Chapter 9
Gianna
Kyle is inconsolable but, frankly, I’m not all that interested in consoling him.
It’s different right now for obvious but unclear reasons.
What I mean is I know the reason. That’s the obvious part.
Of course, I do. I know the reason. Colton is a freaking shifter!
Everything is different. It all changes the second his clothes shoot out from his body in tiny shreds and what used to be the perfect man is replaced by a giant bear.
So, that’s obvious. I mean, I know the reason.
How could I not? But it’s unclear to me why it calms me and I feel fine about the situation with my brother.
Is it just that I know Colton can protect me?
Is that it? Is it just that I know there’s no hot water, Kyle can splash my direction that Colton can’t handle? Is that what’s going on here?
No. No, it’s not that. See, I’m not worried about Kyle, either.
It’s like this revelation somehow eliminates all of my worry, which doesn’t make any sense at all.
I understand how knowing he’s a shifter can make me feel like I’m safe, but how in the world can it make me feel like everything’s going to be all right with everything, right?
Ever since this drug nightmare with Kyle, I’ve known I can do nothing to fix him or fix the situation. The problem is I know that, but still keep trying to do it. No matter what’s happening or how poor the results of my efforts, I still keep trying! It’s a strange, stupid thing, though.
How long does it take to go to…
Hmmm. I don’t have any idea at all what the hell it is he’s going to go do to take however long it’s going to take.
I know it probably makes me an evil person but when he returns, I hope he’s wearing the second set of clothes.
I know it says something bad about me to hope that he’s done some irreparable harm to the people who attempted to hurt me.
And I know it says something bad about me that I know my brother is the ultimate cause of everything but think of him getting justice as something unimportant and…
Well, holy crap I just don’t know a damned thing at all!
A text hits my phone and startles me. Then, I calm down.
It’s the fireman, Garrett. He’s warning me he’s going to knock on the door.
And then he does. I go and open it.
Wow. He’s a god of a man, too. I look nervously at the police car and he smiles at me. “They’re with us. I’m a gorilla. I mean, a gorilla shifter. We have a system for dealing with situations like this and keeping it from people.”
I nod and then sigh unhappily as I see Kellie, the woman in the house next door, step out onto her porch.
I don’t intend to say it out loud but I do.
“You would think she’d be busy acting better than everyone and, I don’t know, making brownies or chocolate muffins with wheat she grew in her backyard or something.
Garrett freaks me out when he says, “Miss? Miss, can you come over here, please?”
Kellie comes over, a little confused. Garrett says, “Did you report this?”
“No.”
“Did you see what happened?”
“No, I just… what…”
“That’s what I’m talking about, Miss,” he says to me. “You calling this in most certainly saved lives. We’ve tracked the animal, and it won’t be hurting anyone else.” He turns back to her. “Are those dogs I hear in the backyard?” he asks.
She nods and he says, “Well, this woman…Gianna, right? Gianna probably just saved their lives so you should, I don’t know, bake her a cake or something.”
To me, he says, “Okay, so, we’re going to take care of everything here and I’ll let you know when they kill that big wolf and then also when we’re done here.”
Kellie looks from Garrett to me. She takes a few nervous steps in my direction, and then, out of nowhere, hugs me and starts crying. “Th..thank you, so much!” Her crying gets harder. “Thank you for not letting that big wolf kill my fur babies!”
I stand there frozen. Then, I pat her back. “You’re, uh, welcome, Kellie.”
She pulls away. “I’m going to go right home and make you my famous lemon cake!”
She turns and hurries to her house. I look at Garrett. “Wow. I’m impressed.”
He nods. “Hold up.”
He walks over to one of the cops busily clearing up the “mess” on the lawn. They have a conversation and then, Garrett comes back. “Just had to give some final instructions.”
I try to keep from looking in that direction. “Thanks.”
“And I have some instructions for you.”
“Oh.”
“It was a wolf and you don’t know the men who were killed.”
“But what ...”
“If you’re ever asked, that’s all you say. You won’t be, though.”
“Okay.” I feel like my life is becoming a Lifetime movie.
“But just in case.”
I nod, trying to wrap my head around how much my life has changed in the last thirty minutes.
“Also, Colton is at the firehouse. We’ll drop him off in a few minutes.”
My eyes flash up to Garrett’s face. I know he can read my relief, but also my concern.
“He’s fine, Gianna. You just go back in and let us take care of the rest.”
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“Anything for my crew. He’d do the same for me.”
He walks back over to the cops as they finish up, and I turn to walk back into the house.
Kyle is sitting in the same spot, rocking and mumbling to himself.
I look at him and my heart breaks all over again, but I don’t feel the same hopelessness that I always feel when I see him like this. I don’t know if it’s having Colton in my life or what. I just know that I don’t feel the guilt and anger in the same way I used to.
I sit with Kyle and wait. Kyle falls asleep and I move to a chair by the window so I can have a view of the front of the house. Every minute feels like an eternity.
Twenty minutes later, through my front window, I see a car pull up. Colton gets out with two other men. I jump up and run to the door. I swing it open and run out and launch myself at him so that he almost falls back.
“My God, my God, Colton!”
He wraps me in his big arms and holds me close. I forget entirely about the two men standing with him. I just cover him in kisses and then hug him some more.
Eventually, he pulls me away. “This is Dave Bryson and Matt Dryer. They’re here for Kyle.”
I pull away. “What? What are you talking about?”
Colton shakes his head and takes my hand again. “They’re here to take Kyle to one of the best rehab centers in the country. He’s going to be taken care of, Gianna.”
“But, I don’t have the money. I ...”
“Gianna, it’s all taken care of, period.”
I feel tears well up and I turn away. My gratitude and relief are beyond description. “Um, okay, he’s in the house. Asleep.”
Colton and the two men head into the house. I follow a few steps behind.
When I step in, they already have Kyle awake. Colton is talking to him. “Kyle, these men are here to take you to rehab. It’s a very good program. You’re going to be okay.”
I expect Kyle to try to bolt for the door and step to block his exit but, to my surprise, he just stands and surrenders to them peacefully. My mouth falls open in shock as they head out the door.
As Kyle passes me, he gives me a small smile. “It’ll be fine, sis.”
I kiss his cheek. “I’ll come visit as soon as I can. I love you.”
He shakes his head. “No getting sappy.”
And then he walks out and gets into their car.
And he’s gone.
I feel like a big chunk of me has climbed into that car with him. I stand there and try to feel bad about it, but I only feel the immense relief with knowing that he’s going to be safe. I don’t have to worry about a phone call or a visit from the cops.
“You know, there’s this rule about when a woman sees a shifter for the very first time.”
I turn around and chuckle. Tears are in my eyes, but I certainly don’t feel sad. “Oh yeah? What’s the rule?”
“Well, she has to marry him, of course.”
I stare at Colton and a thousand things go through my mind. “That’s not a real rule.”
He smiles and takes me into his arms. “It’s a new rule.”
“Oh really?”
“Mmmhmm, very new.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah. I just created it.”
Now, I laugh out loud, and the tears finally come. “You are just too much.”
He kisses me softly. “Not for you.”
“No, never too much for me.”
We kiss more, and then I start laughing so hard we have to stop.
“What?” Colton looks a bit concerned, which makes me laugh harder.
I shake my head and smile. “Yep, just like a movie of the week.”
He laughs. “And cue the credits.”
Because they lived happily ever after.