He studied what the photographer had captured. Christ. The way he was holding her, melded to his side, it looked as if he’d had her hundreds of times. The way she was looking up at him, eyes wide, cheeks flushed. She looked like she wanted him to have her hundreds more.
“That’s guaranteed to bring out the wolves,” Quan said from over his shoulder. “But it’s a good look on you, G. I like it.”
So did he.
He folded up the paper and tucked it under his arm.
“You know Stefano is going to see that,” Alek interjected, crossing his arms over his chest. “My uncle, too, if I know him. You also know it’s going to cement your brother’s decision to come after her.”
Gabriel gritted his teeth. Of course he knew that. “Vasily’s still incommunicado. He managed to send a text at five this morning saying he’d be on the radar again in a few days.” He’d been relieved to get the message. There was nothing worse than not hearing from one of your own for a long period of time. The mind always went for the negative scenario. “In Stefano’s case, I say we go to him. Preferably before he sends another flunky. Or comes to Seattle himself.”
“I think that’s the only option left to us,” Alek agreed. “When do you want to leave?”
“In the next day or so. I’ll let you know.”
Alek nodded. “Now that that’s settled, let’s go to the restaurant and eat. I’m sick of room service.”
The three of them filed out of the gym and went down the hall toward the elevator.
So much for cleaning up and heading out to Mercer Island. In a perfect world, Gabriel would have killed the club idea and kept Eva under wraps until his brother could be dealt with. But the world they lived in was far from perfect.
The ding of the bell announced the arriving elevator car. They entered the large space, joining a young, obviously newlywed couple—judging by the brand-new sparkling ring set on the woman’s finger. They nodded a greeting, and even though Quan and Alek were polite—Quan mentioning of all things, the weather—the way the round little blonde pressed herself into her husband’s arms, you’d think one of them was holding a blood-dripping butcher knife.
For two cents he would have let her know he wasn’t the brother she had to watch out for. But that the psychopath might very well be on his way.
† † †
Being Sunday, it took no time at all to get into Seattle and even less to find parking. An Audi R8 pulled out of a spot just down the street from the club, and Eva slipped her Ford Focus right in and cut the engine.
She checked the side mirror before getting out. “Come on,” she murmured as a car slowly pulled up. “I’m not leaving,” she added when it stopped next to the one parked behind her.
After a few beats, waiting with her fingers on the door handle, the car’s headlights blinding her, she grabbed her purse and got out, tugging at the short hemline of her dress as she gave the unseen driver an apologetic wave for the misunderstanding.
Fighting the stupid butterflies that always came before going to a club, she distracted herself by peering into the windows of the shops she passed as she made her way up the sidewalk. She paused to ogle a pair of heels and was about to move on when, through the window’s reflection, she saw that same sedan still inching down the street. She glanced at the line of parked vehicles, hoping to see one pulling out so the mystery car could pull in…
All were empty and still.
Fighting a shiver and trying not to let her imagination get the better of her—or her memory—she started walking again, passing a good amount of foot traffic coming in the opposite direction. It wasn’t like someone would try “giving her a message” with so many witnesses around.
And Gabriel had thought the message thing was a ruse to distract her anyway, so she shouldn’t worry. Right?
She bit her lip and ignored the disappointment that came with the reminder that he hadn’t gotten in touch today.
Yeah, and neither had the police. She’d assumed they’d want to know if she wanted to press charges against her assailant. Or, at the very least, she’d thought they might want her side of the story. But she’d heard nothing.
She refrained from looking over her shoulder. What