Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
NICO
We spent the rest of the time scanning our area, sometimes walking in and out of the crowd, sometimes dancing. Michael had identified nineteen young adults at the party who were children of attendees and sent their pictures to our cell phones. Of course Nat, Blaire, and Alistair III were on the list, which we knew would be the case. Michael was investigating the parents to see if any were involved in something that would make them a target. So far, he hadn’t found anything.
It was tough keeping watch over nineteen people. We were constantly taking headcounts and reporting the locations of the young adults. More than once, Gabe and I had to separate to track a wayward partygoer or discreetly follow someone to the restroom.
I was just returning to the ballroom from a restroom run when I ran into Blaire, her brow creased with worry. She put a hand on my arm. “You’re Uncle Gabe’s boyfriend, right?”
My stomach twisted at the lie that I wanted to be the truth. I paused, surprised at the thought, especially since I hadn’t been interested in anyone in a long time. “Yeah. What’s up?”
“We can’t find Nat. He wasn’t feeling well, so he went to sit down. We went to find him some water, but when we got back, he was gone. Alistair checked the men’s room, and I even checked the ladies’ room, just in case. Nothing.”
“Was he drinking?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Nat doesn’t drink. He says he doesn’t like the way it makes him feel.”
“And no drugs?”
“Same thing,” she replied.
Well, shit. “Okay, I want you and Alistair to return to your parents. Do not leave the ballroom for anything.”
“But we want to help,” she protested.
“Tell her whatever you have to so she stays with her parents,” Marco said.
It was so hard not to nod in agreement with Marco. “It’ll be easier for us to look for Nat if we know you’re safe. We can’t watch you and look for him.”
She sniffled. “Okay. But you’ll let us know as soon as you find him, right?”
“Absolutely.”
Gabe’s voice came over the comms. “Michael, do we have anything on Russell Smith? And why would Nat be a target?”
“Russell Smith is not his real name,” Michael replied. “For this job, he’s going by Samuel Gordon.” I heard the clicking of keys. “As for why Nat, I think it may be the case your brother is presiding over. Do you know he’s a judge?”
“Yeah,” Gabe grunted. “Celia said he wants to run for mayor of New York or some shit. What’s the case?”
“A murder trial. The defendant is Vincent Wilson. It was a gang-related drive-by shooting that killed a fifteen-year-old kid while leaving the intended target alive. Someone got a license plate and a photo of him in the passenger seat. I’m guessing they’re trying to get your brother to throw the case somehow.”
“Are we assuming this Samuel is in on it?” Marco asked.
“It’s a good bet,” I replied.
“Can we just call him Russell?” Pete asked through the comms. “This two-name thing is doing my head in.”
Marco sighed. “Fine. Nico, stay out in the hallway down by the back entrance to the kitchen. I don’t want Russell to somehow get out there without us seeing him. I want a headcount of the remaining kids. We need to stay on them while Gabe and Nico look for Nat. And we all need to be on the lookout for Russell inside the ballroom.”
“Roger that,” we all said.
I hurried down the hall past the two sets of double doors that led into the ballroom. The back entrance to the show kitchen was a busy place. Staff members were going in and out with trays, plates, utensils, and linens. I couldn’t see how anyone could sneak out a big guy like Nat through such a high-traffic area.
“Hey, I see Russell heading out of the ballroom carrying what looks like a tuxedo jacket,” Gabe said. “Who’s on Blaire? Ask her if Nat took off his jacket.”
“On it,” Andrea said.
“Which way was he headed?” I asked. “And why would he want Nat’s jacket?”
“No idea,” Marco said.
“He’s headed toward the far end, opposite the kitchen,” Gabe replied. “I’m following him.”
I turned around and started jogging toward the far entrance. “I’m heading in that direction.”
Andrea came back on the comms. “Blaire said Nat took off his jacket when he started to feel bad.”
“What’s on that side of the building?” I asked.
“Some storage closets and a couple of small offices,” Michael replied. After a long pause, he added, “And a staff restroom they need a key card to enter.”
“On my way,” I said as I started flat-out running. It felt like the hallway was endlessly long. Ahead of me I saw Russell come out a door at the end of the corridor carrying a black jacket. He hurried around the corner, out of my line of sight.
Gabe came bursting through the same door Russell had exited just before I reached it. I pointed around the corner, and he sprinted in that direction. I was still in awe that someone his size could move as fast as he did.
I heard a crash and a shout just as I rounded the corner. I heard Russell snarl, “Put the gun down, or I’ll blow his fucking head off.”
Gabe was standing in the open restroom doorway, his gun drawn and his eyes trained on the men inside. I stopped behind Gabe, poked my head around so Russell could see me, and shouted, “Hey, asshole! Remember me?”
It was enough to break his concentration. Gabe dove on Russell, who’d been holding a gun on Nat, and stripped his weapon from him in seconds. I came in behind Gabe and pulled Nat free from the melee.
“Are you okay?” I asked the younger man.
Nat nodded. “He threatened to shoot me if I didn’t call my dad. Uncle Gabe saved me.” Then his eyes went wide.
I looked behind me to see what caused that expression and saw Gabe with his knee on Russell’s back and his gun pressed to the back of the other man’s skull. Shit.
“I’m going to blow your brains all over this nice white floor, you piece of shit,” Gabe growled.
I did not like the expression on my friend’s face. It was almost like he was a different person. I gestured for Nat to stay where he was and approached Gabe slowly. I knelt in front of him so he could see me. “Gabe. Look at me. Please.” After a long while, he finally raised his eyes to mine. “I know better than anyone what a piece of shit this guy is. But he’s not worth going to jail for. We need you here. You can’t protect your family if you’re in prison for the rest of your life.”
He blinked once, twice, and seemed to finally see me. He looked down at the man beneath him and at the gun in his hand and squeezed his eyes shut. “Fuck.” He returned his weapon to his shoulder holster and pulled out a pair of cable ties from his inner jacket pocket. He secured Russell’s hands behind his back and pulled him into a sitting position.
“Nice work. Both of you.” Marco’s voice came from directly behind us rather than through the comms. He stood in the damaged doorway with his arms crossed and his gaze focused on Gabe. “You good?”
“Yeah.” He glanced over at me. “Nico was a big help.”
“I heard.” He smiled at me. “You did good. You saved that idiot from making an incredibly stupid choice.”
I felt my cheeks heat. “Thanks.” I met Gabe’s gaze. “He’s my friend. That’s what friends do.”
Voices outside the door halted our conversation. I heard Gabe’s brother Nathaniel shouting, “Where is he? Where’s my son?”
Marco stepped aside. “He’s here. He’s safe.”
I helped Nat get to his feet. He was a little wobbly still, so I put my arm around his waist to steady him. His father came storming into the small room and laser-focused on Gabe. “What have you done to my son?”
Before anyone could say anything, Nat pulled away from me and got in his father’s face. “Shut the fuck up!”
Nathaniel Sr. backed away from his son in surprise. “Nathaniel…”
“It’s. Nat,” the younger man growled. “I am so sick of this ridiculous feud you have with Uncle Gabe. And it’s all over money. Like you don’t have enough already. You have your greedy hands out for more, waiting for Grandma and Grandpa to die.”
Nathaniel blinked in shock. “How dare you speak to me like that.”
“I’ll tell you how I dare,” Nat snapped. He pointed at Russell, who was still cowering on the floor. “That guy drugged me and tried to kidnap me. He had a gun to my head when Uncle Gabe broke the door down. All because of some trial you’re presiding over.”
Gabe’s brother went pale. “Wha… What?”
But Nat went on relentlessly. He pointed at Gabe. “That man is a highly decorated former Navy SEAL. Oh, and he was assigned to SEAL Team Six. He and Nico saved my life. They probably saved your precious job too.”
Nat’s knees gave out and he staggered. I went to grab him, but Gabe got there first. Nat turned into his uncle’s arms and started to sob. Gabe held him close and murmured, “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
Nat’s father looked shell-shocked. He turned his attention to me. “He means the Wilson trial?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I think they were trying to get you to throw the case somehow.”
He ran his fingers through his graying hair. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to say.”
I shrugged. “You should try listening instead of talking. Nat seems like a great guy. But he’s hurt that you took his uncle away from him for no reason.”
“But there was a good reason…” He stopped speaking.
“You can’t say it aloud, can you?” I prodded. “Gabe decided to go into the Navy instead of going to Princeton. So your parents threw him away like yesterday’s trash.” I looked over at my friend, who was still holding his distraught nephew. “And then they tried to erase him like he never existed.”
He flinched at my words. “You’re very direct.”
“I spent four years in prison for something I didn’t do. You’ll have to excuse me if I haven’t picked up all the social graces you rich people seem to need.”
Marco came over and put his hand on my shoulder. “NYPD is here. They’re going to need to take your statements.”
I blew out a breath. I wasn’t looking forward to talking to the cops. I shook out my hands nervously. “Okay.”
“Don’t worry,” Marco said. “We have your back.”
An hour later, the police finally left, taking Russell, Samuel, or whatever his real name was with them. Gabe and I would have to go to the station the day after New Year’s Day to give our formal statements. Nat’s parents took him home, but not before Nat extracted a promise from Gabe to meet him for lunch during the week.
It was five minutes to midnight by the time we returned to the ballroom. The Times Square Ball Drop was being shown on a giant TV screen at the far end of the room. Everyone was gathered around, watching and waiting for the countdown to midnight.
Gabe guided me to a somewhat quieter corner and pulled me into a hug. I sighed and relaxed for the first time in what seemed like forever. He leaned down and spoke quietly in my ear. “Thank you. You had my back all night. Things would have been so much worse if you hadn’t been here.”
I didn’t know what to say. You’re welcome seemed inadequate. How could I tell him what I was feeling, what I wanted? I was too lost, too broken for someone like him. So I just tightened my arms around him and rested my head against his broad chest.
The noise from the crowd rose exponentially as we neared midnight, culminating in a raucous ten-second countdown. As the final second fell away from the old year, Gabe put two fingers under my chin and lifted my face to his. “Happy New Year. May I kiss you?”
Tears filled my eyes. “Yes,” I whispered hoarsely.
His lips were warm and softer than I’d expected. The kiss was tender but not hesitant. I slid my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, opening for him. Our tongues tangled in a lazy dance that finally ended with our foreheads resting against each other.
Gabe smiled. “Well, that happened.”
“And it’s about fucking time,” Marco said through comms.
There were cheers and jeers from the rest of our team, and all we could do was laugh. “You’re all assholes,” Gabe said. He gazed down at me, his brow furrowed. “Are you okay?”
I brushed my lips softly against his. “I’m better than okay. This is the best I’ve felt in ages. Thank you.” I rested my head against his chest again with a contented sigh and the hope that I could keep this feeling for a little while longer.