Chapter 18

Gabriel felt horrible, he had grown so fond of her and they were getting closer. In the beginning, when he first laid eyes on her he was intrigued by her courage and youthful beauty. He decided he wanted to sleep with her, just once.

Then when she became pregnant she was just an inconvenience to him. As much as he fought it he found himself growing attached to her, wanted to protect her from the evils of the world.

Now she wanted to go to the very place that was corrupted, where the men with weird sexual addictions went to, to get off. She had told him she loved him, and yet she sat with her back to him on the plane, refusing to look at him.

Has her love now turned to hate?

When they got home she said she was tired and going to lay down and wanted to be alone. He goes into his office and sits behind the desk.

Drumming his fingers on the desk, his anger towards Giorgia rising to its peak. Picking up the phone makes a call to Paris.

"Mel, it's me, Gabriel. I want you to fire Giorgia Costanzo immediately. Also, make sure she never works in Paris again, anywhere. The Condo she lives in, I want to buy the building and have her evicted. No, I won't wait, make them an offer way above market price and I expect to own it within a week's time. I don't care what it cost. Have $100,000 put into her bank account, call the police and have her charged with stealing from me and the construction site. Make sure not to fire her until the cops find the pieces of evidence in her bank and she's charged. Do it now," he said and hung up.

She would pay dearly for what she had done.

He went up to check on her and she was asleep. It had been hours since she had eaten and so he woke her up.

"Paige, you need to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"You must eat for the sake of the baby. I will have the kitchen staff bring you some food. I would like to talk about what happened in Paris."

"Gabriel please, not now."

"OK, my angel, it will wait till after you've eaten." He went to kiss her but she moved her head, this made him angry.

"Be this way, I will not beg you like a dog wanting a bone," he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

They slept that night with their backs to each other.

The next day he went out and she had a lesson with Antonio, though she wasn't in the mood.

"We have a lot of catching up to do," Antonio said, and they got started.

But after an hour and not getting anywhere he sat her down, taking her hand in his. He could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Tell me what is troubling you."

There was this ache in her heart, she missed Gabriel's touch, missed being close to him and bottling it up only made things worse, she started to cry.

"My husband and I are going through a rough patch. I feel as if we are drifting apart just when we were getting along. If it wasn't for the baby I'm sure we wouldn't still be together."

"You are expecting?" he asked surprised. "You are not showing."

"I'm starting to. I don't know what to do. I want to forgive him for his past but I learn something new every day."

He pulled her into his arms and held her, her tears wetting his shirt.

" It's in the past then perhaps you should try and move past it. I hate to see you in pain." He lifted her chin and leaning over placed his lips on hers.

She pushed him away and got to her feet. "What are you doing?"

"I am so sorry, but I think I am falling for you. Your husband is a fool and does not deserve you. Come away with me and I will take care of you. The baby I will love as if it were my own."

"Have you lost your mind? I don't love you. If Gabriel were to hear you speak this way he would kill you."

"You might not love me now but you can learn too. We can go now before he gets back and go where he'll never find us. Would you rather stay here with a man who does not love you and treats you so badly?" He tried to take her in his arms and kiss her, only to get slapped.

"Get out and don't come back."

She was horrified, she thought he was a good guy, she thought he was a friend. Now, how was she going to explain to Gabriel that she no longer had a tutor without telling him the truth?

If she told him he would surely do Antonio some harm and she couldn't have that weighing on her mind.

She was in the garden when Gabriel returned home, he went over and sat next to her.

"Paige, I hate what is happening between us. I have told you I am evil, but I find that I am changing because of you. You are making me a better man and because of you, I find myself wanting to be one. "He takes her hand.

"Tell me what I can do for you to forgive me. I will get on my knees right now if that will help."

"I need to know why you felt the desire to go there, to that horrible place. You have to take me so I can see for myself."

He lowered his head, his chest rising and falling.

"Then I will take you now and then we will put it behind us." He takes her hand and he walks out with her and over to his car, helping her in. He had a bad feeling about taking her but if that's what it took to bridge the gap between them he would do it. He only hoped it wouldn't push her further away.

They took the two-hour drive and he parked outside a large building. Getting out he went over to her side and opened the door.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I'm not sure of anything," she answered nervously.

The inside was dimly lit, it smelled of tobacco and booze. To her, it looked sleazy, not the kind of place she expected Gabriel to go to. The women were beautiful, the men looked wealthy and were well dressed. She noticed men going over to certain women and they disappeared in the back.

"Mr. Maestri." A voice said and an older man walked over to them. "It's been way too long since you have been here. Can I get you and the lady a drink?"

"No thanks, Mickey."

"Are you wanting a room? As you know you are supposed to book it in advance, but for you, I will allow it. Which room would you like and will anyone else be joining you?"

Gabriel reached into his pocket and handed Mickey two thousand dollars.

"Give us the ASTR room and we don't want to be disturbed."

"Very well, just give me a half hour to make sure it is clean," he said and walked away.

"Go have a drink at the bar, on the house," he shouted over his shoulder.

Gabriel ordered a brandy for him, juice for her.

"ASTR, what does that stand for?" she asked him.

"All sex toy room," he answered, not explaining further.

A drunk walked over to them, his drunken glazed eyes took one look at Paige. "So young, I like them young."

"Back off," Gabriel growled at him.

"I say we share her, I'm willing to pay extra."

Grabbing the man by the throat pushed him away from her.

"I said to back off or would you like for me to snap your neck?"

The drunk held up his hands and backed away. "OK pal, I'm leaving."

Gabriel looked at her.

"You sure you want to go through with this? There are some here who if they want you will not take no for an answer."

"You'll protect me," she replied.

Looking around and seeing the way the men were eyeing her she felt her skin crawl. She was glad when Gabriel got the go ahead and he ushered her towards the back and down a long hallway. She could hear women screaming and other noises she couldn't identify.

Reaching the room he stopped, putting his hand on the door.

"You don't have to do this. I told you I no longer come here, nor do I have the desire to."

"I want to see," she answered.

She walked in and gasped when she looked around. It was something out of a Fifty Shades of Grey movie. Only with more things she had no idea what they were used for.

Going over she wanted to take a closer look, but she didn't dare touch anything. She would point to things and ask what they were and used for. She cringed at some of his answers.

"You like using these things on women?" she asked, appalled.

"I already told you there are only some things I like."

"Show me what you would do."

"What?" he asked, shocked at what she was suggesting.

"Do what you would do to the other women to me."

"You don't know what you're asking."

"Do it," she snapped at him, knowing he was getting angry.

"OK, take your dress off."

"Why?"

"Just do it and don't speak until spoken to. In here I am the master, you will address me as such. I'm waiting."

"Yes master," she said with sarcasm and removed her dress, standing there in just her bra and panties. She saw him pick up some cuffs and she turned around when he told her to, he tied her hands behind her back. Then a blindfold was put over her eyes.

"Get down on your knees."

She did what he ordered and waited, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She could hear the sound of his zipper being pulled down. It seems to take forever before he made a sound, it was his zipper being pulled back up. Then his strong hands lifted her up to her feet and he cursed.

"No fucken way am I doing this to you," he said, taking off her blindfold and uncuffing her hands he turned her to face him.

"You can hate me forever for my past, but you'll never hate me as much as I do myself. I will not degrade you in this way or in this sleazy place. Now put your dress back on, I'm taking you out of here."

Once she was dressed he took her by the arm and dragged her out of the building and into the car. He sat there, staring straight ahead.

"I told you how my father killed my horse when I was just a boy. A year after that I found a stray puppy, a golden retriever. I loved that dog and he followed me everywhere I went. When my father saw how attached we were he got his rifle and took us into the barn."

Her hands went to her mouth and she choked back a sob. "Oh my God, he shot the dog, that's so cruel."

"No, he didn't, I did."

She stared at him. "Gabriel no."

"I didn't want to, it was either that or he was going to beat it to death with the shovel. I couldn't let him suffer so I shot him."

She heard the sadness in his voice and her heart went out to him, to that little boy who had suffered at the hands of the man who was supposed to protect him.

Straddling his lap she hugged him, her arms holding him tight. "I'm so sorry Gabriel."

He tilted his head back to look at her. "Don't you see, I can not allow myself to show I care or show love. If I were to it wouldn't end well. Don't love me, it will only end up destroying you."

"It's too late, I already love you," she said, pressing her lips against his kissed him, it was passionate, forceful. No wonder he was this way, his father was the evil one, not Gabriel.

He finally pulled away. "I don't deserve you. You are the kindest, sweetest and most forgiving woman I've ever met. You truly are an angel."

"Take me home," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.