Page 32 of My Lord
Still no reply and then the call was cut off. I redialled and got her voicemail. I did leave a message but then texted and called again. She didn’t answer.
I called Mackenzie immediately. “Hey, can you give me the address of where Gabriella is staying? Something’s happened.” I said before he even greeted me.
“What’s happened?” he said, his voice urgent.
“I don’t know, I was talking to her, I heard her shout and then nothing. I’ve tried calling and she’s not answering now.”
“Which is quicker, me coming to you or the other way round?” he asked.
I was getting exasperated with the delay. “That depends where she is.”
“Essex.”
“Then you come here.”
“Okay, ten minutes.” He cut off the call and I tried Gabriella again.
I paced for that ten minutes and ran down the stairs to the main door as soon as I saw his Aston Martin pull up outside. I hadn’t closed the door before he roared off.
“Remember, wrong side of the road,” I said, as he swerved into the oncoming traffic.
“Shit, yes. Tell me again what happened?”
I recalled the conversation. I tried calling her again, that time her phone was off. “I bet someone has her phone,” I mumbled out the thought as I held on to the handle when Mackenzie cornered so fast.
The tyres screeched as the car came to an abrupt halt outside the hotel doors. A doorman ran to the car as we exited, Mackenzie threw his keys to him and we ran in.
Sitting on one of the chairs with a receptionist kneeling in front of her was Gabriella. She stood when she saw us, and it was clear she had been crying.
“What happened?” I asked as I strode over.
It was a race between Mackenzie and me as to who got to her first. The confusion as to who she should respond to first, was evident in her eyes. I backed off. Their relationship had been longer established. Although Gabriella allowed Mackenzie to hug her, she reached on arm out to me. I took her hand.
“I was mugged. Did I scare you?” she asked.
“Yes. Now tell us what happened?” Mackenzie asked when he released her. She kept hold of my hand as we sat.
“I wanted to call a paramedic just to take a look at her head,” the receptionist said.
I turned her to see blood and a small gash to the back of her skull.
“What the fuck…?” I said, anger boiling up inside me.
Her lip trembled as she relived the event. “He grabbed my bag and swung me around. I dropped my phone and a car ran it over, I think. But I fell when he pushed me off balance, and I hit my head.”
“Who did this?” Mackenzie’s voice was more like a rumble in his chest and I knew his anger not only matched mine, but was greater.
“We’ve reported it to the police and we have CCTV that we’re going to look through,” the receptionist said. She stood. “Let me fetch some tea or coffee for you.”
I sat beside Gabriella and Mackenzie pulled up a chair to sit in front of her. I ran my thumb over her knuckles hoping to soothe her.
She was still a little teary. “Look at me blubbering, I’m sorry,” she said, chuckling as she wiped her eyes.
“Don’t apologise for being upset. You’ve just been mugged!” Mackenzie replied. “I think we should get your injury looked at.”
Gabriella shook her head. “Honestly, heads bleed, you know that more than any of us.” She chuckled. “I lost count, Alex, how often he would fight or fall and cut his head open. I’ll have a shower and then we can see whether it needs attention or not.”
The receptionist came back with a tray of coffee and a cup of tea for Gabriella. “Perhaps I can look at the CCTV?” Mackenzie said. She nodded.
