Page 66 of Every Broken Piece

Chapter sixty-two

Gabe

I step out the side door of the police department and take my first breath of fresh air in hours. The sun is peeking up above the mountains, reminding me of the sunset Tess and I witnessed the day I told her I loved her.

She’s been gone fifteen hours. It feels like fifteen years.

I have eight hours to get the money together. I’m not waiting that long.

I'm going to go get my girl and when I find her, I’m going to wrap her in my arms and never let her out of my sight. She’ll hate it but I don’t give a shit. I can’t breathe without her. I can’t think straight without her.

Davies talked me out of racing to the subdivision where her computer is still broadcasting its location from. He said we need backup, a plan. I don’t regret the things I called him or the fuss I made, but I was outvoted, and I know when to step back and regroup.

Emily arrived around five in the morning, looking fresh in a black power suit, ready to do battle.

She called a press conference at seven and to my surprise most of the major media showed up.

Like I knew she would, she handled them like a pro, describing what happened, that we believe the O’Malley crime family is involved and if anyone has any information to let us know.A billionaire, his missing girlfriend and a crime family?

The press ate it up and the story is now trending on every news and social media outlet.

Tess will hate it when she discovers she’s a minor celebrity with the whole country using the hashtag #taketessback, something Emily came up with.

I blow out a stale breath that condenses in the cold morning.

I need to check in on Pax. I’ve been in the same clothes for over twenty-four hours.

I should shower and change, but I don’t move.

I watch the sun rise, bathing the mountains in streaks of gold and orange and wish Tess was beside me, seeing the spectacle Mother Nature has blessed us with.

My phone pings.

Jack: Pax slept through most of the night (I feel like we’re back to the baby stage when I type that). Woke up about an hour ago and flirted with the nurse. I think he’s going to be just fine

For the first time in eighteen hours I smile, so damn grateful for my brother.

Me: Tell him to keep his hands off the nurses

Jack: You tell him. I’m not spoiling his fun. I saw the news. You sure kicking the hornets nest of the O’Malley’s is the right call?

Me: No, but I’m out of options

I know the common belief that the longer this goes on the less likely the chance of finding her alive. I won’t allow my mind to go there.

I head to my car but stop short when I see a man casually leaning against it, arms and ankles crossed, watching me with emotionless, gray eyes.

His charcoal suit is tailor made for that big body and rivals anything I have in my closet. Same as his black dress shirt. Colorful tattoos crawl up his neck and into his closely cropped hair. More decorate his hands.

“Gabriel Strong,” he states in a deep, dark voice.

“That’s me.”

He looks me up and down before centering that cold stare on me again. “Ronan O’Malley.”

Before I sanctioned the press conference, I did my research. I know Ronan O’Malley is the second in command of the family. His brother, Declan, the head.

“You summonsed me,” Ronan says with zero expression or inflection.

Summonsed makes him sound like a Genie in a bottle. Or a demon.

“Did I?”

He’s dark in more than looks. I feel it inside him too, yet he doesn’t frighten me because we’re a lot alike. Fearless in business. Confident. Willing to protect those we love. I've never met the man but I'm putting Tess's life in his hands. I hope to hell my instincts are solid on this.

“You don’t fool me, Gabriel. You knew exactly what you were doing.” He spreads his arms out. I catch a glimpse of a thick gold watch and more tattoos. “I’m here, just like you wanted.”

“I wasn’t exactly expecting a member of the family to show up.”

He blinks but otherwise shows no other reaction. “You’re ballsy, Strong. I like that. But you should’ve thought this through before you pulled the O’Malley’s into your shit.”

“My girl is missing. Your guy took her. I did what I needed to save her.”

“My guy ?”

I want to wipe that smirk off his face, but I need him right now.

“Ryan Carter. He took her.”

He pulls in a deep breath, his jaw flexing. “Carter.” He makes it sound like he’s never heard the name and that pisses me off.

I step in close until we’re within striking distance of each other. “Last month he attacked Tess James in a bar in Cincinnati because her mother owes him, or rather she owes the O’Malley’s, money. My guess is he was acting on O’Malley orders.”

“Was. But no longer.”

“Was. Is. I could give a shit less. I have no problem connecting the O’Malley name with Tess’s disappearance if it brings her back to me.”

Ronan slowly unwinds his arms, then his legs before straightening until we’re standing almost chest to chest. He’s got an inch and about fifty pounds on me, but I don’t back down as dead eyes consider me for a long time.

“Have you had breakfast, O’Malley?”

Ah. Surprise flickers and is gone almost instantly.

“I haven’t.”

I pull my car keys out of my pocket. “I haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday. I’m starving and I need coffee. Hop in and we can talk.”

Something shifts in his expression. Curiosity maybe. Maybe something more deadly. But he walks around the back of my car and slides into the passenger seat, motioning to someone in the driver’s seat of his car to follow.

“You try anything and you’re dead,” he says so matter of bluntly that my lips twitch in a grin.

“Wouldn’t think of it,” I say.

I try not to ponder how wild it is that I’m driving a member of one of the most powerful crime families to a diner to eat bacon and eggs.

On the way I tell him about Sandra Jansen, Tess’s childhood, the drugs, and Carter’s attack.

I know I’m breaking Tess’s confidence, but if it gets her back, I’ll gladly suffer her wrath.

O’Malley remains silent and unmoving as he lounges loosely in my passenger seat, remaining diligent while watching Denver slide by.

“We told Carter to walk away from that,” he finally says when I pull into the parking lot of the closest diner. “Twenty grand isn’t worth it, especially after the heat he caught from his last encounter with her.”

I throw my car in park more forcefully than necessary and stare out the windshield.

“He beat her, Mr. O’Malley. He nearly broke her wrist, bruised her ribs, gave her a concussion so bad she doesn’t remember any of it.

He left her terrified of her own shadow and unable to even brush her teeth because the smell of her toothpaste reminds her of him. That’s more than an encounter .”

He inclines his head. “You’re right. But what he did wasn’t sanctioned by us.

We called him back to Chicago and told him to forget about the money.

It’s small change and not worth the cops asking questions we don’t want to answer.

If it were my woman, I’d be burning down the city looking for him too.

” He almost grins. Almost. “Or holding a press conference. And call me Ronan. I hate that Mr. O’Malley shit. ”

I deflate. It’s not in my or Tess’s best interest to engage in a pissing match with the O’Malley’s.

“You ever love someone so much you can’t breathe without them?” I ask.

Something moves across his face. Regret, sorrow, anger. “Yeah. I have.”

“I need her back like I need my next breath.”

He nods as he stares out the windshield, his mind somewhere else. Those tattooed hands clench on his thighs, then spread wide.

“We’ll get her back, Gabe. Because I like you and I don’t like my men going rogue.”

He opens the car door and throws a leg out. “But first we eat.”