Chapter 35 Chapter 35
Audrey
It was after dawn when I got home. My head was full of thought and my heart full of emotions. The only thing that wasn’t full was my stomach and that was because I kept being sick.
It was like I suddenly couldn’t keep things down.
And to make things worse I had to get a taxi back. Gabriel was no where to be seen when I had finally emerged bleary eyed into the street.
He wasn’t at home either. I had checked everywhere before slipping into the shower and pulling on warmer clothes.
Of course that didn’t mean he wasn’t watching. Gabriel was always watching.
He didn’t come to me though, even though he had promised we would speak when I got home and boy did I have things to say to him.
Horrible nasty honest things.
And he was going to hear them, even if he didn’t want to. Bundling on my coat, I headed towards his house. Hammering on the door with my gloved fist.
There was no answer. But I knew he was in there I could sense movement.
“Gabriel.” I screamed his name as I hammered again. “You get your sorry ass out here right this sec-“
The door swung open but it wasn’t Gabriel’s face less mask that greeted me, it was his brother. The big one.
Adam.
“Nice to see you again Audrey, you look-“ eyes identical to Gabriel’s widened. “Pissed.” He said with a chuckle.
I glared at him. “Yeah I’m angry. Where is he?”
His features schooled themselves into neutrality instead of a smirk. “He’s not here.” He said quickly and stepped back. “But come inside. It’s freezing out there .”
“Where is he?” I asked again. I didn’t want to speak to the older kings I wanted to scream at the younger one. “Did you know he left me there? At the hospital I had to get,” I shuddered. “Just tell me where he is.” I finished lamely. I had no argument with Adam.
“We sent a car, you had already left.” Adams eyes softened. “Please come out of the cold. Gabriel will be back and you two have a lot to discuss.”
I blinked at him in shock. “You know.”
“The doctor called, yes. It didn’t take a genius to read Gabriel’s mood after.”
Shaking with anger I clenched my fists. “That’s so illegal it’s not even funny. But then I guess you Kings don’t care about that do you.”
He didn’t say anything just motioned for me to step inside.
I shook my head. “Where is he, Adam?”
There was a flicker of unease kn his eyes and then he sighed. “Did you know there’s a small cemetery on the edge of our property. It’s full of Kings.” He said pointedly. “Our mother is buried there.” Adams eyes met mine.
“Thank you.” Turning on my boot , I trudged through the ice. It was thicker now, a crispy blanket of ice that turned the fallen leaves from soggy to crunchy.
“It would be safer if you waited for him here, Audrey.” He called out after me.
“Gabriel won’t hurt me.” I called back over my shoulder.
I found the little cemetery five minutes later, nothing more than crumbling tombstones circling one that seemed to be more cared for than any of the others.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out that it was Gabriel’s mothers gravestone. Plus I could see him sitting on the cold ground next to it. His head bowed.
His hair glittered in the weak December sunlight.
I froze. His hair.
Gabriel was right there , and I could see his hair. There was no hood over his head and no mask over his face.
“Gabriel.” I called out softly.
He stood, gracefully climbing to his feet but he didn’t turn to me. “Do you know I have no memories of her:” his voice carried. Neither one of us moved. “She dies hours after I was born. I killed her. I’ve always known that. And now I’ve killed you too.”
I took a tentative step forward. The ice crunched.
“Don’t come any closer Audrey.”
I froze again.
“All the memories I have are from photos or from stories my brothers told me.” He continued to caress the marble like it was a living thing. “My father hated me for killing her. Not that he loved her anyway but I was the reason she was gone and he could never forgive me for that. Then he died as well,” a sigh sent a plume of white smoke out of his mouth. “Michael and Adam always tried to save me , but they couldn’t because I’ve never been worth saving.”
Tears stung my eyes. “You are worth saving Gabriel.”
“Am I? I’ve put a monster in your belly Audrey.”
Inductivly my hand went to my stomach. “Our baby isn’t a monster Gabriel. And neither are you.”
He turned and I let out a startled gasp, my eyes glued on his face for the first time ever.
“Aren’t I?” He motioned towards his face. “The look on your face tells a different story.” His mouth, the mouth I had missed a thousand times and thought was beautiful curved upwards in a smile that screamed of self loathing.
“Your face is as beautiful as your soul is Gabriel.”
Throwing back his head he laughed. “You're such a lousy liar Audrey. You always have been. I am not beautiful. Even when my face wasn’t like this, I wasn’t beautiful. My mother knew it and died so she didn’t have to watch me grow into the monster I am now. And I am a monster.” He took a step forward. “Do you know how many people I have killed.”
“Bad people. You kill bad people. You wouldn’t hurt me.” I believed that with everything I had. “And you are beautiful.” Reaching up I touched the scarred side of his cheek. The skin was stretched tight but in places felt raised and rough, even though it looked smooth. “I think you are the most beautiful person in the world.”
For a second he leant into my hand. Nuzzling there and I had a brief moment to think everything was going to be alright.
We were having a baby, it was unexpected and unplanned but it was there.
“He used acid. The man who took me. The first man I killed.”
“I know. I read the journals.” My heart broke even thinking about the things he had gone through. “But he’a gone now and-“
He stepped back and my hand fell to my side. “Then you know why I can’t be in your life any longer.”
My heart stammered. “You don’t love me-“
His blue eyes flashed. “I will always love you.” He said in a ragged voice. “It’s because I love you that I have to let you do. Both of you.” His eyes flickered down to my stomach. “It’s the only way to keep you alive. I kill those who care about me Audrey. I’ve almost,” he shook his head. “You shouldn’t want to be with me.”
“But I do want to be with you. It’s only when I’m with you that I feel whole.” I whispered.
“You shouldn’t want our child anywhere near me. I’ll corrupt him, he has my blood.” He shuddered. “Kings blood and my family will take care of you. But me and you.” He sucked in a breath. “We can’t be together. It’s the only way you both have a chance at a normal life. Take it Audrey.” He met my eyes and my heart stopped stuttering and stopped completely. I could barely see him through the tears falling from my eyes. “Take the freedom
I’m giving you and RUN.”
There it was again the magic word , the one I always craved to hear. Only this time I didn’t move because I knew he wouldn’t catch me.
This time if I ran I would run forever and there would be no more Gabriel in my life.
“No.” I shook my head violently. The cold wind picked my hair up and whipped it around my face. “I will not run from you.”
“You have to, Audrey. For that baby you have to run and never look back. Don’t you get it? It’s your only chance to survive me. I killed my mother , my father died rather than be around me. Hell, even the boy I was before died rather than be around who I am now. I don’t want that for you or our child.”
The tears were almost blinding me now and I reached out to him. If I could just touch him then everything would be ok. He didn’t mean any of this. He was just in one of his melancholy moods.
“I am not leaving you, Gabriel.” I gripped the front of his coat and held on like my life depended on it. Because it did. “I promised you.” I said raggedly. “I love you.”
His eyes widened in shock. The hammering of his heart under my fists sped up. “You love me?”
“Always, I’ll always love you-“
He cut me off. “Even more reason to run Audrey.” He stepped forward. His hands closed in on either side of my face and he brought his lips down to mine. “I love you Audrey. I’ve loved you since the moment I woke up and I’ll love you until the moment I go to sleep for the last time. Nothing will ever change that,” his mouth sipped at me. A soft brushing of his lips against mine. “But we can’t be together.”
He stepped away so quickly that I tumbled to the ground.
“I’m sorry Audrey. But we can never be together ever again.”
Without another word he walked away, disappearing into the treeline.
I sat there on the icy ground of his mothers grave and I felt nothing. Even the tears seemed to freeze on my face.
“I love you.” I whispered again to the empty air. There was no answer.
He would come back. I knew he would come back. Gabriel always came back. He wouldn’t leave me alone like this.
He wouldn’t leave us alone. My hands pressed to my non existent bump. Gabriel loved us and he wouldn’t leave us like this.
He. Always. Came. Back.
Tilting my head up I stared at the blue sky. Cold and crisp. It felt wrong for the sky to be so pretty when inside it felt like I was dying.
“Please come back.” I whispered. My teeth chattering.
“Audrey?” A shadowy figure stepped into my vision blotting out the pristine blue above me. “Jesus have you been out here all this time.”
All this time? I stared up at Adam’s face and felt nothing. Gabriel hadn’t come back, he had left me out here. Alone and in the cold.
“Gabriel?” I whispered as Adam scooped me up.
“It’s going to be ok Audrey. Let’s just get you inside and warmed up. You’ve been out here for hours.”
I blinked stupidly. Hours? Had it really been hours since Gabriel had run.
“Is Gabriel coming-“
Adam shook his head. “I’m sorry Audrey.”
In his arms I tensed. “What do you mean? Where-“
Why did my voice sound so raspy?
“I’m sorry Audrey, he’s gone.”
Ok I had been wrong Gabriel could hurt me. He could gut me. Rip out my heart and shred it.
“Gabriel has gone. He won’t be coming back.”