Gabriel's Regret: Book 1 (The Medlov Men Series 2) (17 page)

First thought for Royal was to call her girlfriend and daughter-in-law Renee and tell her what was happening, but then she thought about it and decided against it.  It would be better to tell Renee after the deed had been done.

Knocking on Briggy’s bedroom door, she was let in by the maid.  Briggy was standing in the corner by the tall mirror as a tailor measured a dress around her adorable, growing bulge.

“What a surprise,” Briggy said, looking back as the tailor knelt below her with measuring tape and pins. 

Royal smiled despite her infuriation.  “Am I interrupting?” 
Not that she truly cared.

“Just getting fitted for a new dress from the shop,” Briggy said, flashing a grin her way.  “The baby is growing.  I need new clothes.”

“The joys of motherhood,” Royal said, walking into the bedroom.  She looked around at the new purchases that had been made since she last visited Briggy when she first announced her pregnancy.  A new crystal chandelier.  A new designer rug.  New drapes.  A few art pieces from the show that they all went to in Spain a month ago and so much more. 
So much money spent, no income to pay for it.

“The suite looks nice,” Royal admired honestly, taking a seat on the velvet chaise lounge in the corner.  She slipped her feet out of her heels and watched the tailor work. 

“Thank you.  Just trying to update it a little,” Briggy said, completely oblivious of Royal’s disdain. 

Pulling one of the fresh roses from the vase on the table beside the chair, Royal sniffed the flower and looked over at Briggy.  Her face was unreadable but in her mind, all she could think of was that in her time as Tsarina, she had been a woman of business not a woman of leisure.  She had built Dmitry’s Closet into a multi-city, multi-country franchise. She had created a brand of hard-working, educated, intellectual women of all races who believed that their outer-appurtenance was just one part of who they were, but an important part.  She had fought her family and defended them with all that she had.  But never once had she just laid around and let her boyfriend work his ass off for her while she fitted herself for more dresses. 

But this woman that was before her was less than, not because of the color of her skin or her previous position, but because of her continual bad choices and like the rose that she was admiring, she had to cut down the bad in order to continue to uphold and embrace the good.

“Give us the room,” Royal finally said, throwing down the flower.   She wanted to get this done and over with so that she could tend to the hundreds of other matters that needed her attention. 

On command, both the maid and the tailor quickly removed themselves from Royal’s presence and left the room, closing the door behind them.

Briggy turned around from the mirror and looked down at Royal.  “Is there a problem, Royal,” she asked with absolutely no humility.

With her legs crossed, Royal leaned against the chair and smacked her lips.  “There is.”  Looking at her long manicured nails, she shook her head.  “I’ve made the decision that it is time for you to leave as soon as the baby is born.”  There was no need on her part to mention her husband’s name. Her word was just as strong.  To say that Dmitry felt it was necessary, negated her position and no one negated her position in this house. 

Briggy frowned in confusion. “What?”

“Gabriel is my nephew,” Royal said, standing up.  “And I love him more than words, more than you.  Your presence here is a problem for him, and I’m speaking for the family when I say that this distraction has to end effective immediately.”

Briggy pulled the long dress from her feet and stepped down from the steps leading to her mirror.  “Royal, I understand that Gabriel and I have had some problems, but we are working them out.”

“Are you?” Royal asked, looking at Briggy’s bulge. “Look, you’re pregnant and vulnerable, so I’ll make this short and simple.  I have no desire to stress you to the point of losing your child.  What I’m telling you is a fact that you have dealt with. Your presence here is a problem for my nephew, and it’s unwelcomed.  So, after the birth, you will be relocated to a place where you will be safe and able to start your life again.  It won’t be the life that you’ve led so far, but let’s be honest, no woman who is cast out will ever lead the life of a Medlov.  To that end, I have to make the decision that is best for my family, and I’ve made that decision now.  Honey, you have to go.”

Briggy’s eyes began to water.  “How can you do this to me after all of these years?”

Royal felt sorry for the girl, but not
that
sorry.  “What have you done in all these years that would dictate that I owe you anymore than we’ve already repaid?  If you can give me one answer, I will give you whatever you want.  I’ll pay for your lifestyle out of my own pocket.”

Briggy put her hand on her hip, unable to give a real answer.  “How about loyalty?”

“As opposed to disloyalty?”  Royal chuckled
.  She couldn’t be serious.
  “You’ve seen what happens to those who choose that road.  You were loyal because at the end of the day, you benefited from it.  Diamonds. Gold.  Dresses.  Yachts.  I can’t even name how loyal we have been to you and for what? Fucking my nephew?  Are you going to tell me that I owe you for that?  And if so, which nephew should you be adequately compensated for?”

Briggy felt the heat begin to boil in her chest.  “I did more than fuck Gabriel. I loved him.”

“Good for you,” Royal spat.  “That was your choice. I told you on several occasions that it was a bad decision and you didn’t listen.  So here we are.  I’ve had to fuck more than one Medlov in my time, but trust me there was no compensation for the latter, so don’t’ give me sob stories, because I’m not in the mood.”

Briggy wouldn’t dare speak of Royal’s rape by Dmitry’s brother, but she had to know about Anatoly.  “Is this because of Renee?”

“No, it’s because of
you
. You make the man miserable. I watched you.  Okay, I get it. I’ve been there, but I was Dmitry’s wife when I did it.  Now, Gabriel should be the one here doing this. He should be the one casting you out, but that is not the cards that we were dealt. We don’t live in a democracy where everyone is equal.  We live in a dictatorship, and I’m the dictator over this house.  Now, I’m not pushing you out with nothing. I’ll make sure that you have a good life, but let’s be clear, it won’t be anything like the life that you’ve lived.”

“I don’t give a shit about the money!”  Briggy wiped crocodile tears.  “It was never about that.”

Royal didn’t agree.  “Well, if it was never about that then why have you spent over $3 million in the last year alone?”  Royal walked closer to her, eyes burning with contempt.  “Oh yes.  I keep up with every single receipt. I know exactly how much each woman under my guard spends, because I okay the checks.  And I’ve let you spend what you will, but the point of the conversation is that the ride is over.”

Briggy turned away from Royal, embarrassed by the final tab and the fact that she knew how much money she had spent.  That was supposed to be a slap in Gabriel’s face for his infidelities, not the family, but how was she supposed to know.  All that was ever shown to her was an American Express credit card, not who the debt went to. Still, she grasped for any strands of respect that she could.  “Gabriel won’t just let you cast me out like this with his only child. He will demand some form of real contribution to my life.”

Realizing that Briggy need a real reality check, she cut the bullshit.  “I doubt Gabriel will care what happens to you,” Royal said, walking up to Briggy’s back.  They both faced toward the window and the sunlight shining in. Royal didn’t want to be overly facetious to the girl, she just wanted her to see the truth for what it was.  “If you had taken the time to get to know the man behind the money, you would have realized that the reason that Medlov women always build something is because they know that if it all ends today, they can’t take away something that they didn’t work for.  That’s why we all work.  It’s why we all build something with our name on it.  None of them are above the law completely.  At any moment, one or all of them could be locked up for life.   What have you worked for, Briggy? What have you done that’s worth anything?  Lying on your back and expecting to collect a paycheck for it is not real work.  Getting pregnant by a man because he had money is not a real investment.  Children die.  Women die. Men die.  People go to jail. You can’t build your whole life on a dream of sand.”

Briggy couldn’t answer about that, instead she focused on what really was on her mind. “If I was a Black woman, would you be enjoying this like you clearly are now?”

Offended, Royal put her hand on Briggy’s shoulder and turned her around. She wanted her to see her face when she said what she need to say. “Black, white, brown, red…what difference does it make when you choose to consort with the type of men that we do?  You had your chance to make him happy, and you blew it.  You had a choice to build something and you blew it.   It’s a sad thing, but it’s not the end of the world.  It’s life.  You need to accept it and move on.”

“Would you be able to move on from Dmitry?” Briggy asked sincerely.

Royal smiled confidently. “He’s not God.  Short of that, any woman can move on if she must.  And if you put Gabriel on the same level as God, then consider this dismal a favor, because he is not. He’s just a man.  This is just one type of life.  Grow up.”  Turning from Briggy, she stepped down the pillar of steps and headed toward the door.

“What am I supposed to do?” Briggy called out.   “How am I supposed to recover from this?”

“Forget plotting your revenge and plot your success,” Royal said, walking out of the door. 

Chapter Thirteen

Dream 1,000 Times…

Royal had barely left the bedroom before Briggy was on the phone.  Curled up in a ball on the same chaise lounge that Royal had rested on while ripping her heart out, she sat in her unfinished gown, now covered in tears, trying to reach Gabriel on his cell while on the verge of experiencing blinding hysteria. 

The nerve of this man was absolutely unbelievable! 
Quel trou du cul!
   

Regardless of who he thought he was, there was no way in the deepest part of hell that she was going to let Gabriel’s family do his dirty work for him while he walked away scott-free, like he did in every other part of his life.  After everything that they had gone through, he owed her at least a conversation.  In her opinion, he owed her a lifestyle, but she would first start with a fucking explanation. 

All the time that she had devoted to him…

All the love that she had given to him…

All the sacrifices that she had made for him…

And this was how he chose to handle her?

Not this time.  This time, she’d get him on the phone and get to the bottom of this no matter how long it took and no matter the hour. 

***

After the movie, all the kids had obediently gone to bed at the command of their mothers, and since Valeriya had disappeared to some other location in the hotel to be alone, there was no reason for Gabriel to hang around in the common area.  Instead, he decided to retire to his small hotel room upstairs and wait for Nadei to arrive back from his late-night assignment with an update.

Oblivious as to what was going on across the planet, alone in his room Gabriel plugged his laptop into his battery pack to charge overnight and went into the grimy bathroom to use a bottle of water to brush his teeth and freshen up for bed.  However, he still had not managed to make himself take a shower in the moldy tub.  Instead, he used an ungodly amount of baby wipes and washed up in the sink. 

Looking in the cracked mirror above the sink at his broken reflection while he vigorously washed his mouth out, it dawned on him that in the last 24 hours, “roughing it” had gone from nearly unbearable to only a mild discomfort. 

It was not because things were any less heated in the city.  In fact, at that moment, the faint sound of shelling could be heard in the distance, which was why he kept his guns loaded and his exit strategy in mind. 

The reason it was just a discomfort now was because the people who were being housed in the hotel due to their unfortunate displacement had turned the building into a warm community where everyone was welcomed and everyone had a job to do.  It took the stress out of what was happening outside and gave them purpose. 

That
purpose
translated into a calm that transformed their living conditions.  He envied them that, especially considering how he had left his own home.

Nothing rang truer than when he glanced at his cell phone about thirty minutes ago. 

He had seen the 31 calls from Briggy each of the 31 times that she rang him, but he just wasn’t in the mood to talk to her.  Nothing good came from 31 calls and nothing good ever came from Briggy.  The combination of the two was a recipe for an epic and unfortunate disaster. 

Besides, his mind was somewhere else at the moment. 

Day after tomorrow, he’d be headed back to the States and while he was certain that he had secured the account, as he first intended when he arrived to the Ukraine, he didn’t feel that he sealed the deal with Valeriya. 

Who was he kidding? She wasn’t some mafia bimbo or party girl – the only kind of girl he had even dated before.  This was a completely new ballgame for him.  She didn’t subscribe to designer clothes or diamonds. Hell, she didn’t even wear makeup.  He didn’t know one woman who didn’t wear make-up, even the maids and the old nanny back at the compound liked a little “rouge.” 

This was the first time in his life that a woman was not interested in how much money he had, his last name or his title.  Valeriya didn’t care about any of it.  It was clear that she was interested in the soul of a man, but which man was a much of a mystery as the rest of her guarded life. 

Up until this trip, he had fostered no hope in finding a woman who made him feel alive inside.   

However, Valeriya had changed his perception of the mysterious creature called
woman
.  She currently made him feel hollow and yet determined to be greater and fuller at the same time.  She made him realize that there was more to a man than the clothes that he wore or the money he had in the bank.  He had to stand for something and more than that, he had to fight for something. And in order to be whole, he had to fight for something that he could never receive a personal benefit from. 

Gabriel wanted to fight for her.  But the benefit would still be directly his to enjoy. 

But seeing her with those children, seeing the way that they looked at him, filled him with something a lot less selfish. 

For the first time in his life, he actually understood what his mother saw in her work and why she held it as a passion instead of a job.  She knew that she could make the world better because she was one of the “better” in the world.  Every cent that she owned, she had given to the Free Rite.  His uncle had died for the cause. His grandmother had embraced the cause. 

And now that he was entering the years of his life where he was undoubtedly a man, he was starting to identify with a cause.

These people needed help, and they deserved it.  Somewhere between watching movies with the kids and being kissed by old women with missing limbs and broken teeth, he had decided that he would be that man.  If Allan couldn’t carry the weight of the shipments, he would.  He’d pay his uncle the $2 million out of his own bank.  He’d make the money to cover it off some new accounts, but he would be there for Valeriya every time that she called. 

Not just because he wanted her, but because she needed him.

Valeriya’s need was different from Briggy’s in every way.  She was trying to change the world; she was trying to make a difference.  Briggy, on the other hand…

The distinct sound of his FaceTime on the computer pulled his thoughts from Valeriya to the present.

Rinsing his mouth out one last time with the bottle water, he went to the bed to find Briggy’s face on his monitor.  No matter what, she evidently refused to take no for an answer tonight. 

Hitting accept, he sat down on the edge of the bed and put the computer on his lap.

When her face showed up, it was covered in gobs of mascara and tears. Unfortunately, he had seen her in this state so often until he wasn’t alarmed.

“Hey,” he said, yawning. 

“I’ve been trying to call you for days,” Briggy said, moving closer to her phone.  “Is this how you want it to end?”  She frowned.  “A breakup and eviction from Royal Medlov.” She said the woman’s name like she wanted to spit.  

Gabriel batted his tired eyes and rubbed a hand through his hair. His voice croaked.  “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t pretend that you don’t already know,” Briggy snapped, convinced that he was lying yet again.

Gabriel was literally amazed at how irritated she could make him in seconds.  “Look, I don’t have time for this.  Tell me what you’re talking about or hang up the phone.”

Briggy wiped her red eyes.  “I had a conversation with Royal about three minutes ago. She came into my room and told me that after the baby is born, I’m…going to be forced to move.  God only knows where.”  Her sniffles overcame her.  “And I know that you have something to do with it, so I just want to know why you had to do things this way?  Why couldn’t you have done it yourself when you get back like a real person?”

Gabriel stared blankly at the monitor.  He was in every way that counted,
over this
.  Letting out a harsh, angry breath, he finally spoke.  “She told you that?”  He couldn’t say that he wasn’t relieved in some ways, because he was. 

“Yes,” Briggy said, looking for him to overrule Royal’s decision. “
She
told me that.”

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t said the same thing to her on several occasions, but maybe this time, she would take things more seriously.  “I have to admit, it embarrasses me that my family felt the need to do this on my behalf, but I’m sure that they just can’t take anymore either.”  He was not confused about who had sent Royal to pass on the message, but he also knew his uncle didn’t want to get involved in domestic squabbles.

“Take anymore what?” Briggy screamed. Her shrieking voice echoed throughout the large room.

Gabriel cringed. 
There it was again, rearing its ugly head.
  “This is all we do,” Gabriel said, voice strained.  The veins in his neck protruded and his face reddened.  “We fight.”  He clenched down on his teeth and calmed his voice.  “And then we fight some more.  We make people around us miserable, Briggy.  I’ve been reluctant to give you any true timelines because I wanted you to focus on the baby. But Royal is right.  This needs to be expedited and for whatever reason, she chose to insert herself, I assure you that it is not without real cause.”

Briggy felt all control she thought she might have fading.  “I just want you to give me the chance to make this right,” she pleaded, finger touching the image of his face on her phone.   He felt as distance in her heart now as he did the miles he was away from her, still she struggled to regain his love in any way possible. 

“The way to make this right is to take care of this child when it gets here and give it all of the love and protection that
we
never had.”  Gabriel wanted to be mature about this for the both of them, although he was sure that Briggy was close to having one of her child-like tantrums. 

Briggy licked her lips.  “Are you going to sit there and tell me that you don’t love me at all?”

Gabriel didn’t blink. He wanted her to understand this once and for all.  “I loved you once.  And I’m grateful to you for that.”

“But,” Briggy said, urging him to continue.

Gabriel raised a brow.  “But I don’t want to fight anymore and I don’t want to do this anymore.  And evidently, no one else does either.”  He held the sides of the computer with his hands.  “Try to understand.  Try harder than you ever have before,” he reiterated, knowing that she was preparing to be stubborn again.   “We have a child coming.  It’s best for us to focus on being the best parents that we can be and stop being immature about this thing we call a relationship, because in truth it’s not a real relationship.  There is no give and take with us.  Only take.   And that won’t ever change no matter what we promise each other.”

Briggy crumbled and cried, feeling her life being ripped from under her.  She had done so much damage with her words until she didn’t even know how to repair it all now.  “I can change, Gabriel,” she begged sincerely, tears falling down her lips. 

Gabriel frowned at the strange omission.  Maybe she could change, but...   “I can’t.  Not for you. And you deserve better than that.” 

Her crocodile tears paused on command. 
Attendez.  Quelle?
  Her dramatic theatrics were put to a halt to get clarification on his words.  Batting away tears, she glared into the screen.  “Then for whom can you change?” Briggy asked, feeling a gut reaction to the way that he said the words
not for you
.  “Is there another woman?  Is that what this is all about?”

It might have been a Freudian slip, but Gabriel didn’t care.  He wanted to make it clear once and for all that there was nothing left between them.  And as far as the
other woman
statement, there was no reason to expound on that either. 

“I’m not going to entertain that.”  Gabriel’s glare was ice cold.

“Just like you won’t entertain breaking up with me on your own instead of sending your aunt to do it?”  Her face was tight with contempt. 

“Whether you believe me or not, I did not know that my family was going to make this decision, but I support it 100%. We have taken this as far as it can go for as long as it could go.  This drama stops now.”  Gabriel cut her off before she could speak, seeing her lips form into what would be another assassination of his character.  “And before you end this with another vile and repulsive clap back, let me just remind you that while we once were lovers, we will always be parents.  And you’re going to have to deal with me for a very long time.  It’s best not to get on my bad side before signing on for an 18 year contract.  Okay?”

Briggy was too scared to say what she wanted.  If Gabriel was no longer hers in anyway, then his attitude and his actions might change for the worse toward her.  She could not afford that.  Instead, she sucked in a breath and held in her pride.  “So you are breaking up with me?”

“Yes,” he said with stone in voice.  “I’m breaking this off for good, and I’d prefer not to discuss any possibility of renewing our relationship again.”  This wasn’t a request. It was a demand. 

She swallowed hard and wiped the mascara from her face. Sitting back in her chair, she shook her head.  “Fine.  I’ll start looking for my own place tomorrow.  By the time that you arrive back, I’ll have picked something for you to approve.”