“I’m yours to do with as you please,” he responded without inflection. Looking about the room, she eyed a candle. Gazing into the flame as it flickered, she walked over to it and picked it up, with a shaky hand. Unsure of this course, she waited for her hand to steady.
Staring into his eyes, she saw the reflection of the flame, and behind that fire a depth so forbidden that all she wanted was to understand that wall she saw there and guide him back to her.
He said nothing as she approached, but met her gaze as she tilted the candle and let the first drops of the hot wax fall onto his chest. His gaze remained fixed, with only the faintest hint of a flicker in his eyelids.
Continuing to drip the hot wax on his chest and shoulders, she felt a tear escape as it slowly rolled down her face. She knew this must be hurting him as the hot wax contacted his perfect skin, jolting his nerves all the way to his brain. Though he never cried out, he didn’t need to for she saw the pain in his eyes. Wanting so much to stop, it was his steady voice saying, “More,” that kept her going.
She could see the burn that started on the flesh as it echoed somewhere in the deep recesses of his eyes. Each drop was new and different, hitting a different area of flesh and echoing to a new corner of his eyes as the sensations pushed back all the carefully constructed boundaries of his defenses, and yet he still said nothing, allowing her to torture him.
After several moments, she had made his chest and shoulders a beautiful pattern of bloodred trails. His breathing and his body remained steady, and his eyes were half-closed, lost in the intensity of the moment, but never left her gaze. She knew that behind those half-hidden eyes was the dividing line, and it was blurring brightly as he fought some inner turmoil. Emotions and memories were fighting against themselves as the searing drops of hot wax splattered on his skin.
She stroked her hand across his chest, feeling the mixture of wax and flesh beneath her fingers. Annie slowly walked around him as she again tilted the candle and let a stream of the red wax fall on his shoulder blade. She saw him flex and heard him take a deep breath to steady himself in both body and mind. Continuing to drip the wax on his back and shoulders, she wondered what thoughts were going through his mind and what images were flashing in front of his fluttering eyelids.
Moving back around in front of him, she placed the candle down to rest for a moment. He opened his eyes as she began to stroke his shoulders and chest with both hands, and their eyes met. His eyes were clear, like a long hallway winding through his mind. They were intense, with a slightly faraway look in them.
She fell into those silver depths, falling into the deep recesses of his mind. She saw things long-hidden, parts of him that he fought so hard to keep away from the world. Anguish and pain surrounded his soul, and it was then she saw the man that was Gabriel. What had been locked away inside of him, now loosened. Thought and passion were now flesh and blood. He wrapped his gaze around her, guiding her through the journey of his soul, showing her the very depth of himself, and she shivered in fear.
“Do you know why I had you do this?”
She stood before him shaking her head in silence, too scared to answer.
“I needed you to know the truth.”
He stood in front of her, his wrists still tied to the ceiling. Yet all she saw was that it was his hand that had guided the crimson wax, not her own. It was his own hand that had restrained him. It was his own hands that now held the two of them together, merged as one in the depths of his mind that his hand had opened up and guided her into.
“You are the keeper of my heart,” he whispered. “Never forget that.”
Annie stood, gazing into his eyes, and at that moment she knew he was leaving her. Though her love sustained him, it was not enough to keep him. She felt her heart shatter into a million pieces.
He whispered, “Untie me.”
Doing as requested, she never said a single word as her mind tried desperately to process what had just happened. When he was free of the cuffs, she watched silently as he put on a clean shirt.
* * * *
Gabriel watched as she moved toward him. Unable to withstand her touch, he stepped back and said, “I am leaving.”
“What?” Her loud gasp resonated in the room, and the pain he caused was clearly written on her face. “Gabriel, you’re tired. You need sleep.”
“I have arranged for your flight and that of everyone else. You leave in the morning.”
“Why are you doing this?” she barely asked.
Because it’s the only way, my love. Please forgive me.
“Because I can. Now leave me!” he shouted, making her jump.
His anguish unleashed. He couldn’t master the waves of pain that were radiating off of him.
“You piece of fucking shit! As soon as the shit hits the fan, you fucking cut tail and run? What kind of crap is that? I thought you were this big bad fucking Dom who could handle anything! You’re nothing but a frightened child who gets pissy when things don’t go his fucking way,” Annie screamed at him, and then as if something clicked within her mind, reality reared its ugly head.
“I’m so fucking stupid! Shit! I should have known better. It all makes sense now. You wanted it all, didn’t you? You fucking knew about the charter, didn’t you? You had to have known. You know every detail about everything. You never go into anything without knowing all the contingencies. Now that it’s all yours, you want to take the fucking money and run.”
“Good-bye, my dear,” Gabriel whispered as he quietly walked past her, letting her think what she wanted. He knew if he told her the real reason, she would never leave. Mustering what courage he had left, he maintained his stoic composure and walked out of the room.
“Don’t you fucking walk away from me, you son of a bitch! I’m not done with you yet!” she shouted, running after him. Following him up the stairs, she grabbed his arm as he stepped on the top landing. When he jerked his arm away, she lost her footing, and before he could grab her, her horrible scream filled his mind as she tumbled down the long staircase.
He watched as her head bounced off the hard granite floor, her body landing roughly. He heard the loud, ominous crack, and a sliver of fear traveled down his spine. Her body laying facedown, Gabriel watched as she tried to move, but when she went to lift her head, her eyes closed and her body lay motionless.
Racing down the steps, he dared not touch her. Her arm laid at an odd angle, clearly broken. She had a nasty gash on her head, but it was the blood pooling between her legs that worried him.
So much blood.
His roar of “no” bellowed loudly, bouncing off the walls of his ancestral home. He never heard the others running down the stairs or out of their rooms. He never saw Alexander emerge from the sitting room as he gently checked her for a pulse.
“You son of a bitch! Are you happy now?” Alexander shouted at him as he kneeled before Antoinette’s motionless form.
Gabriel’s world narrowed.
All he saw was her lifeless body losing its life force. He did that. He caused this. She was hurt because of him. He wasn’t worth the air he breathed.
In that instant, he had totally lost everything.
Gabriel did the only thing he knew to do. He walked out into the early morning sun and disappeared.
Chapter Ten
Treasure Cove the next day…
The news from England wasn’t good, but nevertheless, Janie and Emma insisted on preparing for Charlotte’s wedding. Nobody knew when the men would arrive home, but they all knew they would wait until Annie was able to travel. Until then there was nothing anyone could do but wait. So with only one week left until the wedding, preparations needed to be made and plans finalized.
Life continued on in Treasure Cove.
Janie looked at Emma, who was reclining under a Japanese maple tree. “I wish there was something we could do for them. I feel just awful.”
They all had heard of what happened between Gabriel and Annie, and it broke their he
arts to think of what they had gone through. None of them could imagine the pain or the heartache of losing someone they loved. It just wasn’t done in Treasure Cove. Though most of them had their own trials, they all seemed to find a way to make it work, so it was a little disheartening to realize that Gabriel had just given up and walked away.
Though the town was grateful for his selflessness, the pain he caused was incredible. Janie knew that Jeff was furious with Gabriel. She prayed that they didn’t do anything stupid. If it weren’t for Emma telling her what happened, Janie would have hopped the next flight to England to referee her husband.
Hotheads, the whole lot of them.
None of them could think coherently when women were concerned. It was always fight first, talk later.
“We just have to be patient and pray that everything will work out in the end,” Emma said, watching Tabitha laugh as Tucker threw her into the air. “I remember when I arrived home after being gone for so long. If it wasn’t for the patience from my men, and a little bit of determination, I wouldn’t be here with them right now.”
“I remember when Jeff and Caleb brought me to the ranch for the first time. I had never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life. I never thought I could have this life. But Jeff and Caleb showed me that I should never give up on what I truly want.” Janie smiled.
“Ha! Apparently you ladies got the normal ones. I ended up with three of the most conniving men in Treasure Cove. Just yesterday, Davis informs me that he is planning a home water birth. Can you imagine my three men in the water with me? I think not! I need drugs and an extremely sanitary environment before I have these little ones.” Lilly McDaniel laughed, rubbing her ever-growing belly.
“Dipshit should have never walked away. He was a putz! I don’t see what his fucking problem was.,” Charlotte Brooks stated without inflection.
“Damn it, Charlotte, you know why he walked away. He thought he was doing the right thing.” Jordan sighed.
“Well he fucked up! Staying and fighting was the right thing.” Charlotte huffed.
Laughing, Ms. Anne came over with Macie and sat with the younger women. “That’s true, Charlotte. I couldn’t have said it better if I tried.” Ms. Anne smiled.
“I will admit, you girls thought of almost everything. The chapel is going to look lovely. But you left out one little detail,” Margaret said, grinning at Macie.
“What?” Janie looked up at her mother-in-law.
“Though this is Charlotte’s day, Margaret’s right. This won’t work without him,” Macie said.
“What are you talking about?” Emma asked.
“Gabriel. He needs to be here and atone.” Margaret smiled.
“Oh you don’t worry about that minor detail. I have that under control.” Janie grinned deviously.
“What did you do, Janie?” Emma asked.
“Nothing that he doesn’t deserve. I wouldn’t be surprised if he miraculously shows up.”
“He’s here!” Margaret shouted in surprise.
“Where?” Lilly asked, looking around.
“Who?” Charlotte asked, turning.
“Woman! Pay attention!” Jordan yelled in frustration.
Charlotte, jumping to her feet, shouted, “Where’s that fucker? I’m gonna kick his ass!”
Janie laughed. She wasn’t ready to play her hand quite yet. Besides, the very angry, outraged, and extremely hostile Mr. Gabriel Sexton was not something the unsuspecting residents of Treasure Cove deserved, but she knew eventually he would be found, and she only prayed that when he arrived, he forgave her for inflicting Matthias and Jason on him.
“You can stop looking. He isn’t here, yet.” Janie sighed.
“But he is in town, right?” Macie asked with an unholy smile on her face.
“Not yet, but he soon will be, and under lock and key,” Janie admitted.
“Where did you find him?” Emma asked.
“I didn’t find him. I called Alexander, and he told me where I could find him, and I gave that information to Matthias,” Janie informed the group.
“Yep, that bastard is a mean son of a bitch! I wouldn’t want to go up against Matthias,” Charlotte advised.
“Hey, sweetheart, how are you feeling?” Tate asked, walking over to his wife, kissing her cheek, and placing his hand on her rounded belly.
“I’m fine, honey.” Emma smiled at him.
“You ladies ready to finish putting up the decorations?” he asked, looking at them.
Janie sighed, and nodded her head. “Yep, better get this finished, we have other things to discuss.” Getting to her feet, she said, “We need to make a certain Dom to pay for his sins”
With that, all the women giggled and laughed.
* * * *
Away from the adults, nobody noticed Tabitha Quinn sitting near a black rock, digging the dirt away from something gold and shiny. Taking her time, she removed a small ornate box, littered with jewels, and held it in her hand. Giggling she opened the box as an unfamiliar tune began playing.
A soft melody she had never heard before drifted to her ears, making her smile. She watched as a little ballerina, with a jewel-encrusted crown, black hair, and dressed in a dark-blue tutu, twirled around. Within the box, she found a long string of shiny pink pearls, a necklace of diamonds and emeralds, and one blue ring with sparkly stones all around it. A golden lion’s head sat upon the blue stone. Within the ring, was a rolled piece of paper with a wax seal on it. She picked up the paper, looked at it and put it back in the box.
When the music stopped, Tabitha watched as the bottom drawer popped open. Looking in the little drawer, she gasped as she saw what was hidden. Grabbing the content of the bottom drawer, she picked up her treasure and ran for her mother, screaming, “Momma, Momma! It’s Annie!”
* * * *
That night in London, England…
Gabriel had no idea how he happened to be here, but after stumbling in the rain, he figured he was meant to be here. He had spent the last several hours in a drunken stupor. Getting thrown out of more than one pub and reduced to walking the streets of London, Gabriel kept moving. People avoided him, and he was grateful for that because he didn’t trust what he would say or do to anyone. He hugged his suit jacket tighter around; the cold, damp air chilled his bones. He let the water drip from his hair as he made his way along the street. Stumbling and bumping into pedestrians, his legs moved of their own accord.
He felt nothing. A void wide as the Grand Canyon separated his heart from his body, and for the first time he felt like jumping into that void. He could handle the loneliness, but the pain, the pain was unbearable. Everywhere he looked, he saw her face as she succumbed to the darkness. The blood was everywhere, and no amount of alcohol would ever erase that from his mind.
Walking through the sliding doors, chaos assaulted him as nurses and doctors ran about their day saving lives. He still had her blood on his clothes as he quietly made his way toward the counter. Ignoring everything around him, he needed to make sure that she was still alive.
Oh God, let her be alive.
“May I help you?” The middle-aged woman smiled up at him.
“Antoinette Hicks?” he muttered and watched as the woman’s fingers flew across the keyboard before her.
“I’m sorry, but there is no one here by that name.”
“Try Antoinette Sexton.”
After a few minutes, the woman looked up at him. “She is in recovery. Third floor. Room twelve.”
“Thank you.”
Praying as if his life depended on it, Gabriel slowly made his way toward the elevators, and as if on automatic pilot, hit the number three button, watching as the elevator doors closed. The silence was deafening as his heart beat loudly in his chest.
Fear unlike anything he had ever experienced flooded his veins. He hated hospitals, always had. The only difference was now he was an adult and no longer a child.
He still saw his mother’s eyes as he held her hand while th
e paramedics tried desperately to get her heart pumping again. He remembered the drive to the hospital, and when the doctors told him she had died. It was also that same day he met his hateful grandfather.
His life was never the same.
Living with the repercussions of that day, he closed himself off. After facing the aftermath of Lisset, he fled the only home and life he had ever known, and never returned. Closed off emotionally, Gabriel didn’t start living again until he met the Hicks brothers. It was their friendship that got him through those most troublesome times. He knew now there was nothing either of them would do to lift a hand to help him. Of course, he did not deserve help.
The doors opened, and he looked left and then right, spying Travis coming out of a room. Walking toward him, he didn’t make a sound.
“Dude, where in the hell have you been?” Travis whispered angrily, meeting him halfway.
“How is she?”
“Alive. Jeff has been trying to get a hold of you. The hospital needed your signature for the surgery. Where did you go off to?”
“I needed some air.”
“Some air? Your wife lay bleeding to death, and you needed some air.”
“She’s not my wife.”
“What the hell are you talkin’ about? Never mind, it doesn’t matter. Annie is gonna be fine. Hell, the doc’s even managed to—”
“I don’t need to hear anymore. Just hearing that she will be fine is enough.”
Just then, Conner, Orin, and Alexander walked out of the room.
Gabriel stiffened and braced himself for what was about to happen.
“You son of a bitch!” Alexander shouted and charged him, hitting him square in the stomach. Together they fell to the hard cold floor as Alexander began to pummel him.
Gabriel just lay there, allowing the sharp jabs and painful punches wash over him. He deserved everything and so much more. He also wanted to hit something, someone. It took Travis and Orin to pull his brother off of him, and for some perverse reason, Gabriel wished they had let him finish. He deserved everything and more.
Gabriel's Heart [The Men of Treasure Cove 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 14
