Too bad someone else pulled out in front of me. A dark SUV with tinted windows stopped directly in the path of my car. Micah Townsend hopped out.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. In front of me was Gabriel’s brother, dressed in all black.
“You should get inside,” he said as he approached my driver's side door. He didn’t wait for me to respond as he opened the door and pulled me out by the arm.
“What’s going on?” I asked as he rushed me inside of the building. It reminded me of that dank building where Eli fought in that underground fight.
“Sorry for the fake message. We needed to get you here quickly,” he said as he ushered me into the building.
“Micah, please tell me what’s going on …” I trailed off because out of the shadows of the backroom emerged Gabriel. He, too, wore all black. He had a stony expression on his face as he turned hard eyes down on me.
All I could recall was that final day in Jodi’s driveway. The look of hurt, anguish, and then fury that had rippled across his face.
“We need to talk,” he said, his voice low and rigid.
“Gabriel,” I rushed out but stopped. Nate’s threats came to mind. “You can’t be here.” His safety was the only thing on my mind.
“Why? Because he threatened you?”
My jaw fell open.
“Yeah, I’m aware of the games that son of a bitch is playing. But that’s not what you and I need to discuss.” He approached and took my chin in between his thumb and forefinger, tilting my head up. “We need to get straight that you always,alwaysbring this type of shit to me. You don’t try to handle it yourself.”
“He said he could end your career,” I said. “That fight could’ve gotten you arrested.”
Gabriel leaned in, my chin still in his grasp. “He’s a fucking liar and a thief. And he doesn’t get to steal any more time from you and me.” He pressed a hard kiss to my lips.
Six weeks.
It had been six awful weeks since our last kiss. Even in my dreams, I couldn’t conjure up the natural life feeling of his lips against mine.
“You’re gonna have to smooch some other time,” a voice behind me said. “Your party’s about to begin.”
“Joel?” I looked over my shoulder to find Gabriel’s father glancing out the window.
He turned to me. “In the flesh.” He winked at me.
“You shouldn’t be here for this part.” Gabriel took my hand and led me into another room. At the same time, I heard the door I entered open. “Wait here,” he instructed.
He didn’t give me time to ask questions before he was gone. From my vantage point, I could still see the entranceway.
I gasped but quickly covered my mouth when Nate walked in with Demetria behind him.
“The fuck is going on?” Nate demanded, looking around. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I told you the last time I saw you to keep Lena’s name out of your mouth, didn’t I?” Gabriel said.
“Man, fuck you! That bitch belongs to me. She ain’t yours.”
“Oh my God!” Demetria yelled when Gabriel punched the hell out of Nate.
“I told you, you wouldn’t get a second warning.” Gabe kicked Nate’s ribs as Micah, Preston, who I hadn’t noticed before, and Joel watched, keeping guard.
“I’m calling the police,” Demetria said as she tried to run for the door. Preston got in between her and the door.
“And tell them what?” Gabriel demanded. “That you and this motherfucker have been blackmailing Lena to keep her on his label?” he yelled, staring down at Nate. “Or are you going to explain to them how you’ve been using your record label to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars from your artists?”
“Embezzle?” I screamed, coming out from the shadows.
