Saving Sarah (13 page)

“I did,” Devon said in a low voice.

 
The pure panic pouring off of him made Gavin take a step back. He wasn’t quite sure what to make out of the anxiety racing through the cowboy. Shouldn’t he be upset or hurt because of their loss? Why scared? It made no sense.

“Congratulations,” they both said at the same time, in two separate tones.

Stephen smiled. “Thanks, but please don’t tell Sarah. I want Evelyn to surprise her with the news.”

“You’re secret is safe with us,” Devon said.

Gavin threw his hand up in a wave as Stephen said his goodbyes. Something felt off, and the quicker he straightened out things with Devon, the soon he could get the guy to drop him off at Sarah’s office. The need to be with her, to make sure she was all right nearly caused him to get in his car and drive straight over there. Problem was he didn’t have a clue as to where she worked. He could sniff her out or use the pull, but it would take too long.

Devon headed in the direction of Sarah’s apartment. Gavin followed, closing the door behind him. He didn’t even wait for the cowboy to turn around before he lost patience.

“So what happened last night? You didn’t get kicked out so it must not have gone too bad.”

A smile lit his face, and the expression of happiness and love turned Gavin’s stomach, but a part of him calmed at knowing maybe they were all one step closer to being at a more likeable stage.

“It was wonderful. I haven’t been this happy or complete since before I left.”

“Well, that’s good, but truthfully I don’t care how you feel. I want to know how Sarah is. Is she happy with the way things are going?”

Devon glared at him. “She’s more than happy, I think.”

“You think? What do you mean, you think? Either she is or she isn’t. The question’s not really that hard to answer.”

“Well, when she left she looked happy. Hell, she was glowing.”

“But…you’re not telling me something. I can feel it. What have you done?”

Devon looked at the carpet and so many different emotions hit him that Gavin closed his eyes to decipher them.

“You’re scared about something.”

“Come on, Gavin. There’s a man after Sarah. What, I can’t be scared?”

Gavin burst out laughing. “No, you’re not scared about that. When you just said it, you reeked of confidence. You believe you can protect her. What are you afraid of?”

Devon advanced so quickly Gavin barely side-stepped. The anger clouding the room could have choked him.

“What did you do?”

“You stay out of my business. Do you hear me?”

It was his turn to get angry. He could feel heat flare through his body and seep from his skin. “Sarah is my business, and you better start remembering that! If you’ve done something, then I need to know. What part of ‘she’s my mate, too,’ do you not understand?”

The tension melted off of Devon. Gavin could see it in the way his body hunched down. Devon was silent as he walked to the sofa and slowly sat down.

“We…Sarah and I didn’t use protection last night. I’m not sure what scares me more, the risk of pregnancy itself, or her emotional state if she does end up…”

At a loss for words or even thoughts, Gavin walked up to the other side of the couch and sat down. He never even considered thinking this far ahead so soon.

“After everything in your past, you didn’t think to wear protection?” Gavin said it softly, so not to offend him. The question was genuine.

Devon looked at him and held his gaze. “This isn’t an excuse, but neither of us could control ourselves the first time. I couldn’t even think clearly. The pull grabbed a hold of me so strong that all of my attention stayed focused on not betraying you and marking her. The second time, this morning, she told me,
what happens, happens
.”

“Thank you, for not marking her. I would have been offended. I truly appreciate you not going behind my back. So, do you think it’s possible maybe Sarah wants a child?”

“I’m not sure, maybe.” Devon rubbed his eyes. “I’ll give her what she wants, but that doesn’t mean it won’t scare the shit out of me. If anything were to happen this time…”

“Listen, let’s not worry about the what-ifs until a few more weeks. We’ll know before anyone, even her.”

“You’re not angry? She is your mate too.”

“Angry, no. If Sarah does end up being pregnant by you, it’s still part of her. I have a daughter. Did you know that?”

Devon looked at him shocked. “No, you never mentioned it to me. How old is she?”

Gavin pulled a picture out of his wallet. “Annabelle is five. She lives with her mother and her new stepfather.”

“She’s beautiful. The blonde curls remind me of Sarah. Is she…”

“Werewolf? No.” Gavin shook his head “I contracted the disease shortly after she was born. My wife couldn’t handle what I turned into, and I believe she’d already met Dave then so one thing turned into another, and we eventually ended up getting divorced.”

“I’m sorry.”

Gavin slid the picture back in his wallet. “Don’t be. I get to see my daughter when I choose. My wife isn’t that ruthless. Plus, I have Sarah.”

Devon nodded, agreeing. Not wanting to waste any time, Gavin stood. “I need you to drop me off at her office. Someone needs to be there, and since I haven’t really gotten to see her, I would like to be the one.”

“Of course, but do you really think she’s going to want someone tagging along while she’s trying to do her job?”

Gavin raised his eyebrow. “I don’t think she really has an option. It’s that, or I’m throwing her over my shoulder and bringing her home. There’s no way I’m risking anyone catching her alone.”

“I like the way you think.” Devon smiled at him and grabbed his keys. “So, where are we going?”

Gavin’s eyes widened. “I don’t know. I thought you’d have a better idea where her office was considering this is where you’re from. I guess I can call her.”

“I have her phone, and she has mine. I’ll look through her numbers and maybe call Evelyn or Stephen. They’ll give us the address.”

Gavin followed Devon outside and got into his truck. The sound of the loud diesel felt oddly fitting for a place like this. He looked around at the palm trees and the sea gulls flying in the gray sky. He never felt more at home. Now, once they found Sarah, he’d feel even better.

Chapter 13

If Sarah played one more game of Bejeweled Blitz, she’d scream. Looking at her watch, she grabbed her purse, ready to meet her friends for their daily lunch ritual. Evelyn hadn’t come into work today, and Melissa was out showing a house, so she called explaining she might be a little late. Julie and Natalie were already on their way.

“If I have any calls, just take a message. I don’t have my phone on me today,” Sarah said, stopping at the receptionist’s desk.

“Will do, honey.”

The older woman smiled as Sarah grabbed a peppermint out of the woven basket on the counter and waved goodbye. Stunned, Sarah stopped and stared. Devon and Gavin leaned against the truck, both looking good enough to eat. She smiled at the warmth crossing their faces and walked to meet them.

The heels of her stilettos clicked against the sidewalk as she slowed her pace. It wouldn’t look too good if she acted as excited as she felt.

“What are you both doing here? I thought you’d be off doing… guy things.” What exactly they’d be doing she couldn’t imagine, but her guess consisted of them being together. She needed the bonding to happen quickly. Every minute without feeling their presence ate away at her until she felt the compulsion to rush home to see them.

“Well, Stephen stopped by.” Devon didn’t say anymore. She noticed how he studied her face.

“And? What did he say?”

“We’re at a dead end. The car didn’t reveal anything.”

“Oh, so what does that mean?”

The guys looked at each other and then looked back at her. “I’m going to spend the rest of the day with you until you’ve finished work.”

“Oh no you’re not,” Sarah laughed, shaking her head no.

Gavin’s eyes narrowed, but the smile remained.”Yes…I am. With Tom still on the loose, I’m not risking leaving you alone. Either I can stay with you at the office or you can call an early day, but it’s your choice.”

Sarah turned to Devon, who raised his hands in surrender. “You’re kidding me, right? You can’t be serious.”

“I’m dead serious.”

Gavin walked over, dropping his head. “Sarah, please don’t make this harder than it has to be. I want to keep you safe. Please allow me to do that. If something happened to you, Devon and I would never forgive ourselves.”

Placing her hands on her hips, she tilted her head, maintaining eye contact. “Is this just for today, or are we talking about tomorrow and the next day and the day after that?”

“For as long as it takes,” Devon said, coming up beside them. “Sarah, I’m not going to pretend you’re not pissed right now. I know the temper you keep hidden, but do us a favor and think about this. There’s a man who’s after you. He knows where you live and probably where you work. He’s seen your car, and more than likely, he’s waiting to make his next move. You possibly might not be the only target. If he saw you with your friends, they’re at risk, too. Why do you think Stephen kept Evelyn home today?”

Shaken, Sarah let the words sink in. It was one thing to assume everything would be fine, but the situation changed when she thought her friends might be at risk.

“All right,” she whispered. “Fine, you both can take turns coming to work with me, but right now, I’m headed to lunch with the girls. I’m assuming that means Gavin’s coming with me so why don’t you follow us, and we’ll all have lunch together? You can get to know my friends. They’re a big part of my life, so I guess you’ve just inherited them, too.”

“Let’s go. I’ll follow you.”

Sarah walked to her car with Gavin following. When he didn’t insist on driving she was thankful. She got in and headed toward the beach restaurant where everyone surely would be waiting. The ride was quiet as she mulled over her thoughts. In just days, they’d all been thrown into this whirlwind of a situation, and she wasn’t sure how to take things. Everything, from the events of her sexual experiences with the men to Tom floated around her mind, taunting her emotions.

Pulling into the parking lot, Sarah sat quietly in the seat. She could do this. Introducing them to her friends was the easy part. The following minutes were the ones that would matter. They’d either embrace her choice, or they wouldn’t. Either way, it wasn’t as if she could go back. The thought only made her heart accelerate even more. This situation was as permanent as it got, and she couldn’t control anything about it.

Movement from the corner of her eye made her turn toward Gavin. The fingers he brushed against her cheek sent an odd, calming sensation through her. “You worry too much. I’m here for you if you ever want to talk.”

She smiled and grabbed his hand, kissing his knuckles. “Thank you. You make me feel better. I’m just worried about how things are going to go. Everything’s happening so fast. I understand, but they won’t. They’ll have no idea why, in just days, I’ve gone from
not needing a man
to needing two.”

“If they’re you’re true friends, they’ll accept whatever you decide to tell them.”

“Evelyn has, but Melissa, Julie, and Natalie, I just don’t know.”

Devon tapped on the glass, a look of confusion on his face. She could tell he was tired. Knowing him, he probably still hadn’t slept.