Wanderlove

by Malory, Belle

  Needless to say, I was in a very cranky mood. Luckily for the investigators, no one had spoken to me yet. I think everyone believed I was still in shock or something. Who knows, maybe I was in shock.

  The only person who had been speaking to me at all was an EMT. The lady had been trying for the last half hour to get me to go in an ambulance with her. I had refused her several times now, but she was hard-pressed to take no for an answer.

  “No thanks,” I said to her for the tenth time. “I don’t like hospitals.”

  Concerned, she eyed me warily. She was very pretty, I noticed. She was middle-aged with large brown eyes and a kind, motherly sort of face. “Miss Moori, you may have broken bones. You need to come with me.”

  “Thanks for the offer, lady. I appreciate it, but the answer is still no.”

  Gabe, who had been busy answering questions for a few police officers, happened to hear the EMT pleading with me.

  The cross look in his eyes was almost formidable. “You will go to the hospital, Lo. Do you understand me?”

  The authority practically reeked from his voice. I wasn’t so sure that I liked this cop version of Gabe. Fortunately, his attention was captured by yet another officer. I decided to ignore his command, much to the kind paramedic’s chagrin. Because she couldn’t get me into the back of her ambulance, she’d decided to bring her medical bag to where I sat on the bed of Gabe’s truck. “You have to let me clean out your hands, at least. They could very easily get infected.”

  Grudgingly, I let her win this one. I figured she wouldn’t ease up on me unless I threw her some kind of bone. So I let her check me out.

  She clicked her tongue when she first inspected the damage.

  “That woman…and that man,” she said in a soft voice. “They deserve to rot in hell for what they did to you.”

  I almost smiled. It endeared her to me for saying that. And I agreed with the paramedic. But unfortunately, I knew that Natasha and Gorge would just show up again in the next life. And they’d keep showing up until we all met our maker or until the end of time- whichever came first. Gypsies didn’t know the outcome of life any more than normal people did.

  But maybe, just maybe Natasha would get what she deserved for her wickedness. Earlier, I heard Natasha yelling while being stuffed into the back of a cop car. It grabbed my attention because it had surprised me to hear what she had been shouting. “He planted that coke on me! I swear it’s not mine!” she’d exclaimed. Everyone had rolled their eyes, ignoring her cries of outrage. But I had a sneaking suspicion she had been telling the truth. She’d merely been labeled as an accomplice, not the actual criminal since Gorge had done all her dirty work for her.

  What could she possibly get for that? Five years in prison maybe? But now she’d been busted with cocaine- and apparently it had been a lot of cocaine, she would be put away for much longer. I had a strong feeling Gabe had something to do with the drugs they found on her.

  However, I didn’t feel remotely guilty for Natasha, even if she was telling the truth. I had a feeling that whenever she was released from prison, she’d probably come after me for revenge. And if her anger wasn’t directed at me, she’d come after Gabe. Either way, it made me feel better knowing she’d be locked up for a long time.

  I winced as I felt the sting of alcohol. The paramedic was being as gentle as she could, but it was still quite painful. And it reminded me of the pain I’d experienced while Gorge was torturing me, which wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.

  Thankfully, Miriam’s car showed up only minutes later. I saw her scanning the area and I assumed she was looking for me, so I called out to her.

  “That’s my grandmother,” I explained to the paramedic.

  She nodded, but continued to disinfect my fingers. Miriam rushed to my side as soon as she caught sight of me. She put my face between her hands, surveying the damage. No doubt, Gabe had told her everything before the cops had gotten here. I wished he hadn’t told her, because her expression was heartbreaking. I don’t think I’d ever seen Miriam get overly emotional before. It was foreign to me, seeing her bite her bottom lip and her eyes watering with unshed tears.

  “I was so worried,” she breathed.

  “I’m fine,” I assured her. “Really, I am.”

  “You certainly don’t look fine, little girl.” She glanced down at my hands, but quickly looked away, shuddering. “Good heavens. I didn’t realize it was that bad.”

  “It’s okay, I promise you. It looks worse than it really is. Besides, the fingernails I’m missing will grow back eventually.”

  I smiled, trying to provide her with reassurance. I had been going for something altruistic, but my right cheek was swollen and I could barely lift it. The crooked grin was undoubtedly comical. And I started to chuckle about it, which only seemed to make matters worse. I heard a small hiccup sound from the back of Mirum’s throat before she raised a hand to her mouth and looked away.

  Curiously, I whispered to the paramedic, “What did I say? Fingernails do grow back, don’t they?”

  The paramedic nodded.

  “Okay, good.”

  After Miriam collected herself, she turned back to me and asked, “Lola, why aren’t you on your way to the hospital?”

  The EMT immediately spoke up, much to my irritation. “I’ve been trying to get her into the ambulance, but she refuses to budge from this spot.”

  “Oh, great. Now you’ve done it,” I whispered angrily.

  “Lola Satrine Moori,” Miriam gritted out.

  The paramedic only shrugged, uncaring. Her expression clearly said: I bet you’re in trouble now. “It’s never good when they use your full name,” she pointed out. Then in a sing-song voice, she added, “You should have listened to me earlier.”

  “Thanks a lot,” I retorted sarcastically.

  But my grandmother was in no mood to joke. I guess I couldn’t blame her after the ordeal my abduction had probably put her through. Irately, she pointed to the ambulance, but kept her eyes fixated on me. “Get your butt in that vehicle now, little girl.”

  I determined by the sound of her no-nonsense voice that I better listen. I really wasn’t up for any additional agony tonight.

  I stood up carefully, prepared to walk to the ambulance. I wasn’t happy about it- not one little bit. I truly despised hospitals. I hated everything about them, the smell, the confinement and especially the aura of death.

  I heard Miriam apologize to the EMT as I walked away. “Sorry about that. She don’t have the sense God gave a goat. And I swear she’d argue with a fencepost if she could.”

  I turned back in time to see confusion spread across the paramedic’s face and I nearly had a fit of laughter. It was nice knowing I wasn’t the only one who needed a translator for my grandmother’s bizarre phrases.

  THIRTY-TWO

  About two hours and three x-rays later, my hunch had been verified. My rib wasn’t broken, but it was fractured. Nonetheless, they gave me really good pain medication for it. I was finally feeling much better. I found out my jaw was in good shape, too. The doctor told me that if Gorge had hit me a little lower, he would’ve broken my jaw, which meant my mouth would’ve needed to be wired shut. Thank God he had aimed high.

  I quietly laughed to myself when I realized how absurd my thoughts were.

  “And what are you so amused by, Miss Moori?” The question had been asked by the same paramedic who had cleaned and bandaged my hands earlier. I later found out her name was Sophie.

  “Oh, nothing. I just realized I was thankful over the fact that Gorge had aimed high rather than low when he hit me.”

  She shook her head in appraisal. “Are you sure I shouldn’t transfer you to the psych ward for analysis?”

  Miriam, who was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, laughed over Sophie’s joke. It relieved me to see she was finally starting to relax.

  “So when do I get to leave?” I asked. The doctor had recommended I stay overnight, but since there wer
e no broken bones or trauma, he left the decision up to me.

  “Now.”

  The voice came from the doorway. I looked up to see Gabe standing there. I think he may have been standing there for a while before he’d spoken because he was leaning against the doorframe with his hands in his pockets and his jacket slung across his arm. He looked exhausted. There were dark circles underneath his eyes. Miriam told me while I was waiting for my x-ray results that he hadn’t slept since I’d been abducted, and that had been nearly two days ago. My breathing slowed and I felt dizzy after she told me that, realizing the extent of how much he cared.

  Even though Gabe had killed Gorge, and even though he’d asked Annika to marry him, my whole heart defiantly remained in Gabe’s possession.

  Sophie left the room as Gabe entered it; I think she figured we needed some privacy. She winked at me and waved goodbye as she closed the door.

  Gabe moved, standing in front of my grandmother. “Miriam, I hope you won’t think I’m out of line here, but I think it’s best if Lola comes home with me.”

  “Whoa,” I immediately spoke up. “Don’t you feel like I should have a say in this?”

  Gabe sighed wearily. “Lola, will you stay at my house for the time being?”

  Though I was surprised he bothered to ask me, I still said, “No, thank you. Miriam’s house is just fine.”

  Frustrated, he turned back to Miriam. “Do I have your permission?”

  My grandmother bit her lip in contemplation. Finally, she answered him. “Yes. I think that’s best, too. For now, anyway.”

  “Grams!” I shouted.

  “You’re no longer welcome in my house, Lo. And I won’t hear another word about it. You’re going with Gabriel.”

  I groaned. Stubborn, old tyrant.

  Gabe leaned over my hospital bed, regarding me. He drew his hand up and across my swollen cheek. His touch was feather-light. “Please, Lola,” he breathed. “Please don’t fight me on this, not after what I’ve just been through. Tomorrow you can argue with me until you’re blue, I promise. But not tonight. I need to know you’re safe.”

  His words left me speechless, which was an oddity in itself. But he was being so tender and so caring. I knew he meant every word.

  I nodded. Geez, I think I might sleep in a kennel if he asked me to right now.

  “Thank you.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  I attempted to get out of the hospital bed, but Gabe stopped me. “Here, let me.” He reached around me, placing his jacket around my shoulders. Then he stretched his arms beneath me and lifted me from the mattress.

  “Gabe, I can walk. You don’t have to carry me.”

  But he wouldn’t listen. “Put your arm across my shoulder,” he instructed.

  “Seriously, you look really, really tired. I promise you I can walk just fine.” I would have smiled in order to reassure him, but after the effect it had on Miriam, I figured it was best if I didn’t go that route.

  “Just do it, Lo,” he commanded.

  Reluctantly, I put my arm across his shoulder.

  Gabe quickly carried me as if I had no weight. I rested my head against his chest, sighing. Miriam moved to hold the door open for us.

  Randomly, it occurred to me I hadn’t once been interviewed the entire night. And so I decided to ask Gabe if he knew why it never happened.

  “I took care of it for you,” he informed me. “Do you remember Paco Vasquez? You met him when you visited the station.”

  I thought of the short Hispanic man with the bushy mustache. “Yes, I remember him.”

  “Well, he led the crime scene tonight. I told him that you’ve been through enough and that I would give him the information for his report.”

  “And he simply agreed to that?”

  Gabe nodded. “He agreed to leave you alone, but he said he may need to contact you later for your official statement. That probably won’t happen until tomorrow or the next day.”

  “Huh. I didn’t even see him there.”

  “He didn’t show up until shortly before you left.”

  “That was nice of him,” I acknowledged. “And of you for asking.”

  Gabe glanced down at me for a brief moment. He paused as he waited for Miriam to open the doors that led outside.

  “Hey, Gabe. . .?”

  “Yes?”

  “Thank you for finding me. . .and for everything.”

  He looked down at me again; this time his eyes lingered as he observed me. “You’re welcome.”

  Dawn was nearing when we finally made it back to the Constantin house. Miriam stroked my hair before she left me and told me she would come by whenever I woke up. It felt very strange, not going home with her.

  Gabe continued to carry me even after we entered his house. He carried me straight up the stairs, into an enormous room with a king-sized bed placed smack in the middle of it. He set me down very gently on the bed, where I sank into the soft sheets, stretching with languor.

  Compared to the last few days’ attempts at sleeping while being tied up to a pole, this had to be the closest thing to heaven. Intoxicated, I breathed in the scent from the sheets, picking up the familiar citrus-like smell. My brows furrowed in confusion. “Gabe, whose room is this?”

  I glanced up to see he was rummaging through a dresser drawer. “You’re in my room. The bathroom is to your left.” He tossed me a big t-shirt. “You can wear it if you like. I’m sure it’s comfier than a hospital gown.”

  I was really confused at this point and too tired to think straight. “Wait, why am I in your room?”

  He moved closer to the bed, regarding me with his warm gaze. “Don’t worry, Lo. I’m not planning on sleeping here tonight.”

  “But I thought you mentioned something about this house having plenty of guest rooms? I don’t want to put you out of your own bedroom when there are others available.”

  “Yes, but none of them have a bed that’s as comfortable as mine,” he said. Then he added, “Plus I’m really enjoying knowing you’re in my bed right now. It seems right to me.”

  My stomach tied in knots as a thousand different images instantly flashed through my mind of Gabe and me in bed together. It was a very rare occasion for me to blush or even seem remotely embarrassed, but I was positive my face had gone red with humiliation. Gabe’s lazy grin proved he noticed it, too. I wondered if he had done it on purpose.

  “Good night, Lo.” He leaned down to kiss my forehead. Afterwards, he exited the room, closing the door.

  Great, now I would have to try to sleep with all these seductive images haunting me and my dreams. I bet that’s just what he wanted too, the beast.

  THIRTY-THREE

  My eyes shot open to the sound of a distant knocking. I really hoped the knocking would end without it being necessary for me to actually wake up and answer the door, but someone was being very persistent.

  “Lo, can I come in?” I heard someone shout.

  It took me a few moments to register who the voice belonged to. After I heard my name being shouted again, I realized it was Cam.

  My brow furrowed confusedly as I sat up in bed. What time was it? I looked around for a clock, but I didn’t see any in view. I ended up finding a sleek, expensive-looking Movado watch on the bedside table. I picked up and read the time. It was nine-thirty a.m. I figured that meant I had only been sleeping for approximately four and a half hours.

  “Ugh,” I groaned. I stared at the pillow longingly, debating if I should simply go back to sleep and ignore Cam.

  “Lo-laaa!” he shouted again, louder this time. He was practically banging down the door at this point.

  “Okay, okay. Come in already.”

  It suddenly occurred to me that I was wearing nothing more than Gabe’s shirt, so I threw the comforter over my legs. Cam came bustling into the room only a moment later.

  “This had better be good,” I warned him. “Or did you not realize I’m recovering from the most horrific two days of my ent
ire life?”

  “Whoa.” His brows shot up and his eyes widened. “Your face looks awful. It’s all purpley and yellowish." He appeared almost repulsed by my appearance, which made me want to throw the sheets over my head and hide forever.

  “What do you want, Cam?” I asked, casting my face downwards.

  “We’ve got trouble,” he said. I detected panic in his voice. I also noticed his blonde hair was mussed. Of course, Cam’s hair always looked messy in a surfer sort of style, but today it was simply out of control.

  “Here, take this.” He shoved a duffel bag into my hands. “Miriam brought it by for you earlier.”

  I unzipped the bag and looked inside. It contained a bunch of my clothes and toiletries.

  “So what’s the trouble you mentioned?” I asked as I rummaged through the clothes.

  “One of the Royals is here.”

  I paused as the impact of what he just said fully hit me. “Which one?” I asked, a little worried now.

  “Prince Tiberius.”

  The name ran through my mind as I tried to place it. Tiberius, where had I heard that name before? Oh, yeah. He’s from the house of Gabor. The house of Gabor was one of the four Royal families, otherwise known as the working gypsies. They were my favorite of the Royals, but they also held the least amount of power.

  “What does he want?” I asked. But the question was pointless because I already knew the answer. He wants me.

  “He was sent here to summon you to Redwood Forest.”