Diavolo

This is the raw, barely edited version, so bear with me. I just wanted to get it out.

*******

Gabriel breathed her in. His sweet Abby.

She was wrapped up in a light blue terry robe, making him wonder what she had underneath. He'd find out soon enough because he was carrying her straight to their bed when they got home.

He looked up a second to figure out how close they were to the house. Next to their SUV was another one; a black one keeping almost abreast with them.

Memories of being run off the road surfaced. He froze.

It was a woman. She had red hair, but...he couldn't remember her face.

Red hair.

"Is there something wrong, Gabriel?" Abby asked.

He looked down at into her concerned eyes.

Mikayla? Could Micks have been capable?

"Gabriel?"

He shook his head. "I..." he looked at the SUV again, growing nervous. "Mike, how long has that Mercedes been following us?"

Mike looked through his side view mirror. "I hadn't noticed before."

Gabriel pulled Abby closer within the cradle f his arms. "Don't go to the house. Head in the opposite direction when we get to the next intersection."

Mike nodded.

"What's going on?" Abby asked wide-eyed, craning her neck around to look out the window too.

Gabriel placed a soft kiss on her ear. "We'll be fine, baby."

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, scrolled the contacts, and hit the number he was looking for.

The cell rang four times before a hesitant "hello?" sounded.

He took a deep breath, eyes on the vehicle next to them. Over the line, he heard the rustle of bed sheets.

That wasn't Mikayla next to them after all. Still didn't mean she probably hadn't tried to kill him months ago.

"I want to know what you said to Abby?" he said making sure he put plenty of steel in his tone.

Next to him, Abigail stiffened. Her eyes were wide and her teeth indenting her bottom lip.

"What did that little liar say?" Mikayla whisper shouted.

Was Daniel near her?

Next to him, his wife clutched his thigh. "Gabriel. I know it happened before we met. I'm not judging you," Abby said in a small voice.

Gabriel frowned at her. "Micks stalking me? Look, baby, I know she's your sister and all, but Micks was always after me. Not the other way around. I want to know what was said that made you act all weird."

"Nothing," Mikayla insisted over the phone. "I said nothing."

Gabriel turned to Abby who could clearly hear her sister since he'd put the call on speaker.

Abby rolled her eyes. "There's no point hiding this anymore, Mikayla—"

"No—"

"Mikayla said she was pregnant and that you were the father."

Gabriel almost dropped the phone. Up in the front seat, Mike started laughing, loud and hysterically.

Gabriel might have laughed too if he hadn't remembered clearly how much it sucked to think Abby didn't want him anymore. She'd grown aloof with him.

Mikayla was quiet. Abby was quiet, staring at him. Only Mike was still laughing

"So, Micks," Gabriel began outwardly calm, inwardly seething, "tell me again, exactly how was it that I got you pregnant?" He couldn't anymore. His fingers gripped his phone with near crushing force as he snarled, "because last I heard women actually need to have sex in order to get pregnant."

"We did have sex, you Neanderthal!"

Oh, hell-no. Gabriel sputtered in outrage.

"Hon, please, you're turning all red," Abby pleaded next to him.

Gabe just ignored her. He really just wanted to reach through the phone and throttle her lying bitch of a sister. "You gave me head. Twice. In Vegas. That's it," he snapped. "What exactly is your problem? Aren't you happily married now? Why the hell do you need to put crap lies in my wife's head and try to fuck up our relationship?"

"Gabriel," Abby pouted up at him, her hand smoothing over his chest as if trying to soothe him. He was beyond soothing at this point.

"That's bull shit," Mikayla sputtered. "You were mine first. You hear me?"

What the fuck? This chick was clearly insane.

Gabriel's lip lifted in disgust. "Get a life, Micks. Leave me and Abs out of your twisted delusions."

He stabbed the off button on his phone so hard it was a miracle the screen didn't shatter.

"Don't you dare bust a window by throwing that thing, dude," Mike warned scowling back at him through the rear view mirror.

"Please calm down, Gabriel," Abby said softly.

He took a deep breath, collecting himself again. In a calmer, if somewhat resentful voice, he said, "I can't believe you believed her."

Abby blinked in the darkened interior of the SUV. "I-I wasn't sure it was yours. I just knew there was a possibility, Gabriel."

It all boiled down to the fact that Abby had been a virgin when they met, but he hadn't. He did his best to put himself in her place and understand where she was coming from.

He shook his head. "No. There was absolutely no chance of that baby being mine, Abigail." He took her hand and looked into her eyes. "Baby, it's been easy for me in regards to you. I'm the only one you've had. There's nothing for you to admit to me, and even if there had been, I don't think I'd be interested in knowing. What matters is just us from the moment we met."

"I know that, Gabriel."

He shook his head, staring into her innocent, trusting eyes. "No baby. I never thought once about how you might feel in regards to my past."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "No. I don't need to know, Gabriel. That was before—"

"But I want to tell you. I don't want you getting the wrong idea about the kind of man I am."

Her eyes fluttered open again, and she looked as though she were holding her breath.

She probably thought he'd been a wild playboy.

"My grandmother brought me up to respect women, and to have self-respect for myself too." He grinned at her. "Although she never discussed anything about the birds and the bees with me, I knew well enough that if she ever found out I was acting like some crazy horn-dog she'd probably castrate me herself."

Abby smirked.

He stroked her cheek with his thumb. 'My first time, Abby, I was just a kid. I used to mow the lawn for a neighbor and...well...stuff happened. I was too stupid and full of testosterone to know that that lady took advantage of me."

"I remember her," Mike said from up front.

"Quiet. No one's talking to you," Gabriel snorted. Looking back at Abby's stunned face, he continued. "My second time was with a girl from school. People talked about her, but I didn't listen. I just thought she was pretty cool. She played the bass and knew a lot about cars and bikes." Gabriel's face warmed. "Turns out I was her experiment. She needed to be sure she totally didn't like men before she came out of the closet."

Abby's eyes went round. "She was bisexual?"

Gabriel shook his head. "No. she was a lesbian."

"Oh," Abby said wide-eyed. "Did she break your heart?"

Gabriel sighed. "No. Just my male ego."

Abby pouted up at him.

He smiled. "After that there was a lot of porn, Abby."

"Lot's," Mike chimed in from the front.

"Mike has quite the collection," he said watching her face intently. "I haven't been much of a saint afterwards, but, Abby, I didn't have full sex again until you."

She stared at him incredulously.

"You're the first and only person I've ever made love with. Those other two times were just sex. That's why I told you there's a difference. Remember?"

Her mouth was slightly ajar and her eyes round as she nodded.

His phone began to ring again. Looking at the screen, he saw it was Mikayla again. Hitting reject, he slipped it back into his pocket.

"That was your sister again," he said. "From now on, if it's something related to me, I want you to tell me whatever she says. Agreed?"

Abby nodded. He smiled. "I told you my secrets, now it's your turn."

She just stared at him. Just when he thought she wouldn't say anything, she opened her mouth. "Mikayla and the chauffer were having an affair around the time you had your accident."

Gabriel wrinkled his nose. "That's not exactly something that has to do with me, baby, but thanks for sharing that."

His poor brother was an even bigger cuckold than he thought.

"I overheard them talking in the garage. Edvard said he'd tried to run you off the road because he was jealous of you."

Gabriel froze. His eyes went back out to where the Mercedes SUV had been. Looking around, he could no longer see the other vehicle.

"When we turned up State road one, that car turned the other way," Mike said noticing his searching.

There was no one else on the road.

Gabriel looked at Abby. "You never thought to tell me this before?"

"I was going to, but I remember that day Auntie Paulina had him take her out. She was pretty worked up that night and I remember her telling him to drive her into the city. That was in the opposite direction to where your accident happened."

Paulina. That bitch was probably behind this.

"Mikayla also said that Auntie Paulina was going to bring the band down."

Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "I'd like to see her try."

"She's just bluffing," Mike snorted.

Abby bit her lip. "Not that I'm defending her, but if Auntie Paulina was planning on destroying Diavolo, she wouldn't actually announce it. I'm pretty sure Mikayla was lying."

Still, he was sure he'd seen a red-haired woman in the driver's seat just before he was run off the road. Paulina had white blond hair, but a wig could have disguised her that night.

He thought hard.

No. Paulina wasn't the type of woman who would do her own dirty work. She might gain a lot from his death, but she wouldn't go and do the deed herself.

Mikayla? Back then Mikayla wanted to seduce and fuck him, not kill him.

It was a woman, but who? Had someone mistaken him for someone else?

*******

Abby studied her husband. He was deep in thought and didn't snap out of it until Mike stopped right inside of one of their garages and turned the SUV off.

Would he confront her aunt? Would he say anything to Daniel about Mikayla? Her sister deserved whatever she got, especially after having made her think she was pregnant with Gabriel's baby, but at what cost between the brothers' already strained relationship? Would Gabriel and Daniel ever treat one another like true brothers?

"Stay here," he said exiting the SUV. Circling to her side of the vehicle, he opened the door and scooped her out.

Abby circled her arms around his neck and let her husband carry her up to their room.

He set her down on the big bed, his mouth fused with hers.

He'd watched a lot of porn, he'd said. Is that how he'd learned to be such a good lover?

His chest made contact with hers and they both went down.

"I love you, Abby," he whispered against her lips.

She sank her fingers into his thick hair, "I love you too, Gabe."

His hands had her robe undone in seconds. Underneath she wore a ballet length white cotton sleeping gown. She felt him rip the tiny pearl buttons open before his hot, wet mouth engulfed one breast. Abby gasped, her back arching into the hard heavy length of his body. Her husband's erection strained within the confines of his jeans against her belly. She moaned and rubbed against it, needing to feel him moving inside her.

The very thought had her blushing at how brazen and needy she'd become.

"Gabriel," she whimpered.

He reached between them and undid his belt and jeans. She helped by sliding her hands into the back, effectively sliding them down enough to grip the taut globes of his beautiful ass. She felt when his penis thumped on her belly as he yanked her gown up. Not bothering to move back in order to pull her panties down, he just ripped the crotch making her yip in surprise. He was such an animal. It turned her on so much. He did rip his t-shirt off, with some assistance from her.

"Need to feel you, baby," he growled.

And then he was surging inside her, no foreplay, no gentleness. She was so wet and throbbing for him, her nails automatically latched onto his broad back as he slammed into her mercilessly. Abby just spread herself and let him master her completely. His hips pistoned back and forth like a machine, making her breath hitch with every lusty slap of his pubic bone against her clit. His hands were curled around the back of her shoulders, yanking her down with each upward thrust, his dark hair in her face as his teeth sank against her throat.

"Gabriel," she screamed as she exploded, and shouted again when he pressed hard against her, rolling his hips slowly to extend her ecstasy.

"Oh-God! Have mercy!"

Her body shook in pleasure, her thighs clamped tight against his his waist. Sheer bliss.

As she floated down from her orgasmic high, body still twitching and trembling, breath all about gone, she heard Gabriel chuckling darkly against her neck.

It was going to be a long night.

Her man began to move again.

Abby's body convulsed once more in rapture.

"Oh, Gabriel."

*******

She wasn't sure if she'd passed out from coming so much, but she was roused from a deep sleep by a pair of petal soft, lush lips sliding up her throat. These lips were, however, surrounded by rough stubble that had her jerking awake and struggling to move away because it tickled.

"You're coming with me," he crooned into her ear before moving away.

She reached out to clutch him to her again, but he was already out of range and padding over to the windows to open the curtains a bit more.

Gabriel was a thing of utter beauty completely naked. His body was sculpted with muscle, beautifully inked tattoos strategically placed to enhance that magnificence and his dark mane of hair a crowning glory on his head. The sable waves fell to the middle of his back by now. Briefly, she wondered if this is how Adam looked in the garden of Eden, the forbidden fruit hanging enticingly between those gorgeous...

"What?" she said, her face flaming when she realized he'd said something, and was now grinning at her, hands on hips because she was ogling him like a star-struck idiot.

He licked his lips, his voice going lower and purr-y. "I already packed your stuff. We gotta be on that plane in thirty minutes to make it in time for noon sound check. Someday we'll have professional techs to take care of all that for us, but for now, we have to see to that." He remained where he was, his eyes darkening with desire, his smile turning wolfish. "We just might have enough time for me to eat you out. I love it when you scream my name."

Abby sat up abruptly and winced. She felt swollen and sore between her legs. She grimaced as something hot oozed out.

Gabriel laughed. "In the shower then, Miss Priss." He scooped her up and carried her into the bathroom. "We'll shower and put something comfortable on. I ordered us breakfast at the hotel we're staying in. We've got coffee and bagels in the plane ride there. Private plane, baby."

She finally found her voice. "But my mother and sister..." He frowned down at her as he set her down. "My aunt Paulina doesn't want them in the house if Daniel isn't there. She overheard Mikayla saying—"

Abby stopped remembering the awful things, all lies, Mikayla had said.

Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "You're incredible."

Abby pouted. "Why do you say that?"

"After what she did? You still want to help her?"

Abby frowned. "I'm all they have now, and it isn't just my sister. My mom has nowhere to go either. How can I just go knowing Auntie Paulina will have them thrown out of the house as soon as Daniel leaves again."

Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closed. Abby was prepared for him to start yelling. "But he opened his crystalline green eyes and nodded. "I'll think of something, but you're coming with me."

"Gabriel—"

"No arguments. You're coming with me and that's final. I'm not spending my birthday without my wife."

Abby gasped. With everything that had happened, it had completely slipped her mind.

"But it's tomorrow," she argued still.

"Doesn't matter, you're still going to be on that plane with me in a few minutes."

He dunked his head under the water to rinse the shampoo he'd slathered on.

Abby grabbed the soap and made quick work of her sore body.

He finished before her and slipped out of the shower leaving her to finish. By the time she'd braided her hair and slipped into a black spaghetti-strapped maxi he'd left out for her, she'd come out into the room to find him deep in conversation on his cell phone.

"As long as it's not too close to this residence." He walked to the glass wall in front of their bed to look out at the brightening sky. The sun still hadn't come up fully, but it looked like it was going to be an overcast day here in Southern California. "Just draw up the papers and have Di—" He huffed out. "Scratch that. Just call me when everything's done and needs signing. I'll figure something out." He nodded. "Thanks Olivia.

He clicked his phone off and turned to face her.

"I'm ready," Abby said feeling funny at having overheard the conversation.

He strode to her and took her hand. "By this afternoon, I'll be signing the necessary paperwork to buy your mother a house."

Abby stared at him wide-eyed. "Oh, Gabriel, you don't—"

He laughed humorlessly. "Oh, yes I do. I will not have those people in my house. I get that it's your mother, Abby," he said cupping her cheeks, "and I can understand you worrying because that's just the kind of beautiful soul you are, but, baby, I will not have them here driving a wedge between us. I'll get Marjorie Brown her own house and if Micks wants to stay with her that's her deal, but not under our roof."

Abby threw her arms around his neck, touched by his generosity. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You don't have to thank me. I'm doing the right thing, Abby. You know we can't have them here."

She closed her eyes, realizing he was right. She'd been blind with anguish, not wanting to abandon her mother to her fate and hadn't stopped to consider Gabriel's feelings in all of this.

She was a terrible wife. "I'm sorry."

He growled. "Don't apologize. Let's go. I don't know if the rest of these idiots are awa—"

"Hey, stop the fuck fest and let's haul ass," Angelo bellowed from downstairs.

Abigail's face felt as if it had just ignited, the memory of how wanton she'd moaned and screamed in pleasure, obviously overheard by the entire household she hadn't been aware was within listening distance.

Oh-dear-sweet-mother-Mary.

Gabriel grinned, like the randy devil he was. "Never mind what I was going to say."

*******

Abby watched from the side of the stage in awe. It was still early and the arena was empty, but Gabriel's voice carried to the far ends of the enormous area with bone-chilling clarity. The techs were testing his mike, fine-tuning it for the amazing variation of range he was capable of. Gabriel sang a cappella, his voice going from deep, smooth, purring lows, to gritty highs that made her toes curl in excitement. She watched in amazement when the rest of the band began to play. The early morning breeze blew his freshly washed hair around his face and shoulders, the dark strands glowing with fiery highlights when the sun's rays broke through the clouds to bathe him in celestial light. It was as though Heaven itself could not withhold touching the beauty that was Gabriel. Abby's skin prickled with goose bumps at the spectacle.

He ran the length of the stage, leaped upon a stack of amps, strut down a long ramp the stretched out a few feet past the edge of the stage.

After a moment, Abby tore her eyes away from the vision of her husband, realizing she was no longer alone.

Next to her was a very tall woman, her long black hair braided back away from her face. She was dressed in a revealing black leather vest, that showed off her sinewy arms and taut belly. Distressed jeans rode low on her hips and she wore black boots that made her look more like a princess warrior.