Chapter Nine
Chloe pulled Gabrielle down the steps to the bottom of the cellar where Preston was chained to the wall. Gabrielle could not believe the shape he was in. The bruises that had covered his skin were not healing from the lack of blood and his strength was almost as weak as a humans. Gabrielle ran to his side and pulled on the lock that clamped the chains together around his wrists. The metal groaned trying to resist the force, but Gabrielle was much stronger and the old lock finally snapped forming a smoke of rust particles through the air. The chains loosened as Preston squeezed his battered wrists from behind them and brought his hands to his lap, rubbing one with the other.
"Are you okay? Come on we have to get out of here before they catch us" Gabrielle said pulling him to his feet. As he had carried Chloe around through the yard, Gabrielle had heard the voices of men in the house as they snuck to the back. No one had seen them and Gabrielle hoped it would stay that way.
"Yeah." Preston turned to Chloe and whispered "thank you" before letting Gabrielle walk him to the steps. Gabrielle couldn't imagine what Preston had endured with these humans or what Chloe went through to save him. Though, something had happened for Preston to have a sort of trust now when he looked at Chloe.
When Gabrielle had reached the steps he heard a male voice coming from above. It was Dunn. Damn it! He knew they were there. There wasn't enough time to get out and hide, he was too close.
"Chloe are you down there?" Dunn asked.
Gabrielle glanced over to Chloe's face plastered with panic. There had to be some way to get her and Preston out of here, but he saw nothing that would help. Gabrielle snatched Preston and Chloe's arm dragging them to the back of the room, where he stood in front of them watching as Dunn walked down the steps.
"Chloe!" Dunn hollered. As soon as Dunn had seen them, his gun flew up aiming directly at Gabrielle. "Let my niece go!"
Gabrielle felt her squeeze his hand in fear, but didn't move away from him. "I am not the one holding her here. She's free to leave whenever she likes" he said with a soft, sure voice.
"Chloe get away from him, he's dangerous."
Gabrielle watched Chloe shuffle from behind him. Good, she would be safe over there. Gabrielle knew how humans were prone to miss fire weapons sometimes under extreme circumstances and she would be safer with her uncle. It was obvious the gun wouldn't hurt Gabrielle, but it could kill Chloe and he didn't think he would be able to stop himself from avenging her if there was an accident. He felt the burning warmth of her hand leave his, but instead of walking to her uncle like he thought, she stepped in front of Gabrielle blocking the gun from its original target. Was she insane? She was trying to protect him. He couldn't let her do this. Gabrielle grabbed her waist to pull her out of the way and then thought better of it. She might be able to persuade him to let us go and Gabrielle really wanted to avoid any action that involved killing her uncle. He would let her speak with him.
Even though this was her uncle, Chloe was scared out of her mind to do this. "No uncle, I won't let you kill him" she yelled holding her arms back against Gabrielle.
"What are you doing? Move, they could kill you."
"They won't uncle. I told you before, if they wanted to kill me, they would have done it already."
Chloe felt Gabrielle's hands slide onto her waist. She figured it was in case things got out of hand and he could move her out of the way. That was comforting, but if a fight between them was intended to erupt, the last thing she would feel would be comfort. Her legs were like jelly as she attempted to stand her ground.
Her uncle lowered his gun, but didn't release his finger from the trigger. "What? He's a killer, Chloe. You want to protect a killer? Get out of the way!"
"No!"
"What is wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?"
"Because I love him…" She froze in shock. The words had flown from her mouth before she thought about them, but Chloe knew they were true. Why else would she put herself in harm's way to save him? She did love him. And that seemed to be the only thing capable of getting Gabrielle and Preston out of this mess.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Nick looked confused and dropped the gun to his side. Chloe hated hurting him and she knew she was going to.
"I lied to you, Uncle Nick about everything. I remember everything that happened to me. Gabrielle took care of me and let me go. I'm sorry, uncle."
Nick didn't say anything at first. He just stared at Chloe like he had never seen her before in his life and a look of betrayal crossed his eyes. "How could you do that to me? How could you lie to your own flesh and blood?"
"I'm sorry. I did it for your protection."
"My protection? So, what was all that bullshit earlier about us risking our lives fighting vampires, when here you are running off with one?"
"I don't understand it either. All I can say is I'm sorry." Chloe could feel the chunk start to rise in her throat. She wanted to throw herself at his feet and beg for forgiveness, but she couldn't move from in front of Gabrielle and Preston. Their lives were in her hands and it was up to her to convince her uncle not to kill them.
"I don't believe this; they have you in some kind of trance, don't they?" His gun rose back up to eye level and pointed towards Gabrielle once more. Chloe knew he wouldn't miss; he was a perfect shot no matter what he hunted and Gabrielle was no different to him than an angry elk.
"No! I'm not! I am still me, uncle. They haven't done anything to me. Please, don't do this." Chloe couldn't hold back the tears she was fighting any longer. She was still so tired from everything that had happened, it was no wonder Chloe began to feel light headed and the room started to move on its own. And her side ached from hitting it earlier on the window to her room. There would probably be a bruise there by morning, if she lived that long. Her uncle was so mad at her; it would take a miracle for him not to just shoot her too.
Chloe felt Gabrielle's grip on her waist become firmer. He was helping support her weight now. She must have been more tired than she thought.
"I can't look at you the same way, Chloe" Nick exclaimed. "Vampires killed your family and this is how you honor them by falling for one of these murderers? It's unforgivable."
He was right. Chloe had betrayed him and there was nothing she could do to take it back. But there was no doubt in her mind, she loved Gabrielle too and to believe a possibility of having both men in her life had been foolish. There was no way to win and it seemed, despite her attempt to protect her uncle, Chloe was losing him anyways.
She bowed her head as her cries came effortlessly now. Chloe tried to ignore how dizzy she felt, but stumbled backwards into Gabrielle in a failed attempt. Everything blurred out and she felt a cold arm knock her legs from under her and she was suddenly in Gabrielle's arms. She rested her head against his chest and tried to focus her vision to look at her uncle, but it wasn't working. The only thing she knew was the soothing coolness from Gabrielle was making the pressure in her head subside a little.
"She's exhausted. Let me take her home" Gabrielle bellowed.
"You're not going anywhere with her! Put her down."
Chloe listened to their words and struggled to tell them to stop fighting, but Gabrielle was right, she was too exhausted even to speak.
Gabrielle was fed up with this man's ravings. He had already upset Chloe to the point where she couldn't even stand and now he was going to be territorial. Enough was enough. "You listen to me! Let's put this war going on between us aside for the night! I'm taking her to your house and I won't let anything harm her. Got it!"
He could tell Dunn still did not trust him. Gabrielle guessed that's to be expected after so many years of hunting his kind, but Gabrielle was not about to leave Chloe in her condition. He felt her shift in his arms and she let out a soft moan, wrapping her right arm around his neck. "It's okay, I won't let you go" he looked down whispering into her ear. She was only half conscious trying to hold on for probably both their sakes. She was strong, even for a human.
Gabrielle watched Dunn step backwards away from the steps, but held his gun against his chest. Gabrielle didn't understand. "Go, take her home." Maybe he was beginning to see this wasn't a facade, he thought. Or that he was much stronger and didn't have a chance of fighting him off.
"But know this vampire; this doesn't change anything between us. It's not over" Dunn snarled.
"No, I can see it isn't, but at least we agree on one thing…" Gabrielle said glancing at Chloe in his arms. Dunn watched him exchange looks with his niece and Gabrielle could tell he didn't like how comfortable she was in his arms. He nodded for Preston to go up the stairs first and quickly followed behind him, leaving Dunn terrified for her in the cellar.
Preston held his left arm close to his side and was hunched over from sitting so long curled up. He looked even worse than before. "Go Preston. Get your strength back and return to the others. Tell them I will be back before morning, not to worry."
"But what about the humans?" he whimpered.
"I don't think they'll try anything tonight; not as long as I have her. Hurry." Gabrielle watched him duck into the trees and turned the other direction to take Chloe to her house. With him running, they were back at her window in seconds. Gabrielle climbed inside with Chloe and laid her onto the bed. He scanned her over to make sure she was fine, but noticed something was not right; he could smell her blood which was much stronger than usual. Just below where his hand had been wrapped around Chloe's waist, Gabrielle saw there was blood soaked into her shirt on her right side. The crimson red from the blood had formed a dark patch against the burgundy color of her shirt. Why didn't he notice this before? He must have been so focused on her uncle and saving Preston, he hadn't realized she had been bleeding from where she hit the window.
He should have helped her before. He had been waiting for her on the bed to return and when he saw her sneaking back through the window he thought he might scare her if he reached down to help her; so, he let her just fumble through the window. At the time, Gabrielle had found her adorable struggling so hard. It was very human. If he had known she had injured herself…
Gabrielle flew to the bathroom and dampened one towel and grabbed a dry one as well. When he got back to the room, Chloe was sitting up rubbing her head.
"What are you doing? Lay back down, you're hurt."
"What?" He watched her pull the side of her shirt up and saw the smeared blood from her wound.
"Why didn't you tell me you were cut?"
"I didn't know. I thought it had just been bruised or something. And the burgundy color shirt doesn't help either."
Gabrielle laughed. Leave it up to her to not even know she was hurt. He walked over to the bed and pushed her back down. "Gabrielle?"
"I'm just going to look at it and see how bad it is." She couldn't possibly still be scared Gabrielle was going to suck her blood, could she? Even after she risked her life to save him? She glanced up at him uncomfortable and nervous like as he lifted her soaked shirt off the cut. He brushed the back of his hand across her forehead and smiled, "It's okay. Remember, blood is as tempting to me as a pizza would be to you. I won't hurt you."
Chloe rolled her eyes and dropped her head back on the mattress. "I am not afraid you will eat me, Gabrielle."
"Then, what's the matter?" he asked wiping the blood from her skin with the wet towel. She hadn't lost much, but it was enough to be the reason she had felt faint before. After he cleaned it off, he laid the dry towel on top, putting enough pressure to stop the bleeding, which wasn't that much anymore. Chloe lifted her head to see the wound. "It's fine. You don't even need stitches" he smiled pushing her back down. "Just relax."
Relax? How could she relax? Her uncle hated her and would probably never speak to her again, there was no way after tonight he would let her ever see Gabrielle again, they would lock her up in a cell somewhere and the both of them were most likely going to kill each other. This whole thing was a disaster and Gabrielle was smiling, taking care of her as if everything was hunky dory.
"What are we going to do?"
"You're going to hold this towel and keep pressure there while I go get a first-aid kit" he smirked placing her hand to the towel and standing up.
"No, I mean about my uncle. He's going to kill you or you're going to kill him and I can't lose either one of you!"
"Calm down, no one is going to be killed. Now, you're going to start bleeding again if you don't sit still."
"How do you know that?" Chloe asked trying not to start crying again.
"Because I have read a medical book" Gabrielle laughed.
"Stop joking around; you know what I mean."
Gabrielle sat back down next to her and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Because, I wouldn't hurt you like that and after tonight I don't think your uncle will be able to either" he whispered, his cold breath tickling her ear. "So, stop worrying and let me help you." Chloe watched him leave her room and return with a first-aid kit before she could count to three. Even when he carried her, she couldn't believe how fast he moved.
After he patched Chloe up nice and tight with gauze and tape, he tried to take her bloody shirt off, but she pushed his hands away. "What are you doing?" Chloe was nervous again, but it was only because she didn't want him to see her flaws.
It took a second for Gabrielle to understand. "Why are you being shy now? I've see you before. Now, let me get this bloody shirt off."
"You haven't seen that much of me." It wasn't like she thought he was trying to take advantage of the situation or anything; it was just Chloe didn't particularly like putting herself out there on the cutting board for everyone to see.
"What do I have to do to make you see how beautiful you are?" Gabrielle leaned down and kissed one side of her chin and then moved to the other. His cold lips had Chloe bewilder.
"Um…convince me?" Her breath heightened as he moved his lips across to the front and down her throat.
"What else?" he said beating his breath against her skin. Chloe was having trouble thinking straight; one minute he was cleaning her cut and then the next had her fighting to keep calm from his close proximity.
She swallowed hard, "Persuasion maybe?" he continued down the v-neck line of her shirt, pausing at her collar bone.
"Anything else?"
Chloe couldn't move; she was stiff like a trapped fly in a spider's web, but she didn't care. She had been day dreaming for so long it felt, for him to kiss and touch her like this again; she never wanted it to end. "You could show me."
Gabrielle's eyes glazed over with a silver mist, just like before at his place when they had kissed. Chloe gasped as he returned his lips to her skin and two icy hands slid up her shirt collecting the material as they did. Chill bumps rose wherever they touched and Gabrielle pulled the shirt over her head tossing it with the bloody towels on the floor. Chloe just imagine all the imperfections he must be seeing, making her glower before him. She was, however, still wearing her blue lace bra hiding her biggest imperfections of all; biggest being the operative word. She just couldn't stand the size of her breasts. They were too much for anyone to handle, she thought.
"What are you thinking?" Gabrielle smiled searching her face for something Chloe couldn't figure out. All he was going to find was embarrassment, she thought.
"I was thinking…about…no I can't say."
"Why not? You can tell me anything. I want to know what you're thinking."
"Fine, I was thinking you aren't going to like what you see" she shook her head.
"I doubt that." Chloe's breath hitched when she felt his hands unlatching the hooks of her bra in the back. No! Why did he have to do that? She should have just kept her mouth shut. She pinched her eyes together as he pealed the blue lace from her chest.
Gabrielle rubbed the back of his hand the length of her cheek and down her arm, grazing the side of her breast. Chloe opened her eyes to see if she had been right; he smiled at her. "See, beautiful."
He was too convincing. "You're a good liar" she whispered pressing her hand to the side of his face. Gabrielle held it there with his own hand, "And you're a terrible listener. And did I mention stubborn?"
Chloe followed the shape of his upper lip with her middle finger, gliding it over each curve and then around the bottom. They were soft and chilly like running your finger over a pile of powdered snow. He was the one who was beautiful, she thought. Her mouth yearned to be on his as she felt this pull in the core of her chest, making her want to touch him more and kiss him. It was nothing she had ever experienced before, for anyone. She wanted him. Chloe pulled him by the neck connecting their lips together with a jolt of pleasure. She'd forgotten what he tasted like, ice cream…no honeysuckle? She couldn't figure it out, but that was the least of it. He was here with her again and for the first time since she'd found him in her room, she was able to enjoy that.
And she did, as they kissed his hands wondered over her flesh, caressing and squeezing every inch. She moaned into the kiss when he rested his hand over one of her breasts, toying with the nub that was hardening as he did. Gabrielle lifted his head and smirked making her blush, before dropping his mouth to suckle the nipple he'd been teasing. Chloe's heart was pounding in excitement and desire building as she arched her back and moaned from the burning trail Gabrielle had made crossing to her other breast, giving it the same amount of attention. A searing pain shot through her side under the bandage, but she ignored it. The coolness from Gabrielle's body close to her side kept the throbbing tamed. She held the back of his head tugging him to come back up and kiss her again, which made him chuckle from the silent demand.
Gabrielle hovered over her and nudged her legs apart with his knee so he could lie on top without putting too much weight on her or disturbing her wound and moved his lips back to hers. Chloe was taken by surprise when through their jeans his groin brushed against hers sending a wave of pleasure and excitement over her and she groaned, clasping his back pulling him closer to her. His tongue had her going crazy while she pressed her chest as close as she could to his. She never felt like she could get close enough to him.
When her breasts rubbed against the soft fabric of his gray shirt, Chloe ran her hands down his back reaching for the seam. She wanted to know what it felt like without clothes in the way. She wanted to feel her skin against his and no barriers keeping them apart, which stunned her. Chloe never had been one to move fast in a relationship, but this had definitely not been a normal relationship. She felt like she'd known Gabrielle years and was eager to be with him in every form. And from how he was kissing her, she couldn't see an end in sight, until he grabbed one of her hands from behind his back and then the other, pressing them into the purple comforter beside her head. Wait, she wasn't allowed to stop him taking off her clothes, but he could refuse her?
Chloe pulled away from him gasping for air as he continued kissing and nibbling back down her neck. "Why won't you let me take your shirt off? You got to take mine off" she stated a little annoyed.
Gabrielle paused a second before kissing her once more on the lips and then rolled off her. "Where are you going? Please don't leave." All hope of being with him tonight vanished as he walked to her dresser and pulled a t-shirt out and some shorts from her pajama drawer. Chloe's face burned a cherry red as she covered her chest with her arms. Reality sunk in; he was rejecting her. She wasn't pretty enough for him after all. As he walked over to the bed tossing the pajamas beside her, he pressed his knuckles into the comforter leaning over her.
"Don't you for one second think that I don't want you. If we had the time, I would make love to you all night" Chloe swallowed her embarrassment and shivered with desire at the mere thought of that. "But your uncle will be walking through the door in two minutes. I don't think we should let him find me here, tonight. That might not be wise." Chloe had forgotten all about her uncle. It was easy getting wrapped up in the presence of Gabrielle. Despite all her self loathing thoughts, he had been able to side track Chloe into to thinking she was everything he said she was, every time he even looked at her.
Chloe sat up slipping the t-shirt over her head and twisted her body to the side of the bed. Gabrielle stood in front of her as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I wish you didn't have to leave." Chloe felt his hands press to her back and head while he kissed her hair. "Will I see you tomorrow?"
"If you'd like. Actually we have some issues to discuss before I let this go any further; I'll explain later. Now, I have to leave so the others won't come here, looking to avenge my death."
Chloe peered up into his eyes that had returned to their shiny black state. "Issues?" she asked.
"Tomorrow. Right now you need to get some sleep." Chloe had forgotten how drained she was―another ability he had over her, to forget anything but him― and she knew if he didn't return to the coven before sunrise, all hell would break loose for sure. "You promise you'll come back."
Gabrielle laughed and kissed her one last time, "I don't really have a choice." Before she could question what he meant by that, he was out her window. She walked over to it and looked around into the darkness, but he had already gone. Nothing but the rustling of leaves could be heard far against the back side of the field. He better come back, she thought. There was no doubt in her mind now, she loved him and wouldn't stand to be away from him anymore. Not to mention, she might need protection from her own family.
The front door creaked open and then slammed shut, rattling the walls. Her uncle. He must still be furious. She listened as he marched down the hall towards her bedroom. This time he didn't take the time to knock. He swung the door open, ruffling one of the college shakers lying on the corner of her dresser near the door.
"Uncle Nick?" Chloe wanted to say more, to comfort him, but she knew now wouldn't be the best time.
He skimmed the room and saw it was just Chloe and even seemed surprised to see her there. "The bloodsucker kept his word" he more mumbled to himself. "I have to work tomorrow. So, I hope I see you when I get home." He started to shut the door, but Chloe stopped him. She was taken back, "What? You aren't going to take me to work in the morning?"
"No. I see no reason to protect someone who's gonna throw themselves in the devil's playground every time I turn around."
"Oh." Chloe nodded and looked down studying the beige carpet in her room. It seemed more comforting and safer to look at than her uncle right now.
"I still love you, Chloe. You're family; all I have…but I won't stand by and watch you feed yourself to those creatures!" he hollered and slammed her door, startling her. Great. Chloe and her uncle had always been so close, especially after the death of her parents. They had understood one another, but now it would take more than a miracle to have that again with him. She had lost that trust and understanding and Chloe refused to accept the consequences for something she couldn't help. She was going to do everything in her power to gain back what was lost between her and her uncle.