At His Mercy_ Hell Brigade MC(26)

She would have to run away.



There was simply no other solution.



Her heart swelled with the pain of her decision, and yet, she couldn’t afford to change her mind.



“I ordered a new phone, remember? Actually, this is a gift for you.”



She accepted the box that he thrust towards her. Yes, he’d been talking about a new phone, a smart phone. “What? For me? Why?”



“It’s a coming home present.” He laughed but she could see that he really wanted her to like this present. “I know that you’re anxious about moving in. I thought about getting you something that would be useful in the house, but my mother always said that a man who gifted a woman a kitchen appliance deserved to be whacked on the head with it. A phone is personal, and it would make it easier for you to connect with the girls on Facebook and whatever else you guys do.”



Touched as she was by his generosity, Gabby felt horrible about accepting the gift moments after she’d made the decision to move away. He didn’t deserve that but the truth was that if she stayed, he would get involved in her mess, and it might not be safe for him. Joseph was now pissed. He would kill anyone who tried to stand between her and him, and Nick would certainly try to do that.



There was no other option.



She had to do it, to save her own life, and to protect him also.



“I…” She cleared her throat as tried to think about the right words. “This is too much. You shouldn’t have.”



He sat beside her. “Open it. You’ll like it, I think. It’s got a lot of features. The camera is supposed to be very good, and they have got a lot of other apps. I remember you talking about it with Willow. You both seemed to love this model.”



It was her dream phone. She’d thought that she would get it when she saved enough money together. It was so sweet of him to not only remember but act on something that he overheard. She didn’t deserve a man like him. He was simply too good for her.



“Thank you. Yes, I love it.” She hugged the box closer. “It’s exactly what I wanted.”



“Well, open it.” He raised his brow. “What’s wrong?”



“Nothing. “ She shook her head as she attempted to keep all thoughts out of her head. If he found even a hint that she was upset, he would wriggle the truth out of her, and she couldn’t afford it. “I’m just overwhelmed. Ah! Nick, I think I should open it after I move in.”



His face showed his astonishment. “Why?”



“It’s…I don’t feel good about opening a present before it’s due, you know.” It made no sense, but she couldn’t tell him that she didn’t intend to shift in here with him. That dream of his was never going to come true. Although she felt terrible about the whole situation, but the phone call from Joseph forced her to change her mind. She didn’t have a choice but to run away.



It would break Nick’s heart.



Gabby hated to do that to him, but she didn’t know what else to do. All other options were exhausted. If she didn’t do this, Joseph would kill her and he would hurt or injure anyone who stood in his way. She didn’t want Nick to get into trouble, and for that, she had to take measures to ensure that he never met Joseph.



This was the only way, the right thing to do, and Gabby was determined to do it.





CHAPTER EIGHTEEN



Nick sauntered into the clubhouse, feeling happy and relieved that all the mess was behind them. From now on, they could really look forward to a brighter future. Even though he was disappointed with Bryan and would have liked a chance to teach him a lesson, he appeared to have taken Ronald’s warning to heart and disappeared for good from the city.



Good riddance!



As his gaze took in the festive ribbons Willow and Tasha tied to the ceiling, his billowing rage at Bryan waned. He wouldn’t allow the man to spoil his mood. “Wow! That looks good,” he commented as he stopped at the bar.



Willow was neatly lining the bottles he’d delivered earlier. For this party, Nick went all out to make sure that all arrangements were perfect. The women were doing the decorations and preparing the food, but he personally selected each item and handed it over. This was the beginning of his new life with Gabby, and he wanted it to be a spectacular start into a golden life. He was extremely happy with Gabby. She was the love of his life, and he wanted her to feel special and important.



This party was only the beginning of great things to come.



“Thank you, dear, but this is nothing compared to the way your girl is looking,” said Willow. “I must admit that I’d something to do with that. If Tasha and I didn’t insist that she pick the right dress, she might have attended this party in jeans.”



“And she would’ve rocked in it,” he said with a cheeky grin. “But I appreciate your effort.”



She wriggled her eyebrows as she stood and leaned against the counter. “You’re besotted, aren’t you?”



Nick laughed. “I guess I am.”



“She is a rare find, that girl. But her heart’s delicate. The bruises on it are fading fast but I can still feel the pain that she felt all these years,” said Willow. “Treat her gently.”



He lifted her hand and pressed it to his lips. “Oh, I intend to, and I am grateful that you’re also looking out for her. It means a lot to me, and to her.”



She tugged free her hand. “Go on now, you’re going to make me cry.”



Nick went upstairs. As he was going up, his gaze was drawn to the kitchen where preparations were on in full swing. He stopped by to say hello and also to check if everything was alright. Although he came to the clubhouse for a meeting with Ronald, he wanted to ask Gabby if she wanted him to take her luggage back to his house. That way, she could leave after the party with him and they wouldn’t have to wait for another night. He was well aware that she was dragging her feet about this. Initially, he’d tried his best to be patient, but now he was becoming a little irritated. It wasn’t just that she appeared reluctant to move in, but also the fact that she wasn’t being herself.



Could it be that she said yes to him in a moment of enthusiasm and was now regretting her decision? If that was the case, he would prefer if she flat out told him. Gabby wasn’t the sort of girl who played games. She was straightforward and upright, and he loved that about her. It was one of the qualities that attracted him to her, but now she was being evasive and secretive. And he hated to see her like that.



Was she so averse to commitment that she didn’t even want to live under one roof?



She loved him, even though she never said the words. Damn it! He knew it in his heart. No woman could make love to him the way she did and not feel anything genuine. But lately, he was having serious misgivings about her behavior. If she didn’t straighten out, he might have to confront her.



But not today!



It was their celebration dinner and he didn’t want anything to spoil it.



As he raised his hand to knock on her door, he heard her talking to someone. Tasha? Or the new girl who just arrived yesterday? Nick knocked on the door and opened it. He strode inside. The room was empty. Gabby was shoving her phone in the purse. Her smile was bright, overly so. “Hi.”



“Hello, babe! All packed up.” He noticed the bags that lay in the corner. It still amazed him that a person could pack their entire belonging in such small suitcases. When she arrived, she had only one, and now at least, there was another. It was progress. Slowly and steadily, she was becoming a normal person. “Who were you talking to?”



“It’s…I…it was Tasha.”



He couldn’t believe her audacity. On another day, he might not have given this another thought. He wouldn’t have even bothered to read anything on her face. But today, he could see the lies that swirled in her eyes. He hated the whole damned thing. Why would she feel the need to tell him untruths? Whom was she talking to?



Was it someone he didn’t approve of? But then he never told her how to live her life. She was free to be friends with anyone she chose. He never dictated his will on her, and he didn’t intend to start now. So why would she hide stuff from him?



Nick folded his arms over his chest as he tried to think. Frankly, he was tired of tiptoeing around her. It was time to make things clear. “It couldn’t be Tasha. I just saw her in the kitchen on my way over, and she gave me her phone because it was broken and needed to be fixed.”



Gabby opened her mouth and closed it. “I don’t have to tell you everything.”



His eyebrow rose at the bold statement. Anger swept through his nerves, but he stomped on it viciously. He wouldn’t give in to his basic impulses. All through his life, whatever tough times he had, Nick always made it a point to behave like a gentleman with women. Perhaps it was a lofty ideal given the environment he lived in but he clung to it because it made him feel good. It didn’t matter how much she annoyed him, he wouldn’t raise a hand.



“You’re right, but your lies raise suspicions in my heart. Do you want that?”



Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. Tears pooled in her eyes. That was such a surprising sight that his anger fizzled fast. He’d never seen her cry. She tried her best to hide her emotions. Gabby wasn’t the kind of girl who dissolved into tears at the slightest insult or rebuke. She was made of sterner stuff, but right now, she looked vulnerable, scared. He hated to see her like that.