When a Gargoyle Lives (Gargoyles Book 2) Read online

  Hmmm. The hairs prickled on the back of her neck. She turned around, and her mouth almost dropped to the floor as she noticed Ric casually standing next to an angel statue. He noticed her too and gave her a smug smile as she tried to pull her jaw back into place.

  “What’s up?” whispered Chris. He was still looking at the makeshift screen – a huge white sheet - but he noticed that Brenda was preoccupied elsewhere.

  “Nothing, I just remembered that I, ah, left my phone at home. Oh, I’m devastated.”

  He chuckled. “Teenagers and their phones.”

  Brenda cast surreptitious glances over her shoulder. Yep, the idiot was still there. He appeared to be watching the movie. Everyone else seemed completely engrossed in the movie, too. She supposed if any of them had noticed Ric, there would be a lot of screaming and stampeding right about now.

  Myrna, the librarian, and George from the grocery store, were making out while everyone pretended not to notice. The town councilors – who had brought their own folding chairs – were watching the movie with fixed expressions, trying to appear fun to tourists while wishing they were back home in their beds. And Martha, Maggie’s cousin was casting longing, puppy dog looks in Chris’ direction. For his part, he was totally oblivious. They’d gone on a few dates, but clearly the affection was not mutual.

  Brenda chewed on her thumbnail, laughing automatically as everyone else did. How could she concentrate on Slimer when Ric was at risk? He was some distance away from everyone, but if anyone saw him, he’d be toast.

  Ugh – the arrogant gargoyle. He was putting himself in danger and for what? Ghostbusters? She ought to march over there and bite his other arm!

  She caught his attention; he waved and she mouthed at him to go away. He frowned in confusion and tapped his ear while shrugging. The hell he didn’t know what she was saying.

  “Just going to the bathroom,” she murmured.

  Chris nodded.

  Brenda scurried to where Ric was standing. “Are you insane?” she tried to shout in a whisper.

  He was absolutely unconcerned by her worry. “What? You said it was a good movie.”

  “Not good enough to risk getting caught and dissected. Go home.”

  She pushed at him, her hands pressing against some rock hard muscles, but he wouldn’t budge. Even as her feet skidded in the grass, he didn’t even move an inch. He was as immovable as a completely stone gargoyle!

  “You’re making me miss the movie,” he said. Though the amusement in his voice indicated that he didn’t mind very much.

  “I thought you weren’t allowed out,” she hissed, still trying to push his massive body. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead from the effort.

  “Like anything could hold me.”

  “Puh-lease.”

  ‘Heads up.”

  Brenda stopped pushing. “What?”

  Ric jumped onto the ledge next to the angel and struck a suitably gargoyle-like pose. A tourist passed Brenda, smiling. The woman stopped to look at the statue. “Wow, some of these statues are really lifelike aren’t they?”

  “Sure are,” said Brenda, fidgeting impatiently.

  The tourist burst into laughter. “At least, they would be if creatures like that were real.”

  “True,” she muttered, scowling at said statue as he winked at her.

  The tourist walked away snorting.

  “She’s gone.”

  Ric didn’t move.

  “Oh right, pretend you’re a statue.”

  He still didn’t move

  Brenda pinched his thigh, ignoring how muscled she found him. He still didn’t move.

  “Fine, but this isn’t over.”

  She stomped back to her place next to Chris to suffer through the rest of the movie.

  Chapter Twenty

  Chloe strode into the command center, followed by Johnson. “We bugged the little slut’s phone.”

  Pike started laughing, which quickly became a cough as Chloe glared at him.

  “See anything interesting while you were out?” asked Bell.

  Chloe tapped her foot, simmering with fury. “I’m not interested in playing games.”

  Bell nodded at Monroe, who showed her the camera footage.

  “That’s Amalric!” she exclaimed. “In the graveyard where anyone could see him!”

  “It seems he decided to step out for the night, and here he is talking to our friend, Brenda. They appear to be very close,” said Bell, enjoying himself thoroughly. He felt a little queasy at the thought that the gargoyles may be discovered, but that wasn’t to say he couldn’t enjoy seeing his lieutenant flustered and angry. She always put on a good show.

  “You losing your touch Chloe?” jeered Pike.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped. “This isn’t…”

  Pike clucked his tongue. “Losing a fucking gargoyle to a younger woman, whatever next.”

  He was sitting on a chair one second, and the next he was on the ground with Chloe above him, trying to pound him and throttle him at the same time. Apparently he had touched a nerve.

  Bell gave it a few seconds before nodding at Johnson, telling him to pull her off the idiot, Pike. He disliked Pike, but he wasn’t really in the mood to make his body disappear after Chloe pummeled him to death.

  “I think you broke my nose!” whined Pike as Johnson tried to hold onto the hissing and scrabbling Chloe.

  “Settle down, guys. This is actually helpful. If our gargoyle does care about her, we can use that.”

  *

  Brenda briskly walked home. Chris’ house was set a little way away from the rest of the town. After living most of his life in Portland, he preferred a little space and didn’t want to be too close to his nearest neighbor.

  Chris had been called away because Ms. Perkins had reported another break-in at her house. Most likely it was just her sister, Miss Perkins. The two hated each other and were always playing pranks on one another. Miss Perkins went round to her sister’s house to move things around to ‘mess with her’ and make her believe she had a ghost. Last time Ms. Perkins knew who it was, and insisted Chris arrest her – he spent hours calming them down. Given how apoplectic Ms. Perkins could get, Chris had told Brenda to go on home without him but insisted she get one of his officers to walk her. Given that they were out with their families and girlfriends, she decided against it. It was a ten-minute walk – she’d be fine.

  She was pretty sure the scariest thing – or, at least, one of the scariest things - in town had been in attendance at the movie, smirking and pretending to be a real statue. Infuriating gargoyle!

  Brenda was almost at her house when she felt the familiar prickle. Ric. It must be. It warmed her to think that he was making sure she got home okay. She turned and was going to either thank him or tell him off again for attending the movie – she hadn’t decided which direction to take yet.

  The smile froze on her face. It wasn’t Ric following her. “Kevin, what are doing here?”

  He glared at her, and a feeling of vulnerability trickled down her spine. He looked madder than she had ever seen him.

  “K… Kevin?”

  “Expecting someone else?”

  “Kevin, there isn’t…”

  “We’re not breaking up,” he snapped.

  Lord, he had crazy eyes tonight. Why oh why didn’t she get one of the officers to walk her?

  “Kevin, I’ve been thinking that maybe…”

  “You can’t break up with me. I told my whole family we were getting married.”

  “Well, you shouldn’t have.”

  He grasped her arm. “I won’t let you make a fool out of me.”

  Jeez, how had things got so bad so quickly? Just a few days ago things were fine between them.

  “Kevin, I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have come here. You should go, my uncle…”

  She half-turned and didn’t even notice the open palm slap coming her way. It connected to her cheek with a resounding crack. Brenda staggered ba
ck as stars and little birdies popped into view. It was a slap, but it was damned hard.

  “Kevin!” she cried, holding her cheek.

  He took hold of her hair and started dragging her along the path.

  “What are you doing?” she whined, wincing at the pain.

  “I’m taking you home where you belong. My dad has a job lined up for you. I’ve chosen our apartment. We are going to be together.”

  “Kevin, stop!”

  Abruptly he let go of her and started gurgling.

  Brenda fell to the ground and looked up to find him in a headlock. Ric looked fiercer than she could ever imagine. His wings were spread, his fangs bared and he snarled. Kevin’s eyes bugged out as he uselessly tried to claw at Ric’s meaty arm.

  “Don’t kill him,” she said, staggering to her feet.

  She weaved slightly, and Ric grunted. He squeezed a little tighter until Kevin passed out and tossed his unconscious body aside. Ric dove at Brenda before she fell over. He scooped her into his arms.

  “I have you,” he murmured throatily.

  “Thank you.”

  He flew the short distance to her house and, unwilling to put her down, waited patiently, as she unlocked the door. Her hands shook something fierce as she fumbled with the key, but he didn’t snarl at her or snap at her to hurry. He merely held her tightly in his strong arms and let her take her time.

  Inside the house, he gingerly maneuvered his way through the furniture. He folded his wings close to his body, managing to avoid knocking anything over. It was a little dicey for a second when a lamp threatened to topple over, but he caught it with his tail. She now understood why the Hardcastle house was so sparse. Thankfully her house was already pretty gargoyle friendly. It was small, but at six-foot-three, Chris was a big guy, and he hated clutter that could easily be crushed under his large form.

  Ric set her down on the couch and carefully ran a claw-tipped finger down her burning cheek. He let out a tremulous growl. “He will not be allowed to get away with this.”

  He moved as if to leave and she stopped him, gripping his hand. Ric blinked at her in surprise.

  “Don’t go; I’m feeling a little dizzy. I might throw up.”

  “And you wish for something to aim at?”

  She snickered and then rubbed her forehead. “Don’t make me laugh. He got me good.”

  “Yes, he did indeed,” replied Ric, sternly. “I regret that he startled you, and you were unable to bite him.”

  “I regret that, too.” Although Kevin had smelled a bit unwashed, she wasn’t sure she wanted any part of him in her mouth. Her brain immediately made the leap to a few dirty connotations about that and she told herself to shut-up.

  Ric cupped her chin. “You will be bruised, but you will heal. I take it that was your boyfriend.”

  “Ex-boyfriend now,” she muttered.

  “Humph. And my kind was considered savage.”

  “I’ve never seen that side of him before.”

  “It is lucky I was there.”

  “Why were you there?”

  He avoided her eyes and started helping her out of her coat. “I was just making sure you got home safely. Kylie is fond of you, and I was concerned about your safety.”

  “What about Kylie’s safety?”

  “Luc will see to that.”

  “But he wasn’t…” Ric grinned. “Are you saying he was out there in the graveyard as well?”

  “Indeed.”

  “I can’t believe I didn’t spot him.” How could you hide a freaking seven-foot gargoyle?!

  Ric gave her his usual cocky smirk. “You only spotted me because I wanted you to.”

  “So you could show off?”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” he huffed. “Although I believe you almost had a fit when the female walked past us.”

  Brenda let out a sound of disgust. “I was worried about you and you were laughing at me.”

  He chuckled but then his face turned grim. “It is lucky I was there.” He turned to look out of the window. “I really should…”

  She took his hand again and gently pulled him to sit next to her.

  “Don’t. He’s not worth it. It was dark so I don’t think he really saw you, but if you go after him, he will. I’ll tell my uncle what he did, and he will handle it. Don’t risk yourself for me.”

  “You think you are not worth the risk?”

  Her breathing hitched, and she felt it – an electric tingle in her heart. Something she had never felt with Kevin. Something wonderful; something almost magical. She stared into his dark, glittering eyes and then she threw up all over the coffee table.

  *

  Brenda brushed her teeth again. Ugh, she couldn’t believe she had vomited like that. She’d like to blame the pizza - of which she ate far too much. But really it was because of Kevin.

  The worst part was that she vomited in front of Ric. It was incredibly gross, but hey, at least, she hadn’t hurled all over him. He was just puke adjacent. He’d been sweet about it, helping her clean up and assisting her to bed. But really, she’d wanted to continue where they left off before the vomit.

  Brenda shuffled back to her room. In spite of everything else that happened, Ric was… here?

  She gasped as she found him lying on her bed.

  “What are you doing here?” she whispered in surprise shutting the door behind her. “My uncle is just down the hallway.”

  Slowly, with fluid movements, he climbed off the bed and walked towards her. “I came to see that you were okay,” he said in a low voice. “I was concerned about what happened with your boyfriend.”

  “Not my boyfriend anymore,” she grumbled.

  “Good.”

  “Is it?”

  “Yes,” he purred. “You deserve so much better than him.”

  Brenda gulped as she found herself trapped between the door and the huge gargoyle in front of her. The only light illuminating her room came from the rays of moonlight, and his eyes shone.

  “You think so?” she squeaked.

  Ric leaned down; his lips were barely a breath away from her ear. “Yes, you deserve to be worshiped.”

  “Oh?” Brenda clutched at the hem of her far too short nightshirt.

  “Did he ever show you pleasure?”

  Her body heated. Should she be outraged at his question? Maybe. But her head was firmly overridden by a much more burning need.

  “No,” she whimpered.

  “No,” he repeated, as that infuriating smirk danced over his lips. “Then allow me to show you what you have been missing.”

  “What?”

  Ric swiped his claws through her nightshirt as if it was nothing more than tissue paper. The ragged pieces fell to the ground, and Brenda gasped, trying to cover herself.

  He grinned and gently pulled her hands away from her body. Her feeble, half-hearted protests were no match for his determined desire to seduce her.

  He dropped to the floor, and his hands grasped her thighs, pulling them apart as his claws pinched her skin, sending tingles through her flesh. He moved his head to the vee of her thighs and inhaled.

  “You are aroused.”

  Brenda bit her lip. Yes, she was. More aroused than she’d ever been.

  Ric slipped a finger through her folds, coating it in her honey and bringing it to his lips. “Aroused for me,” he teased.

  “Yes,” she whimpered.

  “Then we must do something about that.”

  A silent scream caught in her throat as his tongue plunged into her drenched channel. She’d had sex before, hell, she’d even admit to the fact that she’d masturbated before, but nothing could have prepared her for how wonderful, how perfect, how right this felt.

  His thick, hot, insistent tongue thrust in and out of her, lapping at her juices. Her hand found his horns, gripping them as his mouth ravished her sex. He was relentless as he devoured her, increasing her pleasure as he pressed a finger to her clit, scraping his claw across her swolle
n nub.

  Her body tightened and quivered. “Yes…” she moaned. “Yes…”

  “Brenda!” shouted Uncle Chris. “You out of bed yet?”

  Brenda sat up in bed, panting. She looked around her room for Ric, but he was nowhere to be seen. Daylight streamed through her window, and she was still wearing her nightdress.

  She looked at the tangled mess of her bedclothes. Crap. It was a dream. She dreamed about Ric doing… doing that to her. She’d never even imagined Kevin doing that. And he certainly hadn’t offered in waking hours, although he’d certainly been interested in trying to pressure her into giving him oral. Yeah, in his dreams.

  Well, in her dreams, too – except thankfully there was no sign of Kevin. No, she dreamed of a gargoyle giving her pleasure. Yep, that was much better.

  Brenda wasn’t sure whether she should cry or scream at the strange state of affairs. So, with her head tightly clasped to her pillow, she decided to do both.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Ric prowled the garden, muttering about females.

  “Patience,” said Luc sternly, “Maggie and Andrew are not due back until tomorrow night.”

  “Huh? Oh, of course.”

  Yes, that was why he was impatient. He was waiting for the new gargoyle to arrive. They had found it quickly – it was sitting atop a water fountain out in the open – and apart from some ivy which had coiled round her body, the female gargoyle was intact. Transporting her was slow, but she would be arriving soon.

  Yes, he wasn’t agitated because he was concerned over a certain irritating human and was impatient to see her again. No, not at all. And just because he no longer found her irritating and saw her face when he closed his eyes was nothing for him to be concerned over. He imagined her smiling, her round flawless face alight with happiness – happiness to see him, her big blue eyes sparkling and her light blonde hair shimmering. Desire coursed through him and he almost felt a blush coming on.

  “Perhaps she will be an important addition to our clan,” Luc said meaningfully.