Gabriella
I take the last bite of my pompano, put my fork down, and dab my napkin on my lips. “That was so good.”
“Agree,” Javier says.
The waiter comes over and picks up our plates. “Would you like to see a dessert menu?”
“I’m stuffed.”
“Just the check, please,” Javier tells the waiter.
“Are you paying by cash or plastic?”
“My debit card.”
“Sir, would you mind coming inside to pay? Our machines are down, and they need to run your card at the bar. I’m not allowed to carry your card around.”
“Sure.”
I place my hand on Javier’s arm. “I’m going to the ladies’ room while you do that.”
“All right.” He stands and waits for me to go first.
I walk through the dark restaurant and go into the women’s restroom, do my business then wash my hands and reapply my lip gloss.
When I walk out of the bathroom, I run directly into a man. I glance up, and my heart starts racing. Standing in front of me is the Twisted Hearts gang member my brothers and Javier kicked out of my party, Sid Triker.
He roughly grabs my chin. “Well, well, well. I wondered how I was going to see you again.”
See me again? What?
I try to step out of his way and remove his hand from me, but I can’t. He’s bigger than me and stronger.
“Leave me alone,” I cry out.
“There’s no point fighting me. I always get what I want.” He leans into my face. “And I’ve decided I want you.”
He’s decided he wants me?
My pulse races, and my gut flips. I try to push him away, but he has me backed against the wall.
“Get out of my way!” I try to push him.
He strokes his finger down my cheek, neck, and to the top of my dress. “I’m ready to party tonight, sweetheart. I think it’s time you came with me.”
“Leave me alone,” I scream, this time so loud the entire restaurant turns silent.
“Gabriella!” Javier’s voice comes from across the room where he’s paying the tab.
“Gabriella, so that’s your name,” Triker murmurs and spins.
Javier comes flying around the corner, and two men hold both his arms.
Triker sneers. “We don’t cause scenes in restaurants. I think you need to be taught some manners.”
I slide away from Triker and run over to Javier.
“Let him go.” Triker motions to his thugs.
Javier shakes out of the hold and pulls me into him then guides me out of the restaurant. When we get outside, he leads me directly to the car. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“Get in. We need to leave here.” He opens the door, I get in, and he quickly goes around to the driver’s side. He slides in and starts the car. For several minutes, as he drives, he says nothing, checking the review mirror every few seconds.
My insides are shaking, and I’m trying to breathe through my nerves.
He finally pulls over to a side street and parks the car. He pulls me over to him. “Gabriella, are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“No. He just threatened me.”
“What did he say?”
“He said something about how he was wondering how he was going to see me again and that he wants me.”
The color drains from Javier’s face. He scrubs his palms over his head.
I reach for his hand. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”
“No, it’s not okay. Triker is one of the most powerful Twisted Hearts members. If anything happens to Skates, he’s next in line to take over.”
My stomach flips some more. “I think he’s just trying to scare me.”
Javier rubs his face again. “From now on, I’m carrying my gun with me. You should learn to shoot as well.”
“Javier, I don’t want to touch a gun.”
“It’s for your protection. If something happened, and you needed to know how to shoot, you wouldn’t know what to do.”
“No. I’m not putting my hands on a gun.”
“Gabriella—”
“No! A gun destroyed my family. It killed my friend and ripped my best friend away from me. I don’t want anything to do with it.”
“But—”
I shake my hands in front of him, and tears wet my cheeks. “Stop. Please. I can’t do it.”
He pulls me into his arms. “Okay. I’m sorry. Don’t cry. I’m just worried.”
“I’m never going to learn to shoot one of those things. So please drop it,” I tell him adamantly.
He sighs and kisses my head. “All right. But from now on, I’m not going anywhere with you unless I’m carrying. I won’t risk it.”
I cup his face. “I understand you know how to use a gun and need it for your job. But that seems extreme to me.”
He sternly says, “Gabriella, you don’t know what I know about the Twisted Hearts. The gun comes with us at all times.”
“Then tell me.”
Silence.
“Javier?”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“It’s related to my job. I can’t divulge certain details of cases I’m working on. I need you to trust the decisions I make. I know what I’m doing.”
A gun everywhere we go?
“I don’t like your plan. I loathe guns. I’m scared of them and don’t want any part of them.”
“Would you prefer to be with Triker?”
I jerk my head back. “How could you even ask me that?”
He reaches for my hands. “That’s the reality of this situation. You don’t know what they’re capable of.”
I turn away.
“Gabriella!” he barks.
“You don’t need to yell at me.”
He blows a breath of air out. “I’m sorry I yelled. Tell me what I need to do for you to trust me.”
“I do trust you.”
“You do?” He sounds like he doesn’t believe me.
“Yes. Of course.”
“Then I need you to let me protect you the way I know how.”
“With a gun?”
“Yes, with a gun.”
It’s not what I would have chosen, but I do trust Javier, and I know he has more than enough experience with weapons between the Marines and FBI to never put me in a bad situation with them.
“Okay. Protect me the way you see fit.”
He kisses my head. “Thank you.” He pulls back on the road, and we travel the rest of the way to his condo in silence.