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Or be killed by him.
Gabrielle hardly had a chance to absorb that cold fact before the elevator doors opened on Savannah and Danika, who were waiting anxiously for the warriors' return. There were relieved welcomes, dozens of questions about the outcome of the night's mission, as well as worried inquiries into what on earth had made Gabrielle leave the compound without a word to anyone. Gabrielle was too tired to answer, too exhausted from the entire ordeal to even try to express what she was feeling.
But she knew she would have to provide some answers soon, to Lucan at least.
She watched as he was ushered away by the other warriors amid talk of war tactics and new battle strategies to be used against the Rogues. Gabrielle was swiftly pulled in an opposite direction by Savannah and Danika. They fretted over her sundry scrapes and bruises, insisting that she take a warm meal and a long, hot bath.
Gabrielle reluctantly agreed, but not even Savannah's amazing cooking or the fragrant heat of the soak that followed could relax her.
Her mind was spinning with thoughts about Lucan, Jamie, and everything that had happened that night. She owed Lucan her life. She loved him more than anything, would always be grateful to him for his rescuing her, but it didn't change how she felt about the way things had been going between them. She couldn't stay at the compound like this. And no matter what he said, she wasn't about to enter one of the Darkhavens.
So, what did that leave? She couldn't go back to her apartment, either. Her old life no longer fit. To return to it meant she would have to deny everything she'd experienced with Lucan these past weeks and work to forget him. She would have to deny all that she now understood about herself, and her connection to the Breed.
The truth was, she didn't know where she belonged now. She didn't know where to begin looking, but as she walked the compound's maze of corridors, Gabrielle found herself standing outside Lucan's private quarters.
The door to the main apartment was ajar; a soft light glowed from within. Gabrielle pushed it open, then stepped inside.
Candlelight flickered in the adjacent bedroom. She followed the ambient warmth to the threshold and paused there, marveling at what she saw. Lucan's austere bedroom had been transformed into something out of a dream. Four tall black pillar candles set into intricate silver sconces burned in each corner. Red silk draped the bed. On the floor before the fireplace was a cushioned nest of fluffy pillows and even more crimson silk. It looked so romantic, so inviting.
A room intended for lovemaking.
She took a step farther inside. Behind her, the door closed softly on its own.
No, not quite on its own. Lucan was there, standing on the other side of the room, watching her. His hair was damp from a shower. He wore a loosely tied, satiny red robe that skated around his bare calves, and there was a heated look in his eyes that melted her where she stood.
"For you," he said, indicating the romantic setting. "For us tonight. I want things to be special for you."
Gabrielle was moved, instantly aroused by the sight of him, but she couldn't bear to make love the way things had been left between them.
"When I left tonight, I wasn't going to come back," she told him from the safety of distance. If she went any closer, she didn't think she'd have the strength to say what had to be said. "I can't do this anymore, Lucan. I need things from you that you can't give me."
"Name them." It was a soft command, but still a command. He moved toward her with careful steps, as though he sensed she might bolt on him at any second. "Tell me what you need."
She shook her head. "What would be the use?"
A few more slow steps. He paused just beyond an arm's length. "I'd like to know. I'm curious what it would take to convince you to stay with me."
"For the night?" she asked quietly, hating herself for how badly she needed to feel his arms around her after what she'd been through these past several hours.
"I want you, and I'm prepared to offer you anything, Gabrielle. So, tell me what you need."
"Your trust," she said, tossing out something she felt was well out of reach. "I can't... do this anymore, when you don't trust me."
"I do trust you," he said, so solemnly she actually believed him. "You are the only one who's ever really known me, Gabrielle. There is nothing I can hide from you. You've seen it all - the worst, certainly. I'd like the chance to show you some of the good in me." He moved closer. She could feel heat coming off his body. She could sense his desire. "I want you to feel as safe with me as you've allowed me to feel with you. So, the question is, can you trust me, knowing everything about me that you do?"
"I've always trusted you, Lucan. I always will. But that's not - "
"What else, then?" he asked, cutting her denial short. "Tell me what else I can give you to make you stay."
"This isn't going to work," she said, inching backward. "I can't stay. Not like this. Not when my friend Jamie..."
"He is safe." When Gabrielle looked at Lucan, confused, he said, "I sent Dante topside to find him soon after we arrived. He reported back a few minutes ago that he retrieved your friend from a police station downtown and took him home."
Relief flared in her, but it was quickly followed by concern. "What did Dante tell him? Did he wipe Jamie's memory?"
Lucan shook his head. "I didn't think it would be fair to make that decision for you. Dante merely told him that you were safe as well and that you would be in contact with him soon to explain. Whatever you wish to tell your friend is up to you. You see? Trust, Gabrielle."
"Thank you," she murmured, warmed by the consideration. "Thank you for helping me tonight. You saved my life."
