Page 21 of A Tortured Temptress
"Then we can work out. I can work with you every two weeks when Piper has her meetings."
"Momma," a high-pitched squeal comes from the doorway. I turn to see a young girl maybe three or four running full on toward Gabrielle. The little girl has the most beautiful deep brown almost onyx eyes. Her hair is a beautiful milk chocolate with shots of blonde in it. When she's done hugging her mother, she looks up at me shyly. Burying her face in her mother’s neck. Her skin is a flawless warm golden color.
"This is my daughter, Aribella, she's four." I see the pride in Gabrielle's face and smile down at her.
"Hello Aribella, I'm Giselle." She burrows in further to her momma's neck.
"Ari where are you?" I hear Archie's voice and he steps into the gym. "There's my little bindi." He chuckles as he comes over and takes her from Gabrielle. I watch them and think about having children with Shane. I can't wait. For the first time in more years than I want to admit I want to live and have a long life.
Three and half weeks later I'm sitting in Archie's office with the plastic surgeon he had brought in to help me. I look in the mirror and can't believe the woman looking back at me. At one point I thought that I would never be put back together again. I was like Humpty Dumpty and broken for so long, but this woman is beautiful with no scars on her face. I have a small cleft in the bottom of my chin now from my jaw being broken so many times. My nose that was almost destroyed after the latest attack is trim and pert. My cheek bones are more refined and trimmer, not full of the fat of my youth. I still have full lips, the bottom pouty. My green eyes are brighter than I've ever seen them because of the darker hair that Piper and I dyed it. I brush my hair back and see the long scar in the edge of my hairline, hidden from other's eyes but I know it's there. I've been out in the sun walking as my hip heals. I'm not able to run like I used to, but they are hoping I will be able to soon. My eyesight is doing good. I have to wear sunglasses when I'm in the hot shops because the bright light bothers them. The eye doctors said I'll be more susceptible to eye strain for a bit longer.
Gabrielle and I have been working out and she's taught me to shoot and fight more than Declan did. I'm more open to learning as I wasn't when Declan worked with me. I can't kickbox as much as I used to but I'm studying different martial arts that allow me to not worry about my hip giving out on me.
Somehow Gabrielle is able to keep an eye out for Henry to make sure he doesn't find me here. She says that she has to protect Piper too, so she's used to it. My plan is to fly back to Belfast next week. It will be right before Christmas, and I want to be with Shane for the holiday.
I've never felt stronger both mentally and physically.
I'll always be grateful for coming here but it's time for me to go get my husband back and show him I'm strong enough to be with him.
Chapter Nine
SHANE
It's been over two months since I sent her away. I can't stay in our house because even though it was one night it was meant to be our future and now it will never be that. In the backyard of the house is the shop I had built for her so she could do her glass blowing on the compound. It was done a couple weeks after she left.
"Shane." I turn to see Lex walking into the family room where I'm sitting looking at an email from Gabby. She sent me a picture of Giselle working on a glass project. I can't really see her face and her hair is completely up and covered but I know her body. I know every curve. I've licked and marked it all.
I wonder if she thinks of me. Does she miss me as much as I miss her? She's not in any braces or casts so it must be in the last few weeks.
"Shane," Lex says my name louder and I look up from the tablet as I close the email.
"What?" I've been annoyed with everyone especially Aidan and Brody. Both have women. Both are happy and it makes my chest clench with jealousy. I ache for my wife.
"Well, it looks like you have a fan base. Someone reported that you were the person to fire the kill shot on Britain and now his father who is wanted in the U.S. for murder charges and attempted murder is on the lookout for you," he chuckles but I don't find any of it funny.
"How did he find out and is he looking for Giselle?"
"Nope, I have her locked down tight. But some copper at the headquarters."
"Find out who." I pause and close my eyes. "Please." I'm really trying to act like nothing has changed but it's not working I'm so fecked up over losing her. I'm pissed that she got hurt because of me. But I miss her the most. I miss her body. I miss her soft voice and beautiful eyes.
"Shane, could you take me to the bakery?" Fiona steps into the family room now. Her pregnancy is showing more, and Aidan has her under strict orders that her full guard goes with her as well as Seamus and me. He is having Grady and some other guards with him. I can't say I completely disagree after how my wife was hurt that he's so protective. Brody has a full set of guards along with a couple prospects on his girl currently too. The girls in that flat are always under guard now though because they haven't had the best of luck.
"Yes. Are you ready now and has Seamus been notified?"
"Right here," his gruff voice greets me, and I nod at him. We move out of the house where a guard pulled the armored SUV that is Fiona's up to the doors. I get into the driver's seat after I open the back for Fiona to slip into. We head into Belfast and the hair on the back of my neck raises the closer we get to the bakery. Something isn't right.
I feel a sense of unease in the air around me as we pull up. I step out of the car and wait until Seamus is next to me and the second car with four more guards pulls up behind us. I look around trying to gauge where the enemy is going to make themselves known.
"He's here," I say softly without moving my lips too much to Seamus.
"I know," is all he says, and he stands with his back to Fiona's door not letting her out. I move across the street and make my way to the sidewalk in front of the bakery that Fiona works at occasionally. After her cousin was attacked in front of it the shop has bullet proof glass in the windows, but I won't let her out of the car as long as I feel the threat. I look down the sidewalk to see a woman with dark hair flowing down around her shoulders. She's in tight jeans with tall knee-high black boots over them. Something about her causes me to take her in more. A stirring in my body I haven't felt since Giselle. I want to rebel against my treacherous body for betraying her memory already, but I can't stop looking at her. She's got dark sunglasses over her eyes and is in a waist length black jacket over a tan sweater. She's looking down but I notice she's taking in everything around her too. She's still a good half a block from me. I start to turn to the other side when I hear my name called distracting me from the temptress that is walking toward me.
"Drew," it's part of my middle name and a nickname the guys will call me when they don't want to say my real name. I swing around faster and see a man heading straight for me. His gait is aggressive in a stomp kind of way. He's tall maybe even a couple inches taller than me but he's not as broad, he's slender. His grey hair is slicked to the side and his suit is pressed to perfection but is a little worse for the wear. I watch as he raises a gun and aims for me. I'm wearing a vest under my suit, but I know if he does a head shot, I'm dead. I start to pull my gun when I hear a shot ring out. I feel it wiz past my head and blood splatters around his face. I spin as I take aim at the newest shooter. I stop when I see her standing there.
Giselle
I got to Belfast yesterday and met with a contact of Gabrielle's who set me up with a gun and a safe house. We knew that Henry was going to make his attack today because she was able to have someone intercept information about the plan. I have a feeling that Gabrielle has some very special friends, but I don't care. All I care about is protecting Shane.
