Page 34

Gabi

Sawyer, Zane, and several other customers shot to their feet when the door to Books-N-Brews crashed open and Gabi stormed in, heading straight for the counter at a full run.

It was a good thing she’d learned through the years how to keep her balance in the stilettos she always wore, no matter what she was doing.

She winced when Vivi jumped back at her dramatic entrance, spilling the coffee she’d been pouring.

“Gabrielle Schwindler! You are going to be the death of me, child.

You take yourself right back outside and enter the building properly.”

Gabi froze in her tracks, staring at Vivi.

It wasn’t the first time Vivi had told her to do this, and it probably wouldn’t be the last.

Vivi took on the role of grandmother to everyone in the town, including Gabi, and Gabi adored her.

She’d do anything Vivi asked… except that.

To go back outside the protection of a shop filled with people? No.

“I… I can’t, Vivi. You don’t understand.”

As she stared at Vivi, Gabi watched her expression change from irritation to concern.

Gabe knew why.

She knew what people saw when they looked at her these days.

She saw it in the mirror every morning.

There was only so much makeup could do.

She’d lost weight, and her face was pale except for the dark circles under her eyes. She looked like a mess. Well, she was a mess.

Having set the coffee pot down, Vivi pulled her lilac cardigan sweater tighter around her.

“You’re right about that, young lady.

But when you come into a business, you need to enter properly.

Now go back out and try again.”

Gabi stared at her for a second before bursting into tears.

It was too much.

It had been too much ever since the General and Nevada had taken her and Lovie by force from That’s Italian two months before.

She’d been tied up in the law office for hours.

No idea what had happened to Lovie or Raleigh.

It couldn’t have been good, or someone would have come searching for her.

But they didn’t.

They’d left her bound, gagged, and all alone in the office.

And then they’d turned out the light.

She’d been terrified out of her mind.

She hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep since then.

Not one.

By the time Deke Winters had shown up, she’d been hysterical.

She didn’t think she’d ever be normal again.

And that was just part of her troubles.

“What in the world?”

Vivi rushed around the counter and hurried to Gabi’s side.

Wrapping her arms around her, Vivi led her to the counter and helped her onto an empty barstool.

“Here now, child.

What’s all this? Is it that bad to have to go back out and enter without the force of a whirling dervish?”

Gabi nodded furiously.

Vivi had no idea of the danger that lay outside the coffee shop doors.

“I-It is wh-when th-there’s someone f-following y-you.”

Vivi’s gaze shot to the window.

“Someone was following you, sweet girl? Do you know who it was?”

She had no idea who the Lawless Warriors were by name.

How could she? The police had asked her the day they’d taken her.

All she could tell them was Nevada had taken her from the restaurant and handed her over to some huge, scary biker with pockmarked skin and a gun.

A gun he’d pointed at her and threatened to shoot her with if she made a scene.

And like the total idiot she was, she’d done everything he told her to do.

She’d even unlocked the door so he could drag her inside the law office.

It was humiliating.

“N-no.”

“Well, did you see what he looked like? You know Sawyer and Zane are right over there.

If you tell them who to look for, they’ll find whoever it was.”

Gabi sniffled and shook her head.

That was the problem.

They were either very good at staying hidden or invisible.

“I… I didn’t actually see wh-who it was.

But I know he was there! I swear.

I wouldn’t make that up. I could feel him there, watching me. Just waiting to catch me by sur-surprise.”

She hunched her shoulders forward and stared at her knees, trying to make herself as small as possible, waiting for Vivi to tell her it was all in her head and that she needed to get a grip on her overactive imagination.

But it wasn’t her imagination.

It was real.

At least, it was real to her.

Gabi should have known Vivi would never do that.

Vivi would never judge her like that.

Instead, Vivi studied her closely before wrapping her in another warm hug.

Nothing had ever felt so good in her life.

“There, there, darling girl.

I’m so sorry you were scared.

You’re still trembling.”

Turning to the counter, she called, “Tazzy, can you fix Gabi a hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles? I don’t think coffee is what our girl needs.

Now, Gabi you come and sit with me on the couch.

Would you like me to call Raleigh?”

“No!”

Calling Raleigh was the last thing she needed.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see him.

Didn’t want him to be the one with his arms wrapped around her, telling her everything was going to be okay.

She wanted that more than anything.

But ever since Lovie had started working with Raleigh at the office, things had been different between her and Raleigh.

The truth was, if Vivi called Raleigh, Gabi wasn’t even sure he would come.

But now Vivi was looking at her with too much curiosity in her eyes.

The last thing she needed was a curious Vivi.

“I-I mean, no thank you, Vivi.

I don’t want to bother him.

I’m probably just being silly.”

“Honey, you’re scared to death.

You may be wrong about someone following you, but you’re not being silly.”

Once they were comfortably settled on the couch, Vivi tilted Gabi's chin up to get a better look.

“Tell me what’s really bothering you, Gabi.

You can talk to me.”

What was she supposed to say? Raleigh had been beaten so badly he’d been hospitalized, and he was fine now.

Lovie had been drugged and buried alive.

Yet she was carrying on as if nothing had happened.

Gabi had had the easiest time of it that day, yet she was the one falling apart.

Vivi noticed.

She was pretty sure Lovie had noticed, even though she hadn’t said anything.

But the person she wanted to care about her the most had pulled back and was now treating her like an employee instead of someone he cared about.

She wasn’t sure she could stay in Darling any longer.

There were too many bad memories attacking her.

Not to mention the Lawless Warriors hadn’t left the area.

And now the man she cared about more than anything, the one she’d dared to hope might be her Daddy one day, was treating her like his personal assistant and receptionist, and nothing more.

She thought of the application she’d filled out and sent off weeks and weeks ago.

She’d gotten a reply back three days ago.

She’d called and let them know she was coming.

She was leaving later that afternoon.

Rawhide Ranch sounded like just the place to get her head together and decide what the future held for her.

“Vivi, I forgot to tell you, I put you down as a reference.

If you get a call from anyone about me, can you please vouch for me and tell them I’m great at my job?”

Vivi narrowed her eyes.

“Of course, sweet girl.

All I have to do is tell them the truth.

But you aren’t thinking of doing anything impulsive or rash, are you dear?”

“Me? Rash? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Time for a change of subject.

“I’m not the one with the secrets in my past.

Did I hear back a while that you were once on a roller derby team? I need to hear that story.”

Vivi laughed.

“Oh my, the rumors that do get started around here.

Honestly, Gabi.

Can you imagine me skating and fighting my way around a rink? My poor mama would be rolling over in her grave at such talk.”

Hmm.

That was a lot of words, but she hadn’t exactly heard a no.

But before she could ask any more questions, Tazzy showed up with her hot chocolate, and the bell over the door rang.

Vivi looked past her and smiled.

“It’s Lovie and Law.

I wondered if they’d be here.

I know they like their privacy, but all the other Sabre men are already in the back office with Hutch.

The Musketiaras are right over there,”

she said, pointing to the other group of couches and chairs in the shop.

How into her own head did Gabi have to be not to even notice her friends? She glanced over at them, and found them all staring at her.

She must have made a bigger idiot of herself than she’d thought if the worry and sympathy in their eyes were anything to go by.

Of course, Lovie and Law walked straight toward her.

“Gabi.

How are you today? Are you feeling better?”

Gabi nodded.

She needed to go.

She had to make it to the next town over to catch her plane, and it was almost time for her to head out.

“I’m fine! How are you? Did you look at that list of cases I sent you? I thought they might be helpful.”

“I did, and I think you’re right.

You’re really good at finding cases to strengthen our argument.

I know Raleigh will have a lot for you to do this week.”

Well, that was just too bad for Raleigh because Gabi wasn’t going to be there.

“I guess you’ll have to fill in then.

I’m leaving shortly for my vacation.

I’ll be gone all next week.”

Lovie frowned.

“Really? Raleigh didn’t say anything about you not being there.

Does he know?”

Taking a page from Vivi’s hedging, she answered that question with one of her own.

“Would I be leaving if he didn’t?”

Yes.

Yes, she would.

Served him right, anyway.

“Oh, I guess not.

Have fun then and I’ll see you when you get back.”

If Gabi came back, Lovie was right.

If she decided it was time to move on, then not so much.

Either way, big changes were coming, and she’d be away from the Warriors and Raleigh, and everything weighing her down.

And it was about time, too.