"Katie's Hellion" (Book I, Rhyn Trilogy)

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Whatever Daniela said to him after she fled worked, and Katie didn’t see him for the rest of the day. The next morning, she leaned against the wall and stared at the dark form crouched on a rock a good distance from the Sanctuary. He was staring at her. She didn’t know what he thought from the distance, but she imagined him pissy as usual. He deserved it for kissing her and making her feel things she never, ever, ever imagined she’d feel for any man, let alone a monster like him.

"Katie."

She whirled. "Gabriel!" she exclaimed. "Are you here for me?"

"No, but thanks for asking."

"You’re not funny, Gabriel."

His amusement was fleeting. He leaned his elbows on the wall with a wave at Rhyn. He wore his customary all black, his dark eyes hidden behind dark shades.

"I gave Kris your message," he said. "He wasn’t happy."

"His problem, not mine."

"It becomes your problem if he doesn’t believe you."

"Does he?" she asked.

"I don’t know. Not yet."

"You can’t take me to him, you know. Rhyn will kill everyone in his path."

"You can choose to come with me," he stated.

"Would cause an even worse rampage."

"Very well. He said to give you this." He handed out a note. She took it and read the single sentence.

I’ll return your life to you. She expected joy at the offer but felt wary instead.

"Andre said Kris planned to do what Rhyn did and make me his mate. Can I ever not belong to Rhyn now that I do?" she asked, considering.

"Not unless Rhyn is dead-dead."

"And Kris doesn’t believe me about Sasha," she mused. "He’s not really offering me anything. He can’t wipe my memory--even Andre couldn’t and he’s older--and he can’t fix what Rhyn’s done. Does he think me so naïve that I’d leap at some empty promise?"

Gabriel met her question with silence and another look of passing amusement.

"He must’ve forgotten I went to Hell already,” she said. “I’m not the idiot he took me for when he assigned a certain baby angel to my guardianship. Of all the screwed-up men…beasts I’ve met, I’d trust Rhyn before Kris, even not knowing what Rhyn really is or if he really did try to annihilate mankind alongside Sasha."

"Do you believe he did?"

"I don’t know," she admitted.

"What do you feel?"

"Doesn’t matter if I’m sorta stuck with him, does it?" she replied icily. She knew what she thought and suspected he did, too.

"The answer’s not for me. I know what happened."

"Daniela called him wild. I’d say that’s true, but I don’t think him capable of walking away from a duty so great."

"Then you’d be right," he agreed.

"Was he always so wild?"

"Hell made him worse. What shall I tell Kris?"

"Tell him to leave me alone."

She handed back the note, more determined not to give the white-haired man what he wanted now that she had confirmation--and somehow she believed Gabriel--that Rhyn hadn’t destroyed millions. Her hand rested on her bandaged forearm. She’d peeked at the healing wound the night before and found the scar not just ugly but hideous, a jagged seam between two lumps of uneven flesh.