Page 43 of Every Broken Piece

Chapter forty-one

Gabe

I hadn’t planned to tell Tess about Cara.

Hell, I’ve never mentioned my suspicions to Jack and definitely not to Pax. But I’m running out of time and the obstinate, bewitching, woman is standing firm. I absolutely won’t leave her here alone, and never would I allow another man to watch over her.

My phone rumbles against the worn Formica of the kitchen counter while Tess and I stare at each other—her in stubborn defiance, me in gnawing frustration.

It stops but immediately starts up again.

“You should get that,” she says.

That damn phone. It’s always interrupting us in our most important moments, yet, I can’t ignore it when I have work pressing down on me, and a son I need to be available for at all times.

I stomp over to it only to have my heart drop when I see Roger’s name flash across the screen.

“We have an issue,” he says when I answer. “That woman’s back.”

“What woman?” I don’t immediately understand what Roger’s trying to tell me because I’m still focused on Tess’s obstinance. I’d throw her over my shoulder and haul her ass to Colorado if I didn’t know that was the dead wrong thing to do.

Let me make one thing clear. Her days of running are over. I wasn’t kidding when I said she needs to run toward something. She needs to understand that there are people in her life now she can trust.

“Sandra Jansen,” Roger says. “She’s yelling about her rights and something about her daughter. I tried to keep her from going inside the building but there’s only so much I can do.”

Fuck.

Roger was hired to keep Sandra away from Tess, but he’s right. He can’t very well tackle her to the ground and hold her there without cause.

I hear a woman’s high pitched, angry voice coming from outside Tess’s door. Tess shoots to her feet, panicked eyes glued to me.

“Anyone with her?” I ask Roger as I make my way to the flimsy-ass door.

Tess rushes toward the door.

“Not that I can see. I’ll keep my eyes peeled and request backup.”

“Do that.” I hang up and step in front of Tess to intercept her. “Hold up.”

“It’s my mother,” she whisper shouts.

“I know.”

Her eyes widen. “How do you know?”

“We had a run in yesterday.” I pause. “And I saw her at the hospital.”

She rears back. “She was at the hospital ?”

Sandra knocks, but it’s not really a knock, more like a fist bang. Tess jumps.

“You met my mother at the hospital?”

“We haven’t officially met.”

Another bang. “Theresa, baby, are you in there? It’s your mama. Let me in, baby.”

“Tell me what you want me to do,” I say. “If you want her gone, I’ll get rid of her.”

Her frantic gaze goes to the door. “She won’t go away. She’ll keep knocking and yelling until the neighbors come out, then she’ll cause a real scene. It’s easier to let her in.”

“I can tell her to fuck off without you even looking at her. Just say the word.”

“Theresa! Let me in!” The voice turns shrill, almost desperate.

“You have no idea what you’re up against.” The fear in Tess’s voice makes me want to rip that damn door off the hinges and beat Sandra Jansen with it until she gets the memo that she’s no longer wanted around here.

Instead, I swallow my violent urges and say, “Your mother. Your call. I’ll be right here beside you.”

The door shudders under Sandra’s fist. “Theresa!”

Tess takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders. “Let her in.”

“You sure?” I don’t want this woman anywhere near Tess, but I have to do what she wants as much as it goes against every protective instinct in me.

“Theresa! I know you’re in there. I can hear you talking. Let.” Bang . “Me.” Bang . “ In .” Bang bang .

“If at any time you want her out, let me know.”

I gently pull Tess to my side as I twist the useless lock and open the door.

Sandra Jansen rushes in, arms open wide, eyes locked on Tess. “Theresa, baby. I’ve been so worried.”

I step in her path, and she draws up short, surprised at first before a sneer twists those flaking lips. “You.” She points a bony finger at me.

She’s wearing the same dirty sweatshirt and sagging leggings as yesterday.

Straw-like yellow hair is matted on one side, sticking up on the other.

Her eyes are red-rimmed and hollow, cheeks sunken.

Once again, I’m faced with a woman who’s lived a hard life of bad choices.

I try to dredge up sympathy for her but knowing Tess’s background, I can’t.

I can only feel anger and hatred for a woman who continuously chose drugs over her children.

Sandra’s boney finger pokes my abs. I raise my brows as Tess steps to my side. I want to stand as her shield, but I have to let her do her thing, so I remain as close as a I can without pushing her behind me.

Sandra’s lips widen into a gap-toothed, twisted smile.

She opens her arms wide and steps toward Tess. I put my arm around Tess’s shoulders and haul her closer. I want Tess to know that I’ll stand firm beside her, but I also need Sandra to know that I’m not fucking around when it comes to Tess’s safety.

Sandra glares at me before turning her focus on Tess.

“Baby, I would have been there for you, but they wouldn’t let me in.

” She tosses me a hateful look when she says ‘they’, lumping me in with the hospital guards who escorted her out.

I had nothing to do with that but if she wants to believe I was involved I won’t correct her misconception.

“That goon out front tried to keep me from you too, but I told him off.” She takes a small step forward, angling so her back is almost to me. “I’m so sorry, baby doll.”

Tess’s chin goes up but only I can feel her tremors. “What do you want, Sandra?” Her voice is solid, and cold. There’s my little Spitfire.

“Oh, sweetie.” Sandra runs her hand up Tess’s injured arm. Tess yanks it away. I suppress a growl.

Sandra ignores the rebuff and shuffles closer, trying and failing to shoulder me out of the way. “I know you’re mad that I wasn’t at the hospital, baby. But I’m here now and I’ll take care of you.”

“I don’t need anyone to take care of me,” Tess says. “So, you can leave.”

I snort.

Sandra’s smile falters before she manages to pull it back up. “I know you don’t mean that, baby doll. You’re hurtin’. Where’s those magic pills they gave you? I bet you need some of those.” Nervous eyes bounce around the room, no doubt searching for little brown bottles of pills.

Tess’s shoulder beneath my arm drops and a weary sigh escapes her.

“There are no pills,” she says.

Sandra’s head jerks back to Tess. “They didn’t give you pain meds?”

“I refused them.”

Her smile finally dies as her eyes narrow into pinpricks of anger. “Why’d you do that? You could sell those suckers on the street. Hell, I’ll take’em and sell’em for you.”

Piece of shit is too good of a term for this woman. It takes every bit of self control not to bodily throw her out the door.

“And that’s exactly why I didn’t take them.” Tess shoots me a look full of remorse and embarrassment. She has nothing to be embarrassed about. Sandra, on the other hand, should be mortified.

Sandra huffs as she takes another scan of the small apartment. “Always thinking of yourself, aint ya? Never consider your mama might need a little pick me up.” Her calculating stare lands on Tess and she shuffles forward a few inches. “Come on, baby doll. Give me just one.”

“She doesn’t have any,” I growl.

Sandra shoots me a look full of venom before angling her back to me so she’s fully facing Tess, once again trying to bodycheck me out of the way but I don’t move. “Is that any way to treat your mother, Theresa? After all I’ve done for you?”

“I see no mother here,” Tess says, and I want to applaud.

Sandra’s eyes narrow. Fury settles into the weary lines of her face. “You always were ungrateful.” She moves her hand toward Tess and I’m so on edge that my arm shoots out between them.

“Watch it.”

Tess presses into my side without taking her eyes off her mother. Watching her deal with Sandra makes me fall for her a little more but also saddens me that this has been her entire life, playing chess with a desperate, drug addicted con artist.

Sandra points a crooked finger at her. “You owe me, Theresa.”

“I owe you nothing.”

“I just need a little bit this time. Just to take the edge off. You don’t know, baby girl. You don’t know what it’s like.” Her voice is now pleading.

“Then maybe you should find your dealer,” Tess says.

Damn. This is not the same woman who sent me smiling face emojis and exclamation points. This is a whole different side to her, and I have to say, while the circumstances suck, I’m loving this part of Tess James.

“You know I can’t go to him.” A sly look comes over Sandra. This woman changes expressions so swiftly it makes my head spin. Wheedling one minute, threatening the next. “You know why, too.” She side eyes me with a smirk thrown in. “Bet he doesn’t know, does he?”

“Don’t,” Tess warns. “He has nothing to do with this.”

Sandra tilts her head back to study me before turning a look cunning on Tess that makes my balls shrivel. I’ve been in some intense boardroom deals bordered on fist fights, but none of them ever frightened me like the dead look of a junkie searching for her next fix.

Tess steps in front of me and I immediately put my hands on her shoulders to move her out of the way. No way will I allow her to put herself between me and danger.

“Theresa, Theresa.” Sandra makes a tsking sound. “Have you learned nothing from me?”

“He’s not involved,” Tess says through clenched teeth.

Sandra assesses me, starting at my shoes and moving slowly up my body, making my skin crawl. “I’m in a bit of a tight spot.”

I don’t know if she’s talking to me or Tess, but Tess answers. “The last time you were in a bit of a tight spot I told you no more and I meant it. I don’t have twenty thousand to give you.”

My body jerks. What the fuck? Twenty grand? This woman wants Tess to give her twenty grand ?

Oh, hell no.

“They’ll kill me if they don’t get it,” Sandra says, eyes still locked with mine. Her words are delivered so emotionlessly that it takes me a minute to understand what she just said.

Tess takes a large step away from me to hold up her injured arm. “This is what they did to me, Sandra. Does that mean nothing to you?”

Sandra holds her hands out in supplication. “I know. I know it was bad, baby, but they weren’t really going to hurt you. That’s just a warning to me. They didn’t mean no harm and they didn’t kill you.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I step in front of Tess.

“That was no fucking warning. She was beaten so badly she was hospitalized for five days with a concussion, an injured wrist, bruised ribs, and too many bruises to count.” My hands curl into fists.

I’m going to blow any second, so I need to end this now.

“Get the fuck out of here before I throw you out.”

I knew that attack wasn’t random. Now the question is why Tess hid the truth from me and Hardwick.

“Gabe, don’t.” Tess grabs my arm and tries to pull me back.

Sandra grins, finally getting the reaction she wanted out of me. “Go ahead, Gabe . Throw me out. I’ll call the cops on you so fast, tell them you’re keeping my daughter from me. They’ll haul your ass in and then what’re you gonna do, big man?”

“In case your drug-addled brain has forgotten, Tess is an adult now. She makes her own choices, but I have no problem protecting her from anyone who wants to hurt her.”

“Gabe,” Tess warns softly.

Sandra leans forward with a wicked gleam in her eye. “Didn’t do such a good job, did ya? Girl got beaten real bad on your watch, cowboy.”

Fuck this woman. Adrenaline has me taking a step toward her. Tess pulls on my arm to stop me. I have to get my shit under control before I do something I’ll regret.

“Or.” Sandra taps her chin, a small smile tilting her lips. “Why don’t you just give me thirty g’s and I’ll go away. Won’t bother you again. It’s the least you can do for fucking my daughter.”

Tess gasps.

My shoulders go rigid. It doesn’t escape me that she’s upped the total by ten grand. “Are you selling your daughter to me?” I ask quietly.

Her smile widens. All I see are jagged teeth and gaping holes, making her look like the monster she is.

She’s trying to sell her daughter to me.

I bare my teeth. “Get. Out.”

She laughs and I want to wipe the floor with her.

Tess is practically hanging on my arm to keep me from lunging at her mother, but I barely feel her.

I’m shaking with a rage I’ve never in my life felt before.

I’ve never wanted to kill a person, but I will gladly kill Sandra Jansen right here, right now, damn the consequences.

“Gabe, please.” It’s Tess’s desperate plea that brings me back from an edge I’d never thought I’d find myself on. My vision clears and my mind is more focused than it’s ever been.

Protect Tess.

That’s my goal. I can’t protect her if I have a murder charge hanging over my head.

I step right up to Sandra and glare down at her. Her taunting grin dares me to do something she can use against me. I won’t do it. I won’t risk Tess like that.

“Tell your dealer that you and he won’t receive a dime from either of us.

And if he comes after Tess again, I’ll kill him.

Then, Sandra, I’m coming for you. One hair is harmed on Tess’s head, I’ll use every one of my billions to hunt you down and make you regret every scar you put on this woman’s soul.

” I use my bulk and height to loom over her.

She finally flinches, her eyes widening in fear.

“Not one word, Sandra. You are never allowed to say another word to Tess again. You’re not to search for her.

You’re not to send your dealers after her or I will rain hell down on your head.

” I’m so close now that I can smell the stench of fear on her. “Do you understand me, Sandra ?”

She opens her mouth, and I hold up a finger.

“Yes, or no. That’s all I want to hear from you.”

“They know who she is.” Her voice wavers. “They won’t stop until they get their money.”

“Yes. Or. No.”

She chews her lip. “It’s a measly twenty grand. That big ass car out there is worth five times that.”

I don’t know why I’m shocked that she’s fighting back. She’s desperate and desperate people do stupid things.

“No twenty grand. No more money, ever. I hope they do come after you because that’s what you deserve for what you’ve done to Tess.

” I step back and put my arm around Tess’s waist more to ground me than to comfort her.

“We’re done here, Sandra. Get the fuck out of Tess’s apartment and don’t ever come back. ”

She looks at Tess. “They won’t go away.”

“I don’t have the money,” Tess whispers.

Sandra turns back to me, but I give her the look that Jack calls my dead look. Like she’s not even here, because in my mind, I know the threat. And now I can eliminate it.