Gabe's Destiny (Alien Mates Book Three) (20 page)

His eyes popped open and he looked over to see Taya lying next to him.

“Taya?” Was she really here? Would she get up in a moment and run from the room? “Soul-bonded?”

She gave him a watery smile, a smile that made him want to laugh and cry at the same time because it was so honest. When she smiled at him like that, the only thing he could see was her heart.

“Yes love,” her body rolled towards him. Her leg covered his, claiming him to everyone who was watching. “You’re soul-bonded.”

He was big, an alien, all masculine power and in that moment he didn’t care who would see him differently than the façade he wore every day. A single tear fell and he buried his head in her neck as another and another fell. He was home. It wasn’t a cabin in the mountains or even the bed and breakfast; it was the female who held his heart.

“I love you, Gabe, with all my heart.” She said it loud and proud. There were somethings she wanted to make sure everyone understood.

That big hand was on his shoulder again. He sat up and looked in his brother’s eyes and realized the love he always felt for him was right there. For years he hadn’t been able to feel it but now it was back flooding his heart.

He reached up and they embraced and wouldn’t you know it the same blue eyes as his had tears in them. So much more than twins.

“We took the hard road,” Rylan said to him.

Gabe nodded. “But we got here. This is where mom and dad always wanted us to be.”

Rylan nodded. “We got here. “I’m going to clear out the room, the brotherly thing to do. Your niece is upset; she doesn’t understand why she can’t come play with her uncle Gabe.”

He gave a good natured groan. “I see many tea parties in my future, but I’m sure Taya will join us.”

He reached a hand back and took hers, inviting her to be one with his family. It was such a simple gesture but it touched her heart.

Gabe and Rylan gave masculine grunts as Rylan stood and cleared out the room.

“It’s almost dinner time,” Victor said on his way out the door. “Selma will expect to see you at the table.”

With that last bit of wisdom, they all departed leaving them alone.

“It’s real, not a dream.” He caressed her face not wanting to stop, afraid she may suddenly disappear.

“I thought it was a dream at first too.” She pressed on his chest until he was lying flat on his back. Then she moved over more until she could drape herself across him.

The feel of her lying on him, firm and solid, slowed his heart rate. This wasn’t a dream, it was as real as it got.

“What do we do now?” she asked, rubbing her cheek against his chest.

“I don’t know. You could come back to LA with me. I have a big home there I share with Ry. Or we could go to my cabin in the mountains. We could even stay here if you want. It doesn’t matter to me as long as we’re together.

“We have time to talk it over.”

Her cell phone rang; the burner that she hung onto because it was the only number her parents had to reach her.

A frown crossed her face as she dived off the side of the bed to reach the phone before it stopped ringing.

“Hello?” Her father’s voice blasted over the end of the phone. The words were run together to fast for her to understand.

“Slow down, dad. I can’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Someone took her, Taya. They took your mother.” The cell phone hit the floor as she began to shake.

Rational thought came back on line and she listened to Gabe talk to her dad as he told him what happened.

Her mother was missing, she needed to wrap her head around that but it felt like a nightmare. One of the two pillars in her life was missing. How would she go on?

Gabe’s voice sliced through her confusion, she wasn’t alone anymore and together they would defeat whatever was coming. Pulling herself together, she started going through a list of candidates who could have snatched her mother.

The first day she met Gabe, he asked her who was after her because the Sudir didn’t shoot at people and they didn’t leave dead animals on their porches. That was a human trait.

She walked back over to Gabe reaching out to touch him. He looked at her.

“What if it’s Michael? It has to be. Who else besides maybe his father would want to do this to me?” The more she thought about it the more sense it made. He wanted her for wrecking his life.

Gabe shook his head. “It’s not Michael.”

“How can you be so sure?”

He handed her the phone. “Let your dad explain it.”

“Dad?” Her voice was shaky but she wouldn’t cry until they had mom back. Then all bets were off. “I’m thinking it had to be Michael. No one hates me like he does.”

“It’s not him, Princess.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Sit down, Taya, I finally think you’re ready to hear this.”

She walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. Gabe came over and stood beside her placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Okay dad, I’m sitting.”

“I’ve kept tabs on Michael over the years. You tied my hands that day in the police station but that didn’t mean I couldn’t watch him. Two years after what he did to you, he entered the church took a vow of chastity.”

“Are you telling me he’s a priest preaching to women and children about sin! Dad, he could be hurting them and they’re too scared to come forward.” Her heartbeat kicked up, her body started to rock. She really was going to hell letting him join the church to hurt other innocents.

“He’s not a priest, Taya.” Her father said quickly trying to calm her down. “He’s a monk.”

“A what?”

“A monk. He took a vow of chastity, moved to a remote region where he lives with several other monks and surprisingly he is happy.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this, dad?”

“I tried but every time his name came up in conversation you practically either ran from the room or became physically ill. Your mom and I decided we couldn’t force you to face what happened. We simply needed to be there when you were ready.”

He was a monk, living his life while she had been caught in a hell that wouldn’t let her go. Recovery wasn’t easy. There was a part of her that was relieved to know he wasn’t on the lose hurting other women, but there was another part of her that wanted to hate him even more. It abhorred the fact that he had been living life while she was stuck and hurting. Becoming the new Taya truly wasn’t easy; even so she let the hatred and bitterness bleed out of her soul. It was something she would have to do on a daily basis for a while or maybe even on an hourly basis but she refused to give him anymore of her life.

“Are you sure, dad, that he’s still there?”

“He’s still there. I talked to him not that long ago. A rare exception the monks made because they understand his past.”

“And they still love him and accept him?”

“Yes, Taya, they do.”

She waited for the hatred to come again fast and furious, but it didn’t. The only thought that came was that if the world had enough love to accept a man who had once been a monster then why shouldn’t it have enough love to accept her too? One look into Gabe’s eyes told her all she needed to know. There was plenty of room for her in the world, but more importantly there was room in his heart for her.

“He wrote you some letters, Taya.” Her father’s voice drew her back.

“Letters?”

“A few. I opened the first couple of them. I wanted to make sure they weren’t threats and they weren’t. I wanted to give them to you but when I mentioned the first one you demanded I turn it over so you could burn it.”

“I remember that I burned it.”

“Nope. You burned a letter from some man asking your mom to leave me and give him a chance. There was no way I was letting her see that.”

“Dad!” She laughed suddenly feeling better. “What’s the plan?”

“Your boyfriend thinks we need to draw him out. Whoever has your mother doesn’t want her he wants you, but doesn’t know where you are. That’s where I come in. I’m about to run out the house suitcase in hand. High tail it to the car, drive around town a few times, then hit the road and start making my way towards you.

“He’ll follow; I know he will. Together the three of us will subdue him and set your mom free.”

Her mouth twitched. “Dad, I think you’ve been watching too many crime shows. And there are more than three of us. You’ll see when you get here. Be careful and see you soon.” The phone clicked off in her ear but she still held it close to her face.

“Gabe?” He drew her up into his arms and hugged her fiercely.

“We’ll rescue your mom, take care of whoever is threatening her, and end whoever has been threatening you.”

“Then I’ll only have to worry about the Sudir, oh and Melissa.”

“Well, Zuhun does add a little spice to our lives. As far as Melissa goes, I’m a very eligible bachelor, you should remember that.”

You’re not a bachelor anymore. You should remember that.” He picked her up gave her a kiss and walked into the bathroom with her.

“We should discuss this in the shower.”

*~*~*~*

Her dad made the drive in two days. He spent more time behind the wheel of the car than he did sleeping. It was apparent when he rolled up to the bed and breakfast. She could see the lines of exhaustion on his face.

“Dad,” she ran down the stairs and hugged him, holding him tight. “You’re exhausted, why didn’t you sleep more?”

“I didn’t like the thought of whoever has your mom having down time to hurt her, so I just kept driving.”

Taya’s faulty eyes let out more teardrops. If she didn’t stop crying soon she’d have her own lake.

“I understand, dad.” She reached in the back for the suitcase she saw there and gathered the second and third one out. “Dad, you have five suitcases?”

“This one mine’s he pointed to the smaller one. The rest are your mother’s. You know your mother doesn’t like to travel without at least four suitcases. Already I can hear her, ‘Bob, did you remember to bring my curling iron? You know the special one with the cracked handle because it curls my hair just the way I like it.’ You wouldn’t want your old man to have to hear your mom screaming would you?”

She smiled at the love in his voice. “No dad, I’m sure whatever you brought will be perfect for the occasion. Looks like you’re planning on staying for a while.”

He grunted. “Just a short visit. Now, where is this man who thinks he’s special enough to be with my Princess?”

She turned him to the porch to find both Gabe and Rylan standing at the top of the stairs. They looked identical, she could suddenly see why people got them mixed up but she knew exactly who they were.

“So you picked one of those two boys.” Her father looked them both over with a critical eye.

She smirked only her dad would look at them and call them boys. “I picked Gabe, he’s the one…”

“Hush Princess, I got this.” Her dad stood around six foot tall. Not as tall as the brothers but a respectable height. He was muscular, a football player when he was younger. He was still in good shape. Always told her he had to stay in shape to keep a beauty like her mom.

He walked to the porch and up the steps with a definite swagger to his step. Taya shuddered. There was no way he was going to be able to tell them apart.

“Twins, how nice. My MaryAnn will want to spoil you both.” He turned and faced Ryland. “I hear you have a daughter. I can’t wait to meet her.”

Taya’s mouth dropped as her dad turned back to face Gabe. He stuck his hand out.

“Gabe, I’m Bob Clark, Taya’s dad. It’s nice to meet you.”

Gabe took his hand giving him a firm handshake. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

“None of that sir stuff, call me dad.” He leaned in and dropped his voice. “If you hurt her, I will kill you.”

“I do believe you mean that…dad. Don’t worry, I’d rather hurt myself than hurt her.”

Bob grinned and smacked him across his back. “You’re just what I was praying she’d find.”

Gabe and Rylan went to get the bags while Taya showed her dad to his room. It was the room she was using when she first came but she was officially moved in with Gabe now.

Bob followed Taya up the staircase taking notes on how his daughter looked and what she was wearing. He kept looking at the smile on her face and the joy in her eyes. Everything was almost perfect. All he needed was MaryAnn. He made mental notes of all the things he would tell her because it was the only thing keeping him sane. She’d be so proud of him for holding it together; he bet he could even get her to wear that French maid outfit he liked and come clean the bedroom for him.

He looked up to realize they were standing in the middle of a large living room and Taya was hugging him.

“We’ll get mom back, dad. I just know we will.”

He gave her a hug and a kiss before grabbing the suitcases and stowing them away.

“Where are all the rest of the people I’m supposed to be meeting?” He needed to get first impressions of them so he could tell MaryAnn.

“Come with me.” She linked her arm around her dad’s and led him down the stairs to a living room that was filled with people.

*~*~*~*

“Who are you and why are you watching that bed and breakfast?” Melissa walked up silently behind the man with a pair of binoculars. Her hand went around his throat and she popped a claw just for good measure.

“There’s someone in that place that I want.”

“Who? Don’t make me wait. I can get very impatient.” She pressed her sharpened claw against his neck breaking the skin. A drop of blood appeared.

“I want the female, Taya. A nice easy trade.”

Her mind whirled; she wanted Gabe, maybe she could make this work in her favor.

They were sitting on the porch. It was Gabe’s idea. He wanted whoever was watching, and they could all feel the eyes on them, to see they weren’t worried. The more the kidnapper saw Taya laugh with her dad and with Gabe, the more whoever was watching would be upset. Then hopefully he would make a mistake—one that would cost him his life because she was never giving him another chance to come after her parents. Those days were over.