I don’t age. Isn’t it great? While you turn into a bag of wrinkles and liver spots, I’ll still look thirty? ” Allan growled on his end of the line.
Storm pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “So you threatened her with a fucking gun to get her to leave me? That kind of shit won’t get your point across. She sat on my truck and cried, asshole. She won’t admit it, but she’s scared to death.”
Allan gasped. “Gun? Hell, no. Two nights ago, I told her to watch out for your roving eyes. Remember, at the Chatty Catty when you locked lips with Peggy Harriel? I mentioned that to Stevie. She laughed it off.”
Storm levelled his shoulders. This ridiculous argument needed to cease, if for no other reason than he wanted to cuddle the only woman who made his battered heart beat. “You didn’t tail her with a gun?”
“Storm, you know me better than that. We fought the frickin’ Civil War together on opposing sides, and I still didn’t take your ass out when Longstreet ordered me to. I just don’t want to see you hurt her.”
Storm sat in his treasured leather easy chair and crossed his ankle over his knee. “Look, your plan backfired. She’s staying with me, which is perfect because I love her. I can’t predict our future, but I do know I won’t take another lover. Stevie’s it.”
The phone connection crackled. “Wait. You said a gun, Storm. What happened with the gun?”
Storm recalled the incident. He scratched his forehead. “I don’t know who the person is and I’m afraid for Stevie. I know she can handle herself, but I don’t want a crazy gunman chasing her because of me, Allan.”
“O’Toole’s crazy enough with revenge to want to try something like this.”
“I agree, but I can’t locate him. I thought I saw him, or someone who looked an awful lot like him, at the club, but I can’t sense him at all. When Stevie came back from the bank, his scent was all over her. Strawberries, the fucker.”
“I didn’t see him the other night, but that sounds like him. He probably wanted to play the role of the consoling friend so she’d leave you and run into his arms. But I don’t see why he needed the weapon.”
“To put me in my place. He hates that I changed all those souls he left to rot. His way of getting back at me is to steal the only person that matters to me.” Storm picked at a button on the arm of the chair.
“Then this thing between you is real?”
“As real as the change, the need for blood and our fangs, buddy.” Storm nodded.
“I’ll let it go, but I’m warning you. If it’s not Jamison, then someone out there figured us out and they want us gone.” Allan sighed. “Don’t mix her up in that unless you’re willing to put her through the change or take a silver bullet for her, Storm. Jamison O’Toole won’t back down.”
Storm clenched his teeth. Allan had a point, even if he wasn’t ready to concede. “I’m willing to take that risk.” I just have to believe she’ll still love me when it’s all over.
“Then I’ll call Todd to alert him. We’ll help you in whatever way we can,” Allan replied. “Are you coming back to the Chatty Catty soon?”
“We gotta tail Bruce once more and follow another man, but I think a small vacation might be in order.” With a sidebar in Las Vegas…
“Good for you man.” Allan laughed then sobered. “Think about what I said. She’s a special woman. Don’t screw this up.”
“I think about her all the time But I won’t mess things up. Now, go to sleep before the sun comes up and bakes you to a crisp.” Or I come over there and kick your ass for butting in.
Storm snapped the device shut. He tossed her phone onto the kitchen table and flexed his hands to work out the tension. A knot the size of Cleveland twisted up his guts. Guilt flooded his mind. Stevie was yet another innocent Jamison O’Toole wanted to use for his own devious pleasure. Storm drew air into his lungs. And if
Storm pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “So you threatened her with a fucking gun to get her to leave me? That kind of shit won’t get your point across. She sat on my truck and cried, asshole. She won’t admit it, but she’s scared to death.”
Allan gasped. “Gun? Hell, no. Two nights ago, I told her to watch out for your roving eyes. Remember, at the Chatty Catty when you locked lips with Peggy Harriel? I mentioned that to Stevie. She laughed it off.”
Storm levelled his shoulders. This ridiculous argument needed to cease, if for no other reason than he wanted to cuddle the only woman who made his battered heart beat. “You didn’t tail her with a gun?”
“Storm, you know me better than that. We fought the frickin’ Civil War together on opposing sides, and I still didn’t take your ass out when Longstreet ordered me to. I just don’t want to see you hurt her.”
Storm sat in his treasured leather easy chair and crossed his ankle over his knee. “Look, your plan backfired. She’s staying with me, which is perfect because I love her. I can’t predict our future, but I do know I won’t take another lover. Stevie’s it.”
The phone connection crackled. “Wait. You said a gun, Storm. What happened with the gun?”
Storm recalled the incident. He scratched his forehead. “I don’t know who the person is and I’m afraid for Stevie. I know she can handle herself, but I don’t want a crazy gunman chasing her because of me, Allan.”
“O’Toole’s crazy enough with revenge to want to try something like this.”
“I agree, but I can’t locate him. I thought I saw him, or someone who looked an awful lot like him, at the club, but I can’t sense him at all. When Stevie came back from the bank, his scent was all over her. Strawberries, the fucker.”
“I didn’t see him the other night, but that sounds like him. He probably wanted to play the role of the consoling friend so she’d leave you and run into his arms. But I don’t see why he needed the weapon.”
“To put me in my place. He hates that I changed all those souls he left to rot. His way of getting back at me is to steal the only person that matters to me.” Storm picked at a button on the arm of the chair.
“Then this thing between you is real?”
“As real as the change, the need for blood and our fangs, buddy.” Storm nodded.
“I’ll let it go, but I’m warning you. If it’s not Jamison, then someone out there figured us out and they want us gone.” Allan sighed. “Don’t mix her up in that unless you’re willing to put her through the change or take a silver bullet for her, Storm. Jamison O’Toole won’t back down.”
Storm clenched his teeth. Allan had a point, even if he wasn’t ready to concede. “I’m willing to take that risk.” I just have to believe she’ll still love me when it’s all over.
“Then I’ll call Todd to alert him. We’ll help you in whatever way we can,” Allan replied. “Are you coming back to the Chatty Catty soon?”
“We gotta tail Bruce once more and follow another man, but I think a small vacation might be in order.” With a sidebar in Las Vegas…
“Good for you man.” Allan laughed then sobered. “Think about what I said. She’s a special woman. Don’t screw this up.”
“I think about her all the time But I won’t mess things up. Now, go to sleep before the sun comes up and bakes you to a crisp.” Or I come over there and kick your ass for butting in.
Storm snapped the device shut. He tossed her phone onto the kitchen table and flexed his hands to work out the tension. A knot the size of Cleveland twisted up his guts. Guilt flooded his mind. Stevie was yet another innocent Jamison O’Toole wanted to use for his own devious pleasure. Storm drew air into his lungs. And if
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