“Whenever someone talks about their love, and how they feel, I want you to remember this moment. I want you to know that no matter what, I love you more than anything. I will fight, and even if you have to do what you have to do.” He gripped her chin, and stared into her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re not going to push me away because it’s simply not possible for that to happen. I love you, Isabel Benson, and that’s not ever going to change.” He pressed a kiss to her lips, and she melted. There was no other word for it. She melted against him.
He loves me.
He loves me.
It was like a big fluffy cloud blooming inside her.
She was going to earn his love.
She was going to fight the darkness inside her head, and she was going to win.
Chapter Nine
Three months later
“These are her parents?” Edward asked. He stared at the file that Gabriel had given him. He sat in the Sheriff’s office in the town square of Cape Falls.
“Yeah, real pieces of work as well. They are party animals, Edward. Even their files here.” Gabriel stood, going to the large filing cabinet where he pulled out a hefty brown folder. “Believe it or not, there was a lot of people in Cape Falls who didn’t agree with what was happening at their home. Teachers, townsfolk, even people from the diner and supermarket. There was not a lot of love for the Bensons.” Gabriel handed him over the file.
“So what happened? Why didn’t anyone follow through with these complaints?”
“The guy before me didn’t think it was necessary. This place doesn’t even have a social worker. I don’t know how Cape Falls did it, but they were able to stay off from having any unnatural folk from fiddling with their town.”
“Unnatural folk?”
“You know, people with half a conscience.” Gabriel dropped down into his chair with a sigh. “You know I came to Cape Falls for a lot of reasons. I thought it was just a nice place, you know? I thought I could do something good here.”
“You don’t think you can?”
“I really don’t know any more.” Gabriel ran a hand down his face. “Don’t get me wrong, this place is better than it was a year and a half ago. I grant that, but it’s … I don’t know. Look what happened to Amy. She was begging for help from an abusive husband, and they treated her like shit. Then you’ve got Rose. Let’s not forget the Steer brothers. Part of me is waiting for something shitty to happen just so I can have another excuse to get Amy, my kids, and go.”
“What does Amy want?” Edward asked.
“To stay here, I think. She likes it here, and she thinks it’s a good place for the kids, but I don’t know. She has never been away from Cape Falls. I think everywhere else scares her.”
“I get that.”
“You’ve lived in England. You think I’d make a good match there with my kids?”
Edward burst out laughing. “You’d do fine. Just don’t go calling all of them unnatural folk. We don’t like that.”
Gabriel smiled. “I’m just getting old, I guess.”
“The town loves you, Gabriel. They vowed to make a change. When you go to that kind of place, that hell, and you showed them exactly what they were doing, it’s going to take time.”
“Are you asking me not to go?” he asked.
“I’m asking you to consider not to, yeah. Think about it. You’ve made a lot of changes here, right?”
“Yes.”
“No matter if you leave, someone else is going to have to sit in that chair. I don’t know about you, but if it’s not a likeminded chap, then all that hard work is going down the shitter. Sorry, it’s true. Some people like living in the dark ages. It keeps women under men’s thumbs, creates that level of control. Would you want that?”
“No.” Gabriel chuckled. “It was what Amy warned me about. It seems you two think the same way.”
“Or maybe we both know how damn good you are, and right now Cape Falls needs you. I know this place is a fucking nightmare. I’ve seen the way they look at me when I’m with Isabel. At times it makes my skin crawl, but they can go and suck my big dick. I’m the one who did something. I stepped in, and I helped my woman, and I’m going to keep on helping her, no matter what.”
“That’s a pretty good speech. I don’t see you running for office any time soon.”
Edward laughed. “I wouldn’t hack it. You know me, I can’t kiss anyone’s ass for too long.”
“Too true.”
“So, are you staying?”
“I guess I’m staying.”