Free FREED (The Mind Of Her Billionaire, #3) by Iris Deorre Page B

‘Could you please just stay here while mummy makes a phone call?’
    The child nodded.
    ‘Rebecca, don’t let him out of your sight!’
    ‘Yes, Miss Woods.’
    Amelia stepped out of the kitchen into the living-room to pick up the portable phone.
    ‘Doctor Gallagher,’ she said. ‘It’s Amelia.’
    ‘Amelia,’ he said. ‘Something has happened, hasn’t it? I can hear it in your voice.’
    ‘Yes.’ She was almost in tears, but she didn’t want her son to see her cry. ‘It’s Gabriel, he’s...’ She looked in the direction of the door to make sure Gabriel hadn’t followed her. ‘He’s...’ She couldn’t spit it out.
    ‘What has he done, Amelia?’
    Amelia bit the back of her index finger a moment.
    ‘Amelia?’
    ‘He cut a cat’s tail with a pair of kitchen scissors. I don’t even know how he got a hold of them! Rebecca was supposed to be watching him!’ The words trailed out like a gush of water from the tap. ‘I don’t know what to do! Oh God!’
    ‘First take a few deep breaths and calm down. We talked about this, about the possibility. Remember what I said to you.’
    ‘Yes, yes I do.’
    ‘Good. Now why don’t I make an appointment for you and Gabriel to come and see me?’
    ‘Yes, yes okay.’ She took in deep breaths.
    ‘I’ll pass you back to my secretary to make the appointment.’
    She nodded, ‘Yes, yes okay.’
    ‘It will be fine, I promise.’
    Amelia hoped so!
    ****
    B y the time Justin had walked into the house later that evening all had calmed down. Gabriel was in bed sound asleep, Rebecca had somewhat recovered from the whole incident, and Amelia had gone to lie down. It had all been too much.
    He stepped into the room looking calm and handsome as always. She looked at him and wondered how he could live that way with the knowledge of what he’d done.
    ‘Hey,’ he said as he stepped closer and loosened his tie.
    Amelia had told him the day’s events over the phone.
    ‘Hi,’ she said.
    He sat down, pulled off his shoes and then lay next to her. They lay in each others arms silently, Amelia with a trail of thoughts of her own. She felt helpless and trapped all over again, but this time mentally.
    ‘I’ll do it,’ he said after a long while.
    She turned to him not sure what he meant.
    ‘Do what honey?’ she asked.
    ‘I’ll turn myself in.’
    She lifted from his embrace and looked down at him.
    ‘I’ll do it. I’ll do it for him. You’re right, things shouldn’t be this way. I don’t want him to be like me.’
    Tears welled up in her eyes.
    ‘I’ll do it on one condition.’ This time he smiled gently.
    ‘What’s that?’
    ‘That you’ll marry me. Say yes. I can serve my prison sentence knowing that you’re going to be with me every step of the way. Even if I get to see you once a month or a year, as long as I know you’re mine, I’ll do just fine. What I won’t be able to live with, is not having you in my life at all.’
    ‘Oh Justin!’ She burst into tears.
    ‘Is that a yes?’ he asked.
    ‘Yes, yes, I will marry you. And don’t you worry, I will be with you always. I will come and see you everyday if I have to. I choose you, we’re family. I choose you.’
    He took her into his arms. ‘I love you Amelia Woods,’ he said. ‘You have introduced me to feelings I’ve never known. Now I know that I can’t live without you in my life. And you gave me an amazing son, I don’t want him to land behind bars, the way I will. I know that he doesn’t feel bad about what he does, but I know you’ll figure out a way to make him understand what he does is wrong. He has an amazing mother, and I’m so proud of you.’
    ‘I’m so proud of you too,’ she sniffed. ‘I love you too, Justin Hughes, I love you too!’

Chapter Nine
    T hey were making progress with Gabriel. Amelia had learned different techniques given by Doctor Gallagher to help him. The doctor had run some tests and had ruled out autism. Gabriel understood what he’d been doing