Dark Angel: A Dark Romance: London Ruthless Series Book 1 (The London Ruthless Series)

by Sadie Kincaid

  ‘Yeah, okay,’ Sebastian said with a yawn. ‘Give me an hour though, I’ve only just got up.’

  ‘Good. I feel like beating the shit out of someone.’

  I could almost see Sebastian smiling on the other end of the line. ‘Nice. I’ll see you there at nine.’

  A few minutes after my call to Sebastian, my phone rang. Seeing Samantha’s number on the screen, I pressed the button on my steering wheel to answer.

  Her voice filled the car. ‘Good morning, handsome. I missed you.’

  God, she was a good fucking actress. ‘Did you really?’ I snapped.

  ‘Of course I did. You seem a bit moody this morning,’ she laughed.

  ‘I’m busy. I’ll speak to you later,’ I said before ending the call, afraid that I would say something that I could never take back if I kept on talking. I needed my head to be a bit clearer before I confronted her. I couldn’t believe how deceitful she was being. Phoning me like nothing had happened. As though she hadn’t spent the night fucking someone else. I had been in this position before, and I’d promised myself I’d never allow it to happen again. I hated the feeling of not being in control, of being vulnerable. As much as I tried to convince myself that I was in control when it came to Samantha, I knew I was only fooling myself. She had all the power.

  She had me by the balls.

  But now, I felt like I hardly knew her at all. I couldn’t see any way back from this for us. I would never be able to trust her again.

  Chapter 41

  Samantha

  ‘Your partner is a moody sod sometimes, do you know that?’ I said to my father as he handed me a cup of coffee.

  ‘Why, what’s going on?’ he stared at me.

  Suddenly, I remembered who I was talking to. ‘Oh, nothing. Maybe he hasn’t had much sleep?’

  ‘Maybe? I think he had a rough night. He’s asked me to go for a session on the pads and he only does that when he’s either very pissed off, or someone has really done a number on him — or both. We haven’t had a good sparring session for ages,’ my dad said with a grin.

  ‘Scott did mention he was sorting out an issue at one of the clubs last night?’

  My dad nodded. ‘Yes, we had a bit of trouble. That’s probably it. Although I assumed it was all sorted. He never phoned me back about it.’

  ‘Oh well, maybe he’ll tell you what’s really bothering him?’ I suggested.

  My dad laughed. ‘Don’t be daft. We’re going to fight, not talk,’ he rolled his eyes as he walked out of the kitchen.

  I was at home putting fresh sheets on my bed when I turned to see Gabriel standing in the doorway of my bedroom. His large frame filled it. He looked like he’d come fresh from his boxing session and I felt a familiar stirring in the base of my abdomen.

  ‘Hello, handsome,’ I grinned. ‘I hope you’ve saved some of that energy for me.’

  He glared at me. ‘At least you have the decency to change the fucking sheets.’

  ‘Pardon?’ I blinked at him.

  ‘I saw you, Samantha,’ he growled, but it wasn’t his usual growl — the one that turned my insides to jelly. There was no hint of anything but anger in his face. His huge arms were folded across his chest. Suddenly, I became very aware of how big his hands were — they were hands that could cause some serious damage. He remained in the doorway and it registered that he was blocking my exit. I could hear my heart beating in my ears. I swallowed. What on earth had got into him? Where was my Gabe?

  ‘Saw me?’ I asked, entirely confused by where this was going.

  ‘This morning. In here. The two of you. After you’d spent the night fucking.’

  I blinked at him and then the proverbial penny dropped. Suddenly it all made sense.

  ‘That was just Nick-' I started.

  ‘Nick!’ He snarled. ‘That makes it okay then. You were only fucking your best mate. That’s fine then, is it? I hope he was good. I hope he was fucking worth it.’

  I walked towards him. ‘Will you let me bloody finish? That was just Nick and Maria. They’ve had a thing for each other for ages. He happened to bump into her last night. They couldn’t go back to Nick’s because the kids were there with his mum. And Maria is currently staying with her brother. So, I let them use the flat.’

  ‘And where did you stay?’ he snarled.

  ‘At my dad’s, of course. You’ve just spent almost two hours with him and he didn’t mention that to you?’ I said with a shake of my head. ‘I was intending to go to your place but Scott told me you were sorting some problem out at one of the clubs and weren’t home. I don’t have a key for your house, and I was tired anyway, so I went to my dad’s.’

  I could see him scanning my face — deciding whether I was telling the truth. He uncrossed his arms from his chest and started to frown.

  ‘Ask my dad and Scott if you don’t believe me, Gabe,’ I snapped.

  ‘Jesus, Samantha,’ he said with a sigh. ‘I thought…’

  ‘I know what you thought. No wonder you were in a bad mood when I phoned you. But what if I had been with someone else, Gabe? What did you come here to do?’ The tension started to creep into my voice. That fear I felt had rankled me.

  It was his turn to act bewildered. ‘What?’

  ‘You come here, all pumped up from your boxing session, standing in my doorway, scowling at me. Looking like you wanted to go a few more rounds — with me. What were you intending to do?’

  ‘To talk to you.’

  ‘Well, it didn’t feel like it.’

  ‘Sam,’ he said, stepping towards me. ‘I would never hurt you. Never. No matter what. You have to know that.’

  ‘It’s easy to say that now, isn’t it? Now that you know I didn’t do anything wrong. But what if I had?’ I pushed him away from me. My head started to spin. Fear was an emotion that I used to feel on a daily basis. And even the slightest hint of it now sent me into fight or flight mode. This was not how I wanted to live the rest of my life. ‘I’ve spent too much of my life scared of doing the wrong thing. I’m not prepared to do it anymore.’

  ‘Sam,’ he pleaded.

  ‘I want you to leave, Gabriel.’

  ‘Sam?’

  ‘Please!’

  ‘Okay. If that’s what you really want?’

  ‘It is,’ I said assertively. ‘I need some space.’ Although I wasn’t sure if that was what I wanted at all. All I knew was that I had been afraid of him — even though it was for the briefest moment, and I had promised myself I would never let anyone make me feel like that ever again.

  Gabriel

  I climbed into my car and punched the steering wheel.

  Fuck!

  Why hadn’t I just asked questions instead of assuming the worst? I hated the way Samantha always ran from me, or pushed me away whenever we had a problem. It made me feel like she was still waiting for me to fuck up. I’d told myself that I wouldn’t let her do that to me anymore. I would force her to talk to me and deal with our problems like a grown up. And then the first time we’d had one, I’d managed to fuck it up all by myself.

  As soon as I’d realised it hadn’t been her in that bed this morning, I’d wanted to pick her up and throw her down onto it. I’d wanted to show her my preferred method of solving problems — by burying myself inside her and making her forget why she was so angry with me.

  But I fucked up massively. I’d scared her. I had seen the terror in her eyes and it made me feel sick as I remembered how she’d looked at me. She had spent too much of her life living in fear, and now she was scared of me too. I was supposed to be her Angel Gabriel, wasn’t I? I was the man who should protect her, and now I was just another man she was afraid of.

  Chapter 42

  Samantha

  It had been two whole days since I had seen or spoken to Gabriel. I was glad that he’d respected my request to leave me alone, but if I was honest, I was already missing him like crazy. Poor Scott had been designated as my personal chauffeur for the time being, and he refused
to engage in any Gabriel related discussion.

  I was sitting at my desk, twiddling with a paperclip and staring out of the window when Nick walked in.

  ‘Good God, Samantha. You’ve been walking around with a face like a slapped arse all day,’ he said as he took a seat. ‘What the hell is wrong with you?’

  I shrugged.

  ‘Come on. It’s me. What’s up?’ he asked, his voice full of concern.

  I relayed the details of my fight with Gabriel.

  ‘I’m sorry, Samantha. I feel so responsible,’ he said.

  ‘Don’t be daft. What we fought over isn’t the issue anyway, Nick. It’s the fact that I was afraid of him.’

  ‘Well, he does have that menacing quality,’ he shuddered.

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes. He’s huge, and he has that mean and moody thing going on. I imagine he could, and probably does, given his chosen career, frighten the shit out of people on a regular basis. Do you think he was trying to scare you? Or was he just angry?’

  ‘I don’t know. He was angry, and I suppose I can’t blame him for that after he assumed I’d taken some random home for a quick shag?’

  ‘Maybe his reaction was perfectly normal then? Because of your experience though, it’s only natural that you might perceive things differently?’

  ‘Maybe?’ I considered Nick’s take on the matter. He was probably the only person I ever allowed to pass any comment on my experience with Jackson and how it had deeply affected me. Perhaps because he had been with me through it all? Perhaps because I never felt judged or pitied by him – he was logical and rational and it was one of the reasons I valued his opinion so much. ‘It was the way he stood in the doorway, blocking the exit. I started to panic,’ I said.

  ‘I imagine he fills most doorways, Samantha.’

  ‘Do you think he would hurt me?’

  ‘You know him much better than I do. I know that he cares for you. Anyone can see that. But that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t hurt you. Has he ever done anything at all to suggest he would? You know the warning signs. Are there any with him?’

  ‘No. I’ve never felt like that with him before.’

  ‘You should talk to him, Samantha. You need to decide, one way or another — for both of your sakes. Speak to him, will you?’

  I nodded. ‘I will.’

  ‘Good. Until then, why not come for a drink with me tonight? I kind of mentioned to Maria I might be at O’Malley’s later. At least if you’re with me, I won’t look like such a desperate case going there on my own.’

  ‘I don’t think so, Nick. I’m not sure I fancy being your third wheel,’ I rolled my eyes at him.

  ‘Don’t be silly. You won’t be. She’ll be with her work mates. Please, Samantha?’ he looked at me with pleading eyes.

  ‘Oh, don’t. You know I can’t say no to you when you do the puppy dog eyes.’

  ‘Pleeeaaase?’ he said again.

  ‘Okay. But just for one or two. Once you’re coupled up with Maria, I’m off home.’

  ‘You are a true friend,’ he said with a grin.

  I perched on a stool at the small table at O’Malley’s and watched in frustrated annoyance as Nick and Maria flirted with each other. Maria’s work mates turned out to be a single work mate, Neil, the receptionist from her building. I tried to make conversation with him but all he talked about was the gym and how he made sure he hit his macros every day. It was beyond tedious and no matter how many times I tried to change the subject, he changed it right back.

  Finally, admitting defeat, I faked a yawn and declared I was heading home.

  ‘I’ll come with you,’ Neil said. ‘I need my beauty sleep,’ he said, winking at me. ‘We can share a cab.’

  Nick laughed. ‘Samantha doesn’t get cabs. She has her own personal chauffeur service.’

  I scowled at him.

  ‘What?’ Neil asked.

  ‘Take no notice of him,’ I said. ‘But, yes I do have a lift. I just need to give him a text. We can drop you at the station if you like though?’ Since I had asked Gabriel for some space, Scott had resumed his role as my driver. I knew better than to resist and have my father asking questions. As far as I was aware, he didn’t know about my fight with Gabriel and I was happy for it to stay that way, at least until I knew what the future held for us.

  ‘Oh, yeah? Okay then?’ Neil said with a grin, as though he knew something I didn’t.

  I frowned at him. ‘I’ll text him now and then nip to the ladies. He probably won’t be far. Then we can wait outside.’

  Neil nodded eagerly and downed the rest of his gin and tonic.

  A few moments later, Scott had replied to say he was on his way and I was standing outside with Neil. ‘So, is this your boyfriend coming to pick you up or something?’ he asked me.

  ‘No,’ I shook my head. ‘Just someone who works for my dad. It’s a long story.’

  ‘Oh,’ he flashed his eyebrows at me. ‘So, you’re free and single then?’

  I turned to him laughed. ‘That’s kind of a long story too.’

  ‘Oh, like that, is it?’ he said and then he moved quickly, wrapping his arms around my waist and sliding his hands dangerously close to my behind. ‘How about I come to your place then? I can show you my push up form?’ he grinned.

  I blinked at him. Had I read those signals completely wrong? No, surely he had? What on earth during our past hour of boring conversation had made him think I would even consider that option? I was about to push him away and tell him to get lost when I heard a familiar voice behind me and my stomach sank through my knees and onto the floor.

  ‘Your lift is here, Samantha,’ he growled.

  I pushed Neil away from me and turned to see Gabriel’s face. He was scowling at me — all anger and frustration, and nothing but fury in his eyes. I didn’t even have a chance to respond before he stalked off towards O’Malley’s. I thought about shouting after him, but then I heard the beep of a car horn and saw Scott holding up traffic waiting for me.

  I turned and walked towards the waiting car.

  ‘Hey, what about my lift?’ Neil shouted.

  ‘Walk,’ I shouted back.

  ‘Hey, Scott,’ I said as I climbed into the back seat. ‘I didn’t realise Gabriel would be coming with you?’

  ‘Yeah. He grabbed a lift at the last minute. He needed to see some of our bouncers at O’Malley’s. I’ll swing by and pick him back up once I’ve dropped you off.’

  ‘Oh,’ I replied as I sat back against the seat. I wished I’d known he was coming. What must he have thought when he saw Neil standing there with his hands practically on my arse? Not that I had done anything wrong. Neil, it seemed, was not only incredibly boring, but also an entitled prick.

  ‘Who was that guy?’ Scott asked.

  ‘Oh, just some knob from the pub. I offered him a lift to the station and he obviously took that to mean, please grab my arse and proposition me. I didn’t realise dating had changed quite so dramatically in the last twelve years,’ I answered sarcastically.

  ‘Yeah. It’s a jungle out there,’ Scott replied with a laugh.

  Gabriel

  I walked into O’Malley’s and straight to the bar. The anger surged through my veins. I didn’t usually drink but I ordered a large Scotch on the rocks. I had known it would be a risk catching a lift with Scott. I’d known there would be a chance I would bump into her — perhaps I had wanted to. But I hadn’t expected her to be standing there with some fucker’s hand on her arse. For fuck’s sake, it had only been two days. Was she just trying to hurt me? Maybe she was just like her dad, and subscribed to the belief that the best way to get over someone was to get under someone else?

  Had she been planning on taking him home? Using the car and driver that I had sent for her? She would have known that would get back to me. That was just fucking cruel.

  But Samantha wasn’t cruel.

  Maybe she just wanted to hurt me and that was the best way to go about it? I didn’t kno
w any more. If she was at home now fucking some other man, then I’d lost her.

  ‘You okay, Boss,’ I heard Mickey, one of my head bouncers ask as he walked up to stand beside me.

  I knocked back the Scotch in one. ‘Yeah,’ I said. Mickey was the man I was there to see. He was one of my most experienced bouncers and he was a key figure in my plans for the night ahead. Sebastian and I had told Jimmy Fenton in no uncertain terms that we would never sell Archangel Securities to him. In response, him and his firm has upped the ante and were starting to cause trouble for us all over the place. The stabbing a few nights earlier had just been the start of it all.

  Tonight, we were about to put an end to their takeover bid once and for all. And it couldn’t be happening at a better time, because I was pumped full of rage, and desperate to vent my fury on someone.

  ‘Just checking you’re all set for later? Are you clear what needs to happen?’ I asked him. Mickey would be co-ordinating some of the strikes on the Fenton’s businesses while Sebastian and I dealt with the Fenton brothers personally.

  Mickey nodded. ‘Of course, Boss. Shall we go somewhere a little quieter?’

  ‘Yeah,’ I agreed as I followed Mickey into the back office.

  Chapter 43

  Samantha

  Scott pulled his car up outside my apartment block and I looked out of the window. I kept replaying my encounter with Gabriel over and over in my head. Every time I thought about the look on his face I felt a lump in my throat. God, what must he be thinking? I hoped he knew me well enough to know that I wouldn’t do that to him. It made me think about the other day too. I remembered him standing in my doorway scowling at me when he thought I’d spent the night with another man. How I had felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end when I’d realised he was blocking my exit. All those memories of being trapped in a room by a man who wanted to hurt me came flooding back. He said that he would never hurt me. Until then, I’d had no reason to doubt him. Did he hope that I knew him well enough too?