Gabe (The Love Family Series Book 7) (5 page)

Chapter
8

Gabe paced the room as he told Lucy’s story. Well, as much as she’d told him. Cole and Declan watched him pace, both of their faces stony as they listened in silence about his date with Lucy and everything he’d heard in her mind.

“Did you tell her what we’re capable of?”

“No.” Gabe stopped to look at them both. “I just asked her to trust me.”

“And you’re sure about this girl.” Declan gave a slow nod and stood, his comment a statement instead of a question.

“Yeah.”

“You like her?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t forget she’s married, Gabe. Things are going to get complicated and messy.”

“That’s probably an understatement,” he answered and let out a long breath. “But I’m willing to get messy to help her.”

Cole’s lips twitched into a full grin as he rose. “Bring on the dirt, boys. I’m in if you’ll let me knock this asshole into next year.”

Alexis walked in at the same time Cole spoke. “Oh great. You’ve turned him back into G.I. Joe. Does this mean Smiley and Stone Face are coming to visit? Because let me just tell you…I think they’ve both had enough of this island to last a lifetime.”

Stone Face and Smiley were the names she’d given to Cole’s ex-Special Forces friends who had come to play babysitter when Alexis had been in trouble.

“Alexis, baby. I’ll always have that mentality, no matter how domesticated you make me. I don’t think we need them yet, but I’m sure they’d come running if we asked. ”

“I’m sure that’s not necessary,” Declan announced. “We need to handle this with care. We need to prepare. The minute word gets out she’s on the island, we need to be ready to hit him with everything we’ve got. Until we know what Reed saw, we need to wait.”

“This guy is a douche,” Reed answered as he rejoined them. “He did everything she said.” Reed grinned. “And she got a lick in, too, before she ran. Good thing for her he isn’t very tech savvy. He deleted the video but didn’t remove it from the hard drive.”

“What did you see that made you leave the room?”

The door to the house opened and Avery and Landon walked in. “Where’s Lucy?”

“Wait…how?”

Avery walked into the living room. “I told Reed about our new client last time we spoke. Warren hired our company to find her. That’s why it was taking so long for us to get back. She’s smart and didn’t leave a trace. We were already on the island and coming home when Reed called after connecting the name to our client.”

“He what?” Lucy asked in a shaken voice from behind them. She shook her head. The fear was evident in her eyes. “I can’t stay. Oh God.”

“Lucy, dear.” Avery smiled and moved to put her arm around her. “He’ll never touch you.” She waved her hand to encompass everyone in the room. “These people will never even let him get close, and now that we know why he paid us to look for you, we’ve got the upper hand.” She grinned.

“How are you guys going to stop him? He hired you two to find me. He probably hired hit men to finish the job.”

Landon moved over to Gabe and leaned in to whisper. “Her emotions are all over the place. She’s about to lose it and run.”

Gabe didn’t need any more prodding. He was quick to move to her side. “Let’s take a walk around the lake. Just you and me?”

Her gaze refocused on his and a little of the anxiety left her face. She rested her palm on his arm. “I’m fine.” She nodded. “Really.”

“Why was he planning to kill you?” Declan asked.

Gabe glanced over his shoulder and pegged Declan with a glare.

“What? We need to know.” Declan shrugged.

“My money,” she answered. “He was hurting financially, and for a while, my gut told me that he was only dating me for my money.”

“Why didn’t you listen to your gut?” Declan asked.

“He signed a prenup. The only way it was void was if I died before him.”

“Did you love him? Do you still?” Declan asked, earning another glare from Gabe.

“My parents died, and he was there for me. He said all the right things, made all the right promises. I’m such an idiot.”

“Yes or no? Do you still love him?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m not sure I ever did. Everything was a lie.”

“And Gabe, how does he fit into your picture?”

I can see a future with Gabe, not that I’d tell any of them that.

“You don’t have to answer that,” Gabe announced. “Declan is like a human lie detector.”

Declan lifted his brow. “And Gabe can hear your thoughts. Judging by the look on his face, I’d say your answer sufficed.”

“Declan,” Alexis growled.

“If we’re going to help her, then she needs to know about all of us, not just me.”

Lucy took an unconscious step back. Her eyes said more than any thought crossing her mind. “You knew everything I was thinking while you were around me?”

Gabe remained silent and watched as Lucy lifted her hand to her lips. “That’s why you kissed me? You…you…” She shook her head. “I think I’ll go for that walk now.”

Gabe reached for her, and she stilled to look at him. “Alone. I…” She just shook her head and headed out the front door.

“I’ve got her,” Alexis announced and left the room after Lucy.

Gabe swung his gaze to Declan. “You didn’t have to tell her like that.”

“Better to rip the bandage, cousin,” Declan said, crossing his arms over his chest. “She’d seen how quick Reed came up with his answers and you told her about me. It was only a matter of time before she asked what you could do. Imagine if you’d slept with her. How she would have felt.”

“She’s married,” Gabe yelled.

“That didn’t stop you from kissing her,” Declan argued.

“He’s right, Gabe,” Cole agreed. “Better to be out in the open than her finding out the hard way, like I did.”

Somehow Gabe knew that Declan was right, although it still pissed him off the way it had come out.

“Okay, so what am I going to do? How do we fix this for her?”

“That’s simple. We don’t. She does,” Avery answered, moving over to Reed and placing a kiss on his lips. “We’ve got the goods on the asshole. Now all we need to do is use them.”

“And if she was right about possible hit men?”

“You have a sheriff, two trained operatives, and ex-Special Forces on your side, not to mention a woman who can control Mother Nature with a mere thought. I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

“I was thinking we could put her in the panic room while Gabe and I took turns beating his ass until we returned the favor of the stab wound, but if you’d rather go with all of us pitching in, I guess we could take that route,” Cole answered.

“That might take a while,” Mia announced quietly from the couch. “She…has more than a stab wound. When she said they fought, she wasn’t kidding. She’s one big bruise with multiple cuts, and that was only on the places she’d let me look. If she wouldn’t fight me, I’d suggest getting some testing done to make sure she doesn’t have internal damage.” 

Gabe had never been a violent man. He’d never wanted to inflict pain on anyone else, but all that changed in a matter of seconds. With every fiber of his being, and every ounce of blood that ran through his body, his anger boiled over in his mind to the point he could no longer contain it. His head throbbed, and his muscles clenched. This asshole was going to do more than a little prison time. He was going to pay. “I vote for Cole’s idea.”

Gabe ran his hand through his hair and moved to the window, watching as Alexis walked next to Lucy. Lucy’s hands flailed in the air, and at one point, she stopped and pointed back at the house.

Chapter
9

Lucy walked a little faster along the water’s edge, ignoring Gabe’s sister when she approached. Her mind raced to recall her thoughts, and her cheeks heated. “I should never have come here,” she grumbled, kicking the pebble out of her way as if it, too, had done something wrong.

The pebble hovered in mid-air before it gently landed in the dirt. Lucy stopped, unable to believe her eyes.

“I know you're mad, and you have every right to be, but that poor rock didn’t do anything wrong,” Alexis announced.

“How?” Lucy asked.

“All of the Loves can each do something unique. Gabe can hear thoughts; Jackson can put you to sleep, among other things, and I…I was the lucky one. I can manipulate the environment.” She grinned and gestured toward the middle of the lake. “Watch.”

The wind stirred around them, tossing her blonde hair around her face. The wind circled, hovering above the lake and pulling the water up with it as it moved in circles, much like a water spout, and then suddenly, just as quickly as it had started, it was gone.

“Much like Gabe, I can control mine. He…has to concentrate not to intrude on others’ thoughts.” Alexis wound her arm around Lucy’s and continued to walk with her. “I know you’re thinking he listened to everything, and it’s possible he has, but not because he enjoys eavesdropping. We knew when we met you that there was something wrong. I can’t explain how without telling on the others, but we knew, and Gabe…honestly just wants to help.”

Lucy yanked her arm free and turned to point at the house. “He introduced himself to the woman who is going to out me. She and her husband know his name. Who do you think Warren is going to come after next, after he kills me? Gabe is in danger, and that’s all on me.”

“Do you like my brother?”

“Yes,” she answered honestly.

Alexis nodded and held Lucy’s gaze. “Then fix it.”

Lucy tossed her hands up and started walking again. “How can I help him when I can’t even help myself?”

Alexis placed her palm on Lucy’s arm, turning her to look into her eyes. “I know my brother. I know how strong he can be, and you’re the first woman in a really long time that he’s shown any interest in. Your marriage is a sham, and your husband tried to kill you. I get it. Now pull up your big girl panties and do something about it before I strike the bastard down with lightning. Because let me tell you something, Lucy. Regardless of whether or not you fix what you’ve done, no one is going to hurt my brother. Now are you with me or not?”

Clouds gathered above her head, and the thunder rolled nearby. Lucy glanced up at the house once again. Gabe and Cole were standing just outside the door, as if they sensed the change in the atmosphere.

“How?”

“That’s easy.” Alexis wound her arm through Lucy’s and continued to walk. The clouds rolled away just as quickly as they’d appeared. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”

****

  The others went home to do research and devise the best way to attack Warren. Reed left with Avery to go pull up as much dirt on Warren as he could find, and Mia had taken Landon home, who started making some calls to only God knew who. Declan had even left to make a visit to the ferryboat and the airport with the pictures of Warren that Reed had produced. Gabe had no doubt that, when Warren stepped foot on the island, he’d get the welcome he deserved. Lucy and Alexis were laughing as they walked into the kitchen. Lucy blushed as she met Gabe’s gaze.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to pry.”

“I know.” She smiled up at him and took his hand. “Will you excuse us?” she asked Alexis and Cole.

“We’re going up to bed anyway, right, honey?” Alexis wiggled her brows. “You guys get the first bedroom on the right. If you need us, just holler.”

Lucy and Gabe watched them both disappear out of the kitchen before either of them spoke.

“Honest. I would never intentionally…” Gabe started, and Lucy pressed her finger over his lip. “Gabe. I like you. I like you a lot, and if things were different…
when
things are different, I plan to show you just how much. I know you’d never intentionally hurt me. You’re not that kind of man.”

“You know that from two weeks?” His lips curved at the corner.

“I knew that from the day you touched my arm and let me go.” She leaned her forehead against his and rested her palms on his side. “And I’ve seen it every day since then.” Her eyes searched his. They were vulnerable and bare, much like her soul. “When I ran, I was running in fear. Finding you…gave me back my strength. I want to be that kind of woman, not only for myself but for you.”

“God, you don’t know what you do to me.” He cupped her cheeks with both hands. “I want to kiss you. I want to take you upstairs and make love to you, to hold you and soothe away the hurt I saw in your eyes that first day.” He clenched his eyes shut before opening them to find her watching him. Gabe ran his thumb over the lips he’d kill to taste again. “When you’re divorced, I plan to do just that.”

Gabe got her bags from the car and showed her up to their room. His cock was hard as he fought his need to go against his resolve. They both wanted each other. The sexual tension was clearly there, but no matter how much he wanted to take her, he’d be a gentleman until she was free and clear. There was no way he’d saddle her with the added emotions.

She lay in the crook of his arm, her hand splayed across his chest. That was the best and worst night of his life. He laid awake, feeling her so close and knowing she was safe, yet unreachable. He listened to the sound of her even breaths and enjoyed the feel of her warmth. There was no way he’d ever let anything happen to her. No way would her soon-to-be ex-husband touch her again. Not if there was an ounce of breath left in his body and he had to run with her. She’d never go back to that man.