Indebted - Piper Stone Page 0,93

knew little by little, investors had fallen away.

He’d been right. Even the small amount of news I’d been allowed to see had been horrific, reporters painting him to be a... monster. I sighed as the word swam back and forth in my mind. Several days had passed, although time seemed to have no meaning any longer. Days turned into nights, the beautiful man always returning to my room to satisfy his needs.

Always savage.

Always desperate.

I craved him more than ever, longing for his touch and the strike of his belt. I’d fallen headfirst into the very abyss that he’d drifted into, fearful our world would be taken away from us. Yet his hunger knew no bounds, and I’d begun to believe I was his only relief.

His salvation.

I closed my eyes, shivering even though I was sitting in front of a roaring fire. Unable to stop myself, I wrapped my hand around my throat, the invisible noose ready to snatch me off the ledge. Gabriel had confided in me about the various threats, although there hadn’t been one in days.

We were both living on a precipice, waiting for the next horrific item on the asshole’s agenda to occur, releasing the financial information my father had stolen. With Bobby’s death, I wasn’t certain I would ever get the truth regarding my father, unless the true perpetrator was located. However, I’d come to full terms with the fact he’d been forced to steal from Gabriel.

There were no offshore accounts, no recently purchased stocks and bonds indicating a payoff. So why? The only answer was one that disturbed me terribly.

He’d wanted to destroy Gabriel.

Tomorrow was my wedding day.

I should be happy, regaling in the festivities surrounding such a monumental event. Parties. Bridesmaids. Gifts. Time spent with family. I had none of them. Not one. He’d moved up the wedding a few days, fearful that his arrogance in sending a message to his enemies would be used against him. I had no idea if anyone would attend, nor did I honestly care.

The mixed feelings I had continued to keep me awake at night. He was following through with my father’s request and the sordid contract. Did Gabriel really love me? I wasn’t entirely certain. He couldn’t say the words, although I’d said them several times. But did I really love him? Could I love a man who’d been hell bent on garnering revenge initially?

Was I completing the sale to the devil and one day we would both go to hell? I didn’t have the answers, but I couldn’t get out of what would occur. I had no choices. And I remained haunted about the face still eluding me. If only I could remember, perhaps Gabriel could finally live in the present.

I dropped my head, taking several deep breaths, my body tingling even before I felt hands slide over my shoulders, fingers brushing down my naked arms.

“You feel good, my sweet girl,” Gabriel whispered as he pressed his lips against my neck, raking his teeth across my skin. He tilted my head toward him as he dragged his tongue across my cheek. “I can’t wait to taste you tonight.”

The rocket of sensations pulled me into the surreal state we’d shared for almost two weeks, leaving me aching inside.

When he eased his hands away, I felt empty, as if he was the only thing that could make me whole. In a way, that was true. I felt lost without him. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be, but this was our world.

Our passion.

Our slip-slide into purgatory.

He slowly walked around the couch, sitting down beside me. In his hand was a small box, the black velvet covering adorned with a single tiny white bow. “I wanted to give you something.”

I slowly lowered my gaze, blinking several times. I knew exactly what was inside, the ring that would begin tying me to him forever.

Gabriel wasn’t a patient man and as he opened the box, his eyes were full of expectancy. “I hope you find this acceptable.”

The ring was stunning, just like everything else he’d purchased for me, the platinum band leading to the most incredible rubies surrounding a beautiful diamond.

“It’s gorgeous,” I managed, holding out my shaking hand. There would be no ceremony around this. It was merely a formality.

He took my hand, curling my fingers as he lowered his head, pressing a series of kisses across my knuckles. “I can never get enough of you, my beautiful Alessandra. I will be so proud to be your husband,