This was a side of Ian I never expected to see. Never thought it was even possible. My heart broke seeing the pain in his face, hearing the strain in his voice.
“Too much is happening too fast. I need time.”
“You take as much time as you want, but I know you feel the same as I. You know it. Whether or not you want to admit it. No one could ever, or will ever, care for you as much as I. I have tried to hide it, tried to deny it. I have been alive too long to know that these feelings only come around once in a lifetime.” He glanced at me. “You have been the most important person in my life… since day one.”
“How can you say that? You always told me it was the mission. I was only important to the mission. For years I wanted to hear I meant something to you. That you cared for me, even a little, but you only ever spoke about the mission. Now?” I waved my arms around, maybe a little too erratically, to point out our current situation. “You chose now to tell me what I’ve wanted to hear? Look, I believe you love me, but I am just not sure anymore we will work well together. I am a fraction of your age. How could someone who has been around as long as you want me?”
“Oh, Goldie. Did you not say age does not matter? That it has nothing to do with who you are. Our auras are linked. We are meant to be.”
“I still don’t understand, why now? Why are you telling me all of this now?”
“I do not want to lose you. I have been a fool. You have always been more important to me than the others. I was ashamed of my attraction to you when we first met. You were only a teenager for Danu’s sake! Even when you reached adulthood, I would not let myself acknowledge how important you had become. Especially when my feelings for you began to grow. I have been trying to deny my love for you long enough.”
“You are right, I do feel the same. Always have. I love you more than I thought it possible to love anyone.” I held up my hands when he moved toward me. “I need time to figure out what I want. I need you to give me time, okay?”
He stared at me for a long while, before sighing and saying, “I cannot force you into a relationship, just as you could not force me. You allowed me time; I will do the same for you. I will be here if you need me for any reason tonight.”
I smiled at him as I opened the door to the hallway to find Rufus leaning against the wall, alone. He smiled a cheesy smile, mocking me. I stuck my tongue out at him, he chuckled.
“Come on, Ruf, you can sleep in my room.”
“Well, well, well tonight is turning out better than I thought.”
“On the floor, Ruf, on the floor,” I said as I headed down the hall. When we got into my room, I grabbed a comforter and pillows from my closet. I wanted to ask about Lydia but didn’t want to sound like a jealous girlfriend.
“She’s in the den,” Rufus said answering my unspoken question.
“Where will she sleep?”
“I am sure she will leave once she realizes Ian has no desire for her to return to his room.”
“Oh.”
“Ian wants nothing to do with her. Never has.” He scowled at the makeshift bed I was arranging on the floor.
“Can’t I share your bed? It’s plenty big enough.”
“Hell, no.”
“Aw, come on, sugar. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
He removed his shirt and flexed his pecs, proving he planned to be anything but “on his best behavior”.
“No.”
He sighed as he watched me take off my shoes and climb, fully clothed, into my bed.
“Well, I am not sleeping in my jeans.”
I rolled over so my back was to him, but not before I caught a glimpse of him in his boxers.
Something else he has in common with Ian, I thought.
“Well, goodnight,” I said as I settled in for the night, the image of a half-naked Rufus floating through my mind.
********
The pain in my chest woke me up gasping for air. I leaped from bed, grabbing my knives as I ran to Ian’s room. Rufus followed, though he couldn’t possibly know what was happening. I wasn’t even sure. I just somehow knew Ian was in trouble.
“Rufus, see if Lydia is still here, and if she is keep her here,” I called out to him as I neared Ian’s door. She was behind this. She had to be.
As I entered Ian’s room Gabriel was straddling Ian. I picked up my pace to a blurring speed and tackled Gabriel to the floor. We landed in a heap beside the bed. He threw me and I slammed into the wall leaving a crack.
“You half-breed bitch! You killed my Angels! I am done playing with you, I will kill you this time,” Gabriel said manically as he moved toward me.
I was up and crouched in a fighting stance. He prowled his way to me like a cat on the hunt. His lips in a hard line, and his small, brown eyes narrowed as he neared me. He was in kill mode.
He came at me so quickly, it surprised me. He shoved me and I flew back, slamming into the wall again knocking the breath out of me. I slid to the floor as I fought for air. When he kicked me in the stomach, I stopped breathing altogether.
Gagging and retching, I moved onto my hands and knees. Now in the perfect position for him to kick me repeatedly. My ribs broke. If they punctured my lung, it would take too long to heal, and Gabriel would kill me… and Ian.
I crawled to get out of his reach, but he was faster, what with not being injured and all. He used a foot to shove me to the floor. I fell onto my face. He crouched beside me, grabbing my hair to lift my head. I defiantly looked him in the eye and smiled as best I could. He would not get the satisfaction of knowing he hurt me. Not this time. Not. Ever. Again.
“You think you can escape me, mutt?” he hissed, spittle landing on my face. I gagged again but kept my smile in place even as he ripped my knife belt off and tossed it aside. I took note of where it landed.
“Oh, I don’t want to escape you. Not at all. I want to make you scream in pain. I want to see your face when I kill you.” My voice was hoarse but steady.
“Like that’s going to happen! Look at you! You’re weak and pitiful. I don’t know why I ever thought of you for my project. You disgust me!”
“Back at ya, Gabe.
He flipped me to my back and sat on me, pinning my arms beneath him. He slipped on his faeritonium knuckle guards and began hitting me in the face. Blood filled my mouth, making me choke.
I heard Rufus yell. Gabriel stopped his pummeling for a second. I heard a crash and a grunt before Gabriel returned to striking me.
Suddenly he stopped again. My eyes were so bloody and swollen, could not see what was happening. I could still feel his weight on top of me, but he’d stopped moving.
What the hell is he doing?
He leaned down so his lips were touching my ear.
“I will let you heal, mutt, just enough so you can see again. I want you to watch as I kill your boyfriend. I want you to scream as I do it. Then I will kill you, too. I’ll make your death quick; I promise.”
Grabbing my face, he squeezed to make my mouth open. He pressed his arm to my lips. He forced my jaw open, and I tasted his blood.
“Swallow.”
I disobeyed.
“Swallow it now or I will make Ian suffer more than I already plan to!”
I didn’t want to take his blood, the thought was revolting, but it would help me heal. I’d have the chance to prevent him from touching Ian… or die trying. Either way was better than laying here helpless while he tortured Ian to death, so I swallowed.