Page 55 of Ruined By Protection
My jaw tightens. "Money."
"Exactly. His family's connected to half the judges in Texas. One of the girlfriends suddenly received a full scholarship to study abroad. Another's family business got a major investment right before she dropped charges."
I pace the length of my bedroom, energy coursing through me. "What were the complaints?"
"Assault. Stalking. Threatening behavior." Daniel's voice remains neutral, but I can hear the undercurrent of disgust. "There's more. A woman named Melissa Winters went missing two and a half years ago. They had a relationship at the time."
"And?"
"And nothing. Case went cold. No body found. Montgomery was questioned but never charged."
The timing makes my blood run cold. Three years ago—right around when I met Hazel in Austin. When she was still bartending at The Remington.
"What about his marriage to Hazel?" I ask, my voice tight.
"Married two years ago. Big society wedding. Since then she's barely been seen in public without him. No social media presence."
Classic isolation tactics. My hand tightens around the phone.
"Financial situation?" I ask.
"That's where it gets more complicated," Daniel says. "Montgomery's got Hazel's family locked down tight. Her father had a workplace injury about eight years ago. Multiple surgeries, all paid for by Montgomery Industries after the marriage. Her mother works for one of their subsidiaries—good position, benefits. Brother's in a private school on Montgomery's dime."
I close my eyes, understanding washing over me. The perfect trap—financial control of her entire family. No wonder she stayed as long as she did.
"His current whereabouts?" I ask, already calculating travel time to Austin.
"That's the other thing," Daniel says, his voice dropping slightly. "He filed a missing persons report yesterday. Claims his wife has disappeared, possibly kidnapped. Austin PD is investigating. He's got private investigators working the case too. And according to my source, he's telling people she's mentally unstable, that she stopped taking medication."
My grip on the phone tightens until the case creaks. Classic abuser playbook—discredit the victim before they can speak out.
"Keep digging," I tell Daniel. "I want everything—his schedule, his habits, his weaknesses. And get someone watching the family in Austin."
"Already on it," Daniel says. "And Matteo? This guy's dangerous, but not in our way. He's the kind that hides behind money and respectability. The kind that hurts women and gets away with it."
I end the call and stand at the window, watching the city wake up. The early morning light casts long shadows across the skyline, but they're nothing compared to the darkness gathering inside me.
I grab the phone and dial Daniel again.
"Yeah?" he answers on the first ring.
"The missing girlfriend—Melissa Winters. I need more details." I move to the closet, pulling out clothes with my free hand. "Everything you've got."
Daniel clears his throat. "According to her medical records, which weren't easy to access—she was pregnant when she disappeared."
I freeze, shirt half-buttoned. "Pregnant?"
"About eight weeks along." His voice is grim. "Her mother, Karen Winters, never stopped looking for her. Even created one of those social media campaigns—'Find Melissa’. Got thousands of followers. People are still actively searching."
"And Montgomery?" I ask, resuming dressing.
"Claimed they had an open relationship. Told police she was seeing other men, that the baby was unlikely to be his."
My jaw tightens. "Convenient."
"Very. But her mother denies it completely. Says Melissa told her everything about her life and she was exclusively with Montgomery. According to friends, she was excited about the pregnancy, had started looking at baby stuff online."
I close my eyes, the picture becoming clearer. "Let me guess—she disappeared right after telling him?"
