Chapter Thirty
Hunter finally pulled into the gates as the sun was setting.
Gabi was livid.
He stepped from the back of the car and opened his arms to all the activity. “What’s going on?”
With one hand on her hip, and anger in her words, she told him the only reasonable thing she could. “Chaos! Chaos I’m dealing with alone because you’re too busy to bother.”
“I had something to take care of.”
Gabi rolled her eyes and twisted away.
Neil and company had descended on her home like locusts. The garland around the door had been stripped away; the Christmas tree in the living room nearly decimated as they searched for God only knew what.
Neil . . . Lord only knew how Gwen put up with his quiet tight ass. The man offered nothing.
While a team looked over every strand of lights, every inch of garland . . . every decoration she’d had the staff place a few days before, Neil and a few others were inside poking in every nook and cranny of the house.
Before she could make it back inside, the man of the hour met them both out the front door.
“We found bugs that don’t belong to us.”
Gabi stood motionless.
Hunter wasn’t. “Where?”
“Inside the TVs. Audio for the guest room, the master bedroom . . . video with audio in the living room.”
The hair on Gabi’s arms stood up. “Someone has been listening to us? Watching us?”
Hunter was livid. “How did this happen?”
“Sophisticated equipment placed inside the televisions. The technology isn’t something I’ve seen before. My equipment didn’t pick it up. And my stuff picks up an out of place ant.”
Gabi grabbed Neil’s thick arm. “Do you think the deceased boy placed the bugs?”
“I think it’s a high probability. Obviously not for his gain since he ended up dead.”
“Can you trace the feeds?” Hunter asked.
“The transponder looks Internet enabled.”
“If we turn off our Internet, it will stop reporting feeds?”
“I’d need a lab to see if it holds its own hotspot.”
“So whoever is listening . . . watching . . . could be anywhere in the world?” Gabi asked.
“But close enough to rig your car and know when you come and go. No, my gut says whoever did this is physically close.”
Gabi pinched her eyes with her free hand. “What a nightmare.”
“We’ve removed the bugs and are searching for more.”
“Won’t the police want to know about the bugs?”
“I’ll tell them,” Neil said as he turned away. “Eventually.”
He moved back into the house, leaving Gabi and Hunter standing in the driveway.
“You should be resting,” he told her.
“And you should be here. I realize this marriage is a complete farce, but you could at least pretend to care.” She turned, not letting him reply. Instead of moving into the master bedroom full of bugs and men stripping the room, she detoured to the guest room that was void a television and slammed the door.
She flopped on the bed, instantly regretted the force with which she landed, and propped her broken arm on a pillow.
When her eyes started to leak, she told herself it was the pain in her arm causing it.
Hunter crossed the threshold behind Gabi. His feet faltered when he realized the magnitude of destruction Neil and his team had managed in search of bugs.
No wonder Gabi was so upset. She’d worked so hard to create a holiday on an empty canvas to have it all look like the Grinch showed up and took it all down.
Andrew met him in the living room. “These men are like bulls in a china shop.”
“I can see that.”
Hunter’s nose caught his attention and had him twisting around.
Laying on the kitchen island were drying racks and platters filled with cookies and sweet breads. His mouth watered and he licked his lips.
One of Neil’s workers swept a cookie from the counter and waved it in the air. “I’m addicted.”
“What’s all that?”
Andrew crossed to the kitchen and positioned a nutcracker that had been nudged out of place. “Seems Gabi bakes when she’s upset.”
“With one hand?” Hunter asked.
“She managed.”
He’d forgotten to eat lunch and approached the mini bakery with a growling stomach. He picked up something that looked like a tiny glazed breadstick sprinkled with sesame seeds and popped it in his mouth. “Oh, my God,” he muttered with a full mouth.
Someone behind him caught Andrew’s attention. “Hey, watch that.”
Andrew shot past him to keep one of the mini trees in the dining room from being toppled over.
Hunter’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen to see a text message from Remington.
Cargo is airborne.
He placed his hands on the counter and slumped his head. His brother had done the right thing . . . well, he’d taken the money, but Hunter expected nothing less.
And Hayden was safe.
A strange empty space inside him opened up. He’d gotten used to the idea of a child in his life. Even if it wasn’t his son, Hunter was ready. He’d never held the child, nor had he seen him outside of a photograph, but the loss wasn’t mistakable. Hayden left a strange hole.
Neil’s men started to funnel out of the main living quarters of the house and into the backyard.
Andrew was righting the mess they left.
Hunter shrugged out of his jacket and joined him.
They worked together in silence.
The living and dining rooms were set. A decent dent had been made out of Gabi’s cooking before Neil’s men wound up their equipment and left.
Andrew called for a dinner delivery and Neil hung back.
“Have you heard from our guy?” Neil asked.
Hunter shook his head.
“You will. He won’t like his eyes and ears being taken away.”
“Are you sure they’re all gone?”
Neil offered one affirmative nod.
“What’s the next step?”
“We wait.”
The weight of the day started to pull Hunter down. “Like pawns on a chessboard.”
“This guy isn’t used to waiting. It won’t be long.”
Hunter was about to ask him what he meant when Rick popped his head into the room.
“We’re all set downstairs.”
“Downstairs?”
Neil turned away. “Follow me.”
They twisted down the steps and into the wine cellar that had yet to be stocked with anything but dust.
In the center of the room was a desk and four monitors. A man Hunter didn’t recognize sat with his back to them, a set of earphones on his head. He clicked a mouse, typed something in, and then realized they were standing there.
He pulled off the earphones and pushed the rolling chair away from the desk. “We’re all set,” he told Neil.
Hunter peered closer. The monitors were images sent from all parts of the house. Hallways, kitchen . . . living room. He saw the Christmas tree in full living color. The backyard was a set of shapes as if through some kind of night vision lens.
One of the security guards outside walked by a camera, and the lens followed him until he was out of the frame.
“Have you two met?” Neil asked Hunter as he pointed to the other man.
The other man extended a hand. “Dennis. I’ve been watching on the other side.”
“And now he’ll be watching from here.”
Hunter didn’t argue.
Dennis clicked a few buttons and the full-screen monitor switched to an office space . . . his downtown LA office space. “How the hell—”
“Floral delivery with a bug. Our bug.”
Hunter turned his eyes to Rick. The man was all smiles and a wink. “Comes in handy, trust me.”
“Is all this necessary?”
“Consider it DEFCON four. There’s one man dead. Gabi and Solomon nearly ate it yesterday, and we have yet to figure out when and where the bomb found its way under the car. Someone is willing to kill for a chunk of money,” Rick told him.
“I doubt he’ll come here to get it.”
“From the looks of the equipment we found, this guy isn’t stupid. He’s going to want leverage to ensure he gets the money he wants.”
“Leverage?”
“Collateral,” Rick said.
Hunter shivered. “You mean Gabi?”
“Or Hayden,” Rick said.
“Hayden is taken care of.”
It was Neil and Rick’s turn to offer looks of confusion. “He’s on a plane right now with his real parents. My brother will keep his head low until I tell him otherwise.”
“One less potential hostage,” Dennis said from the desk.
The word hostage wasn’t one Hunter wanted to hear, even if he knew that’s exactly what all this was about.
He pointed to a dark corner of one of the monitors. “What’s that one?”
“Reserved for your cars.” Dennis clicked, brought the image of the front seat of the town car, clicked again to view the front seat of his Maserati.
Lights from a car pulled into the frame of the front gate.
Dennis turned up the volume and they witnessed the surveillance together. Hunter didn’t recognize the new guard at the gate, but he spoke with the driver of the car.
Looked like their dinner had arrived.
The guard didn’t open the gate, simply paid for the meal through the bars, took the food, and thanked the delivery man before he took off.
Solomon retrieved the bags, said something about bringing the man back a plate, and then walked down the drive and into the house. Back inside, Andrew took plates from the cupboard.
Should I wake Mrs. B.? Solomon asked from the monitored image.
Andrew looked past the other man before Dennis cut off the audio feed.
“I try my best to disconnect any private conversations. Can’t guarantee it,” Dennis said.
“Privacy will have to wait,” Hunter replied.
“I will click in and record every telephone call. It takes a few seconds to amplify the opposing conversation. If our guy calls, I need you to signal me and turn off any removable noise.”
“Wave and turn down the TV. Got it.”
Neil went on to point out that the bathrooms and walk-in closet weren’t monitored.
“Looks like you have everything covered.” And it did. It also helped to know that every man in the house, sans himself and Andrew, were armed. If this were to go on for any length of time, he’d rectify that, too.
Rick took his jacket off the back of the chair. “I’ll be back in the morning.” He nudged Dennis’s arm before pointing to the screen. “Chinese food sounds good. Hope Judy’s game.”
He took the stairs two at a time as he left.
Hunter walked Neil out at a slower pace.
Neil placed a hand on the top of his car as he opened the door. “My wife is going to want a report on Gabi.”
Hunter blew out a breath. “You’ve spent more time with her today than I have.”
“I noticed.”
He tucked his hands into his front pockets, leaned back, and studied his shoes. “Have you ever found yourself in a self-made hell and have no way of digging out without someone getting hurt?”
Neil cracked a smile. “I’ve been to war.”
“I’d do it all differently if I could, Neil.” So differently.
Neil’s silence made Hunter look up.
“Would you take a bullet for her?”
“Yes!” There was no hesitation.
Neil extended his hand. “Barring any unexpected activity, I’ll be here tomorrow.”
Hunter slipped into the room as quietly as he could.
He tried to stay away, told himself she was better off alone than by his side. He couldn’t stand the thought of Gabi thinking the worst of him.
She’d been crying before she fell asleep. Her eyes were swollen and black smudges lived under her eyes.
One look at the cast and he cringed.
He removed his shoes and moved to the bed. Fully clothed, he sat carefully before settling his back against the headboard, his feet on the bed. He lifted the pillow holding her arm and carefully placed them both on his lap.
He wanted to make this right. Wanted to make them right.
At this rate, Gabi was destined to walk out of his life just as quickly as she’d entered it. Only she was taking something with her that was more precious than money.
He felt like a thief when she shifted in her sleep and moved closer to his side. He didn’t have a shred of decency as he relaxed into her unconscious presence. It was all borrowed time, time that would have to take him through a coming storm.
“I do care, Gabi,” he whispered to her sleeping frame. “Please don’t walk out of my life.”
She sighed in her sleep and Hunter closed his eyes.