CHAPTER 45
God Of The Sky
Hunter
Gabriela was uncharacteristically quiet during the drive to my home.
We were sitting in the back of a bulletproof SUV, being transported to the location like expensive cargo, with a sleeping Luna in her carrier. Another Remington guard was currently driving my Jag, trailing a few paces behind us.
My right arm harboured a slight burn from the stitches and bandage wrapped around my wound.
But I could still move and lift my arm if needed.
The damage was minimal and the painkillers I swallowed lessened the ache.
Sam and Shaun did a thorough job patching me up, ensuring that the scar wouldn’t be botched during the healing process.
But I didn’t give a fuck about any of that right now.
Not the wound. Not the stitches. Not the pain.
The only thing I cared about was the silent red-haired beauty sitting beside me in the backseat, tucked into my side, her head resting on my left shoulder and her fingers gripping my white dress shirt in a death grip.
She was scared.
An eerie calm pulsed around her like miasma.
Her mind was incessantly going over the reality of our new situation, and all I wanted to do was chase away her demons, for I was built with the inherent need to soothe her discomfort and make her happy.
I lifted her chin with a finger. “Talk to me, Gabby.”
Her unfocused eyes blinked and met my worried ones. “Hm?”
“I don’t like it when you get quiet on me,” I whispered, mindful of the guards sitting in the front. I didn’t want them to hear our conversation. “What are you thinking?”
“That I want them to kill whoever is taunting me.” She exhaled, closing her eyes. “And whoever hurt you.”
I could only imagine how devastated she must feel. From witnessing the knifing to the text messages from the unknown number. Unfortunately, one thing became crystal clear…
Her dad killed the wrong guy.
Maverick had been a creep who’d broken into her house to steal her things, but he wasn’t the actual culprit we’d been looking for.
Which made this tenfold worse.
It could be anyone at this point. Her ex-boyfriend, her dad’s enemies, and anyone in between. There were no leads, even though Josh, Cade, Enzo, and Vance were currently leading the witch hunt.
Regardless, whoever broke into her place the first time was still out there. Waiting. Watching. Working out a plan to finish the job. This whole time, she thought she was safe after Maverick was killed, going about her daily routine without a zilch of worry. And now we were back to square one.
It boiled my blood.
I once told Gabriela that I wasn’t a violent man, but the thought of anyone hurting her made me want to teach them a lesson.
That still rang true.
I would be six feet beneath the ground before I let anything bad happen to her, even if I had to defend her with the barrel of my gun or the flesh on my body. I would be her weapon and her shield.
I was so goddamned in love with her that to remove her from my existence would be like wrenching a vital organ out of my person. I wouldn’t survive without her.
She was the very breath running through my lungs, the very beat keeping my heart pumping, the very essence powering my soul. Without her, my life would be a colourless canvas with endless murky depths.
Gabriela Regina Bellafiore was the other half of me.
I would never allow anyone to hurt her, let alone take her away from me.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” I hushed, kissing her hairline. “They’ll find the culprit. And in the meantime, I’m here and I’ll take care of you. Always. You know that, right?”
And alongside me, the perimeters of my home would heavily be barricaded by guards, so if anyone dared to approach my property—and my Gabriela—there would be hell to pay.
Instead of answering me, she pecked my lips.
I felt the tremble in her body. It took every ounce of my strength not to unbuckle her seatbelt, drag her into my lap, and wrap my arms around her protectively.
I was strong enough for the both of us. Whatever demons haunted Gabriela, I would chase them away. No one would hurt her. Not one would ever lay a finger on her so long as I breathed.
She was my whole world.
I would keep her protected, sheltered, and cherished for as long as I breathed.
My private property came into view within seconds and we pulled into the lot, the other armed vehicles following suit. I helped Gabriela out of the car and she was mindful of my injured arm, steering away from it like it would combust at her touch.
Her dad stepped out of his car with two of his guards, Oscar included, and headed towards us, casting weary glances at the darkness surroundings like a threat would pop out mid-air.
“Cara mia,” he began. “Are you sure you wish to stay here?”
“Yes, Papà. I told you; I want to be with Hunter. I trust him and the guards.”
He appeared like he wanted to oppose but nodded instead.
“All right. You’ll stay here for the weekend until I can make other arrangements for you, closer to our home.
” A regretful expression flashed over his face, which he was quick to cover up with his usual scowl.
“We’ll find who did this to you and put an end to it. For real this time.”
I concluded that his stoic demeanour wasn’t because he was pissed Gabriela was staying here with me, but rather disappointment in himself. Enzo killed the wrong guy—never mind that Maverick deserved to die—and it gnawed at him.
Gabriela hugged Enzo. “I know you will. You always protect me.”
In what I assumed was a rare display of affection in front of his men, he kissed the top of her head. “If you need anything—whatever it may be—I’m just a phone call away, okay?”
She smiled. “I know.”
Then he gave a meaningful glance in my direction and said with a stony tone, “Thank you for protecting Gabriela. If you hadn’t been there—” He cleared his throat, swallowing roughly. “Lucia and I are forever in your debt.”
“You don’t have to thank me for that, sir,” I replied, reaching forth to grab my girl’s hand. “I would do anything for Gabriela.”
Enzo Bellafiore may have been wary of me at the beginning, but tonight was a turning point. He would warm up to me, slowly but surely. I was going to be his future son-in-law one day, so it was in his best interest that we got along.
If not for our sakes, then Gabriela’s.
“Let’s go inside,” Enzo said, nodding at my home. “I want to see the layout and debrief the guards on the plan.”
Enzo and the guards took an hour to analyze the indoor and outdoor structure, devising a strategic plan to ensure the entire property was secured, not to mention the various weapons they discreetly stashed in every corner of the house in case anyone broke inside.
It was a slim possibility. They doubted that the same attacker from tonight would strike twice, let alone know where Gabriela was staying. But we wouldn’t be taking any chances.
I locked the doors and windows once Enzo left after bidding us good night and lecturing us to call him if we experienced even the slightest suspicious activity. Josh had already hacked into the cameras lining the outside of the property, so we were covered on that end too.
I dragged in a deep breath as I walked down the hallway to find Gabriela. She’d put Luna to sleep in her princess bed earlier, cooing at her softly since the latter was a bit distressed, having been shuffled from her usual home to another.
Before we left to come here, guards had accompanied us to our respective apartments to help us pack our bags for the weekend.
That’s when I saw Gabriela had decorated hers with balloons, a banner, and all my favourite foods so we could have an indoor, cozy picnic to celebrate my win.
She was so disappointed that her surprise was ruined.
My chest twisted at the sight. I’d kissed her and reassured that it was the thought that counted.
Now I hoped to salvage some of our plans at the very least.
On my way to her, I paused by the bar cart to pour some whiskey in a glass with my left hand.
I found Gabriela in the dining room area, facing the floor-to-ceiling windows leading to the backyard.
She was fiddling with the new phone Josh gave her, since he kept her old one to monitor any incoming text messages.
I wrapped my arms around her from behind, ignoring the mild ache in my right one. “Hi, baby. What are you doing?”
“Hi.” She melted into my embrace. “Just texting the girls to tell them that we’re fine. They wanted to make sure we were settled in before they called it a night.”
I kissed her temple. “You good?”
“Hm.”
Gabriela seemed far away. Physically, she was present, but her mind seemed lost in another world. It worried me when she got quiet. I wasn’t accustomed to her pensive self. I needed my playful, teasing girlfriend back.
“Look,” I whispered in her ear. “It’s our constellation.”
Gabriela traced her fingers over the window’s glass, glancing at the night sky. The stars were visible, including Pegasus.
“I finished reading the book on Greek mythology,” she whispered back, leaning her cheek against mine. “The one you bought me.”
Excitement zinged through me. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” A ghost of a smile touched her lips. “I know which God I would associate with you.”
My glass halted halfway to my mouth. “And which one is that?”
She stared at me while I took a sip of my drink, eagerly anticipating her response.
Gabriela palmed my jaw tenderly. “Uranus. The personification of the sky.”
A primordial God.
Father of the titans.
Something swelled in my throat. “Why is that your choice?”
“He helped form the foundation of the universe. Some even say he was the first to rule over the world.” She traced her thumb over my lips.
“And whenever I look up at this very night sky, I think of you. To me, you’re the embodiment of all the stars and all the heaven I will ever know. You’re my happily ever after, Hunt.”
She’d slain me with those words.
I dropped my glass and it crashed to the floor, shattering to pieces.
Gabriela gasped, but the sound was quickly drowned when I grasped her face and stamped her mouth to mine in a passionate kiss filled with all the love I possessed inside of me.
Love for her.
Only ever her.
Gabriela moaned sweetly into the kiss when I thrust my tongue into her mouth and consumed her like she was my only source of nourishment. My soul fed off her kisses and thrived under the sheer magnificence of the confession she bestowed upon me.
She tasted like red roses, vanilla, and all fucking mine.
I wanted to make love to her.
Right. Now.
I was on the verge of telling her my true feelings when she pulled away and gave me a wry smile that made my insides clench. “Hunter, I want to tell you something.”
I gazed into her beautiful blue eyes, my very own oasis lying in those depths. “What is it?”
“After this weekend, I think we should take a break.”