Gracie - Sherry Foster Page 0,13

Gracie would let him he would spend that week in an alcoholic daze. Unfortunately Gracie had been putting her foot down a lot lately over his drinking. Especially since Hendrix sent the text ending their budding relationship. Damn the man for a fool, he had the best woman he would ever find and he walked away. And his explanation left much to be desired. Although, telling someone you are a wolf seemed—. Halo’s thoughts came to a stop as his mind tried to process, again, what he had seen. Looking at his water bottle for the umpteenth time since he saw, or thought he saw, Hendrix turn into a wolf he shook his head. He was going crazy, there was no other explanation. People did not turn into wolves. The man clearly had been walking a dog and—. Here Halo’s thoughts stuttered to a halt.

“I am going to take a nap. I think I am still a bit drunk from last night.” Halo reached for the bottle as he stood up. Pain shot through his hand and up his arm. He looked in disbelief at the trickle of blood on the back of his hand before turning his eyes toward Gracie.

Gracie shrugged as she sheathed the blade. “If you try to pick that bottle up one more time you will be missing a finger. I told you, the bottle has to go. If not the bottle then a finger. Your choice of course.”

“You need help. You don’t stab your friends. You don’t stab your partners. You just don’t. I tell you it isn’t done.”

“Then don’t drink. Easy peasy. You want a nap? Take one. I won’t stop you. But you will not be taking a nap fueled by alcohol.”

“You do understand I could break you in half, right?” Halo asked.

Gracie’s lips drew tight as she gave a half nod. “As long as you understand, I could castrate you in your sleep, hell, you stay drunk enough you probably wouldn’t feel it.”

Halo cupped his hands over himself as he stepped sideways toward his bedroom, keeping Gracie in his sight the entire time. Brief flashes crossed his thoughts of watching Gracie feed a man his own dick, while the man was still alive and screaming. “You need help. You do remember we are friends, right?”

“What kind of friend would I be if I let you stay drunk all the time?”

“A good one.” Halo muttered under his breath as he closed the door behind him. Dropping to his bed he stretched out and tried to remember what it was he was going to talk to Gracie about. Something important he was certain, but what he couldn’t remember. Perhaps, if he got a nap, it would come to him. His last thoughts as he drifted off to sleep were of dogs turning to wolves and prancing around with roses in their mouths while rabbits fixed hot chocolate in little wine glasses.

Chapter Six

Gracie watched as the bedroom door closed behind her partner. Her eyes drifted back to the phone in her hand. She turned it on and waited for it to power up. Her lips had a tiny bit of a tilt as she waited. She was impatient to discover what Hendrix’s reply to her text from last night would say. She shouldn’t tease the man, but it wasn’t fair. He liked her, he told her as much. He liked her too much he said. How can you like someone too much and walk away. Didn’t he understand she was willing to charge the gates of hell for him. At his back or by his side it didn’t matter.

She touched her finger to the message icon and read the latest message. A silent sob shook her frame as a tear trickled down her cheek. A second tear followed the first as she read the message again. Shaking her head she read the message a third time.

I can’t keep doing this. It isn’t fair to you. I can’t be who you need me to be, I wasn’t born to be the one who could be at your side. You deserve someone who can walk beside you and treat you like you deserve. I have gone home. It is better this way. I hope you can find someone who deserves you because you are a special lady and you deserve to be happy. I will miss your laughter.

“No. No. No. Please no.” Tears, unheeded poured down her cheeks as she read the text again. But no matter