Free Through Time-Frankie by Claudy Conn Page B

would be like saying the Wolverine looked like pussy cat. Graely had everyone’s attention, even the band’s playing slowed to the hum of the amplifiers.
    All eyes were on him because he stood out and above them all. Graely was magnificent. She could feel the electricity in the air. She could see that no one doubted that he was beyond capable, beyond hot, beyond angry.
    His eyes burned with fury and Frankie saw the flames reaching in his coal dark eyes—reaching out, ready to strike.
    People fell over themselves to get out of his way, sure that Frankie must be his ‘girl’ and that the blokes bothering her were blithering idiots that were about to be destroyed.
    He strode purposely, he moved with grace and emitted an unmistakable scent—one that spelled out ‘you are dead’ to the young men surrounding her.
    All three had a sudden revelation as they stared with shock and frightened expressions.  They weren’t leering any longer.
    Graely took the two guys who had stood on either side of her and held them up in the air by their shirt collars. Frankie called out, “Graely—don’t kill them…don’t…”
    She watched and knew his body trembled with the effort to restrain himself as he knocked their heads one against the other, and allowed them to slither to the well worn and dirty wooden floor.
    The remaining fellow named Josh stared with abject fear and misery before he actually made an attempt to escape. Graely growled as he picked him up by his neck, just under his chin, and pointed him toward the middle of the room, where a great number of people scampered to get out of the way, sure of what was coming.
    Again Frankie, touched his arm, and seemed to assuage him and the force he was about to unleash on the hapless man. He threw him, he threw him hard, but she saw that he had managed to restrain the force he used.  
    They watched Josh land with a thump, a very hard thump on the hardwood floor. Frankie knew the guy would be bruised, really bruised, but at least not dead from his hard landing.
    An uproar broke out before laughter and cheering resounded in the huge room and all around the bar. Clapping started and Graely frowned as he turned to Frankie and said, “Humans are mad, you know. Completely and utterly mad.”
    She laughed and as the band grinned at them and then at each other before resuming, she called out the name of a Lady Antebellum ballad. They nodded, looked well pleased and began pelting out the words to, “Need You Now.”
    Graely however, had made up his mind, picked Frankie up as though she were a child, cradle-like and began walking toward the exit.
    “No, Graely, I can’t go. I have to wait for m’new friend, Fiona.” She didn’t mind his man-handling, and in fact, found that she enjoyed being in his arms so much, she wasn’t sure she wanted him to set her on her feet.
    He, however, did just that and said, “You are a sore trial, Frankie,” he looked around, “Find her then, because I am taking you back to the Highlands, to Jazmine Decker. This place is not for you .”
    “Well, she must be here somewhere, but while I wait for her, Graely, would ye dance with me? Would ye then? Would ye make this night better for me? If I have to go home, would ye not, give me a dance, and not let those curs ruin m’night?” Frankie said as she swayed to the soft music, singing the words to the inviting music, and telling him, again,  “Dance with me, Graely.”
    “No, Frankie.” He frowned and she could see he was torn. He wanted to say yes.
    She beat a path to that yes hanging at the tip of his tongue, determined to pull it out. “Ah but do ye mean to disappoint me, Graely?” She looked up into his eyes and saw the moment he caved and took advantage of it. Shoving herself against him and putting her hands up his chest close to his shoulders. “Just this one dance.”
    “Right, just one dance,” he said low and sweetly, but she heard the huskiness in his voice and smiled to