“Hey, are you alright?” said Tasha as she peered at Gabby’s face.
She’d spent the last minute contemplating on her own thoughts. Shit! What was wrong with her? “Sorry, guys. I was just…thinking about something else.”
“It’s not easy planning a moving-in party. Lucky for you, we’re gung-ho about helping you.” Willow pumped her hand in the air. “Have you decided on a theme yet?”
“A theme?” She shook her head, baffled by the question. “What kind of a theme?”
Willow rubbed a hand on her forehead. “Oh, Tasha! This girl needs a lot of help. Poor thing, she is. We’ll have to rescue her from the pit of ignorance.”
Tasha grinned at the horrified expression on Gabby’s face. Her red hair was the exact color of a carrot, and her blue eyes were vibrant and bright. “Have you ever thrown a party before?”
Gabby’s heart sank. What had she gotten herself into? She’d thoughts drinks and food, but nothing else beyond that. The girls, it appeared, were looking for something more elegant, and she wasn’t sure if she was up for the task. “Nick is supposed to take care of all the details. He said he would arrange the music, and invitations, and all. We just have to take care of food here. I can do that easily enough.”
“Oh my God, girl!” Willow rolled her eyes. “A party is not about food and drinks. Sure, a man can take care of that. Your job is to create an ambiance that will invite people to sit and relax and make merry.”
Panic licked her skin. She’d no clue what Willow was talking about. “How do I do that?”
“The dress, girl.” Willow slapped one hand on another. “You’ve to get the right dress.”
Surely, she misunderstood. “The dress?”
“Yes, the dress. It’s the linchpin on which the whole party revolves,” insisted Willow. “You’ve to pick the dress, and then you plan a theme around it. Oh, gypsies!” She clapped her hands and glanced at Tasha. “What do you think?”
Tasha pulled a face. “I was thinking Hawaiian?”
“No! That’s been done to death. Let’s do something different.” Willow pursed her lips as she vetoed the idea. “Gypsies is wonderfully liberating and…plus, I have the perfect dress for it already.”
Tasha laughed. “It’s not your party. Gabby gets to decide.”
Gabby didn’t have a clue what they were talking about. Planning a party suddenly looked like a nightmare. What was she going to do? She didn’t have any idea regarding these things. “Gypsy theme sounds good. But…I don’t have a dress.”
“You have to buy a new one.”
The thought of trying on various dresses until she found the perfect one made her dizzy. “Do I have to? I could wear jeans…and throw on layered t-shirts and maybe beads around my neck. That’s easy enough to do.”
Willow slapped a hand on her mouth. “Oh, no, no, no! You’re not wearing jeans to this party. We’re going to find the perfect dress and shoes and accessories…”
She was sure that she suffered a mini-stroke. Gabby gulped. Her head was pounding now. “That’s going to take a lot of time.”
“The more, the better,” insisted Willow. “Tasha, are you free tomorrow afternoon?”
“Yes, I could clear my kitchen duties.”
Willow stood. “Good! We will meet here at three and go for a shopping expedition. It will be a lot of fun. And I think we should buy some candles also, jazz up this place a bit, and some ornaments to hang around.”
Gabby lay down on the bed. She sucked in a deep breath of air, released it, and sucked it in again. “I am going to be sick.”
Tasha patted her on the head. “Gather up your courage. I’ll bring some coffee for you and then we can discuss the menu.”
Pizza and burgers, she’d thought. But now that Willow was on this mission, they would have to think of something more exotic. “Fine,” she managed to croak out the word. Gabby closed her eyes as the women walked out.
This party was going to suck all energy out of her body. And knowing Willow, she wouldn’t do things halfway, she would go all out and make it a night to remember. Intimidating as that thought was, perhaps it wasn’t such a bad idea. It would take her mind off her other troubles.
As she tried to get a handle on the list of things to do that Willow’s discussion conjured in her head, her cell phone rang. For a second, her heart stopped, but it was Nick. “Hey, you!” His voice was throaty and low. A shiver of delight careened through her senses. His voice had enough power to bring her back to life. Suddenly, nothing seemed troublesome. “What are you doing?”
Gabby took a deep breath. “Willow and Tasha came over. Apparently we need a theme and the right dress for the party or else it would be a complete disaster.”
His rumbling laughter filled her ears. “Willow loves an occasion. She will drive you crazy.”
“You brought this on me,” she accused.
“Yeah, babe! And I am ready to pay the penalty, whenever you want. I am yours to command.”
She shook her head. “I’ll have to think of an appropriate punishment. But right now, Tasha is coming back up and we’re planning the menu. It’s going to be a gypsy theme, so the menu has to reflect that.”
“Good luck then,” he said. “So when should I come pick you up?”
“For what?” She didn’t know they were going out. Did he say something and she forgot? Gabby raked her mind but she couldn’t recall making any plans with him.
“For moving to my place, of course. Are you packed already?”
Shit! She hadn’t even begun. Gabby’s eyes darted to her cupboard that contained all her worldly possessions. It wouldn’t take her all that long to dump everything in a bag. But she just wasn’t ready for the big change right now. Although she committed to the move, she wasn’t sure if it was the right decision.
What if Nick got bored with her and told her to move back?
Once more, all her fears rumbled through her mind.
“Ah…there is so much party planning to do,” she said. “Maybe I should stay here for a while so that I can discuss things with the girls. We’re going shopping tomorrow, and then the food will be made here. It will take a lot of organizing.”
“Oh!” He sounded a little disappointed. She hated to do this to him, but her doubts were relentless. “Alright, if you’re sure. When would you move in then?”
“How about the day after the party?” she suggested. Her hand clenched on the bed sheet. She hated to make him feel bad but she just needed a little bit more time. From her heart and soul, she was committed to Nick, but the fear of losing him made her wary about making the ultimatum pledge. “I mean…we’re going to be together for a long, long time so a few more days won’t make such a big difference.”
“We’re going to be together forever, babe,” he corrected her. “So yeah, take your few days. Do you want me to rein in Willow? She can be a bit flamboyant with her ideas.”
Gabby recalled the excited expression on Willow’s face. It was a long time since they all had a fun night. Lately, the mood in the club was a little down. Ever since two of their members got arrested, everyone was a little tense. This party might be a good way to bring everyone back together. “No, it’s fine. I will survive.”
“That’s the spirit,” he said.
She laughed. “Will you drop by in the morning?”
“No, actually, I’m going with Matt to figure out a new warehouse location for the goods that need to be stocked so I’m not sure when I will come back. How about we meet for dinner tomorrow around seven? Matt and I should be done by then,” he said.
“OK.” Gabby was aware that there was a lot of tension between Matt and Nick, mainly because of her. Matt thought she could be the snitch, and Nick was protecting her. Until they found the person who landed two of their men in jail, this battle would continue. Nick was conducting secret investigations to figure out who it was. And until he did that, the only two men he trusted were Matt and Ronald. And that is why he was hunting for a new
location with Matt. At least, Matt wasn’t a police informant.
But then so wasn’t Gabby.
Sooner or later, Matt would realize that and this war would come to a natural end.
“Bye, babe.” Nick hung up.
Gabby felt terrible about continuously making excuses to not shift into his house, but she would make it up to him when she finally shifted. Nick was a great guy, and she intended to make him happy. And they would be, she was sure of it.
Just a week, and then they would be together.
Nothing could wrong in seven days.
CHAPTER FOUR
Gabby was miserable beyond measure.
As she tried on the fifth dress, she peered at her reflection in the mirror. “This looks good enough,” she muttered. The dark blue dress hugged her figure and brought out the glow in her eyes. “What do you think?”
“Good enough won’t do,” said Willow as she walked around Gabby, inspecting her from all angles. “When you wear the right dress, you will know.”
Gabby sighed as she went inside to change it. “I’ve already tried out everything here.”
“You should buy that red dress anyway. If you wear it on a date with Nick, his eyes are going to pop out,” suggested Tasha when Gabby emerged. “There is another cute little shop right down the block. We should go there.”
Gabby groaned. Her gaze fell on the red dress she wore first. Sure, it did look great on her, but she didn’t need it. Of course, she had enough money saved up. For the housekeeping and kitchen duty at the clubhouse, she was paid a decent amount. Some of it was spent on her books and fees for the home school high school program that she was enrolled in, but the rest of it was put in a savings account. She had not bought anything ever since she came to her new life. But then she didn’t need two new dresses.
It wasn’t a good idea to waste money.
“You want it,” whispered Willow in her ear. “I can see it in your eyes. Take it.”
Gabby laughed as she stepped away. “You’re evil.”
“Hey, let go, girl. Learn to have some fun.”
Gabby shook her head but she picked up the dress and brought it to the counter. “I’ll take this.”
“Atta girl,” said Willow. “Where did you say the shop was, Tasha?”
After she paid for the dress, Gabby followed them down the block to the new shop. Once more, the process started. Luckily enough, the second dress she wore was perfect. It was a full length gown with small flowers patterned in it. When she glanced at herself in the mirror, Gabby actually felt a thrill of excitement slide up her spine.
“I think this is it,” said Willow as she joined Gabby. “It’s perfect.”
“You can wear a belt with it and put on some beaded necklaces, and you’re the gypsy. Take them off and wear this dress alone, and you’re a goddess,” said Tasha as she stared at Gabby. “It’s the one.”
Now she could understand what it felt to wear something that felt just right for an occasion. In it, she would feel like a gypsy. “I would have to buy necklaces.”
“I have some,” said Willow. “You can borrow them.”
“And I have a bandana that would go with this. What you need are shoes?” said Tasha.
Gabby groaned. “Ah! This is never going to end.”
“Just the shoes, darling, and then we’re done,” muttered Willow as she patted Gabby on the shoulder. “We’re almost there. Be brave.”
Two hours later, Gabby staggered into the clubhouse. She was laden with packages. Two dresses, a pair of shoes, and a new handbag. She’d never bought so many things for herself in one shopping spree. Never again! She dumped stuff on the bed and sighed with relief. Wonderful as that experience was, she was exhausted. The girls drained the energy out of her, but sure as hell, it was one of the most exciting shopping trips of her life. More than the clothes and shoes, she enjoyed spending time with the two women. Willow was already close to her, and she respected and admired the woman for all that she’d made for her life after the hardships that she suffered. Willow was once incarcerated for the murder of her husband when she killed him in self-defense. But she didn’t let that ruin her life. She emerged stronger than ever – and Gabby intended to do the same. So what if she got sucked into prostitution at a young age? She was now a free and strong woman who was willing to carve out a new life with sweat and blood and Tasha was equally independent.
It was amazing for her to have friends who cared and did things purely for enjoyment. They were bound by love, and not by the rules of a pimp.
Her cell phone rang. The number was unknown. She picked it up, thinking that it could be Tasha who just purchased her first phone. “Hello?”
His laugh was wicked, malevolent. “Gabby, Gabby, Gabby! Haven’t you learnt by now that you can’t escape me? I’m going to get you, and once I am done with you, the rest of the girls are going to shudder with fear even if the thought of escape crosses their mind.”
She wanted to throw the phone against the wall and cut this link. She didn’t want to hear his voice or to talk to him, but Gabby held on the last reserves of strength. “Leave me alone, Joseph. I’ve left that life behind. That was my past. I don’t want it anymore.”
“It doesn’t matter what you want. The only thing that matters is what I want. And I need you back, Gabby. Not because my business is in ruins because of you, but because it’s important for you to learn a lesson. No one can leave this life behind. It’s a part of you, a part of me. And there is never any escape for a girl who comes under my protection,” his voice was cold, eerily so.
“I am not in your protection anymore.” Was that how he saw it? Was she protected when she sold her body to many men in one night so as to increase his profits?
It was slavery, plain and simple. And he wanted her back in it. “Come back, Gabby, and maybe it won’t be that bad. No promises, darling, but I would keep a lenient hand if you were to saunter back on your own.”
“I am not coming back.”
“You think all those punks can keep you safe. It’s not happening. They can’t do a thing if I walk in to claim you, and you can take my word for it.”
With a hand that trembled, she cut off the call, and switched off the phone. She flopped on the bed as rivers of ice flooded through her veins. She was cold, so cold. And she was scared. Fear careened through her nerves, unrelenting and strong. His words made her tremble. It was obvious that he knew where she was. How did he find her? She wasn’t sure. Maybe someone saw her and told him. Perhaps he followed her trail and finally succeeded against all odds.
Whatever his method, he had found her, and now he wasn’t willing to let go.
She could never escape from his clutches. To think that she could do so was foolishness on her part. Perhaps if she went back and apologized, he would spare her the pain and humiliation that he was sure to heap on her when he got his dirty hands on her. Maybe if she went back willingly, she would be killed quickly. For sure, he would make an example out of her if she didn’t comply with his wishes.
No way was she ever going back.
Hell would freeze over before she went back to that sordid life. She’d left it behind and she wasn’t going back. Once, she escaped – and now, she could do it again. Only one option remained and that was for her to run away. Sure, she would have to leave this life behind. Everything would change, but she would be more cautious. It was stupid of her to maintain in contact with those she deserted. Next time, she wouldn’t call any girls. She wouldn’t even keep up with the Hell Brigade. Tasha, Willow, and Nick, she would forget about them all.
Nick! How could she leave him?
Gabby never loved another man before, but Nick was her life. It was his confidence, his grace, and attitude that imbued a will to live and survive in her. She was who she was today because he accepted and loved her. She would never find another like him, and she didn’t want to even make the effort. The mere thought of never seeing his handsome face again sent waves of anguish coursing th
rough her shattered nerves.
If she never saw him again, she wouldn’t be able to live. Sure, she might breathe and walk, but she wouldn’t be complete without Nick. He mattered. And he loved her too. How could she do this to him?
What if she told him what happened and asked him to accompany her? But doing so would put his life in danger. If Joseph chased her, he would know about Nick and he might harm her lover just because he was in her life. And she couldn’t even ask Nick to discard his life, his friends, his house, and come away with her. It wouldn’t be fair to him.
Outlaw's Wrath - An MC Brotherhood Romance Boxed Set Page 11