“This better be important. I swear to god if I left my naked girl for something less than?—”
“Shut the fuck up and get your ass in here,” Demon yells, his tone sharp and demanding.
Reed comes into the kitchen, pours a drink, and sits beside me. “Why are you the way you are?” I ask him.
Demon doesn’t let him answer me before he turns his computer around to show us the screen. Filling the small screen is an image I’ve spent countless hours praying I would see. It’s a still shot of my girl, Tara. Her hair is no longer ash blond but is dark as night. She has gained a few pounds, and her face is rounded instead of thin like before. But the most disturbing thing is her once carefree, loving ocean-blue eyes have taken on a harsher color. They tell the story of a woman who has been hurt and abandoned and now carries the weight of the world on her shoulders.
“Where was this taken?” I ask, pulling the computer closer and running my fingers over the screen as if I could touch her.
“And when?” Reed asks. Gone is his light, playful tone, and in its place is the dangerous tone he uses on a job.
“Three days ago. I sent a guy to follow up on a lead I found through the dark web. I didn’t want to get your hopes up, so I didn’t say anything, but I found a thread about a woman offering her services to women who needed justice. Justice they couldn’t find going to the police. It took a while to contact her but we were able to.
“My guy’s sister set up a meeting with the woman, and we got this picture. She doesn’t give her name or any personal information, of course. I didn’t think it would be that easy, but I knew we had found her as soon as I received this photo. Using what she looks like now and the contact information we had, I found out more, but—” Demon’s words are cut off when all the lights go off in my house just as a clap of thunder sounds throughout the night air.
Chapter
Four
TARA
Did I have to cut the power to Gabe’s house? No, but I did it anyway because I like the dramatics. As soon as I got home, Elio told me all he knew about Dean. Which wasn’t much. His men had Dean’s body and would soon learn how he died. I wanted to stay around and help, but while I wanted to know how Dean died, I already knew who caused his death, and I would get answers quicker from him than Dean.
Riverbend Pines, where my brother and Gabe live, is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from where I have been living in Hawk’s Bend. Over the year, I have thought about making the drive back, but as soon as Dean was reported missing, I decided to use my training and past to help other women out. Elio promised that if anything popped up about Dean, he would let me know. When that happened, then I would head back and finally take something from him, his life.
Like normal, I didn’t leave home until the sun had set. Elio wanted me to take someone from the family with me, but I told him that this was something I had to do myself. I rolled into Riverbend Pines at midnight and drove straight to Gabe’s home. The place that I called my own a year ago. It was once my safe haven, full of love, hope, and a bright future, or so I thought.That was until Gabe looked at me and called me an attention-seeking whore, and told me that he should have known what I truly was. He took my heart and shattered it on the ground.
I park my truck in the thicket of trees surrounding Gabe’s house and walk the rest of the way. When I’m close, I message Vance, Elio’s right hand man who happens to also be my best friend.
Me
Cut the power.
Vance
You got it. Be safe, T. If you need me, I’m there.
Me
I’ll be fine. I have all the backup I need.
As I stand on the edge of the forest that surrounds Gabe’s house on three sides, my hand is constantly rubbing Reaper’s head. A year ago, I not only received training on how to protect myself, but I also purchased a trained Belgian Malinois dog. I did quite a bit of research into what dog breed was best for protection, and Belgian Malinois was at the top of the list. I worked with his trainer for hours, learning how to handle Reaper.
A second after I pocket my phone, the house in front of me is blanketed in darkness. Reaper’s ears twitch as he listens out for any danger that may approach. I slide the backpack off and unzip the main pocket. Inside, I pull out a small black device, my trusted butterfly blade, and my Hellcat 9mm. I leave the bag behind a big tree and silently start across the yard. With two clicks of my tongue, Reaper is right beside me. The only part of him that anyone can see is his yellow eyes glowing in the moonlight.
But thanks to a storm rolling in, soon there will be no light besides the lightning streaking across the sky. When I’m closer to the house, I flip the little switch on my cell blocker, which makes Gabe’s cell phone useless. I’m not worried about him calling the cops, but I don’t want Reed, Jessie, or Nick showing up before I can get my answers and slink back into the darkness. I have my reasons for not wanting to see them, but the time to deal with why is not right now. Now is the time to deal with Gabe.
I hear hushed voices coming from inside, but the rain has started to pick up, making it difficult to fully hear what is being said. I figure Gabe has a girl inside, but that isn’t going to stop me. Nothing is. I’m almost to the back deck when Reaper alerts me to a threat. He stops right in front of me, his ears standing straight up and a low growl comes from deep within his chest.
“What the fuck was that?” Gabe’s voice comes from the back deck. There is a slight click, and light rushes over the backyard. He must have a flashlight.
Before I can take another step, a cold, sharp blade is pressed to my throat as a wide chest presses against my back. “Don’t?—”
The male voice is cut off when Reaper turns and lunges at the hand holding the knife against my throat. I throw my elbow back, catching the guy’s ribs, and drop to the ground right as Reaper latches onto his hand. The blade of the knife nicks my jaw, and blood starts coming from the tiny cut. Suddenly, the beam of Gabe’s flashlight illuminates me, Reaper, and the guy raising his hand as if he is about to hit my dog.
“Ritirarsi,” I yell at Reaper to retreat, pulling out the Hellcat and pointing it at Gabe. Reaper instantly lets go of Reed’s hand and walks backward until he is between my legs. I don’t have to look to know Reaper’s eyes never leave Reed. “Guardia,” I command Reaper to guard.
“What the fuck?” Gabe asks in shock. He steps forward until another male voice comes from the back deck as the lights come back on. Gabe’s outside light clicks on, and I finally get my first full look at the man who broke my heart.
