Devil Takes His Innocent (12 page)

Chapter
Thirteen

Gabby was enjoying her dream.
Devil was kissing her shoulder. His deep, sexy voice sounded in her ear, though
she was unable to make out the words. They soon became clear when he nipped her
shoulder.

“
Come on, angel. You have some
antibiotics to take.”

So much for the
dream.
With
that simple statement she was dragged back to reality. Her cheery mood was
replaced as the pain in her arm became apparent; her heart quickly joined in.
She wanted to return to her dreams, where tenderness went hand in hand with
loving rather than injury and sadness. But neither her arm nor her mate would
allow her such luxury.

“
Come on, we don’t want you
developing an infection. It’s time to get out of bed,” Devil said, walking
toward the door with her blankets.

“
Has anyone ever told you you’re
bossy?” she asked, attempting to cover as much of her half naked body as she
could with her one good arm.

“
Get used to it. It’s who I am,
and you’re stuck with me!”

“
Why is that okay with me?” she
asked, more to herself, though she spoke the words out loud. She was never one
to mull over things that couldn’t be changed, but she wasn’t even questioning
the sudden changes in her life. She had just accepted that Devil was her
future.

“
Angel, your body knew before your
head that you belonged to me,” Devil said, moving back to the bed.

“
But
what about our hearts?
Do they have a place in this relationship?”

Devil stiffened. The hand that
had been rubbing up her arm stilled. He took several deep breaths before
replying. “You have to understand, anger and distrust have lived in my heart
for so long. Even when I was capable of more, love was not an easy emotion for
me. If you’re expecting romance, then you need to know it won’t happen. But
know this, I will be loyal and faithful to you, and if you ever attempt to
leave me, I will just bring you back. You’re mine. Get used to it!”

With that said, Devil stood and
walked out of the room. Gabby sat up in bed, staring at the doorway he had
disappeared through. She didn’t know how to react to his declaration. She had
been questioning the role love played in their relationship since discovering
she was his mate. Still she held out hope, but with his words he had killed
that dream. It was a dream that most girls had when they were younger, and
she’d been no different.
Except she had no idea what the love
between adults was supposed to look like.
Her mother had had many
boyfriends, but none of them hung around. She would open up her heart to each
one, never to have it reciprocated. It would seem that Gabby was now caught in
a similar relationship, only this man refused to walk away.

“
Hey, you’re awake,” Nikki said,
appearing in the doorway. “Have you had your tablets?”

“
No,
not yet.
Devil just woke me.”

“
Did he tell you what he and Judge
discovered last night?”

“
No,
what?”

“
Maybe I should leave him to tell
you.”

“
I don’t think that’s going to
happen today. He’s pissed at me.”

“
How could the man be pissed at
you when you’ve just woken up?” Nikki asked. Gabby went on to explain about the
conversation she’d had with Devil, tears rolling down her face at the reminder
of what she was going to miss. “Honey, I’m sure he didn’t mean it. How could he
not fall in love with you? Who wouldn’t?”

“
Devil doesn’t seem like the kind
of guy to say things he doesn’t mean. I’m going to be stuck in a loveless
relationship for the rest of my existence. He’s already said he won’t let me
leave him to discover if anyone else could love me,” Gabby replied, more tears
escaping. She didn’t want to be loved by another man. She wanted to be loved by
Devil, and only him.

****

Devil stood in the hallway
outside of the bedroom, unashamedly listening to the conversation between his
upset mate and her best friend. Though he didn’t like to hear her cry, her
tears had little effect on him. Even if he could feel guilt, he wouldn’t. He
had spoken the truth to Gabby, and it was something she would just have to
learn to accept.

After Judge had left the previous
night, Devil had considered his brother’s words and advice. While what he had
said carried merit, Devil had conceded after much thought, that he wasn’t sure
love had a place in his life. His mate would have to accept him for who he was.
He wouldn’t change for anyone, not even Gabby. She would have to learn to live
without his love. It was something he just wasn’t capable of offering.

Deciding it was time to stand
behind his words, he walked into the bedroom, carrying her tablets and a glass
of water. “Take two and make sure you eat.”

“
Are you leaving?”

“
Yes, I have a business to run.
Get some rest and I’ll see you later,” he said before turning to Nikki. “The
guys are outside whenever you need to head to work.”

“
What guys?” Gabby asked.

“
The
men who are charged with taking Nikki to and from work.
The other car sitting outside
contains your guards. You will both be watched at all times while this threat
is hanging over your heads.”

“
I see,” Gabby replied, obviously
displeased with what he had said. “Then I guess I’ll see you later.”

Devil watched as Gabby walked
past him. He then heard the bathroom door close. He didn’t like this Gabby.
Gone was his sweet mate, replaced by a cold female he didn’t know.

“
You better go now,” Nikki said,
glaring at him before storming past him. “It’s not like there’s any pressing
matters to hold you here. Business waits for no one.”

Once he was left alone in the
bedroom, he gathered up his belongings and headed toward the car. Stopping by
each of the black SUVs, he ensured his men knew what
would
happen if something should
happen to either woman. Driving away from his
mate’s house, something heavy sat in the pit of his stomach. He put it down to
the danger that threatened to steal his mate from him. Knowing exactly what he
needed to do to ease his mind, he made a phone call.

“
It’s me.”

“
Yes, Mr. Torments. How can I help
you?”

“
I need one of your specialties.
Like the other one I had made.”

“
Did you wish it to be identical
to Miss Jewel’s?”

“
Yes.”

“
And the design, shall I choose it
for you, as I did with Miss Jewel’s?”

Devil growled. No one but him
chose anything for his mate. “No, I’m twenty minutes away, expect me.”

Hanging up, he used the rest of
the drive to consider Gabby’s reaction. He was once again reminded that his
mate was a woman born in the twenty-first century. Books, movies, and
television had idealized the idea of marriage. Women expected romance and love
from their relationships. It was something he had no experience at. His only
other marriage had been over two thousand years ago, for the sole purpose of
providing an heir. She had been his best friend’s little sister, and she suited
his requirements.

Gabby would just have to learn
what love was. A concept made up by authors and Hollywood to sell their
product. It didn’t even have a finite definition. It was something different to
many people, proving to Devil what an airy fairy ideal it was. By the time he
had pulled into his reserved parking spot, he had become adamant that he needed
to show Gabby what a foolish thing it was to place all her hopes in a made-up
concept. She had fallen into its creator’s trap, and it was his job to rescue
her.

Walking through the lobby, his
mood had improved. He was even whistling, something he rarely did. By the time
he had returned to Gabby’s place he had hoped that she was over her sulk. She
wasn’t. Still he persevered with his plan to help her realize how irrational
her beliefs were. He wanted his sweet Gabby back. This one had his hand itching
to give her a spanking. The only thing stopping him was her injured arm.
Instead he threw the jeweler’s bag down on the table in front of her.

“
I bought you this,” he stated.

“
What is it?”

“
Open the bag and have a look,” he
replied.

Devil didn’t understand people’s
desire to know and understand everything before they experience something. They
couldn’t even enjoy a gift without asking about the contents first. It took the
joy out of giving. He watched as his mate carefully opened the bag. The
anticipation shone brightly in her blue eyes. The excitement rose.

As she opened the box, she
gasped. “It’s beautiful,” she said, throwing her good arm around him.

Now that was better; his real
mate was peeking through. Holding her close to his body, careful not to further
injure the arm that lay between them, he inhaled her flowery scent. It was like
no other he had smelled. It was all Gabby. He reluctantly released her when she
pulled back to have another look at the watch he had just presented her with.

“
Here, let me help you on with
it,” he said, holding out his hands. As he fastened the metal band around her
wrist, he added, “Now, I want you to wear
this at all times
.
Is that understood?”

“
Of course,” she replied, looking
at him, then the watch.
Her eyes glistening with more tears.
“It’s too beautiful to take off.”

“
Good, now let me show you how
this works.”

“
Is it a winder, an automatic
winder, or just battery operated?” she asked. This had him confused, which she
noticed. “Do I need to wind it up to maintain the correct time? Or will the
movement of my body do that for me?
Maybe a battery?”

By Gabby’s clarification, Devil’s
train of thought was thrown. It was a feat that very few people were capable of
doing, and it frustrated him every time it happened. “Damn it, Gabby. It’s just
a timepiece that winds as you walk,” he snapped. “But that’s not the most
important aspect of this watch. Look here, there’s a button on the side that
you will press in the case of an emergency.”

This seemed to destroy any of the
appreciation she had previously shown. Her fingers fought with the clasp,
trying to get the watch off. Finally the clasp gave and the watch
came
flying through the air at him. “You can keep your
fucking dog collar. I don’t want it.”

“
Watch your language, Gabby!”

“
Get out of my house. Now!” she
screamed, before heading toward the bedrooms.

Deciding that this hormonal rant
would need space between them, he left.
But not before
leaving Gabby a note.

Gabby,

You
will wear this watch whenever you leave the house!

Devil.

Chapter
Fourteen

“
Ladies, where are we taking you?”
one of the guards asked as Gabby and Nikki climbed into the SUV.

“
First, you’re going to drop me at
work, then take Gabby to the supermarket,” Nikki informed them. Gabby was too
busy playing with the watch that sat on her wrist. “Why did you bother putting
that piece of junk on, Gabs?”

“
I really don’t know,” Gabby said.
“I know it shouldn’t mean so much to me, when he only gave it to me to keep
track of where I am, but I can’t seem to throw the thing away.”

“
That asshole hasn’t even bothered
to come by since he gave it to you four days ago,” Nikki spat. “He doesn’t
deserve anything from you, especially not you wearing it. Remember it’s not a
symbol of his love, or even that he cares. It’s a prison, not even a gilded
cage, a four-by-four tiny cell that he’s keeping you in for whenever he wants a
fuck.”

Nikki’s words had more tears
spilling from Gabby’s eyes. She knew her friend wasn’t saying those things to
be nasty. She was just trying to open up Gabby’s eyes to the truth. Devil had
no feelings for her whatsoever. His absence over the last few days told her
that. But still she couldn’t seem to let go of the hope she held for a future
loving relationship.

Making a decision, Gabby tried to
undo the tight clasp. Her tear-filled eyes hindered her progress, but finally
the clasp gave. Wrapping her long fingers around the offending item, Gabby knew
exactly what to do with it. Pressing the button for the car window, she waited
impatiently for it to open.

“
Um, Miss Winters, before you
decide to do that, may I say something?” asked the guard from the passenger
seat.

“
Why
not?”

“
Look, I know the boss is a hard
man to read. I sure the hell can’t, and I’ll be honest with you, he scares the
crap out of me,” the man admitted. “But I can tell you this. My brother Mick
owns the jewelry shop in the hotel. He’s also the one who made the
modifications to that watch. Now he said that the boss spent a good hour
looking at every single watch in the shop, trying to get the right one. If that
doesn’t suggest he cared, I don’t know what does.”

“
An
hour?”

“
Yes,
ma’am.
Not
just anything would do for you. Now he didn’t even do that for Jewel, the guys’
adopted sister. He left my brother to choose hers,” the guard said with an
all-knowing smile. “I think that’s telling you something, don’t you?”

Gabby looked at him skeptically.
Could this man be speaking the truth? Or was he trying to manipulate her? He
was, after all, in Devil’s employment, and if she got rid of the watch, then it
would make his job a whole lot harder. Her heart really wanted to believe his
words, but Devil’s actions spoke of his true feelings. Or lack of them.

She tried to throw the watch out
the window, but her grip refused to give. Her fingers clung to it as if her
life depended on it. Her heart raced at the thought of no longer having the
only thing she had received from her mate. Her head began to pound as her whole
body shook. Once again Devil had her in tears.

“
Gabby, what is it?”

“
I can’t—” she gasped.

“
Can’t what, honey?”

Looking up at her friend, she
said, “I can’t throw this damn thing away.”

“
Give it to me, honey. I’ll do it
for you.”

“
No!” she shouted.

“
Oh shit, you’re already in love
with that douche bag!”

Gabby froze, her body no longer
trembling. Instead, she sat motionless. Could her friend be right? Was she in
love with Devil? He annoyed the crap out of her when he got bossy. Each time
she thought of his absence, pain shot through her heart. Then there was the
only gift he had given to her.
A gift that represented
exactly what she was to him, his responsibility, nothing more, nothing less.
And yet still she couldn’t toss it away, unlike Devil, who had no trouble
throwing her dreams away. Yep, she was in love with the man, and there was
nothing she could do about it. She was living one of her childhood nightmares.
She had turned into her lovesick mother.

Nikki’s exit from the car drew
Gabby from her ponderings. Her friend sent her a look that told her she knew
exactly where her thoughts lay. After all, she had seen Gabby’s mother’s
heartache firsthand, several times. Sending Gabby a look full of pity, Nikki
blew her a kiss and headed into work.

After the guards in the front of
the car had a quick word to the ones in the SUV that would remain at the
hospital for Nikki, they were on their way, thankfully in silence. Once she had
everything she needed from the store, Gabby hopped back into the car, eager to
get home. Like the man she loved, her usual love for shopping was absent from
her life. Her only desire was to get home and have a bath.

Of course as her luck would have
it, the vision of her home as soon as she stepped in the door hindered her
plans. The entranceway was a mess. As she carefully walked through the house,
making sure she didn’t disturb anything, her heart broke. The place had been
ransacked.
Even the bedrooms.
Drawers were emptied and
clothes tossed everywhere.

Her first instinct was to call Devil,
but she fought it. She wasn’t in the mood for sex right now, and that was all
it would seem she was good for in his eyes. She made phone calls; neither had
any affiliation to Devil whatsoever.

Surprisingly Nikki arrived first,
beating the police by several minutes. Both of them looked around the house,
trying to establish what, if
anything,
had been taken.
They were in Gabby’s room when Detectives Morris and
Redburn
appeared at the front door.

****

Devil stared down at his ringing
phone. Frowning, he answered the call, eager to know why his mate’s guards were
ringing him. “What is it?”

“
Umm, sir, the detectives have
arrived back at the house.”

“
What the hell do they want now?”
he yelled, standing from his desk. As he moved toward the office door, he felt
Judge walking beside him.

“
We don’t know, sir. We arrived
back at the house about forty minutes ago, after taking Miss Winters to the
supermarket. The next thing we knew her housemate arrived back home, followed
by the police not long after that. None of us know what has happened, and the
police are refusing to allow us entry as we don’t live there.”

“
For fuck’s sake, can’t I leave
her a couple of days without her getting herself into trouble?” Devil shouted
,
trying to hide what was truly running through his veins,
panic.

“
Sir, it’s been four days.”

“
I know how long it’s been!”

Not a minute had gone by these
last ninety-six hours that she hadn’t entered his thoughts. He had been hoping
that with the separation, clarity would be gifted him. But instead he had been
bombarded by memories of her scent, the feel of her body against his, her
smile, and her tears. No matter how busy he had kept himself, she was there
with him. She was haunting him.

“
She seemed mighty upset earlier
in the car. She even tried to throw the watch out of the window.”

“
Tell me you stopped her!”

“
We tried talking her out of it,
but she didn’t seem to believe what we said,” the guard told him. Devil
growled. “She still has it, sir. She had it out the window, but for some reason
she couldn’t seem to let go of it.”

This pleased Devil more than he
thought it would. He couldn’t even claim that it had anything to do with his
ability to still track her if the need arose. His pleasure came at the idea of
her not being able to throw away something he had given her. He knew it was due
to her growing feelings for him. It was the reason for him avoiding
her these
last few days, as well as the cause of his heart
currently feeling lighter than he could ever remember it being.

“
Sir, what would you like us to
do?” the guard asked, pulling Devil back to the matter at hand.

“
Stay put. Judge and I are on our
way,” he ordered as the lift doors parted, allowing their exit.

As he and his brother walked
toward his car, Judge asked, “So you want to tell me what’s going on?”

“
I would have thought you heard
what had happened. It would seem that Gabby has attracted the cops’ attention
again.”

“
That’s not what I’m talking
about, and you know it. Why have you been avoiding your mate?”

“
I can’t babysit her, Judge. We
have a business to run.”

“
Four fucking days, Devil. You
haven’t seen her for four days and you’re trying to tell me it’s because of
work. I’m not buying it.”

“
This really isn’t your business,
Judge. So stay out of it!” Devil warned, his voice carrying through the
underground car park. The dark, heavy cemented surroundings suited his current
mood.

“
I consider Gabby a friend and you
a brother. I hate to see two people I care about hurting.”

“
I’m not hurting!”

“
So you’re claiming you don’t miss
having her in your life at all?”

“
My cock certainly is!”

“
You’re a bastard! She deserves
better than you.”

“
What,
like you?” Devil had Judge by
the shirtfront, pinning him against the car.

“
At least I know how to treat a
woman,” Judge retorted, pushing Devil off of him. “What are you scared of,
man?”

“
I fear nothing!”

“
I would have believed that to be
true before Gabby came along. Now it would seem I was wrong.”

“
Fuck you, Judge,” Devil said,
climbing into his car. “Are you coming? Or are you just going to stand there?”

“
I’m coming. I want to see you
running scared from such a small, sweet creature such as Gabby.”

“
Watch it, Judge. Otherwise I’ll
forget you’re my brother and I’ll dine on your heart.”

“
Give it your best shot, old man.”

Devil could have pointed out that
Judge was of similar age to him, but instead he chose to hold his tongue. The
silent journey gave him the opportunity to consider the truth behind his
brother’s words. He knew he had been acting like an ass, but it wasn’t in him
to admit it to anyone, not even his family.