Tried for Love (TSATD)

Chapter 50

Gabriel

  In a frenzy of emotions, I stared back at jade eyes filling with tears. "Gabriel," Her voice trembled when she said my name and as cold hands pressed at my face and pulled me down in a hug, I realized I had never seen my wife in such a weak state ever before. "Gabriel you're—my God,"

  Despite the tension that pressed through my body, I felt my arms tighten around her small frame. Felt something in my chest fall with relief as I kissed her forehead and mumbled curses I was barely aware of saying.

  When I had to leave for missions, Leah constantly argued she couldn't stand it. Couldn't stand the worry and terror she felt for me, that concern of hers that had gotten us into tons of arguments.

  But the part she didn't know was that when I left her home with my most trustworthy people to guard her, my gut turned in fear for her ever single minute I was away. Every single second I didn't have her in my arms was that of anxiety and dread for her. For my Leah.

  "You—what are you doing here?" I kept repeating. "Christ, Leah, how did you even—"

  Pulling back to look at her, I saw the worry, the fear on her face and my gut clenched in anger. I didn't want this. I didn't want her to be scared for me. For us. Hell, where had it all gone wrong?

  "I just arrived with a car when one of your guards got a report it was over, and I— I just.." She ran her fingers down the collar of my shirt, her eyes not meeting mine. "Gabriel, I couldn't stay at home. I couldn't wait for you to—" It was when she ran her fingers down my forearm when she gasped. "Oh no,"

  I looked down only to see red.. Dark red soaking a bit of my rolled up sleeve and running down my wrist.. A cut I hadn't noticed until that moment; until Leah did. The wicked burn that came with it had been there, but somehow my mind had neglected it. Ignored it even.

  "Just a cut. It's just a cut." I assured her but when those wide, haunted eyes looked up at mine, she had it figured. She knew something had happened. Christ, she'd sensed it.

  "What's happened?" Her voice was half a whisper and before I could register it, she tried passing by me. With a grip over her elbow, I stopped her. I'd be damned if I let her see the bloody scene outside that door. Her eyes were almost pleading when she repeated. "What happened, Gabriel?"

  And before I could say, before I could explain even in the most painless matter I could, if there was, Ethan's shouts were heard, not quite understandable. Those were shouts of grief. Of fury.. And failure. We had failed to save Jenna and I knew Ethan would never forgive himself that.

  Perhaps the pain, the sorrow in his voice was clear because Leah.. She had it figured out, even though I did my best to pull her to myself, somewhat covering her ears to spare her the agony that came with Ethan's yells barely muted from the door, something he was saying, something he was cursing..

  It didn't matter, because even as I was holding Leah in my arms, my heart breaking for the man I called my brother out there, and for the woman he'd tried saving.. For Jenna that was a mere pawn in this game.. That was an innocent that had lost her life in this game of blood and revenge.

  I felt Leah shaking her head, for she knew. She knew even though I hadn't said it.. Even though Ethan was barely understandable. "No." She whispered, repeating over and over, and I shut my eyes closed at the weakness in her voice.

  Hadn't she had enough? She'd lost so much. So damned much that year. And I'd failed to stop it. To protect her from it.

  "Mrs. Valentine." A voice interrupted, having me look up and Leah slowly, but surely pull away from my arms. "He's tried to escape to find you."