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He turned his phone toward me so I could see the message on the screen. It was a photo of our girls, still in the pajamas I had put them in before they went down for a nap. The words above the photo made my blood run cold.
If you want them back alive, you’ll meet with me.
I kept reading the message over and over again.It was signed ‘Tony.’
“Who’s Tony?” I muttered as security arrived.
“I’ll handle it,” Gabe promised me.
“Who’s Tony?” I asked again as the TSA agents lifted me from the ground and restrained me.
“Someone that works with my dad,” he said.
I was being led away from Gabe, and I knew that there was nothing that I could do without making things more serious and ending up in jail. I looked back at him and called out, “Please find our girls, Gabe. Don’t worry about me, just find them and bring them home.”
My entire body was shaking and tears streamed down my face as they led me away.
30
Gabe
Watching Bella get taken away by the TSA broke my heart. It took everything in me to not run after her, but she was right—I needed to find our girls.
Bella’s mother was also taken back for questioning.
The crowd around them started to disperse, and I pushed my way through it, heading for the exit. I was worried about Bella but knew she could take care of herself. She didn’t need me rescuing her, and nothing I could do would help her get released from the TSA any sooner.
My hands were shaking as I replied to the text.
I’m listening. What do you want?
I stared at the screen as I walked out the way I had come only moments before. With every step, I prayed for a response, something, anything from Tony. I knew now that I would do anything he asked. I knew what he wanted, my mom’s property, and he could have it. I’d sign it over to him for free if it meant getting my girls back home safely.
I was outside and walking toward the parking garage when my phone rang.
“Are you alone?” the voice on the other end asked me.
“I will be in a second, just need to get to my car,” I said.
“I’ll wait.”
I quickened my pace, not wanting to hesitate a second longer than necessary. I was pretty much running at that point and as soon as I climbed inside I said, “I’m alone. What do you want, Tony?”
“First of all, my condolences on the death of your father.”
“What?” I realized at that point I had several missed calls from both Roman and Dante, but I’d been too focused on trying to find my girls, I hadn’t been paying attention.
“Yes, he died earlier this evening,” Tony said. “Am I the one breaking the news to you? I’m sorry, Gabriel, I forgot you weren’t in touch.”
My jaw clenched tightly.
“It’s fine,” I said, a knot forming in my throat. “I’ll ask you again, what do you want? I thought you were doing business with Roman.”
“I’m not happy with Roman. He can’t give me what I want.”
“The property, my mom’s property, right?”
“Yes, exactly. It’s the perfect location for what I need. Unfortunately, nothing on the market right now offers that much land on the riverfront, with those views, for the kind of money you’re going to sell it to me for.”
