Chapter 15
“So the bastard is blackmailing her?” Blake asked Gabe wrathfully.
“Yes.” Nobody had been more relieved than Gabe when he found out Blake had just landed in Rocky Springs. He needed his best friend right now.
“We need to find her. Anybody checked his house?” Blake rose from his seat on Gabe’s couch, agitated.
“Zane went. He called just before you got here. Nobody’s there. He’s searching the house right now,” Gabe answered unhappily, worried as hell about where James had taken Chloe. Her truck had been out front of the bastard’s house, but nobody was there according to Zane.
“How in the hell did this happen? Why did I never see it? She’s my only sister, my baby sister.” Blake paced Gabe’s living room, still dressed in a suit because he hadn’t gone home to change.
“She’s been gone a long time, Blake. Nobody really knew. Forget the past. We have to figure out how to get her back safe. She’s terrified that he’ll release the video and the news will be a scandal. He’s forcing her hand.”
“I don’t think a single one of us give a shit about scandal. We love Chloe,” Blake answered huskily.
“You’re running for re-election next year,” Gabe reminded him.
“You think a damn senate seat means more to me than my sister?”
No. Gabe knew it didn’t. He was just pointing out the obvious reasons why Chloe wanted to keep the disgusting video under wraps. “No,” he answered aloud.
“Mom said she was working for you. How did she seem? I didn’t see much of her last time I was home.” Blake’s words held regret.
“She was doing good, getting over his abuse.” Gabe had spilled everything to Blake, knowing he was going to need the help of Chloe’s family. The only thing he’d refuse any one of them was access to the video. Chloe wouldn’t want her brothers or any of her family to see her like that.
“Do I have any reason to kick your ass?” Blake asked bluntly, stopping his pacing to glare at Gabe, who was seated in one of the living room chairs.
“Not unless you want to beat me up because I love her, too.” He was done pissing around. Blake needed to know how he felt.
“You care about her safety, or you love her?” Blake looked at Gabe frankly.
“I love her. I love her so much I can hardly breathe. If we don’t find her soon, I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep my sanity. So yeah, I love her. I want to marry her more than I’ve ever wanted anything.”
Blake’s eyebrows rose. “You’ve been busy.”
Gabe nodded. “Busy losing my heart to your sister. I’d never hurt her, Blake. I love her.”
Blake answered, “I know you wouldn’t. And I wouldn’t complain at having you for a brother-in-law. At least I’d know she was safe.”
“I haven’t done such a great job at keeping her safe. Look what’s happening now,” Gabe grumbled, still angry at himself for losing the entire night thinking that Chloe was telling him the truth about wanting James back. He’d spent the night feeling sorry for himself rather than keeping her out of that asshole’s hands. He should have gone after her, refused to accept her explanation. Instead, he’d let his broken heart blind him to the truth.
“It’s not your fault, buddy. Didn’t you just say that I needed to focus on now and forget the past? I’m telling you the same thing.”
As usual, Blake could almost read his thoughts. He knew him that well. Gabe nodded. “Let’s focus on now.”
“What happened?” a feminine voice asked as Lara entered the room. She was dressed casually in jeans and a sweater, like she’d been on her way to school.
Gabe nodded at Tate, who was right behind his wife. Lara looked too frantic to acknowledge much of anything.
Blake took over, filling Tate and Lara in on what had been happening with Chloe. Lara burst into tears, looking guilt-ridden, as Tate held her in his arms, trying to comfort her while seething with anger, and making threats against James.
“I should have known he’d try something. He was pissed, determined to marry her. I was so damn relieved when she broke it off for good and called off the marriage,” Lara said breathlessly, her tears finally stopping.
“You knew?” Tate asked, a look of surprise on his face as he looked at his wife.
Lara nodded slowly, sadly. “Some of it. I set her up with counseling she could do over the Internet with an incredible psychologist. She was doing so much better. But I should have known that James wouldn’t let it end that easily. I think he just wanted her money.”
“You didn’t tell me,” Tate replied, sounding hurt.
“I know. I’m sorry.” Lara reached a hand up to run a palm down the side of his face. “I didn’t tell anyone. Chloe begged me to keep her secrets. She was humiliated. I couldn’t break her confidence. She was making too much progress. I didn’t want her to go back on the defensive.”
“You know more than me about those things, I suppose,” Tate admitted, reaching out to clasp her hand. “I understand. I think.”
“We’ll talk about it, later. I promise. Right now I’m worried about Chloe.”
“They still aren’t there,” Zane’s voice sounded from the entrance as he stepped into the living room. Gabe had left the front door unlocked because he was expecting this kind of traffic. He’d called every member of the Colter family except Marcus. “I searched the entire place, and I finally found the laptop hidden underneath one of the floorboards in his office. Jesus, couldn’t he be more original?”
Gabe’s heart started to race. “Is everything gone?”
“Yeah. I think he only made the copy to send to Chloe, and he didn’t send it by email. I don’t think he wanted to take the chance of it ever getting replicated, especially if he was going to marry her.” Zane went and flopped on the other side of the couch from Gabe.
“You destroyed it?” Gabe rechecked, wanting to know everything was gone.
Zane rolled his eyes. “Do you think I’m an amateur? Just because I haven’t worked for the CIA or the FBI doesn’t mean I don’t know how to get rid of evidence for good. Nobody will ever be able to recover it, and I’m positive there’s nothing else out there except for your copy.” Zane eyed Gabe carefully. “You did destroy it, right?”
“Almost immediately,” Gabe admitted. He’d been unable to stop himself from destroying the video for good. He never wanted anyone to see it. Ever.
“Where is my baby girl?” Aileen Colter entered the large room, looking frantic. “What did he do to her?”
Blake, Zane, Tate, and Lara all hugged her, and they huddled together to explain.
The gang was all here, and Gabe hoped Chloe would forgive him for revealing everything to her family, but now they needed to know.
“We have to find her. What do you think he did to her?” Aileen’s voice sounded terrified.
“We’ll find her, Mom,” Zane promised in a comforting voice.
“Should we call Marcus?” Aileen asked hesitantly.
Blake answered. “Not yet. He’s halfway across the world right now. He can’t help us much. If we need more help, we’ll call.”
Gabe knew that Blake was trying to spare his twin worry. With Marcus being so far away, the last thing he needed was bad news from home.
“Blake and I already called the police. They should be here any time.”
“We need to start looking, but I’m not sure where to start,” Lara answered nervously. “I wish I knew his plan and why he’s blackmailing her.”
“He wants her to marry him,” Gabe answered, thinking about the note he’d read from James. “He’s trying to force her into marriage to get his hands on her money.”
“You don’t think he’d do it this fast, do you?” Blake asked worriedly.
At this point, there wasn’t anything he’d put past Chloe’s ex. The guy was a psycho. “They’d need a license.”
“It can be obtained in a single day. No blood tests and they don’t need anything except an ID,” Tate pondered.
Blake pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “This is my district. Let me see what I can find out.”
Gabe watched as his friend made a few calls, hoping like hell that they’d find Chloe quickly, before he lost his sanity.
Aileen fidgeted nervously.
Tate and Lara sounded like they were in a heated conversation, possibly about the fact that she’d kept Tate in the dark about what was happening to his baby sister.
And Zane looked like he was in his own little world, his eyes facing forward, but Gabe could tell he wasn’t really looking at anything. Zane was lost in thought.
Gabe rose from the couch and went to put his arm around Aileen. “I’m sorry, Aileen. We’ll find her.” Or I’ll die trying.
“It’s not your fault, Gabe. You’ve been looking after her just fine. It’s James. I’m not sure what he’s capable of. I wish I would have seen what he was really like earlier so I could help my girl.” Her voice was weepy and distraught.
“She’s not a girl anymore. She is a woman, a daughter you can be proud of. She’s worked so hard to find her strength.” Gabe squeezed Aileen closer, wanting to comfort Chloe’s mom because she wasn’t around to do it herself.
“She is,” Aileen agreed readily. “But I’m going to make you marry her, Gabriel. No more messing around with my baby girl.”
Gabe nearly swallowed his tongue, but he recovered. “I plan on it…if she’ll have me. I love her. More than anything.” He wasn’t going to bullshit Chloe’s mother at a time like this.
“I know,” she answered with a sigh. “The look on your face when you see her reminds me of how Chloe’s dad used to look at me.”
“You still miss him.” It was a statement, not a question. Gabe could tell that Chloe’s mom still missed her husband, even after all these years.
She looked up at him and nodded. “Every day since he was killed.”
Hell, Gabe couldn’t imagine how she felt, living every day without that one person who you’d die for, but he supposed having kids helped. Aileen had always been there for every one of her children. Regardless of how guilty she felt about Chloe right now, she’d been a wonderful mother.
“I’m going to need to get clearance to land somewhere near the courthouse,” Gabe heard Blake say in an authoritarian voice.
Gabe’s head swung to Blake, trying to hear what he was saying.
“We’re cutting it close. Expect us to be there shortly.” Blake concluded his call and shoved his phone back into his suit pocket, and then glanced at his watch.
“You found her,” Lara said excitedly.
“They already have a marriage license. They have an appointment at the courthouse in just over two hours,” Blake told the entire room, his voice booming through the large space. “Tate, we need your helicopter now. Gabe, Tate, Zane, and I will fly. Mom, can you and Lara wait for the police here?”
“Yes, of course,” Aileen said eagerly. “Lara knows about some of the earlier things. She can help. You’ll call us the minute you know she’s safe?”
Gabe gave Chloe’s mom a solemn nod.
“Tell the police we’ll be at the courthouse,” Blake said brusquely.
Tate jogged for the door. “I’ll land in your pasture. Clear the horses,” he said over his shoulder.
Gabe picked up his phone and immediately had Cal moving the horses so Tate could set down and pick them up without freaking out the pregnant mares.
“Got a change of clothes?” Blake asked casually when Gabe got off his call.
Blake was smirking evilly, and Gabe smiled conspiratorially. “Planning on getting your hands dirty?”
“Very,” Blake growled.
“Let’s go.” He nodded his head toward the stairs, and led the way for Blake to hurriedly get changed into jeans and a sweatshirt. They were pretty close in size, and Gabe’s clothing fit Blake well enough.
All the men were already in the pasture when Tate landed, maneuvering the helicopter like a bat out of hell. Honestly, Gabe was glad Tate was an expert pilot and could fly them as quickly as possible. The sooner they arrived at the courthouse of the county seat the better.
The men jumped into the aircraft with the two women looking on anxiously. The police were just arriving, and Gabe finally saw Lara and Aileen go to greet them.
The helicopter lifted off almost immediately, and Gabe nervously checked the time again.
Hang on, sweetheart. We’re on our way. We’re cutting it tight, but we’ll get there.
Gabe just hoped they made it before his woman ended up married to the wrong man.