Chapter 21
Chapter
Twenty-One
September 27 th
5:14 P.M.
His phone rang as soon as he left Gabriella’s room.
All things considered, it had gone better than he expected. Better than he could have hoped.
So far, she’d continued to tell him that she wasn't ready to talk to him yet, but not that she never wanted to see him again.
Was it unfair of him to keep bringing his daughter around to see her?
Cade guessed it probably could be considered such since he knew that Essie was a way to soften Gabriella toward him. But it wasn't the only reason he kept bringing his daughter to visit, it wasn't even the main reason.
Bottom line, Gabriella needed Essie, and Essie needed Gabriella.
From here on out, it couldn’t be about weighing the needs of one of his girls against the other. Essie was his daughter and the most important person in his life, but Gabriella sat right alongside her because she was the woman he was falling in love with, the woman he wanted a future with.
Somewhat absently, he pulled his cell from his back pocket, still picturing the shock on Gabriella’s face when she saw the locket. He hoped that one day the final heart would contain a picture of their biological child, but even if they never had kids together, Essie was every bit as much hers as she was his.
Cooper’s name was on the screen, and he answered the call, wondering what was happening. Essie had gone home with Connor so he knew she was safe, and he sincerely hoped that one of his brothers or their girlfriends hadn't been targeted again.
He was getting sick of this.
Two more names, that was all they needed to put an end to this once and for all so he could finally put his guilt about how he’d treated his mother those last six months of her life to rest.
“Hey, what's up?” he asked as he accepted the call.
“Pretty sure we just IDed one of the other two men involved in Mom’s rape,” Cooper told him. There was excitement brewing in his brother’s voice and it was catching. Immediately, he felt a surge of energy rush through his veins.
“Name?”
“Akio Yamamoto.”
“Who is he?” The name didn't ring a bell.
“He was a famous, pioneering transplant surgeon.”
“Was?”
“Died not long after Mom was raped.”
“So he’s not the remaining rapist?”
“Not Cassandra’s father either. He’s the Asian man you said John mentioned. Akio was Japanese, his parents immigrated when he was a couple of months old.”
While he would have preferred to identify the living rapist first since he was the one who was a threat to the family and not a man who’d been dead for a quarter of a century, at least it was something. And the more intel they had the easier it would be to figure out who the remaining man was. They now had three of the four names so they could cross-reference all of them and come up with a list of potential suspects. From there, it would be a matter of obtaining DNA so they could test it against Cassandra’s, and this would finally be over.
“There’s more,” Cooper continued. “Akio has a cousin who owned the stationary company, and he has a son who is former military.”
“All the men we’ve been able to catch so far who have come after us have been former military.”
“Right. So I looked into him a little more, and he matches the description and sketches both Gabriella and Essie did after they were rescued, and he matches the one who wasn't there when we rescued you.”
They’d known one man had escaped, he wasn't amongst the ones Cade himself had killed, and he wasn't the man that had come seconds away from shooting him. They’d theorized that he’d gone with John Gaccione to the meeting but hung back so he wouldn't be spotted.
Knowing he was out there, another threat, had been adding to his stress, but now they had a name they could round him up, bring him in, and interrogate him. Chances of him knowing the name of the fourth rapist were slim, especially since John claimed he didn't and was yet to give in under intense interrogation, but it was worth a shot.
“Cade, there’s more,” Cooper continued, his voice tightening, and Cade’s stomach tightened as he braced for bad news. “He works as a nurse. At the hospital.”
Fear slithered up his spine. “What hospital.”
“The one you're currently inside.”
Already he was turning, hurrying back to Gabriella’s room.
She wasn't safe.
And she was alone.
He’d been going to call Jax, who was next on the babysitting Gabriella roster, and have him come in, then pass the time in the waiting room down the hall where he’d have a clear view of the door to Gabriella’s room. That way he could watch over her while still respecting her need for time and space.
But he’d had his back to the door while on the phone.
It couldn’t have been more than a couple of minutes, but that was enough time for someone to sneak into her room.
Nobody would think twice about a nurse going into a patient’s room. Particularly one who had official hospital identification.
Maybe Cooper continued to talk, Cade had no idea, his entire focus had shifted to getting back to his girl.
If he’d left her alone and she was hurt—or worse killed—because of him, he’d never forgive himself. As it was, he was having a hard enough time forgiving himself for firing her and he’d done that specifically because he was trying to protect her and get her out of the line of fire his family was sitting right in the middle of.
As soon as he reached the door, he knew something was wrong.
He could hear muffled sounds coming from inside and they weren't the sounds of Gabriella crying quietly to herself.
Flinging open the door hard enough that it slammed into the wall, red-hot rage clouded his vision as he took in the scene before him.
Gabriella was still on the bed where he’d left her, but instead of being curled up against the pillows looking so fragile and vulnerable all he’d wanted to do was drag her into his arms and hold her until the haunted look left her eyes, she was flat on her back. The blankets were tangled around her body, half on the bed and half on the floor.
And there was a pillow covering her face.
At the sound of the door opening, the man leaning over the edge of the bed pressing the pillow to Gabriella’s face as she did her best to fight him off, lost his concentration.
That was all the advantage he needed.
If there was one thing you didn't do it was hurt the woman a man loved when that man was trained in a thousand different ways to kill someone, including many of those with his bare hands.
Any thought of keeping the man alive to try to get answers from him flew out of Cade’s head as he launched himself at Gabriella’s would-be killer.
Fury gave him extra strength and he picked up the man several inches shorter than him, weighed in at fifty pounds or so lighter, and threw him across the room.
Connecting with the wall with enough force to break through most of the plaster sending it flying everywhere, the man groaned as he slumped to the floor.
Apparently, he wasn't very bright because he staggered to his feet, swaying precariously, and attempted to charge at him.
Idiot.
Grabbing the man’s head on both sides when he got within arms’ reach, Cade leaned in close. “Never touch what's mine and try to take it away from me,” he snarled, then with one simple twist of his hands it was done.
The man’s neck snapped, and Cade tossed his now dead body on the ground and hurried back to the bed where Gabriella had pressed herself up against the headboard and was staring at him with wide eyes as she sucked in gasping breaths.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart, I shouldn’t have left your door until Jax got here. I just didn't think I could stay that close and not come back in here and haul you into my arms where I’ve wanted you for the last month.”
Her whole body trembled, but something soft in her eyes hadn't been there when he’d left her room earlier. “Y-you called me y-yours,” she stammered, her wide green eyes begging him for confirmation, to assure her that he’d meant what he said and it wasn't uttered in the heat of the moment.
Reaching out, Cade hesitantly brushed a stray curl off her cheek, smoothing it and tucking it behind her ear. “You are. It just took me a while to accept what I’d known from the second I laid eyes on you. I wasn't ready then, Gabriella, I was still grieving. I’m ready now. To make you mine, to build a life with you. When you're ready to make me yours. But make no mistake about it, you are already mine.”
Tears leaked out of her eyes, and she shuddered, her breathing still uneven. Voices started to sound behind him and several sets of footsteps told him multiple people had entered the room.
Cade ignored them all.
Only one person needed his attention, and she was still staring up at him with wide eyes.
“Can I hold you, sweetheart?” he asked.
When she gave a tentative nod, he quickly scooped her into his arms, taking her spot on the bed and settling her on his lap.
Finally.
His girl was where she belonged and the weight of her small body nestled against him soothed everything inside him, giving him a peace he hadn't felt in decades.
September 28 th
7:02 A.M.
For some reason, she couldn’t take her eyes off the bite mark on her chest.
It had been almost a month since it was done, and because she hadn't cared for the wound it had gotten infected. Thanks to that decision, she would be left with a permanent reminder of that ordeal on her body that she would see every single day.
Her fault, nobody else’s.
Yet she wished she could go back in time and make a different choice.
Despite the more than three weeks that had passed, the wound still looked angry and red, not at all like it could have. Still, it had improved over the week she’d been in the hospital. It no longer looked like it was full of puss, and while still red, it wasn't as enflamed as it had been.
It was healing, like the rest of her was.
Her cheeks were no longer stained bright red with fever and paper pale beneath, and she’d started to put a little weight back on although she still didn't have much appetite.
For the first time since she’d been abducted, she’d actually slept properly last night. Different than the sick, feverish sleep she’d had those first couple of nights in the hospital. That sleep hadn't been as deep or as restful, her body still in pain and suffering from her system swinging from too cold to too hot.
Last night was different.
Because Cade had been there.
Why did he have to be the only thing that made her feel safe enough to let go and sleep like her body so desperately needed?
Yesterday, he’d brought her that beautiful necklace, saved her life, and called her his. He was giving her all the signs and all the words that he wanted more from her than just being his daughter’s nanny, but she was so afraid of letting herself believe it.
What if he yanked the ground from underneath her again?
“Gabriella? Are you okay? You’ve been in there for a while,” Cade called out as he knocked on the bathroom door.
As much as she wanted to hide and put off the conversation she knew she and Cade needed to have, Gabriella also knew she couldn’t do that forever.
It was time to put her big girl panties on and talk to him.
He’d been patient, given her time, but yesterday she’d agreed to let him hold her, and she’d been the one to ask him to stay with her, she had to do this.
“Gabriella?” The door to the bathroom opened and Cade stepped into the room.
Their eyes met in the reflection of the mirror, and after holding her gaze for a moment, his then dipped to her chest where the bite wound was exposed.
Of course, she knew that he’d already seen it, she knew he’d been the one to find her in the hotel after she passed out, and she’d been naked at the time. But this was the first time she was awake when anyone other than herself and the medical staff saw the wound, and shame flooded through her.
“Hey.” Cade stepped up close, his thumb hooking beneath her chin and nudging until she reluctantly lifted her gaze to meet his again. “Do you know that I'm in awe of you?”
“In awe of me?” she repeated, totally confused. What on earth would he have to be in awe about? That she’d shut down to the point she’d stopped eating and sleeping and not gotten herself the medical help she’d known she needed?
“Awe,” he said again. “You were so brave, sweetheart. You fought, and you protected my daughter at great personal cost to yourself. Tell me what they did to you, Gabriella. Get it out.”
She shook her head as best as she could with his grip on her chin, but when she went to turn away from him, he tightened his hold slightly and brushed the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip.
“Tell me, baby. Please,” he whispered. “Let me share your burden.”
No one had ever been there to share her burdens.
Not even her ex-husband.
The only thing he’d cared about when she’d had miscarriage after miscarriage was that she was denying him an heir. Rather than offering comfort he’d given her anger, leaving her to grieve alone.
Could she trust that Cade would be there for her now?
Or if she trusted him, would he throw it back in her face and kick her out of his life again?
“I messed up, sweetheart.” His thumb brushed across her lip again, pausing in the corner of her mouth before shifting his hand so his palm cradled her cheek. “I honestly thought I was keeping you safe by getting you away from me. It wasn't fair of me to ask you to take on my problems. You were abducted because of me, Gabriella. Hurt because of me.”
His other hand shifted to brush with a featherlight touch across the bite mark on her breast. Leaning down, he rested his forehead against hers and circled his arms around her, pulling her flush against his body.
“I'm sorry, Gabriella. For letting my problems touch you and for pushing you away.”
There was true regret and pain in his voice, sincere remorse, was it worth clinging to anger when he’d explained and apologized several times over?
“I forgive you, Cade,” she said wearily.
A sigh shuddered through him, and when his lips touched the top of her head, she gave a sigh and let go, resting her entire weight against Cade, trusting him to hold her up. His strong arms tightened, and after giving her another squeeze he scooped her up and carried her back into the bedroom.
Climbing onto the bed, he settled her on his lap the same way he’d held her the day before after she’d almost died. His body was warm and strong against hers, and he locked his arms around her giving her the security she’d been so desperately craving. The steady beating of his heart soothed her as did the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. When his hand smoothed down her hair she snuggled closer, soaking up his care and attention like the love starved woman she was.
“The first morning they made me get down on my knees and suck them all off,” she said softly, hating saying the words out loud but Cade was right, she needed someone to help carry this burden. When she’d tried to carry it alone, hiding it from everyone, all she’d ended up doing was crushing herself. If Cade hadn't found her, she likely would have died, and as much as she wanted out from the pain and fear she didn't really want to be dead.
Cade’s entire body stiffened, his hand stilling.
Gabriella waited for him to pull away, to reject her.
But he didn't.
Instead, he somehow seemed to pull her closer even though she was already tucked against his chest.
“I'm so sorry they did that to you, I'm glad they’re all dead,” he said softly, then he pressed a kiss to her temple. “But thank you for enduring that hell for Essie.”
“How did you know I did it for her?”
“Because I know you. I feel you, inside my heart, like a warm light. You calm me, soothe me, remind me that there’s so much good in the world. You love my daughter like she’s your own and she loves you so much. I was afraid to let you in, afraid of falling in love with you and then losing you. Afraid I couldn’t survive going through that again. Then you were taken from me, and I realized I could lose you anyway. I’m prepared to take things as slowly as you want, earn your trust back, and prove I can be more than the grumpy boss you’ve known for the last four years. But I want it all with you. I want to get married, for you to adopt Essie, and maybe have our own kids one day.”
Of course he wanted more kids.
Kids she might never be able to give him.
“Cade … I had five miscarriages when I was married. It was why my husband divorced me,” she whispered, bracing herself once again for his rejection.
“I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I hate that you went through that. But I don’t care if we don’t have more kids. We can try and see what happens or not. Whatever you're comfortable with. I'm fine if we only ever have Essie, or we can adopt or foster, anything you want. So long as I have my girls I'm happy.”
“Why did you give me guardianship and the house when you could have asked one of your brothers?”
“Because you're Essie’s mother in her mind. You were the right person to care for her if I hadn't made it out alive. Do I have a shot with you, Gabriella? Or did I mess things up beyond repair?”
Something warm unfurled inside her at his words.
Cade wanted her.
Forever.
As his partner and Essie’s mother.
Tilting her head up, she warmed further at the softness in Cade’s eyes as he looked down at her. For once his gaze wasn't shuttered when he looked at her. It wasn't just warmth in his brown eyes but love as well, or at least the beginnings of it.
“You have a shot, nothing is ever messed up beyond repair, not between the two of us,” she told him, and it was true. She’d loved him for too long, and she loved his daughter with her whole heart. He’d hurt her, but he was sincerely sorry and wanted to make it up to her. Withholding her forgiveness and refusing to give them a chance was only going to hurt both of them and Essie too.
“I don’t deserve you, sweetheart, but I'm going to do my best to live up to your view of me.”
Then he leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss she’d been dreaming about for four long years, and it was even better than she could ever have hoped for.