Bound by Revenge (Guardian Series) (13 page)

Not that he was cocky. Not at all. He was terrified. How could he not be? The sneaking suspicion that the training he’d done wouldn’t be enough tormented him. This was something that he could never have imagined, not even in his wildest dreams. In front of Vance, Alex tried to crack jokes and seem nonchalant about all of it. They were friends first, after all. And what guy wants to look like a pussy in front of his buddies. But, god, how could he be anything but frozen in fear.

Abby, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be overcompensating like he was. She seemed to face it head on. She took control of the situation, like Alex had always done in business. It was a real role reversal. Abby had always sat back and let him run things. He was her older brother. That was his job. He was supposed to be the most successful. He was supposed to be the best. He was supposed to be his father’s second in command.

Instead, Alex’s fear held him back, leaving Abby to step into his role. She was the true leader, quietly planning and always in control. No amount of showmanship on Alex’s part was going to help in a situation like this. There was too much at stake and they all knew it.

Luckily Abby wasn’t the kind to rub it in.

Still, it was hard for Alex to face himself now that his true character was revealed. The reflection that stared back at him was strong, stone faced and masculine. Handsome. He had a smile that could melt the coldest female heart. Anything he wanted, he’d get his way. Always. Yet inside, he didn’t feel that way anymore. He felt like a coward. He felt weak. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to get beyond that. He’d work with his new body, training, until he oozed confidence like he used to. This was
not
going to change the person he’d always been he decided. He wasn’t about to give this change in circumstance that much power over him.

The next few days would be crucial, his father told them. They would begin training with Vance and Sam to learn how to wield the weapons that could harm their opponents and to learn how their kind fought. It wasn’t going to be the controlled environment of a studio or a boxing ring. This was the real world, where fighting dirty was the norm. No one would be around to stop the fight and call the opponent out on their infraction or pull them off if the fight got too rough.

This was where men are made into heroes, or they die. Fight to the death was a concept they’d never had to face before and Alex had no intention of dying. There was too much fun to be had, knowing that his future lie open with no threat of disease or old age. It was the bachelor’s dream. There was an endless supply of young beautiful women. He had a successful business to keep the money rolling in, as he worked in a high octane field that made his heart race every moment.

But for now, they had no clue how long they’d have to train or when the battle would find them on their own doorstep. So with the pressure on high, they would learn to fight all over again. And if the battle began first, so be it. They’d go in with guns blazing.

Down on the second floor, Abby dumped the contents of her large black duffle bag on the bed in the grey and black guest room that was now her home away from home. She just got back to the house. She left only long enough for her father to bring her back home to grab what she needed for herself and for Sam. The pile of clothes lay in a heap in the center of the bed. Slowly Abby pulled it apart, item by item, sorting them first by owner, her own on the right, Sam’s on the left, then by type, before filling the drawers of the large cherry armoire to claim this space as hers and not just as a temporary residence.

On the ride, her father explained that this would be their headquarters from now on. In fact, when Alex began searching for property, Bradley sent his real estate agent to work with Alex, to show him only properties that Bradley had preapproved for their utility. This was his top choice. It had enough guest rooms to house everyone and the large open basement that Alex had decked out as a game room/bar that would now be their workout and training facility.

Abby absorbed this information and wondered how much of her own life had been contrived by her father to fit his needs and their future role as guardians. But now, it just didn’t matter.

Abby seemed to fit comfortably in her own skin for the first time. She had no regrets for her past and no doubts about her future. She was able to let go of the false claim she had always tried to make to a normal life. She had always tried to please her mother, even after her death. Abby mimicked everything from style to demeanor and tried to never stand out or take charge for fear of upsetting her mother’s unbalanced psyche.

Finally, Abby understood why it had been so hard. Not one ounce of her was normal. Her mother may have been but Abby was her father’s daughter and proud of it. And as much as her mother wouldn’t like it, Abby was all in.

Her muscles twitched as adrenaline pumped through her body at the thought of this new future when three solid knocks on the bedroom door coaxed her away from her chore to answer.

Sam stood on the other side of the large carved door. A bright gleam in her eye that Abby had never noticed before.

“Where’d you guys go? I went back to the house to get our stuff and you weren’t there.” Abby’s question was innocent enough, but Sam squirmed under the inquisition.

“Oh, we went back to Vance’s house. Hung out for a little while. To give you guys some time to talk.” Sam’s face flashed a bright red as she spoke. She blushed for the first time in her long existence.

“Holy shit.” Abby burst out. She grabbed Sam by the wrist and pulled her into the room before slamming the door behind them.

“Seriously? You and Vance? I knew you’d like him.” Abby chattered, climbed onto the bed and folded her legs up underneath her.

Sam froze, not knowing how to respond. She and Vance had agreed not to say anything about what happened, at least not right away. They couldn’t afford any distractions. But how could she lie? Now that Abby guessed, it seemed pointless. Especially since, Sam really did like him.

There was something so deep about Vance. Her attraction went way beyond the physical, which was nothing to balk at. He had to be one of the most beautiful men she’d ever seen. But that alone wouldn’t have drawn her to him. It wouldn’t have been enough to dispel her qualms about his past. It was the camaraderie they shared. They had the same dreams, hopes, fears. Everything. They were a perfect match. She’d always known it somewhere deep down.

Sam couldn’t contain the burst of feelings that were bottled up inside her. She’d never had a girlfriend to talk to about anything and now that she had someone to trust for the first time, she wasn’t about to hold back.

“We already knew each other. For, like, ever. But it’s different now. We have a lot in common. I really, really like him.” Sam hopped enthusiastically onto the bed next to Abby.

The words came out in a steady stream. Sam didn’t pause for a breath until the last syllable escaped her lips.

“You act like you never liked a guy before.” Abby craned her neck and lifted her right eyebrow incredulously.

The words snapped Sam back. It was true. She’d been with plenty of guys in the past. Biology did its job. She was no stranger to lust or to any of its consequence but she’d never fallen for anyone. She didn’t really control her own life, not in the way that a human did. She couldn’t control where she’d be from one day to the next, so it would just be painful to allow herself to fall for someone she’d have to give up and that was assuming that she even could have found a human worth the risk. That was something she hadn’t contemplated as long as she’d known Vance.

Now, everything was different. Bradley released both Sam and Vance from their ties to their past. Now they were guardians who worked side by side with the Andreans. They worked for the peace and safety of mankind and to save the humans from a threat unimaginable to their fragile minds.

Yet, even with such a task looming over her head, all she could think about was the rough touch of Vance’s hands sliding across her body, teasing her skin until she screamed in ecstasy.

“I’d know that look anywhere.” Abby shook her head at Sam in mock chiding. “You guys’ll be great together. Now I just have to find myself Mr. Right and we’ll be golden.”

Sam laughed nervously, never having felt so exposed in front of someone else. They were family now. A concept she’d seen over and over in her travels, never daring to hope for one herself and now, sitting next to this young woman, Sam felt that bond. She had a sister against all odds.

Abby strained to breathe as her feet pounded on the treadmill. Normally she was a long distance runner but today she ran an all-out sprint as she tried hard to regain some sanity. Abby’s long brown hair bounced up in thick waves, despite being pulled back in a tight ponytail.

Alex’s basement was the all new training facility extraordinaire. The pool table, foosball table and dart board were all missing from what used to be a boy’s hangout for all of Alex’s friends. Her father had movers come in and transport everything into self-storage across town. As each piece left the room, it was replaced by high and low tech gym equipment, treadmills, weight machines, free weights, mats, and heavy bags.

And once all the equipment was in place, he recruited Alex and Vance to help carry in a number of large trunks that were delivered by a separate courier. These were items he refused to trust with the regular movers, he told them.

“Just because they’re humans, doesn’t mean they’re not a potential threat.” Bradley lectured, taking every opportunity to teach.

Alex hated the idea of losing all his stuff and Vance was grumbling right alongside his friend, peeved at having to spend all of his time here instead of in his own home. It would be hard for anyone to give up their identity and blend into a group but Vance’s lifestyle certainly didn’t lend easily to dorm-style living. At least Abby took comfort in being with her family. But the boys weren’t so easy to appease.

For now, Abby was alone in the basement. She left everyone else upstairs to wrap their minds around this new situation in their own way. This was Abby’s way. Running and thinking. And while her brain briefly touched on questions about being a guardian, strength, immortality, and who knows what else, she couldn’t stop her mind from going back to thoughts of her own love life, or recently, lack thereof.

Picturing Sam and Vance living happily ever after made it even harder. She truly wanted her friend to be happy and she was determined not to let her past taint the blooming relationship of two people who she cared about. But she still felt raw from Max’s betrayal. She didn’t know if she could ever trust another man after that.

Alex had been the one to bring Max into her life. It wasn’t his fault, but knowing that didn’t help repair the damage.

After three rounds of interviews, Max had been the only one that impressed Alex enough to gain a coveted position on his personal team. He joined the tight knit community at Andrean Consultants that day.

Abby could vividly remember the first time she saw him. The memory replayed through her mind at least once a day.

The topic of the meeting was a blur now but Abby could picture Max before her, as if it had happened yesterday, and not a year before.

“Is this seat available?” Max spoke quietly to Abby, as not to disturb anyone else in the room. His warm breath tickled her ear, spreading goose bumps over her skin.

“Yeah.” Abby breathed out, unable to put together a group of words long enough for a pleasant greeting, never mind to introduce herself.

Luckily her brother, out of common courtesy, introduced them before taking the seat beside him.

Max was tall, standing about 6’2”, probably a little taller if you add in the small heel on the designer leather oxfords just about an inch away from touching Abby’s patent leather pumps. His navy, pinstriped suit was perfectly tailored to his lean and muscular body and his short brown hair was trimmed neatly, without a single strand out of place.

Abby sat quietly for the duration of the meeting, trying to focus on the phone in the center of the table. She allowed her father to run the show, even from across the country. Normally, she’d be the one taking notes, asking questions and keeping everyone else focused. Instead, she sat silently, until she noticed the others around the table started standing up and gathering their things before filing out of the room in a military-worthy line to attack their work with a renewed vigor.