ripped. His jaw is clenched as he stomps towards me, the other man’s body slumped on the ground behind him.
I squeeze my eyes shut as he rips the man off me, throwing him like a ragdoll to the ground. The man whimpers in pain as Gabriel lunges on top of him, pummeling him relentlessly with his fists. He’s long past unconscious at this point, but Gabriel isn’t stopping.
“Gabriel!” I scream from behind him, but he doesn’t seem to be hearing me. I walk cautiously into his line of sight, yelling again. “Gabriel! Stop, please. You’re going to kill him.”
My voice finally seems to register. He glances up at me, his eyes blazing, and in one swift movement, he pounces. His hands grip my waist, pushing me back against the wall. His eyes burn intensely in the soft glow of the street lamp with an emotion I don’t recognize.
His jaw is still clenched, his chest heaving with angry breaths. I don’t dare move as he leans into me, kissing me roughly. He sucks and bites at my lips until I taste some of my own blood on my tongue. And then he pulls back, giving me a heated stare.
“Mine,” he growls.
I have no idea what’s come over him, but he looks as though he’s in physical pain. He’s panting hard and fast, his eyes searching my face desperately. I can’t be sure if it’s the cut on his head or what almost happened to me.
“Yes, Gabriel.” I stroke his mussed hair away from his face.
“Say it!” he commands.
“I’m yours,” I whimper. “Only yours, Gabriel.”
He closes his eyes and presses his forehead to mine. I inhale the familiar comforting scents of Bergamot and Sandalwood that I’ve come to love. And then he pulls away from me, running his finger along the cut on my neck. As he leans closer, I see the bloody knot on the back of his head.
“Are you ok?” he asks, concern marring his brow.
“Gabriel!” I admonish. “I’m not the one bleeding from the head. We need to get you to a hospital!”
He shakes his head, his eyes still blazing. “No, I’m taking you home.” And before I can protest further, he bends to scoop me up in his arms. As volatile as he is right now I decide not to argue. He carries me all the way back to my apartment, not even bothering to call the cops.
Once we’re inside, he carries me to the bathroom. Without saying a word, he sets me down on the counter and turns on the shower. He undresses me first, inspecting my body with careful precision, cringing at the bruises on my arms. But it’s the blood on my neck that really sets him off.
“Dammit, Victoria, when I tell you to do something, you fucking do it!”
I cross my arms and shoot back an angry glare.
“I’m not a kid, Gabriel. You don’t get to talk to me like that.”
And then, to my surprise, he leans in and closes his arms around me tightly.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers in my ear. “I wanted to fucking kill them. Seeing his hands all over you like that, hurting you, it nearly sent me over the edge.”
I relax into him and my anger disappears. “I’m sorry too, Gabriel. I was so scared for you, I couldn’t think straight.”
I choke up at the memory, and the tears come unbidden down my cheeks as I continue.
“I took you there. It was my idea to walk, and if we hadn’t done that, this never would have happened. I just wanted to protect you.”
He pulls back and cups my face in his hands, wiping away my tears in the process. “It’s my job to protect you, sweetheart. And it’s not your fault, I should have known better than to walk in this neighborhood at night.” He pauses for a moment to search my eyes. “That’s why I don’t fucking like you living here.”
I look down at the floor, ashamed with myself. It doesn’t matter what he says, I put his life in danger tonight. I can’t believe how stupid I was.
“And I hate to break it to you, little one,” he teases, “but you’ve got no street smarts. If you hadn’t tried to attack them, they probably would have just
I squeeze my eyes shut as he rips the man off me, throwing him like a ragdoll to the ground. The man whimpers in pain as Gabriel lunges on top of him, pummeling him relentlessly with his fists. He’s long past unconscious at this point, but Gabriel isn’t stopping.
“Gabriel!” I scream from behind him, but he doesn’t seem to be hearing me. I walk cautiously into his line of sight, yelling again. “Gabriel! Stop, please. You’re going to kill him.”
My voice finally seems to register. He glances up at me, his eyes blazing, and in one swift movement, he pounces. His hands grip my waist, pushing me back against the wall. His eyes burn intensely in the soft glow of the street lamp with an emotion I don’t recognize.
His jaw is still clenched, his chest heaving with angry breaths. I don’t dare move as he leans into me, kissing me roughly. He sucks and bites at my lips until I taste some of my own blood on my tongue. And then he pulls back, giving me a heated stare.
“Mine,” he growls.
I have no idea what’s come over him, but he looks as though he’s in physical pain. He’s panting hard and fast, his eyes searching my face desperately. I can’t be sure if it’s the cut on his head or what almost happened to me.
“Yes, Gabriel.” I stroke his mussed hair away from his face.
“Say it!” he commands.
“I’m yours,” I whimper. “Only yours, Gabriel.”
He closes his eyes and presses his forehead to mine. I inhale the familiar comforting scents of Bergamot and Sandalwood that I’ve come to love. And then he pulls away from me, running his finger along the cut on my neck. As he leans closer, I see the bloody knot on the back of his head.
“Are you ok?” he asks, concern marring his brow.
“Gabriel!” I admonish. “I’m not the one bleeding from the head. We need to get you to a hospital!”
He shakes his head, his eyes still blazing. “No, I’m taking you home.” And before I can protest further, he bends to scoop me up in his arms. As volatile as he is right now I decide not to argue. He carries me all the way back to my apartment, not even bothering to call the cops.
Once we’re inside, he carries me to the bathroom. Without saying a word, he sets me down on the counter and turns on the shower. He undresses me first, inspecting my body with careful precision, cringing at the bruises on my arms. But it’s the blood on my neck that really sets him off.
“Dammit, Victoria, when I tell you to do something, you fucking do it!”
I cross my arms and shoot back an angry glare.
“I’m not a kid, Gabriel. You don’t get to talk to me like that.”
And then, to my surprise, he leans in and closes his arms around me tightly.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers in my ear. “I wanted to fucking kill them. Seeing his hands all over you like that, hurting you, it nearly sent me over the edge.”
I relax into him and my anger disappears. “I’m sorry too, Gabriel. I was so scared for you, I couldn’t think straight.”
I choke up at the memory, and the tears come unbidden down my cheeks as I continue.
“I took you there. It was my idea to walk, and if we hadn’t done that, this never would have happened. I just wanted to protect you.”
He pulls back and cups my face in his hands, wiping away my tears in the process. “It’s my job to protect you, sweetheart. And it’s not your fault, I should have known better than to walk in this neighborhood at night.” He pauses for a moment to search my eyes. “That’s why I don’t fucking like you living here.”
I look down at the floor, ashamed with myself. It doesn’t matter what he says, I put his life in danger tonight. I can’t believe how stupid I was.
“And I hate to break it to you, little one,” he teases, “but you’ve got no street smarts. If you hadn’t tried to attack them, they probably would have just
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