Page 17 of The Castle (Endgame 3)
His hands are firm on my arms. He steps forward, and I stumble back—I’m falling, hands tight in his shirt. He guides me to the wood-paneled wall of the hallway, only half blocked by heavy velvet drapery. His forehead meets mine. I’m trapped by the size of him, the strength. I’m held captive by his physicality, but it’s the gentle touch of his forehead that catches my breath.
“I don’t want to die for you, little virgin.”
My hands wrap tighter in the fabric, pulling myself higher, pulling him down. I can’t seem to get close enough. The clothes are in the way. Air is in the way. An entire universe colluding to keep us apart. “No?”
“Let me live for you.”
A helpless sound escapes me, because a bond like that doesn’t go one way. It’s a string between our hearts, our souls, something no amount of money could ever measure. I’m already living for him, already lost. “Yes,” I breathe.
“Then stay.”
This moment is as much a command as his orders in the limo, that moment as much a plea as his breath on the bridge of my nose now. He orders me to stay; he begs me. And all of it points to the same conclusion: he believes I’m going to leave.Chapter SevenThe owner of the restaurant greets Gabriel like an old friend, with a warm smile and a two-handed shake. He seems sincerely pleased to meet me, even giving me condolences for my father, as if he’s dead instead of merely poor and ill. In this society that’s worse than death. I accept them awkwardly, still torn between a deep-seated grief and my sense of betrayal.
My father was the only family I knew for so long. He was my whole world, like Gabriel said. And I would have done anything for him. I did anything for him, auctioning my virginity once his medical bills drained my college fund.
But he wasn’t the man I thought he was.
He betrayed me, essentially selling me as part of a business contract before he was attacked. And maybe worse than that, he betrayed my mother. He hadn’t believed her when she needed him the most. Would she still be alive if he had believed her? Would she have gone to confront Jonathan Scott if my father had been her true ally?
I shiver, because Gabriel believes me. Doesn’t he?
“Avery!”
I’m startled from my own thoughts by Candy’s voice. She smiles, standing from the table tucked into a corner. This is the most secluded spot in the restaurant.
“I didn’t know you were coming!”
She gives me a tight hug, smelling like sugar and sex. “I’ve been begging Ivan to let me see you for weeks.” Her eye roll is somehow precocious and sensual at the same time. “He insists on being by my side ever since the fire.”
“So it’s not just Gabriel,” I say.
A soft laugh. “They have some things in common, our men. But I’m guessing they do some things very differently. For example Ivan loves to—”
“Darling.” Ivan Tabakov strokes his hand along her bright blonde hair, the touch gentle and yet possessive. He gives me a grave nod in greeting before returning his attention to Candy. “We don’t discuss such things at the dinner table.”
She gives him a fake-puzzled look. “I was just going to tell them your favorite drink after a hard day at work. What did you think I was talking about?”
“Of course you were,” he says drily.
Gabriel leans forward to shake his hand. “Tabakov.”
A nod. “Miller. Have you found anything?”
“Nothing worth mentioning.”
I exchange a glance with Candy. They’re talking about Jonathan Scott. I didn’t realize that Ivan Tabakov was looking for him, too, but I suppose he considers the fire an attack on Candy. At the very least he’s a danger. And from the hard glint in Ivan’s silver eyes, he doesn’t let anything pose a danger to her.
“Excuse us,” Candy says breezily. “Avery and I need to visit the little girl’s room.”
Gabriel frowns, his hands hard around my waist. “I don’t think so.”
“It’s like six feet away,” Candy says, laughing.
My eyes narrow. “Does my leash not extend that far?”
“No,” he says, his voice flat.
There’s no room for argument in the set of his jaw, but I’m not backing down. “We’ll be inside the restaurant! I know you have people standing watch outside.”
That was only a guess, but the look on his face confirms it. “That’s not the point.”
“You can’t follow me into the bathroom.”
His golden eyes glint with challenge. “Can’t I?”
It won’t work to confront him, to fight him. He’s a warrior. This isn’t only about where I go. It’s about the very nature of our relationship, the way that I wield my power. And I don’t need the strength that comes from muscle, from steel. I have other weapons.
I squeeze Gabriel’s hand. “I’d love a few minutes of girl time.”
