Chapter 459 - In Which There Was Heat

Hearing noises like tortured sounds outside, Angela pushed herself out of bed and walked out of the bedroom. She strolled the short hallway and halted, her eyes widening when she saw what was happening by the fireplace.

Everyone was back in the living room, taking their places as they watched Gael and Evan. She sucked in a breath. And then Gael's gaze lazily lifted in her direction. His eyes looked different—as if they weren't the same eyes that looked at her tenderly. He looked lost, disconnected, unapologetic as he pierced the fire poker into Evan's pants. It was as if he wasn't seeing her. He merely glanced at her and didn't acknowledge her presence before he glared down at the man beneath him again.

Angela felt a sudden fear that she didn't recognize Gael like this.

A wave of nausea hit her, and she slapped her hand over her mouth and nose, the acrid and moist smell of burning flesh making her want to vomit. She looked at the others, and they didn't seem to be feeling the same. Their brows were furrowed, but they were either too good to hide it, or they were used to it—whichever was the case wasn't helpful to her at all.

Gael stepped back and tossed the poker back into the fire pit where Giovanni arranged it so that the sharp edge rested on the flame. Gael then removed the gag from Evan's mouth, and Evan gulped lungfuls of air, cocking a brow as if waiting for him to speak.

Not wanting to see this anymore, Angela turned around, but then her eyes made a quick pass at Evan again. This time, he was staring right at her, his eyes reddish and tearing up.

"A-Angela…" Evan croaked.

She swallowed hard, her arms flying to cover her stomach protectively. She wanted to turn away from him, and her breathing increased. Then everything she knew about Evan started to toil around her head. From the first time she met him when they were young, their first kiss, their first date, the sweet moments they had, and then the night he wanted to choke the life out of her.

Mist gathered in her eyes when she was reminded how no one could've known how someone like him—once a sweet, innocent boy who chased her around while they played with frogs by the pond—became this vile man that molested and assaulted her and killed her baby. She was so hurt by the betrayal of the trust she once laid on him, only for him to rip her heart out and destroy the beautiful world she thought she was living in.

Angela was already halfway facing sideways, about to turn, then she turned her body fully towards them again. With a fierce stare and hard clenched fists at her sides, she lifted her chin. She didn't feel sorry for him, not one bit.

Evan made gurgling and pained sounds when Gael pressed his foot onto his neck once again. He turned red from getting his air restricted.

"Stop fucking looking at her." Gael's jaw clenched, his voice sounding harsh with a warning.

"A…nge…la… p-please…" Evan managed to choke out before Gael kicked him in the face.

In an instant, Giovanni tossed the poker back to Gael, who caught the handle swiftly, and then Gael pointed the glowing tip right above Evan's right eye. If Evan so much as moved a centimeter, he'd go blind.

"I said, don't look at her," Gael muttered in a distant tone. "Now, tell me. Where is Filippo hiding?" When Evan scowled at him, the corner of Gael's lips twitched, and he pressed the hot tip of the poker to Evan's cheek, causing Evan to scream like a bitch. "I don't have all day. The next one will be in your eye.

Evan was a blubbering mess as he twitched on the floor, trying to get away from Gael but couldn't. His bounds were tight, and he couldn't do anything. "He's… He's in… Georgia. The address is in my phone," he spat.

Gael nodded. He stepped back, and Evan took a deep breath.

But in the next second, Evan's blood-curdling scream reverberated in the cabin when Gael stabbed the glowing tip into his left eye. "I lied." He planned to blind him either way.

He tossed the poker back into the pit and told William, "Sorry about the mess. I'll pay for the cleaning."

"Don't worry about it. We have a crew for that," William grunted, his eyes narrowed as he turned around and went into the kitchen.

Evan passed out and was carried back outside of the cabin when Gael gave the men a signal. Damien checked the time on his watch and said, "Katherine and I have work. We'll have to leave soon."

Gael nodded. "I already know where Filippo is in Georgia."

Damien drew his brows together. "What?"

"One of my men followed him out of the warehouse after the shooting. He called me not too long ago to tell me where he was."

"Morty?" Giovanni clarified, and Gael nodded, making Giovanni laugh. "You sadist."

"So you already knew where Filippo was all this time?" Damien probed, and Gael only shrugged, making Damien chuckle, realizing that Gael never intended to spare Evan at all.

Angela was still rooted in place; her stare remained at the spot where Evan was just a couple of minutes ago. Her eyes snapped up when a familiar figure strode in her direction. She looked up and saw Gael. However, he didn't acknowledge her and went straight to the bathroom door at the end of the hallway. That's when she snapped out of her trance and whipped around, facing the closed door where he just disappeared into.

She took a few cleansing breaths before striding down the hallway. When she reached the last door, she turned the knob and released a sigh, realizing that he didn't lock it. Angela got inside and closed the door behind her.

Gael was bent over the sink, splashing his face with water. She grabbed a fresh face towel from the shelf and handed it to him. He glanced at her through the mirror, received the towel from her, and patted his face and neck dry. When their eyes met again, she noticed that his stare was no longer cold and distant like earlier. Some warmth came back to it, although he still looked tense. His back muscles were taut against his shirt.

Angela walked over, placed a hand on his arm, and glid it up to his shoulder. "You okay?"

A small crease formed between his brows, and then his eyes turned feral. "Am I okay?" He scoffed. "You just fucking saw me out there, and you're asking if I'm okay. Are you?"

She swallowed, not wanting to take his harsh tone to heart. Gael was just stressed. That's all. Not knowing what to say, she moved closer, planting herself between the counter behind her and Gael in front of her. She gazed into his eyes, trying to see the man she loved through them. Then she leaned up and pressed her lips to his.

One second, their lips were touching. The next, he spun her around and caged her within his arms, his chest pressed against her back. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he panted. Then she met his heated gaze through their reflection in the mirror. 

The hot words that came out of his lips kissed her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "I need to be inside you. Now."

Angela's lips parted. The heat radiating from his body was so warm, she thought he would combust. He needed release, and she understood why.. A heaviness settled between her thighs, and without taking her eyes off him, she slowly nodded.