Chapter 9 - Blood on the Velvet Sofa
We returned to the estate under heavy armed escort. The mansion was in a state of high alert; floodlights bathed the perimeter, and snipers were positioned on every balcony.
In the master bedroom, I made Gabriel sit on the emerald velvet sofa while I retrieved the medical kit. My hands were steady now. The fear had subsided, replaced by a quiet, determined resolve.
I cut away the ruined silk of his shirt, exposing the muscular contour of his chest and the torn suture line along his shoulder.
"This is going to hurt," I warned, preparing the antiseptic wash.
"I’ve survived worse," Gabriel murmured, never taking his eyes off my face.
As I cleaned the fresh blood and applied the sterile dressing, the silence between us grew heavy with unspoken electricity. His gaze traced every feature of my face—my lips, my eyelashes, the curve of my jaw.
"Why didn't you run?" he asked softly. "When the shooting started, you could have slipped away into the shadows. You have the money. You could have left New York."
I paused, holding the roll of medical tape in my hands.
"I spent my whole life running from debt collectors, from landlords, from people who looked through me like I was invisible," I said, meeting his amber eyes. "For the first time in my life, someone saw me. Really saw me. I wasn't going to leave you to die in that alley, Gabriel."
Gabriel reached up, his large, warm hand cupping the side of my face, his thumb gently brushing across my cheek.
"You are not invisible, Elena," he whispered. "You are the only thing in this house that is real."
He leaned in slowly, giving me every chance to pull away. But I didn't. When his lips met mine, the warmth was intoxicating—a fierce, protective kiss that tasted of rain, danger, and an unspoken promise of devotion.
When we finally parted, Gabriel pulled a small velvet box from his pocket and pressed it into my palm.
May you like
"What is this?" I asked, breathless.
"The key to the Falcone safe in Switzerland," he said. "And a promise that whatever happens tomorrow, you will never be a servant to anyone ever again."
