TWENTY SEVEN
T he event turned out to be a huge success. Asher disclosed that this year they managed to raise more funds than anticipated. Helena got her pictures taken one too many times and I was glad she got the recognition she deserved.
Indigo Events was definitely going to expand soon. After making my reappearance and being questioned by Melissa about my whereabouts, the event had almost concluded.
When the event came to an end, Nicolas and I left the vicinity together. As if tonight wasn't surprising enough, when I entered his home, I noticed that he'd made a few drastic changes to the decor.
"I don't remember your house looking like this." I placed my clutch bag onto the couch, looking around in awe. The new added items were similar to the decor I had at my place.
"I wanted to make you feel at home when you came over."
"Nicolas," I said softly, clutching my necklace. It was a habit of mine whenever I felt overwhelmed with emotions. Whether that were happiness, sadness, anger, anxiety.
"Wait until you see the bathroom." He held his hand out for me to take and I gracefully grabbed a hold of it.
"What's happening in the bathroom?" I laughed softly, allowing him to pull me along with him.
"You'll see." He opened the door and switched the light on, gesturing for me to enter first so I stepped inside. I looked around, but didn't notice anything significantly different.
Until I looked toward the shower and my eyes widened. "You're joking." I almost squealed. "Nicolas, this is literally all of the skincare products I use."
He leaned against the wall with his hands in both pockets. A bright smile graced his face. "I told you, I wanted to make sure you feel at home when you're here. I want you to be comfortable."
"You didn't have to do this." I swallowed a lump in my throat. I wasn't used to this. Not by a long shot. The only man in my life who truly took care of me was my father.
"I didn't have to, but I wanted to. I would do anything for you." He pushed off the wall. "Would you like to take off your heels?"
I completely forgot about the uncomfortable shoes and suddenly felt the pain in my feet. I nodded. "Yes, please. I don't know why I always suffer for beauty."
Nicolas' movements were swift and I yelped softly. He picked me up bridal style and slowly walked towards his bedroom. The manner in which he carried me, so effortlessly, genuinely surprised me.
He placed me down on his bed, kneeling in front of me. I watched his every move, unable to focus on anything other than him. He clasped my ankle, loosening the strap of my heel before slowly removing the shoe .
I sighed in relief, watching him intently as he did the same with the other heel. Once done, he kissed my ankle, looking up at me with an intense expression.
I hooked my index finger underneath his silver chain and tugged on it. "Do you consider yourself a man of God, Nicolas?" He brushed his fingertips against my bare leg, causing goosebumps to form.
"The only time you'll ever see me perform acts of worship is when I'm down on my knees with my face buried between your legs." Jesus . "Or in this case, when I'm removing your heels."
"How are you always so swift with the things you say?" I rolled my eyes, shivering as he caressed my calf.
"I blame it on you. Ever since I met you, I've been doing peculiar things." I laughed, twisting the chain around my index finger. "Now, if I remember correctly, you hardly ate tonight."
"What's your obsession with feeding me?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.
He chuckled softly, sliding his fingertips up and down my calf. "I don't have an obsession with feeding you. I have an obsession with ensuring you're taken care of in all aspects."
I looked down at him, trembling slightly due to his soft caress on my bare skin. "You're right, though, I didn't eat much. I just nibbled on some finger foods."
He hummed in disapproval, shaking his head. "Get comfortable and then join me in the kitchen. I'll make you something to eat."
After I fed Gabriella, we now lingered in the kitchen area, indulging in a heartfelt conversation. "Have you ever been in love?" she asked. Yes. I think I'm in love with you .
"No I haven't." Her hands were placed on my shoulders, but she slowly slid them downward.
"I don't believe that." She frowned. "Not even once?"
"I can assure you I've never been in love." I laughed at her facial expression.
Gabriella was seated on my kitchen counter with her legs spread slightly as I stood between them. "Why's your heart beating so fast?" she asked. I looked down to her palm that was placed on my chest.
That was the same question I asked her before I devoured her for the first time. I found it humorous to watch the tables turn so drastically.
I've never lied to her, I've always been honest, so I had no choice but to tell her the truth. "You make me fucking nervous, that's why." This meant I also needed to tell her about the situation I currently found myself in.
She maintained eye contact with me, smiling so sweetly. "I make you nervous?"
"Yes," I said. "You make me feel all of these emotions that are completely foreign to me, emotions and feelings I've never experienced before. And I'm sure you know by now how much it scares me."
"Why does it scare you?" Gabriella moved her palm upward, wrapping her soft hand around my throat in a gentle grip. I exhaled softly, her touch extremely warm.
"It makes me feel vulnerable and I despise feeling that way. You and I view vulnerability in the exact same manner. A warped perception, if you will." This was the moment I laid it all out on the table. "There's so much I need to say to you."
"I'm listening, I'll always be listening."
I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "I like you, a lot." Her breath hitched and she looked at me with pure shock plastered on her face. "And the thing that scares me more than vulnerability is how I feel about you. I'm obsessed with you, mikrí petaloúda . I'd do anything for you, I'd die for you."
"Nicolas," she said softly.
"You've set me alight from the inside out, and the truth is, I'd happily burn for you." Her lips parted slightly. "For years, I haven't felt anything. Then you come along, and all I'm able to do is feel. You're my weakness."
"How do you think I feel about you?" she questioned, and I watched her intently. "Before you, I hadn't been with anyone for years. Then you come along and just completely tossed my world upside down."
"I told you, you'd be my ultimate demise, yet you breathe life into me. I'm utterly bewitched by you, my soul belongs to you," I whispered.
The atmosphere crackled with tension and unsaid words. Words that I struggled to utter. I've never been the vocal type. I displayed my emotions through actions, but I needed to tell Gabriella exactly how I felt.
"You wanted to know what mikrí petaloúda means?"
"Yes, tell me." Her wide eyed, the curious expression tugged at my heart strings. Curiosity killed the cat, but I find that trait about her so adorable.
"Little butterfly." Her eyes sparkled. "You always flew away from me. Whenever I thought you were in reach, you'd disappear. I'd try to catch you, yet you were too fast. But now I've got you trapped."
"Am I really trapped if I chose to be here with you?" She wrapped her arms around my neck. This woman was cut from a different cloth, that's for sure.
"No, I suppose you're not trapped then, but I've still managed to catch you." I placed my hand on her lower back, pulling her closer. "Do you know which insect eats butterflies?"
She peered at me through those thick, long lashes and shook her head. "No."
"Spiders." I buried my face into the crook of her neck and bit down harshly on the soft flesh, making her arch into me. She gasped, holding me tighter. "With a combination of stealth and camouflage, they will often pounce on a bee or butterfly ."
Her breathlessness drove me insane. "You've already pounced on me."
"Exactly." I sucked on the area in her neck I had bitten, sliding my tongue across the red mark. "With my construction of intricate webs, I've managed to ensnare you. So unsuspecting, so easy to prey upon."
Her body became rigid by the simple action. "That's one of my irrational fears," she said softly.
"What is?" I finally met her gaze.
"Spiders." I could feel her shuddering.
I laughed softly, but then I realised the important topic I needed to discuss with her and the smile slowly disappeared from my face. "There's something I need to tell you."
Her smile slowly faded and it made me feel extremely uncomfortable. I didn't like it when she frowned, especially if I was the cause. "What's wrong?"
I sighed. "The bullet wounds I have." God knew the last thing I wanted to do was discuss this with her, of all people, but it was crucial that she was constantly aware of her surroundings. "I worked on a case a few months ago. We were in the process of arresting the perpetrators when a shoot-out occurred."
She caressed the spots where I was shot, I could feel her warm hands right through the shirt fabric. "Then what happened?"
"We managed to take down all except one, and that's the man that shot me. Ares was my partner at the time and fired off a few shots, but the suspect managed to escape. We've been looking for him ever since." I paused. "It was a set up. They knew we were onto them. We had backup, but the man who got away still outsmarted us."
"Oh my God," she gasped softly. "Do you at least have some leads regarding his whereabouts?"
"No, unfortunately not. But that brings me to my next point. His last known location was London. Kayden managed to track down his location using his IP address."
"So he's in London right now?" she asked, and I shook my head.
"We don't know that for sure, because we've detected his location in several other cities, but it seems to be false positives. Now the reason I'm sharing this information with you is because Kayden found images on the suspect's server when he tracked his initial location."
"What kind of images?"
"Pictures of you and I in Cabo." Gabriella's jaw fell slack and she dug her nails into my shoulder. I could instantly sense her fear and pulled her even closer. "I promise I'll keep you safe. I won't allow anything to happen to you, but I also need you to be vigilant at all times, especially when we're not together. Can you do that for me, my love?"
Her body trembled and she nodded. "Is this the reason you taught me self-defence?" After our first session, we've practiced multiple times thereafter. I needed to ensure she knew the basics in case anything happened.
"Partially. If anything should happen to you, I'll rip everyone in this city apart, Gabriella. I need to know that you're able to protect yourself. You're a woman living alone in New York City."
"I've been safe thus far. I'm always aware of my surroundings," she said softly.
"Does that mean you don't get drunk with your little friends and hail cabs at random hours of the night?" Her lips parted as if she were going to say something, but she quickly pursed them. "That's what I thought. You need to promise me that you'll stay safe and call me if you need any help." I paused, making sure she was still paying attention to me before continuing.
"I don't want to control you, but if it were up to me, you wouldn't go anywhere without me by your side. I'm always watching, though, always." She nodded, so I gently wrapped both hands around her throat, mimicking her earlier action. "So promise me, mikrí petaloúda . I need you to use your words."
"I promise," she breathed softly, her eyes fluttering. "There is something that's been bothering me."
"What is it?" I frowned, caressing her skin with my thumbs.
"When my colleague, Helena, and I were at the Federal Bureau, I had this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach," she muttered. "We've been there twice, and on both occasions, I experienced the same bad feeling."
"What do you mean?"
"The first instance was when we left the building. It just felt so eerie, as if someone was watching us. The second time, the exact same thing happened, just as we approached the building. I looked around to see if I could spot anyone, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary."
My heart slowly sank and I lowered my head. "Fuck’s sake," I groaned. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
"I didn't think it was important, and I also wasn't sure where we stood. Would you appreciate random women sharing this kind of information with you?"
"You're not a random woman, though. You're my woman and it's my duty to keep you safe, Gabriella."
"Your woman? Since when?"
I tightened my hold around her neck, making her release a soft breath. "Do you really want to play with me right now? I'm already on edge as is."
"I'm not doing anything of the sort. You never asked me to officially be your woman." She bit my lip, making me feel an array of different emotions.
"We should discuss the problem at hand, Gabriella. Don't try to change the subject."
"I'm not changing the subject. I'm only stating the obvious. I'm aware of the severity of the situation and I understand how dangerous it is."
My smile was long gone. "Then you understand why it's important for you to talk to me. If you ever feel uncomfortable, unsafe, or uneasy when I'm not with you, call me immediately, okay?"
"Okay, I'll call you."
"Good girl," I praised. "You call and I'll be there." She smiled brightly, holding onto her necklace. It must've been a habit. "I'll ask Kayden to check the camera footage on the days you were at the Bureau to see if there's anything unusual," I said. "Do you remember the dates?"
"I'll check my emails and clarify that information for you." I grabbed the back of her head and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you so much," she whispered, closing her eyes. "I really do appreciate it."
"I just want to keep you safe," I spoke against her skin. "This is all my fucking fault. Now you might be on a suspect’s radar and I can't even locate him."
"Don't blame yourself. If I were you, the last thing I'd ever think is that they'd be following my every move. Seems to me like he wants to finish what he started."
I looked away, recalling the night I got shot. "I haven't spoken to anyone aside from my therapist about this. The only reason I have a therapist in the first place is to be cleared for duty."
"I can't imagine what that experience must've been like. Not only is it physically painful, but it causes trauma. Whether we acknowledge it or not," she stated.
"Yeah." I held her tighter, digging my fingers into her skin. "I know," I sighed. "I still have nightmares, and ever since then, Ares constantly checks in on me. It's annoying, but I appreciate it. He's the one who saw it happening and watched me bleed out while he waited for help to arrive."
She frowned, resting her head on my chest. "I'm so sorry that happened to you and him." She gripped my shirt tightly. "That's not an experience I'd wish upon anyone."
"Hey." I grabbed her face on both sides. "It's okay, we're okay. But now my main concern is you. So you call me. I don't care about the hour, I don't care if it's something you think is irrelevant. If you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable, you call me, okay?"
"Okay." She nodded, smiling so sweetly at me. I placed a kiss on her forehead and then pulled her against my chest. "I've got your number on speed dial."
The first time I've gotten close to a woman in years, and this is the situation I'm in? Karma really was a bitch.