He inhaled again and unleashed the putrid odor. “Oh, don’t worry. She and your child are safe.”
Fuck. He knew about her pregnancy. This was even worse than Gavin had imagined.
“Nice note with the flowers.” Mark sniggered.
“If you touch her…” Gavin warned and strained against the cuffs.
“No need to threaten me. I know what you are and what you’re capable of. The silver in your restraints will prevent that. Funny how superior you supes consider yourselves with your magic, only to be brought down by one of the earth’s natural elements.”
His gaze wandered to Mark’s throat. Gavin pictured wrapping his hands around that slim human neck and squeezing until the man’s eyes bulged and his airway collapsed.
“You can glare at me all you want,” Mark said, pacing. “But, we both know who has the power in this situation. I’ll keep you from hurting anyone else.” He pointed with his cigarette.
“Hurt?” Gavin questioned. “What are you talking about? I haven’t hurt anyone.”
“What you’ve specifically done doesn’t matter, it’s your species as a whole. Your existence has to be obliterated.”
Obliterated? This man wanted to destroy Gavin’s kind? That meant not only was he in danger, but his brothers, his clan, his child… He swallowed the fear constricting his throat.
“Why?” He demanded. “We’ve done nothing to hurt anyone.”
Mark pointed at his scar. “How do you think I got this? It was a monster like you. A damn demon. It’s a miracle I escaped.” The man sneered.
Gavin assessed the situation. Demon. Had he said it as a figure of speech? Or, did he mean that literally?
He had to approach the situation with care. “You think I’m a demon?”
“Your kind take on various forms.”
Shite. Gargoyles had fought demons many times over the years. They were sworn enemies. For the man to think that Gavin was as soulless as a preying immortal exacerbated the injustice of his confinement.
“That’s ridiculous and insulting. What drew you to that conclusion?”
Mark narrowed his gaze. “I had my suspicions that something was off when I heard rumors. Once I heard about your ability to shift to winged form and fly, I knew what you were.”
“Your judgment is flawed,” Gavin countered. “Not all winged beings are demons. I’m not one.”
Mark snorted and then stood. “Eventually, we’ll get you to shift, and then we’ll see.”
“We’ll see what?”
“We’ll see your true monstrous form before we eradicate your existence. And then stomp out the lineage with your child.” The man smirked. “Unless you do it yourself.”
Gavin’s flesh tingled with cool shivers. He leaned back and studied this twisted human. “Why would you say that?”
“Because Fiona has betrayed you. She’s been reporting to me.”
Gavin recoiled. Not his Fiona.
The man sneered. “Oh, women can be so untrustworthy, can’t they? They’ll say or do anything to get what they want.”
That couldn’t be true.
Could it?
“Neither of us are the first man to be betrayed by a woman.”
The room spun. The duplicity stung like poison injected into his heart. He swallowed and focused through the haze clouding his vision. Why was this man trying to find common ground between them? Some sick way of playing on Gavin’s heartbreak to get him to talk?
“She was investigating you,” Mark added. “That’s how she gets her kicks; looking into freaks like you.” The ash from the cigarette hung like a rocky overhang jutting out from a cliff. He tapped it, and it crashed onto the white tile. “Once I discovered your interest in her, I knew she was the key. After all, it’s common knowledge, Gavin, that the best way to reach you is through your dick.”
His stomach hollowed out. Did he deserve this after all his flings? There was a twisted irony. The woman he’d fallen for—the only one he wanted and had been faithful to—had turned on him in the end.
He had to talk to her to find out.
Mark pulled out his phone and made a call. “Bring Gavin to her room for the night.”
What was going on? This didn’t make sense. Gavin assessed Mark for a sign of his motivation.
He fixed his beady eyes on Gavin’s. “She sold you out.” Mark leered with malevolence. “But, don’t worry. I’ll give you until sunrise to let you have your justice. And then I’ll have mine.”
Chapter 13
The effect of whatever they’d used to impair Gavin had faded somewhat by the time the guards dragged him, yet it still hampered his muscle control.
They heaved him into another room. Fiona was in there, sitting on a bed. Her eyes widened, and she stood when she saw him.
“Gavin!”
The guards released the restraints, and Gavin dropped to the tile. They locked the door behind them.
Although his chest swelled with relief at seeing that Fiona was all right, her betrayal stung, like hornets had attacked his heart. She touched his bicep as if to help him stand.
He yanked his arm away. “You lied to me, Fiona. Again.”
Fiona shook her head. “I didn’t.”
Gavin snarled and tried to stand. His numbed muscles resisted, so he remained in a humiliating position on the floor. “You left some important facts out of our conversations. I asked you about him—that bloke, Mark, remember?”
She exhaled. “I know I made some mistakes. I went about this in the wrong way. I have no excuse, except I got swept up in a situation related to an incident that happened a long time before I met you.”
“So, it’s true. You went behind my back and betrayed me? And my brothers. My entire species?”
“No.” She waved both hands at her sides. “I would never do that, Gavin. You have to believe me.”
“Why? You haven’t been truthful to me from the beginning. You failed to mention your articles. You might never have told me about the baby. You lied about this Mark fellow. And now—this? You were working for him? Everything that I’ve found out is only because I’ve discovered it. You’ve never revealed anything to me. How could I ever trust you?”
Her eyes shined with tears, but she blinked them back. A swirl of guilt funneled up through Gavin’s chest cavity like a tornado. He hated causing her any pain.
But, she’d betrayed him. He buried the guilt. Self-preservation insisted he not let her sway him with tears.
“Everything you’re saying is true, but it doesn’t accurately describe the situation. I told you I was a writer. I would’ve told you about the pregnancy once I got over the shock myself. And, I didn’t tell you every detail about my encounters with Mark because…” She threw her hands in the air. “Well, I don’t know why, except maybe because it made me look bad to even have had conversations with him. He asked me to spy on you. That’s true. I turned him down. And that’s why he broke into my flat and discovered that I’m pregnant.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s why he brought me here. I didn’t give up any information about you, Gavin. I swear it.”
“Step back, Fiona. Conversations? What does that mean? How many times have you spoken to him and why?”
Fiona shoulders sagged. She looked deflated. Defeated. “It started the first night you returned to Inverness. We both overheard two women talking about your shows on an island, and we were both interested in learning more. Each time I saw him after that, he tried to coax more information from me with more enticing offers.”
“Because of your fascination with the supernatural,” Gavin spat. “How could you let a juicy story like that go?”
“I was more fascinated by you.”
Gavin arched his brows. “Right. I’m some freak show you can write about.”
“No, Gavin.” She stared at him with wide, earnest eyes. “Because despite all my sensibilities warning me not to, I was falling for you.”
Gavin gulped. She wasn’t making it easy to
hate her. To dismiss her from his life. He had to be strong. He wouldn’t let her ruin his clan or his kind. “What happened then?”
Fiona flashed him a weak smile. “You wouldn’t be a bad interviewer yourself with all these questions.”
“Fiona,” he warned.
“All right.” She rubbed her eyes. “I need to go back to explain it.” She sank onto the bed. “When I was nine, my best friend, Angie, and I were returning from a swim in a loch near our village. As we walked back, a creature flew in. It was like a shadow, but it had wings. Tremendous wings. It knocked her onto her back. She screamed and fought it. I froze at first. When I realized what was happening, I tried to pull it off her. It had wings. It looked back at me with piercing, red, glowing eyes. I’ll never forget them. They paralyzed me with fear. The creature grabbed me and tossed me several yards, breaking my leg, but that was nothing in comparison to what Angie faced. It had ripped her throat out. She died, right there in front of me. The creature then soared away.”
She wasn’t looking at him, wasn’t looking at anything. Her eyes had taken on a glazed, haunted look as she relived her horror.
“When I told my parents what happened, they didn’t believe what I had seen.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“They figured it was some type of wild animal. They said I must have been suffering from shock and had imagined my worst nightmare, conjuring a monster in my mind. But, I know what I saw. And my grandmother believed me. She said there were dark creatures that haunted the earth and preyed on the innocent.”
“Unfortunately, she’s right. Where is she now? With your parents?”
“No. She died not long after that incident. And since then, I’ve been trying to find out the truth.” She lifted her gaze to his with a determined expression. “That’s what’s led me to all those interviews and articles and even my career. I believed I had a duty to spread the truth. That I owed it to Angie’s memory to warn others of danger. What I’d discovered, though, is that not all non-human beings are predators. Some are, well, like you.” She shrugged and motioned in his direction.
His chest tightened with compassion. What a traumatic experience to have lost her friend in such a tragic way. He took a slow breath. “Right. We’re not all the same. What you encountered does sound like a demon. I’ve encountered them, unfortunately.”
“And Mark thinks you’re one.”
Gavin grunted. “I’ve gathered. That’s why we’re in this hell factory. He’s on this vengeful quest to destroy us all.”
Fiona closed her eyes and shook her head. “When I first heard about you having wings and flying, I admit, I had doubts.” She reopened her eyes. “Winged beings that could fly. Attacks on people on a mysterious island. I had to investigate it. Mark said it would prevent bad things from happening to others.”
That bastard. What did he know? A growl vibrated through Gavin and he curled his hands into fists.
“Something didn’t feel right, though,” she added. “I’d already been growing closer to you and didn’t believe you could be a threat to anyone. Mark investigated me, and then offered an exchange of information. He said he would share what he’d learned about what happened to Angie, if I shared what I discovered about you. It was tempting, since it was information I’ve sought since she’d died. I didn’t tell him anything, Gavin. I couldn’t betray you.” In a smaller voice, she added, “Or our child.”
His chest tightened. Her torment tugged at him.
“I’m sorry for my role in this mess, Gavin. I’ll do whatever I can to undo the damage.” She fixed her gaze on him. “But, don’t think I betrayed you. And remember, you lied to me, too.”
Gavin straightened, taken aback. “About what?”
“About what you really are. The only reason you told me was because of the baby.”
Shite. She was right. And he hadn’t even told her everything.
After telling Gavin what had happened, all Fiona could do was wait.
“I need time to think,” he said.
Minutes stretched on like the slow destructive flow of lava. Would her revelation incinerate her in the end?
Gavin strained to pull himself to his feet. She rose, eager to help him, but something about the hardness in his expression kept her feet glued where they were. No need to add to his humiliation.
When he stood upright, he shook out his limbs. “The fuckers numbed me with something.”
“Are you all right now?”
“Aye. Just a tingling left.”
Gavin paced across the tile with a surprised expression as if astonished his limbs now cooperated. He turned and strode over, stopping before her.
He ran a hand through his hair. “You’re right. I didn’t tell you everything. I thought it was for a good reason.” He motioned around the room. “The danger I’ve been warning about—we’re in it.”
She exhaled. No need for him to point out the obvious.
“If you knew, you’d never have been with me,” he added.
“Gavin, no. Don’t say that.” It sounded so shallow. Did he truly think of her that way?
“You say that now because you know me. If circumstances had been different, can we really predict what would’ve happened? Especially in light of your encounter with a winged creature when you were a child.”
He had a point. If she’d known he was a supernatural being from the beginning, how would she have reacted? Would she have been fascinated or repulsed? Her history with them would likely indicate the latter, especially if she’d thought his species was the one that had attacked Angie.
“Do you see what I’m saying?” he asked.
“I do. But that’s because I wouldn’t have known who you really were, and that would’ve been my loss. Because what I’ve discovered is that you are remarkable. The most incredible man or being of any kind I’ve ever met. And I’m sorry for any pain that I’ve caused you.”
He glanced at her with a confused expression. “You’re apologizing to me?”
“Aye, it’s only right. I pushed you away when you revealed yourself to me, and I apologize. It was wrong of me.”
“I’ve been deceitful as well and deserve what I got. I’m hoping we can move beyond this, well, because I’ve discovered something.”
“What’s that?”
He swallowed. “Despite all that’s happened, my life would be empty without you in it. I’d always thought that my world would be enriched by experiencing everything I could—indulging in everything it has to offer. I was wrong. It was only once I met you that I discovered the richness in life isn’t with the quantity of experiences, but with whom you experience them. Because the short time I’ve had with you is more precious to me than anything I’ve ever known.”
Fiona blinked a few times, too gobsmacked to answer. She never expected he’d say anything like this, especially after what she’d admitted.
“We haven’t had the most traditional experience of getting to know each other,” Gavin added. “Fate had other plans. I’m grateful for what she had in store for us. Because this strange journey brought me to you. And our child. And if we get out of here, I want to try to make it work.”
A lump formed in her throat. “Oh, Gavin.”
“I know I screwed up. I’m a fool, Fiona. I left a note indicating you’re pregnant, putting you both in danger. And our band’s reckless concerts on the isle is a huge factor in us being here right now.”
“Ah, so these infamous concerts are true. Perhaps one day, I’ll hear all about it.”
“Whatever you want to know. I’ll tell you everything. No more secrets.”
“No more secrets,” she agreed. “We’re both imperfect and made mistakes. But I think we’re perfect for each other.”
“Indeed.” He nodded with a sage smile. “I want to be with you. You’re everything I’ve always wanted but was too foolish to see. Something about you struck me as different from the first night we’d met. You’re the one, Fiona. The only one for me.”
Fiona’s heart raced. Was she dreaming? This couldn’t be real. She pinched her forearm.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Waking myself up. I must be dreaming. This is too amazing to be true.”
Gavin laughed. “We’re locked up by a man who wants to destroy us both. It’s more nightmare than dream. The only reason I’m in here with you is that he thinks I’m such a monster that I’ll destroy you by sunrise. You’re awake, I assure you.” He caressed her cheek. “You can feel me, right?”
She nodded.
“If we make it out of here, will you give us a chance?”
“I will.”
“Good, because I love you, Fiona.”
Her eyes watered. Despite what he said, this had to be a wondrous dream. “And I love you.”
He gazed into her eyes and then bent down. The moment his lips brushed hers, she knew this moment was real. Heat tingled her skin, and she moved closer, pressing herself against the hard length of his body.
She reached one hand around to the back of his neck, running her fingers through his hair. Gavin deepened the kiss, and she moaned. His hands traveled over her sides, igniting flames dancing on her skin. When he reached higher and caressed her breast, she leaned into his hand to coax him to continue. He complied, rolling his fingers over her nipples until they tingled with desperate sensitivity, begging for more.
He lifted her off the floor. She wrapped her legs around his waist with a fierce hold. He carried her over to the bed and lay her on it, covering her face and neck with kisses. His hands were everywhere, but still it wasn’t enough. Sparks coursed through her blood. Heat coiled in her core. She needed him.
“I want you, Fiona,” he said between kisses. “But, they may be watching us.”
“I don’t care,” she uttered. “If this is our last chance together, let’s spend it as we wish.”
“Aye,” he agreed. “We have to be careful. They might return at any time, but I want to worship you one more time.”
Fire smoldered in his eyes as he removed her clothes. His gaze, raking over her body, burned her as potently as his touch. Every part of her, from muscles to skin, was pulled tight with anticipation, an overwhelming sense of need.
Knights of Stone: Gavin: A gargoyle shifter rockstar romance Page 11