Once he felt she was pacified, he explained how they were going about trying to find Danny. “The police are looking for him. Bear in mind he’s wanted for trying to abduct you and for attempted murder. Those are serious charges.”
“It was unexpected hearing it from Sky the way I did.”
“Understood. Come and sit.” He guided her to the couch and sat next to her, holding her hand. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“Neither will I.” Case stood before her. “Gabs, I have five guys out searching for him and working with NYPD on this. We’ll get him. He can’t hide forever. We’ve already found where he was living. So it’s only a matter of time. But listen to Kolson. You can’t go into work. We’re locking the place down. I’m telling all nonessential employees to stay home. I don’t want anyone at risk.”
“What about my friends?”
Kolson answered her question. “I’m putting them up in one of my other places in town. He won’t find them.”
“What about you?” she asked.
“I’ll have protection. Now that we know he’s a definite danger, we can take the appropriate precautions. But Gabriella, please, you have to listen to us. You cannot work. Cancel your week. This is imperative. That includes your volunteer services too.”
“I will. You’re right. It’s too risky.”
“Thank you. You’ve taken twenty years off me.”
“Kolson, what does that make you now—twelve?”
“Yeah. So, I like older women. What can I say?”
# # #
After everyone left, Kolson and Gabby sat together watching TV. “What if it takes months to find him?” Gabby asked.
“It won’t. They’ll flush him out. He’ll get careless.”
“I don’t know. He’s a snake. Look at how he managed to destroy my life. You’re in for a longer haul than you think.”
Gabby gave Kolson a lot to chew on. She was right. Exactly how had Danny managed to do so much damage?
Kolson had only known one person who was cunning and manipulative to that degree—his father. Not wanting to add to her alarm, he said, “We’ll get him, kea. We will.”
Gabby wasn’t so sure, but she nodded anyway.
# # #
Voluntary imprisonment was no fun for Gabby. Two weeks later, she was ill-tempered and restless. Danny was screwing with her head, even though she hadn’t heard a peep from him. He had messed up a lot of people’s lives as she wasn’t able to see patients or volunteer because of him. Her friends walked on eggshells and everyone was grumpy.
Finally, she said to Kolson, “I’m going back to work.”
“No, you can’t.”
“I have to. I can’t stay locked in here anymore. It’s killing me. I love you for wanting to keep me safe, but I need my freedom.”
Kolson was quiet. “Fine. I don’t like it but I’ll see what I can work out.”
And that’s when Gabby decided to take things into her own hands. She’d had enough of Danny—she was completely done with him. He’d controlled her life for sixteen years, but tomorrow she’d be taking that back from him.
The next morning Kolson was getting ready to leave for woke when a text message came through.
“Damn.”
“What is it?”
“It’s Kade. He’s resurfaced and wants money. The usual thing. I need to meet him.”
Gabby thought for a moment. “Do you think you can get him to talk to Case? Or to come here so I can talk to him?”
“I don’t know.”
“Let me go with you. Maybe I can talk to him.”
Kolson wouldn’t allow that. “It’s too dangerous. If I show up with an entourage, he’ll run. And I’ll lose his trust.”
Gabby freaked. “You can’t meet him alone.”
“Kea, I’ll be fine. I do this all the time.”
“Not with Danny on the loose.”
Kolson assured her he’d be safe. He changed into jeans and a T-shirt and left to meet Kade.
Now Gabby was committed more than ever to her plan. She knew the window of opportunity was slim. Lydia would arrive at nine o’clock and if she didn’t find Gabby here, the alarm bells would ring. That meant Gabby had to be long gone by then.
Kolson kept two handguns in the apartment. He’d told her about them the night they came home after the attack. She retrieved the revolver from the bedside table and held it in her hands, testing its weight. She rummaged through the drawer, hunting for extra bullets. Because she wasn’t very familiar with guns, she prayed she wouldn’t have to use it, but if she did, she hoped she would do so accurately.
Dropping the gun into her purse, she ran to the bathroom, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and snatched a baseball cap out of Kolson’s closet. The guards would be in the lobby and parking lot, combing the area, so she decided to take the elevator to the second floor, and then the stairs. She would use a side exit to leave the building, aiming to give them the slip.
When she got to the stairs, guilt and anxiety riddled her, making her speculate over how wise this decision was. These actions could have grave consequences … not only with her life but if she succeeded, they could ruin what she had with Kolson. But Danny had left her no other option.
Staring at the exit door in front of her, she took a deep breath and made that final choice.
Now or never. Do or die. It’s gonna be me or you, Danny. It’s going to end one way or another.
Leaning on the release bar, she cracked open the door. It led to a side hall that no one used, though she knew there would be men around. Familiar voices floated through the air. The breeze blew a strand of hair that had escaped from her ponytail, but her ears were trained on all sounds. She heard someone say they were making a coffee run.
Quietly, she pushed the door open enough so she could slip through and sprint for the exit. When she cleared the building, surprise rained over her. Now she had to get the hell out of there. Fast. She hailed the first taxi she saw and told him to take her to Grand Central Station. Then she sent a text message.
Meet me under the clock at Grand Central.
Then she waited. Fifteen minutes passed and she was getting out of the cab when a call came in. It was from an unknown number. It wasn’t the same number she’d sent the text to.
“You must think I’m a fucking idiot, precious.”
She paid the driver and walked inside.
“No. You’re anything but. No one knows I’m here.”
“Make it Penn Station—34th Street entrance. Lose the phone.” The call ended.
She hailed another taxi and headed to her next stop. He didn’t tell her exactly where to meet him, so she walked inside and waited. Then her phone vibrated.
“You don’t follow directions very well. You didn’t lose the phone.”
She looked around the terminal, hunting for him.
“If I had, you wouldn’t be able to call me.”
“That wouldn’t matter. Now lose the fucking phone.”
Gabby turned around and was stunned into silence. Danny’s hair was matted with filth and his beard had grown some so Gabby barely recognized him. His clothes were torn and ragged and he looked like he’d been living on the streets for months.
“Let’s go.” His long, thick fingers dug into the soft flesh of her upper arm. He gripped her so hard, she feared he might snap her bone in half.
“You’re hurting me.”
“That’s the least of your worries now. Move it. You wanted this meeting. Now you have it.” He towed her alongside and she stumbled to keep up.
“Where are you taking me?”
“To my lovely home. Where else?”
“But you’ve been …”
“I’m running from the cops, thanks to you, you stupid cunt.”
They went down a flight of steps. Commuters scurried around, not paying them the least bit of attention. How brilliant of him to stay right here in New York, where he could get lost in the millions of residen
ts in this city.
They walked along another platform and slipped through a recessed door. Down another flight of steps they went, deeper into the bowels of the earth. Gabby now realized how foolish this harebrained scheme of hers had been. She should be home with Kolson right now, safe and sound. She wasn’t, however. She was with Danny as he dragged her along behind him.
But she firmed her resolve to end this. Suppressed fury replaced her fear, a fury that ran deep in her veins for everything he had stolen from her.
Soon they came to another tunnel where trains obviously ran. Gabby shivered to think how far away she was from safety. She could die down here and no one would ever find her. No matter. This was her chance to finally put a stop to this.
They rounded a curve and off to the side was an indentation where she spied rumpled clothing, remnants of food and other items indicating someone had been living there. As she took in her surroundings, Danny reached out and knocked her to ground. Gabby fell to her hands and knees, hard.
“Now, cuz, what can I do for you?”
Turning her head to look up at him, she knew this was the end of the line. Danny was either going to kill her and live the rest of his days as a homeless man, or go to prison. She was going to carry out her plan, or die trying.
“This is the end, Danny. For us.”
He laughed. Hard. “Are you serious? This is what you wanted? You came all this way, risked your life to tell me that?”
“Yes. And I’m not going to play your sick games anymore.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean? ‘I’m not going to play your sick games anymore.’” He’d imitated her in a whiny voice.
“Just what I said.” Luckily, her purse had landed right in front of her and her body obscured his vision of it. While they talked, her hand reached inside and met up with cool steel. She wrapped her hand around the gun and pulled it out. Standing up and aiming it at Danny, she said, “You’ve fucked with me way too long. I could never understand how you managed to convince my parents that I was the one who told the lies. But I’m not going to take it another minute. Because I don’t believe prison deserves the likes of you, you motherfucking asshole.”
Danny’s eyes registered surprise and then he shot her a salacious grin. “You loved the way I fucked you, precious. You wanted me to do that. Then you lied about it.”
Gabby’s eyes blazed with fire as she shouted, “You fucking raped me! For years! You’re a sick bastard and I’m putting a stop to you so you don’t ever fuck with me or anyone else again. But I want to know one thing. Why? Why did you do it? And why do you want me so bad? What did I ever do to you to make you hate me so much?”
Danny let out a sinister laugh. “God, everyone always used to say how fucking smart you were, but you really are stupid. You’re a damn psychiatrist and you haven’t figured this out?” He laughed even harder. “It’s not what you did, it’s what you didn’t do, cunt.” Then his eyes narrowed, and even in the dim light of the tunnel, she could see the menace emanating from them. She shivered. “You never paid me any attention. Everyone else fell all over me. Hung on every word I ever said. Not you. Not the holier-than-thou Gabby. You were always better than me, above me, weren’t you? I even bought you presents and you didn’t pay me any attention. And he never told you, did he? He never told you I’m your half-brother?” Danny howled at Gabby’s expression.
“What did you say?”
His laughter filled the cavernous tunnel. “That’s right, cunt. You’re my half-sister. Daddy-o had a little flingy with my mom and voila. Here’s Danny! And there you were, all proud with your stupid books, never giving a damn about me. While I was the afterthought. The big fuck-up. The one who never should’ve been.”
“But …” Gabby stared at him open-mouthed. He was off balance and she knew she had to stay calm.
She inhaled and said, “Danny, I didn’t ignore you. And I never knew. He never told me. I was young and oblivious to everything. Not only you. I didn’t notice if it was raining or snowing outside.” The gun, still pointed at Danny, wavered in her hands.
“I blackmailed him, you know. Told him if he did anything about you and me, I’d let everyone know, including your mom, that he was my pop.” He laughed again, though Gabby could only stare at him. He looked at the gun and said, “You don’t have the guts to shoot me, you little cunt. But you know something? You’d better take your best shot because I’ll never leave you alone.”
They heard footsteps and then, “Gabby, don’t do it.” It was Case.
Kolson yelled, “Gabriella, please. Stop.”
Danny’s eyes widened. Gabby’s hands shook even harder.
“No! He has to die. It’s the only way,” she cried in protest.
Kolson was behind Danny, moving toward Gabby now. “I agree, kea, he does. But not by your beautiful hands. Let someone else do it. You’d have to live with that for the rest of your sweet life and I don’t want that mess on your hands. Please, listen to me.”
“He’s right, Gabs. Listen to him,” Case advised. “Put the gun down.”
“He ruined my life. He’ll do it again. He’s never going to let it go. He just told me. He’ll get out of prison and start again.”
“Kea, we’re going to make it so he doesn’t get out. Please. Let Case and the police handle this. Give me the gun.”
“But I want him to die!”
“So do I. But let it happen the way it should. The right way.”
Her hand faltered, and Danny struck. He slammed her hands down and pushed her back. The gun flew out of her grip and slid across the damp concrete. Kolson dove for Gabby while Case went for Danny. But Case was too late.
Since he’d been living underground for the last few weeks, Danny had become accustomed to these tunnels. He disappeared. Cops swarmed the tunnels, searching, but without luck.
“How did you find me?” Gabby wanted to know.
“Your phone. The GPS. I’ve had you tracked daily in case anything happened. I wasn’t going to take a chance. My men were tailing you shortly after you left the building.” His tone was icy, telling her not to ask anything else. “Let’s get out of here.”
The police finished questioning her for the time being and escorted them back up through the maze of tunnels.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
On the way home, Kolson was unapproachable in the car. Gabby snuck glances at him and his eyes resembled cold agate marbles, the kind she used to collect when she was a kid. No warmth emanated from them, only anger. She was hurt by his reaction. What she really needed right now were his arms around her, and his strength to calm her.
The elevator doors whooshed open and he stomped off and headed straight to the bar, stopping to pour himself a healthy dose of whiskey. He downed it, slammed the glass against the granite, and poured himself another. Not facing her, he said in a clipped tone, “I have a mind to bind your wrists and ankles and paddle the ever-loving shit out of your ass. What the fuck were you thinking? And don’t bother to answer that question. You’re way too smart for any kind of justification for your actions. Yes, I know you’re tired of living caged like an animal. My God, if you only knew. Get in the bedroom now.”
“What …?”
“Did I say you could speak?”
“No, but …”
“Now, Gabriella. The fucking bedroom. I’m so pissed off at you. He could have fucking killed you. Do you even understand, have any idea what you did? Go. Now.”
“I don’t …”
Kolson moved like a panther stalking prey and was on her so swiftly, her mouth opened in surprise. Her blouse ripped like tissue paper, buttons flying in the air and clinking to the floor around them. He snapped her bra off with one hand and lowered his mouth to her exposed nipple. He didn’t kiss it. He didn’t lick it. He didn’t even suck it. He bit one and pinched the other. She cried out as a powerful current of heat unfurled in her sex. She tried to clench her legs together but he shoved his knee between them, forcing them
apart. Putting his hands on the waistband of her pants, he wrenched the damn thing in two and tugged them off. He tore his mouth away from her breasts and said, “When I tell you to get in the bedroom, I mean get. In. The. Fucking. Bedroom.” Then he twisted the sides of her panties until they popped.
She stood in her shoes, surrounded by a puddle of torn clothing. Oxygen was a valued commodity as it couldn’t get past the grip that had bound her throat. Her diaphragm was equally as useless. She moved to raise her hands to touch him and he stopped her. “You don’t have my permission to do a thing, Gabriella, except stand there.” Her arms fell back to her sides as her chest heaved.
Fingers invaded her pussy, and one circled her clitoris. “Drenched. All for me. Suck this.” He held up the fingers that were just inside of her and stuck them in her mouth. “Oh, come on now. You can do better than that.” She sucked them in earnest, using her tongue as if she were sucking his cock. He inhaled, long and slowly through his teeth, and said in a low voice as he slowly withdrew them, “Much better. Now walk.” He prodded her with his hand. She kicked her way through her ruined clothing and as she moved, one of his hands ventured along the curve of her behind. She moaned.
“Quiet. Not one word.”
Holy fuck. What the hell is going on?
When he got her to the bedroom, he said, “You’re going to watch yourself get thoroughly fucked. How does that sound?”
“I want …”
“That question wasn’t meant to be answered.”
He went to his closet and retrieved a long silk cloth. “On the bed and kneel and hold out your wrists.” Using one end, he bound them together, tight enough so she couldn’t move. Then he took the other end of the cloth and draped it over the bed frame above the bed, tying it. His bed was a huge four-poster canopy covered in creamy sheer fabric. Because of that, she’d never given thought to the fact that there was a frame over the bed. Now her arms extended above her head as she knelt and faced the mirror behind the headboard.
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