Kolson turned to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Gabriella, it’s not Case’s job to guard you. I know he loves you, but he has a business to run. He shouldn’t have to make sure someone is there all the time to keep an eye on you. Besides, he has a receptionist out front to worry about. It’s comforting to know there’s a professionally trained guard taking care of you.”
When stated like that, Gabby almost felt guilty not letting him hire one.
“Fair point. So when will this start?”
“Today. We have plenty at the company. You’ll use one of them.”
“Okay, boss.”
“You think you’re funny, don’t you.”
Two weeks later, Kolson was in his office when a call came through from Stan Harrison.
“Mr. Hart, I have all the X-rays and the radiologist’s report. I’ll send them to your home so you and Dr. Martinelli can look over everything together.”
“Why not send it to me?”
“Uh, Mr. Hart, I don’t want you to see it without her. Sir, it’s pretty bad.”
Kolson’s grip tightened on his phone. “Exactly how bad?”
“Much worse than I imagined, and if I were to guess, I’ll bet that even Dr. Martinelli has forgotten a lot of it. Or maybe forced herself to block it out.”
“Okay. Send it by courier and we’ll go over it together.”
“She’ll need you there with her. If it were me, I’m not sure I’d want to review it alone.”
“Fuck me.”
“That’s what I said when I read it, sir.”
Kolson decided against mentioning it to Gabby. He’d just call her up and ask her to eat dinner at his place.
Gabby was surprised to find Kolson home before her. He was waiting on her when she walked off the elevator.
“Hi, gorgeous.” He took her briefcase and purse and handed her a glass of wine.
“Hey, there.” She leaned in for a kiss. “Mmm, that’s nice.”
“Yes, always.”
“Come.” He led her into the den where the large gold envelope sat on the coffee table.
“What’s that?”
“Your X-rays, along with the radiologist’s report. They came in today. I haven’t read it or looked at any of it. I waited for you.”
“I see.” Her body stiffened. “I’m … I …”
“I’ve got you, and I’ll always have you. You don’t have to look. I wanted you to have the opportunity, but if you don’t want to …”
“No. I do. It’s just that, I …” She swallowed the thickness and rubbed the ache in her chest. “The pain, not the physical but the emotional, you know. My parents, how they …” She shivered.
He turned to her and said, “I’m here. Gabriella, I believe in you. I know you as a person. I know how much you hurt. Trust me. Let me be your strength.”
“Okay.” She took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”
He pulled out the films but she said, “You don’t have to bother with those. The lighting isn’t good enough and the report will tell us all we need.”
He stuffed them back in and took out the papers. They bent their heads together and started reading.
They read through it all. Gabby tallied nineteen separate rib fractures, several bone fractures in her left wrist and arm, several fingers, both nasal bones, and two broken clavicles. By the end Kolson was wound up so tightly, he was ready to spring.
“That motherfucker has to die. And then, so do your motherfucking parents. How could they not see this?”
“I hid a lot of it.” Her voice was muted.
“What?”
“After a while, I hid most of it. He’d hit me in places that didn’t show. So I hid it. The stuff I thought would heal on its own.”
“How the hell’d you do that?” he bellowed.
She cowered from him and he immediately reacted.
“Shit, I’m sorry. The last thing you need is to have to deal with a maniacal boyfriend.” His hands plowed through his hair. “Fuck!”
She bowed her head into her hands, thinking back. Most of it had been relegated to the furthest reaches of her mind. But this had kicked it to the front row and it was doing a standing ovation complete with confetti and streamers. Oh, how she recalled the pain. How she could barely breathe as she would lie in her bed at night. She crossed her arms and rubbed her sides, the places that used to ache so terribly.
“They accused me of making things up so I hid it from them after a while. The bruises were mainly in areas that were covered by clothes. They couldn’t see them. Soon I stopped crying about it because it only caused me more trouble.” Her eyes took on a haunted look. “I stopped crying altogether. That was one of my psychiatrist’s goals. To learn to cry again. Do you know I haven’t cried since I was fifteen?” She gave him a weak smile.
“Not at all?”
“Never. Not even when my dog, Ethel, died. And I loved that dog more than anything.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I can’t. Sometimes it feels as though it’ll happen, like the burn is right in my eyes, but then it goes away. My psychiatrist thought it was because of the trauma I endured and that once I let it all go I would be able to face everything again. But my opinion is that it has to do with vulnerability. It was safer for me not to cry. I built such a solid wall that I got used to stopping the tears. Whatever the case, Danny knew it. He would punch and kick me and try his damnedest to make me cry. But I wouldn’t. I think that’s why I had so many broken ribs.”
“Goddamn him!” Kolson wanted to punch something. Anything. Just to let off the building steam. He stuffed everything back in the envelope. “Let’s get out of here for a while.”
“Fine with me. But where?”
“Hang on a second.” He got up and went to his office. In a few minutes he was back again. “Come on, let’s go.” He offered his hand and she grasped it.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
They rode the elevator down to the garage and got in his car.
“Any hints?” she asked.
“We’re going for a little ride. We both need a change of scenery.”
They pulled up in front of HTS.
“Isn’t this where you work?” she asked.
“Yeah, this is my building.”
“You taking me on a tour?”
“Kind of.” He pulled into the underground garage and rode the elevator up. And up. When they got out on the top floor, a helicopter awaited. The rotors were spinning; it was windy and extremely loud. He took her hand and pulled her to the passenger door, where a man stood holding it open.
They climbed inside and Kolson handed Gabby a headset and turned it on. He put on his own and they were greeted by the pilot.
“Good evening, Mr. Hart, Dr. Martinelli.”
“Hi, Steven. Thanks for coming on such short notice. We won’t take up much of your time. Only about an hour or so.”
“Not a problem at all, sir. So you want the greatest aerial tour of Manhattan, sir?”
“Give my lady the best show you can.”
“Coming right up. Enjoy the ride, Dr. Martinelli.”
“Thank you, Steven.”
“My pleasure, ma’am.”
Kolson buckled Gabby’s harness and the craft lifted off. She gripped his hand as they went. “Oh my God! I can’t believe you.”
He grinned at her.
Gabby gawked out of both windows as Steven began his flight pattern over the seven boroughs of New York. Her head swiveled while Kolson laughed at the picture she made.
“You’re going to have to pick a window and stick with it or you’ll end up missing the views.”
When the sun lowered, he ended the tour with the borough of Manhattan as he flew along the skyline, beginning with the Statue of Liberty. Kolson pointed out each of the highest buildings in their magnificence, including the new World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, and the Chrysler Building. He was lost
in the expressions that flitted across Gabby’s features, from amazement to pure joy. And all Kolson wanted to do was imprint those expressions on his mind forever. He had his phone out the entire time doing exactly that. Snapping picture after picture of her, he captured her in various poses looking at the scenery, laughing, smiling, wide-eyed, and awed. And then it hit him. There was no falling anymore. That was a has-been. He was madly in love with this woman. And he would stop at nothing to protect her, even if it meant killing Danny Martinelli.
Steven set the aircraft down gently on the roof. When Gabby unbuckled her harness, she threw herself at Kolson. “Tell me you have more tricks up your sleeve. That was a blast.”
He wrapped her in his embrace and nuzzled her neck. “I have tricks all right, but most of them involve nakedness and a bed.”
“Hmm, I’ll take those too, Mr. Hart.”
“Yes, you will, kea, and I’ll make sure you love every single one of them.”
“Thank you, so much, Kolson. That was fantastic.”
“Come, let’s go home and eat. I’m starving.”
Gabby had a silly grin on her face all the way home. When they got back to Kolson’s, though, reality invaded.
“I know we couldn’t keep it out forever, but you know what? I’m not going to let what happened to me ruin my future. I’m just not going to allow it. Danny has already taken too much from me. He’s not going to get any more.”
“What are you saying?”
“I want to drop all of this and move on.”
“Oh, Gabriella, I think that’s a huge mistake.”
“I knew you would. But I’m happy now.”
“Listen to me. He’s not ever going to stop trying to get to you. You understand what that means, right?”
“I guess.”
“That leaves you with no choice.”
“But …”
“No buts. He’s not going to let you go. Not until something worse happens. And one of you gets hurt. And you getting hurt is not an acceptable outcome.”
Their discussion weighed heavily on her; she had to agree with Kolson. They ate in relative silence and then headed to bed. He made passionate love to her, driving her mad with his possession of her body, until she was so weak she couldn’t move. Then she fell asleep, only to wake in the dark of the night, dreaming about Danny. As she lay there, she cursed him for all the trouble he’d caused, turning her life upside down. Why didn’t he simply go away? Why did he persist in these crazy actions? She started to think up ways to get rid of him, but then knew they’d never work. The worse thing that could happen is that she’d get caught and end up going to prison herself.
“What is it, kea?”
“Bad dream.”
“Tell me.”
“Just an old nightmare.”
“Roll on your stomach.”
She did, and he massaged her back. It was a soft caress that soothed and lulled her back to sleep.
The next morning while they were eating breakfast, Kolson’s phone buzzed and he cursed when he saw who was calling.
“Kestrel.” Pause. “No, I haven’t decided.” Pause. “I know the party’s in a week. It’s on my calendar.” Kolson looked at Gabby, questioning. She nodded. “Yes, we’ll be there. Tell mom. What time? I’ll tell Gabriella. Any other word on Kade?” Another pause. “None here either. I guess we’ll see you next week.”
He ended the call. “Birthday party for dear old Dad at their place next Saturday at seven. Kestrel says hi. Cocktail attire and I don’t like this one bit. I abhor that fucking place.”
“I’ll hold your hand the whole time.”
“Is that a fucking promise because I swear to God …”
“Hey! That’s an oath. Okay?”
She extended her hand to him and he clutched it.
“You can’t know what went on in that place, Gabriella. You can’t possibly know. A fucking shit show.”
His eyes were riddled with pain so she pushed her chair back and straddled his lap. Taking his face in the palms of her hands, she said, “I’ll be with you every step of the way, holding your hand, and I won’t let you go for even a second. I swear this to you.”
Kolson looked at her, and finally spilled it. “I love you, Gabriella. Did you know that? Absolutely, unequivocally, with everything in my heart. I didn’t think I was capable of loving anyone. But you, you’ve short-circuited me, taken me apart, bit by bit, placed yourself inside me and rewired me, made me whole again. You’ve reconstructed me, kea, and you don’t even know it. There are times when I can’t imagine how I ever breathed without you. You are the most perfect human being God ever created and to think He sent you to me. I marvel at that constantly. And then I start to freak thinking you’ll be snatched away from me, or somehow you’re a fantasy I’ve conjured in my fucked-up mind. Because you don’t want anything from me. You only want to give. And you only want the happy. And that’s why I adore you.”
She touched her lips to his. “I do want something from you—I want you and only you. I can’t believe we found each other, either. I love you too, Kolson Hart, for the way you make me feel, like I mean something, like I am something. I love the way I feel when you’re inside of me, how you make me feel like my missing part has found its rightful place again. You bring me hope that I never had before and joy that never existed. I love how I feel when I curl up next to you at night, right before I fall asleep. For the first time ever, I feel safe. And I feel empty when your arms aren’t around me. I love the way you breathe against my neck and the way your eyes darken and the colors get all mixed together when you’re inside me. I love you for freeing me, but most of all, I love all the bits of you for being you. And I’ll love you always, not just in the good but in the bad too.”
“Always is a long time, Gabriella. I hope you mean that. I’m a very literal guy.”
“And I’m a literal girl, in matters of the heart. I don’t give mine freely, so be careful with it.”
He traced her lips with his thumbs. “I’ll treat it lovingly and cherish it and you every minute of every day. I promise.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Gabby walked out of her room and into the den. She wore a dress Kolson had purchased for her, a fuchsia silk georgette sleeveless cocktail dress with a set-in leather waistband and a full skirt. Sleeveless and cut in to expose more of her shoulders, the back had an open slit to the waist, making the dress sexy and edgy at the same time. She’d added black stiletto platform pumps to complete the outfit. Kolson couldn’t pull his eyes away from her.
“Well?” she asked, twirling.
He licked his suddenly dry lips and swallowed. “Are you wearing panties?”
“Yes.”
“Get rid of them.”
“What?”
“I said, get rid of them.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re going to fuck on the way there.”
“What?”
“You heard what I said. If you keep them on, I’ll rip them to shreds.”
Without taking her eyes off him, she lifted her dress to reveal a hot pink lacy thong. Then she slid her thumbs under the elastic. Before she had a chance to slip them off, he was in front of her, snapping them like a flimsy thread.
“Huh! You ruined them!”
He slipped his hand under her dress and grabbed the cheek of her ass, hauling her up along his body. The shades of his eyes had darkened with lust. His tongue was licking her lips and kissing her before she could get another word out of her mouth. When he released her, he took out his handkerchief, wiped her mouth, then his, and said, “You’re a fucking tease, kea.”
“But …”
“And an absolutely gorgeous one at that. Now go put your lipstick back on. And make sure you bring it with you because you’ll have to be reapplying it a lot tonight.”
She walked up to him, took her thumb, and wiped off a smudge from the corner of his mouth. “You missed a spot.” Her hips swayed as she walked back to the powder
room. He shook his head and laughed.
When they exited the elevator in the lobby, she asked, “You’re not driving?”
“No, we’re being driven tonight.”
As they walked outside, Gabby squealed when she saw Sam standing there, holding the back door of a stretch limo open for them.
“Sam!” She hugged him.
“Dr. M. It’s nice to see you.” He beamed back at her.
“You too. I’ve missed you.”
“You’re looking well,” he said.
“I hate that I have so many different drivers now.”
“Yes, Dr. M. But I hope the others are treating you well.”
“Oh yes. But you’re the best, Sam.”
“Can we take this inside, please?” Kolson interrupted.
“Yes, sir.” Kolson helped Gabby inside and slid in behind her while Sam closed the door. Gabby noticed the fine luxury surrounding her, including a bottle of champagne chilling and two glasses.
“Well, isn’t this nice?”
“I hope you think so.” When Sam got behind the wheel, he said to him, “Sam, take your time, we need about twenty minutes, please.”
“Yes, Mr. H.”
Kolson tapped a button and a darkened glass slid up, affording them complete privacy from Sam. He leaned across the seat and slipped his hand beneath Gabby’s dress and found her wet and silky sex.
“If you wanted a social hour with Sam, you should’ve told me.”
“Kolson! You know how much I like Sam,” she admonished.
“Sorry. Let’s say I’m eager for some Gabriella time.” He gave her a scorching look. “Now, sit on my lap so I can fuck your mouth. I want that pink lipstick all over my face. And then I want to lick your pussy right before I fuck it. By the time we get to my parents house, I want us to look like a couple who’s just been on the ride of their lives.”
Her belly and sex clenched at his words and there was not a thing on this earth that would keep her off Kolson. She scrambled on top of him and greedily sucked his tongue as if it were his cock. She felt his hands tearing her off him and when she protested, he hushed her. He slid his body down, far enough for his mouth to reach the apex of her luscious thighs.
The Hart Brothers Series Box Set (Including the bonus book Sabin: A Seven Novel): Freeing Her, Freeing Him, Kestrel, The Fall and Rise of Kade Hart, Sabin: A Seven Novel Page 21