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“I was just saying that having sex with him was probably not the best way to get his attention, unless there was pillow talk afterward. I’m sensing by your tone that there was not.”
I sighed. “Of course not. He thinks I’m a slut, and treated me like one, but that’s neither here nor there. I have to get him to listen to me, but only once I have proof.”
That was something I had been searching high and low for since Jackson forwarded me the documentation. The majority of the time was spent going through phone and call records, including text messages. The ones to ‘Blue” were increasing, and I knew he was involved.
“I need to find out who Blue is,” I bemoaned.
“It’s an unregistered number, but I have a friend working with cell signals, and the last ping was in Englewood which is sou—”
“South of Chicago, and not the greatest of places, either. Fuck! If Blue is in town, Gabriel could be in danger right now as we speak.”
The panic rose up inside of me like standing water, and like a flood, it threatened to suffocate me. Was I mad at the way Gabriel had treated me? Yes, but I still loved him.
This whole trip back to Chicago only proved how much. George had taken my inheritance from me and allowed his offspring to take what innocence and naivety I had left. I wouldn’t let him take the man I loved, even if those feelings were no longer returned.
“I have to intervene. I—”
“What are you planning to do, Harper?” he asked me.
“I’m going to set up a meeting with him, but I’m going to pretend to be someone George has sent.”
“You’re what?” he practically yelled, and even when I thrust my phone away my ear, I could still hear him as clearly as if he was standing in front of me. “Please, Harper. Don’t do this. Let me get back with my guy in LA. I’m sure he can help us pinpoint his location. We just need a little more time.”
“Unfortunately, time is something we don’t have. I need to do this, and once it’s done, I’ll return to Portland. I promise.”
“I can’t stop you, and lord knows I would try if I could. I want you to promise to be careful. Text me your whereabouts at all times, and I’ll continue to have that cell number tracked.”
“I promise,” I assured him.
“I just hope this Gabriel Blake appreciates your sacrifice. I can’t say I would be ready to do the same for any of my exes, no matter how good in bed they were.”
“I never said how he—”
“You didn’t need to give me the details. I can hear the longing in your sad voice. Just find out who this is, give me the name or picture, and I’ll have others take it from here. No vigilante shit from you. Understood?”
“I already told you. Do you need me to write it in blood?”
“I need you to come out of this safe and sound. I care a lot about you, Harper. And as far as Gabriel, I don’t want to see you hurt anymore. You deserve happiness, and once you get your inheritance, you can move to southern California and start a brand new life.”
“I like the sound of that,” I told him, then blew him a kiss. “I’ll keep in touch.” I disconnected the line, and picked up the burner phone I had brought with me.
I had no idea what I was about to get myself into, but I had seen enough detective work on shows like CSI, so I typed in Blue’s number and sent a short text message.
It wasn’t long before I received a response. The recipient wanted to know who I was, and how I had gotten his number, so I had to think quickly on my feet. I mentioned George hoping it would set him at ease, but when I added that I’d been sent to consult on the job, the responses stopped.
I waited about a half hour, before sending his name with a couple of question marks. By the time I had done so the fourth time, he finally gave me what I wanted.
It didn’t take me long to get out to my rental car. Once the blizzard had ended, the city returned to normal, and it allowed me to get a vehicle of my own. I had stocked up on provisions, including clothes, and a taser if needed. I also had pepper spray and a kubaton which I would use if things went awry. I grabbed my regular cell, as well as my purse and keys, then made my way to the hotel parking lot.
I was scared. I wouldn’t deny that, but I had to find out who this was, and what my uncle was paying them a large sum of money to do. The fact that this person was in Chicago was too damning to chalk up to coincidence.
As I headed west to Englewood, my thoughts turned back to Gabriel. He’d basically told me to fuck off and that had been the last time I’d seen or talked to him.
He hadn’t once called me to see if I was okay or anything else. As devastating as his lack of concern over me was, knowing he still didn’t believe himself to be in danger was even more so. I had called his father and involved him in my mess. Now, he and his wife were dead, and his son was as infuriating as ever.
My exit for Englewood was coming up and having to use my GPS to find the location given, I followed the turn-by-turn instructions, then shuddered once I reached the dilapidated warehouse. I should just turn around and leave, but I couldn’t. I had come this far, so I needed to see it through.
I parked in the corner of the parking lot and sat in my car for several seconds. I didn’t see anyone, and knowing they could’ve arrived on foot, I slowly got out of the car making sure to carry my self defense tools with me as I slowly made my way to the building.
