Submissive Beauty (33 page)

They exited the car together, and Gabrielle didn’t wait for him before entering through the back door with her key. Frustrated, he reined in his emotions and braced himself for the worst.

The outer office was empty, and the only sounds were the distant voices coming from the ballroom in the middle of the club. Gabby headed for Thomas’s office door, which was slightly ajar.

She reached for the knob and froze. She spared a glance in his direction, and the fear and disgust in her gaze chilled his blood. Something was wrong.

She lifted her finger to her lips to keep him quiet, and he joined her at the door.

“Sir, please, I have done everything you’ve ever asked of me. I’ve been a good sub to the Master you loaned me to and have been waiting patiently to return. Can I please come home now?” a woman said on a sob.

“Angel, you know better than this. I’ve never lied to you or misled you in any way. Why would you think this?”

Uh-oh. Was this Gabrielle’s Angel? He needed to get her out of here before she heard any more. He wrapped his hand around her arm and pulled her in the direction of the door.

“Let go of me right now,” Gabrielle seethed.

When he didn’t immediately drop his hand, she jerked from his grasp, her strength surprising him.

“Please, Sir. Tell me what I’ve done to deserve this lengthy punishment. I’ll do anything to make it up to you. I love you.”

A tiny gasp sounded from Gabrielle at Angel’s last three words, and David hung his head in resignation. Thomas had a lot of explaining to do.

Before David could stop her, Gabrielle pushed opened the door and walked inside.

To David’s dismay, Gabrielle’s friend knelt in a formal submissive position in front of his friend, her hands behind her back and her head bowed in respect. To see them together like this in Thomas’s office sickened him. What exactly was going on here?

“Yes, Thomas, Sir, please tell us all why she’s being punished. We’d like to know, too.”

Gabrielle’s voice sliced through the silence, and both Thomas and Angel jerked in her direction.

“This is all your fault,” Angel shrieked. “You’ve turned him against me.” She sprang from the floor, and before anyone could react, she leapt onto Gabrielle, catching her off balance and knocking them both to the floor. The sickening crunch of Gabrielle’s head connecting with the corner of the table ripped through the room as he and Thomas sprang into action.

He jerked Angel from atop Gabrielle and tossed her in the direction of Thomas. Nothing mattered to him but Gabrielle. He had glimpsed the blood on her face when he’d lifted her friend, and his heart jerked painfully in his chest. His knees slammed into the floor, and he gently rolled her onto her back.

The blow had knocked her out cold. His fingers pushed against the baby soft skin of her neck to check for a pulse. When he found it beating steady and strong, he heaved a sigh of relief. Brushing the blood dampened hair from her face, he searched for the source of her wound.

“Is she all right?” Thomas pulled the table out of the way and dropped to her other side. He imagined the terror on Thomas’s face mirrored his own, yet he couldn’t conjure an ounce of sympathy.

“Get away from her, and go call an ambulance.”

David found the gash at her hairline, and while he guessed she would need stitches, it didn’t look life threatening. He hoped. He ripped off his shirt and pressed the cloth to the still bleeding wound to try to stop the flow of blood.

“We need to get her to a hospital.”

“We could take her,” Thomas insisted.

“No, you need to stay here with
her.
” David nodded to the now sobbing ball of woman curled on the floor several feet away.

How had this day turned to shit so quickly? “C’mon, Gabrielle baby, can you hear me? Wake up now so I can take you to the hospital.” Blood still oozed from her gash, and her face had turned pale white far too quickly. If she didn’t wake up on her own soon, he’d have no choice but to call an ambulance.

“I’m calling 9-1-1. We can’t take a chance with her. She has to be all right.” Thomas picked up the phone, and David listened to him state the emergency with half an ear. Thomas was right. She had to be all right.

“Please, Gabrielle, don’t leave me. I don’t think I could take it. I love you, sweetheart.” He bent and gently placed his lips over hers.

“The ambulance will be here in less than five minutes. Someone needs to wait outside and direct them in.”

“I’m not leaving her. I’m not
ever
leaving her.”

“I’ll do it. You stay with her,” Thomas whispered, the sadness evident in his tone.

“What about that one?” David pointed to Angel still sobbing relentlessly nearby.

They exchanged looks before Thomas rushed over to the other woman while dragging his phone out of his pocket. He ordered someone within Sanctuary to wait out front and direct the ambulance personnel to his office when they arrived.

Precious minutes ticked by, and still, Gabrielle didn’t wake up. He’d stopped the flow of the blood as best he could, but with her hair matted and half her face tinged pink, she looked like a victim bleeding out.

“In here.” He heard someone directing the paramedics and the rush of feet running into the room filled the air.

One of the men crouched next to Gabrielle on her opposite side. “I’ve got it, Sir. You need to remove the cloth so I can see what I’m working with.”

David moved his shirt and gave the man some space as he inspected the gash.

“Has she regained consciousness at all?”

“No.”

“How long has she been out?”

“Maybe fifteen minutes.”

“Okay, she’s going to need some stitches, and without her conscious, we’re going to have to take her to emergency.”

Another paramedic moved in with a board and ushered David out of the way. He hated the fragile appearance of his Gabrielle. As if she would break at any moment, they transferred her carefully to the board and strapped her on.

“Okay, gentlemen, we’re taking them in.”

“Them? That one wasn’t hurt. She’s the attacker, and the police should handle her.”

The EMT shook his head. “Sorry, Sir. She’s completely incoherent. She’ll have to be checked out by a doctor first.”

“I’m going with you.”

The paramedic shook his head. “Sorry, Sir, that’s against regulations. You’ll have to follow us in. From a safe distance please,” he added at the last second.

As much as he wanted to argue, David didn’t want to waste any time. When they ushered both women out of the office, he went to follow.

“Wait.” Thomas stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.

“You’ll need this.” He produced a white pullover with an M emblazoned over the left breast. David took it quickly and shrugged into it as he stalked from the club.

“I’m going with you, David.”

“Take your own car.”

Maybe not giving Thomas a chance wasn’t fair. But with Gabrielle being loaded into an ambulance because of something related to him, David didn’t give a flying fuck about hurt feelings.

* * * *

Hours had passed before they’d finally let David into see her. He’d worn a path in the floor outside the room they’d put her in, keeping him away from her. They’d tried to keep him outside in the waiting area but had finally relented when he wouldn’t give them a minute’s peace.

He’d been told she’d regained consciousness in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. He’d sagged in relief at the news, but the hours waiting had strung his nerves taut until he thought he’d snap at any moment.

Thomas waited at a distance, patiently leaning against the wall. They’d not spoken for a good long while, and it was probably for the best. Until he saw with his own eyes that Gabrielle was indeed going to be fine, his rage at the situation would continue to simmer just underneath the surface.

“I brought you some coffee. Thought it might help.”

David looked up at the nurse who’d taken pity on him and had tried to give him as much information as possible.

“Thank you.” He took the offered cup, and the heat in his hand did feel good. He tentatively took a sip testing the temperature. The first slide of hot liquid down his throat warmed his insides and relaxed a few of the tense muscles in his neck.

“What’s taking so long? When can I see her?”

Before she could answer, Gabrielle’s door opened, and the doctor walked out. “You can see her now.” He frowned. “It’s none of my business, but well, you seem like a good enough guy. She doesn’t really want to see anyone, but the only way she can go home tonight is if someone drives her and stays with her for the next twenty-hours.”

The fact that she wanted no one cut him deep. He didn’t know what Thomas was up to, still didn’t, but damn it, he needed her.

“I’m serious about this. I need your word that she won’t be left alone. Her head is concussed, and she should stay, but she won’t have it. So she’s relented to allowing you to take her home.”

“Oh no worries there, Doc. I’ll be keeping an eye on her, whether she likes it not.”

Thomas pushed from the wall and walked toward them.

“One other thing.” The doctor hesitated. “She is reluctantly allowing you in but was adamant that no one else accompany you.” He tilted his head at Thomas who’d stopped midstride at the words.

“I understand. You have my word.”

David watched the doctor and the nurse walk away, regret weighing heavy in his chest like a piece of lead he couldn’t dislodge.

“She needs to understand it’s not what she thinks it is.” Thomas spoke quietly, reserved, sad.

“Isn’t it, Thomas?” He turned to face his friend, the sadness tearing at his gut. “Angel told her everything today.”

“Angel sees things that never existed. Things I didn’t even know she harbored until today. I need a chance to explain.”

“That’s not going to be up to me.”

He pushed through Gabrielle’s door and stepped into the darkened room. She faced the far wall, but even in profile, he could see her eyes were open.

“Hey, babe.” He tried to lighten his tone.

“I don’t have a choice.”

David moved closer to the bed. “You don’t have a choice about what?”

“I have no one to call. No one to bring me home and stay with me. It’s the only reason you’re here.”

“What about your parents?”

“There is no one. No parents, no sibling or cousins or aunts or uncles. No one.”

Her harsh words broke his heart. Not only did she not want him, but his baby was alone in this world. How had he not known that? Every fiber of him ached to cuddle her and tuck her into his body. He owed her his strength, especially now.

“I’m sorry.” He didn’t know what else to say.

“Me, too.”

“Maybe once we get you home and comfortable, we can talk about what happened. I think we both need some answers.”

She turned and looked at him, her gaze full of sorrow. “I don’t want to talk anymore.”

“Gabrielle, don’t do this. After everything we’ve established, don’t shut it down now.”

“You need to understand something, David. I don’t care. I don’t want to talk to you or Thomas.”

Just then the door behind him pushed open, and the nurse bustled in pushing a wheelchair. “Time to spring—”

The looks on their faces must have clued her in. That or the tension so thick in the air one could slice it with a knife.

“I don’t think I’ll be needing that.” Gabby pointed to the chair.

“Sorry, hon, hospital policy. Do you need some help or can you manage.”

“I…uh…”

“Don’t move,” he commanded.

“I don’t need to be ordered around.”

He walked to the edge of the bed, threw back the covers and scooped her into his arms. Unable to resist, he nuzzled her neck, rubbing the white leather with his nose, and moved his lips to the shell of her ear.

“As long as you wear that collar, I have every right to demand, order and expect your cooperation,” he whispered low for her ears only.

A deep shudder passed through her and vibrated into him as her soft sweet gasp brushed over him like a lover’s caress.

He stood and faced the nurse with a big ass smile that seemed to put her at ease. “I think she’s ready to go now.” He sat Gabby gently in the chair and retrieved her shoes from the foot of the bed. He knelt in front of her and slipped them on her feet one at a time while she struggled not to glare at him.

He chuckled despite himself. His beauty was quite a little spitfire, a trait he loved about her. But if she thought she’d get a chance to easily shut him out, she was sorely mistaken.

Chapter Twenty-Two

God, they’d only been home a few hours, and the man was driving her up the wall. She wanted to rest and be left alone, and he wanted to bring her stuff every other minute.