Javier
“What do you mean she isn’t coming home with me?” I bellow in Hudson’s face.
“Calm down,” he instructs.
“Don’t you tell me to calm down. My fiancé, who should be my wife right now, has been gone for over six months, and you’re telling me she isn’t coming home with me?”
“Lower your voice. You’re going to upset Gabriella more,” Hudson says.
Ryland puts his arm on my shoulder. “Javier, just take a breather.”
I scowl at him. “She’s coming home with me.”
Chloe gets between us. “Javier, come talk to me in private.”
“You, too?” I glare at her.
“No. I need to talk to you privately.”
I jab Hudson’s chest. “Gabriella doesn’t go anywhere until I get back.” I turn to Ryland. “No one better touch her.”
He puts his hands in the air. “On your side, man. I’ll make sure she doesn’t leave the room.”
“Good. You do that.” I stomp off with Chloe to the corner of the waiting room.
“We have a problem.”
“Besides the fact that the Brooks are trying to keep my fiancé from me?”
Chloe takes a deep breath. She finally says, “You need to calm down. As your friend and partner, I’m telling you that you need to remove yourself from this situation for a moment.”
I scrub my hands on my face. “If it was Ryland, what would you do?”
“Javier, everything will be okay, but Gabriella is in shock right now, and, for some reason, she doesn’t want to go home with you. One more night isn’t going to kill you—”
“Kill me? I’ve been dead since she was kidnapped.”
Chloe puts her hand on my arm. “I know.”
I turn away as tears fill my eyes. “What did he do to her, Chloe?”
“I don’t know, but we aren’t going to find out tonight. You and I both know if you push her on this, it’s going to do more damage than good.”
Chloe is right, and I know it. But I still don’t want to admit it. The thought of staying away from Gabriella for any amount of time cuts through my heart some more.
“What is the other problem?”
“There’s another girl that was declared years ago. Her husband was Skates’ right hand and is believed to be dead. He was on the yacht with Skates.” Chloe’s eyes darken like they do whenever she discusses Skates and the yacht. I still don’t know the full story about what went down on the ship, and I’ve never pushed her for it.
“What about her?”
“She was found under two gangsters in the VIP room. They were shot, and both fell on her. She couldn’t move them off her, and her rib is crushed. As far as injuries go, she will recover, but she’s as shook up as Gabriella, maybe more.”
“How long has she been with the Twisted Hearts?”
“A little over six years.”
“What about her family?”
“Runaway at seventeen, abusive father, mother died when she was ten. She was doing well supporting herself before Max Crello came into her life.”
“So, she has no one to take her in?”
“The shelters are full, although I don’t know if she would last in there. Gabriella said she’s not leaving the hospital without her.”
“She can stay with us, then.”
“Javier, Gabriella isn’t going with you tonight. She won’t go to her parents’ either. She wants to go to Hudson’s.”
“Why would she want to go to Hudson’s?”
Chloe shrugs. “I don’t know, but if that is where she wants to go to feel safe tonight, then that is where she should go.”
“To feel safe? Are you—”
“I didn’t mean she feels unsafe with you. But you know as well as I do that in these situations we need to give the victim power over making decisions.”
My Gabriella is a victim.
My stomach flips.
Hudson approaches us. “Javier.”
“My goal is to get Gabriella back to your place as soon as possible. I’m not trying to keep you from her. You know I think of you as a brother.”
Hudson and I have grown extremely close over the last nine months.
“Let me take her to my place, and you can come over first thing tomorrow. She probably needs a night on her own to decompress.”
I finally cave. “Okay, but you’re going to have another house guest.”
“What are you talking about?”
Chloe clears her throat. “There’s another woman who was declared by the Twisted Hearts...a man who was believed to be Skates’ right hand and with him on the yacht before...before it went down.”
Hudson’s jaw clenches. “What about this woman?”
“She was forced into marriage with this man and has nowhere to go. Gabriella said she wouldn’t leave the hospital without her,” I tell him.
Chloe shifts. “You should know, she’s traumatized right now. We found her in the VIP room with two dead Twisted Hearts on top of her. She couldn’t get out from under them. She’s the only person who survived in that room.”
Hudson crosses his arms. “Isn’t there a therapist or someone qualified to help her? I don’t mind someone staying, but is coming with me going to do more damage to her?”
Chloe puts her hand on his. “She doesn’t have anyone to turn to. She has no insurance for therapy. The Twisted Hearts declared her over six years ago, and she hasn’t worked since, so she has no bank account or money to even buy food.”
Hudson shifts on his feet. “And Gabriella is attached to her?”
“Yes. I think she was Gabriella’s only friend at Triker’s compound,” Chloe informs us.
“What’s her name?”
“Gabriella said her name is Lena. She still isn’t speaking to anyone except Gabriella.”
“Is she in with Gabriella now?” Hudson asks.
“Yes.”
“Can I at least see what I’m getting myself into before committing to this? I want to help her, but I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with Gabriella, much less a stranger right now.”
“Why don’t we all go in and meet her. Javier, you can see if Gabriella has changed her mind on anything, too,” Chloe suggests.
We agree and walk down the hall to Gabriella’s room. She’s sitting on the bed, facing away from us, with her arms around the woman I assume is Lena. Gabriella is talking quietly to the woman who is shaking.
Chloe knocks on the door, and Gabriella turns her head. When she catches my eye, tears well in hers, and she turns back away.
Gabriella, tell me what’s wrong, baby. Whatever it is, we will get through it.
Chloe pulls a chair up in front of them. “Lena, do you remember who I am?”
Her head bobs. “Chloe,” she quietly says.
Chloe smiles. “That’s right. I’m Gabriella’s friend.”
Gabriella strokes her hair.
I hold myself back from running over and pulling Gabriella into my arms.
“Lena, I want you to meet Gabriella’s brother Hudson,” Chloe tells her.
“Hudson?” Lena says quietly, in apparent shock.
“Yes. Is it okay if he comes and says hi to you?”
Lena turns to Gabriella, as if for permission.
“It’s okay. My brother is good. He won’t hurt you,” she tells Lena.
“He won’t hurt me?”
“No. Never. Can he come over?”
She hesitates but then replies, “Okay.”
Chloe motions to Hudson. She stands up and motions for him to sit.
He nervously glances between the three women. Chloe pats him on the arm. “It’s okay. Sit down and introduce yourself.”
Hudson sits and clears his throat. “Hi, Lena. I’m Gabriella’s brother Hudson.”
She twists her hair around her finger.
He shifts in his seat. “Lena, would you like to come with Gabriella and stay at my house?”
She glances at Gabriella.
“Hudson has a beach house. Let’s stay there, and we can walk the beach in the morning.”
“Who will watch us so we are safe?” Lena asks.
Gabriella turns to me.
“We will,” I say and walk over and sit down next to Gabriella. She leans into me, and I put my arm around her and kiss her head.
Tears fall down Lena’s cheeks. “I don’t have any money to stay.”
Hudson reaches for her hand. “You don’t need any money. It’s okay. Come with Gabriella, and we’ll keep you safe.”
“You’ll keep me safe?” she asks and tilts her head at him.
“Yes. Would you like to come with Gabriella and stay at my house?”
Tears fall faster down her face. “Yes, please.”
He puts both of his hands around hers. “Okay. Let us talk to the doctors, and we can all go to my house.”
“Are you coming with me?” Gabriella asks me.
“I want to. Do you want me to?” I ask her and pray that she says yes.
She nods, and I hold her as tightly as possible.
There is a knock at the door. Ryland motions to Chloe. “Carter is in the waiting room.”
I kiss Gabriella’s head again. “I have to go talk to our boss. I’ll be right back to go to Hudson’s with you.”
She places her hands on my cheeks, leans in, and pecks me on the lips. “Okay.”
That’s my girl. Coming around.
Maybe she just wants to stay at Hudson’s to be with Lena.
I follow Chloe to the waiting room to meet with Carter.
“Over two dozen Twisted Hearts members didn’t die. The rest are all dead, including most of the highest-ranking members,” Carter informs us.
“Did they raid the house on Casey Key?” I ask.
“Yes.” Carter shifts on his feet.
“What?”
“Gabriella got lucky.”
“How’s that?”
“Triker didn’t issue the sworn statement that Gabriella was his wife. In Twisted Hearts’ law, she wasn’t the First Lady yet.”
“And?”
“There is going to be a bloodbath over who takes control. With all the higher-ups dead, if Triker had issued the sworn statement, then she would be bound to take over, and any reluctance to do so would have her declared a traitor with a price on her head. As far as the Twisted Hearts’ law goes, Gabriella was a piece of ass for Triker and not worth anyone’s time to think twice about.”
“Don’t ever call Gabriella a piece of ass again,” I growl at him.
“Javier.” Chloe puts her hand on my arm.
He holds his hands up. “I’m just the messenger.”
I take a deep breath but continue to glare at him.
“There is something else,” Carter says.
“What is it, Tim?” Chloe asks.
“There were videos everywhere in Triker’s compound.”
Goose bumps pop out on my skin. “What kind of videos?”
He shifts on his feet. “All sorts. Intel is going through them right now, but Gabriella and that girl Lena, they know a lot of information.”
“Such as what?” Chloe asks.
“Lena was assigned to train Gabriella on Twisted Hearts issues. She knows all the players, the code, any rules outside their law, and secrets Twisted Hearts members wouldn’t want anyone to know.”
“Does anyone know Gabriella knows what she does?”
“I think they are all dead, at least anyone who met Gabriella. We’re going over the wedding footage, but those guests were in attendance tonight as well. We’re hoping they are all dead.”
Wedding footage. I swallow the bile in my mouth.
“What about Lena?” Chloe asks.
“That’s a bigger issue. We don’t know her entire history over the last six years and who she’s been in contact with. It’s best if we keep her in a spot where we can continue to question her.”
“Lena can’t be questioned tonight. She’s in shock and doesn’t have anywhere to go. Hudson agreed to let her stay with him and Gabriella at his place for now,” Chloe informs him.
“Don’t make it known she’s there. Better to keep all this between us if possible until we understand what we’re dealing with,” Carter says.
“Are Gabriella or Hudson in danger if they are around Lena?” I ask him.
Carter pauses and takes a deep breath. “I don’t know.”
I turn to Chloe. “Gabriella is staying away from that girl, then.”
“Javier, we don’t know the situation, and if you try to force Gabriella to separate from her right now, you’re going to take ten steps back.”
Carter scratches his chin. “Chloe’s right. From what I saw on the tapes, the only person in the house Gabriella spoke with besides Triker was Lena. And the day Gabriella was upset, and in the sand for hours, Lena went out to comfort her around Triker’s visits.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Just stuff we saw on the tapes.”
“I want to see these tapes.”
Carter says nothing for a few moments.
“What?”
“You love Gabriella, right?”
“Of course I do,” I angrily state.
“Then you’re blocked from watching them.”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
I step closer to Carter. “Are you trying to be funny? It’s not.”
“No. When you’re married with kids and laughing in the sunshine again, you’ll thank me. There is nothing on those tapes you need to see. Any info I think is relevant to your case, I’ll let you know.”
“I think I have a right to know what Triker put Gabriella through,” I angrily hurl at him.
“All you need to know right now is that from what we’ve seen so far, Triker wasn’t physically abusive toward Gabriella and never forced himself on her. I won’t say there weren’t a lot of emotional games Triker played, or that he didn’t threaten her with killing everyone in her family, including you, but overall, he took care of her and made sure everyone else did, too.”
My insides spark with rage at the thought of what Triker put her through, or him “taking care” of her.
“That’s all I have. I’ll be in touch,” Carter says.
“I’ll walk you out, Tim,” Chloe says. She mouths cool it and leaves with him.
I pace the hall, pulling my hair so hard, I’m lucky it doesn’t rip out.
“Javier.”
I freeze at the sound of her sweet voice.
She puts her hands on the back of my arms, and I close my eyes. “Whatever you want to know, I’ll tell you.”
I take a deep breath and turn, blinking my eyes hard. “Did he hurt you?”
She shrugs. “Not in typical ways. But he was good to me, too.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t find you. I tried so hard,” I cry out and break down and sob.
She embraces me. “Shh. It’s not your fault. You did the best you could.”
“It wasn’t good enough,” I cry out. “Six months for me to put a bullet in his head was too long.”
She freezes in my arms.
When my crying fit passes, I notice the horror on her face.
“What?”
“You put the bullet in Sid?”
My pulse increases. “Yes. The one in his head. I don’t miss when I shoot.”
Her hand flies over her mouth, and tears fall out of her eyes.
I pull her into me, and she trembles in my arms as she cries.
I realize she isn’t in shock anymore. She’s grieving Triker. For the first time since Triker put the declaration on her, I wonder if it’s possible that Triker won Gabriella, and in the process, I lost her. And if so, is there any way for me to get her back?