Oh, how did I miss that? The track marks. The twenty pounds he seemed to have dropped. The general unkemptness and lack of hygiene. Her mother and stepfather had been the same. And since she’d stopped being intimate with Tony months before they broke up, she hadn’t seen his naked arms in a while. “Tony, please,” she said. “Let me go, and we can get some help.”
“I don’t need help,” he hissed. “Not after tonight.” Stalking over to the trunk, he opened it and hauled something large out.
“To—” No.
He lifted a gasoline can over his head. “I told that bitch and her father, today was the day I was going to get rid of you.”
“Tony, please!” She rapped her fists at the windows. “No!”
But it was no use. Tony uncapped the can and began sloshing the liquid out onto the car. The pungent smell of petroleum and ether hit her nose, making her gag. When she saw the lighter in his hand, she pressed her body as far away from his as possible. It was the last thing she saw before she was blinded by the blaze that lit up in front of her eyes.
In a split second she felt a myriad of emotions. Fear yes, as the memories came back. But also a desperation and anxiety surging inside her, coming from somewhere else.
The atmosphere grew around her, and she raised her arms to cover her face. Smoke was now starting to fill the inside of the car, and she closed her eyes to stop them from tearing up.
Oh God, this was it. She was going to die in this blaze, and her first thought was of Gabriel. She would never see his handsome face or—
The car shook violently, knocking her around on the back seat. Gripping the headrest, she hung on as the ear-splitting sound of metal being ripped apart nearly tore her eardrums. When it stopped, she opened one eye and gasped as she realized the entire roof had been shredded. Something large loomed overhead, then a massive animal’s head lowered.
Fear, hope, and relief surged through her, all at the same time.
She should have been scared by the sight of the lion above her, its giant maw gaping and teeth bared, but she knew who it was. Something stirred in her soul that whispered, Gabriel. Immediately, she sprang up and grabbed onto the lion’s neck. Her feet lifted off the back seat, and it was like she was flying, albeit for only a few seconds.
“Oomph!” Air rushed out of her lungs as she landed on something firm, but it wasn’t the ground as she felt fur under her. The lion had twisted them around so it hit the gravel instead of her. “Oh, Gabriel!” She scrambled to her feet and brushed her hair out of her face.
The lion rolled around and got up on all four paws, shaking its mighty mane and letting out an annoyed roar as it accidentally snorted a piece of ash into its nostrils. She couldn’t help the giggle as the animal looked adorable, and she reached out to pat away some singeing on the tips of its mane. “There now,” she said as it licked her fingers gratefully with its rough tongue. “Hey now! Stop, that tickles.”
Stepping backwards, the lion kept its glowing gaze on her as its muscles began to shift under its furry skin. Its limbs began to shorten, and its mane receded back, as did its mighty snout. As the lion shifted back into its human form, she never broke its gaze, staring deep into its sky-blue eyes until Gabriel stood before her.
“Temperance,” he breathed, his voice breaking as the glow dissipated from his eyes. “I—”
She launched herself at him. “Gabriel … oh, Gabriel.”
He lifted her up into his arms in a crushing embrace. “I thought I’d lost you. It was like, I could feel you were scared and then I couldn’t find you.”
“Me too,” she said. “I mean, it’s strange. Like I knew you were worried for me.” Could it be that bond they shared? “I didn’t think I’d see you again. That I was going to—”
“Shhh.” He stopped her with his lips. “You’re fine now. Everything’s fine.”
“I was going to the bathroom and Tony—” She inhaled a sharp breath. “Tony! He tried to kill me and—” She glanced around. “Did he get away?”
Gabriel’s face broke into an angry scowl. “I saw him run.” He set her down and dashed toward the trees.
She followed him, despite not knowing where to go. “Gabriel!” she called, scrambling in the darkness.
A loud growl echoed through the forest, and a bone-chilling scream followed. The ground seemed to vibrate, and she immediately stopped, her heart banging against her chest like a sledgehammer. “Gab—”
“I’m here, baby!” Strong arms wrapped around her as Gabriel’s familiar scent tickled her nose. “I’m here, we’re safe. You’re safe.”
She pushed her face into his chest. “Oh my God, I thought you … and he …”’
“It wasn’t me,” he said. “Tony … ran into someone else.”
“Who?”
“An old friend.” He kissed the top of her head. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Tony won’t be bothering us anymore.”
Her arms tightened around him. “Gabriel …”
“I thought I was going to lose you,” he murmured against her hair. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”
“But you saved me,” she said. “And everything’s going to be all right.”
“Yes, baby,” he promised. “From now on, everything will be all right.”
And she believed him.
Epilogue
Three months later …
Gabriel let out a satisfied breath as he punched his time card to end his shift for the very last time. “And it’s official,” he said to no one in particular. Today was his final day with the Blackstone Rangers.
Sentiment ran through him, and some sadness, too. This place had been his second home, after all, and in some ways, what had started him on this path that led to his fate. The Blackstone Rangers would always have a special place in his heart,
