Gabriel, page 16
And they’d gotten back into the cocaine trade. They’d also been meeting with a known human trafficker. This was everything we were trying to get away from. And they’d been working on this for a long time.
Their connections ran deep, their hold on Chicago getting stronger. And like the fool I was, I’d cemented their position by marrying the Russian princess.
I slid into my car, my hands trembling on the steering wheel. I felt like my insides were twisted into knots that tightened with each breath.
Once my phone connected to Bluetooth, I made another call. This time the person answering sounded anything but tired, and there was loud music in the background.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the new king of Chicago. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Grinding my molars, I bit back all the things I really wanted to say to Cian. “Meet me at the harbor in thirty minutes. We have to talk.”
“Can’t this wait until tomorrow? I have shit to do.”
“It can’t wait. Get your ass there, or I’ll come get you.”
“Fucking fine. Prick.”
He hung up, and I continued making calls until I pulled into the underground parking garage of the office. The building was dark. A glance at the time showed it was almost three in the morning.
When I walked into the empty reception area, I kept my gaze straight and moved to my office with sure strides. I didn’t bother closing the door; instead, I walked straight to my desk and took a seat.
My gaze fell on a picture of me and Vanna. Cleo had taken it and Vanna had printed two copies, one for home and one for my office. We were sitting outside, only our faces visible. She was kissing me, and I grinned at the camera. When she first gave it to me, I hadn’t recognized myself, the carefree and happy expression on my face not one I wore often.
What had signified our beginning had all been a lie.
I shot up with a roar and swept everything off my desk. The glass of the picture frame shattered, and papers fluttered to the floor. Not satisfied, I threw anything within reach, no matter if it was crystal, books, or a nearly full glass decanter. Next was the furniture.
I was in a rage and couldn’t stop. Because if I did, I knew the pain would settle in. And that couldn’t happen. I simply wouldn’t let it.
Strong arms gripped me, pulling me back from throwing the record player I’d had in my sights next.
I ended up pinned to the floor, both my brothers holding me down. Jude patted my cheek, then looked up into his phone. “Say cheese.” The camera flashed, and I howled with rage. The fucker ignored me, taking another picture before finally putting his phone away with a grin. “This feels like déjà vu. You trying to be like your big brother?”
Liam cuffed him on the head. “Don’t make it worse.”
“Get the fuck off me, you fuckers.”
Jude crossed his arms and raised a brow. “You sound exactly like Liam did.”
I struggled underneath their tight hold, still furious, the need to destroy burning bright. Jude’s hold slipped, and I didn’t wait to buck him off me. Liam was next, and then I let a fist fly, landing a direct hit on Jude’s eye.
He stumbled back with a curse. “What the hell did you do that for?”
Liam held up his hands. “You need to calm down. Take it from someone who’s been there.”
“That’s news to me that Quinn betrayed you. If I remember correctly, you did the betraying when you didn’t tell her you were engaged to someone else.”
Jude was holding his eye with one hand, his other raised in the air. “Okay, let’s not say things in anger we’re going to regret later.”
I stormed past Liam, his hands balled into fists, his jaw clenched tight. Shooting Jude a glare, I then raised my middle finger. Straightening my jacket, I walked out of my office. “I’m meeting with Cian. Now, are you going to do your fucking jobs and have my back?”
Liam followed with murder in his eyes, and I knew I’d be paying for my comment. But while I might have been livid, I wasn’t too far gone to know I deserved whatever he had in store.
Jude stopped at the office kitchen and grabbed a bag of frozen peas. We had them stored everywhere since this wasn’t the first time we needed them, and it wouldn’t be the last.
Liam drove us, the car encased in charged silence the entire way to the meeting. I didn’t need to brief them. We’d been working together for most of our lives, and they’d both seen the files on the Russians. Which was why they understood the likelihood that Vanna was involved.
Aleksándr was a calculating bastard who didn’t do anything without having a goal in mind. And in this case, it was getting to the top. Even if the payment included his daughter.
When we pulled up to the harbor, Cian was already standing at the entrance with two of his men. He was in full view, not even bothering to cover his back. He really was an arrogant prick.
He watched us pull up, his eyes never leaving us as we walked up to where he was standing. I noticed he didn’t have his usual guys with him.
He did a mock bow as soon as we were close enough. “All hail to the king.”
Since I was running on rage and adrenaline, I had no interest in dealing with his shit. “Fuck off and listen to what I have to say. You think you can do that for once?”
His smirk didn’t waver; instead, it seemed to grow. He made an elaborate swirling motion with his hand. “Of course. To what do I owe this audience that was so important it couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”
“The Russians are the ones who took the hit out on our dad. They also killed one of Gunner’s guys. We didn’t realize until tonight that it was all connected. And we need to know where you stand. For once, Cian, you need to pick a side.”
His face fell, and I let out a relieved breath at his surprise. I might have detested the little fuck, but I didn’t think he’d ever align himself with the Russians. He hated them more than he did Liam.
Jude was staring at one of the guys standing next to Cian. I’d been ignoring his posturing until he opened his stupid mouth. “Where’s Sean? You guys are attached at the hip. I heard you even tag team the same girls.”
Cian’s eyes narrowed on my brother. “None of your feckin business. And I don’t give a shite who tried to take out Constantine. I’m definitely not with the Russians.” He spat on the ground. “But I also won’t stand behind you bastards. You gave me two warehouses that were raided by the cops shortly after. I know a setup when I see one.”
His accent was getting thicker, and I shot Jude an annoyed glare. He knew as well as I did that the clearer his words, the better his mood. Once he became impossible to understand, the best advice was to run. We thankfully hadn’t reached that stage yet, and I’d make sure we wouldn’t get there.
We had no time to patch up bullet wounds.
I stepped forward, blocking my brother. “We’re taking them out.”
Cian whistled through his teeth. “And you want my help to do it.”
“I don’t need your men. I have enough of my own to take them on. But I need your reassurance that you’ll stay out of it.”
“I want compensation for the lost shipments in the warehouses.”
I knew that was going to come back to bite us in the ass. Liam had been giving Cian some of our territory, but both times the cops had moved in, seizing anything they could get their hands on. And Cian had clearly cottoned on, realizing we might have had something to do with that.
Liam pushed past me. “Did you really think we’d let you get away with trying to kidnap our sister?”
Fuck my brothers. They’d screw this up. And Liam, of all people, should have known better. But he and Cian had never seen eye to eye.
Cian crossed his arms over his chest, lifting his chin. “Thanks to me, she met the love of her life. Heard he was all too happy to protect her body. If only he’d taken as much care with her virtue.” He cackled, ignoring the murderous stares we all shot him. “Pay up and I’ll stay far away from the war you’re about to start.”
Liam looked apoplectic, and both of Cian’s men took a step forward. He only smiled at us, taking a drink out of a flask he’d pulled out of his suit. “I don’t know why you feckin hate me so much. We could have been great friends. And not sure if you’re aware, but you have one of the most Irish names out there. That alone should make you a little less ornery. We Irish are a fun bunch once you get to know us.”
I coughed in my arm, trying to mask the laugh bubbling to the surface.
Liam, on the other hand, looked ready to shoot something. Or someone. Glaring at Cian, he took a deep breath. “Our mom loved Liam Neeson. No other reason she named me Liam. She didn’t care if it was Irish, Spanish, or made up. Now, can we get back to business, or should we explore the origins of our names a little more? You want a cup of tea as well while we’re having our little chat?”
“Actually, that sounds gr—”
Liam’s growl cut him off. “You’ll have your money within the hour.”
Smirking, Cian winked at us. “Excellent. I’ll stay out of it. And to show my goodwill, I’ll let you know that Aleksándr just accepted a large shipment. It’s still in his warehouse at the harbor.”
Aleksándr didn’t own any of the warehouses near the harbor. This had always been our territory.
“What warehouse?” I snapped at Cian. My patience was at an end, and he knew I’d take the bait. Damn asshole liked to drag shit out.
“Scope Industries.”
Liam’s body went tight, and I knew his surprise matched mine. “That’s fucking his?”
“Has been for years. And there’s been a lot of activity lately.”
“And you didn’t think to tell us this?”
Cian put up his hands. “Hey, I told you last time, it’s not my job to keep you informed of what’s going on.”
I signaled for my brothers to leave. “It’s been great, but we have to go.”
Cian turned to his car, waving at us over his shoulder. “You’re welcome, assholes.”
Liam drove me back to my house, knowing I was in no condition to be behind the wheel. I shouldn’t have driven myself to the office in the first place.
His hand on my arm prevented me from leaving the car once we arrived. “You want one of us to come in with you?”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I shook my head. “I can handle my fucking wife without you hovering in the background.”
“Freya and Mom love her. And there’s still a chance she didn’t know what her father is up to.”
My head snapped up, and I glared at him. “I’m not going to fucking kill her. But I have to know. I need to make sure she didn’t….”
I couldn’t finish the sentence, didn’t even want to think about what was about to happen.
Ripping my arm out of his grasp, I stumbled out of the car, slamming the door shut. Making my way back to the room I shared with Vanna—grabbing a bottle of ouzo along the way—I sat down in a chair facing the bed.
I hated that, despite the possibility that she’d betrayed me, I still wanted her. I had to fight with everything in me not to join her in bed. But instead of giving in, I took sip after sip of the bottle, the burn of the alcohol keeping me distracted and making my thoughts fuzzy.
How much I wished I was wrong about Vanna’s involvement. But I couldn’t ignore all the evidence pointing right at her.
If only I wasn’t breaking in half at the thought of what I had to do next.
Chapter 18
Vanna
I came awake slowly, searching blindly for Gabriel before I’d even opened my eyes. But the sheets were cold, my husband gone, the only sound in the room Daisy’s snores.
Usually, he would wake me before he left, something I looked forward to every morning, especially when he got creative. Maybe he’d only gone to the bathroom.
A glance at my phone display showed it was seven o’clock. Did I miss him leaving?
As I searched the floor for something to wear, movement out of the corner of my eye drew my attention. Gabriel was sitting in a chair I’d positioned in front of the window. It was usually facing outside, but he’d turned it around and was watching me.
His face was a blank mask, and the smile that had overtaken my face at the sight of him slipped off. “Gabriel? What are you doing out of bed?”
“Did you tell Aleksándr about the shipment?
“Gabriel.” His name came out in a whispered plea. My body trembled, and my breathing stalled. He knew. Somehow, he’d found out what I’d done. I wasn’t ready yet. I needed more time with him. “I can explain.”
His face fell at my words, his body caving in on itself. He lifted a nearly empty ouzo bottle to his mouth, his fingers white from holding on so tightly. “I can’t believe I fell for your shit.”
His voice dripped venom, and I shattered into a thousand pieces at the disgusted expression on his face.
This is it.
Daisy jumped off the bed, nudging Gabriel, who, for the first time since she came to live with us, ignored her.
I gathered the sheet close, sliding out of bed with it held against me. “Please. It’s not what it looks like. I had no choice.”
“No need for you to explain how you played me for a fool this whole time. I guess he must have whipped you into submission after all.”
Tears made my vision blurry, and my hands shook. His words stung, but I knew they were spoken in anger. “I love you. I didn’t want to betray you.”
“You can drop the act. And tell Aleksándr we’re coming for him.”
I took a step forward, but Gabriel shot up, holding a hand out as if to ward me off. Daisy let out a confused yip.
My heart hammered in my chest, the pain at his dismissal tearing me in half.
“Get dressed and pack your stuff. Whatever you can’t pack now, I can send you later.” He stood up, his body ramrod straight. “Stay away from my family. If I hear you talked to anyone, I won’t be as lenient as I am now.”
He walked out without another word or glance at me.
I dropped the sheet with a choked sob. I was numb, barely feeling the cold floor under my feet or the tug of the shirt I’d picked up from the ground when my hair wrapped around one of the buttons, pulling out a chunk. I grabbed a random pair of pants, not concerned with what they looked like or if they were even mine.
Daisy followed me around the room, her cold nose nudging my hand.
I pulled out my bag, throwing whatever was closest inside. I knew this day was coming. Had tried to get ready for it. But nothing could have prepared me for the reality of losing Gabriel. I felt irrevocably broken, shattered into a million pieces.
Gabriel had become the most important person to me in the short time we’d spent together. Not only had I lost the only person who ever gave a shit about me, but I’d also lost everyone else.
I could do nothing to prevent the agonized wail that escaped me when I realized I was once again on my own. I crumpled to the floor in the closet, the sobs ripping out of me. What had I done? Why hadn’t I refused to spy on my husband?
Daisy whimpered and ran around the closet, bringing me her toys, nudging them closer when I didn’t take them.
I didn’t know how long I spent on the floor, wishing I would die so the pain would stop. But eventually my tears slowed down, the only noise making it past my lips were choked whimpers.
A hand on my back made me freeze. If Gabriel had come back before I’d left, there’d be no telling what he would do.
“Vanna? Oh my God, what happened?” Cleo’s concerned face appeared in my vision. “Did you hurt yourself? Should I call an ambulance?”
Taking a shuddering inhale, I forced the tears back and sat up. “I’m fine.” Getting back to my feet, I gave her a tired smile. “Sorry to worry you. Everything’s okay now. I was just having a moment.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’ve always been a shitty liar.” She pointedly stared at the dresses I was dropping on top of the mountain of fabric already in the overflowing suitcase. “And why are you packing?”
“I did something unforgivable. And Gabriel found out. He’s asked me to leave.” And if Cleo knew what I’d done, she’d kick me out herself.
Her arms dropped to her side, and she shook her head. “No way. He’d never do that. Whatever happened, I’m sure you can work it out. He loves you.”
A half sob, half laugh escaped me, and I turned away from her confused gaze. “There’s nothing I can do to make this right.”
But that’s not right. Because there might be something I could do to at least make up for my betrayal. I knew Gabriel would never forgive me, but I wanted to make this right. I had to try, at least.
And the only way to do that was to go back to the one place I swore I’d never return to.
But I didn’t care what Aleksándr would do to me once he found out about my failure. I had nothing left for him to take except my life. And he wouldn’t kill me unless he could benefit from it somehow.
Cleo’s arm came around me, and she walked me to the bed. She pushed me down on the plush mattress, gently squeezing my arm before going back to the closet. Daisy, who’d become my shadow, followed and sat down next to me, resting her head on my lap.
“I’ll pack a bag for you. I doubt you need to take the ball gowns you put in there. Or your entire drawer of nighties.”
I didn’t acknowledge her, only stared at my hand that was resting on Daisy’s head. I wouldn't be able to take her with me. Silent tears tracked down my cheeks at the thought.
Once she was done, Cleo took my hand in hers. “I called you a car. And I know this is weird of me to offer since I’m only your employee, but you’re always welcome to stay with me.”
Tears gathered in my eyes again. I didn’t deserve her help. If she knew what I’d done, she wouldn’t be so quick to offer. “You’re much more than my employee, Cleo. I consider you a friend. And thank you so much for the offer, but I can’t. I need to make things right.”
