mesmerized, as veins pulsed up and down his arms.  His hands fisted at his side.

 

“Gabe.”  I whispered.

 

Gabe took a deep breath, then turned to me with his Terminator face.  He looked like he was ready to kill someone, and I’m pretty sure he would’ve if the option had been available to him right now.  The guy who’d done this to me wouldn’t stand a chance.

 

“Okay, we’re going to put round the clock surveillance on her.  Do we need to worry about her friends?” he asked.

 

“Not that I’m aware of.  The granddaughter lived with her normally. She was just out of town that day. She hasn’t been harmed.”  Luke told us.

 

“Okay.  We’re gonna get out of here.  Here’s my number, in case you need any more information, or you have anything more for us.  Thanks for your time.”  Gabe stated as he handed Luke a card with his cell phone number on it.

 

A uniformed officer escorted us out to the lobby, and we left the building shortly after that.  Gabe’s eyes never stopped scanning.  He looked like a man possessed.  Gone was the Gabe that was a silent mountain at your shoulder.  In his place was a man that terrified me.  I’ve never seen anyone with such intense concentration.  He was ready to kill if needed, and it was all for me.

 

Gabe came to a sudden halt about four car lengths from his truck.  I was walking behind him, checking out his ass, when I smacked into his back.  His arm hooked around my waist and he shoved me behind him tight, his body strung tight.  My arms went around his waist reflexively and I stood waiting for what was about to happen.  I chanced a peek over his shoulder and blanched at what I saw.

 

There was an older blue Buick, with those big wheels; you know the kind, the ones where they look like monster truck rims with about an inch of tire.  That’s not what made my stomach feel like it dropped to my feet though.  No, it was the two young kids, maybe sixteen, leaning against the trunk with a blue bandana wrapped around their heads.  Their eyes were trained in a different direction, but it was obvious they were there to intimidate me.  Show me that they hadn’t forgotten about me. A quick glance around the parking lot showed that they were drawing the attention of the cops that came and went hourly for shift change.  Two were leaned up against their own squad cars, just waiting to see if anything happened.  They hadn’t done anything wrong, so there was no reason to confront them.  Apparently, it didn’t mean they couldn’t be watched like hawks.

 

Suddenly, they got up from their perches and rounded the car, got in, started it up, and roared away, bass thumping like all those cars do now these days.  Gabe visibly relaxed, his arm disengaging from around my waist.  He started walking again, making sure to have my hand in a firm grip. 

 

Adrenaline pumping, I asked, “That was because of me wasn’t it.”

 

Thank you Captain Obvious!

 

“Yes, but now they know you have the support of me, and also of the KPD.  They looked like scouters, sent to take in a situation before any decisions are made.  We’re gonna go by your house, get your shit, and then you will be moving in with me.  This is too dangerous for you, and I don’t want to lose you before I’ve even had you.”  He retorted angrily.

  

“Okay.”  I said back to him calmly.

 

I wasn’t going to be arguing with him, I was creeped the fuck out.  No arguments what so ever.  No sir-ree-Bob.  Plus, maybe it would get us where I really wanted, and that was in his bed.  I’ve wanted him forever.  I’ve been in love with the broody silent man for nearly a year now.  I’ve also not had sex in twice that long, so I wasn’t wasting any more time.