Read Online Dark Mysteries by Jessica Gadziala - Free Book Online

give me his
car. You can bring a book.”
    Ellie
thought about more time spent alone in the apartment, the walls
closing in, each noise making her even more paranoid... and agreed
quickly. “Let me just grab my shoes,” she said, moving
past him into the office.
    Gabe's
office was the absolute opposite of Xander's. Where Xander's was all
dated and unorganized, Gabe's was pristine and new. The walls were a
deep gray, all the furniture black. Ellie looked into the corners and
behind the door and didn't see a cobweb or dust bunny anywhere.
    “Get
your ass out here,” Xander called after waiting a few long
minutes.
    Gabe
walked out a second later, a cellphone to his ear. Ellie felt her
brows go up. He was really good looking. In a he knew he was
really good looking kind of way. Tall and slim in black jeans and
a slim-cut black button-up shirt. He walked quickly over toward
Xander, his face passive. But his hips pivoted and his arm cocked
backward and started to thrust forward.
    All
of her self-defense classes from back in Seattle flew in front of her
eyes. Her hand shot out, grabbing his fist as her own slammed into
his throat. She heard a strangled “no”, not realizing it
came from her.
    Gabe
made a choking sound, bending forward, trying to catch his breath.
His phone flew to the ground, bouncing slightly in its rubber case.
    Xander
had barely seen it, she moved so fast. One moment she was just
standing there next to him, the next, she had yelled and sent a
chisel fist to Gabe's throat. He watched as Gabe folded forward on
himself for a second, strangling to catch a decent breath. His eyes
went to Ellie's then, wide and desperate.
    Ellie
watched as he started to stand straight again, looking up at her. She
felt herself grab Xander's arm, pulling. Trying to pull him with her
as she moved backward toward the door.
    Xander
caught the odd look from Gabe, a look that suggested he understood in
a heartbeat what had he had learned over the past day: Ellie had been
abused by a guy in her life. And she was, naturally, suspicious of
all men since.
    He
reached behind him, taking hold of Ellie's arm and pulling her
quickly forward. His arm went down heavy on her shoulders, holding
her close to his side. “It's alright,” he said, looking
down at the top of her head. “He was just being a dick,”
he explained. “He isn't going to hurt either of us.”
    Gabe
rubbed absently at his throat, looking at her. He smiled, a slow
forming, charming smile. “Hell,” he said, almost
laughing, “that was impressive. No one ever gets the drop on
me. Where did you learn that?”
    Ellie
felt mortification rising like bile in her throat, making her chest
feel tight and her face feel hot. “I... took a self-defense
class at a Y once,” she started, looking at her feet. “I'm
so so sorry,” she said, looking up at him and feeling another
wave of shame.
    Gabe
waved a hand, as if dismissing the subject. “Don't be. That was
good. Next time,” he said, watching her with his observant
hazel eyes, “throw more of your weight into it. Pivot your hip
more. You're small. If you want the guy to go down... you need to
throw everything into it.”
    “I'll
keep that in mind,” she offered him a small, embarrassed smile,
suddenly too distracted by the arm around her shoulders to focus much
on the man in front of her. He had her pulled up against him, their
bodies touching from the top of her head to their feet. And a very
strong, very disconcerting part of her wanted to turn slightly and
bury her face in his chest.
    “You
need the car?” Gabe asked, finally looking back at Xander. The
guy was so screwed and he hadn't even figured it out yet.
    “Yeah,”
Xander agreed. “What are you smiling at?”
    “Nothing,”
Gabe said, shaking his head. “You want the black outs or no?”
    Xander
looked down at Ellie for a quick second. Why was he still holding
her? And why had she maneuvered herself closer, the side of her face
brushing his ribs? She would