“Why did you want to see me?”
“I didn’t want you to be blindsided.”
“Blindsided?”
“There were a lot of journalists out there itching to give you this news.”
“If it’s about the photos that were released online overnight, I already know—”
“That was horrible. I’m sorry you’re dealing with those private photos being released, but that’s not why I had to see you. I thought it might be better for you to hear what happened from me. Maybe I shouldn’t, but I feel very protective of you, Gabrielle. I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become. I promised myself that if there was anything I could do to help you now or in the future, I would do that. That’s why I’m here.”
“I’ll admit, I’m getting pretty nervous about what you’re going to say. If it’s something worse than those photos being released, what is it?” Gabrielle asked.
“I have news about Damian Hester.”
“What about him?” Gabrielle bolted from the seat and stood in the aisle. At times like these, she paced to calm her nerves, but the close confines of the private jet and the extra people on board made her feel like a trapped and caged animal.
She stepped backward and cradled her abdomen as she waited for Brad to drop whatever bombshell of information he had about the man who’d kidnapped, tortured, and almost killed her.
A softness swept over Sebastian’s face as he stared at her. His eyes searched for something she couldn’t give him. An assurance that she was okay when she absolutely was not.
He leaned toward her but didn’t infiltrate the space she’d erected between herself and the rest of them. He seemed to know that she needed this distance to prepare herself for the bad news coming her way.
That simple display of understanding was more supportive than he realized.
Brad pressed his palms on the table and leveled her with a severe stare. “In the early hours of the morning, Damian Hester was released from Tiverton.”
Chapter9
“He was released! Oh my God! Why?” Gabrielle yelled, charging forward. Sebastian stepped in front of her and placed a hand softly against her waist, eliminating the distance between them. Like magnets, their bodies couldn’t resist touching. She instantly felt his strength and support flooding her as she leaned against him.
“I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant.” Brad raised his hands as he stood from the seat. “Please. Sit back down and let me explain.”
“She’s fine where she is,” Sebastian said. “Start talking.”
Brad said, “Damian became obsessed with watching your ‘coming home’ video on dozens of contraband cell phones found in his prison cell. When the guards caught him and questioned him about it, he insisted that you were coming back so the two of you could be together.”
“I guess he missed my rant about how important it was for me to speak to the parole board and convince them to keep him in prison for his full thirty-year term,” Gabrielle said, clutching Sebastian’s arms. “How could he think I want anything to do with him?”
“I don’t understand it either,” Brad said. “The guards laughed at him and tried to confiscate the phones. That’s when Damian went ballistic. He fought a few guards and seriously injured two of them with a shiv he had hidden in his clothes.”
“That sick asshole.” Her heart pounded in her chest like a jackhammer on steroids. “Why won’t he leave me alone? Forget about me?”
“You’re unforgettable,” Brad said, giving a slight shrug. “I suspected he’d do something once he found out you were coming home, but even this shocked me.”
“Tiverton is where all the worst criminals are sent. He just attacked a bunch of guards. Why would they release him? Where is he now?” Gabrielle almost shrieked.
A comforting hand rested against her back, moving in slow circles. She closed her eyes and allowed Sebastian to soothe her. She leaned into his hard muscular body as her legs threatened to turn to jelly. His quiet reassurance was the only thing stopping her from losing her mind.
“More guards were dispatched to his cell, and they were finally able to subdue Damian. However, in the process, there were prolonged periods where his airflow was restricted. He suffered multiple strokes and a heart attack before the guards realized what was happening. CPR was performed to get him breathing again, but he hasn’t regained consciousness. He was immediately transferred to the intensive care unit at the Rakestraw Blake Center on the Aerie Islands. It’s the most secure hospital in the Caribbean and the only place Tiverton would transfer a dangerous inmate like him.”
“They should let him die.” The words were out of Gabrielle’s mouth before she could stop them. She’d lived the past ten years with an ocean between her and Damian, but he was never far from her mind. Being kidnapped by him had changed her entire life and sent her on a path she’d never expected. She found a way to emerge anew from being his victim, but she still couldn’t forget him. Couldn’t get past what he’d done because the ticking clock of his release was always in the back of her mind. Knowing he was still obsessed with her ten years later proved she was right to be concerned. As long as he was alive, rotting in a prison cell, something still tethered her to him. They shared a past only the two of them knew. If he died, those memories and the truth would die with him. She’d get a freedom that could only be hers when he’d breathed his last breath.
“You okay?” Sebastian leaned down and whispered in her ear. His breath tickled her neck as the sultry scent of his cologne washed over her.
“I don’t know.” It was the most honest response she could give.
Sebastian accepted her answer with a clipped nod, then turned his attention to Brad. “If you ask me, none of this is bad news. Definitely doesn’t warrant you tracking Gabrielle down. You could’ve called.”
