Page 88 of Stripped

Chapter 38

Wraith pulled the seatbelt tight across her lap. She started to say something, but he stopped her. "Not a word." His fear had turned to anger as his adrenaline rush subsided, and he didn't want to say something he would regret.

He pulled the Land Rover out into traffic and started the long ride home. The thought of going to the sterile apartment on the west end was suffocating. In fact, he wanted as far away from Glasgow as he could get, far away from that motherfucker Viktor Sokolov. The thoughts and images that had run through his mind for the past two hours, he never wanted to have again. He undid the bow tie around his neck and opened the top button on his shirt.

Pim sat looking out the window. He wasn't ready to talk to her. Her lack of concern and complete disregard for her safety was forefront in his mind. He wondered how they were to move forward. Trust had been broken.

It was the middle of the night by the time he pulled up to the mansion. He opened Pim's door to help her out.

"Wraith," she said, rubbing her eyes. "Can we please talk—"

"Not here." He shook his head. "Inside."

Gabriel parked next to him, and turning off his car's headlights, he got out. "We thought you were going to your flat in Glasgow until you got on the M8."

"I needed to get as far away from that city and its foul stench as I could."

"I understand." He started to walk off, but Wraith stopped him.

"Gabriel, I wanted to thank you for your support tonight."

"Of course," the angel said.

"For the first time, this all made sense. I felt like I belonged. I felt the brotherhood."

Gabriel smiled. "We've all been there, you know, in the beginning. None of us chose this for ourselves. You question everything, and then one day you can't image your life any other way. It becomes an honor to be a part of eventually."

"Dougie said I would understand one day. I just never imagined that I would." He shrugged. "Even Alex showed up."

"And that's a rarity. He likes you, I think you remind him of himself when he was young." Gabriel laughed. "But don't get a big head because he'll be back to being a bastard tomorrow."

"I wouldn't expect anything else."

Gabriel's voice turned serious. "He'll want to talk to both of you tomorrow." He glanced over at Pim.

"Aye, give me the morning at least. I have some things to work out."

Gabriel nodded, opening the door. Wraith waited for Pim to go ahead of him before following her down the hallway.

* * *

She sat on Wraith's bed, waiting for him to say something.

"Do you want to shower?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I'll wait until morning." She picked at an imaginary spot of the duvet.

"I'm going to then," he said, hanging his tuxedo jacket up.

"Wraith, can we talk?"

"Not right now." He shook his head. "In the morning."

"Am I one of those things you need to work out?" She felt the prick of tears at the back of her eyes. She knew he was upset, but she didn't expect this coldness.

"Yes."

It was one word, but it cut like a knife. "I'm sorry," she said, the tears coming in earnest. She wanted to leave, to run. She didn't want to cry in front of him. It was the shunning all over again, like when her ballet teachers wouldn't talk to her or recognize her. She had brought that on herself, and now she had brought this on too. "I should go." She wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

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