Chapter Fourteen
Lissa woke up to the murmur of voices, and she stretched. Her heart beat faster when she recognized Daddy’s deep baritone. He didn’t sound happy, but then he never did these days. She blinked away unexpected tears and, padding across to her en-suite bathroom, glared at her reflection in the mirror. Two weeks on from her ordeal some bruising still remained on her face, but her physical injuries had all but healed. Thank goodness none of the drugs they’d pumped her full with had left any lingering after effects either. Thanks to daily counseling sessions with Rhonda Booker, she’d also more or less stopped waking up screaming in the night.
Of course, that meant she saw even less of Gabe. While he’d refused to sleep in the bed with her, according to his logic…
“You need your rest, baby girl. I’ll be just next door.”
…He always appeared to rock her back to sleep when she had one of those nighttime screaming fits. In those moments she could almost believe that nothing had changed between them. His strong arms provided a safety net, a cocoon from the outside world where nothing could touch her, until she woke up on her own again.
Try as she might there was distance between them. While the rational side of her knew that he was busy— now more so than ever—her heart still cramped painfully. She wanted the closeness back. The easy rapport they’d established on their honeymoon before the ugliness of Gabe’s life had invaded their cocoon. Before her eyes had been truly and irrevocably opened to the true nature of Gabe’s business and what it took to stay on top of it. To the dangers lurking around every corner. To the fact that he’d killed her father.
Her grip on the washbasin turned white knuckled as her father’s face swam into her consciousness. The tears he’d shed in the interview the news program had led with when they announced his apparent suicide.
Mavis had clucked her tongue and switched the telly off while she’d pulled her into a hug.
“There now, you don’t need to see that, my dear. No point in upsetting yourself all over again.”
Lissa had pushed the older woman away.
“I’m not upset. It’s okay, Mavis, and I know full well that wasn’t suicide. Gabe killed him, didn’t he?”
Mavis blinked repeatedly, seemingly searching for the right words, and Lissa had shaken her head.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to answer that. I know he did. For starters Papa was too much of a coward to throw himself off a building. If that’s even what happened.”
“You seem very sure of that, Lissa.”
Gabe’s deep voice had made her jump. At his nod, Mavis had hastily left them on their own, and she’d drunk in the sight of him. Clad in jeans and a t-shirt, he’d looked so much like he’d done on the yacht, it had taken every ounce of her will to not throw herself into his arms. Maybe she should have done just that. Maybe that would have helped with the growing distance between them.
She hadn’t, though, held in place by the intensity of his gaze as he studied her.
“I’m sorry. You weren’t meant to find out like that.”
Lissa had shrugged and feigned a nonchalance she’d been far from feeling.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she’d asked.
Gabe had run a hand over his face and looked uncomfortable.
“There didn’t seem to be a right time, and you’re still recovering, and—”
“Bullshit.” His eyes had widened at her interrupting him like that, and she’d expected him to pounce. Needed him to, in fact. She ached for his touch, his dominance to keep her grounded, to know he didn’t see her any differently now that she was soiled goods.
Oh sure, they hadn’t actually raped her, but she still felt their grubby hands all over her when she closed her eyes and she needed to know that her Daddy saw past that.
Only he let it pass, didn’t pull her up for her rude reply, and that hurt the most of all.
“The doc said I’m fine. I’m not that fragile that I can’t cope with the truth, Gabe.”
“I know that, so ask me.”
Lissa had shaken her head, and Gabe had sighed.
“No, it wasn’t a suicide, just like Ange’s death wasn’t an overdose, but they both had it coming. They put you in danger, and that meant they had to die. My only regret is that I didn’t see the life draining out their eyes while I had my hands wrapped around their miserable throats.”
She hadn’t been able to help her gasp. It hadn’t been shock, exactly. Not at what he’d done anyway, more shock at herself at how pleased she was at their death. When had she become this bloodthirsty?
Gabe clearly had read her reaction differently though because that godawful mask had come back down over his expression, and his lips had curled into a sneer.
“Told you, you’d married a monster, babe.” Even the way he said that endearment hadn’t sounded like the Gabe she knew, and, turning his back on her, he’d left.
Lissa shook her head and swiped away the utterly useless tears which ran down her cheeks. They’d never achieved anything after all.
The door to her room cracked open, and Mavis stepped inside with a breakfast tray like she did every morning. Lissa smiled at the housekeeper, and Mavis set the tray down on the nightstand.
“Ah, I’m glad you’re awake. Gabe sent me in here to wake you up. I’m sorry, dear, but the police are here, and they won’t leave until they’ve taken your statement.”
Lissa pulled her robe tighter around herself and helped herself to a much-needed cup of coffee.
“It’s okay. I’m surprised they waited this long.”
Mavis twisted her hands inside her apron, a surefire signal of something bothering her, and Lissa put her cup down with a frown.
“What is it? Out with it, Mavis, what aren’t you telling me?” she asked. “I’m sick and tired of folks pussy footing around me.”
Mavis blinked once and sighed.
“Well, it’s just. They’ve threatened to arrest Gabe again, unless you give your statement. He’s been putting them off, see, and—”
“Oh, for the love of God.”
Lissa shot to her feet and out of the room, determined to put an end to this charade. Her steps faltered when she entered the living room to find Gabe and Stone surrounded by several uniformed police officers while the detective who’d been responsible for her being subjected to all that questioning before smirked. What was his name again?
Dickinson? Yeah, that was it. Dick by name and dick by nature.
Gabe’s eyes narrowed when he spotted her, and the dickwad police officer spun around when she cleared her throat.
“Officer Dickinson, I had hoped I’d seen the last of you. Would you care to explain to me why you’re in my home and manhandling my husband to boot? Mavis call Delaney, will you? I’m sure this police brutality is worth a complaint to Dickinson’s superiors.”
She put her hands on her hips and stared the policeman down. He might be taller than she was, and she was all too painfully aware that she was standing here clad in nothing but a robe, but fuck it all to hell and back. This was her home, and she’d had enough of this shit.
****
“Now listen here, Miss Andrini, I—”
Gabe held his breath as his little wife positively exploded in fury. He knew she would, had known it from the minute she’d burst into the room as though the hounds of hell were after her. It had been there in every line of her body, which was vibrating in fury. Color marred her cheekbones, hid the remaining bruises there, while her impressive tits quivered and strained against the robe with her harsh intake of breaths.
He should rot in hell for noticing that right now, but his dick hardened anyway. It was just so unbelievably good to see her this riled up. Ready to go into battle for him, no less. For a while there, he’d feared her spirit had been broken. She’d clung to him like a fragile bird, seemingly afraid of her own shadow. It had damn well nearly killed him to keep his distance, and as for the nightmares… Fuck, they made him want to kill all the people who’d hurt her all over again, starting with himself. Gabe was all too painfully aware that none of this would have happened had he not insisted on marrying her. He’d made her into a target, and he would never forgive himself for that. He couldn’t let her go, however, either. He loved her too fucking much for that, and seeing her reaction now, maybe it wasn’t too late for them.
Hope blossomed anew in his chest, chasing away the shadows which haunted him.
Stone, too, had the hugest grin on his face. His second in command had been equally worried about her. All his men had, truth be told. Nothing seemed right without Lissa in their midst.
“For the last freaking time, my name is Mrs. Henshaw. How hard is that to get into your thick skull? I’m assuming you can, in fact, read, and as you waved my marriage certificate under my nose the last time we met, when you accused my husband of kidnapping me, I know you’ve at least seen it.” She took a much-needed breath, and her eyes softened when they connected with Gabe’s across the room. “One of the happiest days of my life.”
That did it. Gabe couldn’t stand the distance between them anymore, and shoving the coppers out of the way, crossed the room to pull her into his arms, and growled his response into his ear.
“Mine, too, baby girl.”
She sank into his embrace and clung while seemingly all hell broke loose behind them. Stone, too, shook off the two coppers holding onto him, and it was the signal for the rest of his men to turn the tables, as it were. They formed a protective semicircle around Gabe and Lissa, and Dickinson turned a nice shade of purple in his outrage.
Let him splutter away. Gabe didn’t take any notice of his threats. Besides, thanks to McLeod’s investigations, they now had the means to prove without a doubt that Dickinson had been taking bribes from none other than Ollivanti himself. Delaney was on his way over with the evidence, and this whole thing would die a death right here or Dickinson himself would get very familiar with the inside of a police cell.
Of course, Lissa didn’t know any of this, which made the fact that she’d come to his rescue even more special.
“Let me go, I need to—”
Gabe shut up her protests by the very expedient method of kissing her. Her gasp of surprise granted him access, and he wasted no time in deepening the kiss. Gabe put all of his pent-up emotions into it, determined to show her how much she meant to him. Lissa went pliant in his arms. Her hands locked behind his neck, and she clung to him, kissing him back with a fervor and need that matched his own. By the time he forced himself to release her lips, they were both breathing hard, and the sweet musk of aroused woman hit his nostrils. He ran a hand under the hem of her robe to grasp her bare ass cheek and his dick jerked. Fuck him, she was naked under there.
“Daddy, please, I need to—”
“Hush now, baby girl. I know what you need, and that isn’t standing here listening to this asshole.”
He pulled back enough to read her expression, and confusion warred with arousal in her expressive eyes.
Fortunately, Delaney arrived at this moment in time. In any other circumstances the knowing smirk as he ran his gaze all over Lissa would have earned the man a punch, but Gabe was far too pleased to see him.
“About time, Delaney, what took you so fucking long? Go tell Dickinson here, why there will be no arrests made today, will you? At least not mine.”
“That will be my pleasure, Gabe.” The younger man winked at him and turned his attention on a sputtering Dickinson.
Gabe had heard and seen enough. He needed to reconnect with his wife, and Delaney and his men could deal with this easily enough. The uniforms could a be problem, but everyone had a price, and Gabe bet his last penny that they were probably in on it already with Dickinson. The man had been careful to cover his tracks. In the end it was his own greed that had been his downfall. He didn’t earn enough to afford the sports car he’d splashed out on in cash, after all, and the fool didn’t play the lottery, so that excuse didn’t wash.
“I don’t understand. I—mph.”
Gabe threw her over his shoulder, which earned him a cacophony of wolf whistles from his men, and strode off to his room. Belatedly, he remembered her previous injuries and swearing under his breath he carefully slid her off his shoulder and set her back down on her feet the minute they had some privacy.
He ran his hands over her ribs and shook his head at his stupidity.
“Shit, I forgot. Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I? I—”
The shove to his chest caught him off guard, and he stumbled back a step.
“For fuck’s sake I’m fine. Will you explain to me what the hell is going on?”
There she was, his little spitfire. Gabe hid his relieved amusement and, crossing his arms over his chest, raised an eyebrow and widened his stance.
“Is that any way to talk to Daddy, baby girl?” he asked, dropping his voice on purpose.
Lissa’s eyes widened, growing soft as her submissive side instantly responded to the steel in his voice, and warmth flooded his chest. Shit, he loved this woman, and he would tell her just as soon as they’d sorted this out.
“I’m sorry, I thought, you didn’t see me like that anymore. I—”
She blanched at his furious growl in response and dropped her gaze to the floor.
“I’m sorry?”
“So you should be, girl, and if I wasn’t still worried about your ribs you’d have just earned yourself a trip over Daddy’s knee and not for the fun kind of spanking.”
A needy whimper came from Lissa’s full lips, and Gabe pulled her back into his arms.
“Is that what you were thinking? That I didn’t want you anymore, sweetheart?”
Lissa nodded into his chest, and he wasn’t at all surprised to feel the fabric dampening with tears. He steered her over to the bed, to enable him to sit down and draw her onto his lap. As she sank against him, hugging him back, the world righted itself again.
“I thought you saw me as damaged goods now.” Had he not been so focused on her he might have missed that far too quiet whisper of a reply. Cupping her chin, he nudged her head up to read her expression. The raw emotion and desperate hope that shone back at him took his breath away and made him blurt out his own feelings.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. I love you, and I always will, no matter what happens.”
Renewed tears sprang into her eyes, and Gabe grumbled his annoyance.
“Jesus, don’t cry, baby.”
Her little hands come up and tugged at his beard, while she shook her head.
“Big, old, bad Dom afraid of a few tears.” She grinned up at him, and he knew his face sported a shit-eating grin of his own as he responded to her.
“Less of the old, girl. I’m in my prime, I’ll let you know.” He kissed her nose, and Lissa giggled, further soothing his very soul. Who knew he had it in him to sound like a fucking poet? Just as well his men weren’t here to witness him going all soft on his woman like this. He’d never live it down.
“Is it really all over?” she asked, and he nodded.
“Yes, my sweet. Dickinson was on Ollivanti’s payroll. With that fucker gone, he’ll be on mine, or he’ll be living the rest of his life out in prison. Brass don’t tend to do that well inside, so I’m confident he’ll take the deal and this whole thing will be dropped.”
“Oh, just like that?”
Gabe smiled at her surprise.
“Just like that, yes.”
He let her mull this over for a little while before he spoke again.
“Now, what have you got to say to Daddy, baby girl?”
Lissa shivered, and he pulled her in a little closer, concerned that this was all too much for her after all, when she floored him completely.
“I love you, too.”
Their gazes connected, and he couldn’t doubt the sincerity shining back at him.
“And you’re not a monster, not to me. You never were, and for what it’s worth, I’m glad you killed all those people. Even Andrini.” Her voice caught on that last word, and he hugged her closer.
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry I had to. I promise I’ll do better from now on. No one is going to touch you again. You’re mine, and I’m yours. To hell with the rest of the world.”
Lissa shook her head and surprised him again.
“I don’t expect that of you. I know you need to do stuff. With Ollivanti gone, I dare say you’ll be taking over?”
She sat up more and searched his face, and Gabe ran a hand over his face.
“I can let someone else do that if you prefer.” The mere thought threatened to turn his guts inside out, but he meant it. He’d do it for her.
“I wouldn’t ever ask that of you. Besides, you look after your people. I’m guessing whoever was working for Ollivanti will need looking after, too, or … well I guess you’ll do what you have to. Just don’t get yourself arrested again, please, Daddy?”
Gabe’s heart damn well nearly burst out of his chest hearing her call him that, and he nodded.
“I’ll try my best, baby, but I’m done talking. I need to be inside of you.”
Lissa bit her lip and straddled him with a speed that made him dizzy.
“Then have me, I’m yours.”
The End