“Oh, fuck,” was Yvette’s response.

“Yeah, I know. Comb the place for any evidence. Ricky has the address—he was supposed to find her and find out what she knew about Maya’s stalker. I guess it’s too late for that now.”

“I’m on it.”

He terminated the call. Then he turned back to Maya and gave her a long look. “Maya, I know what happened to your friends is painful for you, and I wish I could give you some time to grieve, but we don’t have that time. To keep you safe, I have to be sure that you trust me one hundred percent, and I know you don’t right now.”

She pushed away from him. “I can’t do this, Gabriel. I can’t think of myself when I know that my friends are dead because of me.”

“You have to stop saying that. It’s what he wants you to believe. He wants to break your spirit, and I won’t allow that. Do you hear me?” He cupped her shoulders and shook her gently. “We will avenge your friends. He will pay for their deaths. I promise you that.”

“I don’t want to talk right now. Not to you.”

“Then don’t. Just listen to me. What you saw in my bedroom wasn’t what you thought it was.”

Maya tried to pull away from his grip, but he held firm. She would have to listen to him. He needed her trust to keep her safe. And he was prepared to gain that trust even if it meant laying himself bare.

“The woman you saw wasn’t giving me a blowjob. There was nothing sexual about it. She’s a healer.” He paused to give her time to process what he’d said.

Her defiant look finally turned to reluctant curiosity. “What kind of healer?”

“She’s a witch, and I have a problem nobody has been able to solve. But she thinks she can.”

Maya’s gaze dropped to his jeans. “What kind of problem?”

Gabriel cleared his throat. There was really no easy way to say this. How should he phrase it? “It’s a physical thing.” He knew that didn’t explain it, so he tried again. “It has to do with my …” He broke off again. This wasn’t easy at all. How had he ever thought he could come clean and tell her what ailed him when he was scared shitless that she’d leave him if she found out?

“Gabriel. If it’s something physical, you can tell me. I’m a urologist; I deal with men’s reproductive organs all the time.”

Gabriel cringed, but still couldn’t open his mouth.

Maya put her hand on the front of his jeans and jerked at the button. “Well, if you can’t tell me about it, then I’ll have to examine you.”

That jolted him. He imprisoned her hand with his, preventing her from opening his pants. “I don’t want you to see it.”

She pulled her hand out of his and stepped back. “Okay, Gabriel. Here’s the deal: if you can’t tell me what the problem is, I’m just going to have to believe my first assumption is right, and that you cheated on me. In any case, I’ll remain hopping mad at you, and as soon as all this is over, I’ll be out of your life. Is that what you want?”

“No!” The word came out so fast and furious, he surprised himself. He wouldn’t allow her to leave him. He needed her. She was his mate. And besides, had she already forgotten that all she drank was his blood? She would starve without him.

“Fine.” With shaking hands, he opened the button of his jeans. “It’s tormented me. Caused women to recoil from me my whole life. I’ve had this even before I became a vampire. Nothing I’ve tried to get rid of it has worked.”

Gabriel searched her eyes before he continued, “Maya, I want you to know no matter what happens or what you might think of me when you see this, I love you. I had hoped the witch would be able to do something about this, so you wouldn’t have to see it.”

So you wouldn’t leave me like the others.

Slowly, he lowered the zipper and pushed his pants down. As always when in Maya’s presence, his cock was hard, and it tented his boxers. The mass above it felt swollen too. Closing his eyes, he pulled down his underwear and showed himself to her in all his vulnerability.

***

Maya sucked in a gulp of air. For a moment she felt as if time stood still. Gabriel stood in front of her, his naked groin exposed to her. She knew immediately what it had cost him to do this. Without a doubt, he felt horrified right now. She looked back at his face and noticed that his eyes were still closed.

“I’m going to touch you,” she announced calmly. “I won’t hurt you.”