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I slide it on my little finger, touch the smooth green stone. I know this isn’t an ordinary mood ring. The design is too intricate for that.
“Thank you, Mr. Poe. I love it.”
“You’re welcome, Gabriela.” He hugs me back. He’s barely released me when Rafa surprises us both by walking out of a door that leads to the stock room. The look on his face tells me something is wrong.
“Rafa? What is it?”
Mr. Poe stares at him open-mouthed.
“We have to go,” he says and when he moves, I see the glint of shiny metal in a shoulder holster and the smudge of red on his knuckle.
“What’s happened?” I ask as he takes my arm.
“There were men following. And we’re outnumbered. We need to go. Now.”
“But—”
“Now!”
I almost drop the boxes as he pulls me along out through the stock room and into an alley where our SUV awaits minus the driver. He opens the passenger door, his expression as he turns his gaze to the mouth of the alley making me panic.
“What’s happening?” I ask.
Once I’m in, he slams the door shut and runs to the driver’s side, gets in, and a moment later, we’re peeling out of the alley, cars honking their horns wildly as we merge with traffic. I let out a scream, catching myself on the dashboard and the door, all of this reminiscent of the last time I was in a car with Rafa.
“Put your seatbelt on,” he snaps, eyes on the rear-view mirror as he takes an illegal left.
I look back, but I can’t tell who’s who. All I see is a road full of cars, trucks and taxis.
“Who is it?” I ask, putting on my belt.
“I don’t know,” he says, just glancing at me as the car hits a pothole. “I think I lost them.”
“Did you call Stefan?”
He glances at me, nods. “It’s okay, Gabriela. We lost them. You can relax now.”
I lean my head against the headrest. “Is it always going to be like this?”
“He has many enemies.”
I process that as we leave the city.
“Where are we going now?” I ask. I know this area pretty well. I didn’t realize he did.
“I’ll take you to your brother.”
“That’s the other way. We have to go north on—”
“I know where we have to go. I don’t want to take a chance anyone is following us.”
Stefan’s words echo along with the warning bells that ring wildly in my head.
There’s nothing nice about Rafa.
I dig into my bag, pull out my cell phone.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
“I want to call Stefan.”
“It’s not necessary. He’s in a meeting.”
I scroll through the few numbers to find Stefan’s. I’m about to hit the call button when Rafa’s hand closes over mine, the pressure just a little harder than it needs to be.
“I told you that’s not necessary,” he says.
“You’re hurting me.”
He loosens his hold, shifts his gaze back to the dense traffic as he slides the phone out of my hands and puts it in the center console.
“Where are you taking me, Rafa?” I ask when we take a turn in the direction of the Verrazano Bridge.
“I told you. I’ll take you to see your brother. After.”
“After what?”
We get to a traffic light and when it turns yellow, the car in front of us stops.
Rafa mutters a curse and as soon as we’re slow enough, I reach to undo my seatbelt and open the door at once, but he’s too fast and when his hand closes over my arm, his grip is bruising, punishing.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Gabriela,” he says.
“Let me go!”
Traffic begins to move, and he doesn’t let me go as he moves with them.
“Where are you taking me?” I struggle against him but he’s too strong.
“Your father.”
“Why? Let me go!”
Cars honk their horns as he swerves through two lanes to come to an abrupt stop on the shoulder. He squeezes his hand and gives me a shake. “I’ll take you to your brother after. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“You’re hurting me now. I don’t want to see my father. I want Stefan!”
As soon as I say Stefan’s name, his gaze turns icy. “Stefan isn’t the man you think he is. You need to hear what your father has to tell. Are you going to give me trouble? I don’t want to have to knock you out.”
“Knock me out?”
“I said I don’t want to—”
“But you will.”
He gives an exasperated sigh, shifts his grip to my jaw, his fingers digging into my skin and with one quick jerk, the back of my head smashes against the window and all I see before I pass out is Rafa’s face, the emotions warring in his eyes, the regret and the rage. All I see is Stefan’s trusted cousin, his right-hand man as my vision fades.
23
Gabriela
“Christ. I didn’t tell you to beat her.”
