Fifteen
My sense of satisfaction evaporated.
“Drop it,” barked the man called Sean. He had been lurking in a dark corner of the warehouse. I remembered him as the bigger brute from earlier.
Gabriel’s eyes latched helplessly onto mine as a gun was placed against his temple. “Don’t fucking test me, I said, drop it sunshine,” he repeated, those words laced with threat.
Gabriel looked like he was going to refuse, but Kai walked slowly behind me and placed his gun at the back of my head. I could feel it through my hair. Fear clawed at my insides and I released a cry of shock. I had a fucking gun pointed at my head!
“I’m sure her brains are as pretty as she is, but surely we don’t all want to see them just yet?” Kai sniggered.
Defeat etched into his features and Gabriel lowered his gun, a muscle flexing in his jaw. Sean then snatched the weapon and my hope from his hand.
“Move. Nice and slow,” Kai’s lackey instructed. Gabriel’s jaw ticked as he lifted his hands and did as he was told. I wanted to throw my arms around him and hold his head against my chest.
“I have what you wanted, so let her go,” Gabriel snarled.
Ava suddenly released a cry of panic and I felt a surge of pity for her. She was now hopping from one foot to the other and chewing her bottom lip. Something was off.
Gabriel mouthed to ask if I was OK and I nodded my head, releasing a breath when Kai moved the gun away and shoved it into the waistband of his jeans.
“Let’s see then,” he said, approaching the other man with his hand outstretched.
There was another loud crash from the doorway as what looked like Max suddenly came careering through the entrance.
“What the fuck?” Kai shouted, dropping his hand as all the men drew their guns. Sean, having Gabriel’s weapon, trained two pistols on the big guy.
Max straightened to his towering height and scowled at Sean, but he still raised his hands. Max was slightly leaner than the big guy but he had more height. The look in his eyes could have burned steel.
“You’re a big fucker, aren’t you?” Kai began with a quirk of his head. “Please, join us. Come and stand with your buddy,” he said, flicking the gun to motion Max over. He looked pissed off and dangerous but rather dazed. My stomach sank, this wasn’t the rescue I was hoping for.
Ava made to move away but Lester holstered his gun and caught her arm, telling her to stay put.
“You’re shit at following orders. What part of go around the back didn’t you understand?” Gabriel suddenly whisper-shouted at Max as the gap closed between them. Max bristled at the tone and gave him a look that said it all.
“There isn’t a fucking ‘back’ shithead, there’s a wall and that’s it. That’s why I came around the front.” Max made the quotation marks with his fingers on the word back, totally unperturbed that there was a gun trained on them and I was tied to a bloody chair. I helplessly lifted my ‘hi there’ eyebrows as he raised a hand to acknowledge my presence. The scene unfolding was becoming more bizarre by the minute.
“You’re fucking useless, did you even bring a gun?” Irrespective of the drama going on, my heart was burning to the point of self-destruction.
“I work in construction you ungrateful twat, I’m not Al-fucking-Capone,” Max thundered. “I’m also hung the fuck over.”
I watched with my mouth open like a dead fish as the scene before me started to turn into a farce. Did these men not understand who they were dealing with?
Kai had moved to stand close to them and was watching the scene with a slightly amused expression, his gaze shifting back and forth as they spoke. His gun was away and his arms were crossed over his chest.
Gabriel’s comeback was a dissatisfied grumble.
“What did you say?” Max snapped, with a blistering glare that could peel paint from a wall. “Next time, you can go around the back, I stood in fucking dog shit it’s that dark. You owe me a pair of Timberlands.”
“You whine like a bitch,” Gabriel bit back, before briefly glancing at Ava. His confidence was unshakable, how could he be so calm in such a fucked-up situation.
There were a couple of sniggers from the two henchmen and then Kai shook his head and looked up at the ceiling.
He then caught their attention as he stated in a disbelieving tone, “When you two have finished your lover’s tiff, do you think we could get on with business?”
“Yes. Fine. Here,” Gabriel said as he threw the envelope over. I recognised it as the one that Max had signed for ages ago. To be honest I had completely forgotten about it.
“The content has nothing to do with me. I only found it after your message. I’m no fucking snitch.”
Kai turned the envelope over in his hands and read the front, his eyes narrowing before his face changed; darkening slightly before turning grave.
“Who sent this to you?” he snapped.
Gabriel glanced briefly at a terrified Ava, who shook her head before he shrugged.
“Haven’t a fucking clue. You can see it’s postmarked and a recorded delivery; I didn’t send it to myself. Now let her go.” I could see the fury he was trying to hold at bay as I remained trapped in the chair.
There was a long-drawn-out silence as disbelief shot across Kai’s face.
“You’re fucking shitting me,” he said to himself before raising his gaze to drill it into Ava. She was ashen-faced and trying to yank her arm free of Lester’s hold.
“Watch them,” Kai ordered Sean.
As he moved away, Gabriel attempted to come to me but was stopped by one of the two guns Sean still held.
Max stood there, drinking in the scene, his face unreadable in the shadows.
“What have you done Ava?” Kai’s voice had dropped low. It sounded calm but calm before the storm I imagined. There was a definite thread of steel in that tone.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about and tell your pig to let go of my arm!” she yelled, almost hysterical. Tears now running down her cheeks.
“AVA!” Kai yelled, making her jump which forced a shocked Lester to drop her arm. We all watched the drama in silence, open-mouthed. Whatever was going on wasn’t good, at least not for the girl.
“I’d know your handwriting anywhere, you little witch. I repeat. What. The fuck. Did you do?”
Kai was now terrifying to watch, his entire frame poised for aggression. OMG. Was Ava the mole he had mentioned?
Mine and Gabriel’s gazes connected and I shook my head as he again shuffled forward, Sean’s expression was now on the drama between his boss and the teenager.
My heart squeezed as Gabriel made it over to me and dropped onto his knees.
“It’s alright, don’t worry. We’re going to get out of here,” he whispered, running his hands down my face.
“I was so worried about you,” I replied, my voice sounding scratchy.
“Same,” Gabriel choked out with a smile that was almost my undoing. I loved him so much.
“If you don’t tell me what you’ve done, Ava. I can’t protect you,” Kai was saying, the scene of possible betrayal playing out like a gangster drama.
Max watched in silence from beside Sean. Like two mates at a football match, ironic really.
“Protect me? No one can protect me. I fucking hate him!” she screamed.
“You ungrateful slut. He gave you and your mother a fucking home,” Kai returned, now starting to pace like a tiger in front of her. “You’ve really fucked up this time.”
“I don’t care, I want him inside and as far away from my mom and me as possible, either that or dead. Yes, in fact. I want him dead!”
“You don’t know what you’re saying, you silly, silly little girl,” Kai snarled. He then tore open the envelope and started pulling out what looked like papers and photographs.
Shaking his head, he twisted a look at Gabriel before turning back to face her. “Looks like your plan didn’t work so well little sister.”
“Go to hell! You have no idea what he’s like. He disgusts me.”
Kai’s shoulders slumped and he exhaled noisily before walking over to an old oil drum. He threw the documents inside and then pulled out a lighter. The flames flickered into the sky like serpent tongues as he started to burn whatever evidence Ava had dug up on whoever ‘he’ was.
As the drama continued, Max joined us and started to run his hands over my legs and upper torso.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Gabriel hissed, not happy that his friend was touching me.
Max growled with exasperation, “I’m looking for injuries, not copping a fucking feel!”
“Fine,” Gabriel shot back.
Max whipped his hands away and then started trying to snap the cable ties as Gabriel searched for something sharp. Hopefully, we’d be able to sneak out while their family crisis continued to play out.
I watched warily over their shoulders in case Sean noticed the two men he was supposed to be guarding were now attempting to untie me.
Stiffening, Kai’s deep, powerful voice rumbled from his position in the centre of the room.
“You’re fucked Ava, both you and your mother. You should have come to me first, I could have helped you, protected you both.” I could hear the regret in his voice, which shook slightly as he spoke.
“Protect me, since when have you ever done that? You never listen to what I say, you’re as bad as he is by turning the other way,” Ava sobbed.
“Turning the other way from what? You’re a lying little cow and you’d do anything for attention. Burning down the gym at school not to mention the other shit you’ve pulled,” Kai growled, maintaining a safe distance from her. His hands were fisted by his sides. I sure hoped they didn’t hurt her. She was borderline hysterical.
She sniffed and dashed a hand down her cheek which left a dirty smear.
“I never lied about that—about what he did to me, or—tried to do.”
“My Da never touched you, Ava. It’s all in your fucking warped head. Yes, he may be a monster but not that kind. He despises that type of shit.” I translated Da to the Irish version of Dad. So, Ava had dug up some dirt on Kai’s father and sent it to Gabriel for some reason.
“It shows how well you don’t know him. I hate him and I hate you—and you can go to hell with your father.”
And then everything seemed to go to shit.
Ava moved so fast it was almost a blur, the jerk of my body causing Gabriel and Max to push to their feet. You could taste blood in the air as she slid her hand inside Lester’s jacket and drew his gun on Kai.
She aimed it directly at his chest, her face full of fury.
Kai’s entire frame seemed to grow larger and an eerie quiet entered the space. “Ava, lower the gun, it’s over now,” he said, raising his arms. With a flick of his hand, he motioned for Sean to stand down as he moved towards his boss”s side. He had his own gun in his hand and Gabriel’s tucked into the waistband of his jeans.
“It’s not fucking over. How stupid do you think I am? I had a duplicate pack and it’s already with the police. Both were sent through different couriers as I had a feeling you had one of them in your pocket. I sent Garrett’s mutt a pack as insurance.”
Fucking hell. The tension just jumped up another notch.
“What the fuck, Ava!” Kai bellowed, jamming his hand into his hair.
“Your father is finished, Kai, and so are you.”
Ava then pulled the trigger; the bullet flew from the gun and I jammed my eyes closed as both Gabriel and Max jumped in front of me.
There was a grunt of pain and sheer terror had me jamming my wrists up, the plastic cutting into my skin. Fear that Gabriel had been shot caused a whirlwind of despair.
As the smoke from the gun cleared and the boys turned to face the action, I saw Kai. The small red dot on his white shirt started to grow. Ava had shot her stepbrother and just stood there looking at the damage she had caused with a pained, yet horrified expression.
Another beat passed as everyone realised what had happened and Sean moved, his gun still aimed at Ava. Her stricken eyes widened and she dropped the gun she had been holding and ran for the exit. Sean pulled the trigger but Kai rammed his arm up into the air, knocking the gun and the bullet missed her, hitting the ceiling.
Ava made it out of the door unhurt. Then Kai turned on his man, still holding his side, clearly in pain.
“Are you fucking nuts, what the hell were you thinking?” he belted, sweat starting to form on his face.
Sean stepped back with the gun lowered. “She shot you,” he pointed out.
“It’s a scratch and she’s a fucking child, are you out of your mind? Lester, go after her and under no circumstances are you to use your gun. I want her back here alive. Understood?”
“Boss,” he said with a nod of his head before running out the door.
Gabriel’s hands fell onto my shoulders from behind in a protective reassuring way and I just wanted it to be over.
We all watched in silence as Lester fled after Ava and Sean shoved his gun into his jacket, annoyed that he’d been told off for trying to protect his boss.
Kai walked over to the table with the vodka, his expression pained as he lifted his shirt from his jeans and touched the wound. I saw a flash of his strong abdominal muscles as his fingers came away red and my stomach somersaulted. I sure hoped I didn’t throw up.
“Motherfucker,” Kai said, shooting us a glance. He then tugged his shirt off over his head. His massive body was rippled with muscles and covered in tattoos and several nasty-looking scars. I imagined each of them had a story of their own.
Dashing a hand through his hair he then balled up his shirt, lifted the vodka bottle and splashed some onto the wound. “Fuck,” he growled, his eyes closing from the sting of the alcohol.
Kai then took a slug from the bottle and poured the rest onto his shirt, before pressing it against his side to stem the flow of blood.
Gabriel made to speak but Kai held up a finger as he used his free hand to get his phone. Swiping the screen with his thumb. He then held it to his ear. “I need to call my Da. You had better pray that yours is with him. He’ll need his best counsel to sort this shit storm out.”
And then the penny dropped. Gabriel’s father worked for Kai’s. So, the dodgy people Garrett was mixed up with was this family, the Kinlan’s.
After a moment or so, his call must have been answered as his expression dipped. Kai exhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring.
“Detective Rogers, this is a nice surprise—OK—No, I can’t see that happening but thanks for the offer. My father has his right to a phone call I believe. Get his lawyer on the fucking phone, now. I don’t give a shit if you drag him from his deathbed.”
Kai’s eyes were on Gabriel’s when he said it. So, I was right. Gabriel’s father worked to defend the mafia. They were also aware of this ill health.
Pulling his gaze away Kai then started pacing. “So where is he?”
From the sounds of things, Ava’s pack had reached the police and they had commandeered Kai’s father’s phone.
“Moonlight flit? Really. Why am I not surprised.” He then ended the call, dropped the phone onto the floor and smashed his heel against it. The device cracked into several pieces.
“It appears your father has done a runner,” Kai said. “What do you think I should do about that?”
“As far as I’m concerned, nothing. I don’t work for my old man and before you ask, I haven’t got a clue where he is so you can save it.”
“I want to believe you,” Kai replied, his face looking tired.
“I give you my word.”
The silence swirled around us, the atmosphere becoming thick with more tension and unresolved business.
“Look, you have my package. I would never have done anything with it even if I had found it before today. I didn’t know there was one until you messaged me. I saw what was in it and knew I wanted nothing to do with that shit. I don’t have a death wish, which is why I never joined my father’s business,” Gabriel rallied at Kai as he walked around me.
“I’m still thinking about it. I’ll let you leave. I’ve just not decided if that will be by foot or in a body bag. As you can imagine, I’m not in the best of moods.”
Gabriel dashed a hand down his face and Max moved to stand before him. “Look, I’ve told you. I’m no rat. I had nothing to do with today and I only met Ava at Garrett’s office that afternoon. Fuck knows why she sent that shit to me.”
“She saw you as a possible ally,” Kai said with a wince.
“Why?”
“You’re the only one to ever tell Gerard no.”
There was another drawn-out silence as Kai slumped on the chair in front of me and continued to bleed. My sob brought him to his senses and he lifted his gaze to mine.
“I would apologise for the trauma I’ve caused you today little fairy, but apologies are not my style.”
“Please, can we just leave now?” I said, my eyes searching his face. “And you need an ambulance,” I pointed out.
“I’ve had worse. The bullet went straight through and so I’ll live. No thanks to my bloodthirsty little stepsister.” So Ava’s mother was married to Kai’s father. I wondered what he’d done to her to make her hate him so much. What if Kai’s dad had touched her or something? The thought made me sick to my stomach.
Max cleared his throat and said something to Gabriel but I didn’t catch it. Lester then reappeared, he was out of breath and minus an Ava.
“She’s long gone, boss.”
There was a pause as Kai soaked up this information. “Fuck. Lester, call Doctor Farmer and say I need a patch-up job. Sean, call a meeting.”
“Yes, boss. What shall we say the meeting is about?”
“We’re going to need a restructure.”
“A restructure. The Don’s going down then,” Lester put in with a puzzled expression, having missed the telephone conversation.
“What does that mean boss?” Lester questioned as Kai pushed to his feet.
“It means there’s a new sheriff in town.”
Both Gabriel and Max looked towards me. “Kai. It’s time to let us leave.” Gabriel said in a firm voice.
From his tone, I suspected the ‘new sheriff’ was now standing before us. My sixth sense kicked in. Kai wasn’t as bad as he’d made out. The guy saved his stepsister even though she had shot him and so he had to have some empathy inside that hardened shell. A psychotic version but better than nothing.
I bit my lip as he limped over with his shirt now soaked red and drew a knife, causing Gabriel to shift back around me. Protective waves bounced from him.
“All right princess, calm your shit,” Kai said to Gabriel before running the knife carefully under the cable ties and freeing me. I pushed shakily to my feet and Gabriel dragged me into his arms. Emotion flooded me and I buried my face in his neck.
Kai stood before us with an empty expression, looking alarmingly pale. Why I felt a twinge of concern when the maniac had kidnapped me was anyone’s guess; Stockholm syndrome?
“I don’t need to explain what will happen to you if you speak about any of what you saw here today do I?” he said in a steely tone.
I felt Gabriel shake his head. “As I said, I’m not a rat.”
Kai took a moment to contemplate this and then took a step back, making a dismissive motion with his hand towards the door. “Go. Fuck off then.”
We then moved past him and his men slowly, no sudden moves with Gabriel’s strong arms around my shoulders. Sean moved and handed Gabriel’s gun to Max. “Here you go, Al Capone,” he said with a sneer. “I emptied the chamber so don’t get any ideas sunshine.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Max replied, pushing it into his pocket.
“Try not to shoot your dick off,” Gabriel said under his breath, earning him a death glare from his friend.
“Oh, just one more thing, Knight.”
Gabriel stiffened and turned back.
“I have an opening on my legal team. I’m fully legit. If you want a real job, come find me.”
A good minute passed by before Gabriel said. “Fully legit? So, no racketeering or violence of any kind?”
Kai’s mouth curled into a wicked smile. “One thing at a time sunshine. You can’t rush these things.” In other words, the violence wasn’t going away anytime soon.
“I’ll think about it,” Gabriel said, drawing me back against him.
“You do that.”
And with that, we left the building. I felt exhausted and numb and could hardly stand but I was back with Gabriel and we were alive.
Leonie
“Are you alright? Did he do anything? If he touched you, I’ll fucking kill him,” Gabriel growled, holding me by the arms and frantically scanning my body. I must have been sweating in there as my hair was plastered to my shoulders.
I took a huge breath to calm myself down. “I’m fine, he didn’t hurt me. He was quite civil, but with a weird serial killer type of vibe,” I panted, pushing my hair back from my face. “The whole thing was surreal. Eventually, my instincts told me I wasn’t in any real danger.”
Gabriel dragged me into his arms in a bear hug. “You must have been terrified,” he said, his hand cradling the back of my head. The heat of his body pressed against mine and I welcomed the safe feeling that generated.
“I was, at first but then—at the back of my mind, I think I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. It was you I was worried about,” I replied, a tremor running through my frame.
Gabriel pulled back and looked down at me with a serious expression.
“Kai wouldn’t have killed you. I wasn’t worried about that. He’s an eye for an eye type of guy and you”re innocent, you’re also a woman. They’re fucked up people but they do have some moral code. That’s why he didn’t allow Sean to shoot Ava. He could have hurt you though, caused you pain. I didn’t know it was Kai who had you until I came into the room. When I saw it was him, I was partly relieved, to be honest.”
“I was scared. I didn’t know what would happen to be honest. His personality was very unpredictable. And he held a gun to the back of my head!” That fact came biting back and caused a small sob to push through my throat.
“He didn’t.”
“What?”
“Kai never held a gun to your head. It was his lighter. He was fucking with you,” Gabriel explained.
“So, he has a twisted sense of humour then as he waved the real gun at me when he forced me into the car.”
“You can never be sure with these types of people Leonie. Max, go and bring the car around,” Gabriel instructed firmly, throwing him the keys. He caught them in midair.
“On it,” Max replied as he jogged off. I was thankful that we would be leaving soon, being hyper aware that we still hadn’t left the compound. Then again, neither had Kia or his men.
Briefly watching him go, Gabriel explained, “Kai’s father is Gerard Kinlan who my father works for. From what Kai said on the call, Garrett’s left the country. It also sounds like Gerard is going down. If Ava did send the same envelope that she sent me to the cops; he’s toast.”
“Do you think Kai will go after her? His stepsister? She said something which suggested Kai’s dad did things to her,” I said pulling away to look up at him. “What if she wasn’t lying and the guy abused her and her mother in some way?”
“Fuck knows. But it isn’t our fight, Leonie. You need to just forget about what you saw now. It’s over. It’s finally fucking over and the mighty Gerard is finished, for now anyway. Who would have thought it? Brought down by a teenager.”
“From what he said, Kai is taking over from his father. Will he have her killed?”
He shook his head. “No. He would have done it straight away and you saw how he reacted when Sean tried to shoot her. Anyway, it’s over now. I’m drawing a line under that life now. It ended with my father. Kai Kinlan may rise from the ashes and he’s rough as fuck, but he does most of his shit legitimately. If we keep our noses clean, he won’t come after us.”
“Please tell me you won’t take him up on his job offer?”
“No chance. The main reason I put a hold on anything happening between us was due to my connection to that darker shit. But that ends now. I’m done staying away, Leonie. I need to be with you.” Gabriel’s expression was severe, almost like he was in pain.
“Really?” Hope swelled in my chest as my eyes searched his perfect, unharmed face.
I vaguely heard Max bringing the car around. He must have remained in it with the engine labouring.
“Yes, really. I was going to tell you tonight over dinner but that got fucked up. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“About us getting together?” I smiled, relief and happiness crashing together.
He nodded, taking my hands in his. “I’ve been such a dick, but the minute I met you, my life changed. You sobered me up. I didn’t accept it at the time. I refused to allow something which had always been so basic to rule me. But it did, you did.
“I did? How?”
“You were so different from every other woman I had known. You knocked me on my arse, and I couldn’t let that happen, so I was hard on you, purposefully putting a wedge there.”
“Why?”
“You made me feel and feelings can make you weak.” I could read everything he was confessing in his eyes.
“So, what changed?” I blurted. The devastation of the last hour was washed away by his honesty.
“That day when you fainted, my protective side kicked in. I’ve only ever been that way with Asher. And then, we had lunch at Felice’s, and you looked so happy, I realised that I wanted to be the one to make you smile.” His words were a promise and a declaration at the same time and it turned my insides to mush.
“On the surface, we may not have known each other but our souls did. I’d never believed in fate before, but I do now. Everything about us screams meant to be and we need to embrace it, not turn our backs. You are and have been since that first day, the best part of me.” He stopped as if pausing for breath. “Do you understand what I’m trying to say?” His hand clasped my shoulders.
“I think so,” I said hesitantly, still partly in shock from everything that had happened.
“I didn’t realise it at first, as it’s never happened to me before, but I fell in love with you so fucking far. You’re my first love and I hope to fuck you want to be my last,” Gabriel whispered thickly.
“So much, it’s been killing me,” I almost screamed; the level of emotion pulsating through almost making me high. The shock of being kidnapped and at one point seeing my life flash before my eyes made me desperate to cement this thing between us as fast as possible.
“I want you, this, us.” I almost stuttered.
His shoulders dipped, “Even though I have been such an idiot?”
I nodded my head. “I understand why you pushed me away. You have a darkness in you, and I get that. To be honest, that’s probably what drew me to you in the first place. You dragged me out of my comfort zone; and forced me out of hiding. You may have been everyone else’s villain, but you were never mine. Not even in the beginning. I’ve been so numb for so long and you woke me up.
Ever since my parents’ death, I’ve had my head buried in the sand.” I paused to catch my breath before pushing up onto my tiptoes and kissing his lips, my arms now around his neck. “Loving you has been the most reckless, yet exciting thing I have ever done,” I said those words with my eyes locked on his.
“You love me?” Gabriel husked, pushing his forehead against mine.
I smiled. “Yes, I think I have all along.”
“Thank fuck,” he said on an exhale.
A car door slammed, and I could hear footsteps, but I didn’t care, my focus was on Gabriel.
He drew back, his grip tight on my shoulders before saying, “From now on no more lies or hiding how we feel. I won’t even ask you to be mine because we both know you already are. I love you so fucking much. You make me want to let go. I’ve always been so controlled in all aspects of life. But no more.”
“I agree,” I said almost breathlessly.
Gabriel then tugged me into his arms, pushing his head into my neck. “So, let’s complicate the fuck out of it together,” he whispered, inhaling against my throat.
“When you two love birds have finished, I’d like to get the hell out of here. This place gives me the willies and did you not get the dog shit story?”
“Great way to kill the mood dickhead,” Gabriel sighed, pulling back. His expression was one of amused exasperation.
“Well, what do you expect? Thank God I only got the last part. Sappy fuckers. We get it, she loves you and you love her; whoop-de-doo.”
“Let’s get you home, kitten,” Gabriel whispered, rubbing his thumb over something on my face. “You’ve got panda eyes.”
So, my mascara wasn’t waterproof. “I’m definitely going to need a shower,” I replied, pulling at my top which was sticking to me like a second skin.
Gabriel put his arm around my shoulders, his expression now feral and a thrill shot through me. “Me too, I’ll join you.”
“You know I’m standing right here?” Max chuntered with a huff.
“We know,” we both said simultaneously but our eyes remained locked on each other.
We all walked over to the car as Max said, “Well, now that you mention it. I could use a shower too. If you think you can handle us both?” We didn’t even turn to look at him.
“Never going to happen, Max. Get your own girlfriend,” Gabriel drawled, looking at me like I was his entire world. The fact that he’d called me his girlfriend made me want to scream into the sky, the trauma I had just gone through was worth it if it had forced Gabriel to face his true feelings. They say you don’t know what you’ve got until you’ve lost it. I buried that thought as it caused a shiver of dread to run through me.
As Gabriel and I climbed into the back of the Audi, Max jumped into the driver”s side, almost filling the entire space. He almost had to fold his body in half to get in. He started the engine and gave us both a glance in the rearview mirror. “I suppose I’ll give Natalie a call. You’re not the only one who needs his carnal urges satisfied.” His gaze bounced between us. He really was a sex fiend. Gabriel had told me some of Max’s kinks and they certainly wouldn’t have been for everyone.
“Come on, let’s leave this shit hole,” Gabriel instructed, forcing Max to jam his foot on the accelerator. The car jumped forward with a screech of tyres.
We sat in the back, ignoring Max’s comments about feeling like a taxi and Gabriel held my hand the entire journey back to the apartment.
As we drove through the streets of London, I realised how far I’d come in such a short space of time.
After the death of my parents, I had felt numb, almost pointless, to the level that some days I couldn’t feel my heart beating. Broken mentally and physically.
I came to the big bad city with the view of becoming a professional dancer and I was now on my way. I had an audition for the Royal Ballet, something I had thought wasn’t yet within my reach, but Gabriel had encouraged me to go for it.
I’d survived Simon. I’d worked in a gentleman’s club (or strip bar, Gabriel’s words not mine). I’d fainted from starvation, crumbled in a blackout, and now I’d been held at gunpoint by the Irish mafia. Yes, I’d made enemies but I’d also made friends.
Having found myself in London, that little girl wasn’t lost anymore. And it had taken one bad boy to draw that out; rip her from that hiding place.
I had come to realise that the broken person I used to be had been pieced back together. I was no longer fragile.
The feeling of being out of my depth and alone was gone, I was now part of a set; one that had shades of both light and dark, but that complemented the hell out of each other.
And I had the rest of my life to look forward to
Most importantly of all, I’d fallen in love with the bully of my nightmares but the man of my dreams.