Chapter Sixteen
GAbrIELLA-ROSE
THE WEEKEND WENT far too quickly, and before I knew it, we would have to head back to Club Lust. I’d had an amazing weekend, both inside and outside the bedroom. Hudson was so caring and attentive, and I could tell Nico cared for him deeply too. We’d spent most of yesterday watching movies together, with Hudson and Nico bickering most of the time about how things were wrong, or how that would never happen in real life. It was a far cry from what I was going back to.
I had fallen hard for Hudson this weekend. He was exactly what I wanted in a Dom, lover, and husband, but I wasn’t sure that was what he wanted from me. I was desperate to get away from Vincent and hoped that I could spend the rest of my life with Hudson. I really wanted to stay here, but I knew we had both signed a contract and I had to return to the club by midnight tonight. It was very Cinderella. I thought perhaps I would turn into a pumpkin and life would be all good again, because life really sucked right now.
In addition, I was disappointed that I hadn’t seen Nico at all today. He hadn’t been here this morning for breakfast and had been absent all day. Hudson had said he was making arrangements for them to go back to New York early tomorrow morning and not to worry because he was sure he would be around before I left. I didn’t know why I had a sinking feeling hearing this. My feelings for Nico should have been completely friendly, but I felt so much more. Maybe not as much as I felt for Hudson, but it wouldn’t take much for me to feel the same way.
Hudson and I were currently snuggled up together on the sofa, watching some movie on TV, not that I was really paying attention to it. What was going to happen when I walked back into Vincent’s apartment was going around in my head. I was so worried about what he was going to say to me, especially as Mikhail hadn’t been the winner of the auction. I was sure that he would have told Vincent by now. The only reason I didn’t know was because I had left my cellphone at home on purpose.
I felt Hudson move slightly beside me and start to stroke my hair before he spoke.
“What’s troubling you, Gaby? You’ve hardly paid any attention to the movie.”
I could already feel the tears starting to form in my eyes. I really didn’t want to go back to Vincent. I wanted to stay here for the rest of my life. But knowing that Hudson and Nico were heading back to New York after dropping me off, I knew it could never be. I tried my hardest to control my emotions as the sadness I was feeling flooded through me. I felt his strong arms come around me as he pulled me across his lap and held me to his chest.
“Shh, Angel. Tell me what is wrong.”
I sniffled slightly as I brought myself under control. I buried my head in his chest so I didn’t have to look at him as I spoke. I didn’t want him to see the disappointment and worry on my face.
“I don’t want to leave. You have treated me better the past two days than I have been for the past five years by Vincent. I’m frightened that Mikhail will have told Vincent that he didn’t purchase me and then he will hurt me to find out who did. Also when he realizes that the money hasn’t been credited to the account.”
I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer as they came flooding out, and I found myself sobbing into Hudson’s chest. He just continued to hold me and comfort me, which only made it worse knowing what I would be going back to.
“Do you trust me, Gaby?”
I wondered what kind of question that was right now. Why would he ask me that? He must have known by now how much I trusted him. I loved him.
“Of course I trust you, Hudson. I more than trust you. I’m totally in love with you. But none of that matters. In a few hours, I will be back living the life I have been trying to get away from, and you and Nico will be on the way to New York.”
He placed his fingers under my chin and lifted it so my reddened eyes met his. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. I would never tire of feeling those lips against mine, his tongue running across them, coaxing my mouth open. It wasn’t very long before we were both sitting there trying to catch our breath as the kiss continued. I pulled away when the need to breathe became too much.
He smiled down at me before he spoke. “All of that does matter. Please don’t worry. I promise you that everything will be alright. Just trust me once more, please. Now, we still have a few hours until we need to leave. What would you like to do?”
IT WAS TIME FOR us to leave, and I still hadn’t seen Nico. However, I was sure that he would be waiting outside for us to drive me back to Club Lust. We had ended up going back to bed for the afternoon for what I hoped wouldn’t be the last time. I had showered, changed, and packed my bag. I could feel my mood drop as soon as I walked out the door and found a complete stranger standing there.
Nico wasn’t here to say goodbye. I shouldn’t have been upset by that, but I was.
Hudson guided me up to the car, gave my bag to the driver, opened the door, and helped me into the car, shutting the door behind me. I waited as Hudson walked around and got into the car next to me. I tried to hide my disappointment as the driver got into the front of the car. I felt Hudson take my hand in his.
“Nico wanted to say goodbye, but he got waylaid.”
I gave him a slight smile. It was a far cry from what I was feeling inside.
“It’s fine. It wasn’t as though I was meant to be spending the weekend with him. I was meant to be spending it with you.”
The drive back to the club was quiet. Neither of us really knew what to say to each other. The drive seemed so much quicker than when I had left on Friday night. I guess because I didn’t want to leave Hudson. Before I knew it we were pulling up outside the club. The driver pulled up near the door and got out to open my door for me. I got out of the car and waited while he went to get my bag out of the car. As I was waiting, Hudson walked around to take me back into the club. I guessed he had to return the key he had been given.
He took my bag from the driver and started to walk me to the door, but stopped just before we got there. “I so want to kiss you right now, but I’m guessing it’s probably not the time or the place.”
It wasn’t. Vincent or anyone he knew could have been waiting here to see who had purchased me, and I didn’t want to add any fuel to the fire if they were. I shook my head slightly, and Hudson just gave me a meek smile. We walked up to the door, and Hudson used his key to open it. We stepped inside and were greeted by two security guards and Edward.
“Mr. Bryce-Stanton, Miss Angel. You are right on time. If I could have your passkey, we will arrange for Miss Angel to be taken home.”
Edward walked up to me. “Was everything okay this weekend, Angel?”
“Yes, thank you, Edward. I had a lovely weekend with Mr. Bryce-Stanton.”
Hudson passed his key to one of the security guards, and turned to me. I could see in his eyes that he didn’t want to say goodbye. But we both knew this was the end. One day, I hoped that we could be together again, but I wasn’t sure that would ever be. I didn’t want a long, drawn-out goodbye, so I just smiled at him and spoke.
“Thank you for a lovely weekend, sir.” I stepped up to him and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
He smiled back. “Thank you, Angel. Don’t give up hope.”
With that, he turned and walked back out the door. I could feel my heart tearing itself to pieces as I saw him walking out of my life again. I was sure that I would never see him or Nico again in my life, if I even survived the night.
I ARRIVED BACK AT Vincent’s apartment at around 12:45. Before I had been allowed to leave the club, I had been asked a number of questions by Edward to make sure I had been treated well by Hudson. I couldn't say a thing against Hudson, he had been a gentleman all weekend. The only thing he had done wrong was to bring me back here, and that was something he had to do, as per the contract.
As I walked up to the door to let myself in, a feeling of dread came over me. What was I walking into? Would I find Mikhail there, waiting to get his money? Or would it just be Vincent, ready to take out all his frustrations on me that he had withheld for the past few months, not wanting to damage the goods?
I unlocked the door and walked into the apartment. I could see the lights on in the living room, so I placed my bag at the side of the hallway and walked in.
I found Vincent sitting there on the sofa, glass in hand, waiting for me. As soon as I walked in, he looked up.
“So you decided to come home. I was starting to wonder if I had to send Mikhail out to find you. Especially as there has been no deposit of five hundred thousand dollars in the account.”
I started to wonder if he knew who I had been with all weekend, but his next question told me he didn’t.
“Who were you with all weekend? Because I know it wasn’t Mikhail.”
That meant that he had spoken to him.
“I can’t tell you. I signed an NDA, and they won’t pay me a cent if they find out I told someone where I was. All I will say is you don’t know them. As for the money, that should be deposited in the next couple of days. They just need to make sure all of the conditions have been met.”
I knew this was a complete lie, but I was hoping that Mikhail didn’t know what happened to the merchandise and only the buyer’s side of things. Club Lust wouldn’t tell Vincent a thing because he wasn’t a buyer or someone putting themself up for sale. I knew I had to try to get into my bedroom before Vincent flew off the handle.
“Can we talk about this in the morning? It’s nearly one o’clock, and I would like to get some sleep. I’ll make you breakfast in the morning and we can talk after work.”
He flew up from the sofa and grabbed me around the neck. “You’re tired? And why would that be? You’ve been fucked all weekend, have you? Getting treated like a princess? Well, believe me, that stops now. You’re back with me, and I’m going to treat you like the slut you are.”
He was squeezing my throat to the point of it being painful, and I was sure there would be bruising. I desperately tried to speak as well as breathe as his hold tightened even more.
“Vincent… Please… You’re…hurting…me.”
He just laughed sadistically as he raised his hand and went to hit me. Just as he was about to, his phone started to ring. He immediately let me go, and I fell to the floor, unable to stop the tears from flowing down my face.
“Hello?… What do you want?… Now?… If you must.”
He looked at me lying on the floor.
“Get up, bitch, and make yourself useful. Go get two glasses from the kitchen. We have a guest coming. I want you to say hello and then make yourself scarce, understand? We will finish this conversation in the morning.”
I got up off the floor and headed into the kitchen to get the glasses he requested. All the time, though, I was wondering who would be visiting at this hour.