Page 113 of Fragile

“You can never be sure with these types of people Leonie. Max, go and bring the car around,” Gabriel instructed firmly, throwing him the keys. He caught them in midair.

“On it,” Max replied as he jogged off. I was thankful that we would be leaving soon, being hyper aware that we still hadn’t left the compound. Then again, neither had Kia or his men.

Briefly watching him go, Gabriel explained, “Kai’s father is Gerard Kinlan who my father works for. From what Kai said on the call, Garrett’s left the country. It also sounds like Gerard is going down. If Ava did send the same envelope that she sent me to the cops; he’s toast.”

“Do you think Kai will go after her? His stepsister? She said something which suggested Kai’s dad did things to her,” I said pulling away to look up at him. “What if she wasn’t lying and the guy abused her and her mother in some way?”

“Fuck knows. But it isn’t our fight, Leonie. You need to just forget about what you saw now. It’s over. It’s finally fucking over and the mighty Gerard is finished, for now anyway. Who would have thought it? Brought down by a teenager.”

“From what he said, Kai is taking over from his father. Will he have her killed?”

He shook his head. “No. He would have done it straight away and you saw how he reacted when Sean tried to shoot her. Anyway, it’s over now. I’m drawing a line under that life now. It ended with my father. Kai Kinlan may rise from the ashes and he’s rough as fuck, but he does most of his shit legitimately. If we keep our noses clean, he won’t come after us.”

“Please tell me you won’t take him up on his job offer?”

“No chance. The main reason I put a hold on anything happening between us was due to my connection to that darker shit. But that ends now. I’m done staying away, Leonie. I need to be with you.” Gabriel’s expression was severe, almost like he was in pain.

“Really?” Hope swelled in my chest as my eyes searched his perfect, unharmed face.

I vaguely heard Max bringing the car around. He must have remained in it with the engine labouring.

“Yes, really. I was going to tell you tonight over dinner but that got fucked up. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“About us getting together?” I smiled, relief and happiness crashing together.

He nodded, taking my hands in his. “I’ve been such a dick, but the minute I met you, my life changed. You sobered me up. I didn’t accept it at the time. I refused to allow something which had always been so basic to rule me. But it did, you did.

“I did? How?”

“You were so different from every other woman I had known. You knocked me on my arse, and I couldn’t let that happen, so I was hard on you, purposefully putting a wedge there.”

“Why?”

“You made me feel and feelings can make you weak.” I could read everything he was confessing in his eyes.

“So, what changed?” I blurted. The devastation of the last hour was washed away by his honesty.

“That day when you fainted, my protective side kicked in. I’ve only ever been that way with Asher. And then, we had lunch at Felice’s, and you looked so happy, I realised that I wanted to be the one to make you smile.” His words were a promise and a declaration at the same time and it turned my insides to mush.

“On the surface, we may not have known each other but our souls did. I’d never believed in fate before, but I do now. Everything about us screams meant to be and we need to embrace it, not turn our backs. You are and have been since that first day, the best part of me.” He stopped as if pausing for breath. “Do you understand what I’m trying to say?” His hand clasped my shoulders.

“I think so,” I said hesitantly, still partly in shock from everything that had happened.

“I didn’t realise it at first, as it’s never happened to me before, but I fell in love with you so fucking far. You’re my first love and I hope to fuck you want to be my last,” Gabriel whispered thickly.

“So much, it’s been killing me,” I almost screamed; the level of emotion pulsating through almost making me high. The shock of being kidnapped and at one point seeing my life flash before my eyes made me desperate to cement this thing between us as fast as possible.

“I want you, this, us.” I almost stuttered.

His shoulders dipped, “Even though I have been such an idiot?”

I nodded my head. “I understand why you pushed me away. You have a darkness in you, and I get that. To be honest, that’s probably what drew me to you in the first place. You dragged me out of my comfort zone; and forced me out of hiding. You may have been everyone else’s villain, but you were never mine. Not even in the beginning. I’ve been so numb for so long and you woke me up.

Ever since my parents’ death, I’ve had my head buried in the sand.” I paused to catch my breath before pushing up onto my tiptoes and kissing his lips, my arms now around his neck. “Loving you has been the most reckless, yet exciting thing I have ever done,” I said those words with my eyes locked on his.

“You love me?” Gabriel husked, pushing his forehead against mine.

I smiled. “Yes, I think I have all along.”

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