Devil Takes His Innocent (13 page)

Chapter
Fifteen

“
Miss Winters, are you sure
nothing’s been taken?” Detective Morris asked.

“
What the hell’s going on?” Devil
demanded, walking into the lounge as if he owned the place. Gabby’s heart
picked up speed at the sound of his voice. As soon as her gaze landed on him,
her breath hitched. She was so focused on Devil that it took a few seconds to
realize Judge had come with him.

“
Mr. Torments, what are you doing
in here?” Detective
Redburn
inquired.

“
I live here!”

Nikki snorted beside Gabby,
gaining the attention of both detectives. “Is there a problem?” Detective
Morris asked her friend.

“
He only lives here when it suits
him,” Nikki said, scowling at Devil. Gabby quickly jabbed her friend in the
ribs before she said anything further.

“
How did they get in?” Judge
asked.

“
From what we can tell, they
jimmied the back door,” Detective Morris informed him.

“
What about the alarm?”

“
I wasn’t going to be long, so I
didn’t bother putting it on,” Gabby replied.

“
What’s been stolen?” Judge asked.

Gabby
shrugged. “
Nothing,
from what we can tell.”

“
So what’s the point of this
mess?” Judge asked again.

“
They were obviously looking for
something, but since nothing is missing they must have left empty-handed,”
Gabby responded, feeling Devil’s stare pierce through her.

“
Are you sure, Miss Winters? I
suspect this may have had something to do with your half brother’s death. Maybe
he gave you something that seemed like nothing but might not have been,”
Detective Morris suggested, not for the first time since arriving, hinting that
she had something of Grant’s.

“
I think that’s a given,
considering my grandmother’s jewelry wasn’t taken,” Gabby replied. “As for
Grant, he took from me rather than giving me anything. Whoever broke in must
have assumed the same as you, but I can honestly say they wouldn’t have found
anything of his in this house. It just wasn’t the kind of relationship we had.”

Gabby felt confident in the fact
that the truth in her words had been heard. She was just thankful she still
knew very little about what was in that envelope Grant had sent her. Devil
hadn’t gotten around to telling her before he disappeared from her life with
the envelope.

“
I think for your safety I might
assign a squad car to remain outside the house,” Detective Morris said. “All
signs are pointing to the fact that your
half brother’s
associates are coming after you, Miss Winters.”

“
Don’t bother,” she all but
snorted. “In case you hadn’t noticed those two black SUVs outside, I already
have enough people keeping an eye on me and my movements. I really don’t think
I need any more.”

“
Yes, Miss Winters, I did notice
them, but I don’t put much faith in them,” replied Detective Morris. “Otherwise
they wouldn’t have let you enter a house that had been ransacked, let alone
walk around in it alone. The
perps
could have still
been in here. Did you think about that?”

“
I can guarantee, Detectives, that
is a lapse in judgment that won’t happen again,” Devil assured. “Gabby and
Nikki will be protected at all times.”

With a nod, Detective Morris
turned his attention back to Gabby. “You know how to contact me if you should
need anything,” he said. After a quick glance in Devil’s direction, he added,
“And I mean it, Miss Winters, anything.”

“
Thank you, Detective Morris, I’ll
keep that in mind,” Gabby replied sincerely as she carefully stepped around the
broken coffee table to show the detectives out. “Thank you both for responding
so quickly to my call for help.”

“
It’s our pleasure and duty,”
Morris said before moving toward their car.

Devil and Judge had also left the
house. Once again Devil stole a little bit more of her heart. Unfortunately,
she knew where it would end up, on the rubbish pile. She felt Nikki grabbing
her hand and giving it a squeeze before pulling her back into the house and shutting
the door.

“
It’s a pity those two detectives
are dirty. I think Detective Morris is interested in you more than in a police
capacity,” Nikki said, raising and lowering her eyebrows. Gabby responded by
laughing. Her friend could always be counted on to lighten the mood when Gabby
needed it.

Unfortunately, Gabby also had
someone in her life that enjoyed adding tension. Devil’s gruff voice
interrupted her laughter. “If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll keep his
hands to himself.”

“
I thought you left,” Gabby said,
turning toward the man who had featured in every one of her dreams and
nightmares for the last four days. “It’s what you do, isn’t it?”

“
Watch your tone, mate.”

“
Or
what?
You’re
going to spank her, fuck her, and then leave her broken again?” Nikki
challenged.

“
Hey, Nikki, do you have to return
to work?” Judge asked.

“
No, I have a house to help clean
up. They’re not expecting me back into work until tomorrow with Gabby.”

“
Come on, then. I’ll take you out
for a bite to eat. That way these two can talk,” Judge offered. Nikki looked
over at Gabby who gave a slight nod, but still she hesitated. “He’s not going
to hurt her, Nikki. She’s his mate, it’s just not possible.”

“
He’s already hurt her, Judge. A
mate may be free from physical harm, but what about mental trauma?” Gabby
cringed at her friend’s comment.
While not untrue, she wasn’t
sure she wanted Devil to know the true extent of her feelings for him.

“
I promise, Nikki, nothing will
happen that Gabby doesn’t want,” Devil pledged.

“
Fine, but if you hurt her again,
your balls are mine,” Nikki declared before turning to give Gabby a hug and
whispering in her ear. “Don’t take any shit from him, Gabby. You deserve so
much better than that poor excuse for a man.”

With tears clinging to her eyes,
threatening to fall, Gabby held on tighter to her friend. She knew Nikki spoke
the truth, but she didn’t want anyone other than Devil. Somewhere along the
line, she realized she was in a worse situation than her mother. Her mother had
been able to recover from her heartache and open up her heart to other men,
even if they’d all been selfish men only looking for a good lay. Gabby knew she
didn’t have it in her to love anyone other than Devil.
A man
incapable of loving, according to him.

****

Devil watched as his mate’s gaze
followed the departure of her friend. The look was filled with a yearning that
should have been reserved for him. It would seem his mate wanted nothing more
than to leave with Nikki and Judge. It was something he couldn’t allow to
happen, though he understood her desire. He had, as Nikki claimed, hurt Gabby.
It was something he needed to atone for.

Though, he hadn’t lied to her
when he claimed that love didn’t exist in his heart. But that didn’t mean that
he didn’t care for her and her well-being. He did, in his own way. He had just
failed to communicate that. It was a failure that he would no doubt repeat. He
had never been a talker. He preferred people to know who he was through his
actions. If he was angry with someone, they would meet his fists.
If he trusted or cared for someone, he would allow them into his
inner circle, sharing a little bit of himself.
That was who he was, and
the sooner his mate realized this, the better.

“W
e need to talk.”

“
And I have a house to clear up,”
came Gabby’s reply as she bent down to pick up a broken photo frame.

“
That can wait,” he replied,
moving toward her. “We have important things to discuss.”

Stepping back from him, she said,
“Don’t. As soon as you touch me everything else will be forgotten, and I can’t
allow that. While you have somewhere else to go, Nikki and I still have to live
here. I don’t have time to satisfy your sexual urges at the moment.”

“
My living quarters are yours as
well. I also have two other rooms which Nikki would have her choice from.”

“
Nowhere in my future do I see
myself living in a loveless relationship, Devil. To coin a modern phrase, we
are fuck
buddies,
nothing more, nothing less and fuck
buddies don’t cohabitate.”

“
You are my mate.”

“
A mate you could never love. Your
words, not mine.”

“
The absence of love doesn’t mean
I don’t care for you. I do.”

“
They’re only words,” she replied.

As she spoke, Gabby continued
collecting items from the floor. Only this time when she bent down to pick up
something else, it was followed by a gasp and the scent of her blood filling
his nose. Rushing over to her, he noticed blood gushing from her palm. In the
center of it was a large shard of glass. Gently pulling the offending item out
of her hand, he then brought her palm up to his lips. Healing her wound had
been his primary objective, but as soon as her unique taste burst onto his
tongue, any coherent thought was gone.

His cock had hardened instantly
as his fangs descended. He sucked harder, unable to stop himself. A moan
sounded in his ears.
His mate’s moan.
It was the
sweetest sound he had heard in a while. A sound he wished to hear more of.
That and Gabby’s laughter.
Her alluring scent wafted up to
his nose. His mate needed him.

Releasing his suction on her
palm, his head
rose
level to hers. Her glazed over
eyes and parted lips were all the invitation he needed. Fitting his mouth
perfectly over hers, he devoured her, kissing her hard, ensuring her swollen
lips would speak of who she belonged to for days to come. His hands moved of
their own accord to her deliciously rounded backside. He could have held her
like that for hours, kissing her, had his cock not demanded some action.

Lifting her, he encouraged her
legs to wrap around his waist. He carried them both through to the bedroom and
the awaiting bed. Across it many items were flung, thankfully all clothes. He
threw Gabby into the middle of the bed and followed her onto it. Not wanting to
allow her any time to think, he ran his hand up her bare leg. His fingertips
were quickly replaced by his tongue.

His path was set as he left a wet
trail up her thigh, heading straight for her soaked underwear. Not wanting to
waste any of her juices, he cleaned her inner thighs before moving on to the
tiny scrap of material covering her pussy. Her moans grew deeper and more
urgent, telling him of her impending orgasm. Quickly tearing her underwear, his
mouth and tongue lapped at her clit, flicking the hard little nub. He could
sense her completion was close. Stiffening his tongue, it traveled the path
that his cock would soon be following, entering her pussy. Her scream and the
juices hitting his tongue and chin spoke of the intensity behind her orgasm.

Not wanting her to return
completely to the land of the living, he pushed his cock past the swollen walls
of her pussy, causing little aftershocks. The rippling sensation against his
cock drew his own orgasm near. He stilled. His mate needed to go again before
he could allow himself his own relief.

As soon as he had his body under
some semblance of control, he pumped into his mate, each thrust pushing them
both toward climaxing. Gabby’s head rolled from side to side, her moans growing
louder as she lifted her backside from the bed. Her head suddenly stilled, her
eyes opened, and she seemed to be pleading for something. On instinct he lifted
the same wrist he had used to seal their bond to his mouth, slicing it open.
Placing it on her lips, he allowed her to take from him.

What started out as gentle sucks
became more desperate. Each draw of his blood could be felt in his cock. His
orgasm moved forward fast. Leaning over his mate, he pierced her skin with his
fangs, drinking her blood from his mating mark. He exploded into her just as
she came. The intensity of his orgasm had his arms giving out, causing his
fangs to slide from her shoulder. Barely able to think, he thankfully had
enough of his brain working to flick his tongue over his bite marks, sealing
the wounds.

He had no idea how long they
remained that way, his thought process only returning when he felt Gabby
wriggling underneath him. Quickly moving, ensuring her comfort, he stood,
withdrawing his still hard cock from her warm, wet pussy. Reaching down, he
went to remove the trousers he had no recollection of undoing. His plan was to
lay
beside his mate, holding her, silently thanking her for
the best orgasm he had ever experienced. It would seem Gabby had other ideas.