Gabriel, p.11
Gabriel, page 11
Dropping the phone on the bed, I went to the kitchen to check on the lasagna. The closer I got, the stronger the burned smell was. The fire alarm went off and I ran the last few steps.
Waving a hand in front of my face, I raced to the oven, turning it off. When I opened it hot smoke smacked me in the face.
I backed up, my eyes watering. Coughing, I turned and blindly felt my way out. My hand collided with a warm surface.
Arms closed around me. “What happened? Are you okay?” Gabriel led me out of the kitchen. “How much smoke did you inhale?”
“I’m fine.” A cough escaped, mocking my declaration. “I need to open the windows to let the smoke out.”
He led me to the stairs, sitting me on the bottom one. “Stay here. I’ll sort it.”
After I heard a lot of swearing and banging, the fire alarm turned off, and he reappeared. “Not sure what you were trying to make, but it’s now fused to the pan it was in.”
Tears sprang to my eyes, and I turned my head to the side to cover them. “That was supposed to be dinner.” My voice came out wobbly.
Gabriel took a seat next to me. “How do you feel about pizza?”
Licking my lips, I exhaled, successfully stopping more tears from falling. His attention shifted to my mouth and stayed there, as if he couldn’t help himself.
“I’ve never had pizza.”
His head snapped up, his gaze meeting mine. “You’ve never had pizza?”
“I wasn’t allowed to. But I always wanted to try it.”
He got up, and I noticed how tight his T-shirt fit over his chest and biceps. The effect was mesmerizing.
Putting his hands in his pockets, he stood facing me. “Then it’s settled. We’re having pizza for dinner.”
Burned lasagna forgotten, I couldn’t help but smile. “Can I have pepperoni? Or Hawaiian? Oh, wait. I want one with everything. Or should I start small?”
Gabriel’s face went soft, losing all of his usual sternness. “You can have whatever you want. Here, have a look at the menu.”
He handed me his phone, the menu already on the screen. Our fingers brushed, but I ignored the now-familiar jolt running through me at the contact. Whatever was between us would fizzle out eventually if I ignored it long enough.
We ended up ordering four pizzas, and I was so excited I couldn’t keep still. Gabriel let me choose a movie, and we ate while sitting on the couch and watching TV, another first for me.
Once I finished, I sank back into the couch with a groan, patting my belly. “I can’t move.”
He laughed, the deep, rumbling sound shooting through every part of my body. “I’m not surprised since you ate almost a whole pizza.”
His phone rang, and he shot me an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, but I have to take this. We’ve been having issue at one of our warehouses.”
My body locked up tight when he didn’t move from his seat on the other end of the couch. I clenched my hands so hard my nails bit into my palms, drawing blood.
Why isn’t he going to another room? Maybe I should excuse myself before I hear something I shouldn’t.
Oblivious to my inner turmoil, he shot me a smile before answering whoever was on the phone. “Nobody knows that the next shipment is coming in two days earlier. That should stop any issues. And we have a decoy filled with our men on the actual day, so hopefully we’ll finally catch the bastards who’ve been messing with our shipments.”
He listened to the other person talking, and I stood up. Gabriel shot me a raised eyebrow, and I mouthed, “Bathroom.” Then I ran out of there, locking myself in one of the guest bathrooms on the bottom floor.
Before I could think about it, I pulled my phone out of my hoodie pocket where I’d stashed it earlier and texted Aleksándr.
Me: The next shipment is coming two days early. Don’t touch the one arriving on the day. It’s a trap.
He didn’t respond, but I didn’t expect him to. He’d complain that I’d texted instead of calling, but the less I spoke to him, the better. The guilt about what I’d just done made my stomach constrict. Rushing to the toilet, I threw up all the delicious pizza I’d consumed.
Once the heaving stopped, I splashed water on my face, avoiding looking in the mirror. The hate and shame over the person I’d been forced to become made me want to smash the glass. I’d never despised my life more than in that moment.
I made my way back to the living room, my shoulders sagging in relief when I saw Gabriel wasn’t on the phone anymore.
His face lit up when I walked back inside, and the guilt and regret I felt every moment of every day tightened its hold on me.
He turned the movie back on. I wished he would still be the jerk I’d first met. Hatred I could channel into something useful, since I’d had plenty of practice. Actual feelings, on the other hand, made me a bumbling mess.
“Have you thought of what you want to do?”
Gabriel’s question surprised me. He’d never asked me about my plans, and I didn’t think he’d given my future much thought. Wives stayed at home. I hadn’t planned on telling him about college in case he didn’t want me to go, but his earnest expression made the words spill out.
“I signed up for a few college classes. They’re online, and I don’t even have to leave the house for them. They don’t cost much. It’s only basic courses. But if you don’t want me to take them, I’ll cancel. I’m sorry I didn’t ask you first.”
Now would be a good time to shut up.
Gabriel watched me, a deep line forming between his brows. When I finished talking, he leaned forward. “If you want to go to college, go to college. If you want to shop all day, shop all day. If you want to take up golf, go for it. Whatever it is you want to do, do it. It’s your life. Live it the way you want to.”
I gaped at him. Nobody had ever let me decide what to do with my life. He’d already given me so much, yet he kept giving me more. And I deserved none of it.
Not thinking about it, I threw myself at him. He didn’t miss a beat, catching me and pulling me into his body. I buried my face in his neck. “Thank you.” My lips brushed his skin with each word, and his arms around me tightened.
I could have stayed like that forever, safe in his arms. But unless I wanted things to go further, I had to back up. Being this close to him made it easy to think we could be more.
Once I was safely back in my corner of the couch, I decided this was the perfect time to tell him about my guest.
“I talked to Caspar.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed at the mention of my old friend, his body going taut.
When he didn’t respond, I continued talking. “And he’s coming over for lunch next week.”
“One guard will be in here with you. And Cleo isn’t to leave your side.”
I’d expected more resistance, my body sitting tall, ready for a fight. But at his words I deflated. “That’s fine.”
We didn’t talk again and it didn’t take long for my eyes to close. I drifted off with thoughts of sparkling blue eyes.
Arms came around me, and then I felt myself being lifted. I tucked myself into Gabriel’s body, resting my head on his chest, a content sigh passing my lips.
He gently laid me into bed, and I drifted off again, but not before feeling the sheets sliding over my body, then a kiss on my forehead.
Memories like tonight would get me through what was to come. Because it was only a question of time until my husband found out about my betrayal.
Chapter 13
Gabriel
“And then I told him he could just keep the money since we had enough anyway.”
My attention snapped back to my brother. “Please tell me you didn’t fucking say that.”
He threw a paper plane at me that didn’t even make it past the desk. “Of course not. But good to know you’re back. You’ve been staring at your computer screen for the past ten minutes, not listening to a word I’ve been saying.”
I spaced out more and more lately. And it was always because of my new obsession—my wife.
The last week with Vanna had been as frustrating as it had been the best of my life. I ate dinner with her every day. We went to bed together, and I’d woken up more than once during the night wrapped around her.
I was falling for my wife and had no idea if she felt the same. I’d been trying to make up for how I behaved when we’d first gotten married, and I hoped she could forgive me. I wanted nothing more than to make our marriage a real one.
But I’d caught her watching me more than once. Which meant I made sure to never take a change of clothes into the bathroom with me. I’d also delayed the delivery of the bed we’d ordered for the guest room.
She thought there was an issue with the store. But I’d called them and asked for the order to be put at the end of the queue, which meant a four-week wait.
Sliding into bed next to her was now the favorite part of my day. I’d always worked until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. Now I went to bed before midnight, eager to feel her against me.
“I have a lot on my mind.”
I shot him a practiced arctic glare, which he shrugged off with a grin. Then he bent back over the desk, working on another paper plane.
“And by a lot, you mean your wife?”
“Fuck off.”
“Freya called while you were busy salivating over thoughts of Vanna. She’s taking her out for lunch, and Mom is getting everything ready. She said to be there by two.”
I checked the time, noticing we had a little over two hours. My family was throwing Vanna a birthday party at our house. She thought Freya was organizing a party for this weekend, but we wanted to surprise her and had set everything up for tonight.
After Vanna told Freya that she’d never had a birthday party, my sister went into planning mode. And I went in search of the perfect present. Which I should pick up now since I had to drive out to Jefferson Park to get it.
The thought of Vanna not liking what I’d gotten for her made me break out in a cold sweat. I could negotiate million-dollar deals and fire a gun without flinching. But Vanna had the power to turn me into a bumbling fool without even doing anything.
“Did you go over the budget for the new marketing campaign? It needs to be signed off by—”
I stood up, cutting Jude off midsentence. “I’ll go over the contract tomorrow.”
Our legitimate businesses took up more and more of my time. While I welcomed the change, it was also a huge adjustment, going over budgets and paperwork and attending endless meetings in boardrooms instead of in back rooms in the middle of the night while having a drink.
I also hadn’t been in a fight in too long. Apparently it was too damaging to our new pristine reputation. We’d never be completely clean, but our public relations team had certainly done a lot of work to make it appear so.
He jumped up, following me out of my office. “You what? It’s midday. You have a couple hours left before we have to be at the party.” I didn’t respond, and he continued walking next to me. “Where the hell are you going?”
“Picking up Vanna’s present. Now go away.”
I stepped into the elevator, leaving my slack-jawed brother behind.
The drive out to Jefferson Park would take thirty minutes. I still had to complete all the paperwork and then drive back to the house. I was already cutting it close if I wanted to get there before Vanna.
When I pulled up to the building, I once again wondered if I should have bought a puppy instead of rescuing an older dog. But I thought this was perfect for a girl who left milk out for the stray cat that kept coming onto our property.
I entered through the scratched and worn door, carefully closing it behind me.
The manager of the dog rescue greeted me with a wide smile. “Mr. Olysses. I’ll get Daisy for you. The paperwork is on the counter.”
“Thank you, Nanette. That sounds great.”
She pointed to a stack of papers on the counter, pen on top. “Can you please fill out the first two pages? The rest is information for you to keep.” She turned for the door behind her. “I’ll be right back.”
It didn’t take me long to fill out the form. Once I was done, I wandered through the small space that made up the reception. Pictures of dogs of all shapes and sizes covered the walls. I was looking at a little three-legged fluffy white dog when the door opened again.
Nails scratched on the floor, and then Daisy’s head appeared, followed by her vibrating body. We’d hit it off as soon as I’d walked into the play area where first introductions were made.
It had taken about three seconds for Daisy to collapse to the floor and roll onto her back for belly scratches.
Nanette held out the lead. “Here she is.”
Daisy jumped in place, licking my hand when I reached out to pat her. Leaving my hand on the soft fur of her back, I turned my attention back to Nanette. “I left the completed paperwork and adoption fee on the counter. And I’ll send you photos once she’s settled in.”
“That would be wonderful. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
She walked back to the desk, and I made my way to the door next to a jumping Daisy. If she were a person, she’d be hollering and skipping next to me. I just hoped Vanna appreciated her new dog’s excitable nature as much as I did.
A gasp behind me made me look back. Nanette was staring at the check. “I think you accidentally put too many zeros on this.”
“No accident. I hope you can put the money to good use.”
Her free hand covered her mouth, and tears shimmered in her eyes. “Thank you so much. This will keep us going for at least two years.”
I didn’t reply, walking out without looking back again. I didn’t do tears.
Daisy jumped into the back seat as if she’d been doing it her whole life. I’d laid out a blanket for her on the leather seats, hoping to keep the scratches to a minimum. An Aston Martin wasn’t made to transport dogs.
I obsessively checked the rearview mirror, making sure she was comfortable. She didn’t mind the drive, her loud snores ringing through the car.
When I made it back home, delivery vans crowded my driveway, the gate was wide open, and people were everywhere.
Daisy’s head shot up as soon as I parked next to the garage off to the side. “You ready to see your new home?”
Her wagging tail thumped loudly on the seat in response.
I slid out of the car, then retrieved Daisy, walking her over to the grass to give her a chance to do her business.
After a lot of sniffing and more excited tail wagging and hand licking, she finally did her thing. Eager to show off my present, I walked her inside, nearly running over my brother.
Jude tripped in his haste to back up. “What the hell is this?” His girly shriek followed a jump into a side table.
“This is Daisy. Vanna’s birthday present.”
“There is something seriously wrong with you, brother. Girls want little fluffy dogs, not demon dogs who were bred to guard the gates of hell.”
I placed my hand on Daisy’s head, scratching her behind the ears. “She’s a Great Dane mix and a sweetheart. So be nice or you’ll hurt her feelings.”
Jude gaped at me. “Hurt her feelings? Are you kidding me?”
Giving him the finger, I walked my present into the living room, my brother following at a considerable distance. She strutted straight up to the couch, collapsing in a contented heap on the cushions.
“Vanna told me she always wanted a dog.”
He let out a strangled laugh. “Emphasis on dog, not horse.”
“Fuck off. She’s going to love my present.”
Jude stopped next to me, both of us watching Daisy roll onto her back, head half hanging off the couch. She groaned, her eyes closed, and then she started snoring.
Mom rushed into the room, her usually perfectly coiffed hair sticking up in wild tangles. “There you are.” She stopped in front of us, ignoring the giant dog snoring on the couch. She must have really been frazzled to miss the chainsaw in the background. “The flower guy hasn’t shown up, and he’s not answering his phone. And Freya just messaged to say they’ll be back in an hour. You need to get flowers. Now.”
Jude and I groaned in perfect unison. There would be no way out of this, so we might as well get it over with.
He turned for the door, slapping me on the arm. “You driving?”
“Sure.” I shot Mom what I hoped was a reassuring smile. I had no fucking clue where to get flowers from on such short notice. Because I knew Mom, and a few bunches of flowers wouldn’t satisfy her. “Can you watch Daisy while we’re out? I don’t want her chewing on anything that might make her sick.”
Mom frowned, looking around the room in confusion. “Who’s Daisy?”
Jude snickered beside me, pointing at the couch. Mom followed the line of his finger, her eyes going wide. “What in the world is that?”
“That, dear Mother, is Daisy.”
Laughing, Jude walked out of the room, leaving me to trail after him, reassuring Mom. “She’s a sweetheart. You’ll love her.”
Mom blinked at me, then looked back at Daisy, who was oblivious to her surroundings.
Jude was waiting for me by the car, and we drove to the closest florist, buying every single flower they had. I had no idea about what matched and what didn’t, so we thought it safest to just get everything and let Mom decide.
We’d crammed as many flowers as we could into my car, the trunk too small to fit more than a few bundles. Jude was covered in bouquets, his body pressed against the door. I had flowers on my lap and dashboard. The back seat was covered, the smell making me nauseous.
Jude let out a pained groan when I hit a dip in the road and his head smashed against the window. “If anyone sees us, it’ll haunt us for the rest of our short lives.”
“Our lives aren’t going to be short.”
He scoffed. “You used to be more realistic than this. Just because Dad got lucky doesn’t mean we will.”
