Page 105 of Taunt Me (Dark Odyssey 2)

It seemed to be one of those conversations.

I look outside when I see a shadow and sit up. I expect Gabe to come in but he doesn’t so I slip off the bed and put on one of his sweatshirts over the little pajamas I’m wearing.

I make my way outside onto the balcony and see him sitting on one of the wicker chairs still smoking. He’s just wearing his boxers and the light from the moon makes him look like one of those adverts. Like a cross between something from Calvin Klein and Gaultier. Now he looks like the Italian Stallion he is, especially with his hair ruffled.

He reaches his hand out to me and I take it, sitting in his lap. He goes to put out the cigar but I stop him.

“Don’t, you look sexy smoking.” I try to smile.

“You hate the smell, if I’m to keep you here I can’t drive you out with the smell of cigars.”

I can’t believe I actually laugh. “You can’t get rid of me with the smell of cigars.”

“Not trying.” He puts it out and looks me over in his sweatshirt. It’s an old college one from Yale that I imagine him wearing . He told me his family have this thing about all the men going to Yale. “Looks good on you. You would have suited Yale much more than me.”

“I’m sure you did good there.” He did, he’s super intelligent.

“Yeah I did. I can’t knock that, not even if I try. All that hard work, all those brains and when it comes to it I have to think on my feet. Street smart.” He nods and looks down to the stone pavement below us.

“Gabe… why didn’t you tell me about the shoot out?” We haven’t talked about that yet. I didn’t mention that Tobias told me that part.

He hangs his head down, sighs and his gaze climbs back up to meet mine. “Baby, there’s just some things it’s best you don’t know. Some things I don’t want you worrying about, especially when you don’t have to.”

I try to hold the tears in. “You could have died because of me.” That, was what raced through my mind on top of everything else.

He takes my hands and kisses my knuckles. “I don’t want you to think like that. You and me, we’ve always been in this together. You hear me?”

I nod but I feel far from okay with the idea of him putting himself in danger for me. “I’m scared.” It’s probably the worst thing to tell him, but I can’t keep it in. “Gabe, I’m scared for what he’s going to do next. A person who plays in games is always unstable. Unpredictable. We don’t know what he’ll do next and this man… he can’t leave me alone.”

He gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “You are mine. You are mine to protect. Mine to protect and it’s my job to protect you and make sure nobody ever scares you ever again. I will make sure nobody ever takes you again, even if it cost me my life.”

“I don’t—”

He presses his fingers to my lips cutting me off and shaking his head. “No baby, you know you’ve always been number one to me. Mine. Mine to protect. My goddess, my girl.”

I would love to take comfort in his words, but how am I supposed to when he’s talking about dying?

Chapter Thirty

Gabe

I wishI could put her on a plane and flee.

Flee.

Leave. Escape.

Hide. Hide her. Protect her from what I sense is coming.

No one could know the rage I felt roil through me when I heard what Tobias did.

I felt like a worse fool because I didn’t have enough guys on the lookout protecting her. I had three of my men who were keeping watch but low key enough so she wouldn’t suspect anything. I didn’t want to frighten her. they’d follow her when she went to work and anytime she was out with Cordelia. Neither of them saw Tobias because they were stationed too far away from the coffeehouse.

That motherfucker walked up to her at the coffeehouse and threatened her with his shit and there wasn’t a fucking thing anybody could do.

He did it because he can. He’s acting like every motherfucking Antonella that walks the face of the earth, doing things they want because they can.

Doing shit to people they want to shit on because they can.

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