24. Lexi
24
Lexi
I blink my eyes open. A woman with an unfamiliar face leans close, checking my arms and legs. She asks if I’m in any pain. I shake my head.
“Gabriel?” I call out, but I see Lena instead. She squeezes my hand and asks me to stay calm.
“Gabriel will be back soon. He’s in the port with the others.”
“Where am I?”
“We’re at Dominic’s. This is his sister. She’s a doctor. You’re fine, nothing major. You just had a shock. She’s giving you something to calm you down.”
“No, I don’t want to sleep. What’s going on? Lucas? Gabriel? Did anyone die?” I say, lifting myself up on my elbows.
Lena shakes her head as she gently pushes me back down to rest. Then it gets quiet again.
“How long has she been asleep?” I hear whispers around me. It’s a man’s voice—I recognize Gabriel.
“Not that long, maybe two hours. She’s been tossing and turning, talking in her sleep. She called out to you. Even Dominic’s sister was surprised by how resistant she was to the sedative. It’s like she doesn’t want to settle down. She wants to stay awake.” It’s Lena’s voice, and they’re talking about me .
My eyelids feel heavy, and my whole body aches when I try to move.
“Look, she’s waking up.” Gabriel comes over to where I’m lying. I can sense him next to me, but I can’t see him moving.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” he asks quietly, with a big smile. His body is pulsing. I force my eyes open and peek down at him. Judging by the way he sits with his right shoulder facing me, he doesn’t seem injured. But there’s a bandage peeking out from under his shirt, and if I squint, I can see his entire arm is wrapped up.
I want to sit up, but everything spins. “You’re hurt. God, Gabriel!” is all I can blurt out. My body can’t help itself and snuggles close to him. It hurts to stand, but his warmth feels good. I nuzzle my face into his neck, tickling my nose with his scratchy beard. I can hear his heart pounding under his shirt.
He wraps his arms around me gently. “It’s not too bad; it doesn’t hurt,” he murmurs. “But watching you being taken away right in front of me… that was awful. Lexi, I thought I’d die before I found you. Don’t push yourself. Just stay here with me until you can move.”
“I’m not in any pain. I guess I’m just dizzy from what the doctor gave me to calm me down.”
“Did somebody…?” Gabriel mumbles, trying to find the right words.
“No. They were afraid of you. I heard them say that if anything happened to me, the bodyguard would come after them.”
He leans closer, his breath warm against my cheek. A delicate kiss brushes my lips, soft as a butterfly’s wing. He takes a deep breath, gathers his courage, and pulls me close again, his lips latching onto mine in a consuming kiss. A sigh of relief escapes his lips as he looks me in the eye.
“I need to tell you something important, and I need to do it now. Do you feel well enough to listen?” he says. I nod, glued to him .
“When they took you from me, it hurt like hell. It was as if a piece of me was being ripped apart, a pain unlike anything I’ve ever known. I couldn’t understand what was happening to my body. My mind was racing, frantically searching for answers, but the pain was getting worse, draining me. I’ve never loved like this before, Lexi. It was terrible to realize how much you mean to me and then lose you. I’m not the guy you danced with at the Casino anymore. I’m a new man, and it’s all because of you. Lexi, I don’t think you realize how much I’ve come to love you.”
I close my eyes, letting his words cascade over me. My heart races like a caged bird, desperate to break free and fly to him. A wave of heat washes over me, turning my cheeks fiery red. My eyes well up with tears, and one breaks free, sliding down my cheek as I force a wavering smile. I’m feeling so many things right now—happy, relieved, and burning with the desire to be near him. I feel my body relax into him as if an enormous weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
We hug, kiss, and breathe together for a bit before he leaves me to rest on the pillows again.
“The guys who kidnapped you… have you seen them anywhere before? Can you recognize them?” he asks as he runs his hand across my forehead, smoothing out my hair. He speaks calmly, trying not to scare me, but I can feel him seething with anger.
“No. They had something on their faces. I kept my eyes closed for a long time so they’d think I’d fainted. How did you find me?”
“The ring. And Lucas’s phone. I’ve been tracking him for a while, and when you disappeared, I thought he might be behind it. The attackers only took it away when they put him in the container, so we had his last location. And you, my amazingly brave woman, you were so smart to hide the ring. I couldn’t believe it when you spit it out in the container when I picked you up. ”
Still crippled by pain, I give Gabriel a half-hearted smile. I’m worried about Lucas. He didn’t look good when we were in that container.
“Lucas… where is he?”
“He’s at the hospital. Apparently, he’s in an induced coma because of head trauma. He’s going to be okay, but it’s going to take time. He’s weak from all the stuff he’s been injecting for years. It looks like he’s in for a long recovery.”
“Who did it, Gabriel? Was it Vargas?”
“I suspect so, yeah. But we’re about to find out for sure. We have Vargas.”
“You do? Where is he? The police have him?”
“Not yet. He’ll get there soon. For now, he’s here, locked up. We’ll talk to him—and his accomplices. We haven’t rounded them all up yet. But soon, we’ll know everything.”
“Gabriel, I need to be part of this, too. When you talk to him, I want to be there. You promised me.”
“Are you sure you’re up for it? It won’t be pretty. Vargas looks a little messed up since he put up a fight. And he’ll be saying more crap, words you shouldn’t hear.”
“Really? Is that your concern? I’ll do whatever it takes to see this end once and for all. Take me there. I want to see him.”
“Wait, please. Damien needs to gather some more intel so we can corner him.”
“That freaking car was there, in the container, Gabriel.”
“I know. We took hold of it. It’s still got the dent on one side. He didn’t have time to fix it and just hid it.”
His phone buzzes. “It’s Damien. It’s time. Can you stand up?” he says.
I try to get up, every muscle screaming in protest. It’s not a sharp pain, just a feeling of being completely worn out. But if I complain, Gabriel will ask me to stay here, and I want to know what’s going on. As I force myself to sit up, I notice I have a new shirt on, which seems to be Dominic’s. Lena must’ve changed my clothes. I remember being barefoot when Gabriel picked me up from that awful container. I reach the edge of the couch and prepare for the next step—getting up and walking.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve taken you to the hospital. But I didn’t want to leave you alone while I gathered everyone else. You didn’t seem hurt, though the blood on your shirt scared the hell out of me. But I realized it wasn’t yours when I saw Lucas with his injury.”
“No, I’m okay, I really am. Can you help me get up?”
I stand up, leaning on him for support. There’s a pair of sneakers on the floor, probably Lena’s or maybe Dominic’s sister’s. Lena comes over, and Gabriel lifts me up so she can help me put them on and tie the laces.
I take a few steps to the door and somehow manage to stay on my feet. My head is pounding, but I feel ready to go to the room where everything is about to be revealed—the moment I’ve been waiting for almost five years. My nightmare is about to end. Maybe now I’ll be able to find some peace and move on with my life.
I push open the door and see a few chairs clustered in the center. Thick curtains block the windows, making the room dark, except for lamps in the corners. It feels hidden, like a secret meeting place away from prying eyes. Across from the entrance, there are couches, comfy chairs, and small tables. Gabriel leads me to a sofa. As we walk by, Damien and Dominic, who are talking on the other side of the room, both give me a quick hug and a pat on the cheek.
Gabriel helps me sit down and then walks over to them. Damien’s phone rings briefly, and he answers, “Yes, bring him in. ”
Mike walks in with Vargas, whose hands are cuffed behind his back. A bloodied lower lip and a nasty slash mark his cheek; his designer suit now hangs in tatters, one sleeve ripped clean off as if he clawed his way out of an animal attack. Once gleaming with triumph, his eyes are now clouded and jittery, like a spooked horse. His smirk when he jumped me earlier is long gone. He doesn’t seem seriously injured, but the beating he took has shaken him.
Mike shoves him into a seat. Vargas sits up straight, shooting the three men a defiant glare. Mike places a hand on his shoulder, trying to dent his arrogance. Vargas is clearly not used to taking orders or being controlled. A low growl escapes his throat, his foot tapping a furious rhythm against the floor.
“You three assholes will have to answer for kidnapping and abuse,” he shouts.
“Oh, really? And who’s going to believe you?” Gabriel replies, a cool smile playing on his lips.
“You think you’re going to get away with this shit? You don’t have enough muscle on the force to pin anything on me,” Vargas spits out, his eyes then boring into Damien. “It’s a dangerous game you’re playing, Detective. This little charade will cost you your badge.”
“I’d keep my mouth shut if I were you. Damien is your only friend here. If it weren’t for him and his badge, you wouldn’t be here to threaten us. I’ve got some containers, too, you know,” Gabriel growls back. I can tell he’s getting angry as he paces the room, constantly getting close to Vargas with his fists balled up. Vargas is lucky that Damien and Dominic are here. Otherwise, things might get ugly for him.
“Don’t bother denying it. We can prove everything. We found the gun you used to shoot Gabriel on you. Trust me, ballistics will prove it.” Damien gets up close, leans in, and looks Vargas dead in the eye. “ We found the car and the papers it came with. They’re signed by you. Your name’s listed as the owner. Your employee betrayed you. They all did. They’d rather fess up than face prison. And we found the thugs who kidnapped Lexi. They betrayed you, too. You’re alone, and you’re trapped. So, you can drop the circus.”
“You’re arrogant and cruel, but you’re not that bright!” I shout at Vargas. He turns around, trying to find where the voice comes from.
“Aw, look who it is—the bodyguard’s princess.” I feel his eyes staring at me in the dim light. “So, why do you think I’m cruel? You don’t even know me.”
“I know you. You’re the son of a bitch who let me die that night—both me and my dad. You could’ve stopped and taken us to the hospital.” I get up and walk over to him. Gabriel stops pacing and comes over, too, standing halfway between Vargas and me.
After exchanging looks with Gabriel, Mike leaves the room, most likely to deal with something. Damien goes up to Vargas, puts a hand on his shoulder, and squeezes until he screams. “Does it hurt?” I ask. “Do you understand pain now? The despair and fear of death we felt when you hit us? How can you live with yourself after almost killing innocent people?”
“And what the hell were you two doing out on the streets at night?” he bursts out uncontrollably. Then he realizes what he said and looks away to the corner of the room.
“What were we doing? What were you thinking, driving like a maniac at night on a road with no visibility?” I shout at him, leaning on Gabriel, who holds me, thinking I’m about to hit him. I would, if I thought it would make me feel better, but it won’t. All I’ve wanted to know for years is the answer to one question.
“Why did you run away and leave us to die? That’s what I don’t understand. I get you like fast, powerful cars. It was an accident—I get that, too. But I don’t understand what kind of man leaves two innocent people lying in a ditch, badly injured and barely breathing. How can you live with yourself after what you’ve done? What kind of man are you? Are you even human? Answer me. Are you a man or a beast?”
Vargas avoids eye contact, lowering his head, and my question remains unanswered. I feel like shaking him, but Gabriel swoops in and pulls me away from the asshole’s chair.
“I’m sorry, Lexi, but this coward won’t talk. Not yet. Not while he’s alone in front of us.”
Vargas looks up at him, seemingly nervous. Gabriel’s words or tone seem to scare him.
“If you have it all figured out, then what the hell are you doing here with me? Why don’t you turn me over to the authorities?” Vargas shouts.
“Because your partner in crime is on their way here. We want the whole story before they throw you behind bars for so long that you come out looking like your grandpa,” Gabriel says, leaning over to stare him dead in the eye.
Vargas pales, his bravado crumbling. His jaw slackens open, and his eyes dart nervously towards the door. He’s visibly shaken but says nothing, a deep, overwhelming look of horror settling over his face.
“You should’ve quit when I told you, country girl,” I hear Anita’s voice sneer behind me. I didn’t notice her slip into the room.