Chapter Twenty-one
Grey stood in the doorway and watched the exhausted couple trudge toward the cabin. Although he had met Gabriella a few times at various events, he wasn’t sure she would remember him. If he had known what she had been enduring for most of her life, he would have done something for her sooner.
The instant he saw their expressions, he knew something had happened between them. There was both an awareness and a wariness of each other. Gabriella wore a proud and defiant expression. It was Jonah’s face that Grey focused on the most. Despite his obvious exhaustion, this was the most alive Grey had seen the man in years. No, he didn’t look happy or even particularly angry. Grey scrambled for a description and decided engaged was the right word. Jonah had been in shutdown mode for so long, but now he looked like he actually gave a damn.
Stepping out onto the porch, Grey sent Gabriella a reassuring smile. “Hello, Gabriella. I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Grey?” She threw a disbelieving glance at Jonah and then returned her amazed gaze to him. “You arranged all this? But why?”
“Come in. We’ll talk once you get settled.”
She stepped inside warily, as if expecting her grandfather or one of his goons to jump out and grab her. He couldn’t blame her for that. Gabriella had learned distrust of powerful people at an early age. Though he and Luis Mendoza had nothing in common businesswise, they both wielded a huge amount of influence in their particular worlds.
Once inside, she went to stand beside Jonah, and Grey was pleased to see that his first impression was correct. She trusted Jonah as her protector, but he got the feeling it was more than that. There was a connection there. It wasn’t what he’d expected. Nevertheless, he was glad to see it. Considering what they were each facing, that connection might be the only thing to save them both.
“Gabby,” Jonah said, “why don’t you go and freshen up? Your room is up the stairs, second door. You should have whatever you need. If not, let me know.”
Throwing Jonah a grateful smile, she nodded at Grey and then sped up the stairway.
The instant the door closed, Grey said, “What happened?”
Jonah threw the duffel bag in his hand down and dropped onto the sofa. “She had a tracker inside her. I should’ve scanned her at the beginning, but it never occurred to me her grandfather would be that bloodless.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. It didn’t occur to either Kingston or myself.”
“What happened after we escaped the mansion?”
“Place was ransacked. Mendoza’s men practically turned the damn thing on its side trying to find evidence.”
“And you’re sure they won’t find my fingerprints on file?”
“I’m certain of it. Once you were exonerated, we made sure your fingerprints and all DNA evidence were erased from the system.
Jonah breathed out a relieved sigh. Among the many perks of having a friend like Justice were the connections he had and the influence he possessed. Even though Jonah had been innocent of his crimes, he would always have a prison record. Grey had seen to it that much of that record no longer existed.
“How did you get rid of the tracker?”
“I didn’t. She did it herself.”
As Jonah explained the details, he could see that Justice didn’t look all that surprised, and he realized something. “You know more about her than you told me.”
“I’ve learned more in the last few days. After we hacked into the medical records at her doctor’s office, I feel I have a working knowledge of what she’s been going through for most of her life.”
“Care to share?”
Jonah told himself it wasn’t an invasion of her privacy. He was protecting her. Finding out about her any way he could was justified.
“I don’t—”
The sound of a door opening stopped their discussion. Whether Justice would have revealed what he knew was anyone’s guess, but either way, Jonah intended to learn more.
He noted that her footsteps were lighter as she came down the stairs. Apparently, she’d taken a quick shower, because her hair was slightly damp. Her color was still a little off, but she looked a lot better than she had. A few moments of solitude, away from his grumpy-assed self, had likely been a welcome reprieve.
Justice had brought some clothes for her. The jeans were a good fit, molding her perfect ass and hugging her long, slender legs. The fawn-colored cashmere sweater brought out the golden tone of her skin and made her dark brown eyes seem deeper and even softer. Gabby was a beautiful woman and in no way looked like she’d just been through a traumatic experience. He only wished—
Jonah jerked himself out of those thoughts. He’d once again been going down a road he dared not travel. What the hell was wrong with him?
Gabby settled onto the sofa beside Jonah. There were other chairs in the room, but she had chosen to sit beside him. He told himself that was no big deal.
She gave Justice one of her bright smiles. “I still can’t believe it was you all along, Grey. How is it that you know Kathleen?”
“She’s my employee,” Grey said.
“But at the art show in Dallas, you acted as if you barely knew her.”
“A ruse so she could get close to you.”
Her smile disappeared. “Because of Carlos. He is definitely in jail?”
“Yes. And will be for a very long time. No worries there.”
“I’m sure I only know a portion of what he’s done, and it’s horrific.”
“He’s nothing for you to worry about anymore. That part of your life is over.”
“So what now?”
“Jonah was just telling me how you dug the location device out by yourself. That took a lot of courage.”
A light flush of color tinted her cheeks. Something else Jonah was learning. Praise embarrassed her. Considering her family, she probably hadn’t heard much of it.
“I did it out of desperation. I couldn’t let them catch us.”
“Courage is sometimes the by-product of desperation but does nothing to lessen the significance of the act. You’ve shown your strength in many ways. Are you in pain?”
“Not really. The doctor told me to replace the bandage daily. The stitches will dissolve on their own.” She shook her head. “I still can’t believe I had that thing in me and never knew it. My appendectomy was five years ago.”
“Your grandfather was determined to never lose control of you.”
“Luis Mendoza is an evil fiend.”
“Yes, he is. I’m sorry you had to live under his rule for so long.”
“I’m here now. That’s all that counts. And I thank you for that. Are you here to discuss what I told Jonah?”
“Not really. Unless you have more to share. The information you gave will bring irreparable damage to your grandfather and many of his associates. You’ve done more than your share of good work.”
“I’m glad.”
“I’m here, actually, to talk about you. About your future. Where you want to live. What you want to do in your new life.” His gaze shifted to the coffee table, where several folders lay. “I brought questionnaires for you to complete. It’ll give my people a chance to help you create the life you want.”
Jonah frowned as he followed Gabby’s gaze to the folders. There were several of them. He had a sick feeling that at least one held information that could demolish every good feeling Gabby had about starting her new life. She wasn’t ready to have that discussion now. Not after the day she’d had.
“How about we have dinner?” Jonah said.
“Excellent idea.” Justice’s gaze shifted toward the kitchen. “I picked up some food from the diner in town.”
“I’ll see to the meal.” Before he walked away, he gave Justice a hard, telling look. No way in hell did he want him to bring up the doctor’s appointment and what they’d discovered. He’d let her get a good night’s sleep and tell her tomorrow. Waiting one more day wouldn’t make a difference.
Without Jonah’s presence, Gabby felt somewhat self-conscious. She remembered describing Grey to Kathleen as Mr. Tall, Dark, and Dreamy. With coal-black hair, intense blue eyes, and a commanding presence, he was quite handsome. Still, there was something about him that frightened her. While she was quite sure he wasn’t of her grandfather’s ilk, she had the feeling he could be terrifyingly ruthless in his pursuit of what he wanted. Having a man like him on her side was a good thing.
“Jonah’s told you about the various governments who are looking for you, hoping to get what information they can?”
“Yes.” She grimaced. “Being wanted by both good and bad people is a little uncomfortable.”
“I’m sure it is. We’ll make sure they can’t find you.”
She believed him. Grey was known for his philanthropy and his advocacy for gaining justice for those wronged. Maybe it was naïve of her—something she had sworn was in the past—but she trusted his word.
“Thank you, again.” She nodded at the folders in front of her. “Should I go ahead and start on these?”
“Why don’t we eat first?”
Jonah appeared at the doorway. The grim set to his mouth had gotten even more pronounced. Something was bothering him. His words earlier about her becoming someone else’s problem had stung. Was that how he really saw her? A problem? He had admitted to being attracted to her. Was that the reason for his grimness?
“Gabriella, after you.”
Startled, she looked up, realizing both men were focused on her. She went to her feet, following the delightful fragrance of something spicy.
They gathered at a small round table in the kitchen. Jonah had set the table and put the prepared food out. The cheeseburger and shake she’d consumed in the early afternoon were long gone. She was ravenous.
She was halfway through with her meal before she raised her head. Though slightly embarrassed to know she’d been eating like a starving animal, she was pleased that both men seemed to be of the same mind. Glad she didn’t have to pretend with them, she concentrated on her plate. Spaghetti and meatballs was one of her favorite meals, but she was rarely allowed to indulge. It tasted like manna to her. Running for one’s life apparently increased the appetite.
“Have you ever tried to escape your grandfather before this?” Grey asked.
The pasta turned tasteless in her mouth. How many times had she tried? She had stopped counting. Having no real plan and nowhere to run had thwarted every attempt. She had just wanted to be gone. Her grandfather’s men had always brought her back.
Then came the day when she’d tried something different—the one thing she had believed would work. At last, there would be retribution for her grandfather and an escape for her. It had been a disaster. Her naïveté had caused a chain reaction of events that she would never be able to forget. And it had almost gotten her killed.
That had been the last time she’d tried. Until now.
Jonah watched the light in Gabby’s eyes die, replacing the contentment that had been there before.
“I haven’t tried since I was fifteen.”
“Why did you stop at fifteen?” Justice asked.
Her eyes dropped to her plate. She didn’t know it yet, but that move was one of her tells. Jonah knew her next words wouldn’t be the complete truth.
“Raiza came to live with me. She was hired to be my bodyguard but became so much more.”
“You trusted her,” Justice said.
“The only person I’ve ever trusted until...” Her gaze went to Jonah, and then, blushing, she shifted her attention back to Justice as she continued. “Raiza became my mentor, my trainer, and my confidant.”
“And she’s the reason you never tried to escape again?”
“Her husband was killed when an enemy tried to assassinate my grandfather. Raiza was left to provide for the family. She had three daughters and a son. If I had escaped, she would have been punished, possibly killed. Her children might have been punished, too. I couldn’t take the risk.”
Jonah asked the obvious question, though he already knew the answer. “And then Raiza died?”
“Yes. Not long after I returned home from my trip to Dallas, where I met Kathleen. With her death, my grandfather could no longer hold her or her family’s welfare over my head.”
“She was like a mother to you,” Jonah said. She’d had almost no one in her life to really care about her and had lost the one person who did.
“That and so much more. Raiza was a wonderful person, and I miss her greatly.”
“I’m surprised your grandfather didn’t have someone waiting in the wings to take her place,” Justice said.
“I’m sure he would have, but her death was unexpected. He was likely looking, but other things were occupying him at that time, which is probably one of the reasons my brother came to stay with me. For a little extra intimidation. Not that his presence made any difference. I was circumspect in my behavior so no one would have an inkling of my plans.”
“I’m sorry it took so long to carry out the abduction.”
She shrugged as if it didn’t matter, but Jonah knew the wait must have been excruciating knowing the possibility of escape was finally within reach but having no idea how or when it would take place.
“It wasn’t your fault. Getting my brother and me together so we could be captured at the same time took longer than I anticipated. The doctor’s appointment was our first outing together.”
Wanting to make sure they didn’t go into dangerous territory, Jonah said quickly, “What things were occupying your grandfather?”
“What?”
“You said your grandfather was occupied with other things, or he would have found you another companion immediately.”
“I don’t know exactly what they were. I just know he was distracted the few times we talked.”
Did that distraction have anything to do with what had been done to Gabby? Even though he knew it would never be possible, Jonah wished with all his heart that he could spend just a few moments alone with Luis Mendoza. That’s all the time he would need.
The rest of the meal passed quietly, each of them lost in thought. When Gabby finished, Jonah suggested she go on up for the night. The fact that she hadn’t argued was telling. After the day she’d had, she had to be exhausted.
She said good night. The instant he heard her bedroom door close, he shifted his eyes to Justice.
“We need to talk.”