Page 132 of Every Broken Piece
The man on my right is holding what looks like a gun. He presses it to my neck. I jerk away from him but they both have such a tight hold on me that I can’t move. I thought I was ready, but I don’t want to die. And I especially don’t want to die in front of Pax.
He pulls the trigger, and my entire body convulses as volts of electricity shoot through me.
Chapter fifty-eight
Gabe
The door to the restaurant opens and my gaze immediately goes to it, my heart beating a little harder than normal at seeing Tess again. I missed her so damn much while I was gone.
Making love to her the night before I left was everything I’d dreamed it could be. Walking out that door the next morning was worse than I thought it’d be. I’m used to traveling, accustomed to being away for stretches of time, but no more. After this trip I’m done traveling for a while and if I have to, I’ll bring Tess with me.
But it’s not Tess and Pax who walk through the door. It’s a lone man who goes straight to the counter for a take-out order.
I check my watch, then my phone. There are no texts from either my girl or my son.
Jack sits across from me, sipping his beer and scrolling through his phone. “She tell you about her new business?” he asks.
“Yeah.” I was thrilled when Tess told me she wanted to start her own company, and relieved that she was planning a futurefor herself. Hopefully SmartDesk Solutions will help her move on from her toxic mother and finally start living the life she wants. Building something permanent is a huge step in that direction and I’m so damn proud of her.
I spoke to Hardwick just last night and she said Carter was still in Chicago. No one has seen Sandra for days. While I’ll always remain vigilant, I have hope that this is behind us.
Jack puts his phone down and cups his hands around his beer mug. “She’s been secretive about her website, says she wants to reveal all of it to us at once.” He takes a sip. “She seems happier than when she first arrived.”
I take a sip of my own beer and try to relax but until Tess is at my side I won’t fully loosen up. It’s been seven miserable days without her, and my foot is restlessly tapping a staccato in anticipation of seeing her walk through that door. “I like that she has a plan and a goal. Takes her mind off everything else.”
Jack settles back in his booth, pulling his beer with him. “This it for you?”
I nod as I keep my eye on the door. The wind has picked up and more snow is falling. Not enough to stick, but enough to blow around. “I never thought I’d feel this way again.”
A police cruiser rushes by with its lights and sirens on, the wail sharpening, then fading as it passes.
“I’m happy for you, brother.”
My gaze cuts to him. “Are you? You weren’t on board two weeks ago.”
He shrugs. “I didn’t want you to be with her for the wrong reasons.”
“I just want her to be happy, and I hope I’m the one who can make her happy.”
]He rotates his beer mug. “You’re different too, you know. Happier, like Tess.”
“I wasn’t unhappy before Tess. I was content. But it wasn’t until I met her that I realized something was missing from my life. She completes me.”
“Am I an asshole if I admit I’m jealous?”
Another cruiser speeds by followed by an ambulance. I check my phone again even though it’s on the table in front of me and I would’ve seen a text or call come through.
“You? Jealous? Of a serious relationship?” In a lot of ways Pax and Jack are alike. They prefer to play the field, never getting too close to a woman. The minute they think she’s becoming serious they end it. With Jack there’s a reason. Pax is a different story, and I sometimes worry it’s because he never had a stable mother figure in his life.
Jack shrugs. “Brain fart moment. Forget I said anything.”
I grin. “That sounds more like the Jack I know.”
Something cold slides down my back when more sirens wail in the distance. That’s a lot of sirens for a cold Denver evening when most people are staying in. Jack and I share a look, my worry reflected in his eyes.
Tess and Pax should have been here a half an hour ago. Without a word we both stand and grab our coats. I dig my wallet out and throw some bills on the table.
“They walked, right?” Jack asks.
