And he was sure the families of those wives, daughters, and young sons appreciated their methods for meting out justice.
“Maks call yet?”
Alek nodded. “Ten minutes ago. Said this piece of shit has a penchant for the young ones. Intel confirmed he was released last week. Served time for fucking with his five-year-old twin nieces. His rap sheet’s long. And let’s just say he isn’t partial only to little girls.”
Sympathy for the victims joined the mix of emotions rolling through Gabriel. He’d seen a lot of shit and had done his fair share, but he’d never condone targeting kids. Back in the day, before he’d gone straight, he would have shut down his emotions, killing anything that might have made him anything less than lethal. And he’d have simply ended the guy. At the time, he’d needed to be that person to deal with the lowest of the low.
But now? He was a little calmer. He took his time. Thought through what had to be done. Lingered over his decisions.
Even when there was no need. What this POS had tried to do to Eva was bad enough, but the shit he’d done time for? Fuuuck.
“How did you recognize him at the hotel?” he asked Quan.
“Whenever V meets a new recruit, he sends a photo and bio home so Maks can dig around. Allows us to know who we’re dealing with.”
Damn, he loved his boys.
Gabriel opened his jacket and withdrew his Glock from the holster strapped across his chest. With Stefano’s involvement confirmed, they were done here.
He walked over to stand before the pedo, who suddenly looked as though he was having a hard time breathing. Gabriel slid the safety off and raised his gun at a sideways angle. He pulled back, let the prick sweat for an extra second as he went into his pocket for the suppressor. He took his time attaching it.
What would Eva think if she could see him now? he wondered as he leveled his arm again and pulled the trigger.
SIX
After a night spent tossing and turning, Eva swiped open her phone and turned on some music to combat the silence as she waited for the Keurig to do its thing. She yawned, feeling blurry-eyed and lethargic.
She plopped onto the chair at the head of her kitchen table with her morning brew and stirred cream into the dark magic before blowing across the top and taking her first sip. The newly washed floors were gleaming, she noted, her gaze skipping over the spotless countertop and pristine appliances. The dry dishcloth on the side of the sink was neatly folded, hoping to be used at some point in the day.
She yawned again.
She’d dreamed a lot last night. About Stefano Moretti. Caleb being hurt by him. About Gabriel. Her being kissed by him. And more. She’d dreamed of being chased. Being caught. Being hurt. Then her overactive imagination would send her back into a cozy bed with the owner of a quadrillion-dollar hotel where she did things she’d never done with a man before.
She was pretty sure she’d orgasmed in her sleep.
“What the hell?” she muttered to herself as she picked up her coffee and wandered around the house. She was turned on. From only thoughts of the man. It was no wonder, in the flesh, he’d knocked her on her ass. That goodbye kiss…gawd.
Ending up in her mom’s office, her gaze scanned the pretty room, skimming over the Julie Fain prints depicting silhouetted fairies and angels under gleaming moonbeams. She wouldn’t be able to do this, find comfort in the familiar, if she ended up in another apartment in New York.
She tried not to let that get to her. After all, bricks and mortar hadn’t been important to her mom. Their love for each other, their memories, were in Eva’s heart, not scattered throughout these rooms.
Putting her coffee down on the edge of the desk, her heart grew heavier as Christina Aguilera’s Hurt came from the kitchen. The clog of unshed tears worsened when she looked down and saw a note scribbled in Kathryn’s flourish handwriting on the desktop calendar.
Pick up Eva’s grad present
One minute planning her trip to New York to see her daughter graduate, the next…gone.
Even though movies and TV shows constantly used the premise for drama, it was true. In the blink of an eye, life ended. Everything changed. And one had very little control over it.
What was it she’d seen scrawled next to the window on the subway a few weeks ago?