Tried for Love (TSATD)

Chapter 55

Gabriel

  My head pulsed with raw trepidation.. The image of Eddie's face flashing in my head with every blink, the pitching scream of the maid that had been in charge of him echoing in my ears. 

  "Fucking hell," How had I allowed this? How had I missed it? Missed Dows' scheme from right underneath my nose..

  The phone rang yet another time and I clenched my fist, closing my eyes at Leah's frantic words from behind me.. Quizzing Victor on what else he could remember from Dows' attack on her family now nearly ten years ago.

  Leah hadn't been present when the fire had been started, thank the lords, so she could barely recall the night or what Dows' previous move had been. He'd taken her nephew and it had been a diversion before the fire was set.. 

  The boy, Leah's late nephew, had been returned home and her brother had been 'warned'. The rest.. Well, had his next move really been the very end to that tragic story? Or merely a beginning of a chase.. How long had Dows known that Leah was alive? Had he been tracking her all along? Good Lord, had he outsmarted us all?

  "Gabe?" Ethan's voice was finally heard from the other line and I cursed him for not picking up right away. Those thirty seconds had felt like hours.

  "Where the fuck are you?" The voices and music in the background proved me right. Ethan was doing something none of the guys including myself were aware of.. After he'd specifically lied saying he'd spend the night finish up work reports.

  "What's happened?" 

  "Dows knows. He has Eddie." There wasn't time for me to explain the details. We needed as much men force as we could get. "I need your crew, immediately. We need backup, immediately."

  Brandon approached from the side, having driven right behind me when I'd rushed out of the house earlier that night. "Steph managed to hack into the location. It seems Dows took all safety precautions. His location shows him further than possible--"

  "Damn it all to hell. I'm on my way." Ethan was saying from the other line, and I merely turned back towards Bran.

  "Is it possible it's not him?" Even as I asked, Leah interrupted from the side.

  "It's him." She looked around the room. "It is one of his tactics. We cannot stay in this house. It's a matter of time before he starts a diversion, or--"

  "Hey," I took her my her wrist, making her stop. "I'm not gonna allow anything to happen to you." She pushed me away.

  "Don't you understand? For all I care this house can burn to the ground with me in it. Eddie's taken. Dows will try to compensate for it. He will hurt him if I don't make it on time." And with that, she was taking her coat from the side of the armchair, starting to walk.

  "She's right. We need to get out of the house." Victor confirmed, and while I trusted my wife's judgement enough, I wouldn't allow her intrusive impulses to win. She might've not cared about herself, but there were others that did. 

  "Get the car ready. I want five of the guards in both front and back of the house. The gates are not to open for anyone but us." I told one of the guards, letting him carry the command downstairs, before I took a hold of Leah's arm. 

  The look she gave me was cold, but the panic behind her eyes burned deep. "You're staying by my side at all times." I turned to Brandon. "The nursemaid comes with us. We need her to recognize whoever it was that broke in." 

  "He had a mask, sir, I couldn't see--" 

  And Leah gave into the fear the girl was showing. "All staff are to clear the house. Tell the others they're free to go home. You as well. We will provide as many cars needed." I clenched my jaw at Leah's opposing commands. She turned to me. "I'm the only one that knows what happened the night my family was murdered. If we're to have Eddie back, we're doing this my way."