Gael's Naughty Angel: A Mafia Prince Romance

After dropping by his club to pick up Angela's old phone and to check in with his staff, Gael headed home and clutched it in his hand, that tragic night replaying in his head. He'd thought he'd done his best to protect her. But time after time, it just proved how much dangerous his world was and how every single time he'd risked her life with him.     

If he wanted to get out of this life before, he was desperate for it now.     

Angela deserved a wonderful family she could grow old with instead of spending it worried about him most of the time. Gael wanted to give her the best and he knew the way to do that. It would take time and sacrifices on his part, but there was nothing he wouldn't do for her.      

He tucked her phone into his inner pocket and retrieved his to check notifications. Other than work emails and a few reminders from his father, there was none from Angela. She must've been pissed at the last text he sent her because she hadn't replied since he told her he was going to the strip club for work.      

She already knew he went out with Giovanni the past few nights for work—and by work, it meant the ones involved with his family. The other nights were in some nightclubs and game houses and tonight was the only strip club they went to.     

She wouldn't really think he was out there for some skin, tits, and ass when he had her, right? Angela trusted him. She wasn't shallow—though she was a little vindictive.     

Good thing he didn't have a house in Mayne she could decorate with sticky notes now, did he?"     

Gael reached home, took a shower, and got ready for bed. He leaned against the headboard, checking in with Rick who told him that everything was good and that Angela had arrived home about two hours ago. He was a bit disappointed that he hadn't heard from her despite her being already back at home.     

Was his Angel giving him the cold shoulder?     

Typing in a message, he sent her a text.     

[ Gael: Still up? ]     

The icon turned Delivered, and then Read. So she wasn't asleep yet.     

[ My Angel: Yes ]     

His brow furrowed at the curt response. "Yeah… I think she's angry."     

[ Gael: Can I call? ]     

[ My Angel: No ]     

"Uh-oh. Definitely angry," he muttered.     

Gael typed "Why???", erased it, typed it again and then erased it again, and settled with:     

[ Gael: Baby… ]     

He swallowed, seeing the three waving dots as she typed in her response. Her text frustrated him.     

[ My Angel: I'm busy ]     

His mouth parted. It was eleven in the evening. What the hell would she be busy about?     

Was she writing? Maybe he shouldn't bother her. While he thought about his reply, another message from her popped up and it was an image.      

Gael audibly gulped. Angela sent him a photo of her in the tub, bubbles covering her submerged body, her legs propped up at the end of the tub in a sexy, fucking tempting way. She took the picture from an angle just above her chest. Her face was obviously behind the camera so he couldn't see it, but he was damn sure she knew what she was doing—probably with a fucking smug look on her face. And if he looked closely—not "if", because he did zoom in, the tips of her nipples peeked between bubbles—that he knew for sure was also done on purpose.     

"Fucking hell," he groaned, squeezing his fast-growing hard-on through his pants as he stared at her wet, slippery legs. His cock had been lonely since she flew back home. Even with sexy calls, they weren't enough. It missed the real thing.     

Angela did this to get back at him for his remark earlier. And he deserved it.     

[ Gael: Fuck. I want to be in the tub with you. ]     

[ My Angel: Too bad. There's no room. ]     

[ Gael: :pleading_face: ]     

Sending the pleading face emoji with teary eyes was childish, but that thing was exactly how he felt at the moment. Helpless, aching, and frustratedly missing her he could cry.     

[ My Angel: :unamused_face: ]     

He shouldn't…but he chuckled at her response because he could imagine her unamused face when she sulked. It was fucking adorable.     

[ Gael: Baby… I'm missing you :pensive_face: ]     

"The fuck have I turned into?" he muttered to himself, swearing that if Gio or his guards would see his texts to Angela, he was pretty sure they'd laugh in his face. Whatever.     

Angela didn't respond for ten minutes and Gael thought she would really ignore him until the next day. Had he gone too far? But as he pulled up their window again to tell her to have fun and good night, her number flashed on his screen.     

"Hey…"     

"Hi…" Her smooth, soft voice was music to his ear, he instantly melted in his large bed, making him wish she was right next to him.     

"You still mad?"     

"Not really. I was just trying to make you sweat a little. I'm in bed now." She chuckled—and oh she did make him sweat, alright. Relief washed over him and he smiled. "I'm a little tired though. We walked a lot today."     

"Hmm." Angela told him that she planned on telling Nina about The Manor incident. "How was your talk with Nina?"     

She began recalling what happened during her afternoon with her best friend and he could sense that she wasn't hung up about the conversation. In fact, Angela sounded like she had a great time with Nina.     

"So that was my day. How was yours?" she probed.     

"It was fine. Had virtual meetings the whole afternoon. It's been quiet in Brooklyn." Gael didn't need to elaborate on the last statement which meant that no other crime families had been giving them headaches. It seemed the others had gotten the memo—just like the De Lucas thought they would.     

He loved his father, but he wasn't the same since Severino died. And after Pietro's burial, Alessandro began slowing down at work too. At the moment, Giovanni was the one holding down the fort.     

"How was your night with Gio and Seb?" Angela asked in a neutral tone, sounding concerned.     

"Quick and easy. That should probably be the last one that I'm going with them."     

"Why?"     

"They can handle the rest. In fact, they don't really need me. I think Gio only wanted to spend time with me before I go there next week."     

"Hmmm. I'm missing you too," she said in response to his earlier text message.     

Gael felt better hearing her say it. Then he was suddenly reminded of a brief conversation he had with Damien Park, and he thought he should ask Angela about it. "Angel… Can I ask you something?"     

"Sure. What is it?"     

"I've been thinking… Your nightmares… Do you want to talk to someone about it? I know you can always talk to me and I'm really glad that you do. But I can only do so much and with me thousands of miles away from you right now…" he sighed. "I'm just so worried about you. I went through my own without talking to anyone and it took me a long time to…accept what happened. It sucks that I can't do anything else to help you get through this. I just want you to know that I'll do anything for you and if talking to someone else helps you—"     

"Gael… You've already done so much. I already feel better as soon as I hear your voice when I call you. Besides… I don't think it's safe to talk to my therapist about…that, considering you and…you know, your family."     

His heart warmed at her thoughtfulness. Even amidst her current struggle, she was still concerned about how it would affect his family. "Thanks for thinking about us. But I've thought about that too. Actually, you have options. I'm only offering this to you in case you're interested."     

"Options?"     

"Yeah. You remember Katherine? You met her at William's cabin."     

"Of course, I remember. What about her?"     

"Well, she has… Let's just say she knows what you're dealing with. You can talk to her if you want. She might be able to talk you through something I can't. But if you prefer a professional therapist, Park also recommended Dr. Reed—you don't have to worry about her. Her family's also involved in something only my kind of family understands. My father vouched for the Reed family. Just remember not to divulge—"     

"Gael…"     

"Right. Of course. I know you won't."     

She exhaled a long sigh. "Thank you for looking into it. I appreciate that a lot. And I promise I'll give it some thought."     

"Anything for you, Angel. I'll send you their business cards while you make up your mind."     

The two spent half an hour more on the phone until Angela repeatedly yawned and Gael had to urge her to sleep, though he only put the phone down when he heard the change in her breathing which indicated she was already asleep.     

And that night was the first night that she hadn't dreamt about gunshots and death.