Shit! She forgot. Joseph’s call drove everything away. She spent all that time thinking and analyzing the situation. “Sorry.” She forced a smile on her smile. There was no way she could tell Nick about the phone calls. He would go berserk, and he might even go to confront Joseph. And she couldn’t let him do that. “I…got so tired shopping that I lay down. Didn’t realize that I fell asleep.”
Drawing her in his arms, he rested his chin on her head. “I tried to call you but your phone was coming off. Scared the shit out of me.”
She inhaled the strong, musky scent of his. Somehow it brought back some normalcy in her mind. “I guess the battery must have died. Sorry, Nick.”
“It’s ok, darling. You’re ok. That’s all matters. What did you buy?”
Eager to change the subject, she showed him the dresses she bought. After he admired them, she followed him out of the room. “We could eat something here,” she suggested.
“No, let’s just go out. There is a burger with my name on it,” he said.
Downstairs, they met Matt. He was drinking beer at the bar. Seeing her, his nostrils flared but he didn’t say anything. Instead, his fingers tapped the bottle that was held in his hand. “Going out?”
“Yeah!” said Nick as he tugged Gabby along. They stepped out in the fresh air and marched over to his bike. She loved to ride with him. He drove fast, but Nick was careful when she was with him.
She strapped on the helmet he offered. “Did you guys find the new warehouse?”
“Yeah, it’s a good location. We should be able to get back in the thick of things soon enough.”
“But the police might still be on to you guys.”
“For sure, they must be.” He sat. “But we’re going to keep the information to ourselves. The fewer people who know about the locations and timings, the better it would be.”
She didn’t ask anything else. Gabby didn’t care about their business. She was, of course, concerned about his safety but Nick was cautious. And he knew these things better than her. The drive was quick and smooth, and although she tried to keep her mind free from worrying thoughts, they still simmered inside her.
What the hell was she going to do about this situation?
Should she get away?
Maybe she needed to discuss it with someone, but there was no one she could trust. If she discussed it with the girls, they would immediately tell everything to Nick, and she wanted to keep him out of it.
Nick held her hand as they strolled along the harbor. It was a beautiful evening. A nice breeze flew around them, and she felt her spirits lift as the hustle and bustle of the town made her feel a little better. The sense of danger that she felt ever since she received the call faded a bit. Maybe she needed some more time to ponder over this matter.
“I’ve been thinking about something,” said Nick.
“Hmmm…” Lost as she was in her thoughts, she didn’t pay much attention. Gabby waved to the artist who owned the gallery. He was a lively character and they often stopped by to have a conversation with him whenever they were in the area.
“We need to do something about Joseph.”
All the breath whooshed out of her lungs. How did he know? Who could have told him? Did Joseph call him? “What?” she squeaked out the word, not sure if she’d heard him right.
He squeezed her hand. “Listen, it’s been a while since you got away from that guy. But he is still out there, enslaving other young girls. We need to hand him over to the police.”
This was so out of the blue, so unexpected, that Gabby remained silent. Did Nick know that Joseph had called her? Did he suspect something? Or was he just saying it because he’d been giving this matter some thought. “I don’t know…what do you mean?”
“I know that you’ve been working hard to push these memories away. I’ve been thinking about this ever since we met. We need to stop that man. I didn’t want to say anything because it would bring back bad memories. But you’ve moved on now. And you’re safe.” He waved to someone he knew. Hell Brigade enjoyed a strong loyalty among some of the town’s residents. Although they were involved in transportation of stolen goods, they often helped out others in time of need. “It’s time to deal with this matter once and for.”
This was just Nick talking about something he felt fiercely about, but unknowingly, he gave her another food for thought. If she gave Joseph over to the police, they would start to chase him, and he might not have time to harass her. It was a good idea, but a risky one. Joseph wouldn’t like it if the police hounded him. He was a man of considerable resources. It wouldn’t be that easy to put him behind bars. He was always careful to steer clear of the police. Over the years, he had perfected a few techniques and tricks that kept him out of trouble.
But if she gave evidence against him, that would make a strong case.
“He wouldn’t like it,” she muttered.
Nick stopped. He turned to face her. Lifting her hand, he held it to his hips. “Of course, he wouldn’t like it. But you can put him behind bars once and for all, and when you do that, he wouldn’t be able to hurt other girls.”
“It’s a big business,” she said. “He is not alone. Putting him away wouldn’t bring an end to the entire racket.”
“Sure, that’s true. But it’s a start. Seeing you, some other girls may come forward, and many of them would benefit. Don’t you want others who are suffering in the hands of their pimps to become more empowered?” He paused, rubbed his lips over her knuckles, and let go. “I think it’s time you did that. I’ve talked to a lawyer who works pro bono for girls who have been sucked in prostitution. And he is willing to help us.”
“You have already talked to him?” Her eyes flashed with ire. “Without discussing with me first?”
“I didn’t give him your name or any other information, but I wanted to get handle on this situation before I got your involved.” He stood tall and proud. Determination shone in his eyes. If she knew one thing, it was that once Nick set his mind on something, he didn’t change it. For some reason, he’d focused on this issue, and he was going to bring it to a satisfying end, with or without her. Without her, he didn’t have a chance.
And if she helped him, it would kill two birds with one stone. Not only would she be able to get rid of Joseph once and for all, but also she would be able to help other girls who were still enslaved in his prostitution ring.
An hour ago, she was contemplating running away. Now, suddenly, there was another option that was so much better. Once more, she indebted to Nick for presenting it to her out of nowhere. He didn’t know the hell he was going through, but somehow he managed to give a solution that was much better than the one she envisioned.
“You’re right,” she said. Gabby couldn’t miss the look of surprise he bestowed on her. “We should do something about Joseph. Let’s go meet this lawyer friend of yours.”
He drew her in a hug. “Baby, you won’t regret it. It will be fine.”
As she breathed in the masculine scent of him, Gabby felt relaxed, vindicated. She would survive – and Nick was right there to hold her when she needed help.
Her life wasn’t on the best track, but it was surely on the right one.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Something was amiss with Gabby. Nick knew it with certainty even though she didn’t say anything. Over the months, he had gotten to know her moods. She wasn’t her usual bubbly, chirpy self. At first, he thought it might be because of the situation with Matt. He wasn’t being openly hostile, but he was certainly a little abrupt with her. But then, he figured it might also be because of the imminent move to his house.
She wasn’t looking forward to the move. He sensed it. Nick realized that it had nothing to do with him, but was more because of her own insecurities. Gabby found it difficult to accept the love he offered. Given her background, he could comprehend how that would be so. It hurt him, but he convinced himself to give her more time. Slowly, she was coming around. But still, there was a part of her that she hugged close to her chest.
It irked him that she didn’t fully trust him, but he forced himself to be patient.
Everything would fall into place sooner or later.
After they had dinner, he went over to the clubhouse to drop her off. Ronald and Matt were conferring outside. “Why don’t you go inside, babe? I’ll just talk to the guys.”
She strode in without casting a glance at Matt. Nick joined the two men. “What’s going on?”
“I brought Ronald up to speed with the new warehouse we’ve selected,” said Matt. “Did you tell her?”
Anger flashed in Nick’s eyes. He didn’t like Matt’s open mistrust of Gabby. Not only was he convinced that she was the snitch, but also he was sure that Nick was so besotted that he couldn’t see what was staring him right in the face. “I haven’t told her the location. She doesn’t know anything.”