Gabriel's Heart [The Men of Treasure Cove 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (6 page)

Quickly moving away, she walked over to the back door and leaned against the doorjamb. This was not going to end well. She knew it. She needed to get out of here.

“I’ll just go. Let me grab a couple of things, and I’ll be out of here in a minute,” she said, walking past her brother.

A soft hand reached out and touched her arm. Annie looked up into Janie’s eyes, pleading for her just leave it and let her go.

“Jeff, can you give us a couple of minutes, please? I want to talk to Annie,” Janie asked quietly, never taking her eyes away from her.

“No! She is going to sit down and start talking. Seriously, Janie, this shit ends today. She is a grown woman, and she can’t skip through life as if it’s a fucking playground. She needs to grow up,” Jeff shouted furiously.

“I know that, sweetheart, but screaming at her isn’t going to solve anything. Please give me a few minutes,” Janie asked sweetly.

“Fine! But I’m not done yelling at her. Maybe you can talk some sense into her,” Jeff shouted and stormed out of the kitchen.

“Sit down, Antoinette,” Janie said, taking a glass from the cupboard and pouring orange juice.

Annie knew the moment Janie called her Antoinette, the jig was up. She was toast.

“So, how are you feeling?” Janie asked, taking the coffee cup away from her and handing her a glass of juice.

“I’m fine, and you?” Annie said, taking a sip.

“I’m good. So how have you been?”

“Good,” Annie whispered, taking another sip.

“You look good. You’ve gained a little weight. It looks good on you,” she said, eyeing her speculatively.

“Yeah, guess all those elephant ears are catching up with me. So what do you want to talk about, Janie? I have things to do today.” Annie said, looking at the glass in her hands.

“Oh, nothing. So tell me something. How is Gabriel?” she asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

Annie looked up into her all-knowing eyes.

She knew! How in the hell does she know? Well I don’t have to admit shit. It’s nobody’s business. I just need to grab some shit and get the hell out of here, and stay very far away from these nosey people.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m going to town,” she lied, getting to her feet.

Annie almost made it out of the kitchen before Janie said, “Annie, be careful. Gabriel has something dark in him. He isn’t what he seems.”

Stopping for a split second, Annie looked down at the floor and silently cursed. “I know. I’ve always seen the darkness in him.”

“He’s worse. He changed after the McDaniels’ party. A lot has changed, now that I think of it. When Braxton informed Jeff that you were at the party, well, the change was more apparent. I heard he was at the party along with you. I’m surprised Jeff hasn’t figured it out. It wasn’t long after you left that Gabriel also disappeared. Oh, he pops up now and then, but he’s withdrawn, extremely moody in some ways, more so than he usually is, but now you’re home, I suspect things are about to get mighty entertaining around here. Just be careful, okay, unless you need my help. Then I suggest you tell me what happened at the party.”

“Fuck a duck on Sunday, Janie. You’re not gonna let this go, are you?” she muttered and turned to face her sister-in-law.

“I’m afraid I can’t. So talk,” Janie said, straight-faced.

Annie sat back down and proceeded to explain what happened that night in detail. She left nothing out, finally able to talk to someone. She was grateful for the release off of her shoulders. She knew the she was taking a chance by telling Janie, but she did not care. Just letting all of it go was worth it.

Finished, she watched as Janie processed all the information and sighed. “Your brothers are going to flip, you know that, right?”

“Yeah, I know. That’s why I need to figure this out. Right now, he won’t have anything to do with me.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because of what Jeff said to him when I was seventeen. Jeff thought I went inside, but I didn’t. I was listening by the door. He made Gabriel promise to stay away from me, and Gabe did. I thought things had changed because of what happened at the party, but Gabe made it abundantly clear that things hadn’t.”

“I think you’re wrong, Annie. I would bet that Gabriel loves you dearly. You are so much younger than he is, and I would guess he probably thought he was doing the right thing by promising Jeff. I’ve seen the way he pays attention whenever the conversation turns to you. He cares,” Janie said softly.

“Yeah, well he has a funny way of showing it. He couldn’t even look at me after we had sex. He just got dressed and dismissed me as if I were one of his whores.”

“Annie, you have had time to process how you felt about him for years. Gabriel, on the other hand, had to hide and ignore how he felt. Add in the promise he made to your brothers and, well, I can assume that Gabriel is feeling decidedly conflicted right now. You both need to sit down and talk,” Janie advised softly.

Annie did not know what to think. She was more confused than before, but one thing she knew for damn sure. She refused to hide anymore. She had spent the last three months in utter pain. She missed him and needed closure. Either he loved her, or he did not, but she needed to know from him, not anyone else. That night at the party, Gabriel used her body then shut her out, not caring how she felt. She wanted answers.

She didn’t need his damn chivalry or false affection.

She wanted answers and wanted them now.

The town of Treasure Cove was bustling with activity in preparation for the upcoming commencement ceremony for their local sheriff. With the constant snowfall making progress slow, Gabriel grinned as he watched patrons shovel and scoop snow at a furious pace.

If he were not in such a foul mood, he would be laughing.

“Hey, asshole! About time you fuckin’ showed up. Where in the hell have you been? Can’t you fuckin’ RSVP like a normal person?” The little hell kitten shouted, walking toward him with the sole purpose of berating him.

Gabriel had met some ballsy women in his life, but none compared to the vivacious, foul-mouthed Charlotte Brooks. Stunningly beautiful, her small petite stature never inhibited her from walking up to anyone and saying what was on her mind. Staring at her now, she looked ready for a Halloween party rather than preparing for a wedding.

Dear God, what the hell is she wearing?

“Good morning, my dear Charlotte. You look beautiful today,” Gabriel quipped, giving her the once-over along with his best award-winning smile.

“Bite me! I look like shit, and you know it. Where the fuck have you been?” she demanded to know, stopping right in front of him, hands on her hips, her head cocked back to look into his eyes.

“Baby girl, I’d watch that mouth. Gabe won’t think twice about whipping that ass,” Braxton said to his future wife.

“Leave her alone, damn it! She deserves an ass beating,” Jordan scolded Braxton as he, too, shoveled snow.

Looking down at the young woman, Gabriel smiled wickedly. “And it would be my pleasure.”

“Touch her, Gabe, and I’ll kick your ass,” Braxton said, continuing with his current job.

“I must say, Charlotte, that outfit is very fetching on you.” Gabriel grinned.

“It’s a fucking burlap bag, asshole! It’s not fetching!” she yelled, walking away and giving him the one-finger bird. Gabriel couldn’t hold it in any longer. He let out a loud, bellowing laugh, attracting the others.

Watching her storm off into the sheriff’s station, Gabriel walked over to Braxton and Jordan and shook their hands. “I got here as soon as possible. I wouldn’t miss this wedding for anything. What can I do to help?” he asked.

“Grab a shovel and start shoveling,” Jordan said, turning as the sound of glass shattering grabbed all their attention. Dropping his shovel, he cursed, storming into the sheriff’s station. “I’m gonna kill her! If she broke that vase, she is dead!”

“Ah the joys of matrimony, thank god I have chosen a life of celibacy.” Gabriel smiled, watching the drama unfold.

“Celibate my ass. So tell me, Gabe, seen Annie lately?” Braxton said quietly, for his ears only. Gabriel slowly turned his attention to the man before him, the mask back in place.

Out of all of his friends, Braxton was the only one who knew what transpired that night. Only because he watched him leaving the bathroom where Antoinette sat in the background. Though Braxton did not say anything to him that night, he did make it known two days later when he visited the club.

After a long, threatening talk of gun-toting brothers and certain parts of his anatomy ripped from his body with a spork, Gabriel gave up the goods and informed Braxton what had occurred.

“You know damn well I haven’t seen her in three months,” Gabriel admitted.

“Well, prepare yourself. ’Cause she just walked into Macie’s.”

Turning quickly, Gabriel watched as Antoinette Hicks smiled at a passerby and stepped into the local diner.

What the hell was she doing home?

“I thought she was still away at school?” Gabriel muttered, still looking at the glass door across the street.

“Came home last night according to Jeff. He said she dropped out of school,” Braxton informed him.

“Why?”

“Your guess is as good as anyone’s.”

“That’s not like her.”

“No clue, dude,” Braxton said, slapping him on the back. “So, feel like helping?”

“Sure, I’ll plan the bachelor party.”

“I meant shoveling snow, dumbass.”

“Not particularly. Come see me later. I’m hungry all of a sudden. I think I’ll go grab something,” Gabriel said quietly, walking away.

“You’re not gonna cause trouble, are you?” Braxton shouted after him.

“I’m a gentleman. I don’t cause trouble!” he shouted, crossing the street.

“Remember to duck when that fist starts flying at your head!”

Unable to stop himself, Gabriel walked toward the local diner. He knew he should be walking in the other direction, but the uncontrollable urge to see her was too strong. It had been three months. Three long, dreary months, and he needed some sunshine in his life. The only problem was that woman was his sun, moon, and stars. He lived and breathed her. He needed a fix, and she was the source.

His senses assaulted with talking patrons, gossiping mothers, and the incredible smell of good food, Gabriel grinned as he walked into the diner. He always loved visiting Macie’s diner. The atmosphere was relaxed and the company good, and the food was downright heavenly.

The little bell rang above his head as the door shut behind him. Kelly Conner looked up from the counter and smiled. Another local, Kelly worked various odd jobs while she finished her residency for her psychology major.

“Hi, Gabriel, what can I do for you?” she asked.

Leaning against the counter, Gabriel did what he did best. Lowering his voice a couple of octaves, he looked directly at the young woman and softly asked, “I’ll take a cup of coffee and a slice of Macie’s wonderful peach pie.”

“Anything else?”

“Bring it to Antoinette’s table.” He grinned and watched her blush.

“She already has company. Are you sure?” Kelly informed him, motioning with a simple nod of her head toward the back of the diner. Gabriel turned to look for himself when he heard her delightful laugh. As his eyes found hers, everything in him stilled.

What the fuck!

There sitting in the back booth with Antoinette was none other than his childhood friend, Alexander Ellis. He watched as Alex laughed and talked with Antoinette, making her smile and giggle. Her eyes were bright and curious as she leaned closer to hear what he was telling her.

What the hell was Alex doing here? He was in London last he heard.

“Excuse me, my dear,” Gabriel said hastily, pushing away from the counter. As he got closer to them, he could hear their conversation.

“And when Gabriel jumped from the tree, he fell so hard, he broke his arm. He cried all the way back to school. I swear I never heard anyone cry so much. You would have thought he had his arm ripped off. That was not the worse part. The worst part was when the school nurse told him he needed a tetanus shot. Poor Gabriel jumped from the table and ran screaming like a banshee down the hall, naked! The whole school got a good look at his underdeveloped attributes.” Alexander laughed as he finished the story.

“How old was he when that happened?” Annie laughed.

“Oh, he was eleven or twelve.”

“It’s hard to imagine him young and carefree. He is always so controlled, reserved,” she said.

“He wasn’t always that way.” Gabriel watched as Alex leaned forward, taking her hand in his. In that instant, Antoinette blushed, and Gabriel wanted to rip Alex’s hand off his arm. He hated how Alexander was always so open with his affections. Nothing mattered to him. He took everything with a grain of salt. Alex could find happiness in any given situation. It was annoying.

“There was a time when he laughed all the time. After his parents died, he went to live with his grandfather. That was when Gabriel changed. Thank God for school, because if it were not for that place, Gabriel would have turned out much worse,” Alex informed her with a grin.