31. Chapter 31
Chapter thirty-one
Gabe
A bbie stares at me with big, worried eyes, and I have never wanted to wash away anyone’s worry like I do this woman’s. “Please don’t do this,” she whispers, grabbing my hoodie as I hold her phone to my ear.
But I have to do this. I have to lay down the rule of law with her ex, who demands, “You’re treading on dangerous water, Maxwell. Careful where you step.”
I smirk and turn away from Abbie, not interested in her seeing this part of me just yet, but I really have no choice. “Threats will get you everywhere with me,” I assure him, “and nowhere with Abbie. I like them. I revel in them. I get off on them, but when they’re directed at Abbie, you become a stalker, and stalkers get arrested.”
He snorts. “Stalker. The stalker who fucked her a whole lot more than you ever will. And I’ll fuck her again and again and again if I want her. She’s mine when I say she’s mine. She’s playing you, fucking you to fuck with me. How does it feel to be toyed with and used?”
It’s everything Reid had warned me about, but it’s also him trying to get into my head and he’s not getting into my head. “Let’s talk about getting fucked and played,” I say. “As in bend over without even a finger of Vaseline. That’s you if you keep on playing these head games with Abbie. You want the property the shelter is on? Be a fucking man and pay up. If you don’t, you don’t get it.”
“Now you’re her attorney, too? She really is playing you, isn’t she?”
“Damn straight I am. You want to talk about the shelter, call my office and set-up an appointment.”
“She’ll be in jail before she blinks. I don’t need to pay up.”
“The press you’re going to get over this isn’t going to be favorable.”
“There’s no one in the press that will cross me.”
“Are you willing to gamble on that?”
“Are you willing to throw away everything for a romp in the sack? Because you’re declaring war with me, Jean Claude, and your father.”
“Now you’re just trying to turn me on. Hold on. Let me adjust my pants.”
He growls into the phone. “I told you. You’re in dangerous territory. You want war, I’ll give you war.”
“Be sure you know who you’re going to war with before you declare it. Ask Jean Claude what the Maxwell brothers are capable of and then get back to me. And don’t call Abbie again. Ever.”
“She’s a little cunt, just like you.”
“I know I’m under a man’s skin when he starts using the C-word. Make an appointment with my secretary and we’ll talk about the terms of a sale.” I disconnect and turn to face Abbie, who immediately goes off on me.
“What was that, Gabe? What gave you the right to do that?”
“I’m protecting you.”
“I didn’t ask you to protect me.”
“You came to me, to my firm to represent you.”
“And instead we ended up fucking.”
Dexter whines.
I step toward Abbie and she backs up. “Stop. Stop right there. You—”
“Protected you.”
“You baited him. You pissed him off. You made it worse.”
“I let him know that you’re not alone.”
Her green eyes spark with anger. “You act like I’m your property.” Her voice is low, taut.
“Like you’re my woman,” I bite out.
“And that means you get to make my decisions? If that’s what being your woman means, then I’m out. I’ve been there, done that and I’m not doing it again.” She shoves Dexter’s leash at me and turns away. “I’ll get an Uber.”
I catch her arm and turn her around to me. “You’re comparing me to him now? Because I want to protect you?”
“Protecting me doesn’t mean making my decisions. And if I get owned, I want it to be in bed, not like this.”
I pull her to me. “I’m not trying to own you. That’s not what I want. Except in bed. I do want to own you in bed.”
“You already do,” she whispers, “but isn’t that the problem? You think because I submit there that I will submit anywhere?”
“No. No, Abbie.” I scrub my jaw and cut my stare before I look at her and offer a reluctant explanation. “I’m not good at relationships for reasons that we don’t have time for right now. I’m fucked up and ten shades of trouble, but damn it, I’m all in with you. Be all in with me.”
“I told you I am, but then you—you did that. You should have talked to me.”
“I really believe that what I just did was good for you.”
“He’s brutal, Gabe. He will come after you and me ten times harder now.”
“He won’t.”
“He will,” she insists. “He will. That was a cock fight and in case you didn’t know, he’s five-foot-nine with a short man’s complex, and he flexes with his money and his power.”
“I have more money than you think I have. More than he knows I have, which is in our favor.”
“Gabe,” She grabs my lapels. “What part of this do you not get? He scares me. He should scare you.”
“He doesn’t scare me and he won’t scare you when I’m done with him.”
“Do you remember when I told you that he told me Jean Claude had people killed for crossing him? Money and power aren’t going to help you or us if we’re dead.”
“I’m my father’s son. No one is going to kill me or you.”
“That’s it. We’re broken up. The end. You and I are no more.” She tries to pull away again.
I mold her close. “We’re not over.”
“You don’t get to make that decision. I’m part of the us. I’m part of the we.”
I drop Dexter’s leash and step on it and then cup her head. “I’m going to have to kiss you now.”
“Fine. Kiss me goodbye.”
“Does this taste like goodbye?” I demand, my lips closing down on hers, my tongue stroking deeply into her mouth, my desire for this woman, my need for her, burning through me, and lacing that kiss. “Does it?” I demand when my lips part hers.
“I will not let you get yourself killed,” she says, “so yes, it’s goodbye.”
I kiss her again and this time I mold her close, my hand on her back, fingers splaying between her shoulder blades, my mouth devouring her until once again I demand, “Is that goodbye?”
She breathes out and whispers. “Next time ask me before you do anything like that.”
“Next time I’ll ask.”
“And you only get to own me—”
“If an orgasm is involved,” I supply. “I can live with that.” I stroke her cheek. “I don’t want to own you, Abbie. I want so much more.” I stroke her cheek. “Let’s go get that burger.”
“Yes. Let’s.”
We turn toward the steps and Dexter whines and lifts his paw. We both laugh and give him attention before we head out to our ride where it waits. Once Dexter is back in the front seat with our driver and we’re in the back, I pull Abbie close. Her fear of her ex worries me. Her fear of murder downright sends a chill down my spine, and with good reason. With what I know that Abbie doesn’t is that my father and Jean Claude, her ex’s partner at least in some portions of business, have something in common. And that something is murder.