As Denny had been going through a difficult divorce at the time, she’d encouraged him to focus on his own life and butt out of hers.She wished now that she’d listened to him when he said he’d gotten a strange vibe from Gabe and didn’t feel comfortable around him.
Isla had chalked up his objections to no one ever being good enough for his baby sister, but it’d been more than that.She’d been a fool not to listen to him when he sounded the alarm about Gabe’s unpredictable behavior.Love and the desire to rebuild the family she’d lost when her parents died had blinded her to things that should’ve stood out like massive red flags.The disappearing acts had begun while they were dating, but she’d figured he was busy, seeing friends, playing basketball and, occasionally, even working.
His spotty employment track record and the fact that there was no contact with his family were other concerns Denny had zeroed in on.
“Not everyone is close to their family,” she’d said, “and besides, what does that have to do with me?”
“Everything,” he’d said.“I want to know why he doesn’t talk to them, or vice versa—and you should want to know that, too.People don’t go no-contact with their families for no good reason, and from what I know about him,he’sthe reason.”
He’d been right about that.She saw that now, for all the good that did her.
After their parents died, leaving Isla and Denny alone in the world to fend for themselves, he’d tried to guide and advise her, but like most people in their teens and early twenties, she hadn’t wanted his advice or his guidance.She’d said she was in love with Gabe and intended to marry him, no matter what her brother had to say about it.
“God, I wish I’d listened to you,” she whispered.“But then I wouldn’t have my babies, and they’re worth all the hell and heartache that Gabe has put me through.But now… Now I have to leave him for good.I can never go back to him.”
The thought of starting over on her own with two young children was so overwhelming as to give her chest pains, but she’d do whatever it took to keep herself and her kids safe.That meant leaving Gabriel once and for all and never going back.
ChapterFive
Julian was tuning his bass when his longtime friend Denny Clarkson approached him, looking troubled.He was a big dude with floppy blond hair and a kind, friendly face that was unusually tense.
“Hey, man, how goes it?”Julian asked.
“I need your help.”
“What’s up?”
“Remember my sister, Isla?”
“Of course.”While Denny often mentioned her and her young kids, Julian hadn’t ever met her.“Younger than us, right?”
“Yeah, by seven years.She’s in trouble with a hopefully soon-to-be ex-husband who’s escalating.”
“How so?”
“He busted up their apartment.”
“Busted it up with what?”
“A baseball bat.Everything is smashed to pieces.”
“Where was she?”
“Hiding with the kids.”
Julian raised a dark brow.“In an apartment?”
“She’d made a hiding place behind a closet in case she ever needed it.”
Julian was stunned—and amazed—that she’d planned for such a thing.What did that say about what she must’ve been dealing with before this?“How long has this been going on?”
“I’m not really sure.She’s kept me at arm’s length since I told her not to marry him, but if she’s calling me for help now, it must be bad.We gotta get her away from him before he kills her.”
“Has he ever hurt her physically?”
“Not that I know of, but like I said, she cut me out of the day-to-day after I disapproved of the marriage.”
“Is she somewhere safe now?”
