Page 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Gabriel was alone when he awoke. Getting out of bed, he dressed in his jeans, a T-shirt, and fresh clean socks before leaving the bedroom and making his way down the hall. As he walked, he had no limp and no pain, and although he knew it was still a good idea to be careful with his ankle, he was certain it had recovered.

He went to the kitchen and reached for the fridge handle, then stopped when he heard someone behind him. He turned around to see Sasha.

“Are you hungry?” Sasha asked.

“Yeah,” Gabriel said. “I was going to make breakfast.”

“I’ll do it for you,” Sasha said.

“It’s okay, really?—”

“Relax, I’ll handle it.”

“Okay,” Gabriel said, watching as Sasha opened the fridge to take out ingredients. He figured this was part of his job, so Gabriel didn’t want to impede on it.

Not long after, Gabriel finished eating a light breakfast of toast, a piece of fruit, and green tea, and he lingered inside the house for a while before deciding to step out. Being outside was the closest thing he had to real freedom, even when the guards around the premises reminded him he was anything but.

With a sigh, Gabriel walked away from the front of the house and to the side, where it was quieter and more peaceful. He didn’t see any guards here either. The air was cool and the birds chirped in the trees nearby. Warmth from the sun shone down on him and he sat on the grass, closed his eyes, and relaxed for a while.

Footsteps made him open his eyes, and he turned his head to see one of the guards standing a few feet away, staring at him. Gabriel slowly stood, realizing it was the same bald man who’d been watching him the night before. As Gabriel looked at him, the guard’s expression hardened into a glare. Dread filled him and he didn’t want to be alone with this guy. He started to walk, attempting to pass him, but the man grabbed his arm, making him grimace and stumble as he shoved him face first into the brick wall.

Gabriel’s eyes widened before he frowned. “Let me go!”

“Shut up, faggot,” the guard growled.

Gabriel threw his elbow back, hitting the man in the ribs.

He pressed him against the wall, pinning him to it, and grimacing, Gabriel struggled. A hand squeezed his ass and he shouted, “Don’t touch me!”

Someone yanked the guy off him, and Gabriel snapped his eyes open and turned around to see Viktor. For the first time, he felt a sense of deep relief at the sight of him. Viktor must have heard him when he’d shouted. When Gabriel looked at the guard again, he was walking backwards and away from Viktor.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Viktor snapped and stalked toward the man, who continued moving in an attempt to get away from him.

Gabriel took a few steps away from the wall, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave or go back inside the house. His body was stiff and something was keeping him there, preventing him from running away. All he could do was stand there and watch.

“The faggot was coming onto me!” the guard said.

Viktor tucked his hand behind him, pulled out a black handgun from his pants, and shot his guard.

A loud bang echoed all around, and there was a fluttering above as birds scattered from the trees. Gabriel took a few steps backwards, his sneaker getting caught on the end of his jeans and making him fall on his ass. He stared with wide eyes at the dead worker, who was now lying face down on the ground. His body shook, his breathing quickened, and his heart hammered inside his chest.

Gabriel looked up at Viktor. “You just . . . you . . .”

“I killed him,” Viktor said calmly.

“But... why ?” Gabriel asked, feeling lightheaded and like he might pass out.

“Because you’re mine . And no one touches what’s mine.”

Gabriel didn’t know what was more terrifying, the fact Viktor had just killed a man like it was nothing, or the fact that he’d already claimed full ownership over Gabriel, and was so possessive over him that he was willing to kill someone for touching what he believed belonged to him.

This was so wrong. Gabriel had just witnessed a murder , and he sure as hell didn’t belong to Viktor. But at the same time, Gabriel knew that he couldn’t afford to be stupid by saying the wrong thing. He had no doubts that Viktor could change his mind and kill him too.

“Come here,” Viktor said.

“No,” Gabriel whimpered.

“I said, come here ,” Viktor growled.

Gabriel scrambled to his feet and on wobbly legs, walked forward until he was standing before Viktor. His chest rose and fell rapidly, and he kept his eyes only on Viktor, wanting to avoid looking at the dead body on the ground.

“Go inside and wait for me in the bedroom,” Viktor said firmly, his blue eyes hard and his dark brows drawn in.

Swallowing, Gabriel nodded and went to the closest door, before opening it and letting himself back inside the house.

Viktor’s men gathered close by, and Sasha had also come to his side. When Viktor was sure that all of his men were outside with him—most of their heads down—he cast his eyes over each one of them before speaking.

“You see what I did to him.” Viktor didn’t even bother to glance at the piece of shit he had disposed of. “If anyone else touches Gabriel, or even looks at him the wrong way, I will kill you too.”

Viktor gestured for two men, who hurried to him. “Get rid of the body,” he ordered. “And the rest of you, back to your posts.”

The guards began to disperse while the other two picked up the body from each end before carrying it away.

“Is there anything you need me to do?” Sasha asked calmly from beside him once it was just the two of them.

“Go over the security footage from every time Gabriel was outside. I need to make sure no one else tried to do anything to him.”

Sasha watched him, his light gray eyes lingering for a moment before he nodded once and walked toward the house.

Now alone, Viktor breathed in a deep breath and released it slowly. He was already aware of his obsession over Gabriel, but seeing that man touching him just made him snap. Gabriel was his and his only. No one else could touch him. No one else could have him. He belonged only to Viktor, and he was going to make sure Gabriel knew it.