Looking Behind the Mask: Second Chance Series - Book 2

by Joan Davis

  Honor just stared at Gabriel for a few seconds before blinking tiredly and shutting her eyes.

  Gabriel sighed in relief that Honor didn’t try to fight him. He watched her for a few seconds before going out to the living room and sitting on the couch. He pulled his phone out and called Conner.

  “Hey, I’m here at Sam’s. How’s she doing?” Conner answered knowing it was Gabriel by looking at his caller I.D.

  “Honor’s fine, got a nasty wound on her right forearm that had to be sewn up and a large bruise on her right thigh. We’re back at her place and she’s in bed,” Gabriel said with a sigh.

  “Well at least she didn’t kick your ass out,” Conner said cheerfully.

  “Asshole,” Gabriel said, knowing Conner had gotten the whole story from Sam. He was sure that Mik knew as well. It was hard to keep a secret between the four of them.

  Chuckling, Conner said, “If you need help with Lela or anything else, I’ll be glad to lend a hand.”

  “Thanks, brother. Sam’s got Lela covered. I’m good for now. I just wanted to check in with you,” Gabriel said and then heard Risa in the background demanding the phone.

  “Gabriel?” Risa said anxiously. “Is Honor really okay? Sam said they tried to knock her out at the hospital and she went nuts.”

  “She’s good, Risa. She’s just resting. I’ll have her call you when she gets up,” Gabriel promised.

  “No, just tell her I’ll be over tomorrow and I’ll bring her a care package,” Risa said.

  “Thanks Risa, I’m sure she’ll appreciate that.”

  “Gabriel, Honor told me what you found out about her past,” Risa said. “She acts tough, but you know better, right? No matter what she says, you need to take care of her.”

  Gabriel smiled into the phone. “I know Risa. I think I’ve known since the first minute I saw her,” Gabriel said truthfully.

  There was a moment of silence and then Risa said, “Good. We’ll see you tomorrow. Good night.”

  Gabriel hung up the phone and then swung his feet up onto the couch to lay down. At least she let me take care of her today, Gabriel thought to himself as he drifted into a light sleep.

  *****

  Two hours later Gabriel awoke and heard a low moan. He sat up quickly and went into Honor’s bedroom. She was sitting on the side of the bed cradling her right arm and rocking back and forth. “Honor?” Gabriel called out to her softly as he knelt in front of her. He met her pain-filled gaze as she bit her lip to keep from crying out. “Honor, you need to take some of the pain medication the doctor prescribed for you,” Gabriel said gently.

  Shaking her head, Honor was unable to suppress another moan as another wave of pain shot up her arm.

  “Honor, look at me,” Gabriel said firmly. When Honor met his gaze, he said, “I am not going anywhere. I will be here the whole time you are sleeping, I promise. Please trust me and take the pain killers. I won’t let anything happen to you, I swear,” Gabriel said. “Honor, I can’t handle seeing you in pain, please.”

  “Don’t leave me, Gabriel,” Honor pleaded shakily, as she nodded her acceptance.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Gabriel said, as he went into the bathroom and got a cup of water, brought it back into the bedroom and sat it on the nightstand. He opened the bag from the pharmacy, read the directions and then handed Honor one small pill that she put in her mouth. She then washed it down with the water.

  Gabriel kicked off his shoes and took off his belt. He then scooped Honor up and placed her in the middle of the King-sized bed and laid down next to her. “Rest your arm on me,” Gabriel said gently

  Honor laid down on her side, facing Gabriel, rested her right arm on his warm abdomen and put her head on his shoulder. Moaning, she squeezed her eyes shut against the pain.

  Gabriel reached down and began gently rubbing Honor’s back. The up and down rhythm was soothing. “It will take a while for the medicine to work. Just breath deep and try to relax, I’ve got you,” Gabriel said. He pulled the covers up to keep Honor warm and he continued the hypnotic massage on her back until he felt her body relax.

  Honor bit her lip, but she forced herself to speak before her fear stopped her. “I never knew his name until you showed me that picture and told me.”

  Gabriel’s hand froze momentarily on Honor’s back before resuming its calming caress. He clenched his teeth as she confirmed what he already knew. “You lied about not remembering to protect yourself,” Gabriel stated.

  Honor was silent for a time. “When I woke up in the hospital I was so confused. I didn’t know if it had all been a bad dream or if I had a bad accident and had just imagined everything else. I was about to tell them everything, but when the nurse gave me a mirror and I saw the tattoo for the first time, I knew it was real.” Honor shivered at the memory. “The last thing I remembered before waking up in that white room was that man leaning over me with a needle in his hand. He told me when I woke up I would be wearing his mark and that it would prove he owned me.”

  “Maximus Dunn,” Gabriel said.

  “I kept thinking something was terribly wrong with him. His voice was so kind, but evil seemed to pour off of him. I could feel it, Gabriel. I have never been so scared of anyone, or anything, as I was of him. I knew if I told the police what I knew he would kill me. When Detective Lane said they found another girl like me dead it terrified me so badly I just shut down. I felt like if I made one wrong move he would find me and kill me,” Honor’s voice had grown quieter until it was only a whisper.

  “I know baby, you did what you had to do to survive.” Gabriel felt sick thinking about how petrified and vulnerable Honor must have been.

  “Maybe if I had been braver and told what I knew, your sister . . .” Honor voice was so sorrowful that Gabriel interrupted her.

  “Oh God, don’t think like that. You did the only thing you could do, Honor. You were just a young girl,” Gabriel said hoarsely.

  Honor’s voice was slurring with sleep when she said, “He sends people to watch me sometimes. I always know when they’re near.”

  Gabriel stiffened at Honor’s words. “Honor, how do you know?” he asked.

  “I just do. I can always feel when they’re watching me,” Honor whispered, as sleep finally took her.

  Gabriel continued to rub Honor’s back, but his mind was swirling with rage and a deep need to protect her. Maximus Dunn would pay for all he’d done. The next time they meet Gabriel promised himself Dunn would never be a threat to anyone he loved again.

  *****

  CHAPTER 8

  Late the next morning, Honor slowly opened her eyes and stared groggily at her arm as it rested on Gabriel’s chest. She tried to flex her fingers. There was pain in her arm but it wasn’t all-consuming like it had been the previous night. Honor raised her head and met Gabriel’s bright green eyes. “Hi,” Honor said. Her voice was dry and hoarse.

  Gabriel put down the iPad he had been using and grabbed the cup of water on the night stand, then handed it to Honor. After she took a few sips, he asked, “How’s your arm feel? Think you need another pain pill?”

  Shaking her head Honor said, “It hurts, but not like before. I don’t want to take anything unless I really need it.” She sat up and cradled her arm and looked at Gabriel. “Thanks for staying with me. I’m not very nice when I don’t feel good,” Honor admitted, frowning at the way her head felt. She hated the feeling of cloudiness that the pain medication left. Honor thought of what she had admitted to Gabriel the night before. Uncertainty made it hard to meet his eyes for very long.

  Gabriel swung his legs out of the bed and stood up. “You’re welcome,” he said, not bothering to acknowledge the other part of her statement. He opened the antibiotics and steroids the doctor prescribed and handed them to Honor. Then gave her the cup of water to wash them down. He noticed that Honor was distancing herself from him, and he refused to allow it. “Honor look at me,” Gabriel demanded softly.

  Honor looked up at him re
luctantly, her gaze wary.

  He leaned down and cupped Honor’s face and kissed her gently. “Do you want to get up, or try to sleep a little more?”

  “Up, I think,” Honor said and edged her way to the side of the bed until she could swing her bare legs over the side and sit up. Hesitantly, she looked over at her dresser. “I’m sort of cold. Would you mind getting me a pair of sweats out of the bottom drawer of dresser?” she asked as goose bumps ran up her arms and legs. “It doesn’t matter what color,” she added absently. She watched Gabriel again with wary eyes. When would he ask the questions she knew he must be harboring? She wanted to volunteer whatever information he might want, but couldn’t seem find the courage this morning. Her stomach tightened, and she tried to calm her anxiety with a few deep breaths.

  Gabriel opened the dresser drawer and pulled out a pair of soft gray sweatpants and a teal sweatshirt. “Where do you keep your socks?” he asked, and at Honors direction he opened another drawer and pulled out a pair of thick socks. “Let’s get the socks on first,” Gabriel said and bent down and took care of pulling on both socks. “Do you want to try taking that top off, or do you want to just put the sweat shirt over it?” Gabriel asked, smiling devilishly.

  “You’re not going to try to jump me are you?” Honor asked, squinting at him with mock suspicion. “Because Gabriel, I have to say that sex is definitely not on my ‘To Do’ list today.”

  Gabriel tried to look disappointed. “Well, maybe this little peep show will satisfy me,” he said, raising his eyebrows.

  “Pervert,” Honor said, chuckling softly. She felt a small amount of tension drain away and was glad that for now he was keeping things light. With Gabriel’s help she was able to take off the hospital shirt and pull on the sweatshirt. He held the arm of the right sleeve open wide so Honor could slip into it without rubbing her bandaged wound against it. He then gently pushed the soft material up her arm to her elbow. Next, he picked up the sweatpants and held them open so Honor could slip them on.

  Honor noticed the bruise on her right thigh. “Wow. That is going to be one ugly rainbow,” she said grimacing and then grinned at Gabriel’s mock lustful gaze on her leg. She stood up and Gabriel loosely tied the string of the sweatpants once they were around her waist.

  “Hold on a second,” Gabriel said and walked into the bathroom. He came out with a brush and a band for Honor’s hair. He pulled her forward a bit and then got behind her and gently brushed the tangles out of her hair. Then gathered it in a loose ponytail and placed the band around it.

  Honor turned around and eyed Gabriel. “You’re good. Do a lot of women’s hair, do you?” Honor asked with a raised brow.

  Grinning, Gabriel said, “Only Lela’s. I had to learn very quickly that woman, especially little women, do not like to have their hair pulled.”

  Honor’s face softened at the mention of Gabriel’s niece. “How is Lela? I heard you tell Sam and Buck that she was at a sleepover last night.”

  “She’s great. Sam and Risa are going to swing by the Ling’s house and pick her up on their way here,” Gabriel said, but then frowned. “If you’re not in the mood to have company, I can call . . .”

  “No, that’s great. I haven’t seen her in a while. I miss that little grinning face,” Honor said.

  “She sort of gets to you, doesn’t she?” Gabriel said fondly. He stood up and let Honor take the lead out of the bedroom, and she went towards the kitchen.

  “I need caffeine.” Gabriel said.

  “Sorry, I don’t drink coffee, but I have iced tea made and more tea bags if you like it hot.” She opened the freezer door of the old refrigerator and pulled out an ice tray. Looking down at it, she frowned. “Reason number one hundred and eleven for getting a new fridge,” Honor muttered to herself. Suddenly, everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours and the stress over finally revealing her past had Honor dropping the ice tray and putting her hand over her face to try to stop tears from falling.

  Years of hiding what she knew shuddered to the surface, and Honor couldn’t seem to stop the tears once they started. All the emotions she had pushed down flooded her body. How am I going to do this? It’s too hard, Honor thought. She lived for years with the fear that Maximus Dunn would come after her again. Even though she hadn’t known his name, Honor had lived with his nightmarish image fixed in her consciousness.

  Honor was still stunned that she had found Gabriel, only to learn that they both had such a horrible connection to the same man. She thought she could handle it. She had almost decided she wouldn’t allow herself to get too close, but she knew that wasn’t possible now. Gabriel had woven his way into her heart. What am I going to do if I lose him? Honor’s head bowed at the thought.

  Gabriel wrapped his powerful arms around Honor and drew her back against him. “I’ve got you, baby. We’re going to get through this together. I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered against her ear. He felt Honor shudder as she cried. Gabriel’s heart clenched as he heard the heartache in Honor’s quiet sobs. He hated that she had been forced to keep all of her worries and fears hidden for years, afraid to share them with anyone.

  Honor turned and placed her head against Gabriel’s shoulder and wrapped her uninjured arm around him. She craved the feeling of safety he provided. She wasn’t sure how long this would last, but at this point she would take what she could get. Gabriel didn’t force her to talk or stop crying. He just held her and moved his hands up and down her back in that hypnotic rhythm that Honor was coming to love.

  After a long while, Honor pulled back and looked up at Gabriel with teary eyes and smiled. “Okay, nervous breakdown over,” She tried to joke.

  Gabriel smiled and wiped the tears away from Honors eyes before kissing her lips. “Like I said, we’re going to get through this together. Please believe me.”

  Honor’s lips turned up in a trembling smile. “Okay,” she said.

  “Do you still want that iced tea?” he asked. At Honor’s nod, Gabriel stepped away and filled two glasses with ice and tea. “Are you hungry?” Gabriel asked, but at the shake of Honor’s head he led her out to the living room.

  They both sat on the couch and Gabriel reached down and pulled Honor’s legs up onto the couch until her feet and ankles rested on his lap. Honor relaxed and leaned her head against the back of the couch. She stared at him for a moment before saying, “Gabriel, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that I had never been with a man. I didn’t know how to even broach the subject. People have this idea of me, and I really didn’t think you would believe me, so I just didn’t say anything.”

  Sighing, Gabriel said, “Please don’t apologize. God, I handled that morning so badly. When I saw the blood, it all got mixed up with what happened to Diana and Lela. I just thought I must have hurt you, and instead of sitting down and talking to you about it, I acted like an ass and ended up hurting you anyway. I don’t know if I even understand where my head was that morning, so I don’t expect you to either.”

  A little confused Honor said, “You were there Gabriel. That night was fantastic. At least, I thought it was.”

  Gabriel let out a tense laugh and said, “Fantastic doesn’t begin to cover that night. It was amazing, Honor. As you might have noticed, I’ve wanted you since I first saw you walk into Maybell’s diner, and it was never about your tattoo . . .” Gabriel stopped as he saw disbelief crawl across Honor’s face, and then he said, “Wait, don’t give me that look. Okay, you do have a point. I will never know what you would look like without that tattoo, but honey, it was never about that for me. It’s everything. One minute you’re spinning around in those huge pieces of construction equipment, like it’s nothing, and next you’re standing in front of me in a bikini looking like a warrior goddess. I love the way you move, your laugh, how you say my name, everything. Please believe me.”

  Gabriel paused and then gave her a cheeky grin. “When you looked at me in the diner that first day, the last thing I was thinking about was that damn t
attoo. I almost embarrassed myself, lady. I tried to play it cool, but I felt like a fourteen year old with my first crush. You got under my skin early, and I knew I was a goner from day one.”

  Remembering what Risa had told her about Gabriel warning Conner to stay away from her, Honor couldn’t keep a thrill of happiness from filling her heart. “Okay, I believe you, but I’m still confused. What does that first night have to do with Lela and her mother?”

  Gabriel rubbed her leg absently and said, “I woke up the next morning and found you gone, then I saw the blood on the sheets and the bedding. I realized I had been your first and then somehow everything just got jumbled up in my head. My emotions about what happened to my sister became mixed up with worry that I may have hurt you. It just got worse the more I thought about it. By the time you got back I was a mess, and I couldn’t separate the two events. Everything I said to you came out wrong. I could hear myself, but I couldn’t seem to stop until it was too late.” Gabriel shook his head in regret.

  Understanding dawned on Honor’s face and she said, “Gabriel I told you how much pleasure you gave me that night. There was never any pain, just pleasure. Please tell me you understand, because it’s the truth.” Honor didn’t want there to be any doubt in Gabriel’s mind, and she didn’t want him to harbor any guilt about that night. She could tell he carried too much of that around already. It seemed that she wasn’t the only one who dealt with demons.

  Frowning, Gabriel nodded but said, “It’s just that if I had known, I could have maybe made your first time better. I didn’t even wear a damn condom,” Gabriel said and shook his head in chagrin. “You know, to be honest, I really don’t know what I would have done. I wanted you that bad,” Gabriel said grimacing.

  Laughing, Honor said, “And I told you I was protected. Could we have practiced a better form of safe sex? Maybe, but if you had made that night any better, I would have just imploded. Not to give you any more of an ego boost, but I had a really, really good time that night.”