GABE (BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance) (Holiday Heat Book 1) Read online

  GABE

  Holiday Heat

  Hailey Storm

  Contents

  Foreword

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  1. Gabe

  2. Ava

  3. Gabe

  4. Ava

  5. Gabe

  6. Ava

  7. Gabe

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  About the Author

  Foreword

  Gabe Oliver has spent ten Christmas Eve’s beating himself up for letting the love of his life be stolen from him by a heartless vampire. He’s satisfied his wolf over the years by searching for her every day, even though a small part of his man believes she’s gone forever. But when a blonde bombshell dressed in a slutty elf costume hands him a scrap of paper with instructions that reek of vampire for him to meet with someone named A, he realizes his wolf might have been right.

  Ava Sinclair has spent the last ten years as a Blood Slave to one of the vilest vampires she’s ever come across, an original named Cole. Tired of the life she’s been living, as well as what she was forced to become, Ava decides to end her miserable vampire existence and run away in search of the only man she’s ever felt loved by—Gabe. Once she finds him old flames ignite and Ava suddenly isn’t so sure about ending her existence by stepping into the sunlight like she’d planned.

  GABE

  Copyright © Hailey Storm 2016

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the above author of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Cover Created by E. W. Designs & Photography

  Edited by Red Road Editing

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  Chapter One

  Gabe

  I slapped a twenty on the bar top and eyed the bartender. She was a cute little thing—big brown eyes, a set of plump lips that twisted into a smirk each time I glanced her way, and a rack with melons the size of my head. She wasn’t my type, though. There was only one woman who fit the bill for me, but she’d disappeared ten years ago and it had been my fault.

  I’d been responsible for her being taken.

  My inability to avoid confrontation and utter disdain for authority was what had caused it. If I’d followed the path of my destiny that had been etched out for me since birth like a good little wolf things would be different.

  I’d still be with Ava for starters.

  I eyed the bartender again. She didn’t even hold a damn candle to Ava. A swift pang of misery shifted through my soul at the memory of her. This time of year always brought her front and center in my mind, but tonight she would consume me mind, body, and soul.

  It was Christmas Eve—Ava’s favorite time of year.

  The bartender dipped her doe-like eyes to the money I’d slapped on the bar. “Another round?”

  “I already told you we’re celebrating tonight, darlin’.” I motioned to myself and my friend Monroe.

  “You did, but you never said what you were celebrating.” She held up the twenty and arched her brow in question, asking if she could keep the change this time too.

  “You know the drill, you can keep the change if you make this one stronger than the last.”

  She nodded and poured a triple shot of whiskey into two shot glasses. One for me and one for Monroe.

  A heavy arm draped over my shoulder and someone’s hot breath wafted in my face. Monroe’s breath was stale with cigarettes as he struggled to gain his balance, using me to steady himself.

  “Meeting quota, the fucking holidays, Friday night…” Monroe slurred his words. “Take your pick, sweetheart.”

  The bartender grinned. Monroe was shitfaced and she knew it. “Well, no matter what you’re celebrating, congratulations.” She placed our shots of whiskey on napkins and slid them to us with a wink. “Enjoy.”

  Monroe released his drunken grip on me and leaned against the bar as he scooped his shot up. He wobbled where he stood, and I questioned my decision to include him in my latest round. He was human after all. Humans couldn’t hold their liquor for shit. Not like us wolves, or any supernatural for that matter. Their systems were fragile. It was something I’d always found amusing.

  “That’s his last one. I’m going to have to cut him off. Make sure he gets home safe, will you?” The bartender asked. Concern flared within her eyes.

  “Of course.”

  Monroe slammed his empty shot glass on the counter and shouted out a triumphant yell. Victory hummed from him even though there was nothing to be victorious about. A slow grin spread onto my face. He was a trip and just about the only human I could tolerate.

  “There’s a dartboard open. Let’s get over there and claim it before someone else does,” Monroe slurred.

  I shook my head. He was in no shape to be throwing sharp, pointy objects. “Nah, I think I’m gonna finish this and head home.”

  “What? It ain’t even midnight yet.”

  I laughed. He always said that. There wasn’t an excuse in the world acceptable enough to end a night of drinks and fun before midnight to him. I opened my mouth to defend myself, but a delicate hand touched my shoulder. I shifted to face a blond dressed in six-inch stilettos and a slutty elf costume.

  “I was told to give you this,” she said her eyes looking glassy as fuck.

  I knew right away what was wrong with her. She’d been compelled. Even if I hadn’t been able to notice it from the look in her eyes, I would have known the second I smelled the faint hint of vampire on her. It mingled with her cheap perfume.

  My wolf came to attention at the scent and the fine hairs along the back of my neck stood on end.

  “By who?” I asked.

  “I was told to give you this,” she repeated. Nothing new would come out of her mouth until I took the piece of paper from her fingers. Compulsion could be a bitch like that.

  “By who?” I asked again after taking the scrap of paper from her fingers.

  “I’m not allowed to say.”

  “And who is this?” Monroe leaned between us, encroaching on her personal space and mine. “Tell me, doll face, am I on the naughty or nice list this year?” The stench of whiskey wafted to my nose as he laughed at his own joke.

  The blond didn’t respond. She blinked a few times before strutting toward the exit, turning every head in the place as she went.

  “Aw, come on,” Monroe yelled as he tossed his hands in the air. “I was only kidding. Come back. Have a drink with me.” His words melted together, but I was able to distinguish them.

  My gaze dipped to the scrap of paper she’d given me and my nose crinkled as my wolf let out a low growl. It reeked of vampire. Before I could read what was written the handwriting jumped out at me. There was something in the swirl of the letters that called to me. A familiarity I couldn’t deny. One that had my heart hammering inside my chest and my wolf pacing with excitement. I slammed my shot back to mellow him out and then allowed my eyes to soak in the words carefully written
across the scrap of paper.

  Come to Estelle’s gentleman club at midnight tonight.

  - A

  My eyes zeroed in on the A. An electric jolt rocketed through my body. Could it be her?

  “How the hell did you manage to get her number? I couldn’t even get her to talk to me,” Monroe slurred as he slapped me on the back.

  “I didn’t get her number. It’s an invitation.”

  “Invitation to where?”

  “Estelle’s gentleman club.”

  “Well, what the hell are we waiting for? Let’s go.” His foot caught on my bar stool and he tripped. I reached out to steady him before he could hit the ground.

  “You’re not going anywhere except home.”

  “Normally I’d fight you on it, but this time I think you might be right.” He exhaled a shaky breath and dropped his head to his hands. “The room just started spinning.”

  “Time to get you home.”

  My eyes drifted to the clock behind the bar. It was 11:37 PM. I still had plenty of time to get Monroe home and backtrack to Estelle’s Gentleman Club before midnight. I stood and slipped the scrap of paper into my back pocket before reaching out to help Monroe to the exit.

  “No fast movements or I’m gonna upchuck all over the place,” he muttered as we started walking.

  “Got it.”

  “Remember what I said,” the bartender shouted after us. “Get him home safely.”

  I nodded, but didn’t reply. Who the fuck did she think I was? An idiot who didn’t give a shit if his only friend died because he was too plastered to drive? Screw her.

  Cold air blasted against my face as I pushed open the door to the bar and guided Monroe through. Flurries fell from the sky. Snow made me think of Ava. Always had. I glanced around, hoping to see her standing among the crowds of people lining the sidewalks. Colorful lights blinking in the windows of the building across the street caught my eye, but nothing else. I inhaled as I steered Monroe through a thick crowd of people congregating outside the bar. Christmas was definitely in the air, but Ava’s sweet scent wasn’t. My mind dipped to the scrap of paper in my back pocket. It had been signed within an A. It was her. I could feel it.

  Ava was here, in the city.

  My wolf howled his agreement as my heart continued its rapid beat inside my chest as my mind marveled at the possibility. My grip on Monroe loosened while I contemplated reaching for the scrap of paper. The desire to compare the handwriting to the one I’d burned into my memory so long ago had my fingertips twitching.

  “Shit,” Monroe gasped as his foot slipped on an icy patch of concrete.

  I tightened my grip on him again, steadying him. “Whoa there.”

  We cut into the parking garage. Salt crunched beneath my boots. At least someone had thought to spread some at the entrance here.

  “You going to the strip club without me tonight?” Monroe asked. He sounded pissed at the prospect, but I knew it was mostly the alcohol talking.

  “No, I’m taking you home and then heading home myself.” It was a lie, but he needed to believe it. If I told him I was heading to the gentlemen’s club he’d have questions about it later. If I was right, and this was Ava trying to contact me after all these years, then the questions Monroe would ask I wouldn’t be able to answer. Even if he wasn’t human, I still wouldn’t feel comfortable.

  Ava was special to me and I didn’t like the thought of sharing her with anyone.

  When my truck came into view, I maneuvered Monroe to the passenger side. He moaned as he slipped into the seat and I swore under my breath. If he puked in my truck I was going to be pissed. The smell would never come out.

  I glanced at my cell, checking the time. I was still good.

  It took ten minutes to drive from the parking garage to Monroe’s place, five to get him up to his apartment and settled on his couch, and then another ten to make it to Estelle’s. When I finally made it through the double doors it was seven minutes after midnight. I scanned the club hoping whoever had asked me to come was still here. Who was I kidding? I knew who I thought it was and I was searching for her. Ava was the only person I cared to see.

  A haunting melody spilled from the overhead speakers and chills crept along my spine. I knew this song. The eerie string of musical notes had my breath stilling in my chest. The song had always been one of Ava’s favorites. The stench of vampire tickled my nose and the corners of my lips twisted into a smirk. It was her. She was here. While I might have searched for years and failed in finding her, all I had to do was be still long enough for her to find me it seemed.

  I found an empty seat close to the dimly-lit stage and waited, for what I wasn’t sure.

  My heart raced as my wolf howled with pent up energy. The situation had us both feeling uneasy. I didn’t know if Ava was somewhere in the crowd or if I should expect to see her strut across the stage at any given moment. Was it possible she was a stripper now? I inhaled a deep breath to calm myself and picked up the scent of vampire again. Was she a vampire stripper?

  Jesus, I hoped not.

  Fog rolled from machines posted on either side of the stage. It rippled across the glossy black floor as the song picked up tempo. I licked my lips. My eyes narrowed on the tightly pulled red velvet curtains, waiting for Ava to step through.

  This was her. There was no doubt in my mind.

  Ava was here. But how?

  Movement in the shadows captured my attention and I knew she’d stepped on stage. I could feel her presence. Seconds later, I could see her. God, she was beautiful. Even cloaked in darkness I could make out the curves of her slender body and her thick, flowing hair that cascaded past her shoulders in loose ringlets.

  My insides trembled and my wolf whined, wanting nothing more than to be at her side. It had been so long since I’d seen her, since I’d felt her. God, I craved her. Ava was the kind of woman a guy would do anything to taste. She was perfection. I’d known it since we were teenagers.

  The darkly hypnotic beat she’d chosen kicked up a notch and my smile grew. She always did like things a little darker than most. I doubted the other girls who danced here had such Gothic tastes in music. I imagined they preferred raunchy, bubblegum pop songs half the men here heard their daughters listen to.

  Long legs stepped from in the shadows as thick fog licked along their creamy skin. The disturbing voice of Marilyn Manson echoed through the club and I swallowed hard, fighting to tame my wolf. At the mere sight of her he wanted to rush onto the stage and bite her. He wanted to claim her the way we should have ten years ago before Cole had gotten his hands on her. Before I lost her because of my stupidness.

  Soft lights illuminated Ava once she reached center stage. She licked her plump lips and kept her eyes fixated on a spot of the platform in front of her. If her creepy song choice hadn’t garnered the attention of every man in here, the sight of her would. She stood inches from the sliver pole dressed in shiny red stilettos and a matching silk robe. Red lipstick stained her lips creating a perfect contrast with her ivory skin and dark ringlets.

  I soaked in every inch of her—all except for her eyes.

  I noticed the second they lifted from the stage to find me. I could feel them, but I wasn’t ready to give in to their beauty just yet. I was unsettled enough at the sight of her, locking eyes would only make it worse. Ava’s violet eyes had always been my undoing, but tonight I wouldn’t allow them that victory.

  Tonight I would take things slow and remain in control, because this might be nothing but a damn dream. With Ava anything was possible.

  Chapter Two

  Ava

  My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I willed his eyes to lock with mine. They wouldn’t obey me. It was no surprise. No vampire had ever been able to compel a wolf from the Midnight Pack. It wasn’t possible.

  How was it possible I was the immortal one and yet he still looked the same after all these years? The only exception was that he’d traded in his baby-smooth face for a scruffier one
. It suited him well, though.

  My favorite song continued to pulse from the speakers as I proceeded to captivate every soul within the walls of the club, same as every other night this week. The only soul it seemed I couldn’t touch completely was Gabe’s. He was holding back. I could taste his resistance in the air, but there was infatuation underlining it. It still burned bright for me within him. Relief worked its way through my body, relaxing my muscles into a languid movement. I’d lost count of how many nights I’d worried he would turn me away in my new form having much preferred my human one.

  Gabe’s eyes lifted to meet mine then. They were as icy-blue as I remembered. My lips twisted upward at the corners, because despite their odd color his eyes still held such warmth for me. The room melted away as I danced for him and only him. No one else mattered.

  My fingertips traced along the side of my neck, across my collarbone, and then dipped toward my cleavage. Gabe’s eyes followed my movements, igniting my cool skin with his heated stare as I inched my fingertips along my flesh in a teasing way. His beautiful lips quirked into a slight grin as I reached for the sash around my waist that held my robe closed tight. I pulled it, letting my robe slip open. Catcalls and groans of pleasure erupted from the men watching, lust dilating their pupils. Gabe didn’t react though. I shimmied myself free from my robe, hoping to garner a response from him. It fell to the stage at my feet, but Gabe’s stare remained the same. I leaned back, knowing exactly where the pole was behind me, and spread my legs into a wide stance. My black lacy bra and matching panties were on full display, as was the rest of my body, and I finally noticed a little heat enter Gabe’s eyes.

  As Manson sang the chorus to the song playing, I swayed my hips to the beat, lost in the moment. Gabe shifted in his seat and satisfaction rushed through me. Was his wolf squirming with the knowledge he wasn’t the only one privy to my show? He never did like to share. I toyed with my bra strap, hoping to gain his undivided attention once more as I continued to move my hips to the song. Gabe had always been the type to look for trouble, and trouble wasn’t something I needed.