TWO DAYS LATER Gabe parked his rental car outside the office where his cousin Nic worked. The morning air had a bite to it that ruffled his hair out of place and stung the bruises on his cheekbones. His ribs were wrapped, which mostly just muted the pain. He felt a lot better, unlike the disaster that was the rest of his life.
He paused at the door. Maybe he’d wrecked enough people’s lives. He should get back in the car and leave his cousin alone. Holden’s son might take one look at him, pull out a gun, and shoot. Gabe might be banking on the close relationship they’d had years ago, but there was no other way to get what he needed to stop his uncle.
That alone made him go inside.
The receptionist looked up. “Help you, hon?” He saw the suspicion in her eyes, and faced the fact he either looked like a thug or a mugging victim.
Gabe nodded to the mature woman in the wool skirt and jacket. She had a flowery scarf tied around her neck. Just the type of grandma secretary he would put in one of his books, except for the fact that she wore rings on every finger and her skirt rode up where she had her legs crossed.
“Nicholas Arturo?”
She gave him a conciliatory smile. “He isn’t to be disturbed at the moment.”
“Tell him Gabe Carlen is here. If he believes you, he’ll want to see me.”
The woman’s lip curled and she huffed out a breath, muttering something about self- important types and picked up the phone.
Gabe had torn their family apart. Did he even have the right to ask for forgiveness? God had saved him, but there were consequences he still had to live with and God wasn’t going to just wash that away so that Gabe could live fun and carefree.
He’d set himself back too much, even in doing the right thing. He’d been obedient to the truth, but what had that ever done for him? Certainly not set him free. That’s why he could pray, but Caisey would be the one to find the answer. If anything were to happen between them it would be because God chose to bless Caisey.
The sound of a gunshot blast echoed down the hall.
Gabe flinched, ducking down before the thought registered that no one was shooting at him. Then he ran, hit the door at a dead run and crashed through with the force of his weight. Nic was on the floor behind the desk, a gun discarded like it fell from his hand. The room smelled like someone lit off a firework—smoke and a metallic tang.
Nic’s eyes were wide and fixed on the ceiling.
Gabe crouched beside him. “Nic?”
His cousin blinked and focused on his face. “Am I in heaven?”
“You should be so lucky.” Gabe grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and hauled him up to sitting. “Were you trying to kill yourself?”
The assistant bustled in. “Should I call an ambulance?”
Gabe glanced back at her and shook his head. “Not right now.”
Nic glanced away and muttered, “I can’t even do this right.” He pointed up and Gabe saw a hole in the wall beside a picture of Nic and his father.
Gabe squeezed the side of his cousin’s neck. “Come on.”
Nic stumbled to his feet. “You’re really here? This isn’t a joke?”
“What was it you used to say?” Gabe grinned. “Dost mine eyes deceive me?” Nic laughed and Gabe grabbed his cousin in a hug so tight it was painful to his ribs. He retaliated by slapping his cousin on the back extra hard. “I missed that.”
Nic’s body shook with laughter that could have been misconstrued as tears. “You’d better have, because no one else seems to think it’s a good thing.”
“Hey, I run a bookstore.”
Nic grinned. “No kidding?”
“First thing I did was order copies of every Shakespeare play.” Gabe cleared his throat. “I also write. Carl Gabriel.”
“No way. I have all his books…your books.” Nic sighed. “I’m happy for you man.”
The two of them had been little terrors, cousins the same age who alternately tore up everything fighting and then went off to get up to more trouble together. But that was forever ago. No doubt Gabe missed out on countless things his cousin went through during that time, and likely not all good things considering he had Holden for a dad.
“And you’re a...what do you do here?”
Nic shrugged. “Nothing important. Turns out dad wanted the contract for the renovations for city hall, among other things.”
“Oh, buddy.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Nic’s eyes roamed over Gabe’s face. “I’m guessing he found you. I’m glad you’re okay.”
“When he realizes I got away, he’ll come for me again. That’s why I need your help.” He pulled Nic up to standing. “Come on. How about a cup of coffee? Though, I’ll warn you I don’t drink it. I prefer green tea.”
Nic’s face morphed and Gabe finally saw humor there, with the disgust. Gabe clapped him on the shoulder and led him out. There would be time later to formulate a plan for survival. He wanted to know what had brought Nic to the point that he had a gun in his hand and pulled the trigger, though he had an encyclopedia’s worth of ideas. Gabe could only thank God his cousin didn’t do himself any permanent damage.
Now there was a chance Gabe might actually be able to do some good in this family, instead of destroying what little bond was left.
**
Caisey pulled up a ways back from where Gabe had parked. It wasn’t stalking per-se. She just wasn’t taking any chances where her family was concerned. Her knowledge of Gabe’s uncle had come first-hand from being abducted by the man. It might have been seventeen years ago, but she could still remember the look on his face. Didn’t want to get his hands dirty, but had no qualms telling two guys to send a message to Caisey’s dad.
She wasn’t going to let that happen to anyone else when Holden realized Gabe was still alive and came for him again.
The sign out front of the swanky office building said Nicholas Arturo, LLC. Caisey gripped the steering wheel so hard her fingers hurt. He’d been there that day, working alongside his father like the loving son of a criminal. No matter that he looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. Nic should have sucked it up, pulled out of that family for Jenna. But no, he’d chosen to stick with his dad instead.
She could still feel the impact from every blow. But it got worse when she got home and her dad wouldn’t even look her in her good eye. After that, things were never the same. It was like being abandoned by her mom all over again. Her dad pushed harder than ever in the case against Gabe’s family and secured his testimony, but it still wasn’t enough to bring Holden down. They couldn’t even get him for her assault, since her dad had forbidden her to tell anyone, lest it compromise his investigation.
And now Gabe thought she was just like him.
Caisey got out of the car before she even thought about it, and strode on her boot heels down the sidewalk. They walked out together, Gabe’s hand on his cousin’s shoulder even though he was the injured one. Nic’s face was pale and gaunt, and she might have felt sorry for him.
If she hadn’t reared back and punched him with every ounce of strength she had.
**
Someone rushed past Gabe and all he saw was a blur right before a fist connected with Nic’s face. The force of impact knocked Nic back two steps and he grabbed his jaw and hissed.
Caisey hissed too, and flexed her fingers. “Forgot how much that hurts.”
“What do you think you’re doing? That’s my cousin you just punched.” Gabe pulled Nic’s hand away and winced. He glared at Caisey. “I told you I was coming here.”
“You said your cousin. I didn’t know you were going to see Nic Arturo, the son of Holden Arturo who is trying to kill you. Are you nuts?”
“Why are you shouting at me?”
An older woman strode out. Caisey took one look and thought, cougar. “I brought you some ice, hon. Should I call the police?”
“I am the police.” Caisey whipped out her black wallet and flipped it open. “FBI.”
The cougar put her hands up. Nic’s eyes darted to Gabe and he frowned. It didn’t look as menacing as it should have, since Nic was holding a towel full of ice to his jaw. “You brought the FBI here?”
“I didn’t bring her.”
“He’s right.” Caisey put her badge away. “He didn’t. I followed him.” She turned to the lady. “Though, maybe you should call the police. I’d like the Mr. Arturo arrested for being a class-A jerk.”
Nic looked at Gabe. “What is it with you and the FBI?”
And wasn’t that a loaded question? Caisey didn’t give Gabe time to answer. “I’m not just the FBI, pal. I happen to be the godmother of a sixteen-year-old boy. Jacob Samuel Cartwright.”
Nic’s eyebrow lifted. “Who?”
There was what could only be described as a loaded silence, wherein Caisey desperately wanted to punch Nic all over again. “Your son. That’s who.”
Gabe opened his mouth, but all that came out was an unintelligible sound. The look on Nic’s face wasn’t much better.
“My son?”
Caisey’s face morphed into disgust. “It isn’t like you didn’t know. Don’t pretend, just so you don’t look like the loser who abandoned his family.”
Nic tossed the ice on the ground. “I remember some supposed friend of Jenna Cartwright’s calling me to tell me that my girlfriend was better off without me.”
“She was.”
“Forgot to mention she was pregnant, didn’t you Caisey?”
Gabe glanced between them. “What are you guys—?”
Caisey ignored him. “She told you about Jake.”
“No, I broke up with her. Not because you told me to. I’d had enough of my dad destroying my life, and I wasn’t going to let him do that to Jenna.” Nic’s face was pale. “She was going to tell me she was pregnant?”
“She didn’t tell you?” Caisey blinked. “You didn’t know?”
Gabe put his hand on her opposite shoulder so that his forearm crossed her body. “You’ve said what you had to say. Now you need to leave.”
She glared at him. “You’re taking his side? This is unbelievable. He’s lying. He knew about Jake.”
**
“There are no sides,” Gabe said. “If what you’re saying is true, this is between Nic and your friend, and the son he never even knew about. We don’t get a say.”
“Don’t get a…are you nuts? He was there. I saw him. He was with them.” Her eyes glazed, like she was lost in her memory.
Gabe shifted, wrapped one arm around her waist and touched her neck with his free hand. “Caisey, you need to breathe.”
“He was there.”
Nic shifted, now behind him. And Gabe heard a whispered, “That was you.”
He glanced between them. “One of you needs to tell me what this is.”
“I thought it was Jenna at first because she was blonde, but then I realized it couldn’t be. They’d brought her in, tied her to a chair, and beat her. I didn’t like it, but I couldn’t stop them. He said they were making a statement.”
Making a statement? Holden making a statement at that time couldn’t be about anything but Caisey’s dad. We can get to your daughter. Because of Gabe’s testimony.
He held her gaze. “They did this to you, too?” She didn’t move, just held her gaze on his bruised face. “Case.” Gabe touched her cheeks, careful to keep his grip soft. “You have to breathe. Everything is okay. No one’s going to hurt you.”
She huffed through the tears. “It’s not me I’m worried about.”
Gabe tried to swallow down the lump in his throat. He’d thought he knew the extent of the damage his testimony had caused. But Caisey had been hurt, too.
And Nic was the father of Caisey’s best friend’s son. He remembered her telling him about Jenna on their date. In a weird way, it made complete sense. Life had tied them together in so many other ways, why not like this, too?
“You want Jenna and her son to be safe from my uncle.” Gabe let her go, but stayed close. “You don’t think Nic wants that as well?” His cousin would never do anything to harm the people he cared about. Nic was about as different from his dad as it was possible to be.
“You said his name is Jake?”
Gabe nodded. His cousin was holding fast to the need to shake Caisey and tell her everything about the son Nic had never met.
Caisey swallowed. “He’s a great kid.”
Gabe didn’t know whether to push them apart or walk away. “And you kept them from being a family?”
“Nic was the one who chose to stay part of his family instead of being with Jenna.”
Nic threw his hands up. “You think he’d ever let me walk away? I didn’t know I had a son. You think I wouldn’t have moved heaven and earth, done everything I could to keep them, if I’d known?”
“Gabe managed it.”
No, Gabe had had every reason not to testify against his father after his date with Caisey. But he couldn’t just let things lie. Not when his father was hurting people and that was the only way to make it stop.