9. Gabriel
9
Gabriel
T his woman’s going to be the bane of my existence. If she keeps acting like a teenager sneaking off to parties, I’ll have to track her 24/7.
There’s no way I’m letting anything happen to her under my watch. Fuck . It’s too late for regrets now. That’s what I get for promising Peter I’d care for her. I knew what would happen. I knew damn well this woman wouldn’t give up. She’s clearly not afraid to stir shit up like she did last night at the Casino.
A simple No, Peter, I don’t do this kind of work would’ve been enough. But I’ve been acting like a damn fool since I met her. I’ve done things for her I never would otherwise. Dominic will have a field day when he finds out she’s a client, and I’m taking her home.
I’m in Dominic’s car, driving to school. It’s a little too attention-grabbing for my current mission of staying under the radar, but I need to see the girl before Lexi’s case takes over my entire day.
According to the app, the red dot—Iris—is still at school. Perfect. I can watch her from the car for a bit before she heads home. Stella, thankfully, followed my advice. Now, Iris knows not to stay more than thirty minutes after class without calling home first.
I discreetly park across the street, choosing a spot that offers a clear view of the schoolyard. Lunchtime buzzes around me as parents and grandparents arrive for pickup, so I blend in seamlessly as I cross over to wait by the school fence.
I mimic the other parents, feigning boredom while checking my phone. The app’s red dot inches closer to the street, and I soon spot her in a group of girls. It’s been a hectic week since I last saw her, and there’s been a lot of work with the Casino event. Thankfully, Stella filled me in on everything about Iris when I gave her the usual cash envelope after Sunday service.
Iris and her friends linger by the school gate, talking and laughing. God, when did she grow up so fast? Seventeen already? I know nothing about being a parent. All I can do is make sure she never misses a thing. And I also need to look after Stella. She’s doing great at sixty-five and has been a wonderful role model for Iris, unlike her mother, who disappears for months and then reappears with a new boyfriend, usually sketchier than the last.
I also see the man in my team that I put in charge of following Iris home after school and making sure she’s safe. When he spots me, he gives me a nod. By now, he’s used to seeing me in the mornings and evenings at school.
But who’s the blonde kid carrying her backpack? Iris seems excited to see him. He looks like a jock. Hmm, that’s bad news.
I discreetly snap a picture of him walking Iris to the gate. They talk for a bit and then split off in opposite directions. He gets into a car, and I take another picture of the license plate and model. I’ll need to run a background check on this kid.
Iris heads home, my guy discreetly tailing her. The street is clearing out as parents and their cars take off. I watch the red dot on my phone moving away and wait a few more minutes to make sure she gets home. Now, it’s time to go about my business. I need to swing by Dominic’s, hand over his car, and talk about what happened last night at the Casino. And, of course, about the video of me and my new girlfriend, Lexi. Deep breaths, Gabriel, deep breaths.
***
“Hey, Gabriel,” Alice greets me. She’s the PR mastermind who handles everything for Dominic’s businesses, his right and left hand. “He’s waiting for you in the back office.”
“Sorry, Alice. Were you guys busy? Did I interrupt?” Dominic said he was meeting with Alice when I called earlier to ask the guys for an urgent Protectors’ meeting and their help with a case.
“You know us. We’re always busy with something. You and Damien are the only ones who get me kicked out of his office,” she says, smiling.
Dominic is a night owl and starts work late, even on weekdays, so I waited until after lunch to call him. Damien also agreed to meet up. He said he’d be here in an hour, giving me time to figure out how to best explain the hectic morning I’ve had with Lexi and Peter.
I promised I’d return Dominic’s sports car, even though he hardly ever uses it. He takes it out only at public events for PR purposes.
The room where I’m about to meet Dominic is secure and soundproof. It’s part of the office area upstairs, above one of his clubs, our favorite spot for sensitive meetings. My office, buzzing with employees, suppliers, and clients, wouldn’t do. I run a security business with over three hundred employees and manage over fifty retainer clients, along with some on-and-off projects. Dominic keeps his business offices in a separate building near the restaurant and kitchen. He only uses the office spaces at the club for private meetings, like our Protectors’ meetings.
“What’s up, my boy?” Dominic greets me, looking surprisingly fresh after last night. He left around two a.m. His catering staff and my guys wrapped things up at the Casino around four. I only got four hours of sleep, but I’m used to it from my Navy days.
Dominic’s the king of chill in our crew. The man can tackle anything with a smile, like he’s ordering a mojito at a beach resort. The tabloids paint him as Casanova, but Dom shrugs it off unfazed, even claiming the gossip benefits his business. His staff practically worships him, and I’m pretty sure most women who work for him secretly wish he’d kiss them at least once. We tease him about his silk shirts and designer everything, but he’s amazing at making connections in boardrooms… and other rooms, according to the tabloids. But beneath all the flash, Dominic has a heart of gold. When it comes to helping others or digging for information, that disarming smile and those baby blues turn into secret weapons.
“All good. I left your car out front,” I say as I head for the espresso machine. Dominic, a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, insists on having coffee stations in every meeting room and handles the brewing process himself. Even though I already had my morning shot, another one won’t hurt.
“Allow me,” Dominic says, moving over to the machine. “So, where were you so freaking early in the morning? I thought you were taking a day off after the Casino event. Have you been spying on Iris again?” he asks, giving me a side-eye.
A silent nod and a defeated sigh give it away. There’s no point in denying it—he knows me better than anyone.
“The day you finally face her,” Dominic says, looking at me half-concerned, “she’ll have every reason to hate you when she finds out you’ve been secretly spying on her for years. ”
“Not spying, man. Stop with that shit. I’ve been protecting her. I hung out for a bit longer to ensure she was fine. She’s got a new boyfriend. That dude is just… I don’t like him. Oh, by the way, can you meet her grandma on Sunday? After church, as usual. I need to drop her some money. There’ve been some unexpected expenses with the school.”
“Jesus, Gabe. You know I don’t do mornings. Isn’t there another way?”
“Since you brought up Jesus, maybe church wouldn’t be such a bad idea for you. Come on, don’t tell me you hate all that attention from the ladies.”
“Yeah, especially grandmas. I’m sure I’ll be a hit, Gabe. Nana Stella’s already famous for having the most ridiculously good-looking gentlemen friends in her entire church group. Our level of devotion shocked even the priest. You know what? It’s fine, I’ll go. Alice needs some fresh content for our socials, anyway. A group selfie with the church ladies… now, that’ll get me viral.”
“You’re shameless, man,” I say as he flashes me a grin. I’m pretty sure I’ll get the selfie.
“And how about your plans? Hitting the road with some VIP client?” Dominic says.
“Not really. I promised Peter I’d take on a case.”
“Is he in trouble?”
“Not him, more like someone who works for him. A woman.”
“A woman? Is Peter having trouble with the ladies?”
“Shut up. It’s not like that. She’s his employee. Young, smart. He put her in danger unnecessarily, and now some creep is threatening her. You met her last night. ”
“Gorgeous green eyes, feisty as hell? Yeah, I remember now. Shit, you’re lost. I see someone’s breaking their famous no-woman client rule…”
“Not like lost, lost. But yeah, she’s thrown me off a bit.” The truth is, she’s starting to break through all my defences, but I can’t tell Dominic that. He’ll mock me for days.
“No, my boy, I saw you last night. That’s it, you’re hooked. I saw the show you did, swooping in to rescue her like some Prince Charming. That was so not like you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“The woman pulled you out of your cave. You danced with her, carried her in your arms… I mean, come on.”
“It wasn’t like that. I only helped her get off the stage. Then she just walked away on her own.”
“Sure. Don’t fight it; this is good. And about goddamn time. Trust me, this is exactly what you needed. Where’s Green Eyes? She deserves a medal and a hug for her outstanding work. I thought we’d lost you. That you were broken for good.”
“Not broken, Dominic. Just cautious. As for Green Eyes, you’ll see her again, and soon, trust me. This case is a total mess, and she’s being a real pain. A hostile client.”
“Hostile, huh? You mean she doesn’t want you after last night? Is she really being hostile, or are you just feeling a little insecure?”
“No, I can tell she’s hiding something. She pushed back on getting help from me, and the threats didn’t seem to faze her. Plus, she has her own theories about this case. She only accepted working with me because Peter asked her to. There’s just something about Peter that makes her listen to him.”
“Isn’t she Lucas’s girlfriend?”
“No.” My phone buzzes with an email notification .
“Hold on. Damien just sent me her official file before he left work; he says he’s on his way.”
“Damien’s coming too? Is it that bad?”
“Well, let’s see. There’s the Dark Sun Cartel, police informants, and a bunch of pissed-off employees and other high-profile people that Peter has humiliated in the past… all that shit’s just waiting to blow up. The woman sure knows how to make enemies. And she has no one. Her dad’s back in her hometown, and she only has a journalist friend who’s as young as she is.”
“My boy. I’m proud of you. For once, you seem ready to open your heart.”
“Dom, you, of all people, should know I’m not the type to fall in love.”
“Sure, I do. You keep parading your dates through my hotels, then vanish before sunrise. Your social life seems to keep the night shift busy, you know? That’s not a relationship; it’s a disappearing act. Not healthy.”
“Oh, you’re one to talk! How many girlfriends have you had this past year again?”
“See, here’s the difference between us. I date openly. I might not be the steadiest guy, but while I’m with someone, I treat them well for however long things last.”
There’s no point fighting Dominic on this—I know I’ll never win. Plus, he’s right. I snatch the fresh coffee from him and plop down in an armchair to look at the file. “Read it out loud. Let’s see what it says before Damien gets here,” Dominic asks.
“Alexis Flores, twenty-four, from Istria. Lives with her father, parents divorced, mother left the country when she was a kid. Finished high school in her hometown and did one year of math at the university, then dropped out and went back home. It doesn’t say why. She’s worked for Grain Inc., Peter’s company, for four years. The last known address here in the city is the home of Helena Medina, investigative journalist and local correspondent for the most prominent national newspaper.”
“I know Helena. That woman is trouble,” Dominic says with an eye roll.
“They both are, trust me.”
“How the hell did she get herself in this situation?” He pauses mid-sentence as someone knocks and enters to get his signature on some papers. “So, what’s the game plan? Are you locking her up somewhere safe?”
“The plan is for her to move in with me.”
“Wow, Gabe. That was fast. Already?”
“It’s the only option, Dom. Look, I get why this seems wild. She’s not exactly thrilled to have me around; she’s made that pretty clear. But she needs help.”
“Auch. Sounds like your charm offensive fizzled faster than a wet firecracker.”
“Well… sort of. She called me an asshole. But I’m sure she could get much more creative with her insults. She’s feisty, that one.”
“So, what did you do to deserve it?”
“I asked her if anything was going on between her and Peter.”
“Yeah, that would do it. But why? You don’t usually care about these details.”
“It’s related to the case. I want to understand who she bothered and where the threats are coming from.”
Dominic shoots me a skeptical look before collapsing dramatically into another chair. Meanwhile, Damien’s text says he’s running a little late. Out of all of us, he’s the only one still enrolled, but with the police, not the Navy .
The Navy is where our story as Protectors began. We didn’t grow up in the same town or know each other before we ended up in the same Black Ops unit. We had different backgrounds and training and had previously served in different places. After eight years of working together, we all retired around the same time, a few months to a year apart. Now we’re all back together in this port city that’s our new home, and a huge Navy base, too.
A year younger than me, Dominic loves to refer to me condescendingly as my boy . It’s his way of showing he cares without all the big words. He retired first, after losing his little brother. I remained enlisted with an injured leg and a few surgeries for another year, but not in active service.
Damien hung up his Navy uniform only last year and dove headfirst into the police force’s undercover unit. But he teamed up with Dominic and me once that undercover gig wrapped. Together, we formed a secret brotherhood we call The Harbor Protectors. Our mission? To look after those who served, the veterans who deserve a hand. We also help anyone in the city who’s down on their luck, can’t afford lawyers, or doesn’t have the connections to get the help they need. We tackle the problems the police can’t touch, the ones tangled in red tape and bureaucratic nightmares.
Most of my team are veterans I served with, guys I trust with my life. Dominic also hires retired vets to guard his businesses, paying them well above what they’d find elsewhere. It’s a win-win—they get good jobs, and we have a pool of skilled, loyal people whenever we take on a new case for someone who can’t afford help. No veteran gets turned away at our door. We take care of our own, and in return, we’ve built a team that’s always ready to answer a call.
Even with busy schedules, we stay connected. Like a tight-knit family, we can always count on each other through thick and thin .
“How’s your mom?” I ask Dominic while we still have some alone time before Damien arrives. It’s hard for him to talk about her, so he usually offers a bittersweet smile when people ask.
“Some days are good, some are not. Lately, it’s been mostly bad days. She’s still waiting for him. When she’s more lucid, she cries. When she wanders off, she’s happy, sets up his room, and waits for him with food on the table, like a soldier’s mother.”
Dominic inherited a coastal empire of nightclubs, restaurants, and hotels—a family business passed down from his old man. His father has been managing it, leaving his two sons free to choose what they want to do with their lives. The handsome Dominic has always been a hit with the ladies, so the nightclub business was perfect for him. He started working with his dad in college and was preparing to take over part of the business when the family received the news of his younger brother enlisting. Dominic’s brother, Axel, five years younger than him, joined the Navy. Dominic’s mom asked him to enlist as well, to watch over Axel. Axel’s enlistment, followed by his tragic passing, broke their mom’s heart.
I rise from my chair and grip Dominic’s shoulder in a silent show of support. Words feel hollow in the face of this grief. We all carry the weight of loss, but Dominic’s is a boulder. Losing a friend in the line of duty is brutal, but witnessing your little brother fall carves a permanent scar. Dominic never blamed me, but I’ll always blame myself.
“Does your client know about the Protectors?” he asks. It’s probably for the best that we change the subject. We need to live in the present. We can’t undo the past, but if we’re lucky, we can find peace with it .
“No, of course not. She only knows about my company and what I do for a living. And that Peter asked me to look after her as a favor to him.”
“And that’s the problem,” Dominic says, pointing his finger at me. “That’s why she’s being hostile. She won’t take you seriously if you present it as a favor you’re doing for someone else. You’re also bringing her to your home. I mean, I can see why she’d act like this. And who knows what she thinks of you or this whole thing? I saw her last night. I think she’s an innocent girl who ended up in a world she knows nothing about.”
“What if she knows about the Protectors?” I give voice to my fears. “What if she’s hiding something from us? I don’t get why she’d get involved with the Maiers. With her intelligence and unique talents, I wonder why she’d choose a seemingly ordinary job as an accountant in Peter’s company. Why isn’t she in school or somewhere else she can hone her special skills? I owe Peter for helping me out when I started my business. But he didn’t handle her situation right.”
“She’s not like anyone you’ve dealt with before. Don’t kid yourself; she’s not just a client. She’s already a part of your life, and you’ve only known her for a day.”
“Who’s that you’re talking about?” Damien asks, walking in. The core team is together now, so we can begin.
“Gabriel’s new girlfriend, Lexi,” Dominic says, flashing me a grin. He knows he’s the only one who can run his mouth like that without my fist having something to say about it.
“A new client,” I jump to clarify.
Damien’s the toughest one among us. With just one glance, you can see the battle scars of his past in his eyes. Undercover work only hardened him further. He returned with a jagged scar and cryptic tattoos, each a silent story he’d never tell .
According to Dom, I’m the grumpy one. I see myself as more of an introvert, discreet and cautious. That also comes with the job. I still go on dates sometimes and let myself be seen out and about. But Damien? He’s the king of solitude. His idea of a perfect Saturday night is hanging out with a boxing bag, trying to exorcise the city’s underbelly from his soul.
“Is this the client I pulled the official file for?” Damien says, throwing me a smile as he picks up on Dominic’s cue. He walks over to the espresso maker, waving Dominic off and grabbing a cup for himself.
“That’s the one,” I reply.
Dominic catches up to him, blocking his way to the machine and motioning for Damien to sit down. “Let me show you what good coffee is all about. Not the gross stuff you usually get from vending machines. Or that crap you have at work.”
Damien hurls himself into an armchair without answering. This isn’t their first time playing this game. Dominic once offered him the job of heading up security for his business, but Damien said no. He wasn’t done settling some scores, and the shadows of his undercover days lingered.
“But why is there so little information on her?” I ask.
“For fuck’s sake, Gabe. She’s twenty-four,” Dominic cuts me off. “She’s been stuck in a tiny town her whole life, bored out of her mind. Of course, there’s not much information. And when she finally makes it to the big city, she somehow pisses off a bunch of people. That’s one way to put yourself out there.”
“Really?” Damien reacts. “What did she do? And why are we dealing with this case? Is she okay now?”
I nod, which only earns me a questioning look and an eye roll from Dominic.
“Yeah, Gabe. What did she do? Tell us all about your girlfriend. ”
It grates on me every time Dominic calls Lexi my girlfriend. But there’s a spark, an undeniable connection between us. Maybe if I weren’t such a coward hiding behind technicalities, I’d find a better label for it. A label that explains why I spent the night dancing with her, why I brought her home instead of some safe house. Maybe I should rip the band-aid off and embrace this new girlfriend situation.
The three of us settle around the coffee table, where I lay out the menacing letters Lexi received, and they flip through them with furrowed brows.
“And that’s not all, unfortunately. She told me her dad got a similar letter today. The message was: You’d better keep your daughter close. She doesn’t belong in the city. Unless you want empty chairs at the dinner table forever. It’s a clear sign they’re willing to target her family, too. So, I thought it could be the Cartel.”
Damien’s face goes dark, his jaw clenching so hard that his teeth practically grind. His fists ball up at his sides, and his voice drops to a low growl. He’s trying to hold it in, but you can tell he’s furious. “Who the hell do these guys think they are, sending crap like this? What a bunch of gutless bullies. But hold on, this doesn’t feel like the Dark Sun’s style. Their threats are way gorier and, well, way more believable.”
“Damn it, Damien. You sound just like Lexi. She also didn’t think these guys were dangerous, but her car got hit last night and almost crashed. Maybe that would’ve made it bloodier.”
“Don’t get mad. I get that she’s your girl. I’m not saying she’s not in danger. What I mean is whoever is behind this is a whole different level of crazy. They could be even more dangerous if they like to toy with her. Definitely sociopathic. ”
“You know what? Fuck you guys. You’ve been driving me nuts with this crap about her being my girlfriend. Are you seriously going to listen to Dominic?”
“I always listen to Dominic when it comes to women. Don’t you?” Damien says, laughing.
The harder I try to convince them, the more they’ll think the opposite. “Whatever. So, my girlfriend… So, Lexi needs help. I think Damien’s right about the author of these letters being some deranged lunatic. A madman’s threats are just as deadly. But we need to gather more intel. Are you guys in?”
“Always, brother,” Damien replies.
“You know I’ve got your back. No need to ask,” Dominic replies. “I teased the heck out of you, and all I got was a fuck you . Which makes me think something is happening between you two. You don’t have to save every green-eyed woman out there, but she might be the one. Come on, fill me in. Let’s get to work. What do you need?”
Just as I’m about to spill the whole story, I hear my phone buzzing frantically in my pocket.
“Sorry,” I say, taking a look. “Dean? Aren’t you supposed to be on your way to Lexi’s dad’s?”
“I am, Gabe. Just a few miles left. I got a call from our guy who tailed Lexi’s journalist friend today. Something happened at the girls’ house.” I put the phone on speaker while Dean continues. “So, her friend went to her place today. Our guy stayed outside, watching from a distance. When she entered the house, a man wearing a mask over his head ran out quickly. Our guy didn’t follow him but went inside to check on the house. The girl had been pushed against the wall and had a nasty scrape on her forehead. It probably needs stitches. They trashed the place and broke things. And there was a message on the mirror, written with lipstick: Tell that bitch to go back home .”
** *
Things have gotten out of hand. Assault, injury, vandalism—these are calculated moves by someone who knows Lexi and her circle well. She stumbled into a viper’s nest, and the snakes were waiting to strike.
“Dean, rush over to her father. I’ll take over things at Lena’s place. Send me her number and the number of our guy there.”
“Okay, boss.” Dean hangs up, and soon I get the numbers I asked for.
Dominic stands up and heads to his desk, where he searches through his stuff, grabs the phone and dials a number. “I’ll take care of Lena; I’m calling her now. The house, too,” he says.
He stops for a second, his worried look turning into a comforting smile. It’s like he can imagine Lena right next to him. “Lena, hey. It’s Dominic Monti. I heard what happened. I’m sorry. Look, I’m with Gabriel. He told me everything. Is your head bleeding badly?”
He pauses briefly, waiting for Lena’s answer, then continues. “Keep applying pressure to the wound, okay? I’m sending someone from my hotel staff immediately to help you pack. They’ll take you to the Minerva Hotel, where you’ll be safe. My sister, who’s a doctor, will also be there to check on your head injury.”
He cocks his head, letting out a sigh as he listens to her reply. “Lena, this time it’s serious. This is not some stupid chasing game at my clubs and writing shit in the papers. You’re in danger now—both you and your friend, Lexi. You’re not safe at home. Go to the hotel and we’ll fight about it later. I need to go now and finish with Gabriel.”
We see him rolling his eyes as he listens. “Yes, I know you can handle yourself. I’ve seen you fight back. But that night in the club, my boys only wanted to remove you, not to hurt you. They’ve been told to be careful with all our guests, even the unwanted ones. Relax, we’ll send someone over to fix your place. You and your friend are safe. Please stop fighting me on this, okay? Oh, and by the way, you sound sexy when you curse.”
Dominic forces a smile and hangs up. “She’ll cooperate. She just loves to pick fights with me. But she sounded scared. And angry—she said they broke a family heirloom she had from her grandmother. I didn’t catch what it was exactly. The point is, she threatened to chop the balls off whoever did this. If she’s got that much energy and can still make sense despite hitting her head, then she’s alright.”
Lena might be safe for now, but Lexi’s in the eye of the storm. This maniac is after her, and while Mike, my toughest guy, is with her, Lexi’s a wildcard. Knowing her, she might pull something crazy and try to get to Lena herself.
I look up her number and call. It rings a bunch of times, but no answer. What if she left it somewhere again and took off? I’m about to hang up and call Mike when I hear her pick up.
“What do you want?” she says, cutting straight to the chase. Usually, I’d make fun of her for not saying hello first. But this is too serious now. I need to get her to be more responsible without scaring her off.
“You’re with Mike, right?”
“You want to talk to Mike? I’ll put him on. But he’s got his own phone, you know. He even gave me his number.” She pauses. I hear her walking away, and then Mike takes over.
“Hi, Gabe. Everything’s fine here.”
“Okay, good. So that you know, I’m going to break some bad news to her and she might want to take off. Her friend Lena got attacked. She’s fine; she has a minor head injury. Just make sure you lock the door and keep a close eye on Lexi. Put her on again, please. ”
Seconds later, I hear Lexi. “Yes, boss.” God, she loves to push my buttons. She could use a good spanking. Mental note for another time.
“Lexi, I need you to listen to me. There’s been a break-in at your house. Someone vandalized the place and left a scary message written on the mirror. When Lena came home and found them, they shoved her against a wall. But she’s fine now. Don’t worry.”
“Where’s Lena now? Why isn’t she the one calling me? Is she really okay, or are you lying to me?”
“She’s fine, I told you. Look, I had a guy from my team outside watching the house. He saw the attacker leave and went in to check on things, and he found her. Lena’s packing up; she’ll move into one of Dominic’s hotels so she won’t be alone. She has a minor head injury, but it seems like just some bumps and bruises.”
“What if she has a concussion? Head injuries are serious; they can cause brain damage, a skull fracture, or cervical spine and neck injury. I’m taking her to the hospital right now.”
I can see why she thinks this could be serious, but it’s not. “Lexi, please listen. She didn’t get a concussion, just a little scrape on her head. Please don’t leave the building until I get there. Stay close to Mike, alright? Tell me you understand.”
“I need to talk to her,” Lexi says, hanging up before I can add anything else.
Lena is her best friend, so I get it. Mike knows what he has to do, and I need to go back to the guys.
“Lexi’s okay. Lena and her are talking. This thing is getting a lot more serious, guys. Damien, let’s consider a wider range of suspects than we originally thought. We need to tap into our network.”
“Let’s see what our main leads are. Who wants Lexi gone? Gabe, we need everything you know,” Damien asks .
“My gut tells me this could be a criminal organization tied to the port area. Peter whisked Lexi away from her quiet country life, where she was working in one of his factories, wanting to use her photographic memory and data skills for an investigation. He got her to sift through data he got from shady sources and favors from gangsters he does business with, and then he went to the cops with what she uncovered. They raided the port, made some arrests, and even got the older Petrov’s nephew. Lexi saved Peter’s company, but now she’s a target. They went after the Petrovs, and those guys have claws everywhere, even in the police, Lexi thinks.”
“Unfortunately, that’s true. There are a few rotten apples there,” Damien confirms. “I also heard about the raid they pulled off two weeks ago. I was down south for another operation, so I couldn’t be there. Give me twenty-four hours, and I’ll dig out everything the police know. If the Cartel put a price on her head, I’ll find out.”
“I’ll have my guys ask around some dealers who owe me. If her name pops up anywhere, they’ll tell me,” Dominic jumps in.
Damien raises an eyebrow and pouts. “That’s new. What do they owe you?”
“Damien, come on. You’re on the government’s payroll. You know I can’t tell you. It’s nothing illegal. I stepped in and saved one of their kids, a young girl, from a nasty fight. She was injured, and I took care of her until her parents arrived to pick her up. So, they owe me one—no dealing in my clubs or hotels. That’s all I could do. Unfortunately, they’re very well connected—they’re all over the region, so they have eyes that the police will never have. Let’s use them for a good cause.”
“I don’t trust them, Dom. They’re scum. Cruel, twisted assholes who play with people’s lives like a sick game. They calculate, manipulate, and spin their webs of lies with this cold precision that makes you want to scream. So, yeah, I don’t want to know any more about this stuff. I trust you.”
Dominic runs a straight business; no drug money gets near it. But the problem with staying clean in a dirty game is being constantly on guard. He hired an entire army of security guys to keep the riffraff out. Some of his guys also work for me when needed.
“Gabe, you can reach out to your clients, right?” Damien continues.
“I’ll need to make a few calls or meet with some of the more trustworthy ones. I need to see their faces when I ask them.”
By now, I work with almost all the big companies in this city. My teams are everywhere, which gives me access to all the major buildings, doors, construction sites, parking lots, and surveillance cameras. I’ve got the entire city in the palm of my hand. There are some clients that even Dominic and Damien don’t know about. Extremely wealthy and influential individuals who entrust their lives to me and my team every time they walk out of the house or travel. Eventually, someone will drop a piece of information that will lead us to the predator who’s after Lexi.
“Gabe, there’s something else you could do, but you won’t like it.” Dominic comes up to me and rests his hand on my arm. “I saw the video of you guys at the Casino ball. It’s viral. I don’t know if you realize it, but people already think Lexi’s your girlfriend. I’ve been teasing you about it, but seriously, now… if you claim her publicly as your girl, that’ll send a message. Anyone messing with you knows how you handle things. They wouldn’t dare touch someone under your protection.”
“Only you can come up with stuff like that, Dom…” I pause, sigh, and continue, “…but it might just work. It would give me some breathing space to find the asshole who’s behind this. Because whoever they are, they can’t get away with it. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to close this case.”
“I assume you’re planning to report them to the police with evidence, so they can be held accountable,” Damien says, the voice of reason among us. “What other leads do you have, Gabe?” he continues.
“Well, some of her coworkers could also be behind this. I’ll ask Peter for the list and see if there are any suspicious connections.”
“That’ll take time. I can help,” Damien says. I know his official position grants him access to a lot of data, but I’d much rather he was in the field, gathering intel from informants rather than behind a computer.
“Look, Damien, I appreciate it, but my team’s got the background checks covered. Of course, if anything criminal pops up, you’ll be the first to know—that’s where your expertise comes in.”
“Gabe, I understand you feel deeply indebted to Peter. He’s been incredibly generous, sponsoring our work and the many causes we care about. But the real question is: what’s the connection between Lexi and the Maiers?” Dominic asks.
He points out something that’s been bugging me ever since I spoke to Peter. Exposing Lexi so recklessly was terrible enough, but what truly bothered me was the sense of secrecy. It felt like Peter wasn’t being fully transparent with me, like there was something bigger he wasn’t telling me.
“Peter is a question mark for me, too,” I answer. “Also, we need to investigate Lucas. Lexi uncovering some of Lucas’s dirty laundry wouldn’t surprise me. If she has proof, it could explain the threats. The arrogant, scared tone of the letters feels like his style.”
“And how do we do that?” Dominic asks .
“I’ll handle Lucas, don’t worry.” Lucas and I have some unfinished business. I’ve gotten him out of hot water a few times—bad loans, gambling… the whole nasty package. Thanks to Peter, I couldn’t exactly give him what he deserved. But maybe a little fear would make him reconsider his current path.
“So, as I was saying earlier… there’s one other thing left to do,” Dominic circles back. “We need to make your relationship public, Gabe. Let’s have something at the club or the restaurant. Where would you like to host a party?”
I knew this was coming. Lexi’s going to flip when I drop the bomb about her being my fake girlfriend. I can already picture the eye rolls and the dramatic sighs. It’s going to be a complete show.