Chapter 7

She felt ill and knowing she was about to get sick again made her way to the bathroom. Sinking to the floor she threw up as her tears once again flowed.

Growing up with a weak immune system she already knew this was going to be a rough pregnancy. It hit her that she had no choice but to marry Gabriel if she wanted to deliver a healthy baby.

Even a mild cold could turn into something worst, causing her to lose the baby. She was pregnant, nothing she could do about that now except make sure that her baby was born healthy so she would sacrifice her own freedom for her unborn baby.

Gabriel was standing there, his face held no emotion of any kind. But when she had trouble getting up he helped her.

"I need to lay down, I don't feel well."

He scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to bed, pulling the covers over her.

"You probably need something to eat. You stay here and I'll have some food sent up and after you eat we'll talk."

Thirty minutes later he returned with a tray of food, her stomach growled when she saw the eggs, bacon, toast and fresh orange juice.

Taking the juice she finished it all at once, she wanted more but was afraid to ask. But he must have sensed it as he picked up the phone and asked for a pitcher of juice to be sent up right away.

She was just about done eating when he walked back in with the juice and poured her a glass.

"You were starving I see." He looked at his watch. "The maid should have been here by now to clean."

"No one has been assigned to do this room."

"Why is that?" he asked, clearly not happy.

She cleared her throat. "Because I've been cleaning it."

"I gave you strict orders not to do so why did you go against my orders?"

"I had a fight with Sandy, she said some horrible things to me about why I got this job of helping you. So it was my decision to not have her here."

"What did she say to you?"

After telling him, which she didn't want to but he was getting angry. She could see the anger etched clearly on his face.

He then disappeared and didn't return for about an hour with one of the other maids. Once Gabriel left the bedroom she found out from a maid that he had fired Sandy. This only made her feel bad, she didn't want Sandy fired.

After sleeping for awhile she woke up to find him sitting in a chair by the bed.

"Good, you're awake. I'm still waiting for your answer about marrying me. Have you made up your mind?"

"We aren't in love," she said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Like I said, that doesn't matter. Stop wasting my time, what's it going to be?"

"OK, I'll marry you," she said, feeling she had no choice.

"Good, now that it's settled you'll stay here with me until we leave for Italy. I'll have a doctor come check you out and if you're feeling better by Friday we'll get married in the hotel chapel. Right after the ceremony, we'll catch a flight. You will like Italy, it's beautiful there."

"I don't speak Italian."

"Many of us speak English and I will arrange for you to take lessons. I will expect you to sign a prenup. I hope you won't have a problem with that."

"Of course not, I don't want your money," she said.

Laying down she went back to sleep. She prayed for sleep to take her so that she wouldn't have to think of the way her life was turning out.

She was awakened from a deep sleep by Gabriel, a doctor by his side.

"Paige, the doctor is here to give you a checkup. I told him how far along you are and how you passed out. I'll leave you two alone, I'll be in the next room." With that he walked out, looking back before shutting the door.

He made some calls, arranging for the chapel and for their flight to Italy. He could hear laughter coming from the bedroom.

It was the first time he'd heard her laugh, and it was a sweet laugh that filled the room. Tired of waiting for the doctor to come out he went in. She was sitting up and the two of them were chatting up a storm. He noticed how her smile lit up her face but she stopped when he walked in.

Was she that afraid of him that she couldn't keep the smile on her face?

Instead, it turned into a frown. Well, what did he expect? He was forcing her to marry him and move to a new place where she didn't even speak the language.

Touching her arm the doctor stood up and faced Gabriel.

"Miss Mosley's blood pressure is a little high but I can give her something for that. Make sure she gets lots of rest and plenty of healthy food to eat."

"Will she be able to travel by the weekend? We have plans to go to Italy," Gabriel asked.

"Yes, that shouldn't be a problem."

"Let me show you out," Gabriel said, leading the way. He went back into the bedroom to see how she was doing and if she wanted anything. "Would you like anything?"

"No thanks, I'm fine."

"I've booked the chapel and our flight to Italy. I have to go out and pick up the wedding bands and I figured I'd stop by your place and get the rest of your clothes."

"You don't need bother, everything I own is here."

"I'll get you some new things when we get home. I'll be back soon and we'll have dinner then". He left without saying goodbye.

When he returned two hours later she had showered and was watching tv. "I ordered dinner for us. I hope you don't mind but I was starving."

"That's fine," he said and taking a small box from his pocket tossed it on the table.

He noticed her looking at it, curiosity was written on her face. "Take a look, they're our wedding bands and here is an engagement ring" he says placing it next to the bands.

She looked at the bands.

"They're really nice." Then she looks at the diamond. "It's beautiful, but you didn't have to get me an engagement ring."

"Now how would it look to others if my wife doesn't have a diamond. I would never hear the end of it. Try it on, I guessed your size."

"It's a perfect fit," she says as she slipped it easily over her finger. She couldn't help feeling a little sad.

This was not the way she pictured getting engaged. She once thought when she got married it would be for love, not because she was forced to.

"My roommate Kathy is coming over later to bring me some more of my things."

"I thought you said you had everything?"

"Well, I forgot some things."

Later that night Kathy showed up and Gabriel let her in.

"I need to go through the hotel one last time. I'll be back soon." He only grunted a greeting to Paige's guest.

"He's not very charming Paige. Now, do you want to tell me what the hell is going on."

Once they got settled with drinks and a snack Paige told Kathy everything, the pregnancy, marriage and moving to Italy.

"Christ Paige what are you thinking? You can't marry a man you just met and especially not him. I've read all about him. Granted he is drop dead gorgeous but he sounds like a monster. They call him a demon. Just because you're pregnant you don't have to marry the man."

"Kathy you don't understand, I haven't got a choice. There's no way I can work and raise a baby on my own and besides, he said he would see to it that he gets the baby. As it is this pregnancy is going to be a rough one for me and I have to think of my baby."

"I can't help being worried about you, he's scary and those eyes of his I can see why he is called a demon. Will you promise to keep in touch and let me know how you're doing?"

"I promise."

Kathy was leaving when Gabriel returned. As she got to the door she turned to him, giving him a piece of her mind.

"You're pure evil making her marry you and threatening to take the baby away. You better not hurt her you fucking bastard."

She raised her finger and was about to poke him in the chest when he grabbed her wrist. His grip was so tight she thought he was going to crush her bones, his eyes turned dark and menacing.

"Never talk to me in such a manner or dare to touch me or I will crush the life out of you." He let go when he heard Paige call out for him to let her go. He slammed the door behind her and picked up his phone, looking at her. "Where does she work?"

"At the Gentlemen Club. why?"

"She won't be working there anymore."

Talking on the phone he asked for the manager of the club.

She hurried over to him and placed her hand on his arm, her eyes big as she stared into his.

"No, please don't do that. I'm begging you, Gabriel she's my friend. Just this once can't you let it go?"

Seeing the anguish in her eyes and for the first time in his life let someone influence his decision.

"OK, just this once but never interfere again. It's getting late so we better go to bed but first I'm taking a shower."

She was curled up on the far side of the bed when he came from the shower and got into bed, wearing only a pair of briefs. He had his back to her and she thought it was rude that he never even bothered to say goodnight, so she did.

"Goodnight Gabriel."

"What?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

"I said goodnight."

"Night," he mumbled and turned his back to her.

She wasn't sure what to expect. There was this fear that he would want sex but he didn't make a move on her, and she was relieved. Staring at his back she reached out and touched the scars on his back and felt him stiffen.

"Will you tell me how you got these scars?"

Feeling her feather-like touch he felt a shiver go through him and he rolled onto his back, looking up at the ceiling fan.

"You're going to keep asking me till I tell you aren't you?"

A smile crossed her lips. "Yes," she answered.

"When I was ten I had this horse, I loved that horse and my father knew it. So to teach me a lesson he took me out to the stable and shot him dead. I cried like a little baby. This made him mad, to see his son cry so he used a leather strap and beat me."

Her hand flew to her mouth and she cried out. "Oh my God, how could he do such a horrible thing to his own son?"

"He said a man should never cry or love, that it made you weak and people would walk all over you. From that day on I never cried again or loved." He looked over at her.

"I have a heart but it is cold and I feel nothing for no one, remember that Paige."

"What about your mother? Why did she not stop him?"

Gabriel laughed. "My mother is a cold-hearted bitch and did not care what my father did. We are all the same."

He sees the pity in her eyes and became angry.

"Do not ever pity me. This is the way I am so you'll have to learn to live with it. Night," he said and rolled onto his side, facing away from her.

His confession made her sad, she touched her stomach. Her child would not go through what he had, she would never allow him to lay a hand on their baby.

If she had to marry him she would show him that love doesn't have to hurt. Maybe she could melt his cold heart and release him from his pain. She knew under his cold, rough exterior was a man who just needed to be loved.