Gabe

by Lagomarsino, Giulia

  “That’s your fucking advice?”

  “Wasn’t advice. I was just pointing out the obvious.”

  “I wasn’t suggesting that I bring his niece back to my house for any reason other than I was trying to figure out a way to make Vittoria feel like she might be included.”

  “I could be wrong about this, but I’m pretty sure Isa doesn’t want her daughter included in that.”

  “Fuck off, asshole. I’m new to this. I didn’t realize it would come off sounding so bad.”

  “So, she kicked you out and now you have no fucking chance of getting her back.”

  I sighed and shoved my hands in my pockets. “It wasn’t just that,” I mumbled. “She said things were moving too fast. She said that I was only supposed to be a one time thing and she wasn’t even divorced yet.”

  I stood in silence, staring at the ground as I felt sorry for myself. It had been a shitty morning and I was feeling like a jackass, wondering if I hadn’t made that stupid comment, if Isa would still want me around.

  Sinner snorted and my head whipped up to meet his gaze. He was fucking laughing at me and wiping tears from his eyes. I glared at him, but he just laughed harder.

  “I’m sorry, man. I’m really trying not to laugh, but…you just stepped in a shit ton of shit. You’re chasing after a woman that’s the sister of your teammate, who has strictly forbidden you to see her. She’s not divorced. You spent the night in bed with her kids. You propositioned her daughter-”

  “I didn’t fucking proposition her!”

  “And you’re trying to make a relationship out of a one night stand.”

  “Look, I know it sounds insane, but I can see myself with her. I can see those kids being a part of my life. I just don’t know what the fuck to do.” I growled my frustration and started pacing the gun range. “This woman, she’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met. She’s so fucking strong and she’s got this innocent but curious side to her. She’s a hell of a mother and she’s a fucking knockout. I swear, when I look into her eyes, I see what my life will be like in ten years. It’s her. I know it’s fucking her. She’s my future. Those kids are my future. It may be fast and it may be crazy, but I know it down in my soul.”

  I paced some more and pulled at the back of my neck, feeling like an asshole.

  “Don’t tell me it’s too fucking soon to know. I just know. I know because-”

  “Love is love,” Sinner said wistfully.

  “What?”

  “It’s sort of like when you know, you know. Love is love, man. You can’t help who you love and there’s no walking away from it.”

  “You’re a real sappy-assed mother fucker, you know that?”

  He shrugged and smiled at me as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and stared off into space. “Someday, son, when you have a family of your own, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.”

  “What the fuck are you looking at?”

  “The future,” he grinned. “I foresee you down on your knee, asking that woman to marry you.”

  “Yeah?”

  He patted my shoulder and headed for the exit. “Yeah, as long as you don’t fucking proposition her daughter again.”

  ✯✯✯✯✯

  “We gotta go!” Chance yelled as he ran into the training center. Jackson and I dropped our weights and booked it to our lockers. Throwing on our gear, we headed for the garage where Chance was waiting for us.

  “What’s going on?” I asked as we peeled out of the garage. Chance was driving fast, barely stopping when needed.

  “I don’t know. Get Cap on the phone. He’s going to fill us in. All I know is that we’re headed for Uniontown.”

  I pulled up Cap’s number and waited for him to pick up.

  “Alright, you’re going to pick up Raegan Cartwright. She’s currently living with her boyfriend, but she called her parents this morning and told them she needed to get out. The boyfriend overheard and the line went dead. We’re the closest security company to them. The parents want her picked up and brought to their house immediately. I’m sending over details on the boyfriend now and Becky’s getting anything else she can find.”

  “How do you want us to play this, Cap?” Chance asked.

  “You protect the client at all costs.”

  I flicked through my phone, looking at the information Cap had sent. The parents weren’t some rich family or even doing well. In fact, it looked like they were struggling to pay the mortgage most months.

  “Uh, Cap, is there something we’re missing here?” I asked.

  There was silence on the other end for a moment. “This job isn’t a paying job. The parents have been trying to get her out of the boyfriend’s house for years. He’s abusive and she’s been in the hospital several times.”

  “What are the chances she’ll be alive when we get there?” Jackson asked what we were all thinking.

  “It doesn’t look good, but if there’s a chance we can save this girl, we’re going to do it. If you get her, take her to her parents in Greensboro and wait for further instructions.”

  “The boyfriend looks like he’s into some bad shit. Should we be expecting company?” I asked.

  “More than likely.”

  “We’ll update you when we get into town,” Chance confirmed.

  “Watch your six.”

  Cap hung up leaving a heavy fog of apprehension in the air. We had no idea what we were walking in on. There could be a dozen people in that house or nobody. All we had to go on was this small file that Cap had been able to put together for us.

  “How are we doing this?” I turned to Chance.

  “Uniontown is fairly large. We should be able to drive by and have a look around. Hopefully, we can get some idea of what’s inside that house. Did Cap say what the boyfriend is up to right now?”

  “Xavier Rose,” I read from his file. “33 years old. 5’11’’. Average build. Brown eyes. Identifying markers: Skull tattoo across the back of his head. Full sleeve on both arms. Likes to wear brass knuckles.”

  Chance glanced over at me. “Yeah, but what’s his favorite color.”

  “Blue. Arrested multiple times for drug possession. Suspected for dealing drugs and involvement in a prostitution ring. No charges filed because of lack of evidence.”

  “Well, doesn’t he sound like every mother’s dream,” Jackson drawled.

  “What’s the closest town, Jackson.”

  “Looks like Briers Hill.”

  “We’ll stop there and gear up. We might have to go in hot. We get in and out. We don’t take anyone out unless we have to. Let the cops deal with them.”

  Jackson and I agreed.

  “No hero shit. Whoever gets shot first gets to go back to Cap and write up the report.”

  “Aw, come on, Chance,” Jackson groaned. “That’s not funny.”

  “You’re seriously threatening us with paperwork?” I asked.

  Chance just shrugged. I turned to face Jackson. “I say we shoot Chance and send him back.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Gabe

  “WHAT DO YOU see?” I asked Jackson.

  “Looks like at least three inside.”

  “Weapons?” Chance asked.

  “Yep.”

  “What kind?”

  “Take your pick.”

  “Shit,” I checked in with Cap and stashed my phone. This was gonna get ugly.

  “I’ll take the back. You and Jackson take the front,” Chance said as we checked out the rundown house. It was in the open and we weren’t going to have a lot of coverage. “I want confirmation on as many bodies as we can before we enter. Whoever finds the girl grabs her and hightails it back to the SUV. If we’re not all out within five minutes, you leave and head to the parents’ house.”

  “So, you’re saying don’t get shot,” Jackson nodded.

  Chance grinned. “You get shot, you get left behind.”

  Jackson raised his hand like he was in school. “Question, if I use a silence
r, can I take them all out?” Jackson looked from me back to Chance. “What? It’s been a while for me.”

  “Do you think he’s talking about sex or killing someone?” I asked Chance.

  “Either one. Let’s hope it’s not sex.”

  “Why’s that?” Jackson asked.

  “Because if they catch you, they’ll sell you to the prostitution ring,” Chance said. “Head out.”

  We all got out and ran across the deserted street. The whole section of town was rundown and had boarded up windows. Chance ran around to the back of the house and Jackson to the front. I took the side window to get a head count. So far, I was seeing just three.

  “I have eyes on three targets. No sign of the girl.”

  “Jackson, check the south side of the house,” Chance said over coms.

  “10-4.”

  I peered in through the corner of the window again, taking in the layout of the house. It was an open floor plan, so not a lot of cover if weapons were drawn. There was a table with multiple guns laid out and boxes around the room that had more weapons.

  “I don’t think this guy is dealing drugs,” I said quietly. “I think he’s in the weapons trade.”

  “Fucking perfect,” Chance grunted.

  “The girl is in the Southeast bedroom. Pretty banged up. No sign if she’s alive.”

  With one last look through the window, I snuck around to the front of the house and met up with Jackson. “In place. Good to go.”

  “On my mark. Three, two, one, mark.”

  Jackson kicked in the door and I went low, catching the three men by surprise. None of them had weapons on them, but they weren’t far away.

  “Hands up,” I shouted. Two of them put their hands up, but the third was stupid and went for his weapon. I trained my gun on him and pulled the trigger without a second thought. With a bullet hole straight through his forehead, he dropped to the ground. One of the guys started puking, but Xavier, he grinned viciously at me.

  “Aw, fuck,” Chance said. “Seriously? Less than a minute in and you’ve already pulled the trigger.”

  “No shit. That was supposed to be mine,” Jackson grumbled. “I called dibs.”

  “No, you didn’t, shithead. You asked if you could. That’s not the same as calling dibs.”

  “Is there something you guys want or are you just going to stand there and argue?” Xavier asked.

  “We’re here for the girl,” Chance said. “We’re walking out of here with her and as long as you don’t pull any shit, you’ll stay alive.”

  He huffed out a laugh and shoved the other guy. “Do you believe this? They’re here for that bitch.”

  “Jackson, grab her and let’s go.”

  Jackson moved slowly to the back room. Something about all of this felt off. Xavier was acting too smooth, like he didn’t have a care in the world. Which meant that he had something up his sleeve.

  “You feelin’ it?” I asked Chance.

  “Yeah, time to bug out.”

  Xavier flicked his eyes quickly to the door. Since my back was to the door, Chance had the better viewpoint. No way was I turning my back to this fucker.

  “We’ve got company. Time to move,” he said loud enough for Jackson to hear.

  Shadows moved at the back door. We were outnumbered, especially since Jackson was carrying the woman out. “Fuck, I hate when I’m right.”

  Xavier and the other fucker were inching toward their guns, but I waited. I needed enough time to take them out and then go after the guys creeping outside the backdoor. Chance shook his head slightly, telling me to wait. Chance’s eyes moved to the floor. He was going low. Seconds dragged by, feeling more like minutes. Sweat was trickling down my back in anticipation of the firefight that was about to take place.

  It all happened in slow motion. Chance squinted, telling me it was go time. I fired off one shot, hitting Xavier in the center of the forehead, while drawing my weapon from my shoulder holster with my left hand. The other guy made a move for his gun, but he was too fucking jumpy and couldn’t get a grasp on it. My gun fired, the shot piercing his head before he could even raise his arm. Left arm raised, I fired at the men entering through the back door. Chance was low, firing at anyone coming in the front. Jackson was in the doorway to the bedroom, waiting for his chance to make a run for it. I barely saw the movement outside the window of the bedroom.

  “Down!” I shouted, just moments before aiming my gun at the man outside the window behind Jackson. He dropped to the floor with the girl in his arms. His weapon was out and he fired at the guys by the back door while I covered his back. I fired, breaking out the window. I couldn’t tell for sure if I got him or if he dropped to the ground. The back was clear and Chance was up and moving to the front door.

  “Clear, let’s move!”

  Jackson followed me out the door as Chance took the lead. I trained my weapon on the south side of the house as we made our way back to the SUV. I could hear the sirens in the distance, but that wasn’t my biggest concern. Down the road, a black car swerved around the corner and gunned it in our direction.

  “Get your asses in the truck!”

  Chance and Jackson ran for the truck while I covered them, weapon pointed at the car in case they decided to start shooting.

  “Move!” Chance shouted behind me. I turned and ran for the SUV. Jackson was in the backseat with the girl and as soon as I was by the door, Chance left his position and jumped in the driver’s seat. We were flying down the road in seconds with the black car hot on our asses.

  “I’m not really feeling in the mood for a car chase today,” I told Chance.

  “Take ‘em out,” he said firmly.

  I climbed into the backseat and over the backseat into the trunk. Someone from the black car was trying to lean out the passenger side window and fire at us, but it wasn’t that easy when the wind was blowing in your fucking face. His shots were nowhere close to us because he couldn’t keep his hand steady.

  Unfortunately, this SUV wasn’t the one that had the machine gun that raised up through the roof, but we did have a small window hatch cut into the back window. Chance drove us out of town and down a country road while I loaded the semiautomatic that was stored in the trunk. When we were far enough from town, I opened the hatch and fired out the little window, pelting the windshield of the black car until it swerved off the road and crashed into the ditch.

  No sirens followed us, but that didn’t mean we were in the clear. We had no idea if the men in that car had called in backup. I stayed in the trunk, watching for any sign we were being followed. Chance phoned into Cap, telling him we were on the way.

  “How’s she doing?” I asked Jackson.

  “She’s alive. Barely.”

  “She knows too much.”

  “They’re going to go after her until she’s dead.” He was staring down at her with anger. I knew he wasn’t pissed at her, but what they had done to her. She looked like she was dead already. When we pulled into her parents’ driveway an hour later, I got out and headed for the door, while Chance stayed with Jackson in case there was trouble.

  The door swung open and an older couple stood nervously, their eyes flicking past me to the SUV.

  “Mr and Mrs Cartwright?” They nodded slightly, taking in my gear still strapped to me. “I’m Gabe from Reed Security. I’d like to clear the house before we come in. Is that okay with you?”

  Mr Cartwright nodded and moved out of the way. I checked the entire house and then motioned for Jackson and Chance to come in. There was still no sign of us being followed, but it wasn’t safe for any of them to stay here. Mrs Cartwright had tears in her eyes when Jackson walked through the house with Raegan.

  “We need to get her to a doctor.”

  “That’s not a good idea right now, Mrs Cartwright. She’s most likely seen things that she shouldn’t have. If you take her to a hospital, she’ll end up dead,” Chance said.

  When Jackson walked back into the room after laying Raegan
down in the bedroom, he was staring at the blood on his hands. He was rubbing his fingers together and watching the blood move around. For some reason, he was not reacting well to what was going on. That wasn’t an uncommon reaction, but for us, we had seen this all before. We had watched men die and women being tortured. I walked over to him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me almost in confusion and then shook his head, coming out of wherever his mind had gone.

  “It’s your decision if you want to go or stay, but whoever his contacts are will most likely look for her here. You don’t want to be here when they come.”

  “What are we supposed to do?” Mr Cartwright asked. “We don’t have the money to just leave and start over somewhere else. We could sell the house, but that would take too long.”

  “You can come stay with me,” Jackson volunteered. Chance and I were shocked but didn’t say anything. It was his choice to make, but if he took them in, he was inviting trouble our way, which he already knew. That could only mean that he felt some connection to this woman, and we would back him up, just like he always had our backs.

  “That’s a very nice offer, but we couldn’t impose,” Mrs Cartwright replied.

  “It’s not an imposition. I have a decent sized house. I have plenty of security and we have a doctor that can come check on her.”

  “What would we do with the house?” Mrs Cartwright asked. “With all of our things? Do we just pack what we can and leave everything else behind?”

  Chance sat down in the chair across the couch from the Cartwrights and tried to make them understand. “I don’t think you realize how bad this is. These people were running guns and they’re suspected of having connections to prostitution rings and dealing drugs. We have no idea how much Raegan heard or saw when she was there. She could know names, identify buyers and sellers. Considering what we had to do to extract her from the house, they won’t walk away. Whoever this is, they’re going to want to eliminate loose ends. Raegan is with you now and you’ve become a loose end too. So, you need to decide if you want to stick around and see what happens or if you want to come with us until we can figure out who these people are.”