Two Different Worlds Collide (Blood & Bones MC Book 1)

Chapter 14

Cass's POV

Ember just went off with Hawk on their horseback ride. Gage wanted to have some time alone with me so he took me upstairs to his room and surprised me with a picnic of our own complete with candles.

I turned to face Gage, "This was so sweet of you!" I jumped up and hugged him around the neck.

Gage took my hand and led me towards the blanket he had laid down, "Anything for you my Angel." He sweetly kissed my cheek before helping me to sit on the floor next to him.

"When do you have time to do all this?" I looked around at the candles and basket when I asked him this.

"When you were making arrangements in the kitchen for Hawk and Ember I was up here setting the candles up. Then when you went to take the basket out to the stables I figured you'd check out the horses while you were there and that would give me enough time to put our own basket together." After his explanation he began pulling out the various items form the basket for us.

"I've never had any guy do something so thoughtful for me." I admitted absentmindedly before taking a bite of the sandwich Gage handed me.

Gage had grown quiet so I turned to look at him; he was gawking at me like I had 2 heads. "Surely plenty of guys have taken you out on dates?"

"I've been on a few dates, but none of them had put much thought into them." I told him looking down shyly.

I felt Gage's fingers under my chin and he lifted my head so he could look into my eyes, "Their loss is my reward because any man would be a fool not to treat an angel like you as if she was the most precious thing in the world. That's what you are to me Angel." With that Gage slammed his mouth onto mine. He nipped my bottom lip and I gasped. He used the opportunity to slide his tongue into my mouth causing me to whimper.

Gage laid me down on the floor under him and reached under the hem of my shirt. I caught his arm to stop him. "What, Angel are you okay?" He asked concerned.

I sat back up, "There are some things I need to tell you."

"Okay, what is it?" He asked me confused.

"Gage, promise me you won't get mad at me?" I looked at him with pleading eyes. "I was young and stupid when it happened."

"Angel, I promise I won't get mad at you." Gage told me and I could see the honesty in his eyes.

"When I was in college I used to party a lot. I still made it to classes and was passing but my partying was definitely out of control. One night I was at a party at a frat house I went with friends but there was this guy from the frat that I really liked and he was giving me a lot of attention. So I was excited that my crush was showing interest in me. He asked me if I wanted to go to his room and talk. I was so naïve I thought he really did just want to talk. When we got to his room the lights were turned off and he didn't turn them on until he closed the door. There stood 4 of his other buddies from his frat." I took a deep breath before I told him the next part, "The looks on their faces told me that something wasn't right. I turned around to leave, but the guy who had brought me in there grabbed ahold of me and started pulling me towards his bed. I had been a virgin before that night. The 5 of them took turns raping me. I passed out eventually, when they were done with me they had dumped me in front of my dorm on the lawn with my clothes all torn up." I was crying now and refusing to look at Gage.

"Angel please look at me," Gage gently whispered and when I met his eyes I could have almost sworn what I saw in them was love, but I know it can't be. I'm too broken for someone to love. "How could you ever think I would be mad at you for that? I'm mad at those assholes that thought they could do that to a woman." He sounded so sincere.

"Gage, I was so stupid. I allowed myself to be taken to that room. I should have known better." I got out quickly before Gage held his hand over my mouth.

"Angel, you did not allow anything to happen to you. You were not stupid, that asshole tricked you and who knows how many other women he tricked before you. Did you go to the police?" Gage was continuing to comfort me.

I couldn't help but let out a humorless laugh at that, "Yea, the police only focused on how much I had been drinking, what was I wearing, did I go to a lot of parties, did I go into the room willingly. They kept me at the station so long and I was bleeding internally I finally passed out." Gage squeeze me hard.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He said through gritted teeth.

"Nope I woke up in the hospital a couple of days later. They did so much damage that the doctors said I most likely will never be able to have kids of my own. My parents came down to the hospital, but they had the same attitude as the police. I brought it on myself. The school never did anything either. All of those that were involved came from rich families so at the end of the day everything was swept under the rug. I stopped talking to my parents because every conversation would go back to the incident and they would tell me how disappointed they were in me for it" I was back to avoiding Gage's eyes again, "You heard Ember earlier about why she learned to defend herself. She went through something's too, but I won't tell you what that's her story to tell. We met because she was leading a support group. She became my family; I don't know how I would have gotten this far without her. That's why I reacted the way I did when Snake was holding onto me. I started having flashbacks to that room with those guys."

Gage had gone quiet. We sat there for a few minutes. I was waiting for him to tell me how disgusting I was and to get out of his room. Finally he spoke, "You're so strong Angel. I am so sorry that everyone failed you then. I promise I will try hard to protect you. They were wrong to tell you those things. It wasn't your fault. I'm glad you had Ember to help you, but now you have me too. You do not have to do anything you do not want to do with me. You can say stop at any time as well, it's never too late to tell me no. I will wait until you are ready however long it takes."

I stared in awe at the man in front of me. After hearing all of that he still accepted me and wanted me. How did I get so lucky to meet this amazing man? We finished off the evening and then got ready for bed. I settled into his arms for the night breathing a sigh of relief and for the first time in a long time I felt completely safe as I drifted off to sleep.