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“We’ll meet you in the lobby,” she says. “How far out are you?”
“About two minutes.” I disconnect and finish the walk, stepping into the building to find Cat and Reese standing just inside the door.
“What’s going on?” Cat asks again, her hand resting on her belly just under her trench coat. The belly is what gets me. She’s pregnant. She’s had a lot of stress. I decide right then that I’m not telling her about dad.
“Reid met with Jean Claude. He offered Abbie a buyout and we all think she has to take it. Otherwise, it looks like she was saving the shelter by getting rid of her ex-husband.”
Reese scrubs his jaw. “I don’t disagree but I hate having her manipulated like that. Any chance Reid recorded that conversation?”
“No,” I say. “Jean Claude’s not a man to cross. We don’t want to go down the rabbit hole you’re about to travel. Blaming him to save her will get one of us dead.”
“I hate this,” Cat whispers, and fuck,great job at saving her stress, Gabe.
“Don’t fret, little sis. Reid doesn’t believe he did this. Jean Claude is on our side. He wants someone to go down for this and fast.”
“What keeps him from picking you or Abbie?” Reese asks.
“It seems to me like he already did,” Cat says. “He just wants her to sign over the shelter before she’s arrested.”
“No. This comes from Reid. Reid knows him.”
“Too well,” she snipes back.
“He would agree,” I say. “Bottom line: I have to go up there and get Abbie to agree to sell which I don’t believe will be difficult.” I look at Reese. “How do you feel about things?”
“Ask me tomorrow. Right now, I have another case to deal with and that’s not how I like to operate. Once it’s over, Abbie has me one hundred percent. Let’s hope she doesn’t need me.”
I hug Cat. “Don’t worry. All is well.”
She leans back to look at me. “Dad—”
“Go home. Feed yourself and the baby. Love your husband.”
“I ate pizza,” she says. “We left you some.”
“Hmmm,” I say, studying her belly. “I think you need to eat again. The baby’s sending me subliminal messages. She wants ice cream.”
“We’re on the way to the store,” Reese assures me, and they head for the exit, a mission to feed that baby ice cream.
I don’t move. I stand there in the lobby and call Reid, updating him on what I did and didn’t say to Cat. We agree to protect her where our father is concerned, the best we can for as long as we can. When we hang up I force myself to get inside the elevator. I need to see Abbie. I need to talk to her. I can save Cat from this thing with my father for now but I can’t save Abbie. Not anymore.
The ride is eternal, the car suffocating, adrenaline pumping through me.I won’t lose Abbie.With those words in my head, I step off the elevator and I realize then that I’ve never fought this thing with Abbie. We just happened. We fell into each other, but now, I have to see me in her eyes and it scares the shit out of me.
I reach the door and instead of going for my key, I rest my head on the wooden surface, willing my heart to calm the fuck down. This will work out. I’m falling in love. Hell, Iamin love. I could say that. No. No, I can’t say that. Not now. It’ll feel poorly timed and fake. And that’s not the confession I have to make this time.
I’m overthinking. I never overthink. I inhale and decide to just fucking wing it. I open the door, and the minute I do, Abbie and Dexter are running toward me. I’m home. I’m so damn home and the minute they are both by my side, I pet Dexter and then drag Abbie to me. I don’t want to lose her. My intended confession is tossed aside for another. “I don’t ever want to comehome and not have you two here to greet me ever again. Move in with me.”
Chapter eighty-three
Abbie
Abbie
I blink, stunned by Gabe’s words, not even sure I’ve heard him correctly. “What?”
“Move in with me. I’m not even going to try to pretend I ever want you to leave, Abbie.”
My head is spinning. My heart is racing. “Gabe, if this is about protecting me—”
