Chapter 42
Gable
Relaxing on the sofa in Hunter’s study, I watch Ella pace back and forth as best she can with her injured leg. She’s wringing her hands together so aggressively that her fingers have turned pink, and I’ve tried to calm her down, but she’s past the point of no return.
She called her dad this morning, gave him Hunter’s address, and said she needed him to come over. He’d panicked, obviously, but she’d promised him she was okay.
Now, he’s minutes away, and Ella looks like she’s going to walk a hole in the carpet.
Hunter is seated behind his desk and has been watching her, too. I’ve not had chance to talk to him about last night—how I’ve promised Ella a future I can only hope to deliver. But one I’ll fight to the fucking death for.
“Gibson, it’ll be okay.”
“You don’t know my dad. I’m living with two criminals.
” She glances at Hunter. “No offence.” He raises a hand, signaling no offence taken.
“He’s going to be furious. Oh God, what if he tries to arrest you both?
” She bends over and rests her hands on her knees.
“That’ll be the second boyfriend of mine he’s arrested. ”
“The second?” Hunter asks.
She nods and takes deep breaths in through her nose. “Ex-boyfriend was speeding. He made an example out of him.”
I snort. “What the fuck would he do to me, then?”
“Exactly!” she cries, straightening up and throwing her arms into the air.
Hunter’s phone rings, and he answers. “Yep, let him through.” He hangs up and stands. “He’s here.”
If possible, Ella pales further.
“Ella,” I say softly, and she glances at me, eyes wide. “I promise we’ll work this out.”
Her shoulders dip slightly, the tension visibly leaving her body, and she nods. It warms me that I can reassure her with simple words—that she trusts me.
Moments later, Guy enters like a hurricane—in uniform.
Bastian leads him into the office, and Guy immediately takes Ella by the shoulders, his face frantic with worry. “What’s happened? Are you all right?” He rests his thumb gently beneath the cut on Ella’s cheek. “Who hurt you?”
He hasn’t even noticed me or Hunter, which is probably for the best for now.
“I’m okay, Dad,” Ella says.
He exhales deeply. “Why have you been lying to me, Ella?” But a glance to his right—to me—answers his question. “You.”
Guy Gibson strides towards me, and Ella immediately positions herself between us. I remain seated, my arm thrown casually over the back of the couch.
“Let him hit me if he wants to, Ella.”
“Gable,” she snaps. “Not the time for your attitude.”
I shrug. “I’d hit me if I were him.”
“I’ll do more than fucking hit you!” Guy roars, then looks at Ella. “Did he take you?”
“No, Dad—”
“Is he the one who hurt you?”
“Dad!” Ella hisses. “Calm the fuck down and let me talk!” The room falls quiet, and she points to the window. “Go and stand over there. No one is hitting anybody.”
Guy throws me one more dark glare before doing as he’s told.
Hunter gives me a look, one that says he’s impressed, and I grin at him. The things that used to annoy me about Ella—her attitude, her bossiness—now might just be the reason I love the woman fiercely.
Ella rolls her shoulders and starts talking.
“Dad, all these months we thought I was safe, I haven’t been.
People have been coming after me, a lot of them, and Gable has been …
handling it. We left so he could keep me safe.
And the thing that Barnaby had, the reason he ended up dead?
It was a hard drive.” She goes to the desk, and Hunter spins his laptop, the screen now facing Guy. “With this on it.”
He approaches slowly, taking out his glasses and placing them on before scanning the names. Ella comes to sit with me, and I take her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“Bribes?” Guy asks, removing his glasses and looking at Hunter.
Hunter nods. “That’s what we’re assuming. We don’t know how Barnaby got this, or why, but the likelihood is they figured he was at least friendly with Ella. Knowing the chief of police’s daughter was close to this list is why she got a bounty on her head.”
Guy runs his hand across his beard. “Bribes from who, though? Who’s powerful enough to own this many cops?”
“We’re hoping to find that out. I have someone working on it now,” Hunter says, then glances at his phone as it starts ringing.
“Is it them?” I ask.
He shakes his head and answers. He quickly stands and goes to the window. “Yes, let her the fuck in.” His voice is curt, the tension in him ramping up.
Her? Who?
The roar of an engine cuts through the silence, quickly followed by heels on the marble floor. And in the doorway, in a white, designer skirt suit and impossibly high heels, is Monty.
“Hello, minions,” she cries. “Did you miss me?”
Ella and I roll our eyes.
Hunter looks furious. “You stole my fucking car!”
Monty waggles her finger at him, then tosses him the keys. He catches them.
“Borrowed it, darling. I filled the tank up. Don’t be such a crybaby.” She removes her sunglasses, her attention shifting to Guy. “Well, hello Zaddy.”
“Monty,” Ella says, her tone filled with warning.
I grin and get comfortable. This is going to be interesting.
“Who are you?” Monty purrs, approaching Guy and extending her hand.
“He’s my dad!” Ella snaps.
Monty looks delighted as Guy grips her hand. “He may be your dad, but he’s about to be my daddy.”
Guy immediately lets go of her, Hunter huffs and sits back down, and I bark out a laugh. Ella looks less than amused.
“Monty,” Guy says, narrowing his eyes. “You were the unconscious woman found in Gable’s apartment. I’m guessing you don’t work in fucking computers.”
“Honey, I’ll work wherever you want me—”
“Monty, why are you here?” Ella hisses.
Monty finally tears her attention from Guy, flicking her curled blonde hair over her shoulder. “I have info.” She pauses, glancing between us all. “Where’s my thank you?”
“You haven’t even told us yet,” I point out.
“So,” she begins, taking a slow tour of the office, gliding her fingernails across book spines and ornaments.
“I have an old friend back in New York, bit of a whizz with computers, and I asked him to look into Barnaby Fisher. Turns out, Barnaby was on all these hacker chatrooms boasting about his girlfriend, Ella Gibson.” Ella makes a gagging sound, and Monty continues.
“Saying how she was the police chief’s daughter, they were going to get married, etcetera.
Then, some guy gets in touch with Barnaby and says he has some information that Ella’s dad might want, but that he couldn’t send it digitally because it was too sensitive.
So, he sent it via post. Hence, the mysterious hard drive. ”
Great. So Ella’s life is in danger because of her creepy fucking neighbor.
I wish I could bring him back and kill him again.
“You came all the way here to tell us that?” Hunter asks, arching a dark brow.
Monty folds her arms and pops her hip. “Well, yes, but also to help. I’m one of the good guys now, right, Bambi?” She looks at Ella, then cuts her gaze to our interlocked hands. Her expression becomes positively gleeful. “Looks like we both nailed the Flynn brothers. Go us.”
Ella’s mouth drops open as she looks at me. “You slept with her?”
I blink and gesture in Hunter’s direction. “So did Hunter!”
“Yes, he did.” Monty winks at Hunter, who looks like he’s ready to throw Monty over his shoulder and out onto the driveway.
“Hold on,” Guy says, taking a threatening step forward. “Ella, are you with this guy?” Ella shrinks back, and Guy’s jaw looks almost painfully tight. He looks at Hunter. “Did you know about this?”
Hunter looks similarly annoyed. “Not until they got here last night.”
“Dad—”
“No, Ella, no. I won’t have this happen again,” Guy says. “He is dangerous and nowhere near good enough for you!”
Ella hops to her feet. “It isn’t your choice!”
“You will listen to me, young lady, and you will listen good.” He points at her, and Ella puts her hands on her hips, both Gibsons toe to toe.
“I forbid this relationship to happen. I won’t have you lose your career, your home, your friends, your reputation for him.
I fucking refuse. He can offer you nothing.
He’s put you in danger, repeatedly, for months.
Are you going to put yourself through that forever?
Your kids through that?” I see the moment Ella’s heart breaks, and I stand.
Hunter does, too. “He’s right, Gable.” I look at him, and he gives me an apologetic shake of his head. “There’s a reason I never got married, never had kids. Our life isn’t safe enough. And Ella is in the spotlight. You couldn’t even live together without fear of you being discovered.”
He’s right, I know that, and maybe I got caught up in my promises last night, but there has to be a way this will work.
“We’ll figure something out,” I say.
“How?” Hunter challenges. “After everything that’s happened, Ella will always have media focus on her. And even if she didn’t, people are always looking to make a name for themselves. Killing you would do just that.”
Ella takes my hand. “Then we’ll live apart for a while until this dies down—”
“How long for? A year? Five years? Ten?” Guy asks. “Things like this don’t just die down. You can’t reemerge after a break and marry a criminal, Ella.”
A criminal. A life I chose is now ruining a life I never knew I wanted.
“She deserves a better life than that,” Hunter says.
“What about Gable’s life?” Ella hits back. “He’s not supposed to be happy because you fucked him up when he was eighteen?”
Hunter’s stare chills. “Excuse me?”
Ella releases my hand. “You came across two boys who had no one, who needed direction and love and kindness, and you turned them into killers. You say I deserve a better life? So did they. Look what you fucking did to them.”
I’m speechless, my eyes darting between Ella and Hunter, the two people I love most arguing over me.
“Are you blaming me for my son’s death?” Hunter challenges.
“No,” Ella says. “I’m blaming you for his life.”
Hunter’s phone ringing pierces the silence that follows Ella’s statement. Even Monty’s usual air of smugness is gone, her brows pinched together in concern as she watches this all unfold.
I’d never seen the life Hunter gave me as anything but what I needed. A home, a family, stability.
Hunter answers the phone. “What?” He falls quiet, and fear chills me to my very core when he pales. He pinches the bridge of his nose. “You’re sure?” He nods, then hangs up before taking a seat. “We know who the list belongs to.”
Tension crackles in the air, almost a tangible thing. I’ve never seen Hunter like this—like he’s wrestling with his own fear, like he’s been presented with an obstacle he can’t obliterate. He’s always fixed everything. No problem too big or small.
But now? He looks lost.
“Who?” Guy asks.
Hunter stares at the desk. “Ranger Luxe.”
Prickles of anticipation work their way up my spine.
This isn’t just a man in power. Ranger Luxe is power. Endless resources. A thirst for violence. A man who rules the city with blood and bullets.
A cool wash of dread coats me as realization dawns.
This is no longer a case of fighting back. He’s a gangster with an army.
We would never win.
Ty was right. He’ll never let this go. He’ll never let Ella and I live. No matter what we offer, he’ll kill us.
We have to run.
“Who’s Ranger Luxe?” Ella asks, clearly noticing my demeanor.
Monty sighs. “The most beautiful monster you’ve ever seen.”
I cup her face, my thumb just under the cut on her cheek. Something that is so tame compared to what Ranger will do to her, do to the both of us. Her wide blue eyes search mine, and something frantic unleashes in my chest.
The need to protect her.
To save her.
“He’s a man you can’t fight,” Hunter says quietly.
Hunter knows better than anyone the kind of man Ranger is.
When his cousin, Nico, died a few years ago, Hunter tried to get in touch with Nico’s daughter, Denver.
He was blocked by Ranger, refused access to the funeral, and told in explicit terms that Denver was a Luxe now, not a DeLuca.
Hunter tried to fight it, but it was pointless.
You don’t fight a man like Ranger Luxe.
You run, or you die.
“We have to leave, Gibson,” I say softly.
Her lips part, an argument likely brewing, but she doesn’t say the words. Something in my expression must stop her.
“No,” Guy says, looking between me and Ella.
“He’ll kill her,” I say.
He looks frantic, lost, his breathing fast, and I understand his panic. He goes to the window as Ella slides her hand into mine.
“We’ve come this far,” she says. “Are we really giving up?”
“We don’t have a choice.”
It means we won’t find out who killed Asher. Whoever pulled the trigger that night will continue to walk free.
But he’d want us to leave. If it meant revenge or life, he’d want us to choose life, even if that life will never be peaceful.
“What if you did have a choice?” Guy asks, facing us again. “What if we offer Ranger something in exchange for your lives?”
Hunter shakes his head. “Ella and Gable are loose ends. There’s nothing you could give him—”
“Me,” Guy says and folds his arms. “I’m worth more than every cop on that list. He can buy me.”
“Dad, no,” Ella says. “You can’t do that.”
“I can and I will,” he says. “I can’t let you live the rest of your life running. I can’t agree to never see you again. You’re all I’ve got, baby.”
“This is your reputation, Guy,” I say. “God knows what he’ll ask you to do for him.”
Ella rushes to him and wraps her arms around his waist. He holds her, kissing the top of her head and squeezing his eyes closed.
In that moment, the love between them is almost palpable. The kind of love a parent has for a child, one I’ve hardly seen but for the moments shared between Hunter, Asher and me. I’m witnessing a parent giving up everything for his child.
He squeezes Ella tighter and rests his cheek on her head. “As long as she’s alive, I don’t care.”