by Faith Gibson
“Yeah, well she wasn’t at school today.”
“Is she sick? She didn’t look sick yesterday.”
“Exactly. She misses a lot of school, and it’s usually when her mother is on a bender. It breaks my heart that kids have to put up with their parents’ addictions when life is hard enough on them as it is. She should be loved and nurtured, not shoved in a corner and forgotten.”
Frey could tell Abbi loved the little girl. She probably loved all her kids, but her heart was in her voice when she spoke of Amelia. He didn’t have it in him to share what Dane suspected about the little girl. Neither did he want Abbi to know of the pitiful home conditions the child endured. How would she feel about the child if the girl turned out to actually be Troy’s? Would she still open her heart to a child her husband had with another woman when she herself couldn’t carry a baby to term? Or would she embrace the child more knowing Amelia had no chance in hell at being loved otherwise? Knowing Abbi’s heart, it would be the latter.
“Let’s hope she is okay and will be back to school tomorrow.” Frey reached for her hand, entwining their fingers. “Dane called. Troy didn’t show up for work, and he still hasn’t been located. Victoria is going to have one of his fellow officers serve him the papers. Hopefully, that will bring him out of hiding and they will arrest him.”
“I just want all of this to be over with so I can move on with my life. I hate looking over my shoulder all the time.”
Frey squeezed her hand. “You don’t have to worry about that now. I’ve got your back. As long as you do what I ask you to and be smart about your surroundings, we’ve got you covered.” Abbi nodded and smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. He wanted to erase all the pain and doubt in her heart. He wanted the smile she gave him when she first got in the truck, before she had time to think about the bad things in her life.
When they arrived at the community center, Frey accompanied Abbi to her classroom, making sure it was empty. He left her to do what she needed to do to prepare for the kids. He made himself scarce, hiding out in the empty room next to hers. One by one the students arrived. Most of the parents left their kids, but there were a few of the moms who sat on the side of the room, watching their little one dance. Abbi went through some warmups before getting into the lesson. All of the kids in her class went to the school where she taught, and they would be part of the fall festival.
Once the music started, Frey couldn’t stay put. He made sure nobody was around, and he stood in the shadow of the hall as Abbi showed the children their dance steps. Soon, her studio at home would be finished, and Frey would have the pleasure of watching her dance all the time. He would do what he needed to convince her to dance again. As she smiled at each of the children when they did something right, or even when they got the steps wrong, his soul reached out to the heavens and did something he’d never done before. He prayed for himself. Frey prayed that he would one day have the privilege of seeing Abbi teach their child how to dance.
The time flew by, and soon Abbi was telling the kids she would see them the following day. Since they were all in the festival, Abbi had changed the practice schedule to every day instead of three days a week. Frey hid until all the kids had been picked up. Amelia was among the kids, so Frey had to wonder why she hadn’t been in school. He waited for her mother, but saw a stranger walking with both Amelia and another child.
Once Abbi was alone, Frey walked into her classroom. If there weren’t other people in different areas of the building, he would ask her to dance for him. Since they weren’t alone, he didn’t risk it, because when she started dancing, he would want to grab her and kiss her. Kissing would lead to touching, and touching would lead to fucking. No, not fucking. Not with Abbi. They would make love. Even if they got down and dirty, it would always be making love.
On the way home, Abbi was quiet. Frey could feel the turmoil within her. “Abbi,” he reached for her hand. “I saw Amelia. Did she say where she was today?”
Abbi responded without looking at him, “She said her mother was sick and couldn’t take her to school.” Frey let it go, but he was pretty sure there was more to it than that.
When they got out of the truck, Frey offered to carry Abbi’s bags, but she took them instead. He really needed to figure out what was going on with her. They walked into the kitchen just as Jasper and Matt had finished eating. Jasper had their supper warming in the oven. He stood and put his and Matt’s plates in the dishwasher. “I have some work to do, and I have training in the morning. Mason will be here before you take Abbi to the school, and then I’ll relieve him later,” Jasper told Frey as soon as they walked in the door.
“I thought you were on leave,” Matthew said as he gingerly stood up from the kitchen table.
“I have Amazon work to tend to,” Jasper joked.
“Ahh, fighting the good fight,” Matthew responded. He had no idea how close to the truth he was.
Abbi put her bags down in the living room and returned to the kitchen. “What kind of training do you have?” she asked as she cocked her head sideways looking at Jasper.
Jasper looked to Frey for help, so Frey answered for him, “He has sword training. The badass club we belong to believes in being prepared for any type of assault.”
Abbi rolled her eyes. “It’s the Amazon club, and whatever.”
“I want to watch,” Matt told Jasper. Everyone looked at each other, but he continued, “I would love to get out of the house. If you don’t mind, I’d like to ride with you and watch.”
“It’s fine by me if Jas doesn’t mind swinging by to get you. That would save Mason a trip.” Frey was going to tell Matthew about the Stone Society as soon as he cleared it with Rafael. The Goyles didn’t phase during training, so it should be okay for Matt to go with Jasper.
“Yeah, sure. I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty.” Jasper shook hands with the men, fisted his heart to Abbi, and said his goodbyes.
“Is he really going to train with a sword?” Abbi asked incredulously.
“Yes, he really is.” Frey let it go. If Abbi had questions, she would ask. If she didn’t, well, she would eventually find out what was going on. He grabbed two plates from the cabinet and handed one to her. “This smells delicious,” he said as he removed a casserole dish from the oven while Abbi reheated the green beans in the microwave.
“I’m telling you, Jasper would make a great husband. He can cook, he’s got really great toys, and he’s funny,” Matt extolled the qualities of his new friend.
Abbi laughed, “It sounds like you’re a little smitten with him.”
“Nah, he’s got his heart set on Trevor. I hope for both their sakes, Trevor gets his head out of his ass and comes back. I hate seeing Jasper sad.”
Again, Frey didn’t miss the fact that Matthew didn’t deny his feelings for Jas. “Matthew, can I ask you a very personal question?”
“Sure,” he said as he grabbed a dinner roll out of the basket.
“If Jasper didn’t want Trevor, would you be interested in him?”
“Well, he is hot, if you like redheads. But he’s too old for me. Besides, I prefer blonds.” He stuck the roll in his mouth, tearing off a huge chunk. “Do you have a problem with that?” he asked around the bite of bread in his mouth.
Frey took a beer out of the fridge and sat down at the table. “Not at all. I want you to be happy, even if that means you’re going to deprive yourself of the possibility of a great relationship because you won’t consider a man with brown hair.” Frey wiggled his eyebrows at Matt. “Please pass me a roll.” The teen grabbed bread from the basket and threw it, grimacing after. Without thinking, Frey caught the roll with his shifter speed.
“Holy crap,” Abbi gasped. “That was… You are an Amazon. You all are. Tell me I’m not crazy, Geoffrey.”
“You’re not crazy. I just have quick reflexes. It comes from years and years of training. Please pass the green beans,” he hoped she would drop it. When Frey stuck Matthew’s thrown roll in hi
“You really should wait until you’re healed before you try out for the baseball team.”
“Tell me about it. This sucks donkey balls.”
“Matthew Swanson!” Abbi chastised him.
“Sorry, Abs. Amazons are a bad influence on an impressionable young man.”
Frey coughed to keep from choking on the bread he’d been swallowing. He sat the beans down and really laughed. He couldn’t help it. Matthew was witty and funny, and Frey never wanted the kid to move out. Abbi pointed her fork at Frey. “Don’t encourage him,” she said, trying to hide a smile.
Frey gave Matthew his homework before he and Abbi cleaned the kitchen in companionable silence. While Abbi worked on the festival, Frey excused himself and headed out to the garage for some privacy. He called Rafael for an update on the construction. They talked about Dante and his new family as well as Kaya’s last day at the precinct. When they got to the subject of training, Frey admitted about Matthew seeing the basketball scrimmage. “Rafe, I screwed up, but the boy’s going to be my family. He will eventually learn what we are, so, if you have no objection, I’d like to be honest with him.”
“Dante and I had the same discussion regarding Trevor. He is Jasper’s mate as well as Dante’s assistant. He will have to know sooner rather than later, and Dante feels he can shed a little light on Jasper’s predicament by telling him the truth of our kind. As long as the boy is trustworthy and can keep our secret, I have no objection.”
“He’s been lied to for the last ten years by the only male figure in his life. I don’t want there to be any secrets between us. I want Matt to know there are good males he can count on.”
“I understand, Frey. Good luck with him, although you don’t need it. You’re one of the best Goyles I know, and I’m proud to call you Brother.”
Frey took a second to compose himself. “Thank you. Be well, my King.” Frey disconnected and stood quietly, reflecting on Rafael’s words. He didn’t feel as though he needed luck with Matthew, only time. Speaking of the teen, the back door opened, and he walked slowly onto the deck, enjoying the early evening air. That was one thing they had in common. Even though he owned a gym and spent a lot of time inside, Frey preferred being outdoors. Another way they were alike was in their protectiveness of Abbi. Both men wanted her safe first and foremost. Yes, Frey trusted the teen with their secret, and first chance he had, he would show Matthew the truth of the Gargoyles.
He had bigger concerns at the moment. Like why his mate was in the house throwing up.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Once Abbi excused herself to her room, she lost it, literally. She had kept her composure on the ride home as well as during supper. Now, she knelt on the bathroom floor, violently retching the contents of her stomach into the toilet. Watching Matthew and Frey together had allowed her mind a brief respite from the earlier news she’d gleaned out of Amelia. The girl hadn’t been sick, and her mother hadn’t been on a bender. Troy had taken their car and left them with no way to get around. No wonder Debbie had been smirking when she saw Abbi and Frey together. It wasn’t because Abbi was with another man; it was because Debbie had accomplished what she’d been trying to do since high school. She had Troy.
That in itself didn’t bother Abbi. If she’d been smart and not let Troy convince her to marry him, Debbie could have had him all along. They deserved each other. No, what bothered her was the fact Amelia was the product of his cheating, and he was using the little girl to blackmail Debbie into helping him. Technically, she and Troy hadn’t been married at the time Amelia had been conceived, but Troy had expected her to be faithful when he hadn’t been. How Abbi hadn’t seen it earlier was a mystery. When she stopped and took a good long look at the child, she saw the resemblance. Amelia had his dark hair and dark eyes. She even had his crooked smile. She probably hadn’t recognized that trait because the little girl never had a reason to smile, unless she was dancing.
When Amelia showed up for class, Abbi had been happy to see the child, until she saw her dirty tear-stained cheeks. Abbi pulled her aside while the other kids were warming up and asked her what was wrong. The little girl had unloaded a whole lot of information she probably wasn’t supposed to know, and obviously didn’t understand. Troy had been to their house, fighting with Debbie. They had argued about a lot of stuff, one being their child. Debbie had obviously asked for child support, and Troy had called both Debbie and Amelia names no child should ever hear, much less when it was directed at them. Amelia said she had nowhere to hide since her room was a little corner of the living room. The girl had heard everything. Troy had grabbed the keys to Debbie’s car and stormed out of the house.
One of their neighbor’s had given Amelia a ride. Since the other mother didn’t bother to stay during class, Abbi couldn’t confront her about Amelia being upset. By the time class was over, Amelia was smiling and seemed to have forgotten her worries. Dancing did that for a person, no matter their size.
When Abbi was finally able, she rose from the floor and brushed her teeth. As she rinsed, she thought about seeing Amelia every day and being reminded of Troy’s infidelity. The thought of him being able to have a child with someone else drove home what he’d said every time she’d had a miscarriage – she was a failure as a woman. She had to remember, it wasn’t the child’s fault, and she still needed Abbi to show her the love she never received at home. She would have to pretend the familiar face didn’t rip a hole in her heart and continue on as she normally would.
Abbi couldn’t face Frey or Matt, so she turned off her light and covered her head completely with the bedding. The dark would overtake the sunlight soon enough, and she would hopefully get a little sleep.
A few hours later, Abbi got up. She had lain in bed until both Matthew and Frey turned in for the night. She gave them time to get sound asleep before she slipped downstairs and outside. She sat down in one of the deck chairs and stared at the sky. There were no clouds to obscure the millions of tiny twinkling lights. The last time Abbi had sat outside at night enjoying the sky was when her parents were still alive. Even though their house was in a neighborhood, the closest street light was at the end of the block. She would take a blanket to the back yard, lie on her back, and stargaze. Back then, she had been amazed at the stars. Now, sitting out in the middle of nowhere, the lights were even more spectacular. She couldn’t wait until summer when the fireflies would be out in full force.
Would she still be there in the summer? Abbi’s head was hurting from thinking about all that was happening around her. Before she met Geoffrey, her life was what it was, abuse and all, but it was her life. She knew what to expect on a daily basis. Matt constantly begged her to leave Troy, but she couldn’t. She had been resigned to the fact that she would never dance, never have babies of her own, never know a happy day. Now, in a week’s time, everything had changed.
She was still married to Troy, but not for long. Hopefully the divorce would go quickly, but knowing her husband, he’d contest it, dragging it out for as long as possible. Would Frey stick around through the drama? If he decided he was tired of her, where would she go? Her teacher’s salary wasn’t enough to live on. Troy didn’t make a lot of money, either, and they had no savings. There was nothing to split other than the contents of their house. If she couldn’t afford a place to live, it didn’t matter if she got half the furniture or not.
Abbi sat on the deck, worrying about it all until she could no longer stand the chill. She silently padded back upstairs just in time to turn her clock off and get ready for school.
Jasper picked Matthew up and headed to Dante’s. “You hungry?” he asked the teen. The kid was always hungry.
“Does a bear shit in the woods?” Matt always had a smart ass answer, but Jasper enjoyed it. The kid didn’t have many friends, and those he did have, he only saw at school. Jasper had enjoyed his time watching over Matt and hoped theirs would be a friendship that lasted a lifetime. At least Matt’s lifetime. That was the bad thing about friending humans; their lifespan was so much shorter than a Goyles.
“I honestly don’t know the answer to that. I try to steer clear of bears.”
“So, you, a big bad Amazon, are afraid of a lil ole bear?”
“I’m a badass, not an Amazon. That’s a river. Or a rainforest, or something like that.” Jasper pulled into the first drive-thru he came to and told the kid to order whatever he wanted. Matt slowly slid across the seat so he could look at the menu. He was practically sitting in Jasper’s lap. The teen definitely wasn’t shy about being in someone else’s space. “What are you doing?” he asked him.
“I’m seeing what they have, duh.” Matt stayed leaned against Jasper until he’d placed his order. He dug his wallet out of his pocket and handed Jasper some money. Jasper doubled Matt’s order and pulled up to the window.
“Put your money back, I’ve got this,” Jasper said.
Matthew huffed, “I ain’t a charity case. Here.” He placed the money in Jasper’s lap, precariously close to his cock. Jasper picked the money up, added it to the cash in his hand and paid for their order. He passed the paper bag over to Matt, who had finally scooted back to the passenger side. He placed their drinks in the cup holders before driving away from the window.
Matthew took the food out of the bags, divvying it up between them. He placed a napkin with Jasper’s food and set it on the seat beside him before starting in on his own burrito. The kid took a huge bite, moaning as he chewed. “God, this is good.”
“I’m assuming you’ve never had a breakfast burrito before.”
“Not one from an actual restaurant. The cafeteria at school makes some, but they skimp on the eggs, and they don’t add all this other good stuff.”
Jasper had to wonder at how Matthew lived. He had thrown out kernels of information as they were playing video games, none of which had been positive. At least not since their parents had died. He never dissed Abbi, but he did say he wished she’d never married Troy. If she’d married someone better, neither one of them would have ended up so battered and bruised.
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