Lust For My Husband’s Best Friend (Book 3)

Chapter 25

Gabriel

I ran out the door as soon as I saw the familiar carriage through my office window. The driver who was assigned to escort Cecilia everywhere was driving quickly and had a concerned expression on his face.

When I stepped out, Lady Allard was stepping out and there were tears in her eyes.

“Is everything alright?” I asked her. I had never seen her cry so the sight was overwhelming.

She shook her head and her hands were trembling. “It’s Leon, he went too far this time.”

My heart dropped at her words and I pushed past her to look inside the carriage. When I laid my eyes on Cecilia, asleep but with a red cheek, I felt my face burn red and my body fill with anger.

“Did Leon do this?” I growled.

Lady Allard nodded slowly and I even heard the driver curse under his breath. Cecilia was loved by everyone, she didn’t deserve to be suffering under Leon’s cruel and cold heart.

“I’m going to rip him into pieces,” I spit out. “Where is he?”

Lady Allao put her hands on my shoulders and made me look at her. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her body was slightly shaking.

“The last thing Cecilia needs is more violence. She is safe here with you and I know that. Do not make me turn this carriage around if you are going to be a brute.” She narrowed her eyes and clenched her teeth. “I know you care for her. So stop plotting revenge for now and help her.”

I clenched my teeth, forcing myself to tame the rage inside of me and focus on Cecilia instead. I reached for her and her eyes fluttered open when I pulled her into my arms. She looked so tired and scared, something I had never seen in her eyes before.

Her bottom lip began to quiver the moment we made eye contact. “Gabriel…” she began to whisper. “I’m so scared. I didn’t think he would do it… I didn’t think at all.”

Her voice was weak and my heart broke at the crack in her voice. Now that she was in my arms I could see a bruise forming on her cheek. I felt my body tense and face grow hot thinking about the fact that Leon had dared strike her.

Cecilia did not deserve to be treated like this. No woman did.

“It’s ok sweetheart, you’re safe now.” I told her.

“Where is she? Colette?” Cecilia asked, her eyes filling with concern.

“I’m here Cecilia.” Allard said behind me. “I’m here, I’m not going anywhere.”

When we reached the door my butler was waiting with two servants, I politely ordered the maids to ready two rooms and prepare two hot baths. I also turned to my butler and asked him to send a messenger for the first doctor he could find.

All three of them rushed to do as told when they saw Lady Allard’s frantic eyes and Cecilia’s bruised cheek.

I followed the maids upstairs and took Cecilia up the stairs and into the first room they opened. Another two maids began to help them and I was able to put Cecilia in bed as soon as I stepped into the room. One rushed out of the room to ready tea and the other prepared a bath.

After I set Cecilia down on the mattress Lady Allard rushed in.

“You should be in your room!” I stated trying to guide her out the door. “You need to rest, after everything that has happened you should take care of yourself, please!”

Her eyes hardened and she shook her head. “Absolutely not. I’m not leaving that girl’s side.” She said, gesturing at Cecilia.

“She will be taken care of,” I assured her.

“I said I’m not leaving her.” She hissed. Her eyes welled with tears and I saw her grit her teeth. “She stepped in front of me, taking the slap that was meant for me.”

Cecilia groaned and we both turned to her. She looked so small and tired against the large pillows.

“She didn’t have to do that,” Lady Allard said in a broken whisper. “But she did. She protected me without a second thought. The least I could do is stay by her side-my well-being doesn’t matter right now.”

I sighed, knowing that there was no changing her mind. Leon got his cruelty from his father, but I could see that he got his stubbornness from his mother.

“Alright,” I said. “Her bath is being prepared anyways. I should step out.”

Leon’s mother nodded.

“Can i get you two ladies anything?”

“No, you’ve done so much already Gabriel. Thank you.”

I grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. “It’s nothing Lady Allard . It’s the least I could do.”

Her eyes welled with tears and she touched my cheek, the act taking me by surprise. “As cruel as it is to say, I wish you were my son.” She gave me a sad smile. “I never thought my own boy capable of harming me.”

I clenched my jaw, the anger in me rising again. The fact that Leon had the audacity to try to hit his mother was bewildering. How could he bring himself to do such a thing? I would give anything to have my mother again. I’d do anything to see her smile, hear her laugh and even have her scold me.

“There is no reason on this Earth that a son should dare to strike his mother.” I said. “No man capable of such thing should even exist.”

Lady Allard sighed and tears ran down her cheeks. “I know,” was all she said.

“Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do?”

Her face hardened and she lifted her chin. Anger and fire returning to her eyes. “There is one thing.”

“Anything,” I said.

“Keep my devil of a son away from us. He is dead to me.”