“You f**king bitch. I’ll kill you this time. You f**king slut.” He threw her to the floor and landed three kicks to the stomach. She curled into a ball waiting for the next hit, which didn’t come. Someone was tapping her on the shoulder. Tears fell from her eyes as the pain consumed her. Laura and Anna were around her. They helped her up from the floor. She glanced over and saw Paul and David holding onto Steven while Dean and William held Gabriel back from him. Steven had a split lip, and his face looked swollen.
“That’s police brutality,” Steven said.
“Fuck you. That’s a man protecting his woman. Amy is mine, you f**king bastard. You lay a finger on her, and I’ll take you out. She’s mine.”
“You can’t have her. She’s my wife.”
“Ex-wife. She’ll be mine, and I intend to keep her. You’ll never hurt her again.”
Amy moved away from Laura and Anna and went to Gabriel. Her body ached, but he needed to see her to make sure she was okay. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he pulled her close.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m a little sore.”
“The ambulance and cops are on their way. I have a feeling they’ll be upping his f**king security around the prison.”
The commotion had zapped Amy of all her energy. Laura and Anna took care of her two children while a paramedic looked her over. Gabriel stayed by her side while the police apologised for the incident. Gabriel demanded more security for Steven. She learnt her ex-husband was unbalanced and was in a psychiatric unit at the local hospital, which was why he had been able to walk out. The paramedic wanted her to go to hospital for observation, which she refused. There was no way she would be spending any more time in a hospital.
Anna took her children home with her. Amy was thankful for the space, even though she didn’t think it was necessary. Mia and Billy were happy to go with their friends. William stayed in a spare bedroom.
Gabriel carried her up the stairs when the police and ambulance service left. The rest of her day had gone to shit because of her ex-asshole-husband.
“You got me worried there,” he said. He placed her on top of the toilet.
“I’m sorry. I’m just glad you heard me.”
“I heard, and I f**king went ballistic. I’m pleased you didn’t see me lose my cool.”
She chuckled, the tears falling freely down her cheeks.
“Hey. Come here.” He wrapped his arms around her. His warmth and strength surrounded her. She let loose all of her fear and pain.
“I wasn’t going to let him take me without a fight. I got so angry. I was the perfect wife to him, and he did nothing but treat me like shit.”
“He won’t be coming out of there anymore. He’ll be under strict guard, and you’ll never have to lay your eyes on him again.”
“I love you, Gabriel.”
“I love you, too.”
He took her clothes from her body and checked her bruises. Her face was red, and her ribs had a darkening bruise. “Fucking ass**le,” she said.
Gabriel bathed her, being extra careful with her. When he was done, he dried her body and carried her to their bed. He laid her down, and she kissed him deeply, her hand going to his cock. He stopped her. “Tonight, I’ll hold you.”
She nodded her head and rested her head on his shoulder. With time, her eyes closed, and sleep claimed her. The day’s events were rushed, and she wanted to do nothing else but forget about it all.
Chapter Twelve
Nothing exciting happened after Steven’s escape. She found out he was in a maximum security prison being medicated for his condition. Anna and Laura helped her to organise her wedding to Gabriel. She had no idea what to do, but the other two women steered her in the right directions. They were both married themselves. Amy felt so close to them, and Gabriel made her fall in love with him more and more. Her children adored him and called him daddy. She’d told them that they didn’t have to. They still called him daddy. William moved to CapeFalls and opened up his gentlemen’s club. She hadn’t been to visit, and Gabriel kept refusing to take her.
Their scandal died down, to be replaced by William and the tattoo parlour. She found it funny when residents talked to her in the supermarket about the chaos happening in the town. She was suddenly one of them when compared to the new businesses opening up.
Gabriel spent every available moment making love to her. She loved being with him, and the love she felt grew with every moment. But there was something he was holding back from her, and she had no clue what it was. The sex between them was steamy, and she wished he trusted her enough to tell her what was wrong.
Laura had taken Mia and Billy for the weekend. Their children were getting along, and she knew hers needed a break from all the chaos. Also, it gave her some alone time with Gabriel before they got married. She was cleaning through the house when she noted the key in the door of the room that wouldn’t open. Gabriel had told her to never go inside.
She stared at the key in the door and wondered if this is what Pandora felt about opening the box. For the longest time, she stood gazing at the key. What would she find behind the door?
Her curiosity got the better of her. She turned the key, and the door opened. Her hand shook as she pushed it open wider and walked inside. There was a flight of stairs, and she flicked the switch on the light. Amy held onto the railing and walked down the flight of stairs into the main room. And paused.
What she found was hard to describe.
Amy couldn’t believe what she was looking at. There were lengths of rope, handcuffs, and what looked like whips lined on the walls. She hesitated at what she saw. This room was not what she had expected to see. Soon, her hesitation went away, and she walked over to the far wall. She reached out, touching the leather between her fingers. They fascinated her. Why did Gabriel have whips, chains, and all the array of sex toys on the shelves? Then she remembered the conversation she’d had with William over dinner. He’d told her he was a dominant, but Gabriel had never told her he was one as well. Too much was happening too fast for her to process. She grabbed onto one of the leather whips and held it in front of her face. Her pulse raced as she thought of him hitting her with it. She didn’t like the thought of the pain. Reading about it inside books was different from seeing what lay in front of her. She accepted so much, but this was too much for her. The whip fell from her fingers as tears sprang to her eyes. Did he want this with her? She would never be able to handle this. She needed to get out of the room. Air, she needed air. Her world seemed to be crashing around her.