could she do this to him?
What if she told him what happened and asked him to accompany her? But doing so would put his life in danger. If Joseph chased her, he would know about Nick and he might harm her lover just because he was in her life. And she couldn’t even ask Nick to discard his life, his friends, his house, and come away with her. It wouldn’t be fair to him.
No! She needed to think of another solution. But for the life of her, Gabby couldn’t figure it out.
Nothing came to her mind as she struggled with her fears and apprehensions. On one hand was her life with Nick, her studies, and her friends, and on the other hand was her sole chance of survival. If she stayed, she might forfeit her life and independence.
What was the right decision?
She couldn’t move, couldn’t think, and could pull her thoughts in any comprehensive form. The knock on her door startled her. She jumped out of bed. Was it Joseph? Had he come here to take her away? How did he get inside?
Her mouth was dry. She moistened her lips with her tongue. “Who is it?”
“It’s me, Nick. What the hell is going on?”
With a leap, she opened the door and threw herself in his arms. “Oh, Nick!”
His arms tightened around her like bands. She could feel his body tense as he stared into her room as if he expected to find an intruder. “What happened? Are you alright?”
“It’s…I…” She wiped a hand over her brow. Of course, she couldn’t tell him about Joseph. He would want to confront the pimp, and she dared not risk that. What if something happened to him? “Yes, I am fine. I overslept.”
“Overslept? Shit! I was worried.”
She couldn’t shake away the cobwebs of confusion from her head fast enough. Thoughts of Joseph’s threat still clung to her mind. Would he actually come and take her away from the clubhouse? “Why?”
Nick held her arm. “Gabby, you were supposed to meet me for dinner? Don’t you remember?”
Shit! She forgot. Joseph’s call drove everything away. She spent all that time thinking and analyzing the situation. “Sorry.” She forced a smile on her smile. There was no way she could tell Nick about the phone calls. He would go berserk, and he might even go to confront Joseph. And she couldn’t let him do that. “I…got so tired shopping that I lay down. Didn’t realize that I fell asleep.”
Drawing her in his arms, he rested his chin on her head. “I tried to call you but your phone was coming off. Scared the shit out of me.”
She inhaled the strong, musky scent of his. Somehow it brought back some normalcy in her mind. “I guess the battery must have died. Sorry, Nick.”
“It’s ok, darling. You’re ok. That’s all matters. What did you buy?”
Eager to change the subject, she showed him the dresses she bought. After he admired them, she followed him out of the room. “We could eat something here,” she suggested.
“No, let’s just go out. There is a burger with my name on it,” he said.
Downstairs, they met Matt. He was drinking beer at the bar. Seeing her, his nostrils flared but he didn’t say anything. Instead, his fingers tapped the bottle that was held in his hand. “Going out?”
“Yeah!” said Nick as he tugged Gabby along. They stepped out in the fresh air and marched over to his bike. She loved to ride with him. He drove fast, but Nick was careful when she was with him.
She strapped on the helmet he offered. “Did you guys find the new warehouse?”
“Yeah, it’s a good location. We should be able to get back in the thick of things soon enough.”
“But the police might still be on to you guys.”
“For sure, they must be.” He sat. “But we’re going to keep the information to ourselves. The fewer people who know about the locations and timings, the better it would be.”
She didn’t ask anything else. Gabby didn’t care about their
What if she told him what happened and asked him to accompany her? But doing so would put his life in danger. If Joseph chased her, he would know about Nick and he might harm her lover just because he was in her life. And she couldn’t even ask Nick to discard his life, his friends, his house, and come away with her. It wouldn’t be fair to him.
No! She needed to think of another solution. But for the life of her, Gabby couldn’t figure it out.
Nothing came to her mind as she struggled with her fears and apprehensions. On one hand was her life with Nick, her studies, and her friends, and on the other hand was her sole chance of survival. If she stayed, she might forfeit her life and independence.
What was the right decision?
She couldn’t move, couldn’t think, and could pull her thoughts in any comprehensive form. The knock on her door startled her. She jumped out of bed. Was it Joseph? Had he come here to take her away? How did he get inside?
Her mouth was dry. She moistened her lips with her tongue. “Who is it?”
“It’s me, Nick. What the hell is going on?”
With a leap, she opened the door and threw herself in his arms. “Oh, Nick!”
His arms tightened around her like bands. She could feel his body tense as he stared into her room as if he expected to find an intruder. “What happened? Are you alright?”
“It’s…I…” She wiped a hand over her brow. Of course, she couldn’t tell him about Joseph. He would want to confront the pimp, and she dared not risk that. What if something happened to him? “Yes, I am fine. I overslept.”
“Overslept? Shit! I was worried.”
She couldn’t shake away the cobwebs of confusion from her head fast enough. Thoughts of Joseph’s threat still clung to her mind. Would he actually come and take her away from the clubhouse? “Why?”
Nick held her arm. “Gabby, you were supposed to meet me for dinner? Don’t you remember?”
Shit! She forgot. Joseph’s call drove everything away. She spent all that time thinking and analyzing the situation. “Sorry.” She forced a smile on her smile. There was no way she could tell Nick about the phone calls. He would go berserk, and he might even go to confront Joseph. And she couldn’t let him do that. “I…got so tired shopping that I lay down. Didn’t realize that I fell asleep.”
Drawing her in his arms, he rested his chin on her head. “I tried to call you but your phone was coming off. Scared the shit out of me.”
She inhaled the strong, musky scent of his. Somehow it brought back some normalcy in her mind. “I guess the battery must have died. Sorry, Nick.”
“It’s ok, darling. You’re ok. That’s all matters. What did you buy?”
Eager to change the subject, she showed him the dresses she bought. After he admired them, she followed him out of the room. “We could eat something here,” she suggested.
“No, let’s just go out. There is a burger with my name on it,” he said.
Downstairs, they met Matt. He was drinking beer at the bar. Seeing her, his nostrils flared but he didn’t say anything. Instead, his fingers tapped the bottle that was held in his hand. “Going out?”
“Yeah!” said Nick as he tugged Gabby along. They stepped out in the fresh air and marched over to his bike. She loved to ride with him. He drove fast, but Nick was careful when she was with him.
She strapped on the helmet he offered. “Did you guys find the new warehouse?”
“Yeah, it’s a good location. We should be able to get back in the thick of things soon enough.”
“But the police might still be on to you guys.”
“For sure, they must be.” He sat. “But we’re going to keep the information to ourselves. The fewer people who know about the locations and timings, the better it would be.”
She didn’t ask anything else. Gabby didn’t care about their
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