Page 26 of Gabe

“Princess,” Gabe says, reaching over to turn my head toward him. “Why don’t you let Carlos help us?”

“Because I’m not?—”

“Going to sit in the shadows. I know that, but baby, we’ve run out of leads. Maybe there is something he can find that we can’t,” Gabe says. While he is making sense, I don’t care. I’m not going to hand this over.

“I’ve been thinking about that all afternoon. Now that we know that Carlos isn’t behind the fire at Elio’s, I’m certain the plan that has been forming in my mind will work. The people who did that have to be connected to Ned. They are pissed thatI’m coming out of hiding. So, I think that I should fully come out of hiding. I think it’s time I go to the media?—”

“Fuck no,” Gabe yells, pushing up off the chair arm. “You do that, and you are basically signing your own death certificate.”

I also stand to my feet in anger because fuck him if he doesn’t think I can handle myself. “I’m not a weak little girl that can’t handle stuff. I know what I’m doing and the consequences of my actions. I’ve thought through every angle of this, and it’s the right thing. It will bring not only Ned out of hiding but whoever is helping him.”

“I said no,” Gabe says, stepping into my personal space.

“And I don’t fucking care what you say.”

Carlos clears his throat, pulling my attention to him. “Tara, look, I understand the need for you to do this all on your own. But from what I’ve heard, this is getting deeper and even more dangerous than you thought. Your idea isn’t bad, but give us twenty-four hours.” He holds up his hand when I open my mouth. “When I say us, I mean me, Soto, and Elio. If we can’t find Ned and whoever is helping him, then we will go with your plan. If we do find them, we will?—”

“Bring me to them because I’m going to be the one that ends their lives,” I say.

“Are you agreeing?” Carlos asks, standing up.

“Y’all have twenty-four hours,” I say, looking down at my watch. “Starting now.”

Carlos pulls out his phone and starts typing at a fast pace. Jessie steps forward and clears his throat. “I want to help as well.”

Carlos looks at him and then at Reed. “I’ve got two men waiting at a rental house. If you want in on this, you better be ready in the next sixty seconds.”

“I’m ready now,” Jessie says.

Carlos walks across the room and stops right in front of me. “I’ll find them and get you the justice you deserve. Just like you did for Hannah.” He holds his hand out, and I place my palm in his. He and his men leave, with Jessie following behind him.

“Tara,” Reed says, and I turn around to face my big brother. I don’t want him going with Carlos, which is the exact opposite of what I’m wanting to do. Carlos is right; this has turned dangerous, and I want to keep Reed and Gabe away from it, but I don’t want to stay away.

“Be careful,” I say, hating the stinging in my eyes.

Reed nods and pulls me in for a hug before leaving out the front door with his phone to his ear. Once the door shuts, the guilt that I’ve been having difficulty fighting slams into me. I wrap my arms around myself, shut my eyes, and let the tears fall.

Chapter

Fourteen

GABE

Wrapping my arms around Tara, I hold her as she crumbles emotionally. For the millionth time, I marvel at how strong my girl is. Yes, she might be breaking just a little right now, but she will pull herself together, just like she has had to do over and over the past year. Tara clings to my arms wrapped around her stomach as I slowly rock us side to side. I hope that Carlos can find this Ned guy and whoever targeted Elio soon so we can end this and my girl can finally start living her life again.

“Thank you,” Tara whispers after a couple of minutes. She leans her head back against my shoulder.

I kiss the tip of her nose and taste the salt left behind. “You never have to thank me for supporting you. In fact, it should be me thanking you, Princess.”

Tara sighs and wraps her left arm around my neck. “For what?”

“Forgiving me.”

Her eyes fly open, and I breathe a sigh of relief when I see a flame in them.There’s my girl.“Gabe, if Dean and Ned hadnot raped me or left me for dead, our little fight wouldn’t have seemed so big. I would have eventually found my way back home, or you would have come and got me. We would have talked it out like we did earlier, and I would have forgiven you. The fight became much bigger due to their actions, not yours.”

“I logically know that, but?—”

“No buts Gabe. I’m so damn tired of dealing with all of this. I don’t want to think about any of this for the next twenty-four hours.”

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