“Nothing’s happened to him; he’s fine, sort of. We think he might be in danger.”
“Gabriel? I don’t understand; what kind of danger?”
“Do you know why he pushed you away?” “I’m not interested!” I don’t know if it was embarrassment or fear of hearing a truth that was more devastating than my own thoughts had been for the last two years? A fear of finally getting the explanation that I never received, but hearing this relative stranger ask me that question made my hackles rise.
He didn’t seem to believe me, though, if his smile was any indication. “Well, I’ll tell you anyway, but be prepared; it’s rough.” My heart started racing so fast and loud I could hear it in my ears. I almost told him to stop, that I didn’t want to know. Even though from the time I saw them standing in the clearing, I knew my life was about to change.
Sure, I’ve had days where I daydreamed about going back, but then I’d think that I’d gone too far to turn back. Besides, Gabriel had thrown me away like garbage without an explanation. I’ve done some pain shopping, at least once every couple of months I’d try to find something, anything about him on the Internet, but there was never anything.
His family was still sticking to their moratorium on social media. Each time I’d type in his name, I’d expect to find a wedding announcement or an engagement because, in my mind, I’d started to build up all these scenarios in my mind to explain his reasons for breaking up with me. No one would ever understand how that has been for me, the not knowing, the waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I’d made myself disappear in the hopes of avoiding that, but now my cousin was about to tear the blinders off and expose me to the light. I’m not ready.
“His father raped his mother….”
“Draco? That’s impossible. What the hell are you talking about?”
“No, Draco is the man his mother married before he was even born. But when Sofia was a young girl back in Sicily, she was violated by a man named Allonzo Ricci. It was brutal, and it was ugly. When Gabriel was a young boy, his mother told him the story. He spent his whole life plotting revenge but never expecting to live afterward.”
I was shaking my head the whole time he spoke. “This can’t be real; I met his family; they’re the closest family I know. Draco treats Gabriel like a prince; I’ve never seen him treat him any different to the twins. No, you must be mistaken; Gabriel is Draco’s son.”
I don’t know why that was the sticking point for me. Why, out of all the horrible things he’d just shared, that one thing made me so sad.
I wanted to throw up; I wanted to scream. I felt numb and afraid, and my heart hurt for Gabriel. I remembered his face, his strength, and all the things he’d done for me. And all the while, he was living with this. And Sofia, how could she….? As a mother, I can’t imagine burdening my child with something like that. “How old was he?”
“When she told him? I’m not sure, but he could’ve been around thirteen, I think.”
I looked at him with a horrific expression on my face, and then the tears started. Huge nerve-wracking sobs shook my tiny frame.
“Come, you can cry later. If you want to save him, and I assume you do as he’s the father, you have to do everything I tell you. Don’t worry; you have Lyon blood; I don’t expect you to forgive and forget that easily, but if you were that hurt that you came all the way out here, then your love for him must be very strong.”
“How did you know?”
“What? That you came all the way out here because of hurt? I’m married. My wife, who you’ll meet soon, would’ve left the country, but she’s had years of training to become as big a pain in the ass as she is. You’re young yet.” He makes me want to laugh, and I don’t know why since he looks like he chews nails just for fun.
“Are you cool with helping him? Or do you need more time?”
“What makes you think it’ll make a difference…?” My words trailed off as he quirked his brow at me.
“That’s kind of insulting, don’t you think? He sent me away, but I’m fine to come back because I made him a father?”
“I doubt he’d see it that way. He never stopped looking for you.”’
“Only because I made it hard for him to find me. You haven’t told me why you think he sent me away.”
“He was trying to protect you. The people he’s going after are not nice and are very powerful. I think he was afraid that they’d come after you if anything happened….”