Chapter Twenty-Five
Luna
I opened my eyes, expecting to see myself surrounded by water. The motion beneath me had me feeling I was floating on a raft, but when I opened my eyes, it was Gabriel climbing back into bed. In his hands, he held his laptop, and I blinked to adjust my eyes as he lit the screen in the dim room.
I yawned and cleared my throat. “What are you doing?”
Gabriel patted my arm and rubbed soft circles there as if to soothe me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. I’ve barely caught a wink all night with this weighing on me. I’m going to see if I have that file where you left and see if I can find Harbor there. I’ve got to know what he was up to.”
“I’m sorry this has happened. I feel awful.” I rolled to my back and stared up at the ceiling. “Maybe I should tell Kim not to come. In light of everything, it might be best. She’ll understand, and she can come another time.”
Gabriel’s fingers glided over the keyboard to log in and brought up a set of files. “I think you’re long overdue for some girl time. You keep your plans and let me deal with this.” He narrowed his eyes at the screen and continued, “I’d appreciate you both steering clear of Harbor if you can help it, and if he pulls another stunt like that, you come to me immediately.”
Having Kim around would make me feel better, but I’d make sure the two of us avoided Harbor and his mother like the plague. “Are you sure?” I wanted to give him one last opportunity to tell me I should wait, but instead, he nodded.
“I’m positive. Your friend is always welcome. I’d like you to take her on a tour of the winery and make sure she leaves with some of our best.”
“She’ll love that. She’s an impossible wino.”
“Then I’m sure I’ll love her.” He stared at the screen and spoke in a monotone voice as he focused hard on the images. “What time did you leave?”
I sat up beside him and laid my head on his shoulder to see. “That morning after my shower. I’d say around eleven.”
“Then it should be here.” He flipped through some of the camera angles.
“There, that’s the hallway. It would have showed up on that camera. I remember that table with the plant. He steadied himself against it.”
Gabriel forwarded through the first hour of video and suddenly, there it was. “There I am.” I watched as Harbor came into the angle and then just as I had said, he bumped into me. For the most part, his back had been to the camera, but as he recovered from the contact – which seemed deliberate, seeing it play out – he’d turned to look behind him. I didn’t say anything as Gabriel rewound it and stilled the frame.
“Son of a bitch.” He played it a few times and stilled it again. “Why does it seem deliberate? Why would he do that? He must know you, too.”
That made my skin crawl. “I’d never met him before.”
“I know, which is why this worries me.” He scratched his head. “Let’s assume he didn’t know who you were…maybe this is his way of getting a woman’s attention. It’s juvenile, but he’s young. If you had stopped to respond, it would have been the perfect way to open a conversation.”
“But he didn’t stop, either.” I shrugged it off, though I wanted to scream. Gabriel could make excuses for the kid all day if he wanted, but this wasn’t his pick-up game. The guy clearly knew who I was.
“Maybe he saw us together that night and avoided us.” He growled in frustration. “I don’t want to have to call Mason and rat out my nephew. It won’t end well.”
I didn’t want to get back into another argument with him, but I wasn’t going to let him forget his word. “You promised you would.”
His shoulders slumped and he reached over and patted my hand. “I promised, so I will. But I won’t like it. Neither will his mother. The police will want to talk to him.” I nodded and kissed his shoulder. “I feel like I should talk to him first.”
“Don’t. He could run – that would make it worse.” I wondered if it would be best to let him run. Then at least Gabriel would know. I remembered Harbor’s eyes and the way they had lingered on me, and I pulled the covers up a bit higher.
“Are you cold?” Gabriel adjusted the blankets to give me more.
I yawned. “Thanks.”
“Go back to sleep. It’s still early.” I glanced at the time on his computer, and as if my brain was screaming out another protest, I yawned again.
“I’ll do that.” But as much as I tried, I couldn’t drift off. After a long time pretending, I got up.
I’d waited until Gabriel was out of the bathroom and then I slipped inside to get ready for the day. By the time I came out, my hair was tamed, my face was made up, and I had nothing to wear. The clothes I’d packed had been laundered several times by the hotel staff, but I was growing tired of the same old things.
There was only one person who could help me, so I dialed her number.
“I know you love me, but I’m not due for another two hours.” Kim’s music was much quieter in the background than usual.
“Could you do me a huge favor?” I hated to ask her, and even though I figured she wouldn’t mind, I hated to put her out.
“Well, since you’re like my best friend and all… I guess so.”
“Before you leave the city, could you please go by my place and grab me some clothes? We were supposed to go by, but I don’t think these men have any concept of wardrobe variety.”
“Men, huh?” I wondered where Gabriel had gone. He hadn’t been in the room when I came out.
“You remember Joe, the hot bodyguard, and Gabriel of course. There is a man named Carl, but he’s a bit old for you.
“Is he rich? Cause if so, I might make an exception.” We shared a laugh, and I imagined her with the old gardener. “Before I get too distracted, do you want to tell me now what to grab or would you prefer I video call you?”
Thank God for technology. “Video call. That way I can tell you where my other suitcase is and have you fill it with the good stuff like yoga pants and tank tops.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t pack them, but I guess it’s best to let Gabriel see the real you. I’ll pack those disgusting, neon-orange cheese puffs you like, too, if you want.” My mouth popped open.
“You wouldn’t dare. Besides, I haven’t touched one in weeks.”
“Vegas probably banned them.”
I thought about the hotel’s horrible pesto sauce. “You’d be surprised the vile things you get there.”
“Let’s not go there.” Knowing her gutter mind, I’d take the warning.
“Thanks for doing this for me. I can’t wait to see you.” She’d been like my sister for so long; this was the longest I’d gone without seeing her in years.
“That’s because I’m packing your yoga pants.” Her laughter always warmed my heart, and as we said our goodbyes, I wondered where my other heart warmer was.
I slipped on the only comfortable pair of jeans I’d packed and a cotton t-shirt I was sick of seeing. Since I’d left my sandals by the pool, and the only other pair I had packed was heels, I went downstairs barefoot with all intentions of going out to get my shoes.
But first, I wanted to find Gabriel and get an update on his nephew. The last thing I needed was to get cornered at the pool again.
I found him in his office alone, but he was on the phone. I stopped in the doorway, and he motioned me in. I took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk as he laid out his findings, which made me think it had to be Mason on the other end.
“I hate having to do this.” He raked his hand through his hair and let Mason speak. Across the distance, I heard the faint garbled sound of his voice as he convinced Gabriel he was doing the right thing.
“Keep me posted.” Gabriel hung up the phone and stared across the desk smiling. “Are you barefoot?”
My cheeks warmed. “Yes. I left my sandals by the pool and before I go out to get them, I wanted to know if Harbor was still around.” I folded my arms across my stomach.
“Are you sure he didn’t touch you, Luna?” I shook my head. “If he did-”
“He didn’t. He was being an ass, but he didn’t touch me.” I wasn’t about to tell him how close Harbor had gotten before I pushed past him.
“I don’t like that you’re worried because of him. He’s still around, and if we see him, don’t let him intimidate you. He gets a kick out of that kind of thing.”
“Tell me about it. He mentioned the victims and said at least this time you’d picked a fighter. It sent chills right through me, and I saw a flash in his face, as if his eyes had lit with pleasure. He gets off on it, all right.”
“You should have told me that last-”
Judy’s voice sounded from the hall and she poked her head around the door. She held my sandals in her hand. “Breakfast is ready, and I’ll serve you on the patio this morning. I woke Sandra.” She extended her arm toward me. “I believe these must be yours. Sandra said she’d never seen them before.”
“Yes, thank you. I’m sorry I left them lying around.” She smiled as if nothing bothered her, and I scolded myself for causing her to clean up after me like someone with no better manners than to leave my things strewn about the house.
“No worries. I’ve made a special breakfast this morning. We’re having my special pancakes, at Harbor’s request.” She smiled wide, like the very sound of his name on her lips made her proud. As she turned and walked away, I realized he must hold a special place in her heart.
The thought of having to eat with him made me queasy, but I slapped on a smile and made my way out of the office and down the main hall to the back patio.
Harbor sipped coffee as his mother nagged; as soon as she saw me and Gabriel, she straightened in her seat and shut her mouth. Harbor’s sly grin spread his lips as he saw me, but he quickly lowered his eyes to the paper before him.
“Good morning, family.” Gabriel’s tone was stiffer than usual, but I had a feeling it was routine, especially when they offered him the same tone in return.
“Good morning, Luna.” Harbor turned his coffee up, and Gabriel shifted his eyes toward his nephew.
“Good morning.” I nodded my head and spread a napkin in my lap as Judy approached with a tray. She placed a platter of pancakes in the center of the table where three kinds of syrup were already waiting with our settings. I reached across for the large pitcher of orange juice and filled my glass.
I met Judy’s eyes. “Everything looks amazing, thank you.”
Harbor reached his fork toward the platter and stabbed a pancake. “Judy makes the best pancakes anywhere. You should try the syrups. She makes them from scratch.”
Gabriel reached across the table and chose one of the syrups. “This one is from our grapes, but there is also peach and maple.”
Judy’s cheeks reddened and she lowered her chin and shrugged. “The maple is store-bought, but I did make the peach, too. I hope you enjoy them as much as Harbor does.”
I looked up in time to see Harbor stuffing his face with his first bite. Any other day, I might have regarded the display like it was any normal family. But I feared in my heart that I was eating with a killer.