Chapter 2 #2
Other people started to clamber out of his car, all giggling college-aged women with long hair and big tits, as Gabriel lit a cigarette, the burning tip illuminating his face for a brief moment in the darkness.
His cheekbones were high and sharp, and his face had such perfect even symmetry that for a moment it felt almost uncanny valley. Like he couldn’t be real.
“Get that,” he ordered as he opened the trunk, snapping his fingers at the women, and stretching his arms in the air with unconcern.
Just the sight of him ordering the other women around was enough to piss me off, the way they shot nakedly lustful glances at him, and the inches of flat and toned abs he was showing as he stretched, raising massive arms into the sky.
There were other men too, all tall, but none as big as him, ranging around him in respectful clumps.
Lucian rose to his feet, glass in hand.
“Don’t let his size alarm you,” he repeated. “He can’t help how tall he is. It’s often startling to people at first, but you are getting a chance to prepare yourself ahead of time.”
My indignation grew.
“I’m not afraid of tall people,” I said as they walked up the steps of the manor.
“In here, son,” Lucian called. “Come have a glass of wine.”
The door opened, and the newcomers poured in.
Gabriel’s arms were around two beautiful women, both hanging off his biceps and squealing at how easy it was for him to carry them.
Inside, he somehow looked even more massive, the lean strength of an athlete but with broad powerful shoulders, dressed in a black T-shirt and black pants with big boots.
Now what should I say first?
I’m looking forward to becoming your stepmother?
But I didn’t have a chance. His eyes flicked around the room as he entered it, and when they came to me. . .they stopped.
And they didn’t move on.
They stayed on me, steady, unblinking, dark.
Gabriel dropped both women to the ground with such an abrupt thump that they staggered.
“Put her in my room,” he said, jerking his head toward me. “I’ll come up after I get a drink.”
For a moment I could not comprehend what he was ordering.
Or that he meant me.
“Pardon?” I asked, when I saw everyone staring at me.
“Take her to my room,” he said again as he poured himself a glass of whiskey. It was only when Branby moved behind me that I felt panic. What an awkward situation, but I had to correct this misunderstanding immediately.
“I’m—not going to your room! I’m here with your father!”
Gabriel tipped his head back and drained the entire amber-colored glass.
“I said I want you in my room.”
“She’s here to help you play on the Steelblades,” Lucian said, in a quiet voice. “This is Dr. Lark Lindeth.”
Suddenly, irrationally, I wished he hadn’t said anything.
I wished Gabriel didn’t know my name.
I wished he’d never seen me, as icy fear trickled down my spine.
“Is that so?” Gabriel said, and with one swift motion, he pushed off the sideboard and took a step toward me.
“No,” Lucian called out sharply. “Gabriel, wait!”
“Get away from me!” I cried, stumbling backwards.
But Gabriel didn’t stop.
He lunged at me as saw Hemsworth rushing in from the side, and I flung the contents of my glass in Gabriel’s face.
I had taught at university for ten years and done psychological studies in some of the country’s hardest prisons, but I’d never felt anything like the frisson of fear that went through me at the sight of Gabriel’s coal-black eyes fixed on me as the blood-red drops of wine slid down his angular, sculpted cheekbones.
But I was so pissed my mouth moved faster than that primitive reptile part of my brain that should have shut up.
“I’m not afraid of you.”
He raised his whiskey glass and smashed it against the big oak table, and then there was a jagged, bright piece of glass between his fingers.
“You should be. Want to play with me, baby girl? I can play too.”
He gripped my wrist, raising it high, his big fingers digging into my flesh as he dragged the sharp shard down my wine glass. The bright scarlet liquid gushed down my arm, splashing into my face and dripping down my neck.
Gabriel yanked my arm higher and closed his teeth around my wrist, sucking up the wine as his teeth bit painfully hard on me.
I wasn’t a violent person, not by a long shot.
Once one of my patients had thrown a glass bottle at me, close enough that I felt the breath of it past my cheek.
And even then I hadn’t been violent at all, just startled.
But I swung my other hand at Gabriel’s face, wanting to slap the shit out of him.
He was a fucking spoiled, rotten asshole!
But he deflected the blow easily as I saw the bright flash of his white teeth.
Then I felt a hard hand yank me back, ripping me painfully from Gabriel’s grip, and it was Lucian, with Hemsworth darting between us.
“Gabriel, stop. I’ll fix it. I’ll fix it,” Lucian begged.
Was I mistaken or was there a little tremble of fear in Lucian’s voice as he looked at his own son?
“Fucking asshole!” I cried, too angry to be cautious.
“Let me see her,” he said coldly, shoving his uncle aside as Lucian dragged me backwards toward the door.
I struggled against Lucian’s hold, my cheeks burning. It was humiliating to be held back like we were two fucking prize fighters.
“I said let me see her.”
For a moment no one spoke, and I tasted something unfamiliar on my tongue, the tang of blood, the bite of iron.
Violence
The front of my shirt was soaked with wine, and my wrist stung where he had bitten down on it.
“No!” I protested, as I saw Lucian and Hemsworth looking at each other, as if gauging what was the best thing to do.
“He doesn’t need to fucking see me!”
“She’s just a little thing,” Hemsworth said placatingly.
Gabriel said nothing.
His mouth was a hard slash across his face.
My stomach dropped to my knees, and I involuntarily slammed back into Lucian’s chest, trying to get away.
“If you don’t let me go, I’m not going to help you,” I said, “I’m going to tell the HNL you’re not fit to play.”
His eyebrows drew together scornfully, but the threat didn’t work.
He didn’t stop.
He took another step toward me.
Then another, sidestepping Hemsworth, who held arms out to stop him.
“Let her go,” Gabriel said, and his voice was cold. “Hand her over to me.”
To do what? my brain screamed, but Lucian was almost at the door now, dragging me away.
“We’ll try again tomorrow,” my boyfriend said, “Or the next day.”
“Let me get you another drink,” Hemsworth tried, jerking his head to some of Gabriel’s other friends.
Even though they were all well over 6 feet, some of them barely came up to his shoulders.
As if in response, they set their jaws and gripped the hockey star by the shoulders.
“C’mon man, let’s go to the game room and do some shots,” one of them said.
The women began to clutch at him, pursing shiny lips and shoving tits in his face.
“Forget about her.”
But Gabriel didn’t move, just stood there like a statue, with his eyes burning into mine.
“Don’t fuck him,” Gabriel hissed. “Or you’ll be punished.”
The fuck?
As Lucian’s back hit the door, Gabriel moved, throwing his friends aside, and headbutting one guy on the nose.
Fucking psycho behavior
“Hurry,” Hemsworth hissed, and Lucian dragged me into the hallway and we began to run.