Page 7

Who is Henry?

Even though Cole had shared his history with the others, telling Gabe still terrified him. Maybe he should have asked Dane and Devlin to stay for moral support.

I’m Henry, and that man… he’s my serial killer dad who has kidnapped Abel, Savannah, and Maddy, and is doing God knows what kind of nightmarish shit to them.

The words settled at the base of his throat like a lump of lead, trying to choke him. Try as he might, he couldn’t verbalize them. The very thought of it left a bitter taste in his mouth. Referring to the monster as his dad forged a connection that Cole feared—a connection that eternally bound him by blood to a murderer and a rapist.

Telling his friends had been hard enough; how the fuck was he supposed to tell his husband that this was the legacy he had married into?

“Cole, why won’t you answer me?” Gabe’s voice was strained with tension. “You’re scaring the shit out of me. There’s never been anything you couldn’t tell me.”

Cole swallowed thickly. “That’s not true,” he whispered shakily. “There… there’s always been something I couldn’t tell you… Something I never told you… about me… about my past.”

“What does that have to do with any of this?” Gabe asked, his tension mounting.

“ Everything,” Cole rasped, tears forming. “It has everything to do with this. Henry… is me. Henry Pruett. That’s my real name.” He trembled as the words began spilling out. “And that man was Daniel Pruett— my father— the fucker who raised me and made me do horrific things and…” Tears streaked his face. “… tried to turn me into a monster like him. I-I thought he was dead… I thought I killed him… but he’s back… and now… and now—”

“Cole, stop,” Gabe barked, his voice laced with fear and frustration. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Cole stared at him, trembling in fear. “That man… my dad… is the Mill Creek Mangler.” His throat tightened against the horrifying words creeping out of him. “He was a… a serial killer who…” Cole shut his eyes, but it only made the nightmare images more vivid. “Who raped and butchered women.” His eyes opened slowly as warm tears flooded out. “And he made me help him.”

Gabe’s face betrayed his effort to absorb the overwhelming, surreal information. How could he even begin to make sense of it? Cole had endured the nightmare yet still struggled to comprehend the reality.

An oppressive silence engulfed the hospital room as Gabe struggled to find his words. Cole didn’t rush him; he felt an overwhelming fear of his husband’s response. What could he possibly say? Time and again, Cole had imagined himself in Gabe’s shoes, considering how he might respond to such alarming news. He was uncertain of his own words—he just knew he would never abandon the man he cherished.

And you think Gabe is any different? That he loves you any less?

Cole had never doubted Gabe’s love and loyalty to him, to their marriage. But there was no way he couldn’t fear his husband’s response.

Was this some twisted dream? This isn’t real. I’m still unconscious from the surgery. This can’t be real.

Gabe willed himself to wake up from this dark, disturbing dream, yet he remained in this reality . Cole remained as well—his presence too real to dismiss as mere nightmare fodder.

This isn’t a dream. This is really happening.

But how?

That man… my dad… is the Mill Creek Mangler…

Gabe’s head hurt as he struggled to absorb his husband’s words.

A serial killer who raped and butchered women… and he made me help him…

The revelation failed to take root in reality, lingering just out of Gabe’s reach.

I thought he was dead… I thought I killed him…

Perhaps the most surreal aspect was Cole taking a life or even attempting to do so. Cole was strong and fierce when protecting those he loved, but he wasn’t a killer.

But he’s back…

“When?” Gabe rasped.

Cole looked confused. “When… what?” He seemed on the verge of breaking down.

“When did you know… he was back?” Gabe’s head felt light, his thoughts distorted.

“A… A few days,” Cole mumbled. “Maybe… Maybe a week.”

A week? “That’s why you were acting so… off,” Gabe whispered. “I asked you if something was wrong— why didn’t you tell me the truth?”

“The truth?” Cole stared at him, tears in his eyes. “How?” he choked. “How could I tell you this truth?” His chin quivered, and the fresh tears spilled over. “What the fuck was I supposed to say? You have no…” He sucked in a wet, shaky breath. “You have no idea how this feels, how…” His breath quickened. “… how fucking scared I was… I am… to tell you the truth.”

His husband’s stark fear radiated off him like heat waves. Gabe swallowed. “Why were… are you scared, Cole?” he whispered. “Why…”

Cole turned his back as his shoulders slumped, and he broke down, sobbing into his hands.

Gabe’s vision blurred. “Cole…” His throat worked. “Cole… look at me, babe.” Gabe rarely witnessed such depth of vulnerability in his husband. It took a lot to reduce someone as strong as Cole to… this state. It scared the hell out of Gabe to see him this way.

“I’m sorry,” Cole cried brokenly. “It’s my fault… it’s all my fault… I wish he’d killed me back then… he wouldn’t be here now because… because I wouldn’t be here… our family would be safe if I… if I didn’t exist.”

“Don’t say that.” Gabe forced strength into his voice. “Don’t ever say that. Whatever is happening now—” Gabe remained in the dark about the details. “—it isn’t your fault. But you need to talk to me and tell me what’s going on, and what’s happened to Abel and the kids.” Fear for their darling Abel and the two kids threatened to overwhelm Gabe’s senses, but he was no good to them if he shut down now. “Did… did that man take them?”

Cole faced him, his face streaked with tears, his eyes watery and bloodshot. “Yes,” Cole whispered. “And he tried…” His chin trembled. “… he tried to take you, too. Don’t say this isn’t my fault when he’s doing this to make me suffer.”

“Who are you messaging?” Devlin asked.

“Clint.” Dane messaged. The response arrived swiftly. “He’s nearby. Stay here in case Cole needs you. I need to speak with Clint.”

“About what?”

Dane shook his head while placing his phone in his pocket. “I’ll explain later.” He walked down the corridor before Devlin could ask any further questions. He encountered the cowboy and his Egyptian companion in the stairwell near Gabe’s room.

“Is the cop gone?” Clint asked.

“Not yet. He’s still around. And he’s not just some random cop.”

Clint frowned. “What do you mean?”

Dane quickly clarified the deputy’s connection to Cole. “He said he came here to warn Cole about his dad.”

The Egyptian eyed Dane. “You sound doubtful? You think he’s lying?”

Dane sighed. “I… I don’t know. Cole knew him and seemed to trust him.”

“But?” Clint’s brow cinched.

“The man who took Abel and the kids…” Dane swallowed. “He told Cole that he would make a trade; them for… Gabe.”

“What?” Clint snapped.

“The deputy… he suggested Gabe might have a better chance against the killer than two teenagers and a… petite young man.”

The gangsters stared at him silently.

“The thing is,” Dane continued, “no one described Abel to him. We only told him that the man had taken three of our family, two of whom were teenagers. We didn’t say anything about what Abel looked like. So, how did the deputy know he was petite?”

Clint dragged his hand over his mouth. “If he located Cole a while back, he might have observed him from a distance. Maybe he knows who Abel is.”

“Maybe,” Dane murmured, unconvinced. “But we didn’t give him their names. And there was something else.”

“What?” Clint asked.

“When he told Cole he would never be like his dad… there was an odd tone to his voice. At first, I thought I was imagining it. But the more I think about it, I don’t think I was.”

“An odd tone?” Cochise pressed.

“Like…” Dane pursed his lips. “It seemed like he was suggesting that Cole would never… measure up to the man.” He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know, maybe that’s just me being paranoid. Maybe I’m just overstressed and imagining things that aren’t there. The deputy was Cole’s friend at that time. None of this adds up.” He swallowed hard, struggling with tears. “I’m just so fucking scared for them; I don’t think my mind is functioning properly.”

“Maybe so,” Clint mumbled. “Or maybe you’re hyper-aware and picking up things you usually wouldn’t notice.”

Dane exhaled shakily. “You think he could be lying?”

“I don’t fully trust anyone who hasn’t proven themselves to me,” Clint drawled. “And I don’t know this fucker from Adam. So, yeah, he could damn well be lying.”

A shiver passed over Dane. “If he is… what does that mean?”

Clint exchanged a chilling look with the Egyptian. “It means we could be dealing with two psychopaths instead of just one.”

“He said he would call the New York police and have them contact the FBI,” Dane said. “If he’s lying about the other, then he’s lying about that, too.” He shook his head. “How will we know for sure?”

“Find him,” Clint said. “And keep an eye on him. I’ll make some calls, find out if he contacted the police.”

“Call who?”

“Detective Jordan. He should be able to tell us if the deputy made that call.”

Dane nodded and exhaled shakily. “Alright. I’ll… I’ll try to find him.” He moved toward the door, but Clint grabbed his shoulder, halting him.

“Be careful,” the cowboy warned, his voice filled with genuine concern. “If he’s lying—he’s dangerous.”

“He said they were alive.” Gabe glanced at Cole, fear evident in his eyes. “But he didn’t know how okay they were. When I threatened him about harming them, he said that was up to me.” Gabe looked troubled. “When I asked what he meant, he told me to talk to Henry.” Gabe fixed his tense gaze on him. “That’s… you. What did he mean by it was up to me?”

When Cole told him the deal, Gabe would accept it immediately. Cole got it—he would have done the same. He had already attempted to trade himself for Abel and the kids. Deputy Rolands believed Gabe stood a better chance against the monster, but Cole understood the madman’s capabilities more than anyone else. If Gabe surrendered himself, Cole feared he might never see him again.

What choice did he have, though?

“Cole, tell me.”

“He…” Cole felt unwell in both body and spirit. He had never thought he could feel more sick and frightened than he did the night Gabe was shot. Yet somehow… this felt even worse. “He said he would trade Abel and the kids… for you.”

“What?” Gabe frowned. “He said that? He’ll turn them loose… if I take their place?”

Cole sniffed, his eyes watering. “Yes,” he whispered. “He gave us until tomorrow to decide.”

“I don’t need till tomorrow,” Gabe said firmly with no room for argument. “Can you contact him? We do this now.”

“Gabe…” Cole trembled. “You just got out of surgery…”

“I don’t give a fuck. We’re doing this now, goddammit!”

Cole wiped tears from his eyes. “What if he’s lying? What if he doesn’t let them go?”

“That’s a chance we’ll have to take,” Gabe insisted. “I’m not going to fucking sit back and do nothing when there’s a chance we can get them back.” He stared at Cole. “Tell me you wouldn’t do the same? Tell me.”

His chin quivering, Cole nodded. “Of course, I would.”

“Then don’t tell me not to.”

“I’m not,” Cole whispered brokenly. “I just… I know what he is...” Cole broke down. “I’ll never see you again… and what he does to you… he’ll make you suffer to make me suffer.” He went to Gabe and buried his face in his chest, sobbing. “I can’t live without you… I can’t… I didn’t tell you about him because… because if I kept it to myself, then maybe… maybe it wouldn’t be real… maybe I could make him go away on my own…”

Gabe hugged his head and kissed his hair. “Do you remember what you told me when Ray broke into our apartment? When I went in after him without telling you?” Gabe hugged him tighter. “You said we’re a team, that we protect our family together. You said, no more of this solo shit. And you were right.” He lifted Cole’s face. “We are a team. Not just you and me, but all of us.” Gabe kissed him. “We’re going to get Abel and the kids back. And you’re going to get me back.”

Cole pressed his forehead to Gabe’s throat, trembling. “How do you know?” he whispered.

Sliding his fingers through Cole’s hair, Gabe murmured stiffly, “Because only God has the power to take me out—and that fucker isn’t God.”