21. Gabriel
21
Gabriel
“ Y ou’re going to die here and now, just like I promised you some time ago, you bastard.” I’ve got my hands around Vargas’s throat. His eyes stare at me with pure terror, and I feel him fading away. I know I could strangle him with my bare hands.
Lexi’s down on her knees, screaming at me to stop. Mike yanks Lena away from one of the thugs, pounding him until he stops putting up a fight. The other guy bolted when I tackled Vargas, pinning him down with my knee on his chest until I heard the bone crack. I’ve broken his ribs before, but this time, I’ll break his neck.
“Gabriel, don’t kill him! I’m begging you,” Lexi cries desperately next to me. I loosen the choke around the bastard’s throat and look at her. She’s terrified, tears pouring down her face as she holds her wounded hand to her chest.
When I rushed over and saw him tormenting her, I knew he wouldn’t make it out alive for daring to hurt her. None of my usual cold, calculated tactics for protecting clients worked when I saw Lexi in danger, especially in the hands of a ruthless, sociopathic brute like Vargas.
I take my hands off him and quickly reach for Lexi. Mike comes over and stops next to Vargas, who’s still on the ground, struggling to get up .
Lexi clings to me, pounding her little fists on my chest as she sobs. Panic surges through me, a desperate need to hold her together, to make sure she’s okay. I wrap my arms tightly around her body and her head, almost leaving her out of breath. It’s a stupid move that could hurt her if she’s had an injury, but I can’t help myself.
“Are you in pain? Did he break your arm or something? Please talk to me.”
I softly kiss her forehead and bury my face in her hair. My hand throbs with pain, but I run my fingers through it anyway, wanting to comfort her.
“It’s okay. I’m here; it’s over now,” I whisper, waiting until she settles down and her body stops convulsing. She rests her head on my shoulder.
Mike stands between us and Vargas, reaching down to pull him up. Vargas growls and shoves Mike’s hand away. He scrambles on the ground like a hurt animal, finally getting to his feet and clutching his throat.
“You won’t get another shot next time, pal. You just caught me off guard now,” he shouts as he limps away.
“Next time we meet, I’ll kill you or handcuff you,” I growl back. I won’t shout or chase him down to make him swallow his words. Lexi is too scared, and we need to get out of this place.
“We’re going to the car,” I say to Mike. “Lena, are you okay?” She nods and straightens her clothes. They’re torn on one side where Vargas’s guy attacked her, but otherwise, she seems less shocked than Lexi.
We walk to the car, Lexi still shaking and leaning on me without saying a word. We get in while Mike takes Lena and goes searching for the girls’ car. “I’ll see you at the office,” I tell him before closing the door and starting the engine .
Before we leave, I text Glitch, our tech whiz who moonlights as a hacker, to dig up Vargas’s entire background: associates, family, work history, the whole nine yards.
“Sure thing, Gabe,” he replies.
I speed down the coastal road, the port lights streaking by. Every mile puts Vargas further behind us. Lexi sits beside me, her earlier tremors now replaced by a tight silence.
I know I can’t talk to her right now—she’s scared, and I’m furious. I almost choked the life out of that guy, and I rarely lose my temper when I’m on a mission to protect or rescue my clients. At work, I’m cool and calculated. Or so I was until Lexi got attacked in front of me, and everything went to shit. Fuck. I came close to a line I could never cross.
Vargas and I go way back. The last time we tangled, he ended up in the hospital with two cracked ribs, and I needed surgery for a broken jaw. Dominic had to pull us apart. It all started when he harassed a client’s teenage daughter at a bar. The girl had run away from home with her boyfriend. Vargas was wasted and looking for a fight. Her boyfriend got scared and called me when things got rough. I hardly ever throw punches, but there was no other choice then. Vargas… well, he only speaks one language—violence.
He’s become even cockier over time, working his way to the top of the port hierarchy through corruption and associating with criminals. He just landed the top job at the port after narrowly escaping the recent raids. I don’t get how this scum keeps slipping through the cracks, but someone powerful must be looking the other way.
I hit dial on Damien’s number. As soon as the call connects through the car’s Bluetooth, his deep voice fills the space.
“Yes, Gabriel. ”
“Vargas assaulted the girls. Mike and I saved them just in time. Talk to Dominic, and I’ll see you at my office.”
“Lexi and Lena? Where were they in the port, and what were they doing there? Are they okay?”
I glance at Lexi. She’s focused on my phone, almost like she can see who’s calling through it. Good. She’s shaking off the shock, coming back to her senses.
“Lexi’s better now, and Lena’s with Mike. They’re looking for the car that caused the accident. Vargas is probably behind this. Get to my office as soon as you can.”
I hang up and turn to Lexi. Before I can speak, her voice cuts through the silence, barely a whisper, “How… how did you know about the car that hit me?”
“From your file. Damien found out the details. I was waiting for you to tell me when you were ready.”
“You’re right. It was Vargas. The tattoo on his neck matches the symbol on the car. Plus, he showed up right after we showed the picture of the car to one of his employees. That guy betrayed us, took the money, and disappeared, sending Vargas and those thugs after us.”
“We’ll get to my office in a few minutes to regroup, and I’ll take care of your hand. Does it hurt?”
“Please don’t get mad,” Lexi murmurs, rubbing her injured knuckle.
“I’m not. But you know you shouldn’t have gone there.”
“How did you find me?”
“I put a tracking app on your other phone, the one you keep hidden in your luggage.”
“Thanks,” she mutters, burying her face in her hands and letting out a big sigh .
Lexi’s really shaken up. Seeing me like that, all rage and violence… I don’t think she was prepared for it.
We pull up and take the elevator to my office. As the doors hiss open, I scoop her up and hold her tight, one hand cradling her back, the other guiding her face closer to mine until our lips meet. Greedily, I take in the taste I’ve become so familiar with over the past few nights together. Her kiss tastes of tears as she presses her lips against mine. She clings to me, her sobs muffled against my chest, each shuddering breath a slow release of fear.
“Please stop crying. I can’t see you like this. It breaks my heart. You’re safe now.”
I hold Lexi close, refusing to let go. The elevator doors slide open, and she instinctively reaches for the floor. A quiet sniffle escapes her, and she looks everywhere but at me, the fear still hanging heavy in the air.
“I’m not putting you down,” I mutter, stepping into the office. She leans her head on my shoulder, a silent plea for comfort. I settle onto the couch with her in my lap. We face each other, my hand brushing her cheek, lifting her chin until our eyes meet.
“Seeing him hurt you… it triggered something primal in me. I wanted to kill Vargas. I almost…” My voice trails off, the image of Vargas’s face contorted in fear flashing in my mind. “I’m sorry, Lexi. I scared you, didn’t I?”
My fingers brush her lips, a soft touch before I kiss her cheek, then flutter a kiss over her eyelids. “You’re safe now, Lexi,” I whisper. “I won’t let anyone hurt you again—not ever. Today made me realize… I can’t imagine a world without you in it.”
“Gabriel, don’t do this. Don’t play with words. I can’t get abandoned again. I can’t handle another loss. ”
“I’m not going to die, Lexi. Do you hear me? I’m here, and I’m not letting go of you.” I squeeze her tighter, feeling her body melting into mine. We probably have a few more minutes before the others show up—just to hold her, touch her, calm her down, and let her know she’s safe with me.
I leave her on the couch and head to the safe behind my desk, hidden behind a painting. I open it up and take out a ring, then turn to Lexi and put it on her finger. She doesn’t flinch, but looks at me in shock.
“Gabriel, what is this? Are you…? You can’t propose to me now. I know you’ll protect me. We don’t need a ring for that.”
“This ring has a tiny GPS in the stone that I can track from my phone. It’s something I use for some of my clients. You should never, ever take it off. That way, I can always find you.”
“A ring with a GPS? And here I thought you didn’t have experience with female clients…”
“Come on, Lexi. Do you have to give me a hard time every time I ask you to do something?”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m not used to being with someone or having someone really care for me. I’ve always relied on myself alone… never had time to enjoy life or know what joy truly is. There was so much hate and resentment in my heart.”
“All I ask is that you trust me—I mean, really trust me. If there’s anything you’re still keeping from me, now is the time to change that.”
***
The first ones to get to the office are Lena and Mike. Mike hands Lexi her phone back, the one she left behind in his car when she snuck out to get to the port. She whispers I’m sorry as she takes it, with a guilty look on her face.
After a long hug, Lexi and Lena head to the bathroom. The adrenaline rush is fading, and the aftershocks of the assault will probably hit them soon. Lexi seems more affected by what happened, but Lena really surprised me—completely calm and fearless the entire time. Lexi’s lucky to have a friend like that.
“I sent two men to watch over Iris. Dean’s on guard duty at Lexi’s dad’s house for now. I’m sending reinforcements—two more will take shifts keeping an eye on things there. Dominic’s team is on the way to pick up Lena and take her back to the hotel. She won’t be happy about it, but it’s for her safety. On the ride here, she made it clear she wanted payback on the jerk who double-crossed her and Lexi in the port. Apparently, she has something on him and plans to press charges.”
In just one breath, Mike gives me a rundown of everything he pulled together during his twenty-minute trip to the office. Our protection plan is in full swing. I’m waiting for Damien and Dominic to get here so we can decide how to take down Vargas. After the humiliation he’s suffered, he’ll want revenge—and I expect he’ll go after Lexi and her family and friends.
“Thanks, Mike, that’s great. Are you okay?”
“Me? I’m practically untouched. I can’t say the same about the other guy, though.”
Dominic storms into my office with Damien a few steps behind, talking on the phone. “Where are the girls?” he grunts. “I will kill that motherfucker Vargas if he laid a finger on them. I should’ve let you beat him up when you had the chance, so he’d never think about going against us again.”
His eyes quickly scan the room before stopping on the office bathroom and kitchen doors. He turns and gives me a questioning look. I nod, and he heads over, shouting for Lena. Just as he reaches the kitchen door, she comes out and stops in front of him, looking confused. “What’s with all the shouting?”
“I just wanted to make sure you’re still in one piece. Helena, you’re such a pain in the ass, woman. You just can’t stay out of trouble, can you?”
“I’m okay. Stop making such a fuss about it. And stop playing the nice guy. It’s not a good look on you,” she snaps.
Dominic tries to act tough, but I know he’s really worried about her. He doesn’t let Lena out of his sight, measuring her from head to toe.
“What happened to your clothes?” he explodes, his anger rising as he notices ripped fabric hanging off Lena’s shirt and pants. “Who did this to you?” Before she gets to say anything, he turns to Mike and me. “Do you guys have a picture of Vargas’s goons? Were they the ones who jumped her?”
Mike answers calmly, “Even if we had a photo, you wouldn’t recognize them. The guy who took a swing at me got his nose rearranged, and his eyes puffed shut. He kept getting at me until he almost lost his teeth. He’s probably getting stitched up in an ER somewhere right now.”
“Good point. I’ll call my sister. She can track down the jerk with the busted nose.” Then he turns to Damien, who’s just finished his call. “We need to get to work and make Vargas pay for this. Let’s find those guys and make them wish they never messed with us.”
Damien sees Lexi walk out of the bathroom. Her face is clean, her hair pulled back, but her wrist is turning purple. She’s wrapped one of my ties around it, probably from the mini dressing room next to the bathroom. “Can someone help me tie this into a splint?” she asks. Damien and Dominic go over and hug her. “Let’s see that wrist, Green Eyes,” Dominic says gently, checking her injury. Damien gives her a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll get them, Lexi. Don’t you worry about it.”
I move to help Lexi with the tie and bring her to the couch, but Lena waves me off. “I’ve got it. You guys seem a little on edge.”
Damien steps back, making room for Lena to stand next to Lexi, but Dominic doesn’t budge. He looks at Lena for a long moment, then gently touches her face, brushing back a loose strand of hair. We all watch in silence. Dominic notices us and walks back to the table, a little flustered. “Alright, everyone, let’s get down to business. Lena will take care of Lexi,” he says, trying to shift gears.
Damien plops himself down on my desk with his laid-back style that doesn’t really respect the luxury and comfort of an office like mine. Dominic stays by the bookshelf, eyes glued to Lena while he talks, and Lexi joins her on the couch. I need a good spot to stand where I can see everyone and ask the big question that’s on all our minds. “Why is Vargas after Lexi? If he’s pulling the strings, why would he risk blowing his cover by attacking her head-on?”
“What do we know about the accident?” Dominic cuts me off. I look at Lexi, nodding silently for her to speak.
Her voice trembles as she takes a deep breath and starts her story, the one that brought her to us. “It happened five years ago. I was a second-year student here at the university. Every weekend, I’d catch a train home to see my dad. He’s all the family I have left. Mom left us when I was eight, after a family tragedy. It was a Friday night, and I went straight to the factory where Dad worked to pick him up after his shift. It was almost midnight by then. I waited for him to finish up and even helped him with some papers. We decided to take a shortcut home, a side road. It was a dark night, with no moon in sight. He had his bike with him and was teasing me, saying I’d forgotten how to ride a bike since I went to college. I took it to prove him wrong. But the road was bumpy, and I wobbled, trying to keep my balance. Suddenly, we heard a car coming closer really fast.”
She takes a deep breath, her voice catching a little. “It just came barrelling toward us. Dad shoved me out of the way but couldn’t save himself in time. Then, the loud car with barely any lights smashed into him, breaking his left leg. It hit the brakes hard, tires squealing. I landed on the side of the road and hit my head on a rock. Then, I saw Dad get hit and fall right in the middle of the road behind the stopped car. I got a good look at it—the color and the glowing sticker on the back. Then everything went dark. I woke up in the hospital after two weeks in a coma. Later, I found out we’d both been unconscious for about half an hour before they found us.”
Lexi’s voice cracks with sadness, each word heavy with pain. “While I was in a coma, my dad refused to leave my bedside to get surgery himself. He was scared I wouldn’t wake up, and he’d never talk to me again. By the time I recovered, he needed multiple surgeries, but they couldn’t fix his leg. I got off easy with just a scar on my lip. I quit school to be by his side while he was in hospital. We lost our house, and my dad was declared permanently disabled, so he had to retire. Then, one day at the hospital, I got a call from his work, Peter’s factory. They helped us pay the medical bills and even gave me a job on the line. That’s how we got back on our feet financially and started feeling a little better. You probably know, or can guess, what happened next. Peter offered me a job here in the city. And then came the letters, the threats, Vargas… which brings us to today.”
Every word she says tightens a knot in my chest, her sadness seeping into me. This is such a raw moment for her, and I find myself holding my breath unconsciously, afraid to break the connection we’ve built. She trusted us enough to share her story. Now, it’s on me to end this nightmare for her.
“Do you think it was Vargas?” Damien asks.
“I know it was Vargas. He has the same tattoo on his neck as the symbol on the car—a Celtic knot. He seemed crazy and arrogant enough to be driving this kind of car.”
“Can you show us the picture of the car, Lexi?” I ask. “Or tell us about the model you thought you saw that night.” It might be hard for her to remember everything, but her memories are all we’ve got.
Lexi’s voice snaps, “I remember perfectly what I saw.” She pulls out her phone and scrolls through her photos. When she finds it, she shows it to us triumphantly. “This is it! The car that hit us, this exact model. Limited edition, Italian import. Only a few hundred were made in 2018. It can cost up to half a million. The owner must be wealthy.”
“Or it could be stolen. I’ll ask Glitch to dig out more. Can you give me the picture so I can send it to him?”
I forward the photo to the hacking whiz on my team. Meanwhile, Damien stands up and takes control of the conversation. “Hold on. If Vargas was the one driving that night, why would he risk everything by showing up around Lexi and Lena? He had to know she was Gabriel’s girlfriend, right? This whole thing doesn’t make sense. It’s either a dumb move, or he’s really cornered.”
“The statute of limitations will soon run out, and after that, I won’t be able to bring the driver to justice. It seems more like a desperate act to get me off his back,” Lexi says.
“But it’s still weird. Now we all know he’s the one who sent those threats to you. He’s not safe anymore, no matter what he does,” I cut in .
“Right, but there’s one other thing. Only my father and I can identify the car. With me in the city, asking around, knowing that I’m a witness, he probably got desperate,” Lexi says, letting out a long sigh as she finally understands the real danger she’s in.
“So, all he has to do is keep Lexi away from the car,” Damien continues. “That means the car’s still around, stashed somewhere. He’s just waiting for the clock to run out so he can use it again. And for Lexi to give up and leave the city.”
“Yeah. It’s an expensive car, but it must mean more than that to him. Why else would he hide it all this time?” I add. I mean, come on, who keeps a car like that locked away unless they’re nuts, think they’re untouchable, or really love that thing? What’s Vargas’s deal with this car?
“True. Whoever’s been hiding it doesn’t want to lose it. Otherwise, they wouldn’t hold on to evidence of a crime about to be discovered,” Dominic adds, reading my mind.
“The file on the accident is incomplete—pages are missing. Luckily, I talked to an officer who was on duty that night and worked the case until he was told to stop.” Damien really went above and beyond digging into this for me.
“Told to stop? By whom?” Lexi snaps.
“That’s all I know. It could’ve been anyone with a senior role at the local police station. Do you remember any high-ranking officers from back then?” Damien asks.
“Guys, Glitch sent more intel,” I cut in. “Everything’s falling into place now. Right after the incident at the port, I told him to dig into Vargas’s background and find out more about his family.”
“Let’s hear it then. Come on, spill it out!” Dominic says.
“Well, Vargas is a real piece of work. It turns out everything we suspected about him these past few years turned out to be true. ”
Dominic gives me a squinty look, holding his jaw. “Meaning?”
“He’s involved with criminal groups and has been investigated a few times after some companies in the port accused him of theft and harassment. Somehow, he didn’t get fired; he got promoted instead, likely by pulling some strings and greasing some pockets. Now, about the car Lexi’s looking for… yeah, he could’ve either bought it or smuggled it in.”
“And how did he make Lexi’s complaint about the accident disappear?” Dominic asks.
“Anything is possible when you have money. I’ll find out who’s backing him in the police,” Damien says.
My phone shows a new notification—a message from Glitch. I read it, and my jaw drops. “No fucking way.”
“What is it?” Lexi asks.
I look over at her, finally understanding why she’s been so obsessed with the Maier family, why Lucas has been acting like a dick, and why Peter has been feeling guilty.
“Vargas used to work for Grain Inc. before he landed his first job in the port. He handled logistics and shipping for the Maiers. This was around the same time as the accident.”
“So one of their employees almost killed you, and they knew all along?” Dominic says in a low, menacing voice.
“Or maybe it was a Maier behind the wheel,” Lexi says, her voice shivering, her emerald eyes churning into a storm. Her expression is a storm cloud, a mix of shock, anger, and disbelief. Beneath all that, a flicker of fear. It’s clear she’s hurting and wants revenge.
** *
“This is not the way home. Where are we going?” Lexi asks.
“We’re taking a detour. A small but important one.”
We all left my office at the same time. Dominic insisted on taking Lena back to the hotel so he could look after her. Once she realized Vargas had seen her with Lexi, which meant she was in danger, too, she reluctantly agreed.
Damien wants to dig deeper with his informants to learn about Vargas’s police connections. Mike’s in charge of getting surveillance teams together for the entire Maier family. Vargas is cornered—he’ll get sloppy and make a mistake. Perhaps he’ll try moving the car or ask the Maiers for help. I still have a few things that don’t add up yet. But with the help of Glitch and Mike’s team, I’ll soon find out if it’s just a hunch or if I’ve been played this whole time. Has Peter been putting on an act?
Lexi’s in the passenger seat, glued to the window, wondering where we’re headed. Dominic offered to take her to the hospital so his sister could check on her, but she said no. All she needs is a relaxing bath, a glass of wine, and some rest—preferably cuddled up with me, so I can make sure I don’t lose her again. But also, so she can see I’m serious about us. And for that, I decide to tell her about Iris.
I check the red dot on my phone app to see where Iris is. It’s late afternoon, and since she’s in school until five, we should spot her around the schoolyard or with her friends on the way to her grandma’s.
“I want you to know more about me, about my past. This way, you’ll understand the man I am today.”
“Your past… you mean, your life in the Navy? ”
“No, not that past. Before that. My rebel teenager years.”
She throws me a questioning, curious look without saying anything. I’m grateful for it—it buys me some time to find the right words before we see Iris.
We turn right and pull up to Iris’s school. My phone app shows she’s not on the move, so I park down the street from the school entrance, facing the way Iris usually goes home.
“This is a school. Who are we looking for?”
“Bear with me. I’ll show you in a second.”
I spot Iris in the crowd leaving school. She’s always been popular, surrounded by at least three or four of her classmates. She bursts out of the school gates like a ray of sunshine. Her golden-blonde hair bounces in a high ponytail as she laughs with her friends, her ocean-blue eyes sparkling. A wide smile stretches across her face, so contagious it could light any of my days.
“Who are we looking at?” Lexi asks when she sees me staring at the group.
“The blonde girl, the one in the middle.”
“Is she your kid? Anything to do with the woman who came to your office?”
“That woman is her mother. And that’s Iris, a girl who doesn’t have a father because of me. He died in a terrible car accident before she was born.”
“Do you want to introduce us?”
“I can’t. She doesn’t know me either. She hasn’t seen me since she was five. I don’t think she remembers me.”
“And why don’t you just talk to her? Why are you hiding?”
“I’m not. I like to watch over her from a distance. She lives with her grandmother. Unfortunately, her mom, who you’ve met, only makes things worse. ”
Lexi leans over me, wincing as she puts weight on her hurt hand. Her eyes follow the group out of school.
“Why do you think it’s your fault? And what did that woman mean about you paying your debts?”
“Jake, Iris’s father, was my only buddy at the orphanage. He was a couple of years younger, but from the day he came, he wouldn’t leave my side. He kept telling everyone he was my brother, and I didn’t mind. I mean… he was like my little shadow. But when I joined the Navy, I left him alone and defenseless. He was small and frail, but feisty and super smart. That’s probably why those illegal car racers ended up taking him in.”
“I still don’t get why this is your fault. What duty? You can’t be blamed for what others decide.”
“Why don’t we go home? I’ll tell you all about it on the way. Oh, and I need to take care of your hand when we get there.” Even though she’s a good listener, I didn’t expect it to be so hard to talk about my past with Lexi. I know I decided to open up, but I feel the need to take this slower.
“Who else knows about her?”
“Damien, Dominic, and Mike. He’s the one in charge of monitoring and watching over her. The rest of the team that guards her thinks she’s the daughter of an important client.”
“God, Gabriel. Why would you shut yourself out like this? I don’t get it. My father means the world to me. Every little girl needs a father. Why didn’t you stay in Iris’s life as a father figure? Why hide?”
“Because I don’t know how to be a father, just like I don’t know how to be a boyfriend. I couldn’t be there for a family other than providing for them financially. I failed as a friend to her father. All I know is how to be a soldier, and the only strong connections in my life are with other soldiers. ”
Until you came into my life , I should add. I know she needs to hear it. Lexi’s questions echo in my head—the same ones I’ve been asking myself for years. With a deep breath, I start the car.