“No.” The one-word answer and the finality it held pissed me off more.
Incredulously, I glared. “Move, Gabe.”
“No, we are going to talk this through. I get you’re pissed. I knew you would be, but I’m asking you to hear me out.”
Like a child, I crossed my arms over my chest and stared him down. It was the most effective way to show my irritation since pacing was no longer an option.
“Would you have been worried the entire time I was gone?”
I dropped my arms. “You know I would have been. This whole situation worries me.”
“Would there have been anything for you to do?”
Going had been out and listening would have been out, too. Maybe he had a point, but I wasn’t ready to let go of my feelings… yet.
“Go on.” I locked my jaw.
He relaxed his arms beside me.
Damn it, he knew the worst of my aggravation had left.
“We met in an abandoned warehouse. When I got there, I was searched for wires. Once we got through the pleasantries I had to prove I was a twin. To begin with they were less than open to my claim of not being Alex.”
I searched Gabe. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” I ran my hands over him to make sure he didn’t flinch anywhere. He appeared unharmed.
“Sweetheart, I am fine. It was easy to prove. Apparently, he gave Alex a scar on his lower abdomen not long ago. A nasty jagged scar about four inches long.”
Lifting his shirt, Gabe showed me his smooth stomach, which only had one scar to the right on his lower rib cage.
“What’s this from?”
“A little scuffle in the Middle East,” he said effortlessly.
It took me a minute to process. “What?”
“Willow, what I did in the military was dangerous, really dangerous at times. When we met, I was in town, deciding if I wanted to reenlist or not. The military was the only real family I’d ever had, but there was something missing. The job became less fulfilling. I didn’t realize it, but I’d been searching for you.”
I added to the story. “The day we met you planned to send in the reenlistment paperwork, but held off when I bumped into you on the sidewalk.”
If I had kept my planned massage, Gabe and I would have missed each other. Fate knew what she was doing down to the second.
Gabe’s hand came to my stomach. “Yes. Bumping into you was life changing. I felt something and put off sending the papers. After our first night together, I tore up the papers and gave my notice. But, I had to see this last mission through, and even though something went wrong during that mission, I got out.”
I closed my eyes. “I’m glad you’re out.”
“Me, too, sweetheart.”
We were off topic and I wanted to know what happened. “What did De Luca say when he saw your stomach?”
“Apparently the scar was bad enough that plastic surgery couldn’t have fixed it. Also, it had happened within the last few months, around the time De Luca was arrested by Commander Taylor. We’re now using it to identify myself with the men along with a code word and hand gesture.”
This became more and more complicated. “What gesture and code word did you guys decide on?”
“The word green and a scratch under my left ear.”
“That’s it?”
“The simpler the word and gesture the harder it will be for anyone watching to decipher.”
Minutely, I shifted to be a little more comfortable. “Do you think De Luca is connected to any of the burnings?”
“No. I don’t. He told me he was being framed. Alex worked for him and has carried out orders for De Luca in the past. In the meeting nothing concrete was said, but I got the drift.”
“What else did you tell him?” Ignorance sometimes truly felt like the better course. Knowing too much sucked us into the fold and we wanted to leave it behind us.
Gabe put a hand to the back of his neck. “I told him about the DNA test we conducted on the finger. I gave him a copy of the test results. I left Alex Junior out of it all. I gave him a copy of the only picture I have of Alex and me together, and De Luca seemed satisfied. I’m sure his team is checking the authenticity of it but I’m not concerned.”
Alex’s web of lies became thicker with all the intricacies. “What happened next?”
“I asked him point blank if he was the one who sent the note to you in Italy. I was prepared to pay off Alex’s debt to keep him away from you.”
I held my breath, waiting to hear the answer.
“De Luca thought you were Alex’s mistress. You were simply someone who had poor judgement. He assured me that you and Alex Junior were safe. He didn’t comment on the debt.”
So De Luca knew about Alex’s son. Of course he knew. De Luca had to be vigilant to avoid the law if the rumors were true about the burnings. If Alex had turned him in to Commander Taylor in some sort of power struggle, De Luca wanted his life, no doubt. The pieces were falling into place.
Gabe added, “De Luca asked me if I knew who took care of Commander Taylor. I let him know I suspected Alex was behind the three recent burnings. Trent’s team has been monitoring Commander Taylor’s family and nothing has been done to them. No threats. Nothing.”
A disbelieving noise left me. “A crook with a conscious?”
Gabe lay down beside me and wrapped his arms around me. “I wouldn’t go that far. A cautious crook. We’re going to keep watching him from a distance. De Luca wants revenge on the man himself and asked me to contact him if I found Alex. He informed me he would ensure Alex never bothered us again.”
A shiver raced down my spine. Alex had made his bed and now he had to lie in it. As terrible as it sounded, Alex Junior would have a chance at life without his terrible father. “What’s next?”
“We’ll see my mother today. De Luca asked me for any leads and I told him my plan. From a distance he’ll be tracking me, too. It’s best if I’m forthcoming with him for the time being. The sooner this is behind us, the better.”
Gabe’s phone beeped and he read a message. “Just the security checks. All is clear.”
“What if De Luca goes to see your mom?”
“He will for sure. Alex has another monkey on his back searching for him. The pressure will increase. He’s going to become careless when he panics about his world falling apart. I think he’ll also visit Harley.”
Thinking of a killer visiting my parents would have me in a tailspin, but I had to remember Gabe’s was a different story. For all we knew his mother had been conspiring with Alex this whole time.
Another piece of the puzzle was in place. I pulled the covers on top of us. There were still too many things that could go wrong. “What if De Luca decides you could turn on him?”
“He knows I have nothing on him. He said nothing incriminating. Our meeting was clean.”
My head hurt with all the possibilities. “Are you tired?”
He kissed the top of my head. “Exhausted.”
I snuggled closer, listening to the sound of his breathing slow as Gabe fell asleep in my arms. We planned to leave midmorning. At least he would get a few hours of sleep.
At breakfast, I placed the last crepe onto the
plate after adding the strawberry mixture and cream. I had stayed in bed until the last possible minute to let Gabe sleep as long as possible. The moment I shifted he woke—always completely aware of my actions.
After the morning of revelations, I needed comfort food and decided to make Mom’s recipe. Carson and Francesca walked in, dressed for the day.
Dramatically, Carson walked up and sniffed the air. “Morning. I thought I smelled crepes.”
“Morning. I promised Francesca I’d make these when we were at the hotel.”
Carson had known Gabe left in the middle of the night. He’d been asked to tell me if I’d woken up and asked.
I raised my eyebrow letting him know I knew. “Grab a plate while they’re still warm. Gabe’s finishing up in the shower.”
Carson gave me a quick hug and whispered, “He made the right decision, angel. Don’t be too mad.”
Truth was, I had forgiven Gabe and Carson. At least it was over. “I know he did.”
“Good, I’m glad I’m forgiven.” He patted my head and I swatted it away, laughing.
“These smell delicious. You’ll have to give me the recipe if it’s not a family secret,” Francesca said while taking a plate.
I turned. “Even if it were, you’re now family, Francesca.”
She stopped and smiled big. “I am. It’s hard to believe.” As she walked to the table, she pointed to Carson. “You did good picking your best friend. Now, I’m going to steal her.”
“I’ll share. That’s the best offer you’re getting.”
I grabbed plates for Gabe and me and sat down. “There’s plenty of me to go around. Or…” I held my hand out to the side, palms up. “We could get into a bribing war. I do like those.” In the hospital, I had told Francesca about the cologne story.
Both she and Carson said at the same time, “I’ll share.”
We broke out in laughter, and I savored the moment. For the last five months, my house had felt like a tomb. Now it brimmed with life like it was meant to. Looking down, I knew Dad and Mom would be pleased.
The flavors from the crepe spread across my tongue. “These never get old. Best comfort food around,” I mumbled around the deliciousness.