Chapter 12

--Harper--

I was resting when my father waltzed into my bedroom with a black bag. I looked at him and he smiled at me.

"Christmas party at the end of this week, I have a beautiful dress for my beautiful daughter." I smiled at him and got up off the bed. I wanted to believe that he did this because he wanted me to be happy. But more than likely mother picked it out because she wanted us to appear the happy family with no problems.

"Daddy? I'm lonely..." I looked at him and he frowned.

"What about Miles? Your mother invited him home to keep you company. Isn't he your friend from school?" I nearly fell off my bed from laughter.

"No daddy, he isn't my friend from school. Gabriel is my friend from school,"

"Well I'll see what I can do." He walked out of the room and for a moment I wanted to believe that he would be able to get Gabriel here, but I didn't want to pull him from his family.

Christmas was getting closer and I hung the small dream catch from Gabriel, we talked everyday at least twice, but I missed him terribly. He told me about his argument with Miles and I found him in the house and threw a left hook into his jaw while he was talking with my mother, knocked him off the kitchen chair. My mother stood outraged. But one look from me sat her back down in her seat. And I turned to look at him, he was rubbing his jaw. And he was smiling, I wanted to jump on top of him and just beat him until my knuckles broke. But my manners kept me in my place.

"You will never get anywhere near me, I can sure as hell tell you that you might be able to beat me but I will go down swinging." I spun around ignoring my mother sputtering in anger at my behavior. My knuckles were bruised and I was still boiling mad. My dad hadn't made another mention of Gabriel. But he was excited for the party. My mother told me that he was putting on a good face, but there had been some disturbances at the building, someone waving a gun. Threatening my father because he had bought out a company. But Dad assured me that he was going to double security. I knew he would handle it, but as I stood in my room getting ready for the party I felt a trickle of fear. I would never wish for anyone to get hurt. I got a shower, washing my hair with my favorite shampoo and realized I had almost forgotten how much I love this stuff. I wrapped myself in a towel and walked out of my bathroom. The air in my room was colder than the air in the bathroom and goose bumps raised on my skin. I looked at the dress and shook my head. I didn't want to go, but I would for my father.

Christmas Eve came and I sat in my bedroom patiently curling my hair, happy that my father had talked my mother into letting me and Miles ride in separate cars. She wouldn't send him home, even after I had told her what he had said to Gabriel. She wouldn't believe it, such a well behaved boy like Miles would never say or do such a thing. He had the wool pulled so far down over her eyes I was sure it would never be lifted. I was sitting in front of my vanity and my reflection stared back at me. I get a moment of disgust. Why should I dress up for anyone? I wasn't going. I put my things down and I wanted to break the mirror, I didn't want to even look at myself. But instead, I started on my makeup. Being a good girl my parents expected of me. I got up pulling my strapless bra into place and stepping into the extremely expensive dress. It hugged my chest and waist, flaunting my hourglass figure. I knew my mother picked it out. She usually did when it came to dresses. I looked at the creamy color that probably made my hair look more red than blonde, and my green eyes burn against the red in my hair. I sighed sitting back down on the seat to my vanity. Gabriel hasn't answered my texts, I figured he would be focused on his family this morning. I ran a hand over my arm and looked out my window.

"Are you almost ready?" Miles called through the door and I felt a flash of hatred run through my system. I didn't want to go with him.

"I'll be done when I get done." I wanted to pick my brush up and hurl it at the door but that would just piss my mother off and then none of us would have a good night. I pulled on my shoes and looked at myself in the mirror. I would rather be in my yoga pants and Gabriel's t-shirt. I applied a little more deodorant, and a couple of sprays of a perfume I hadn't used in forever. Grabbing my jacket I sailed out of my room past Miles and down the stairs. My father was waiting for me by the door.

"I have the two most beautiful women living in my house." I wrinkled my nose at him and he offered me his arm. Mother was riding in a different car with Miles because my father never made me do anything I didn't want to. The cold winter air slammed into me the moment I walked out of the house, it crawled around my body like a snake, wrapping around my legs under my dress and across my arms and chest. I walked over to the car and one of the drivers opened the door and I slid into the already warm interior of the car. I shifted around on my seat waiting for my dad to get in the car. He was standing talking to one of the men by the door. He would be along shortly. I pulled my phone out there wasn't anything from Gabriel. I bit at my lip my fingers hovered over the screen, wanting to text him, but not wanting to get on his nerves. Although I knew I never could. My father walked around the car and got in the other side.

"Ready dear?" I smiled at him and nodded, and he nodded to the driver, and we were on our way to the Christmas event of the year. Everyone would want to be here, I'm sure there would be a bunch of press, and reports outside, there was every year. And this year they would want to know how Miles is. And what would I say? It wouldn't really matter what I would say, because my mother would take over. She would make Miles anything she wanted him to be. We pulled up to the building and a small red carpet had been rolled out, and velvet rope put up at either side of the rope. And true to my predictions the press was waiting mostly for us to arrive, but sometimes my father invited other important people. I sat in the car waiting for someone to open my door, and my father put his hand on my shoulder.

"I love you sweetie, and I only want to see you happy. You know that right?" I looked at him and smiled. And I could see the age around his eyes and the graying hair. He was getting older, and I hadn't realized it.

"I know Daddy." He nodded and got out of the car, and walked around to my side. The door opened and the air rushed in, chasing away the heat and comfort. A hand extended into the car and I placed my hand inside it. The warmth of the hand took me by surprise, it was comforting. And strong. I got out and the person passed me off to my father, I looked back to try and see the face of the man that had helped me from the car, but the flashes of the cameras were overwhelming. I couldn't make out a face, I walked with my father as people shouted my name. I always hated this part, never knowing where to look, but always having a fake smile plastered on my face. I let my father lead me inside and he circled back out to get my mother. I stood in the lobby, as my social anxiety closed in around me. It seemed like the people in the lobby had all turned to stare at whoever was arriving. Most of them weren't interested in me, but there was only one person who moved toward me. I smiled an awkward kind of relieved smile that someone else was here that I knew. Michael came to stand beside me, and then I knew he wasn't here because he was invited as a guest. He was here because my father hired him to protect me. Mother had told me about the threats, I didn't think it was as serious as to hire a guardian for me. I looked up at him and he cast me a quick look, and a welcoming nod with a small smile before turning back to scan the crowd. I guess shadowing the best guardian in the business for a night couldn't be all that bad. I wanted to ask him questions about what he was doing, and what he was actually looking for, but a flock of girls came up and were oogling him, and talking very quickly at me. I couldn't really catch any of their questions. They pushed in close and it felt like the room was closing in around me. I shook my head and stumbled a step closer to Michael, his arm came up to my back to steady me, but the room was spinning. It felt like the entire room was pushing in on me. I looked around for my father, but he was no where in the crowd. One of them stepped on my wing, and I turned with a yelp. And Michael had already swept me from the crowd, moving me across the floor with a light hand, and supporting arms. He moved me into a office off to the side of the party, and I felt a cold sweat over come my body. He muttered something into his sleeve, and slipped out of the room. I was in the middle of a panic attack and he left me. I had my back to the door trying to calm my anxiety when the door opened. I assumed it was him coming to check on me, but when arms wrapped around me, my first instinct was the fight. I threw my head back and it landed on a shoulder missing the mark of the nose. I arched out, and there was a winded chuckle.

"My angel," I froze and all the anxiety, fear, pain, sadness melted away and his hands rested on my arms. The same hands that helped me from the car, I knew I knew those hands. I turned and Gabe smiled softly at me. He pushed my hair out of my face and cupped my cheek.

"Don't panic so much, no one here will hurt you." He was dressed in a black and white tux, he looked devastatingly sexy his usually messed up hair was almost tamed, and his stunning green eyes stared at me through his contacts. His thumb stroked my cheekbone, and I closed my eyes. He pulled me into his arms and I didn't even want to go back to the party. I just wanted to stay here in the small little office and have him chase away my fear. I cuddled my head deeper into his chest. His scent floated around me soaking over every frazzled nerve and stressed muscle. His mind washed over mine in the way that I have come to love. He eased my fear, the pain from my wing. He walked around me, kneeling down pulling my wing from the back. His fingers eased the pain, and I realized how much I had actually missed him.

"Why are you not with your mom?" He looked up at me and his eyes nearly knocked the wind out of me, like they always did. I reached out and ran my fingers through his messy red-brown hair. It was as soft as I remembered it was. He smiled and stood his eyes taking in my condition, and I realized why he was here.

"My father hired your father, and he brought you to help. Because--"

"Because he knew I couldn't stand to be left behind." He nodded and he seemed a little ashamed of himself. I wiggled into his arms and he hugged me tightly.

"He told me your father hired him for the event, and after telling me and mom about the threats my mother wanted me to go, she wanted me to be here to protect you." I nodded and there was a knock on the door.

"Time's up, back to work." I took a step back and he wiped away a tear that had escaped in my panic.

"You look beautiful." A blush spread across my cheeks, and I turned toward the door, I could do this. Hold my head high and walk out of the room without him. I pulled the door open enough for me to slip out, and I cast one look back at him. He was standing there with his hands stuffed in his pockets, and he had an anxious look on his face. His mind held a tight hold on mine, but it was easy to feel his anxiety. I took a deep breath and Michael looked down at me.

"Thank you." He nodded and we moved back into the crowd. Knowing that he was here, so close. I felt safe, like I wasn't alone. It was easy to mingle and talk to people. My mother would have been proud to see me. But she was still talking to the couple with Miles. Michael touched my back, telling me he was going to check the smaller offices around the ground floor. And I nodded, and Gabriel stepped up into his place, I didn't have to look back to know he was there, his hand barely brushed mine to let me know he was here. His mind wrapped me in a warm hug that I knew I would never get anywhere else. I was talking to one of the girls that had wanted to know about Michael when the lights went down. Instantly Gabriel's hand caught my wrist, pulling me back to him. I knew how to fight, I didn't need to be protected, but he kept me close to his side. There was a bright flash, and I flinched away from Gabe, and another arm caught my waist. Pulling hard, and I was ripped away from Gabriel's hand. I threw an elbow back and it met its mark, I hit the floor and the arms swooped back down and lifted me off the ground. A rag came over my nose, and with my chest heaving I took large mouthfuls of the chemical. My brain grew hazy, and as my body shut down. Gabriel's hold on my mind tightened. Awake. You have to stay awake. One thought a single thought. I wasnt even sure if the thought was mine or if it was From Gabe. But it was too late.