Beauty and the Gargoyle Page 3

  I hold out my arms, offering for him to frisk me, though slipping a gun into this black skirt and white shirt outfit would be practically impossible.

  “It’s all right, ma’am,” he says, declining my offer. “I’ll take you. But I’ll have to stay pretty close.”

  That sounds fair.

  “Thank you.”

  I wait for him to lead the way, the number of men on the roof astounding. When did they arrive and leave? I never saw them. There had to be twenty armed men on the roof. On guard.

  Teddy leads me over to the right side of the building and indicates to the side of the roof.

  “Rafael is there. Roman sits at the front of the library.”

  I nod and take a deep breath, tiptoeing forward until I can cling to the cold marble of the building and look down upon the Gargoyles guarding my beautiful library.

  The gasp catches in my throat as my eyes take in every detail of the stone statue before me.

  There he is. Wings, sharp teeth, and talons. All bent up into a grotesque figure. But what catches my eye are the pieces missing from the statue.

  Chips off his arms, shoulder, neck, and face. So similar to the damage I’ve seen on Rafael.

  I stumble back as the reality of the situation hits me square in the chest.

  “How is this possible?”

  I gasp at the air around me, which is suddenly too thin.

  “Come sit down.” Teddy takes me by the arm and leads me back to the foyer where there is a computer system, a desk and fortunately, a chair.

  I collapse into it, and Teddy picks up the phone.

  “There’s no emergency. I think you should come over though,” he says into the phone, to whom, I don’t care.

  “I don’t understand,” I say again, still not quite grasping the concept of men turning into statues, and back again. Vampires, yeah maybe, but Gargoyles?

  I snort out a slightly hysterical laugh at that one.

  “I should get back,” I say, suddenly realizing that I’ve left the library in the hands of two staff members who probably need my help.

  “Stay for just another minute or two. Help’s coming.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  Never in my life have I been so complacent or submissive, but my arms hang like leaded weights at my sides, and I’m not sure how I’m going to stand up long enough to get into the elevator.

  A moment later the metallic ting of the doors opening heralds my “help”.

  I raise my gaze, and there is the redheaded woman I met only a day or two ago.

  “Chrissy.”

  “Bella, what’s happened?” she asks as she rushes forward.

  Energy surges into my legs, and I push myself to standing. I grab onto her hands and stare into her bright blue eyes.

  “Did you know?”

  Chrissy wraps a comforting arm around me and draws me towards the elevator.

  “Thanks, Teddy. Great instincts.”

  He salutes her, and she shepherds me into the lift, down the shaft and out into the library.

  Minnie runs up. “Is she okay?”

  I open my mouth to answer, but Chrissy jumps in. “She’s feeling pretty unwell. Are you guys all right to close up today?”

  Minnie nods. “Of course.”

  I nod at her and let Chrissy drag me out of the library, into another hotel and up into a penthouse apartment that makes my home look like a doghouse.

  “Where are we?” I ask her as she deposits me down on the couch and pours me a glass of water from the modern kitchen.

  “My home. And Roman’s. And Rafael’s. Gabriel and Nate’s too. But you haven’t met the two younger brothers yet.”

  I shake my head and take the glass of water she offers, swallowing the cool liquid until I’ve drained the glass.

  “That’s better. Thank you.”

  I relax back into the couch, pulling some fluffy pillows towards me that look out of place on the modern leather sofa.

  Probably Chrissy’s additions.

  My red-haired savior sits down opposite me, her hands clasped together.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I think so.” I nod, my eyes slightly unfocused. I drop my gaze and focus on my breathing.

  “How’d you find out about them?” Chrissy asks gently.

  My focus snaps back in as images of Rafe in my apartment last night swim into my mind. It still feels like a dream, but I know it isn’t.

  “Rafael came to my home last night and I saw his wings, and he explained it to me.”

  “Oh really? That’s great.”

  I bite my lip. “Not really. I … um, didn’t believe him, and he got really upset and left.”

  Which I still think is fair enough. Who would have believed that story?

  Chrissy sighs and grabs one of the chocolate cookies she’s popped on the table between us.

  “Yeah, I can imagine. Poor Rafe. He’s been pretty angry since the attack. I think he has some sort of PTSD.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, think about it. I mean, they got attacked, and he was pretty badly maimed, while he was frozen. I can’t even imagine how scary that must have been! Not to mention the fact that he’s forced every morning to go back to that same place and be frozen again.” Chrissy shook her head. “Imagine sending a wounded soldier back to the place he was hurt, tying him up and telling him to wait all day and hope no one does it again.”

  Tears burn in my eyes. I hadn’t thought of it that way. I hadn’t thought of it at all. I was too busy getting over the fact he was some paranormal creature that I didn’t understand.

  “I ah…” I clear my throat with a loud cough when I can’t speak. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

  Chrissy sits back in her chair and stares at me as though she expects me to say more. But what else is there to say?

  “Thank you for taking me away from the library until I calmed down. But I probably should get back to it.”

  Chrissy shook her head. “No. The others will lock up. You need to sort everything out tonight.”

  Pardon? “What do I need to sort out?”

  “How you feel about Rafe perhaps?” Chrissy asks, the words falling into the room like rocks into a pond, rippling with an intensity that affects every single thing they touch.

  “What do you mean?” I know what she is asking, but I’m not sure how to even look at the question, let alone answer it.

  “You know what I’m saying. When you see him, when you touch him? How do you feel about the idea of never seeing him again?”

  My heart drops into my belly as though it wants to fall out of my body, aching with heavy despair.

  “I. Don’t know.”

  Chrissy gives me an annoyed look, her mouth twisting up. Her arms cross over her chest.

  “Oh, come on. You’re an intelligent, modern, strong woman. Work it out.”

  I want to pout and turn away from her at that moment, but this isn’t the time for such petulance. Instead, I reach inside myself for the strength that had gotten me through university and beyond.

  “All right. The biggest problem is, I don’t know how I feel. Or, I do know what I’m feeling, but I don’t know why I do. I haven’t had a partner in years. I don’t trust men easily. I accepted the fact I’d probably be alone forever, a long time ago. But when I saw Rafe for the first time at the library, my heart … stopped. I wanted to take him home and heal his wounds, and that is just…” I shake my head, disgusted at my weakness. “Utterly ridiculous.”

  It was like some stupid fairy tale. Love at first sight. It doesn’t exist in the real world, and last time I checked, my head was firmly lodged in reality.

  Chrissy sits forward on her chair, her blue eyes now alight with excitement.

  “No. It’s not ridiculous. It’s part of being his Beloved.”

  “His what?”

  That sounds like some fantastical Cinderella nonsense.

  Chrissy bites her bottom lip. “I don’t know how m
uch I should tell you … how much Rafe himself should say, but considering the big oaf is so damaged, I probably should help.”

  I open my mouth to refute the words. He isn’t a big oaf! He’d been attacked unjustly and almost killed. How could his sister-in-law say such a thing about him?

  Chrissy grins at me as though she’s won, and I take a deep breath, then exhale slowly so that I can pull my scattered thoughts back into line.

  Chrissy indicates to the apartment around her. “Okay. Well, Roman is my … lover. Partner. Soul mate. I don’t really know what to call him. He says that I am his Beloved. Which pretty much means, I am his predestined mate, lover, wife. He says that as a shifter, Fate chooses one perfect person for them. And once you meet, you are linked eternally. Once we made love, the bond got even stronger.”

  What a load of rubbish. I feel like I’ve stepped into the Twilight Zone with these people, although … those wings I saw are pretty hard to imagine away.

  “Well, that all sounds lovely, and very surreal. But what does that have to do with me?”

  Chrissy simply stares at me with those big, intense blue eyes of hers, and the answer clicks into place like a puzzle piece.

  “Are you telling me, that Rafe and I … are this Beloved thing?”

  It doesn’t make any sense, but at the same time, it does. Why else would I want to touch him, yearn to help him? He smells so good, and even with his grotesque scarring, he is the most attractive man I’ve ever seen.

  “Yes. You are his Beloved. Which, I know you will find scary, but you’re meant to be together.”

  “All right.” I take several calming breaths as my heart beats an erratic tattoo against my sternum. My whole body is still, my mind clear of all thoughts. “I think I’m in shock.”

  Chrissy pushes the chocolate cookies towards me.

  “Yeah, I know the feeling. Believe me. Eat something, you’ll feel better.”

  I do as she requests, mechanically picking the food up, eating it and swallowing. I can see the flavor is chocolate, but I can’t taste it.

  “You have a different problem from me though. I was the one fighting our union with Roman, but with you, Rafe is going to struggle to be on the right page.”

  That’s a big assumption, that I’ll be the keener of the two. But he does seem very hesitant to even look at me, let alone love me.

  “Because of the attack?”

  She nods.

  I sigh out my frustration. “Well, I’m not exactly on the same page as you either, Chrissy. I don’t want to be in a relationship with a Gargoyle with PTSD. I feel like I’m dreaming this.”

  Chrissy smiles her big smile that makes me want to look away. That sort of happiness level is not usually seen in New York City. “Yeah, I know. The whole shifter thing was pretty freaky for me, too. I had a bit of a meltdown about it, but hey. I’d rather have a stone monster than a real one. My ex-boyfriend was an absolute dick.”

  I have to agree with her there. So Rafe looks like a monster, but is he inside? I’ve met plenty of men who were terrible people, and they were pretty on the outside. I’d long learned that it was your heart that was a measure of a person, not the size of your nose.

  “Okay, assuming I’m going to go along with this, what’s next?”

  May as well jump down the rabbit hole and see how deep it goes. With this aching for Rafe, and the inability to sleep, I really don’t have another choice.

  “Well, the boys will wake up in about six hours, and you’ve gotta see that! We have a telescope on the balcony so you can! Until then, what do you wanna do? Watch a movie? Sleep? You look pretty frazzled.”

  My whole body relaxes at that thought of a rest, and tears of relief spring to my eyes.

  “I would love a nap actually. I didn’t sleep so well last night.”

  She stands up and waves at me to get up, too.

  “Come on then. Sleep in Rafe’s room, and have a shower, too, if you want. They all have their own bathrooms. This place is pretty incredible.”

  I follow Chrissy’s lead and wander into the darkened bedroom she takes me to. The sheets are still rumpled, the intoxicating scent of Rafe’s sweetness lingering in the air.

  “I think I’ll just sleep.”

  I stagger towards the huge bed, shrugging off my tight clothes and climbing into the pile of covers with my underwear still on.

  “Great. See you in a few hours,” Chrissy whispers, creeping out the door like the perfect hostess.

  I settle into the supremely comfortable bed, surprised at how at home I feel already.

  The room is dark and the sheets, warm. I take a huge, deep inhalation of the sexy smell around me and fall into a deep sleep.

  ****

  “Wake up, Bella. It’s time.” Chrissy’s voice drifts into my subconscious at the most inconvenient time.

  I groan and try to roll away from the disturbing noise, my dreams full of a hot, sweaty Rafe on top of me, driving me towards oblivion.

  Coldness floods my skin as Chrissy tugs the covers down.

  “I know you’re tired, but you don’t want to miss this. Seriously.”

  My eyes pop open like a jack-in-the-box. Rafe is waking up!

  I jump out of bed and grab for my work clothes.

  “Here. I brought you some jeans and a top, if that’s okay? Your library clothes are pretty stiff.”

  I take the baby blue cotton singlet and jeans from Chrissy’s grasp, loving the choice.

  “Oh, thank you!”

  “You’re welcome,” she practically sings as she bounds out of the room.

  I dress quickly, my body aching in spots I have long since denied were there. God, those dreams were amazing!

  I shake my head to be rid of them and walk out into the main living area, the sky bright with orange and red hues.

  “Come out!” Chrissy calls from the balcony.

  I walk outside, marveling at the balcony that is larger than my whole apartment. In New York! How rich are these guys?

  “Come watch through the telescope. They’ll change just as dusk hits, so it’ll be dark, but the lens has a night vision type of thing that Roman bought for me.”

  It’s getting darker by the second, so even though my skin crawls with goosebumps and nervous energy zings through my bloodstream, I creep closer and put my eye to telescope.

  There they are. The stone Gargoyles I saw today. Unmoving stone.

  My belly drops with disappointment, which surprises me. Was I really expecting to see something? Did I really want to?

  I tilt the telescope so that it moves to view the center of the library roof. There were the men in black. The guards. What are they doing, all drawing closer to the edge?

  “Here it comes. Make sure you’re looking at Rafe!”

  I follow Chrissy’s instructions, and the green night lens clicks in. I blink a few times as darkness falls, and I continue to stare at the statue.

  And then he moves.

  I gasp, horror gripping my throat as Rafe the statue stands up. His talons and tail are gone, and all of a sudden, he transforms into a man.

  “Oh. My. God.”

  “I know! Cool, huh?”

  Cool is not the word I would use.

  Rafe, dressed in black pants and a black shirt, jumps up on the roof, walking across to join three other men that were not there before.

  I stand back from the telescope and blink rapidly. My mind is awhirl with all the possibilities. The unbelievable knowledge that we are not alone in this world. Creatures that no one has even heard of exist!

  And I’m pretty sure, many of those that we have heard of would exist, too.

  “They’ll come over here first. I left a message with Teddy to speak to Roman.”

  Fuck!

  “Oh, okay.”

  My heart leaps with excitement and fear, a strange and paralyzing combination. I will see Rafe again. And soon.

  “Look, here they come.”

  I glance over at the library and watch as
all four men jump off the building.

  “No…”

  My heart leaps into my throat, but as the other three disappear from sight, Rafe’s wings are there for me to witness in all their magnificence.

  My heart thumps harder and faster, as one by one the huge, handsome men land on the balcony.

  Chrissy runs over to Roman and throws her arms around him. His brothers all come to a stop nearby us.

  Rafe lands, and his silver eyes burn like twin stars in the night.

  I can’t take my gaze away from him. He is so very beautiful.

  Roman and Chrissy move towards me.

  “Isabella, this is Nathaniel and Gabriel, my two other brothers whom you haven’t met yet.”

  They step up in front of me, blocking my view of Rafe.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey.”

  They both speak, their eyes just as striking as their brothers’.

  I smile at them but struggle to get any words out. This is all so very weird.

  Chrissy moves to my side. “I think she’s in shock still. She just saw you guys shift for the first time, and I know that was pretty creepy for me, too.”

  She laughs with the experience of someone who knows I will probably get over the shock in time, but at the moment … that world seems too far away.

  “Yeah, um. This is all pr—etty surreal,” I manage to stammer.

  Roman indicates to the inside of the apartment where the lights still glow brightly. “How about you come inside, Bella? My brothers will be getting dressed to go out soon, and we can chat.”

  I nod and follow Roman’s instructions, his old-world accent quite soothing in a way.

  My gaze is drawn back to Rafe, who stands the farthest away, but I let Chrissy tug me inside.

  Nate, I think it’s Nate anyway, takes my hand and presses a chaste kiss to my knuckles.

  “I am very happy to meet you, Bella. And I am sure we will be seeing much of each other very soon.”

  He winks at me with devilish charm, and I can’t stop the smile that rises on my lips.

  A strange growl rolls through the room, and Nate chuckles.

  “Adieu, Bella.”

  Nate and Gabriel duck out of the room and, I assume, head to their own bedrooms, presumably to change clothes for a night out. What did Gargoyles do when they turned into humans for a few hours?