Chapter 5 - THE WOMAN IN THE HOUSE
Gabriel didn’t move for several seconds.
“Aunt Sofia?”
Lily nodded.
Sofia Varrick was Gabriel’s father’s younger sister.
Sixty-two.
Widowed.
Polished.
Old-money manners.
She had practically raised Gabriel after his own mother died.
And she had spent every night since Elena’s murder comforting Lily.
Claire watched Gabriel’s face harden.
“No.”
Vincent stepped closer.
“Gabriel.”
“No.”
“Lily said—”
“I heard her.”
Gabriel turned toward the hall.
“Find Sofia.”
Two guards moved immediately.
Claire looked at Lily.
Fear returned to the little girl’s eyes.
“Did I do bad?”
Claire’s chest hurt.
“No.”
“Daddy’s mad.”
“Not at you.”
“You promise?”
Claire hesitated.
Promises were dangerous things around children.
“I promise he’s not mad at you.”
That was true.
Gabriel returned ten minutes later.
His face was calm.
Too calm.
“Sofia isn’t here.”
Vincent frowned.
“She left?”
“Security says she went downstairs twenty minutes ago.”
“Why?”
“Nobody knows.”
Gabriel’s phone rang.
He answered.
“What?”
His expression changed.
“Lock the garage.”
Pause.
“When?”
Another pause.
Gabriel hung up.
“She left the building.”
Vincent cursed.
Claire stared at them.
“You have armed security everywhere and she just walked out?”
“She’s family,” Gabriel said.
“That seems to be your security problem.”
His eyes snapped to her.
Claire didn’t apologize.
A guard entered.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“We found this in Ms. Sofia’s guest suite.”
He held out a cheap prepaid phone.
Gabriel took it.
There was one recent text.
THE GIRL SPOKE.
No reply.
Then another message arrived while they watched.
MOVE KANE TONIGHT.
Claire’s skin went cold.
Gabriel called his security chief.
“Find her.”
“Gabriel,” Claire said.
He looked at her.
“You need to stay with Lily.”
“I have people for that.”
“She asked if you were angry with her.”
His face changed.
Claire stepped closer.
“Don’t become what she’s afraid of.”
For several seconds, Gabriel looked like he might explode.
Then Lily called from the bedroom.
“Daddy?”
His shoulders dropped.
He walked back inside.
Claire stayed in the hall with Vincent.
“What exactly did Marcus Kane do?”
Vincent rubbed his jaw.
“Long story.”
“We have time.”
“No, we don’t.”
He looked toward the elevator.
“Six years ago, Kane wanted Gabriel’s territory. He started a war. Gabriel won. Kane disappeared.”
“And now?”
“Now we know he came back.”
Claire glanced toward Lily.
“Why kidnap her?”
Vincent’s face darkened.
“To control Gabriel.”
A security radio crackled.
Then came a voice.
“We found Sofia’s car.”
Gabriel stepped out.
“Where?”
“Battery Park.”
“Is she there?”
“No.”
“Then where the hell is she?”
May you like
The guard hesitated.
“There’s blood in the driver’s seat.”
