Page 93 of Forever Mine

Gabriel

I’ll admit, after a few weeks with no news from Liam or Matt regarding Monica’s family, I get lulled into a false sense of security. Blissful ignorance. Denial. Whatever you want to call it, I stupidly relax and think her family has just disappeared. Well, not her family. Her family is still out there. The Angelino family, however, has been quiet. And while I should know better, I allowed the respite time to get me to calm down.

I shouldn’t have.

The one fucking time I let my guard down and don’t have an eye on Monica, all hell breaks loose.

I ran into Colorado Springs to help a new realtor write a rather detailed and informative contract. In our area, we deal with so many VA loans for military veterans with weird loopholes, stumping many realtors. I was unprepared for how long it would take and figured Monica would be fine getting home from the office herself.

Pulling into my garage, I see Monica’s car isn’t there. Fuck. I had hoped she’d beat me home. I shouldn’t stress about her being away from me so much, but right now, the only thing I can do is protect her myself. Right now, seeing her car isn’t here, I have a foreboding feeling deep in my gut that tells me something isn’t right.

And my gut feeling gets confirmed immediately.

Within a five-minute period, I got a text from Liam saying their contacts in Texas had sent multiple mugshots of Angelino family members, and they had been seen in our county. Then a text from Matt telling me to take Monica to Liam’s house because it has better security, and the Angelinos wouldn’t think to look there.

And then I got a phone call from Monica.

“Querida, I don’t have much time. I need you to go to Liam’s, okay?” I blurt out as soon as I answer the call. “Don’t ask questions; just get to Liam’s.”

“That’s going to be difficult, my man,” a male voice answers.

My blood runs cold.

“Who the fuck is this?” I snarl.

“I’m the guy who’s got your girl. Feisty little thing, ain’t she? Any last words you want me to deliver to her?” the guy taunts.

“Let me speak to Monica.”

“Yeah, no. That’s not gonna happen.”

“I just want to hear her voice and know she’s okay.” I put the phone on speaker, so I can text Liam and Matt while on the phone, letting them know this guy has Monica and her phone.

“She’s fine for now. Won’t be for long, though. We believe ‘an eye for an eye,’ Gabriel,” the guy says.

“How the fuck does that even make sense?” I ask as Liam texts back and tells me to keep the guy talking. He’s trying to track Monica’s phone.

“My father is dead because of this puttana.”

“Puttana?”

“Bitch. This bitch is gonna die. An eye for an eye.”

“Who was your father?” I ask.

“Joseph Angelino.”

Oh shit. The pedophile who contracted for Monica when she was only eleven.

“She didn’t pull the trigger. Her dad did. She was only a kid when it happened!”

“Well, her dad is already dead, so this is how we’re dealing with it,” the guy retorts.

“My dad is dead?” I hear Monica pipe up in the background, and I let out a relieved exhale. She’s still alive.

I get a text from Liam that they know her approximate location. I’m running back to my car and hightailing it toward the address Liam sent. I can hear muffled words between the guy and Monica, then I hear him curse. “What the fuck, you stupid bitch!” Another brief scuffle before Monica’s voice comes on the line.

“Gabriel?” she says breathlessly.

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