Candy Crush

by Tami Lund

  Another flash of emotion raced across Daniel’s face, guilt or possibly even sympathy. But it was gone so fast, it may not have even happened. He set his jaw and shook his head. “Sorry, Gabriella. No can do. I made a deal with your fiancé, through his brother. And I’m pretty sure people don’t renege on him. He’s coming to take you home, and then he’s going to sign over that candy store so that I can get on with my life.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll get over Brandon eventually. That family is damn unforgettable, but if you work at it, the feelings go away. At least you won’t have to see him every single freaking day.”

  Gabriella knew he was talking about his own experience, about having to face Courtney and Laney every day.

  “Why didn’t you claim Laney, Daniel?” Gabriella asked, a new bid to try to convince the man that they were on friendly terms and therefore he should let her go.

  Daniel glanced at his watch again, fidgeted and sighed. He did not appear surprised that she knew about his relationship to Laney. “I couldn’t. I didn’t have a goddamned dime to my name. I couldn’t even afford the kids I already had. And she was only eighteen. Christ, I was nearly twenty years older than her. Do you know what the people of this town would have done to me? It was bad enough I divorced a Sarantos. If I would have gotten an eighteen year old Sarantos pregnant, they would have ridden me out of town on a rail.”

  “No, they wouldn’t have. They would have accepted it, because you stepped up and took responsibility. Like a man. Instead, you hid behind your badge and pretended it never happened. Courtney had to go through a humiliating teen pregnancy alone, and Laney has to grow up without a father. You’re such a loser.”

  Okay, apparently she had issues with trying to befriend people she did not respect or trust.

  Daniel backhanded her across the face. Gabriella’s head whipped to the side and she saw black dots dance in front of her eyes. She touched her tongue to the inside of her cheek and tasted blood. She gagged and Daniel jumped back, lest she throw up. Gabriella gasped for breath and finally stopped gagging.

  A few seconds later, there was a sharp rap on the patio door, and then it slid open. Three men stepped inside. The last one closed the door behind him. Gabriella looked up and waited for her vision to focus again. When she could finally see, she shrank back against the chair to which she was tied.

  Miguel stood directly in front of her, looking down at her with a disapproving look on his face. She was struck by how much he didn’t look like Brandon after all. His dark hair was blue black, and he had pulled it back into a ponytail. His skin was a shade lighter than she recalled, although it was still mocha dark. His eyes were almost black, and they looked dangerous. It wasn’t the girl’s fantasy kind of dangerous, like Brandon’s blue eyes promised.

  “Hello, mi queirda.” Miguel spoke so softly, Gabriella almost couldn’t hear him. His eyes swept over her, traveling down to her feet and back up again. “This is a different look for you, Gabriella. You’ve changed significantly in such a short time.”

  He put his hand on her chin and lifted her face, twisting it from side to side. Gabriella flinched. He gently released her and turned to Daniel. “She looks as if someone has been using her as a punching bag.”

  Daniel swallowed convulsively and took an involuntary step backwards. “She, uh, fell when I was trying to subdue her. And I think she may have gotten banged up a little when I put her in the trunk of my car.” He swallowed again and could not quite meet Miguel’s eyes.

  “She looks like she’s been hit in the face.” It was Miguel’s scary voice, low, soft and deadly.

  Gabriella thought, run, Daniel, run.

  Daniel shook his head. “No. No. It wasn’t me. She – she was like that when I kidnapped her. Must have been that boyfriend she’s been shacked up with.”

  Miguel continued to study him. “You are lying to me. Any man who claims to be her boyfriend would never touch her like this.”

  He’ll keep me prisoner for the rest of my life, but at least he won’t hit me. It was an irrational thought, but Gabriella was beginning to think she had nothing else to cling to anymore.

  Daniel shook his head again. “It wasn’t me.”

  Miguel made a motion with his hand and one of the other two men who walked in with him stepped forward. Gabriella recognized him. His name was Alonzo and he was another one of Miguel’s favorite right hand men. The other man was Miguel’s brother, Hector.

  “Alonzo, take Mr. Franks somewhere discreet and show him how I feel about people who lie to me.”

  Daniel looked wildly around the room and tried to bolt out the kitchen door. Alonzo caught him at the door and shoved his head into the wall. Daniel staggered and Gabriella caught the sight of blood before he crumpled to the floor. The wall, which was made of drywall, had a gaping hole where his head hit. Hector stepped up and he and Alonzo each took an arm and dragged Daniel out of the room and through the patio door. As soon as the glass door slid closed behind them, Miguel dragged a chair across the floor and sat down in front of Gabriella. He was so close, he had to open his knees so that the chair Gabriella was tied to could fit between them.

  “I have missed you, mi queirda,” he said very softly. He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and Gabriella struggled not to shudder at his touch. “You have no idea the issues I’ve had trying to remain in this country since you’ve been gone.”

  “There are plenty of women in Dallas who would be happy to marry you, Miguel. Why don’t you pick one of them?”

  Miguel shook his head and made a tsk, tsk noise. “Because I want you, Gabriella. Only you. You know what they say: you always want that which you cannot have. It has not escaped my notice that you do not love me back. In two years, you’ve never once told me you loved me. You are a challenge, mi queirda. And I look forward to winning this challenge.” The threat in his voice caused her to flinch again.

  He grabbed her chin and leaned in. When she realized he meant to kiss her, she began to struggle, trying to move her face back and forth, but Miguel held firm and managed to kiss her lips. “You shouldn’t struggle like that, mi queirda. I admit it’s turning me on. I’ve missed you in my bed.”

  Gabriella opened her mouth on a strangled cry and Miguel kissed her again, this time shoving his tongue into her mouth. She reflexively bit down and he cried out in pain. He pulled back and backhanded her, just as Daniel had, just as he said he would not do. Blood flew out of her mouth as her head was flung to the side, and she gagged again as the blood pooled in her mouth.

  “You are mine, Gabriella Hadley. I suggest, in the future, you do not ever forget it.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Brandon pulled his truck into a parking space in front of Daniel’s apartment building. He pointed at a sidewalk that ran between that building and the one next to it. “His unit is on the first floor, in the back.”

  He and Emmett climbed out of the truck and walked down the sidewalk to the last unit on the left. He knocked on the door, waited, and then knocked again. When no one answered, he said, “I’m going to walk around back, see if the curtains are drawn over the windows. Maybe I can tell if he’s gone or not.” Emmett followed him around the side of the building.

  Each apartment had a tiny private patio, which was surrounded by a six-foot tall wooden fence. Brandon lifted the latch on the door leading onto Daniel’s patio. He pushed the door open and then said, “Holy shit,” because Daniel was lying on the ground, in a crumpled and bloody heap. Emmett glanced over Brandon’s shoulder and swore as well.

  “Is that Daniel Franks?” Emmett asked. Brandon nodded grimly, crouched down and pressed two fingers to Daniel’s throat.

  “He’s still alive,” Brandon muttered.

  Emmett already had his phone in his hand. “I’m calling 9-1-1.”

  They both jumped involuntarily when Daniel’s head and one of his arms moved. He groaned and tried to open eyes that were swollen shut.

  “Brandon?” Daniel whispered.


  “Daniel, where’s Gabriella?” Brandon asked urgently.

  “He has her. Her ex-fiancé. He’s taking her to Dallas.”

  Brandon and Emmett exchanged a look. Brandon hadn’t seen Gabriella since eight o’clock this morning. Who knew what sort of head start they had? Even if Emmett and Brandon raced to Dallas, then what?

  Emmett had filled Brandon in on what little he knew about Miguel, and it didn’t exactly play in their favor. The man was surrounded at all times by a veritable army of family and associates. How in the world could Emmett and Brandon penetrate that, and especially, how could they do it before Miguel forced Gabriella to marry him?

  Emmett slipped his phone into his pocket and said, “The police and an ambulance are on their way.”

  Brandon stood up and fought the hopeless feeling that was pushing at him.

  “Brandon.” Daniel whispered his name again, so Brandon looked down.

  Daniel lifted his left hand. He held something and Brandon had the impression he wanted to give it to him. Brandon reached down and pulled the item out of Daniel’s hand. It was a book of matches. “One of them dropped this. It might be where they’re staying.”

  Brandon looked at the book of matches in his hand. Under the blood and dirt, he could see the name of a hotel that was located just off the nearest highway, about a ten-minute drive out of town.

  “Thanks, Daniel,” he croaked, even though it went against every fiber of his being to thank the man. Unfortunately, Brandon didn’t have it in him to kick a man while he was down. And Daniel was definitely down. He turned to leave, but when he heard his name again, he turned back towards Daniel.

  “Brandon, I’m sorry. For all of it. Especially for Laney.” His eyes fluttered closed.

  Brandon wasn’t sure if Daniel passed out or worse, but since he could hear sirens in the distance, he decided finding Gabriella was more important than sticking around to find out.

  “What was that about?” Emmett demanded when they were in the truck, racing towards the hotel where Brandon desperately hoped Miguel was still holed up, with Gabriella unharmed and unhitched.

  “What?” Brandon asked, almost absently. He was focused on figuring out the shortest route between where they were and where they needed to be.

  “That last comment. About Laney.”

  Brandon glanced at Emmett, saw the steel in his expression, and wondered how much he should tell him. “What has Courtney told you about Laney’s father?” he finally asked. He could see the gears working in Emmett’s head. Just like his sister, Emmett was no dummy.

  “That guy is Laney’s father?” Emmett asked in disbelief.

  Brandon nodded. “It’s a long story. Suffice to say, Daniel has had nothing to do with her life. She doesn’t know. He isn’t even listed on her birth certificate.”

  Emmett’s hands formed into fists and he squeezed until his knuckles turned white. “I’ll kill him,” he growled.

  “I’ve had that same exact reaction many times over the last four years. I do find it interesting that you react so strongly after knowing Courtney and Laney so briefly.”

  Emmett looked at him, but did not rise to the bait. Instead, he turned the tables. “Do you really? How come you are driving like a bat out of hell to try to rescue a woman you’ve only known for two weeks?”

  “Maybe because her life could possibly be in danger?” Brandon suggested.

  “Highly unlikely. Miguel wants to marry her, not kill her.”

  Brandon’s knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He knew Emmett noticed the reaction.

  “Maybe you would prefer she marry someone else?” Emmett suggested mildly.

  “I would prefer she had a choice in the matter,” Brandon ground out. So long as it’s me.

  He shook his head, because he realized how absolutely true that thought was. After thirty-two years of avoiding any sort of commitment, he was ready to commit the rest of his life to Gabriella, despite having only known her for two weeks. It was crazy, but he supposed love was like that.

  “What are you thinking?” Emmett asked.

  “I’m thinking we’re almost there, and we ought to have some sort of plan in place.”

  So they set about discussing possible strategies. In the end, with no better plan in place, they parked under the portico at the main entrance of the hotel and walked into the lobby.

  Brandon knew the front desk associate. In fact, she pointed out that he’d slept with her several years ago. She was married and had a kid now, but she wasn’t above flirting with him, and he returned to Emmett’s side, feeling a combination of satisfaction, fear and frustration.

  “Kara says she believes the men we’re looking for are here. They’re checked in under different names, but the description of Hector fits. Something about a sexy scar. Anyway, they have two adjoining rooms on the first floor. Patio rooms, she said, because they’re smokers. But my guess is it was planned so they could bring Gabriella in that way, without anyone seeing them. Kara said they’re scheduled to check out tomorrow, and she knows they are currently here because they ordered room service not ten minutes ago.”

  He handed Emmett a map of the hotel layout. There was an X drawn across two rooms. “These are the rooms. Come on, let’s drive around back.” So they left the lobby, climbed into the truck and drove around to the back of the hotel.

  There were a total of twelve patio rooms, six on either side of a small garden area. Each room had a door wall that led out to a tiny square of concrete, and then out to the garden beyond. Brandon parked the truck as close as he could and cut the engine. He pointed directly in front of him, to two sets of door walls, both with the curtains closed. “I think those are the ones,” he said. Emmett nodded.

  As if on cue, one of the door walls opened and a man stepped outside. He took a moment to light a cigarette and then began a leisurely stroll around the garden area. Brandon and Emmett both shrank back into their seats.

  “That’s Hector,” Emmett confirmed in a whisper. He wore sunglasses, despite the fact that the sun was nearly set, and he wore the same knit cap he’d been wearing when he was checking out Gabriella’s car the night before.

  Brandon picked up his phone and dialed 9-1-1. When the operator answered the phone, Brandon said, “I need to report a kidnapping.”

  “Brandon? Brandon Sarantos? Is that you? I’d know that voice anywhere.”

  “Yes,” Brandon said, fervently trying to place the voice on the other line.

  “It’s Jenny Rudder. Remember me? We hooked up senior year.”

  Brandon racked his brain and came up with nothing. He used to have a mind like a steel trap. He never forgot the women he slept with, even as the number crept into alarmingly high numbers. Then, when he met Gabriella, it was like someone found the trap door and let all of his memories out, and then closed it securely again. Now, it seemed the only woman he could recall with any intimate detail was Gabriella.

  “Hey Jenny. How’s it going?” he asked, hoping to bluff his way through this.

  “Good, real good. Still single though. Although I hear you aren’t anymore. Imagine, some woman finally caught you,” her voice was full of awe, and maybe a little jealousy.

  And then Jenny’s voice dropped to a conspiratory whisper. “Hey, the police found Daniel Franks on his back patio, beaten up pretty badly. He said your name, Brandon, and he’s been unconscious ever since. They want to bring you in for questioning. Everyone knows how much you hate Daniel. I know you would never do something like that, but those cops don’t know you as intimately as I do.”

  Brandon could hear the smile in her voice. She obviously had no problem recalling one night of sex that happened at least fourteen years ago.

  Brandon grimaced. “I didn’t do it, Jenny. I found him that way. It was Miguel Martinez. They need to focus their search on Miguel Martinez.” He wondered if they would be able to trace the call. “I gotta go, Jenny. Nice talking to you.” He quickly disconnecte
d.

  He turned to look at Emmett. “Shit. I don’t think the police are going to be much help in the immediate future. They seem to think I’m the one who beat up Daniel. Since he’s one of their own, something tells me they’ll haul me in first and ask questions later.”

  “What the hell are we supposed to do?” Emmett asked, a trace of panic in his voice. They watched Hector return to the patio, stub out his cigarette and slip back inside.

  Brandon picked up his phone again and began scrolling through the address book.

  “What are you doing?” Emmett asked.

  “Calling my brother. I suddenly wish my family was Italian instead of Greek.”

  “Why?”

  “Italian families always know what to do in this type of situation, don’t they?”

  ***

  Gabriella was no longer tied to a chair. Only her arms were bound, but they were bound behind her back, and she was currently lying on a bed in a hotel room, and couldn’t even manage to pull herself into a seated position. This was mostly because every time she tried, Miguel put a hand on her chest and pushed her down onto her back again.

  Alonzo was in the adjoining room, and Hector just stepped outside to smoke. She cursed the patio door as he slipped through it. It had been so damn easy for them to park their rental car behind the hotel and carry her in via the patio door. She hadn’t seen a single other human being when it happened, and Miguel had gagged her so she couldn’t scream for help. How come no one else was standing around outside, smoking, when she needed them most?

  When they first entered the hotel room, Hector had deposited her on the bed and Miguel took off the gag and tried to engage Gabriella in conversation, as if they were long lost friends – or lovers – and they’d finally been reunited after a long absence. Gabriella had steadfast refused to speak to him, and she could tell it was beginning to irritate him.