“Stop it,” she said in a voice Veronica would be proud of. Too bad the guys were laughing too hard to notice the threat in it.
Gabe pushed back his chair and sauntered over. Relieved yet worried green eyes met his.
“Gentlemen,” Gabe said tightly, even though his hands were casually in his pockets. “Let her go.”
Three of the men stood up. The other kept his hands on the waitress, who struggled to get loose. “What right do you have to tell me what to do? I’m celebrating. It’s graduation, and I want to have some fun.”
“Then have some fun somewhere else and let go of her immediately,” Gabe warned.
The three men began to make their way slowly around the table. Gabe had never taken three attackers on at a time, but he was proficient with two. Nash, Nabi, and Ahmed had taught him well.
“Stop!” she yelled, her green eyes frantic. “Don’t hurt my boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” the man holding her repeated.
“Yes. He’s my boyfriend, and he just wants you to take your hands off me. If you had a girlfriend, you wouldn’t want another guy touching her, would you?” she asked, though the way she said it was more of a challenge to contradict her.
The man dropped his hands, and she stumbled toward Gabe. Gabe grabbed the tray with one hand and her with the other. She fit perfectly under his arm. The top of her head reached his lips, and he pressed them to her head briefly. She looked up in surprise but didn’t let go of him. Instead, she placed a small hand with chipped nail polish onto his chest.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“My pleasure,” Gabe said, giving her a wink.
“Can we have our shots now?” one of the guys asked in annoyance at losing their plaything.
Reluctantly she stepped from Gabe’s arms. He held out the tray, and she served the drinks before taking the empty round serving tray and sliding it under her arm.
“Let me get you another drink to say thank you,” she said softly before walking away.
Gabe went back to his table and looked at his watch. One hour until closing. He was exhausted and they had an early start in the morning. But by the way the table was still eyeing her, Gabe decided another hour wouldn’t kill him. He’d make sure the waitress got to her car safely.
“I really appreciate that,” she said, putting a glass of bourbon on the table in front of Gabe.
“Any gentlemen would have done that.”
She looked around the bar and then back to him. “But they didn’t. You did.” Her smile was full of gratitude as she looked down at him. “You’re my boyfriend, and I don’t even know your name.”
“Gabe.”
She sent him a smile that exposed two dimples below a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. “It’s nice to meet you, Gabe. I’m Sloane Holiday, and I will be your girlfriend for the evening.”
Gabe chuckled. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun with a woman. Well, so much fun just talking to a woman. At least one he wasn’t related to or almost related to like the Davies women. He considered them sisters anyway.
“Do you get off in an hour?” Gabe asked, as he looked over to the group of guys.
“Yeah. Billy is closing tonight,” she said, gesturing to the bartender with her head.
“I’ll walk you to your car.”
She cringed slightly. “Um. I don’t have a car. If I hurry, I can make the last bus that goes close to my apartment. If I miss it, then I usually just walk. It’s only a few miles.”
“Then I’ll walk you to the bus. Or home if you miss the bus. Either way, I want to see you safely away from the bar.” Gabe knew he was trying for casual, but he could tell by the surprise in her face it had come out more as an order. Damn, he really was becoming more and more like his father.
Sloane was quiet for a moment. “You’re not some deviant who plays the knight in shining armor only get a girl to trust him so you can kill her, are you?”
Gabe couldn’t tell if she was serious or not. “Not at all. While my mother believes I am a bad son, it’s solely because I have not yet married, and not for any past kidnappings or murders. Though she may not mind a kidnapping if it was a young woman who would marry me.” Sloane laughed and Gabe felt his heart kick up a beat. The sound was such pure joy that he couldn’t help but laugh along with her.
“Fine. You can walk me to the bus. See you in an hour, Gabe.”
* * *
Sloane couldn’t stop looking at the man sitting at the corner table. The man who had rescued her when no one else would. The man whose mother obviously loved him and instilled chivalry in him. If only a man like that would be interested in her. But men like that weren’t interested in someone who wore secondhand clothes and had to take the bus home. Instead, Sloane spent her nights reading instead of going on dates. And in forty-three minutes, she’d be able to leave here, catch the bus to her studio apartment with the leaky sink and loud neighbors, and get lost in her newest book. Only tonight she’d picture Gabe as the lead character in her dreams.
In just a couple of days, it would be nine years since she left Chicago all on her own. She cast another glance at the man working on his final paper. He had to be in graduate school like she was. He was probably becoming a professor and would earn his Ph.D. soon. She’d spent the last nine years fighting for every cent she got. It had been hard, but it had been worth it. Everything she had was hers. Her family had no claim to her, her education, or the $213.51 in her bank account.
Sloane took a couple of seconds to allow herself to feel the pride of her accomplishments. She’d have a graduate degree she’d earned all on her own and maybe even a job if Gabe really thought he could get her an interview. Sloane pushed back the skepticism that he’d want something in return. It was hard to not be a skeptic after growing up with her family. But maybe there really were people out there who did good things just to be nice and not expect anything in return.
Thirty minutes to go. The bar started to empty, except for one person who had just walked in. Sloane watched as the man looked around with disgust until his eyes focused in on Gabe. The man was shorter than Gabe, but deadly-looking for someone who seemed to be in his late fifties or early sixties.
Curiosity killed the cat, she reminded herself. After growing up with her family she should know that. Especially since it led to her leaving at one minute past midnight on her eighteenth birthday. But she felt protective of the man who had rescued her so she grabbed her tray, ready to defend him if necessary, and headed for the table.
“Draven is livid, but your father more so. Draven cornered Veronica again tonight,” Sloane overheard as she began to wipe down a nearby table.
“Damn. I should have been there. Is she okay?” Gabe asked.
“Yes. Your mother delivers a mean right hook and telling you what Veronica did makes me cringe. But I had to warn you. Draven blames you,” the older man said as Sloane was once again thinking Gabe’s mother had to be someone she’d love to meet. Her own mother . . . we’ll, Sloane refused to think about it.
“Me?” Gabe asked, sounding astonished.
“You’re the playboy after all. He thought you and everyone around you would approve since he apparently tried to talk to Veronica before putting his hands on her. Anyway, your father packed him off to a hotel in Lexington. Watch your back, okay?”
Oh my gosh. Who was this man that had rescued her? A playboy? A fight over a girl with some other guy his mom had to punch? She had thought he was single and here he had a girlfriend at his parents’ house. She had thought he was a knight in shining armor, but instead he was a player.
Gabe glanced up at that moment and caught Sloane looking at him. He turned back to the older man and lowered his voice so Sloane couldn’t hear. Ugh, she turned her back and finished cleaning the table before moving to the next one.
“It would be too obvious. Draven won’t think of you here. That’s what I told your father. But, come early. Tomorrow is a di
fferent story. Better yet, come home tonight,” the older man suggested.
“I will. I just have something I need to do first. And since you’re listening, you might as well come over here.”
Sloane froze as Gabe directed that last part to her. Busted. “I wasn’t listening. I’m cleaning tables.”
Gabe sent her a yeah-right look as the older man looked her over. She shivered as her eyes met his.
“Now isn’t the time to get laid,” the man said, dismissing her and turning back to Gabe.
Sloane didn’t think, she just acted. The wet bar cloth was hurled through the air and, with a resounding splat, landed against the side of the older man’s face. As he slowly reached up with two fingers to peel it from his face, she noticed the look of absolute shock on Gabe’s face. Well, she wasn’t going to back down no matter who he thought he was.
“I have no interest in getting laid by him, or you, or anyone else in this bar. Do I make myself clear, you arrogant ass?”
Gabe gasped. She wasn’t a wimp, and she was going to defend her honor even if he wasn’t. She might appreciate Gabe coming to her rescue earlier, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t rescue herself. Then, the mood change suddenly as Gabe laughed. Sloane was shocked by how much being laughed at hurt.
“Ahmed, this is Sloane. Sloane, my old family friend, Ahmed.” Gabe turned back to face the stone-cold Ahmed. “Some drunk men were trying to take advantage of her. I told Sloane I’d walk her to the bus stop and see her safely on the bus tonight in case they decided to hang around.”
“Are those the men I saw leaving when I came in?” Ahmed asked.
Gabe nodded.
The man turned to Sloane, and she took an involuntary step back, bumping into the table. “My deepest apologies.” Ahmed stood, now looking only at Gabe. “Should I wait?”
“No, thank you. You know I’ve got this. Sloane gets off in fifteen minutes. I’ll see you soon.”
Ahmed dipped his head briefly in her direction and headed out the door.
“You don’t have to walk with me. It sounds as if your girlfriend needs you,” Sloane said, not so happy that a trace of jealousy could be heard in her voice. And disappointment. She’d let her mind turn him into something he wasn’t. He was just a man after all—no one special. And certainly no one who would rescue her and carry her off into the sunset.
“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Gabe said easily as he took a sip of his drink. “And even if I did, I would still walk you to the bus.”
“Why?” Sloane asked before she could stop herself.
“Because it’s the right thing to do. As you heard, my mother packs a mean punch. If she found out I let a beautiful woman walk away into the night unescorted, I’d be the recipient of that punch.” He smiled at her. Damn her heart for thinking he was Prince Charming.
“Fine,” she said, reaching over his table and picking up the wet bar towel. “But that is all.”
She returned to her duties even though her heart was calling to him to notice her, even as her brain registered the fact he didn’t have a girlfriend, and in spite of the way her stomach flipped when he smiled. Nope. She’d heard that scary man. Gabe was a playboy, and that was the last thing she needed in her life. No, she was focused on graduating and getting a job, certainly not the sexy man grinning at her.
6
Gabe waited for Sloane to grab her things from the back room as Billy cleaned behind the bar. He was being tested. That was what was happening. Draven was sent to make Gabe pay for his sins. And now he had to watch his back because the prick was having a temper tantrum.
It might all have been worth the trouble to see Sloane smack Ahmed in the face with a dirty wet rag. He couldn’t wait to tell his friends and family. If only he’d acted faster and gotten a picture. He had simply been too stunned anyone would dare challenge Ahmed that all he could do was gawk as Sloane chewed him out. Even if it did irk him that she didn’t want to sleep with him. Not that he was thinking about sleeping with her. Okay, he was, but she didn’t know that.
The door to the back opened, and Sloane came out with a bag slung over her shoulder and her phone in her hand. She was probably ready to call 9-1-1 if Gabe tried anything. He reached for the front door and held it as Sloane brushed past him and froze. Gabe turned to look and saw the ringleader of the college boys stumbling back up the street toward them.
“Which way to the bus stop?” Gabe asked, keeping an eye on the man a block away.
“About three blocks past him.”
“Well, sweetheart, let’s get you to the bus stop safe and sound.” Gabe moved to her side and took her hand in his, positioning himself to always be between her and the drunk.
Her hand was small in his. He could feel a slight tremor as if she too knew they were walking straight into trouble. However, it was worth it to feel her hand in his. His father had said the moment he’d seen Gabe’s mother it was true love. He talked about a shock when they’d innocently touched on Will and Kenna’s back porch, and damned if Gabe hadn’t just felt the same thing.
It was hard to describe, but it felt as if his hand warmed and his heart was shocked with electricity at the touch of her hand. This really was karma. He was falling for the one person who didn’t want to sleep with him. Of course she didn’t know he was a prince and obscenely wealthy either. But for some reason, he didn’t want her to know. He didn’t want the fuss women made upon learning about his position. He wanted to see if she would like him when she thought he was just a college student. Looking up, Gabe saw he’d have to let go of her hand. The man was closing in on them. By the crazed look in his eyes, drinking wasn’t the only thing he’d done tonight.
* * *
Sloane swallowed the surprised feeling when Gabe’s hand closing around hers. One touch should not send her body into a complete meltdown. Her brain and her heart had gone haywire. So much so that it wasn’t until Gabe took his hand away that she noticed they were almost upon the man who had grabbed her earlier.
She thought Gabe would slow, but he didn’t. “Get ready to run. Don’t stop. Just get away from him,” Gabe whispered.
And she knew why. She knew it way more intimately than she wanted. She had seen eyes like that before. After leaving the bar, he had shot up on something. Most likely cocaine or a speedball, cocaine mixed with heroin. She’d been around it for the first eighteen years of her life and knew what it looked like. The crazed red eyes that were fully dilated, the rapid breathing—he exhibited all the signs. If it were just cocaine, it should wear off in just ten minutes to an hour. However, if it were a speedball, then the danger could just be beginning for the man.
Sloane saw him trying to focus on her. He squinted and wobbled. “There’s my pretty. Ready for some fun now? It’s time to celebrate.”
“You need to go back to your friends or to a hospital,” Gabe said slowly and clearly. The man turned as if trying to focus on him.
“Oh, the boyfriend.” He laughed and pulled a knife. “Let me dispatch the boyfriend so we can party,” he said to her.
She was surprised that Gabe seemed relaxed as he shoved her behind him. “Go. Now.”
She hesitated, not wanting to leave Gabe to defend her against a man with a knife. A completely erratic man at that.
“Now,” he ordered, sounding a lot like the scary man she’d met with Gabe at the bar.
Sloane started to run. She heard the attacker charge and then she heard the sickening sound of a knife slicing through the air. Sloane was almost to the door to Billy’s when she heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh, grunts, and then a sickening crack. She turned around and saw Gabe standing over the unconscious man laid out on the sidewalk.
“Gabe!” Her heart lurched at the sight of him standing safely over the body, talking into his phone and telling the police to send an ambulance.
He hung up and she raced toward him. “Are you hurt? Are you okay?”
Gabe smiled and Sloane felt like throwing herself into his arms. So she
did. He easily absorbed the impact as he chuckled. “It’ll take more than a man high on drugs to bring me down.”
An engine roared down the street as Sloane and Gabe looked up, expecting to see a police vehicle. Instead, a black SUV sped past. The window was lowered and before Sloane could register what was happening, Gabe shoved her to the ground. He gathered her in his arm as he pressed his back to a metal trashcan, putting himself between her and the gunshots being fired.
Sloane might have been screaming. She couldn’t tell as Gabe curved his body around her. The car slowed as if someone would get out, but the sound of sirens caused the car to speed away.
“Shh. It’s over. You’re safe.”
Sloane heard the words over and over again as Gabe held her and gently stroked her arms. She was shaking and tears came to her eyes. “Dammit, it’s not as if I haven’t seen all this before. It’s just been awhile.”
“What do you mean?” Gabe asked even though he kept gently stroking her arms.
“I grew up in a bad part of Chicago,” Sloane said vaguely. She wasn’t about to get into her past with him. “Do you think it was this guy’s friends?”
An ambulance and a police car slowed to a stop with sirens flashing. The EMTs immediately got to work on the guy Gabe had taken down, but Sloane heard the cop reporting the gunfire. She looked up and saw that the store windows along the sidewalk were all shot out.
“Are you the man who called?” the second cop asked as he stood over them.
“Yes,” Gabe said and took over answering all the questions. Sloane thought she’d escaped her old life and the terror it brought with it. It turned her stomach to see it playing out around her all over again.
Forever Concealed Page 4