Forced to be His

Part Sixteen

GABRIEL

She had a far away look in her eyes. He was angry, yet content. His Angel was in front of him, nothing but fear evident in her deep, brown eyes, however he knew as soon as he had asked that sometime had happened to her.

"Angel?". Angelica looked into space, away from her husbands eyes. Gabriel knew she was upset. He felt sad suddenly. He had made her relive the memories of this secret ordeal not once, but twice. Once when he had filled himself with rage, and secondly in his now warm and fresh smelling kitchen, commenting on her actions. He felt disgusting. It was an odd feeling that rippled through him. He had never once been made to feel so low. He felt nothing for anyone, asides his closest family and friends, and of course, now his wife.

Gabriel despised those who hurt women in such ways and came to a realisation that he also had stooped so low. How could he hurt his princess? She was pure, he was more than tainted. She was innocent, and he was guilty of many crimes. She was light, and he was dark. Polar opposites. Yet somehow he needed her.

"It happened, over a year ago", Gabriel heard his angel whisper.

He so badly wanted to comfort her, but somehow stayed away incase she felt violated yet again. He wanted her to love him, but he had to take baby steps. He knew he could win her love. He knew he could gain her affection, but he had to repent for what he had done to her.

Patiently Gabriel sat on the stool at his bar in the kitchen, transported back to her memories of the night his angel was hurt.

"I was walking down the street when it had happened", he listened to his angel begin.

"I-I...please do not be angry. Only two people know of this incident. Please promise me", Angelica whispered.

Before Gabriel could speak anymore, Angelica spoke again.

"Please, Gabriel", she ever so lightly whispered. Her soft lips moving slowly, as if one step out of place and the beast in front would attack. Gabriel was aghast. He had never heard her say his name in such a way. He loved the way his name came so naturally off her tongue.

"I promise", he replied to her in a gruff manner. He just wanted to hear what she had to say.

"I was walking down the street when it had happened. I decided to work at a night club for some extra money just as I started work for Uncle Frank, the owner of the cafe you saw me in...", Angelica breathed in slightly, "I didn't need the money a lot, but thought it would have been a good idea. I could send the money to my mother as she would have been able to use it to get some time away. Every since my father passed, she had been working herself into bad health. Although Uncle Frank gave me an amazing salary, I decided one night a week of extra pay would help put joy into my mums life".

Gabriel listened to his wife speak in a soft and low tone. As much as he wanted to admire her pretty little body in her outfit that showed much upper skin, he had to keep his cool. Watching her brown eyes cast down towards the floor, he waited for her to continue.

Before his wife spoke again, he noted her touching the marks he had adorned her body with.

"It was one night when the club was busy. I had never seen it so packed. The one other thing I feigned to notice was a group of young men subtly following my moves as I walked up and around the bar, until one came up to me and tried to grab my waist. I didn't think too much of it. He appeared so drunk and I-I, well I brushed it off. The clock hit two in the morning and I grabbed all my belongings and walked home. I don't have a car and in London, the transport is so often and so good that I decided not to use my savings on one. As per usual, I would get a warm drink for Greg".

Gabriel growled slightly.

"No no! It isn't what you think. Greg is the homeless man I like to help out. He refused to stay with me until he was on his feet, so I did all I could to help him. I had decided to go and see him, but ceased to find him. I thought that he may be at the old soup kitchen, and being so awake, I had the idea of walking there. I just", Angelica's voice began to falter into a small murmur, tears beginning to lick her eyelashes, waiting for the traitorous moment to fall, " I just forgot about the area it was in. I was so excited to go and see Greg that I didn't remember how bad the area was. I also didn't take notice of the man following me. The man from the club. He must have followed me all throughout my walking journey. Before I knew it, the coffee I had was knocked out of my hands. I tried to turn to see who it was, but all I remember is someone grabbing my waist into a dingy side corner. Before I could scream, he has knocked me across the face. My cheek was so swollen that my mouth refused to move".

Gabriel's blood was boiling. He tried to keep his anger at bay for her sake. He wanted to contact his men to find the scum who had hurt her.

"He ripped off my shirt and assaulted me, and when I tried to fight him, he just hit me. Constantly. He got so angry with my refusals and whimpers that he knocked me in my neck and head. I was too weak to help myself. I was dizzy and couldn't see, but could feel and hear. All I could feel was my pants being taken off. Before he could have his way with me fully...".

Gabriel was intent on listening. He noticed tears slowly falling down her smooth cheeks, making them glisten in the light of the kitchen. Who had saved his angel? And what did she mean by fully?

"Greg saved me. He beat up the man and left him on the floor. He carried me to my apartment and called Uncle Frank for me. They are the only two that know about what had happened. Luckily Greg knew how to help me. The police wouldn't have believed me. So many women in that area have tried to claim abuse for money. Greg and Uncle Frank nursed me back to health. I think Jackson knows. He surprised me at my home, much to his fathers anger, and saw me, covered in bruises and cuts. I told him I ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time and was trampled by busy people.". Angelica has whispered her whole ordeal out to Gabriel.

Ever so slowly, Gabriel watched Angelica undo her long silky locks from her head, falling down the slim of her back.

"What are you...". Gabriel's breath sucked in.

She lifted a section of her hair on the left side of her head. There sat a scar, four inches long.

Shaking in anger, Gabriel's chest began to rise and falter at a fast pace. Angelica began to cry silently. She had never opened up to anyone, yet her she was, opening up to her kidnapper, her husband by force.

"What...What do you mean by fully?", Gabriel said in a feral like manner.

Angelica's eyes widened, and he noticed her discomfort through her tears.

Her voice was ever so low, and Gabriel strained to listen to her voice.

"Greg had stopped it from going any further, but the man still managed to take away every ounce I held as a woman". Tears began to pour out of Angelica's wide doe eyes like a waterfall. She cast them down and stared at the beautiful tiling on the kitchen floor. Faintly whispering, Gabriel had heart it all.

"He stole my innocence".