Page 38 of Claimed By the Boss

“What do you think?”

“It’s your grandmother’sring, Gabriel, and you’re telling me that tonight over dinner, you’re going toask Nora to marry you.”

“Is there something wrongwith that?” Gabriel asked.

“No, there’s nothingwrong. I just want to make sure you know what you’re asking and that you’reready. Remember, your grandfather refused to give this to your dad when hemarried your mother.”

“I know. I know. He toldme that only a special woman can have this ring. The woman you don’t divorce.”He took a deep breath. “It has to stay within the family.”

Trudy put a hand on hisarm. “Nora’s the one?”

“She’s the only one.”

“I have never seen youthis nervous over a woman, so that can only mean she is definitely the one.”Trudy kissed his cheek. “I’m proud of you and I know your grandfather would betoo.”

That meant a lot.

“What do you think shewill say?”

“Yes,” Trudy said. “Theremight be a little hesitation, but just slight. I think she is going to loveyou, and you two are going to have a wonderful life together.”

“You like her?” he asked.

“Yes, and so do Esther andLawson. We all have given her the seal of approval.”

Not that he needed it. Hewould have married Nora regardless of their approval. He’d found the ringtoday. His grandfather had always been protective of this ring and had told himonly the right woman for a Williams man could wear it. Throughout the day, hefound himself reaching for it, and all he wanted to do was place it on Nora’sfinger. He wanted to make her his wife.

“Right, I better get homeas I have a dinner to cook,” Trudy said. “Good luck.”

He watched Trudy leave,and he told her goodbye.

Checking the time, he sawit was close to five-thirty. He promised he would meet Nora at her place, butseeing as she would still be at work, he didn’t see the point in them travelingseparately.

He made his way into hisoffice and dialed the mail room, only to not have Nora answer. Nora never lefton time. She always stayed late. Gabriel hung up, redialed, and there was noanswer.

She must have alreadyleft. Pulling out his cell phone, he found her number and dialed, only to stopas the sound of the ringtone came from his office.

He looked up, notexpecting to see Nora standing in front of him, her lip bleeding, and hisfather standing behind her with a gun pointed at her head.

“Hello, Son,” he said.

It had been a long timesince he’d seen his father.

“Dad,” he said.

He knew his old man hatedwhen he called him that, but he refused to use his name. This couldn’t behappening. There was no way his dad would fall this low, to put a gun to Nora’shead, and yet that was exactly what he saw.

“What the fuck are youdoing?”

“Well, you see, Son, you mustlearn to resort to drastic measures. Williams is in the toilet. There is nomoney. It is all gone, and your mother has left me.” His dad growled. “Tookeverything she could, exactly like my dad said she would.” He shook his head.“I’m out of options.”

“Leave her out of this,”Gabriel said. “She has nothing to do with this.”

“You see, Son, that iswhere you’re wrong. She has everything to do with this. I’ve seen the pictures.I’ve seen the way you look at her, and like my fucking dad said, she is theright woman. The one you want to spend the rest of your life with, the womanyou want forever with.”

Gabriel hated this. Hisfather had done some crazy stunts over the years, but nothing like this.

“Leave her alone.”

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