Diavolo Ch. 16

Abby looked around again, her heart clenching at the sight of her empty room. It looked expensive with the luxurious furnishings and bedding unlike a normal hospital room, but Gabriel was nowhere to be seen. Fear slammed into her when she remembered what happened.

"My husband! Where's my husband? Please tell me Gabriel is okay!"

The nurse gripped her arm, eyes wide. "Please calm down, miss. Your husband was here yesterday. He brought some of your things."

"Oh?" Abby blinked in confusion. He was okay, but... Gabriel was so overprotective, it seemed strange he wouldn't be sitting right there next to her. Her eyes went to the plush seat by the bed. She could almost see him there sleeping, as if she dreamt it during her long slumber.

Abby went to rub her throbbing temples and winced at the dull ache in her arm. It was strapped against her chest, just like Gabriel's had been months before when he'd broken his collarbone.

"How long have I been asleep? What happened to me?"

Ciara cleared her throat, her eyes wide as she clutched the clipboard tighter against her chest. "Well, the doctors thought it best to keep you sedated for a day until you healed a bit. You had a nasty fall from a balcony. Luckily you only fell ten feet onto the balcony below yours and Mr. Raven's."

Abigail looked up into the girl's eyes but she averted her gaze and made herself busy with her charting.

"Has he been here? Is he coming back?"

Ciara looked back up at her. "Who?"

Abby frowned. "My husband."

"Oh. Well, from what I hear, Diavolo is back on their tour. I believe tomorrow they'll be appearing in New York."

Abby's heart fell into her stomach. Gabriel had left her behind?

She took a deep breath and tried to compose her thoughts. He was a rock star and owed his fans. She was still alive and didn't need him to be by her side. She was sure he'd left the best doctors seeing after her care.

He'd probably left her about a thousand messages on her phone by now.

"Did he leave a phone for me?"

Ciara blinked before walking around to the nightstand by Abby's bed. "Maybe it's...oh, here it is," she beamed pulling Abby's phone from the drawer in the nightstand.

Abby tapped the screen to her phone and felt disappointment surge through her seeing there were absolutely no new messages or calls for her. The signal was full strength too.

"I need to keep moving now. Would you like me to turn the TV on for you? I think there's going to be something about that woman that pushed you over the railing at the hotel."

"Y-yes. That would be fine," she nodded.

Ciara turned on the flat screen taking up most of the wall in front of the bed.

Before leaving the girl gave her the remote for the TV.

Abby thanked her and immediately located a channel featuring the day's news. After a while, she huffed out a sigh and flipped through a few more channels until she saw a flash of Diavolo performing.

With a startled gasp, she turned up the volume a bit to listen to what was being reported.

Abby gasped in shock when they revealed that there had been a love triangle between Gabriel, Mikayla, and Daniel.

"Oh, no."

Not bothering to hear one more thing, she grabbed her phone and dialed her sister's number. Fear inched up her spine when a voice claimed that the number had been disconnected.

"Oh-God."

Had Daniel already cut her sister and mother off from all help? Where were they?

With trembling hands she dialed Daniel's number.

It rang twice before he answered.

"Abby," his sweet voice sighed.

She closed her eyes and swallowed, feeling so embarrassed, and full of shame over what her sister did. "Daniel," she choked out. "I'm so sorry."

He was quiet a moment before he said tentatively, "So you know?"

"I..." Her face went hot. "I just saw it on the news."

"Ah, yes. The media. They can be quite ruthless. I'm being hounded everywhere I go. I was thinking of going off to Europe for a spell, but I'm afraid they'll follow me there as well."

"I'm so sorry, Daniel. I don't blame you for being angry."

"Well, due to the circumstances, that is beside the point. She was still my wife. All the necessary arrangements were made and I took care of it all."

Abby blinked. He sounded as if he were discussing any business topic, not the fact that he'd been cheated on behind his back.

"Abby," his tone became warm once again, "I want you to know that I will not abandon you. I know you had nothing to do with all these disturbing circumstances."

Abby swallowed, her eyes stinging at how sweet he was to her despite it all. "Thank you, Daniel. I-I don't know what to say."

"You need not say anything. I have already prepared your rooms and have set up a bank account for you. You leave all your previous belongs behind. New life, new start in everything. I'll see that you lack for nothing."

Abby frowned. "W-what?"

He sighed. "I know it'll be hard, but I promise to help you forget everything."

She just gaped, at a loss for words for a few seconds. "I don't understand."

He huffed out a sigh. "Don't tell me that bastard hasn't said anything to you yet."

Abby shook her head. No. She did not want to hear what she was fearing he was trying to tell her.

"D-Daniel...I-I can't. Talk later," she rushed out and hung up on him.

It was still early. The nurse said Diavolo was going to be in New York tomorrow.

Hands trembling terribly, she dialed Gabriel's number. It rang for a long time, until it finally went to voice mail.

"Gabriel...I...Gabriel, you need to call me. I need to speak to you. Please. Daniel hinted at..." She closed her eyes doing her best not to break down. "I just woke up and I feel so confused. Please call me." She swallowed. "I love you."

*******

"I love you."

Gabriel wanted to double over in pain. She sounded so hurt and scared.

"You are making the biggest mistake of your life, asshole," Mike said for about the thousandth time.

"I'm hurting her," Gabriel got out through clenched teeth.

"No shit, Sherlock," Angelo piped in. "There's still time. Get in a god-damned cab and go back."

"And what? Draw more attention to her? The paps have no idea where she is right now and I want to keep it that way. For now she's safe."

"You said we'd postpone the tour for a week until she got well enough to move back to your house. Why the change of plans, Gabe. What the hell did you and your brother talk about when you went back home?" Angelo asked. Mike just scowled at Gabe. Mike knew everything.

He still remembered his brother's eyes. He'd never seen anyone with such soulless eyes. Why hadn't he realized it before?

"I don't want any of it," Gabriel had told him. "Keep your damn empire and even the name."

"But you're entitled to it," he'd answered smoothly.

Gabriel had looked at him. The man didn't even look slightly angry over what happened.

"I didn't know Micks—I mean Mikayla was your fiancée until that night I met Abby."

Daniel turned away, a nerve jumping in his cheek. "Mikayla is dead. Let us not speak ill of her. What's done is done."

"Did you even love her?" Gabe had asked feeling bewildered by his brother's demeanor.

Daniel turned abruptly, face a cold emotionless mask.

"Did you?"

Gabe blurted whole-heartedly, "I love Abby."

Daniel had smiled then...a cold cynical smile. "Yes. You do. But I have a feeling you're about to leave her." His head had tipped to the side. "Why is that, dear brother?"

Gabriel looked at the disgruntled faces of his band mates now. They couldn't understand why he was leaving Abby behind after everything that had happened. Only Mike knew that he'd decided to separate himself from her and eventually get divorced...for her own good.

He ran a hand over his face with a huff. God--it hurt so much.

Christ. He couldn't do it.

"I can't."

Mike raised a brow at him.

"Fuck, Mike." He got up out of his seat in the first class lounge and began to pace. "Call me a selfish bastard, but I can't go through with it."

Mike jumped up with a whoop and clapped him on the shoulder. "Now you're talking. Fuck the cab, let's get a rental and haul ass outta here. I'll drive you."

Heart in his throat, he rushed toward the exit of the lounge with Mike and the others following close behind.

"Wait," Gabriel said grinding to a halt. "We'll draw too much attention this way. You guys go on ahead to New York. Mike and I'll try to be there in time for the show."

Angelo pouted. "Not fair. We always get to miss all the fun stuff."

Ariel gripped him by the back of the neck. "Let's go, Romeo. Gabe is right."

"Good luck, Gabe," Rafe called out.

Gabriel gave them a thumbs up, and followed Mike out of the lounge. Unfortunately, they barely made it out a few feet passed the door and people began to swarm them for pictures.

Gabriel pulled out his phone and called Abby back.

To his surprise, it fell into voicemail.

"Baby, I'm coming back for you." Closing his eyes as one of the fans pressed a kiss to his cheek, he sighed, "I love you too, Abby."