Page 83 of Untamed Protector

I close my eyes, letting his words cascade over me. My heart races like a caged bird, desperate to break free and fly to him. A wave of heat washes over me, turning my cheeks fiery red. My eyes well up with tears, and one breaks free, sliding down my cheek as I force a wavering smile. I’m feeling so many things right now—happy, relieved, and burning with the desire to be near him. I feel my body relax into him as if an enormous weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

We hug, kiss, and breathe together for a bit before he leaves me to rest on the pillows again.

“The guys who kidnapped you… have you seen them anywhere before? Can you recognize them?” he asks as he runs his hand across my forehead, smoothing out my hair. He speaks calmly, trying not to scare me, but I can feel him seething with anger.

“No. They had something on their faces. I kept my eyes closed for a long time so they’d think I’d fainted. How did you find me?”

“The ring. And Lucas’s phone. I’ve been tracking him for a while, and when you disappeared, I thought he might be behind it. The attackers only took it away when they put him in the container, so we had his last location. And you, my amazingly brave woman, you were so smart to hide the ring. I couldn’t believe it when you spit it out in the container when I picked you up.”

Still crippled by pain, I give Gabriel a half-hearted smile. I’m worried about Lucas. He didn’t look good when we were in that container.

“Lucas… where is he?”

“He’s at the hospital. Apparently, he’s in an induced coma because of head trauma. He’s going to be okay, but it’s going to take time. He’s weak from all the stuff he’s been injecting for years. It looks like he’s in for a long recovery.”

“Who did it, Gabriel? Was it Vargas?”

“I suspect so, yeah. But we’re about to find out for sure. We have Vargas.”

“You do? Where is he? The police have him?”

“Not yet. He’ll get there soon. For now, he’s here, locked up. We’ll talk to him—and his accomplices. We haven’t rounded them all up yet. But soon, we’ll know everything.”

“Gabriel, I need to be part of this, too. When you talk to him, I want to be there. You promised me.”

“Are you sure you’re up for it? It won’t be pretty. Vargas looks a little messed up since he put up a fight. And he’ll be saying more crap, words you shouldn’t hear.”

“Really? Is that your concern? I’ll do whatever it takes to see this end once and for all. Take me there. I want to see him.”

“Wait, please. Damien needs to gather some more intel so we can corner him.”

“That freaking car was there, in the container, Gabriel.”

“I know. We took hold of it. It’s still got the dent on one side. He didn’t have time to fix it and just hid it.”

His phone buzzes. “It’s Damien. It’s time. Can you stand up?” he says.

I try to get up, every muscle screaming in protest. It’s not a sharp pain, just a feeling of being completely worn out. But if I complain, Gabriel will ask me to stay here, and I want to know what’s going on. As I force myself to sit up, I notice I have a new shirt on, which seems to be Dominic’s. Lena must’ve changed my clothes. I remember being barefoot when Gabriel picked me up from that awful container. I reach the edge of the couch and prepare for the next step—getting up and walking.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve taken you to the hospital. But I didn’t want to leave you alone while I gathered everyone else. You didn’t seem hurt, though the blood on your shirt scared the hell out of me. But I realized it wasn’t yours when I saw Lucas with his injury.”

“No, I’m okay, I really am. Can you help me get up?”

I stand up, leaning on him for support. There’s a pair of sneakers on the floor, probably Lena’s or maybe Dominic’s sister’s. Lena comes over, and Gabriel lifts me up so she can help me put them on and tie the laces.

I take a few steps to the door and somehow manage to stay on my feet. My head is pounding, but I feel ready to go to the room where everything is about to be revealed—the moment I’ve been waiting for almost five years. My nightmare is about to end. Maybe now I’ll be able to find some peace and move on with my life.

I push open the door and see a few chairs clustered in the center. Thick curtains block the windows, making the room dark, except for lamps in the corners. It feels hidden, like a secret meeting place away from prying eyes. Across from the entrance, there are couches, comfy chairs, and small tables. Gabriel leads me to a sofa. As we walk by, Damien and Dominic, who are talking on the other side of the room, both give me a quick hug and a pat on the cheek.

Gabriel helps me sit down and then walks over to them. Damien’s phone rings briefly, and he answers, “Yes, bring him in.”

Mike walks in with Vargas, whose hands are cuffed behind his back. A bloodied lower lip and a nasty slash mark his cheek; his designer suit now hangs in tatters, one sleeve ripped clean off as if he clawed his way out of an animal attack. Once gleaming with triumph, his eyes are now clouded and jittery, like a spooked horse. His smirk when he jumped me earlier is long gone. He doesn’t seem seriously injured, but the beating he took has shaken him.

Mike shoves him into a seat. Vargas sits up straight, shooting the three men a defiant glare. Mike places a hand on his shoulder, trying to dent his arrogance. Vargas is clearly not used to taking orders or being controlled. A low growl escapes his throat, his foot tapping a furious rhythm against the floor.

“You three assholes will have to answer for kidnapping and abuse,” he shouts.

“Oh, really? And who’s going to believe you?” Gabriel replies, a cool smile playing on his lips.

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