Consent (The Loan Shark Duet 2)

“Gabriel?” Rhett has taken two steps back and is standing at a safe distance closer to the door.

“Search every trashcan on the property.” There’s a good chance Valentina took the pregnancy test with her, but I need to be sure. “Find that test and bring it to me.”

I’m clear enough in my fucked-up state to realize I may be jumping the gun. There’s a chance she’s not pregnant, but I have to consider all options.

When he’s gone, I call the guardhouse and bark out commands. I don’t want the news to leak to Magda prematurely. Eventually, she’ll find out. Until then, I need all the time I can get or Valentina is dead. I punch in the details to activate the tracker software installed on my phone. Her tracker is goddamn dead, which can only mean she destroyed the phone. To be sure, I dial her number, but it goes straight onto voicemail.

The day I kicked down Valentina’s door in Berea, I gave her my phone to call her friend, the vet she’s been working for. I saved the number on my phone when she was done. Scrolling to Kris’ name, I dial the number with a shaking hand.

Her voice comes tired over the phone. “Kris, here. How can I help?”

“Gabriel Louw.”

She goes quiet at the mention of my name.

“Is Valentina with you?”

“Why would she be?” Panic enters her tone. “What’s wrong?”

I believe her. Her reaction is too genuine to be acting. “Is Charlie there?”

“You know he is.”

“I think you better check.”

“Even if he wasn’t, I wouldn’t tell you.”

“Listen to me, and listen carefully. This is not the time for games. Valentina’s life may be at stake.”

“You useless son of a bitch. I’ll bust your balls.” She carries on with elaborate and colorful insults that are interrupted by a lot of barking. I assume she’s walking through the clinic to the house. “I’ll mince you up and eat you alive.”

“Kris?” I keep my voice calm. “We both care about Valentina, each in our own way. Help me to help her.”

She grows quiet at that, and for a moment, so do I. It’s the first time I’ve admitted to anyone but myself that I care about Valentina. The words shock me, but they also free me. It’s out in the open. No more hiding.

She inhales and exhales. The air that leaves her mouth is shaky. Her verdict is short and sweet. It has a sense of terrible finality. “He’s gone.”

Jesus.

I raise my face to the ceiling and search for calmness within myself.

“What the hell is going on?” she shouts.

“Is there a note?”

I can hear her footsteps clacking through the house. “No. Nothing.” She’s shuffling things around. Something hits the floor with a thud. “Fuck-all. All Charlie’s stuff is here.”

“Stay calm. I’ll find her. Do me a favor. Call me on this number if you hear anything from her.”

“Why will I give you shit?”

“Believe me, right now, I’m her only chance.”

“The sad thing is I do.”

I cut the call just as Rhett reenters my office, a zip lock bag in his hand. He holds it out to me. “We found it.”

His solemn eyes tell me the news even before I reach for the proof. Two blue lines.

The air leaves my lungs. My weak leg twitches, and I have to grab the edge of the desk to maintain my balance.

I was right. Valentina could only have left for one reason––to get rid of a baby she doesn’t want. It may just kill her if Magda has her way. It’s the exact opposite of what I intended. My fucked-up, ingenious plan backfired.

Quincy comes rushing back. Words fall like verbal diarrhea from his lips. “She left on foot four hours ago. All she had with her was an overnight bag. I tried not to raise suspicion, but the guards know something’s going on. I’m afraid…” He trails off as his eyes land on the bag in my hand. “Fuck. Is that what I think it is?”

“What now, Gabriel?” Rhett asks, his expression concerned. “What do we do?”

I don’t hesitate in my answer. “We get her back.”

“You better hurry,” Quincy says. “The guards made noise. By now, Magda knows.”

The stick with the evidence of Valentina’s conception in hand, I march to Magda’s office.

She sits behind her desk, scribbling on a notepad. “Valentina ran.” Her expression is smug. “We’re going after her with everything we’ve got. A team is already on the way to her brother.”

“Stop them.”

She throws down her pen. “Excuse me?”

I drop the evidence of my child in front of her. It takes her one second to connect the dots. In her eyes, I see her understanding. We both know I did it on purpose, and we both know why.

She pinches her lips together and leans back in her chair. “So, this is how you get what you want.”