Chapter 16 Keeping Her Safe

• Gabriel's POV
• I carried Clairessa into the bathroom and gently placed her on the floor. Turning away to give her some privacy, I couldn’t shake the image of how hurt and broken she looked. The bold, confident woman I knew had been replaced by someone fragile, and it tore me apart. This was my fault. Instead of accusing her of having something to do with Marco and acting on my jealousy, I should have been there to protect her. That bastard Marco would pay for what he did.
• I heard the sound of a zipper struggling, followed by her soft voice calling me. “Mr. Storm, I need help with my zip.”