GargoylesEmbrace (5 page)

Regardless, she pictured them on a flight to Paris. Wait,
Danton had wings.

“Can you fly?”

“Yes.”

“Oh,” she said softly, imagining flying the night skies in
his protective embrace. Her mind was ready to explode with all this new
information. The more she knew, the more questions came up. “How did Michel
convince you to come to America?”

“He hired me for protection in the club. Both for himself
and the people within.” He tapped his thigh again as if formulating what he
could and should reveal. “You know the humans employed as bouncers there. That’s
for the human element. But if there was ever any sort of paranormal incident,
humans would be useless.”

Tracy was quiet for a moment while she let that settle. “Are
there more living gargoyles guarding Vamps?”

He nodded slowly. “Not all are decorative.” Then he leaned
back as if assessing her. “I assume I can trust you to keep what I tell you to
yourself.” His eyes searched hers, looking for truth. Trust.

“Of course, Danton. You can trust me.”

She stood on her tiptoes so she could kiss his cheek,
punctuating her point. Strange—she’d never been one for public affection, but
she kissed him without any hesitation.

Danton cradled her face in his hands and said, “I do trust
you.” He dove into the kiss, nibbling and sucking her bottom lip before pulling
back. “I have brothers there with me.”

His kiss almost made her forget her question, leaving her
heady with want. Clearing her mind, she asked, “More gargoyles? Like you?”

“Yes,” he hissed, kissing her neck.

Despite her many questions, she bent her neck to offer him
easier access. The pleasure he could provide turned her insatiable. A wanton
woman who thought of nothing but her desire for him since she met him. She
moaned in pleasure, wanting him to take her on the beach right now, onlookers
be damned. Her panties grew moist as need coiled in her pussy. How could she be
ready for him again all so soon?

Families were around. Kids.

Get hold of yourself.

She fought to regain some sense before she tore off his
shirt. The more he told her, the more she wondered. “We have to stop.” She
pulled away reluctantly. “We can’t do this here.”

Danton’s eyes had darkened. He leaned down to whisper in her
ear. “I can’t wait to touch you. To taste you again. Give us one more chance to
be together before I change back.”

The warmth of his breath on her earlobe made her skin
tingle. And his words only exacerbated her need for him. If it was dark and
nobody was around, she’d pull him down right now. “Yes,” she purred.

Danton took her hand as they continued to walk the beach. “Let’s
get something to eat. I’m hungry.”

Tracy felt hunger as well, but not for food. As they left
the beach, she forced erotic images away and scanned the waterfront for
someplace they could eat.

“This place serves the best seafood,” Tracy said. “The
lobster and clam chowder are unreal.”

They sampled a variety of seafood dishes and cold beers from
a local brewery. Danton had her captivated as he told her about the places he’d
been. He was unlike any guy she’d ever dated, most of whom were screwed up in
one way or another. She began to see a pattern—she wanted to save them from
themselves. Danton didn’t need any taking care of; in fact, he was the one who
wanted to care for her. Although her independent side didn’t know what to make
of it, she enjoyed feeling safe and protected around him.

Tracy thought about how long he must have been there at
Vamps, locked in stone. One night in particular stood out. “What about the
night of the fire?”

“Some of Michel’s enemies hunted him down.” Danton leaned
back in his chair, beer glass in hand, his body appearing as relaxed as if he
was discussing the weather, save for the intensity in his gaze. “My brothers
and I communicated to each other silently, deciding on how to take action
without revealing ourselves and causing more chaos.”

“What did you do?”

“We changed into winged human forms and flew the couple of
remaining unconscious humans to a safe area outside under the cover of the dark
smoke, but close enough to the firefighters so they would be found. Then, after
they were all safe, my brothers went to help Michel and I searched for you.”

“You did? Why?”

His eyes were full of warmth and earnest. “You know why,
Tracy.”

Having someone care about her so deeply was something she
wasn’t used to. She swallowed before replying. “Did you find me?”

“Yes. You were outside the club talking to a police officer.”

“I had to give a statement.”

“After seeing you were safe, I joined my brothers. They saw
Michel jump into a car driven by a female. They intervened to stop Michel’s
enemies from following them. Once I joined them and these enemies knew they
were outnumbered by gargoyles, they fled.”

Tracy’s mind spun with this knowledge, but she fought to remember
his words. “I followed you home to make sure you were safe. The following year
while they rebuilt the club, my brothers and I returned to Paris and lived with
our kind. Nobody would be looking for us while they renovated the club. While
in Paris, I thought about you often. I knew I had to return. Once I knew the
club was reopening, I told Michel I wanted to return to Vamps. He no longer
owned the club, but made the arrangements.”

“I don’t know what to say, Danton. Thank you.” Tracy tried
to process all she had heard in the last few minutes. The more she tried, the
more questions popped up.

“How do you communicate or move or anything if you’re in
stone?”

“Our kind has many magical properties. Those who have made
the bond have a greater ability to use magic and they aid us in navigating the
gargoyle and human worlds. They can transform us to our human form for short periods.”

“Whoa,” Tracy dropped her forehead into her hands. “So if
you took the bond with someone—like me—you’d become more powerful? You’d be
able to use gargoyle magic?”

“Yes.”

The guilt returned, weighing heavy on her as she
contemplated all she was hearing. She could offer her body to him for the day,
but she just couldn’t offer him her heart and soul for eternity. Her heartbeat
sped up. She shook the guilt away and asked, “What about Vamps’ new owner, Mr.
Stone? Does he know what you are?”

“I don’t know what Michel told him. But he knows we are more
than just stone. And that we are sacred.”

“Crazy,” Tracy whispered. She focused on her beer glass
while contemplating what he revealed. Her breathing escalated and her vision
began to blur. “No, not now.”

“Tracy, are you okay?”

She tried to focus on his face, but couldn’t. She tried to
slow her breathing to calm her overworking systems.

“Tracy?”

She raised her hand. “Hold on.”

Using meditation techniques to calm herself, she breathed in
through her nose and out her mouth. She counted in her head to focus on
something else, anything else.

It was no use. A panic attack had begun and she knew she
only had moments before it was in full effect, where she’d be a wreck thinking
she was about to die.

“I’m sorry, Danton. I have to go.”

She stood up and pushed her way through the chairs to get
away from everyone, while the tightness in her chest and feeling of dread came
over her.

“Tracy!” He stood up.

“This is all too intense for me. I need to be alone.”

She rushed out of the restaurant and turned back to see him
right behind her. “Please don’t follow me. It will only make it harder.”

He stopped following her, his eyes filled with concern.

“I’m sorry.”

She ran without looking back.

In her bed that night, Tracy tossed and turned, replaying
events of the day. She checked the clock repeatedly. At what time would Danton
switch back? Vamps closed at one a.m. and it took awhile to get all the
stragglers out. Between cashing out and cleaning up, a good part of an hour
could pass. She figured he’d probably turned back around two a.m. It was now
almost four. She turned the clock in the opposite direction.

Had she made a mistake in running away? She could have been
with him for the evening. They could have returned to her apartment after
dinner and spent the rest of their time in her bed.

No, she couldn’t think that way. Sure, it was rotten timing
to have an attack, but they occurred during times of stress, especially when
she dated Brian. Too much had happened since last night and she needed some
distance to understand it.

Too late for regrets. Danton was gone. She passed up the
opportunity to be with him and had to move on.

Throughout the next day, anxiety settled inside her like a
physical weight. She was working the bar tonight, which meant she’d be near
Danton. How could she continue tending bar at Vamps as if nothing had happened?
She knew too much—and now she felt too much—to just brush it aside.

Maybe I should look for another job. But where? Another
bartending gig would be easy to get, but they wouldn’t have the same vibe as
Vamps.

She’d have to look outside Cape Ann, in Boston or Portland
perhaps. As long as she avoided the college scene. What made Vamps unique was
the crowd, an alternative mix of goths, punk rockers and black-clad members of
the counterculture.

To make matters worse, Brian called.

“You know you’re not supposed to call me,” she said.

“I don’t know what the hell happened last night, but I know
what I saw. I did not hallucinate it. A giant man with wings threw me over the
bar.”

“You had to be on something, Brian, because you were way out
of line grabbing me. And by the way, you’re not supposed to be calling me,
visiting me or trying to shove your goddamn tongue down my throat. Don’t call
me again!”

She slammed down the phone. She thought Danton scared the
shit out of him enough so she wouldn’t be hearing from him again. But
unfortunately, Brian used it as a reason to bother her yet again.

Her doorbell rang. When she answered it, she saw a delivery
man holding a giant bouquet of sunflowers. After signing for them, she closed
the door and opened the attached card.

These flowers reminded me of breakfast with you. After a
night I’ll never forget.

Thank you for your kindness. I wish you all the happiness
there is.

D.

Tracy pressed the card to her heart. Last night was one of
the best nights in her life. She remembered highlights of the short time they
had.

Have I made a huge mistake?

Tracy took extra care with her hair and makeup before she
went to work. She wore her favorite strapless black dress with silver buckles
and zippers that were more decorative than functional, and accessorized it with
silver-buckled motorcycle boots and silver jewelry.

When she walked into the Vamps, she realized she was holding
her breath. In a few moments, she’d be near him. He’d be frozen, but she’d know
he was there. How could she be the one to send him back to his stony prison? No
matter how he described it as his way of existence, that’s what it seemed like
to her. Being locked in stone, unable to move.

Trying to push the guilty thoughts out of her head, she pulled
on the door with the sign reading “Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here”. Her
eyes darted to the left of the bar where the gargoyle statue stood and
immediately her heart pounded in panic. It turned out she didn’t have to worry
about working near him after all. The gargoyle was gone.

She scrutinized the other gargoyle statues standing upright
or perched on walls. What was real and what was stone?

“Where’s the gargoyle?” she asked one of the bar backs,
trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

“Oh yeah, it’s gone. I was wondering what looked different
over there.”

“You don’t know where it is?”

“No idea.”

Tracy ran through the club, investigating storage areas and
stairwells. She asked the other club staff if they knew where the statue was.
No one seemed to know. Danton had vanished.

During her shift, she tried to stay focused on her patrons,
grateful for the distraction. Most of them ordered beer, but some of the
fancier drinks, like Tempting Fate, had a number of ingredients that required
her attention. It was difficult enough to hear drink orders over the DJ, but
tonight they had a punk band starting the night with a very short and loud set.

She searched for her boss Tristan or his girlfriend Maya, as
they might know about Danton, but they weren’t around. The hours crept by.

Where was he?

When her shift ended, she left Vamps and circled the club,
hoping she’d find a clue. She searched nearby buildings to see if Danton
perched on one of them. Coming up with nothing, she still wasn’t ready to go
home. Her cold bed and shower taunted her by reminding her of all she’d be
missing. Instead, she walked to the ocean.

If she lived in a bigger city, she might hesitate before
walking around alone after midnight. But this was Caterina’s Cove, a sleepy
seaside village north of Boston. Vamps was the darkest aspect in the area,
hidden in the shadows of warehouses.

She took off her boots so she could traipse down to the
water, feeling the sand between her toes. The breeze coming off the Atlantic
cooled the otherwise humid July night. She hoped the relaxing sound of the
waves reaching the shore would help relax her restless mind, wondering and
worrying about him, but she was wrong.

The beach, the sand, the waves—all of it reminded her of
being with Danton on the beach. Their walk together, their kiss. They could
barely keep their hands off each other, both ready to roll around in the sand.
Despite the desolation on losing the flesh-and-blood version of him, she
smiled. She’d fallen in love with him. Whatever he was, stone or man, she was
drawn to him unlike anyone before.

She had to find him and tell him how she felt.

But where was he?

She furrowed her brows and tried to think where a gargoyle
statue would disappear to. He couldn’t just evaporate. Someone must have moved
him. Unless he left while he was still in human form and took his shell with
him.

Tracy was so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t see anyone
approach and didn’t realize she wasn’t alone until the interruption. “I know
you know what’s going on.”

Adrenaline hit her. She knew that voice and the heady scent
of alcohol on him. “Brian, why are you following me here?”

“Because you’re lying. You saw that thing attack me.”

“Fine, whatever you say.” She rolled her eyes in an effort
to hide her apprehension. “Happy now? Can you please leave me alone?”

“I miss you, Tracy. I want to go home with you.”

“No. You need to let go and move on. We are over.”

“What if I quit drinking?”

“You should quit drinking. It makes you crazy. But we’re not
getting back together.”

His bloodshot eyes turned cold. She recognized the look—the
one he had when crossing over to a darker, violent side. “You won’t even give
me a chance? What do you think—you’re too good for me, you stuck-up bitch?”

She reached into her purse to grab her pepper spray, but he
rushed her, knocking her to the ground. She kicked at him, aiming for his
crotch, but he turned and she hit more thigh than his goods. Too bad she’d
taken her boots off. He recovered quickly and jumped on her, pinning her by the
wrists.

“Get off me!” She tried to claw him, but with her arms
restrained, she flailed more than hit her target.

This was why she left Brian. How many times did it end up
like this, with him getting abusive and then forgetting the next day?

“Help!” she screamed as she struggled to get out of his
grasp. “Help.” She knew it was useless since Danton was long gone, but she
willed the gargoyle to hear her cries. “Danton!”

“Shut up.” He covered her mouth and she tried to bite him. “Careful,”
he said. “I wouldn’t do that.”

He’d released one wrist as he covered her mouth so she used
the opportunity. She bit down on his hand and poked his left eye. As he covered
his eye, she chopped him in the throat. Then, using a technique she’d learned
in self-defense class, she moved her legs in opposite directions to knock him
off his center of gravity and then rolled to one side. He lost his balance and
fell off her, tumbling to her side.

She jumped to her feet and ran up the beach, screaming for
help. He recovered quickly enough that he was right behind her. She resisted
losing momentum by looking back to see how close he was.

Once she had a little distance, she could lose him. She ran
twice a week for cardio while his physical fitness regime was the twelve-ounce
curls. She just needed to widen the distance…

It was too late. Brian leapt onto her, knocking her forward.
She barely had time to brace her fall with her hands before she ate sand.

Although their encounters had ended up similarly in the
past, Tracy always held back, attempting to diffuse the situation and calm his
temper rather than fight back. But everyone had their limits and she passed
hers a long time ago when she’d had him arrested and filed for a restraining
order. A blind rage now consumed her so she could barely see—it resembled the
unfocused vision of her panic attacks, but this time it was driven by pure
fury.

She twisted back while throwing her fist at the mass behind
her. The resistance of solid flesh and his groan signaled she hit him good,
although she wasn’t sure where. As she squirmed out from under him, she kicked,
punched and scratched, relentless until she escaped his hold.

Her vision cleared as she pulled herself to her feet. He lay
hunched over the sand, clutching his stomach with a pained expression. But then
with fury in his eyes he reached for her ankle.

Before he got a good grasp, she maneuvered out of his grip.
Then she kicked her leg back and hit him full force in the gut. He rolled onto
his back, still groaning and clutching his stomach.

“Apparently, my words and the court order didn’t sink in, so
maybe that will.”

Her breathing was so erratic she had to take a few moments
to recover, never taking her eyes off Brian. His face was marred with scratches
and he was clearly hurt. Guilt smacked her in her core. She’d never kicked
anyone like that, and he was a person she’d once loved.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “I think so.”

She offered him a hand to get to his feat.

He spat on her hand. “Bitch.” And climbed onto one knee.

The fury returned. She spun her arm back and hit him square
in the jaw. “Don’t talk to me like that. In fact, don’t call me or come near me
again.”

She turned to storm away, but almost walked directly into a
bronzed brawny chest. Danton peered down at her with his arms crossed and an
amused expression.

“Feeling better?”

Oh God, the French accent. He came.

“Oh Danton.” Tracy threw her arms around him and he pulled
her close. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard you call. When I arrived, you seemed to be doing
fine holding your own. Are you all right?”

She raised her chin and appraised her well-being. It felt
good to fight back and not take Brian’s crap. “Never better.”

Brian recovered his voice. “That’s the monster. I knew it!”

“The only monster here is you, Brian,” Tracy spat. “You need
to get help. Immediately.”

“Can I add something?” Danton had a twinkle in his eye. “I’d
hate to have come to protect you only to stand by like an ornament.”

Tracy grinned. “I suppose.”

Danton’s wings unfurled around him, making him appear like a
dark-winged god as he approached Brian. Tracy scanned the shoreline to make
sure nobody was watching.

“Holy shit,” Brian said. “I knew I didn’t imagine this.”

“No, you didn’t.” Danton lifted Brian two feet off the
ground, holding him by the throat. Danton’s icy-blue eyes reflected his fury
while Brian’s bloodshot ones showed his terror. “I should have killed you at
Vamps. It’s only because Tracy stopped me that you’re alive.” Brian tried to break
Danton’s hold with his hands while he choked and flailed his legs. “Tracy has
told you repeatedly she doesn’t want you bothering her and I am here to protect
her. Before you even make it within ten yards of her, I will destroy you.
Understand?”

Danton dropped Brian to the ground. Brian choked and grabbed
his throat before he stammered, “Uh huh.”

“Leave us,” Danton commanded.

Brian ran up the beach, stumbling at times, but not turning
back. Soon he was nothing but a tiny dot that disappeared into the darkness.

“Where did you go?” Tracy asked.

“I’d made arrangements to return to Paris,” Danton said,
wrapping his arms around her.

“Why would you do that?” Her words came in a higher pitch
than she’d intended.

“I understand how you feel. I didn’t want to be like Brian, bothering
you, getting in the way. After what happened between us last night, I thought I
might be a distraction so it was better I left you alone. All I want is for you
to be safe and happy.”

“Danton, I was just wrong. I should never have run from you.
I haven’t had a panic attack like that in years and I don’t know—so much
happened so quickly.” She brushed her hair out of her face. “But I realized
something after I left. And when I thought I lost you, it confirmed it. The
thing is, I love you. Maybe it’s crazy, but man or gargoyle, I’ll always love
you.”