Page 93 of Your Soul to Keep

Gabe jerked to a stop.

“He’s not dumb,” Becky protested quietly. “He’s a genius with cars. And he’s wonderful with his daughter.”

“Cars,” Brittany scoffed. “Please.” She paused. “You didn’t go to school with him. You don’t know him like I do.”

Gabe’s eyes narrowed into angry slits as his hands rolled into fists at his sides, but his face flamed.

“Gabe,” I called his name, but he wouldn’t look at me. “I’ll go in and get it.”

He nodded then grabbed my elbow. Not meeting my eyes, he commanded, “Don’t say anything. She carries a lot of weight around here.”

“Yeah?” I scoffed. “So does Mrs. Mason.”

His wary blue eyes flitted to mine. “Who’s Mrs. Mason?”

“My neighbor,” I said pointedly. “The one who flirts with you? She sits on the board. She’s been waiting for an excuse to get rid of her. And I’m going to give it to her.”

Before he could protest further, I stalked into the office. “Sorry,” I called with false cheer. “I forgot my bag.” Lowering my voice so Gabe couldn’t hear, I continued, my steely eyes set on Brittany’s snarky face. “You know me, dumb as a post.”

She glared at me while Becky looked at the floor. Instead of cowing, Brittany bared her teeth in some semblance of a smile. “If the shoe fits…”

Becky gasped and stepped back. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her shake her head.

I tilted my head to the side and contemplated Brittany coolly. “You’re just pissed because he rejected your skinny ass.”

Her lips thinned as her nostrils flared. “I’d rather have my skinny ass than the dump truck you’re carrying out back.”

I smiled and it was feral. Stepping close, I dipped my chin to meet her defiant gaze.

The flicker of fear in her eyes sated my thirst for blood.

Leaning in, I whispered for her ears only, “And it’s my dump truck his fingers dig into when he rides me every night.”

She sucked in a harsh breath.

I stepped back, loathe to even give her that much of a picture. Disgusted with myself for feeding her imagination, I sneered, “Enjoy your last day working in this school.”

She laughed. “You can’t do shit to me.”

I glanced at Becky. “You have a choice to make. I suggest you make it wisely.”

Pressing her lips together, she nodded shortly.

I stomped back into the hallway, but Gabe was gone. Picking up my pace, I jogged down the hall. When I got to the door, I spotted him stalking across the parking lot. His long legs ate up the space, his energy blasting me from forty feet away.

I swung the door open and barreled through, the care I’d taken to protect the papers from the drizzle forgotten in my haste to reach him.

“Gabe!”

He kept going.

“Gabe!”

As soon as I reached him, he spun around, big fists clenched at his sides, thunder and lightning in his eyes. “I fucking told you not to say anything.”

I held out my palms. “I know, but—”

He slashed one hand through the space between us. “No fucking buts! I’m a grown man. I don’t need you to stick up for me.”

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