Z

By noon, Gabriel had six men watching the warehouse.

By one, Dominic had confirmed that Kane Consulting had purchased the property through three shell corporations.

By two, Harper had decided she was done being protected from information.

Gabriel discovered this when he entered the library and found her seated at his desk with the black notebook open beside a legal pad.

“What are you doing?”

“Reading.”

“I can see that.”

“Then why did you ask?”

He walked closer.

“You’re supposed to be resting.”

“I rested for four hours.”

“You have cracked ribs.”

“They’re still cracked while I’m sitting on your couch.”

“That is not how medical recovery works.”

“Are you a doctor now?”

“No.”

“Good.”

Gabriel stared at her.

Harper looked back.

Neither moved.

Finally Gabriel muttered something in Italian.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing polite.”

“Excellent.”

He noticed the legal pad.

“What is that?”

“I recognized some addresses.”

Gabriel pulled out a chair.

“Which?”

She pointed.

“This one is a convenience store Mitchell visits every Thursday.”

“Why?”

“He says he meets clients.”

“And this?”

“Storage facility near Midway.”

Gabriel’s expression sharpened.

“You’ve been there?”

“Once.”

“When?”

“Last spring.”

“For what?”

“Mitchell said he lost the key to one of his units and needed me to bring a spare from his desk.”

“Unit number?”

Harper pointed.

“214.”

Gabriel immediately called Marco.

“Midway Storage. Unit 214. Quietly.”

He ended the call.

Harper tapped another entry.

“This initials thing.”

“F.W.?”

“Yes.”

“We think Felix Ward.”

“Who is he?”

“A broker.”

“For people?”

Gabriel did not soften the answer.

“Yes.”

Harper stared at the page.

Her face tightened.

“How many?”

“We don’t know.”

“This notebook goes back four years.”

“I know.”

“That means while Mitchell was coming home and asking what I made for dinner…”

Her voice broke.

“He was doing this.”

Gabriel leaned forward.

“You didn’t know.”

“I should have.”

“How?”

“I should have seen him.”

“You saw exactly what he wanted you to see.”

Harper closed the notebook.

“I hate when you make sense.”

“It happens occasionally.”

She looked at him.

Again, that flicker of humor.

Again, too brief.

Gabriel found himself wanting to see it longer.

That realization irritated him.

He had spent years structuring his life around control.

Harper Monroe was introducing disorder simply by sitting in his library wearing borrowed sweatpants and arguing with him.

His phone rang.

Marco.

“Talk.”

“We’re at Midway.”

“And?”

“Unit’s leased to Mitchell Kane.”

“What’s inside?”

A pause.

“Documents. Passports. Cash.”

Gabriel stood.

“How many passports?”

“Thirty-two.”

Harper heard.

Her face went white.

Marco continued.

“And photographs.”

Gabriel closed his eyes once.

“Women?”

“Yeah.”

“Get federal contacts involved.”

Harper looked up sharply.

“Federal?”

Gabriel ended the call.

“This is bigger than Chicago police.”

“Won’t that warn Mitchell?”

“Eventually.”

“Then we need evidence before he runs.”

“We have evidence.”

“Not enough to prove Connor is involved.”

Gabriel stared.

Harper pointed toward the notebook.

“If Mitchell takes everything, Connor disappears again.”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed.

“You’re not getting involved.”

She laughed once.

“I’m already involved.”

“No.”

“He tracked me.”

“That does not make you part of the investigation.”

“He photographed my sister.”

“Which is exactly why you stay here.”

Harper stood.

“You said no decisions about me without me.”

“This is not about you.”

“The hell it isn’t.”

Gabriel’s voice hardened.

“Harper.”

“No. You don’t get to do that.”

“Do what?”

“Say my name in that tone like the conversation ends.”

He stared.

She folded her arms carefully.

“Maybe everyone else stops talking when you sound scary.”

“Usually.”

“I’m not everyone else.”

Gabriel almost smiled.

“Clearly.”

Harper pointed toward the notebook.

“I know Mitchell.”

“That doesn’t mean you should go near him.”

“I’m not asking to.”

“What are you asking?”

“To help predict what he’ll do.”

Gabriel remained silent.

“He panics when he loses control,” Harper continued. “But he doesn’t run immediately.”

“What does he do?”

“He tries to prove he still owns the situation.”

“How?”

“He returns to something familiar.”

Gabriel leaned back.

“Where?”

“The warehouse maybe.”

“He’s already there.”

“No. Somewhere personal.”

She thought.

Then her face changed.

“The lake house.”

Gabriel straightened.

“What lake house?”

“Wisconsin. Mitchell’s uncle owns it.”

“Where?”

“Near Lake Geneva.”

“Address?”

“I can find it.”

Harper moved toward the computer.

Gabriel watched.

Five minutes later she located an old property listing.

Dominic entered the room as Gabriel forwarded the address to Marco.

“What’s that?”

“Potential fallback location.”

Dominic looked at Harper.

“She found it?”

Gabriel nodded.

Dominic smiled slightly.

“Hiring?”

Harper raised an eyebrow.

“For what?”

“Making Gabriel uncomfortable.”

“She’s already overqualified,” Gabriel said.

By evening, agents had begun reviewing the Midway evidence.

But before anyone could move against Mitchell, the warehouse surveillance changed.

Connor left.

Alone.

Gabriel received the call at 6:07.

“Where’s he going?”

Marco responded, “North.”

“Track him.”

“We are.”

Twenty minutes later, Harper’s phone rang.

Her old phone.

The one Gabriel’s people had powered off and sealed inside an evidence pouch after removing the tracker.

Gabriel stared at it.

Harper did too.

The screen displayed MITCHELL.

“Don’t answer,” Gabriel said.

Harper looked at him.

“Why?”

“He’s trying to locate you.”

“The tracker is gone.”

“He could trace the call.”

Dominic entered.

“We can route it.”

Gabriel glanced at him.

“Safely?”

“Safely enough.”

Harper reached toward the phone.

Gabriel caught himself before stopping her.

Her decision.

He withdrew his hand.

Dominic set up a trace.

Then nodded.

Harper answered.

“Hello?”

Silence.

Then Mitchell’s voice.

“Baby.”

Harper’s entire body went rigid.

Gabriel’s jaw clenched.

“Where are you?”

Harper looked at Gabriel.

He said nothing.

“I’m safe.”

Mitchell laughed softly.

“You think Rossi cares about you?”

Harper closed her eyes.

“This isn’t about him.”

“It became about him when you spread your legs for protection.”

Gabriel’s expression turned lethal.

Dominic placed one hand against his chest.

Not because Gabriel needed restraint.

Because everyone in the room knew he might forget Harper was still listening.

Harper’s face hardened.

“That’s what you think happened?”

“I know men like Rossi.”

“No. You know men like you.”

Silence.

Mitchell’s breathing changed.

Harper had never spoken to him that way.

“You’re coming home.”

“No.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do.”

“You’re confused.”

“No.”

“He’s manipulating you.”

Harper suddenly laughed.

Not loudly.

Not kindly.

“Mitchell, you broke two of my ribs.”

Gabriel watched something change in her.

She was terrified.

He could see it.

But she was saying the words anyway.

“You tracked my car. You followed my sister. You photographed me for months.”

Mitchell went quiet.

Harper continued.

“I know about the notebook.”

This time Gabriel’s head snapped toward her.

Dominic cursed silently.

Mitchell’s voice dropped.

“What notebook?”

Harper realized the mistake.

Too late.

“Harper.”

The softness vanished from Mitchell’s voice.

“Where is it?”

She said nothing.

“WHERE IS IT?”

Harper flinched.

Gabriel reached for the phone.

She shook her head.

No.

Her decision.

Gabriel stopped.

Harper took one breath.

“You can’t scare me forever.”

Then she ended the call.

Her hand shook violently.

Gabriel took the phone only after she held it toward him.

Dominic checked the trace.

“Got him.”

“Where?”

Dominic stared at the screen.

Then looked at Harper.

Her stomach dropped.

“What?”

Dominic turned the laptop.

A blinking signal appeared north of the city.

Near Lake Geneva.

The house Harper had just identified.

Gabriel stood.

“He’s going to the fallback.”

Dominic frowned.

“But Connor headed north too.”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed.

Then realization hit him.

“They’re meeting.”

Harper stood.

Gabriel turned toward Marco’s men near the door.

“Get the cars.”

Harper’s eyes widened.

“You’re going?”

“Yes.”

“To the lake house?”

“Yes.”

She stepped in front of him.

“Gabriel.”

He stopped.

“You said Mitchell hurts people when he thinks he’s losing.”

“I remember.”

“You don’t know what’s waiting there.”

“No.”

“Then don’t walk into it like you’re invincible.”

For the first time, something in Gabriel’s expression softened completely.

“I don’t think I’m invincible.”

“Good.”

He stepped closer.

“But I do know this.”

“What?”

“Mitchell thinks fear is ownership.”

Harper looked up at him.

Gabriel’s voice dropped.

“Tonight, I’m going to teach him the difference.”