Spell Bound (Darkly Enchanted) (25 page)

“Oh, yeah.” Quinn laughed. “This is gonna be real fun.”

“Don’t be an asshole.” Gabriel stood and got right in Quinn’s face.

Jeez, she did not want to have to break up a fight. Then Gabriel smiled, and her breath caught in her chest. Damn him, he was way too handsome when he smiled.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Gabriel said.

Quinn nodded, his expression softening, as he reached out to grab Gabriel in a bear hug. “Me, too. Looks like you’ve got a tale to tell.”

Gabriel hugged him back then held put his hands on his shoulders and nodded. “Yeah, we do. But first tell me how the hell you got hit?”

Quinn sighed. “Food first.” His gaze shifted to Shea. “And maybe some clothes.”

Gabriel shook his head, a wry smile on his face. “Shea’ll tell you not to bother with the clothes, but you’re so damn gorgeous, you’re distracting me.”

“
Vaffanculo
, Gabe.” Quinn smacked Gabriel’s shoulder so hard, it had to hurt. “I’ve missed you,
ceffo
.”

Gabriel nodded his head and returned the affection. “Yeah, well, I missed you, too, Lassie.” He shoved Quinn away. “Now get dressed and I’ll make you a couple of steaks.”

Quinn turned to her and flashed a playboy smile that surely made women’s panties fall to their knees.

“Thanks again, honey.” Then he wrapped his arms around her, lifted her off her feet and planted a kiss on her mouth.

And oh, could the man kiss. Funny, though, that he didn’t make her burn like Gabriel.

When he gently placed her back on her feet and turned to walk through the door, she couldn’t help as her gaze slipped to his naked backside. He had one of the finest butts she’d ever seen on a man. Almost as nice as Gabriel’s. Almost.

“After you put your tongue back in your mouth, you can tell me what the hell you did.”

Shea turned and caught Gabriel’s unamused gaze. With his arms crossed over his broad chest and his black boots spread, he looked like a pissed-off Hell’s Angel.

She mirrored his stance, ignoring the pain in her leg, and lifted her eyebrows. “He’s going to be fine.”

“Explain.”

She huffed. “I inherited my mother’s Gift for healing. Quinn needed help and I healed him. End of story.”

She didn’t add that she knew Gabriel had been so worried about Quinn he couldn’t think straight. She tried but couldn’t hold his gaze, especially when he stared at her with such intensity. She nodded toward the kitchen. “Why don’t we get the food started? I’m starving.”

She had to walk around him to get to the kitchen.  She steeled herself against the pain. As she passed, he caught her arm, stopping her, but she refused to look up at him.

“Shea.”

She tried to ease away but he had a firm grip on her. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. How bad is it?”

She released a controlled sigh. “Come on, Gabriel. You must know how healing works.”

“Yeah, I do.” He tilted her chin up with one finger so she had to look into his dark, worried eyes. When she met his, she couldn’t look away, even when he released her. “Are you alright?”

She nodded, though it made her head throb. “I’m fine.”

That beautiful mouth of his flattened and he growled, the sound making her thighs clench in response. “Don’t lie to me. How bad is it?”

She sensed genuine concern and a hint of anger in him. She didn’t know where the anger was coming from and it confused the hell out of her.

“Not that bad.”

“Shea.” He sighed and shook his head, his eyes closing for a second. When he looked back into her eyes, his gaze had softened. “Let me see your leg.”

“No.”

“Shea.”

With a huff, she lifted her skirt. Purple, blue and black bruises covered the entire thigh. Quinn’s femur had been broken and, as a result, she couldn’t put much pressure on her leg when she walked or the pain would make her knees buckle.

It hurt like hell but there was no way she’d tell him that.

Gabriel drew in short breath. “Son-of-a—  Shea, that’s—”

“I’ll be fine. Honestly, it’ll heal in a few hours.”

Anger, fear and something she didn’t recognized crossed his expression in waves. When he finally settled on pissed, he shook his head just once. “Thank you. For Quinn.” His hand curved around her nape, massaging the muscles in her neck. Warmth spread, easing the throbbing pain in her head. But it was the look in his eyes that made her heart beat just a little faster.

And when he bent to lay his lips on hers, it pounded like a drum against her ribs.

This kiss was nothing like any they’d shared before. This time, his lips moved on hers with a hunger that made her forget the ache in her head and her leg.

She hadn’t kissed many guys, but none of them had had the skill Gabriel possessed. His lips caressed hers, his hand at the back of her neck urging her to tilt just a little so they could fit together even more tightly. His tongue touched the seam of her mouth, and she opened to let him in, welcomed him with a flick of her own tongue.

He answered with a groan and slid the hand at her nape into her hair, cupping the back of her head.

Dear Goddess, this was bad. She didn’t want him to stop. That was very bad.

And when he wrapped one muscular arm around her waist to lift her off her feet and against his body, she wanted him to do more than kiss her.

Her arms banded around his shoulders, her fingers sinking into his hair. So soft, silky. Like his lips against hers.

She wanted more. More of his mouth, more of his hands all over her body. She wanted to be closer. She bent her leg to wrap it around his waist—and gasped as pain shot through her.

“Shit.” Gabriel grimaced as he pulled away then carefully swung her into his arms. “Damn, I’m sorry.”

Gabriel cursed himself silently as he carried her to the kitchen. He knew she was in pain but the second he’d touched her, he’d completely forgotten everything but her taste.

Gods be damned, she’d come to him for help and, so far, all he’d done was fuck up.

First, he’d turned her away. Then he’d almost lost them both at the club. And he’d literally fallen asleep on the job today while she’d healed Quinn and did untold damage to her legs.

“Gabriel, for the Goddess’ sake, I’m fine. Put me down.”

“Shea, just shut up.”

He glanced down, saw her eyes widen and cursed the anger in his voice. Hell, he wasn’t angry at her.

With a sigh, he eased her onto one of the dining room chairs and pulled another closer to elevate her leg. Her skirt fell away, exposing her thigh, and he caught his breath at the sight. The colors had gotten more brilliant in just a few minutes.

His dad would’ve kicked his ass.

Rising, he went to the freezer for ice packs then to the drawer for wraps. Kneeling by her side, he eased the ice onto the bruise and wrapped it tightly with the gauze.

She didn’t make a sound, but he could tell how painful it was by the way her fingers curled into her palms. His gut tightened in sympathy.

Pushing up from the floor, he shut off his brain and set about making food. Steaks and bags of broccoli from the freezer, potatoes from the pantry.

When he had everything started, he turned to find Shea watching him, an unreadable expression on her face, pain in her eyes.

“You can’t take anything, can you? Nothing’ll help.”

She shook her head and he felt the anger build. He was so fucking stupid.

“Hey, look what I found.”

Quinn reentered the room, dressed in loose cargo pants and a t-shirt, Leo slung over his shoulder. The kid, who’d slept most of the day, must have woken when Quinn went to bathroom. Gabriel heard Shea’s indrawn breath, knew she was worried about Leo’s reaction to the newcomer.

But Leo had made up his mind about Quinn if his excited expression was anything to go by.

“Sissy! He has fur on the inside.”

Seemed the kid had finally found his voice. Gabriel couldn’t remember Leo saying more than a few words the entire time he’d known them.

Quinn set Leo on his feet and he ran for his sister. Gabriel knew the kid was gonna go straight for her bad leg and he wasn’t fast enough to stop him.

Shea winced but picked up Leo and settled his weight on her good leg. She seemed just as surprised by Leo’s exclamation.

“Yes, I know. But how did you know?”

“I can see it.”

Oh, yeah. The kid would make a great trophy for Dario. Christ, could this get any worse?

Quinn stopped at his side. “He knew right away,” he said under his breath. “And he wasn’t afraid of me. Came right up and petted my hair. He was waiting to get into the bathroom. Scared the shit out of me.”

“Sorry. Forgot to remind you.”

Quinn’s expression hardened. “Dario’s not going to stop, is he?”

Gabriel shook his head. “No. At least they don’t know about Shea.”

“What about Sissy?” Leo turned to stare at them.

“Nothing you don’t already know.” Gabriel dug up a smile, walked to the table and lifted Leo off Shea. Then, he transferred Leo to his back, where the boy clung as if he knew exactly what to do.

“Come on, kid. You can help me with the food.”

Setting Leo on the counter next to the stove, Gabriel cooked as the ache in his chest grew every second. The kid reminded him of Nino so much it was starting to mess with his mind. He hadn’t been able to save Nino or Davis, what made him think he could save this child?