Chapter 37 Chapter 37
Gabriel
The phone was ringing.
Again.
It broke through the silence of misery that I had surrounded myself with.
It wouldn’t be Audrey. I knew that. She hadn’t tried calling me for well over a week. Because she was getting on with her life, just as I knew she would.
And it was really for the best.
I had told her to.
It was the only way for her to be happy. Happy and whole.
The phone fell silent and I let out a sigh of relief.
Quiet was better for me.
It helped the constant noise in my head not be so loud.
Of course leaving this place would help as well. But I couldn’t bring myself to do that yet.
She was right over there, my eyes flicked towards the heavy drapes of the window. Audrey hadn’t left either. I had thought she would have but it looked like both of us was holding on to something that couldn’t happen.
I had been stupid to think I could be happy. But I had been happy, with her. Even if it was for a little while.
And now she was pregnant… with my child.
I’d had the tests , I could father children even if the doctors before had said I couldn’t and now I was going to be a father.
Instantly the noise in my head fell silent. It was like static between my ears.
I was going to be a father.
And Audrey would make the most beautiful mother. So it was a shame that I would never get to see her grow round and glowing as the pregnancy progressed but that was the way it had to be.
Not that it stopped the urge to turn on the monitors and see how she was doing. It wouldn’t take long to hack the system I had put in even if my brother had locked me out of it.
I would not that though. Audrey and the baby needed the chance to have a normal happy life and they couldn’t do that with me being around them. Not even if I was just watching.
This time I had to let her go for good. No watching, no spying, absolutely no contact at all because she would know if I was hanging around.
Audrey always seemed to know I was close. Even from the first day when she had come back from her grandmothers funeral she had felt my presence.
Even before then- closing my eyes I pinched the skin between my eyebrows hard and that’s when my phone started again.
Loud and insistent.
Groaning, I moved to look down at the screen. I didn’t recognise the number.
No one had this number or at least no one should have it. Just family and -
It clicked off and ten seconds later it pinged with an answer phone message.
Before I could listen to it, it began ringing again. Disgruntled I grabbed at it.
“What?” I snapped.
There was a pause and then a female voice spoke. “Look, I don’t know why I’m doing this. I don’t like you but-“
I cut her off. The pounding in my head increased.
“Who is this?”
“Bethan.”
My heart slammed into my rib cage. “Bethan? As in Audrey’s friend?”
What was she doing phoning me?
“Yeah some friend.”
I could almost hear the sarcasm dripping from her voice.
“How did you get this number?”
“I found it in Duncan’s phone.”
That made even less sense. Not one of Audrey’s friends should have access to my secure line.
“Look I know Audrey is upset but-“
She cut me off. “Upset? Why would she be upset?”
Unease settled over me. She hadn’t called to discuss our break up and the baby because it sounded like she didn’t have a clue.
So why was she calling?
“It doesn’t matter.” Sighing I tried to calm down my rapidly beating heart. “What can I help you with?”
“I don’t like you. I don’t think you’re right for Audrey but-“
I groaned. “I am aware. You’ve said more than once but if you have just called to tell me again then your wasting your time. Me and Audrey are over.”
“Over?” She whispered.
It might have been my imagination but she sounded scared.
“You can’t be over. She needs you.”
“You are extremely confusing.”
Bethan’s sigh was loud and drawn out. “It’s Duncan.”
My heart skipped a beat. “What about him?” I enunciated each word carefully and tried to remember which one of her friends was Duncan.
He wasn’t the one she had kissed and tried to date. No duncan was her work friend.
Work husband. That’s what Bethan had called him once.
“What about him?”
“He’s been watching her.”
My heart which had been slamming away fell completely still.
“I know it’s bad but I went through his phone when he was asleep. I know that means I don’t trust him but-“
It my time to cut her off. “What do you mean he has been watching her.”
“For a long time, there were pictures. Some of them are just of her but he’s,” I heard her swallow. “He’s made photos and videos of them together. They are fake but they are disgusting.”
“Ok.” I said slowly.
“And it gets worse. He’s had cameras in her house and he’s been watching her. Well watching the two of you.”
Duncan hadn’t put cameras in Audrey’s house. That had been me but the fact he had been watching was alarming.
At my side my fists clenched.
“And he’s written, Jesus I can’t even tell you the things he’s written. When he caught me on his phone he left. And-“
A sob broke the connection.
“Audrey’s not answering her phone. I was hoping you would be there because -“ more sobbing. “I think he might do something to hurt her. I didn’t know what to do, so I called you and now you are saying you're not with her. Should I call the police- I’m going to call the police.”
“Don’t do that, just stay on the line a second.”
Opening the laptop my finger flew over the keys. It would be easier to do this downstairs but I didn’t have time.
It took me less that thirty seconds to pull up the camera feed.
Flicking through the images I frowned. The cottage was dark. No lights, no sound. My eyes narrowed in on the kitchen.
A mug stood untouched on the island, my eyes scanned the room. Something was wrong here and I couldn’t find what it was.
“Gabriel?”
“I’m here, one second.” I said quickly.
There on the floor by the refrigerator. Another cup, smashed and-
I yanked the laptop closer, my eyes narrowing. Was that blood on the edge of the counter?
Quickly I checked the rest of the cameras. Downstairs worked but upstairs- nothing. It wasn’t darkness, it was completely nothing. They no longer worked.
Jogging to the window I yanked open the curtain and peered towards Audrey’s family home.
Was that smoke?
“Gabriel what’s going on?”
It was smoke. Rising up.
“Call my brother. Well call the Rusty Dog. And tell them I need them.”
“The rusty dog?” Bethan’s voice shook. “What am I meant to say?”
“Ask for either Michael or Adam. Tell them that Gabriel told you to call. I don’t have time, Bethan. Just tell them I need them here.”
“Is she?” Her voice shook. “Is Audrey ok? Is Duncan with her?”
“I don’t know.” I headed down the stairs at full speed. Not bothering with my mask or hoody I launched myself across the snow flecked ground and into the woods. And the closer I got to the house the thicker the smoke became.
“What should I do?”
“Tell them I need them. Tell them I need them now.” My footsteps pounded on the floor. The phone slipped from my fingers with a thud but I didn’t bend to pick it up.
I didn’t have time for that. Not when Audrey was in danger.
Thick acrid smoke filled my lungs, making it harder to breathe but I didn’t slow down.
The love of my life was in danger. From a man she thought of as a friend and-
Skidding to a halt at the edge of the property line, I lifted my eyes to the inferno in front of me.
Fuck.
Her house was on fire, and she was trapped inside with a crazy man.
Luckily for her I was even more crazy.
“Hold on Audrey, I’m coming”