Page 41 of The Valiant Knight (The Ravensmire Chronicles #2)

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, crouching down to be at his level.

At his question, Graham started crying.

Tony grabbed the phone, and hugged the man to his body.

“Gryph?” he asked.

He heard him.

“Just get him back to the castle, put him in bed, and let him sober up. Check on him. He’s on suicide watch. If you can’t talk some sense into him, I can get there as quickly as I can. I can beg Elizabeth to send me back.”

Tony got it.

“Did you call the boss?” he asked.

Gryphen looked over, and Ian was currently relaying what had happened, and what Graham wanted.

“Yes.”

Well, then, Tony was up to bat. He liked Gryphen, and Ian was a friend. If they needed his help, and Graham was slipping, he’d step in.

God knew he’d been there before.

“Okay, Gryph. I got this. I’ll text you later and let you know what’s going on,” he said, hanging up the phone.

Then, he wiped Graham’s tears, and made him stare into his face.

“Are you hurt physically anywhere?” he asked.

Graham nodded.

“My heart hurts,” he whispered.

Yeah, well, whose didn’t at some point?

Running his hands over the man’s arms and legs, he could tell that he wasn’t jumped, and he hadn’t been beaten.

That was a good start.

Pulling Graham up, he put his arm over his shoulder, he helped him out of the alley.

“Why did you come?” Graham asked.

Tony was honest.

“Two people asked me to, and they are my friends. When you love someone, you show up,” he stated. They also asked if he got there and Graham had hurt himself, if he would take care of him by making sure he was decent.

Since he was accustomed to death, he would have too.

Graham said nothing.

Somehow, Tony got him to the small car, and then inside of it. When he was buckled in, Tony got behind the wheel, and started the engine.

“I’m sorry you had to do this.”

Tony patted him on the leg.

“You matter to Gryphen and Ian. You work for Callen, and that makes you their family. I’m part of that family too, Graham. I don’t mind helping you. Let’s get you home and into the shower. You need to sleep this off.”

That was an understatement.

“I fucked up,” he whispered. “I had the love of my life and my stubbornness cost me everything.”

He put his hand over his thigh where the tattoo was, and wanted to mourn what he’d lost.

“He was all mine, and I let him go because I let anger win.”

Tony patted him on the leg, and was surprised with Graham grabbed his hand, and wouldn’t let it go. It was clear the man was fighting.

And fighting hard.

Now, all Tony could hope that was when they left, Graham would keep fighting until he won.

Too many soldiers lost this fight.

Way too many.

Meanwhile…

Ian wrapped his call, and he found Gryphen in the same spot where he’d left him. They were in the apartment at The Fort when Graham had called.

The rest of their roommates, Raphael, and Saint, were off doing their job, and Ian was grateful that they weren’t working, because had their phones been off, something might have happened to Graham.

“Well?” Gryphen asked, nervously pacing in their living room.

“When I told her his name on the video call, and what was going on, she got this weird look, and then said she’d handle it. I tried to ask questions, but she was done discussing it.”

Gryphen was confused.

“She’ll look for him right?” he asked. “Because that might be the ONLY thing that saves him.”

Oh, he was aware.

Ian made Gryphen sit, since he was still recouping from being shot. He was going back to work in five days, and needed to rest up.

“She said she would, and it wouldn’t take long to find him. She knew where to look.”

Gryphen didn’t know what the hell that meant, but he hoped and prayed Elizabeth could find the man.

The truth was, he knew Graham was barely holding on, and he really didn’t want to go to his funeral.

It would be too much.

Everything he’d said to Graham was accurate and the truth.

Only, what he didn’t realize was that the man was closer than he thought.

Because D’Artangnan Graves was currently lying on her couch, watching TV with the kids as he recouped from being shot.

Saint Michael of the Blackhawks had a past, and it was about to come back to continue where it left off.

Talk about luck.

Or fate.

Only time would tell.

* * *The Ravensmire Castle* * *

Hours Later

Three A.M.

The Witching Hour

At first, Finn didn’t register the bed moving, but it did. When he opened his eyes, he saw Gabby heading for the door, which was odd.

Where was she going?

What the hell was she doing at this time of the night?

Well, he was following.

Getting out of bed, he pulled on his jeans, and slipped into his shoes.

As he stepped out into the hall, he ran down the stairs looking for her, and she wasn’t in the kitchen, so she didn’t go down.

In fact, the castle was silent so that meant one thing.

Well, shit.

She went up.

Unfortunately for Finn, the only thing that was ‘up’ was the tower where she’d nearly been crushed by a bookshelf and where he’d blacked out.

Why the hell would she go there alone at this time of the night and risk a repeat performance?

He had no clue.

Well, it was time to find out.

Racing up, he found her walking into the room. When she closed the door, he was confused.

What the hell?

Was she ghost hunting in her nightgown and barefoot for fun?

He could think of better things to do at three in the morning.

“Gabby?” he called.

Only, she didn’t answer, and that worried him to no end.

So, he headed for the door.

When he opened it, Finn nearly saw God—and not in a good way.

Standing in the window, with the grate open and no protection from falling, was his woman.

As soon as he stepped in, he knew they had problems. The whole room was ice cold, colder than the rest of the castle, and it felt…evil.

Oh, hell, no!

“GABBY!” he shouted to get her attention, as things flew off another shelf at him.

What the fuck?

When she didn’t answer, and lifted her foot like she was going to take a step into the freefall, Finn moved fast, racing at her.

With seconds to spare, he locked his arm around her, and slid across the floor with his woman in his arms.

They landed against a shelf, and it teetered and started to fall. Rolling, Finn got his woman clear, and his body out from under it before it hit the ground.

When it hit, it hit, echoing through the room.

HOLY.

SHIT.

That was all it took. Immediately, Gabby ‘woke’ up, and looked around.

“What are we doing up here?” she asked, thoroughly confused.

Finn was breathing heavily, and he was just as confused.

What were they doing up here?

That was a damn good question, or the better question was why did she come up here?

The window where she’d been standing was open, and the grate was flapping back and forth, hitting the wall.

“Mo ghràdh, you tried to jump,” he said, realizing she’d blacked out like he had.

Something here was trying to kill her. First was the mild tumble backward into the crypt, and then the massive attempt to drown her in the lake.

Now, there was this.

“WHAT?”

Oh, this place was getting hella creepy by the minute, and Finn didn’t like it.

When they heard footsteps, they both looked over. In came Tony, running into the room at a breakneck speed.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “I was coming in from the garage and heard a crash!”

No.

They weren’t okay.

NOT.

AT.

ALL.

Finn clued him in.

“I woke up and Gabby was leaving our room. I followed her. When I got to the doorway, she had the window open, and she was about to jump.”

Tony looked at her.

“Listen. I can’t do another suicidal person tonight,” he stated. “It’s one per day, please.”

Now, they were staring at him.

What the hell was he talking about?

“What do you mean?” Finn asked.

Tony came in and closed the window. Then, he locked the metal grate.

“I got a call from Ian,” he said, talking more to Gabby, since she would understand. “He said that Graham texted Gryphen saying goodbye, and I had to haul ass to the town and find him. He was in an alley, and now, he’s out cold in his bed. I’ve been checking on him the last couple of hours.”

Oh, Jesus.

“Is he okay?” Finn asked, helping Gabby up. He didn’t like that his friend had nearly taken his life. That was terrifying.

He knew he was upset, but not that upset.

Tony shrugged.

“I’m hoping it was the alcohol, but I don’t know. He’s at rock bottom. He held my hand all the way up the mountain and here. All he kept saying was D’Artangnan.”

Finn knew who that was.

“That’s the man he let get away. He was in a relationship with him for a few years. It was when he was still Black Watch.”

Tony continued.

“Well, I got him home, gave him some aspirin and water, and he’s out cold. Someone needs a come-to-Jesus talk in the morning.”

Finn sighed.

“I’ll do it.”

Tony stopped him.

“Actually, I think I can relate more. He’s struggling with watching everyone find love, and he can’t. I’ll handle him. He’s in good hands.”

Honestly, Finn would let him.

He wanted to get Gabby out of this castle for a while because they had other issues to deal with.

There was no doubt in his mind that someone hated her enough to want her dead.

That someone being a malevolent spirit.

“Okay, and I’ll deal with this,” he said, meaning the situation.

Oh, Tony wasn’t done.

“What were you thinking?” Tony asked Gabby. “Why would you do this?”

She was appalled.

“I didn’t do it on purpose. I was dreaming. I was looking for more of the journal, and that’s all I remember. I felt like I was being watched.”

Finn did NOT like this.

She stared at her man.

“You saved me.”

Yeah, barely.

Honestly, he couldn’t wait to get her out of here in the morning, and keep her out of here most of the day.

Finn didn’t like the vibe here.

Not.

At.

All.

“I need a drink,” he said, his nerves shot to shit over all of this. This castle was dark and dangerous.

That was for sure.

Well, they could all do with one of those, now couldn’t they?

“Then, I suggest we have one. It’s going to be a long night,” Tony admitted.

That it was.