Chapter 23

When Gabe said he was taking me out tonight, the last place I would have guessed we'd be going was a strip club. His hand holds mine tighter the farther we get inside. Almost as if he thinks I'm going to turn around and hightail it out of here.

It's a little amusing. I can see him watching me for a reaction, which is exactly why I choose to go overboard. My free hand comes up to my chest, clutching my nonexistent pearls, and my eyes widen as I take in the luxurious yet sinful surroundings. Then I turn my shocked expression on Gabe.

"Oh my, what on earth is this place?" I ask him, using my best impression of what I assume an actual pearl-clutcher would sound like.

Gabe squints his eyes at me. "Funny. Come on," he says before dragging me through the club towards the other side of the room.

He loosens his grip slightly, but he still has a vice-like hold on my hand. Turning left, we walk down a long corridor until we get to the end, where he takes out a key and unlocks the door.

"Come here often?" I ask, amusement evident in my tone.

"Not really," he says. "It's just business, Daisy."

"Mmhmm," I hum.

Gabe opens the door and takes one step inside before he stops and shoves himself in front of me. Everything happens so quickly, as he reaches behind his back and pulls out a gun.

Where did that even come from? Does he always have one on him?

This is the first time I've seen him carry…

"Go back out to the club. Sit at the bar and order yourself a drink. Wait for me," Gabe says.

I look around him. We just stepped into an office, and there are three men and one woman. One naked woman on her knees while the three men surround her. Her lip is split open, her hair a mess around her shoulders like it's been pulled and yanked on more than once. I have no idea what's going on this room. But Gabe doesn't move. He's aiming a gun towards one of the guys, while all three stand there looking back at him with their hands in the air and their pants around their ankles.

"I need you to go and wait for me at the bar," Gabe repeats, never taking his eyes off his target.

"Okay," I whisper, and move a step backwards before the door to the office slams shut in front of me.

I turn around and walk back down the corridor. Find a spot at the bar and sit down. My hands are shaky. My mind spinning in a thousand different directions all at once.

What is Gabe doing back there? How long am I going to sit here and wait for him? Is my boyfriend currently in the back of this strip club killing people? Am I really okay with sitting here and pretending that murder is not happening right now? Am I really okay to crawl into bed afterwards and let him hold me all night? Someone who can so easily take another life?

"What can I get you, sweetheart?" A barman approaches and snaps me out of my morbid thoughts.

"Give me something strong. Tequila," I tell him.

He raises his eyebrows. "Rough night?" he questions as he reaches to the top shelf and pulls down a fancy-looking bottle.

"I wouldn't say rough so much as eye-opening," I admit. "How much does a shot of tequila cost?" I've never seen that kind of bottle before, but I do know I probably can't afford it.

"It's on the house," the barman says while handing over the shot with a plate of lemon wedges and a tiny salt shaker.

"Why?" I ask.

"You're Gabe's girl. Everything is on the house for you, sweetheart." He shrugs.

I'm Gabe's girl. I'm Gabrielle De Bellis's girlfriend. And right now, my boyfriend is probably in the back room shooting someone, or three someones.

Or was it just the woman?

My stomach drops. Who is she? Why did I just walk away when she clearly needed help? I'm judging him, but what kind of person does that make me?

I believe with all of my heart that Gabe is a good guy. He's not going to hurt her. He's going to get her out of there. He wasn't pointing the gun at that woman.

I pour some salt onto my hand, licking it off before I pick up the shot glass and slam the liquid back. Then I shove a lemon wedge in my mouth. "Ugh, I hate tequila," I hiss while dropping the chewed-up wedge back onto the plate.

"Why order it then?" The barman, whose name I still don't know, questions me.

"Because it's strong, and I needed it," I tell him as I reach a hand across the bar. "I'm Daisy, by the way."

"Graig," he says before returning the gesture. "Another?" He dips his head towards the shot glass.

"No, I'm good. Can I get a white wine?" I ask, deciding more tequila isn't a great idea.

Thirty minutes later, I'm wondering if I should just find my own way home, since Gabe hasn't come out of the back room, when Gio and Marcel walk into the bar. Gio nods his head towards me, and Marcel walks over at the same time Gio pivots down the back hallway that leads to that office.

"Hey, Graig, can I have a Cinque?" Marcel calls over the bar.

"Sure thing, boss," Graig says.

"Do you guys drink anything but your own whiskey?" I turn to Marcel while lifting a curious brow.

"When you have the best, why would you drink anything else?" Marcel counters with the same cocky-ass smirk all the brothers seem to share.

"No idea," I reply, as my eyes drift towards the back hallway.

"He's fine," Marcel says.

"I know." I'm not worried about his safety. I'm worried about what he's done to the other men in that room. "Let him know I've caught an Uber home," I add before standing up from the bar stool.

"Yeah, I'm not doing that."

"Why not?"

"Because you're not getting an Uber home. Sit down. He'll be back out in five minutes, and I don't want to be on the receiving end of his bad mood if you're not here," Marcel says.

I reclaim my bar stool, mostly because I want to see Gabe. I want to make sure he's okay. Mentally, not physically. "Five more minutes," I tell Marcel.

And just like his brother predicted, Gabe comes walking out with Gio in tow. He has that easy-going smile on his face, like nothing in the world fazes him. And I'd almost believe it if I didn't look into his eyes.

Whatever happened in that room, it wasn't good. There's something dark in Gabe's eyes, and the longer I stare at him, the more I get the sense that he's hiding a lot. And not just from me. From everyone. He does so much for his family. To make sure his brothers are safe and happy. But at what cost? He's not happy, not truly. He's fulfilling obligations, going through the motions because that's what he's been raised to do. I have to wonder what it is he's actually passionate about. What is it that he wants to do… Because this isn't it.

How much longer will he go on pretending he likes doing what he does?

Gabe drapes an arm over my shoulder. His lips press against my temple. "Did you get a drink?" he asks me.

"Several," I tell him.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." Gabe grabs my clutch from the bar top.

"Are you sure? I'm fine to stay. I was just starting to enjoy the show. Maybe I'll jump up there with one of the girls," I muse.

"Yeah, that's not ever fucking happening," Gabe grunts. Then he takes hold of my hand and leads me out of the club. Of course I follow him willingly. Or is it more like blindly?

Both Gio and Marcel walk out behind us. "Gabe, my office, first thing in the morning," Gio says.

"Sure thing, boss." Gabe mock salutes and then opens the passenger side door to his car.

"I don't think your brothers like me very much," I tell Gabe as soon as we're pulling out of the lot and driving away.

"What makes you think that?"

"It's just the vibe I get."

"My brothers just don't trust easily. It takes a lot for us to let new people in," he says.

"You all seem to have accepted El real quick."

"Gio's the boss, Daisy. It's not that we just accepted her into the family. We didn't have a choice. Besides, I like how she's given my brother a reason to live. Outside his job."

"What happened to the woman, Gabe?" I ask him.

"What woman?"

"The one who was in that room. What happened to her?"

"She was taken home," he says.

"What did you do?"

Gabe looks over to me. "You know there's a million different reasons I can't tell you that. And I don't want to lie to you, Daisy."

"I don't know if I can do it, Gabe. I already told you I'm not like El. I can't just ignore all the bad you and your brothers do and think it's okay."

"I would never want you to think what we do is okay. Because it's not. The minute you're okay with it is the exact minute I know I've destroyed you, and I don't want to do that. Fuck, you have no idea how much I don't want to do that, Daisy."

"I don't want to lose you," I tell him as he parks the car in the garage of my apartment building.

"I think we should order some food and watch a movie," Gabe says. Then he gets out of the car and walks to my side. I already have my door open and am halfway out by the time he makes it around. "What do you feel like eating?"

"Gabe, you can't just change the subject and think I'm going to just forget everything," I huff out a heavy breath.

"I don't, but this…" He waves a finger around the garage. "…is not the place for conversations to be had. So, what kind of food do you feel like having tonight, Daisy?" he asks again.

I shut the car door. "I don't care. You pick."

"Chinese it is." Gabe taps away at his phone as we step into the lift and ride it up to my apartment.

"I'm going to jump in the shower," I tell him and then stop to really look at him.

Why didn't I notice it before? He's in different clothes from what he was wearing when we entered that club. The ends of his hair are damp too.

I swallow. Why would he have needed to take a shower?