Freeing Her (A Hart Brothers Novel Book 1) Page 3

  Where are you, you little cunt? I’m waiting for you.

  What did he want with her and why was he back now? Jesus, what was she going to do? She couldn’t live through that hell again.

  She managed to make it through her morning by pushing all thoughts of the note to the back of her mind. All she really wanted to do was crawl in bed and sleep away the afternoon. However, that wasn’t an option. She was meeting her friends, Sky and Ryder, for lunch. This date had been set weeks ago. Their schedules were so busy, she never saw her friends anymore.

  Ryder was a former patient and Gabby had seen Sky a couple of times as a favor to Ryder after her mother’s death. The two of them were working things out as a couple. Sky had been forced into prostitution as a teenager by her drug-addicted mother who needed money to support her habit. Her mother eventually died from complications of drug use. Ryder was a recovering addict himself. It made for an interesting relationship, to say the least.

  At one o’clock, Gabby walked into the restaurant. Sky hopped to her feet and ran to hug her. Ryder at least waited for her to get to the table.

  “God, you look like shiz. What the hell have you been doing?” Sky asked.

  “Yeah, thanks, honey. Love you too,” Gabby said.

  Ryder looked at Gabby. “I’d have to agree with Sky. You don’t look so good, my friend. What’s happening?”

  “Aw, it’s nothing. I had a bad day yesterday, went out last night, and drank one too many.”

  “One?” Ryder said. “And what brought that on? You never do that.”

  “Okay, more than one. And can we please not talk about this?”

  “Gabby, is everything’s okay?” Ryder watched her with concern.

  “Fine. All’s fine.”

  “You’re going to have to do better than that,” Ryder said.

  “What’s with the interrogation? I’m just a little tired, okay?”

  Ryder cocked his head to the side and said, “Only a friend concerned about a friend. That’s all.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap.”

  “You need food. Lots of starchy stuff,” Sky said. “That’s what I used to feed my mom after one of her binges.” Sky knew what she was talking about. She had a ton of experience in that area when her mom was still alive.

  “Cheeseburger and fries. That’s what I’m ordering. And a real Coke,” Gabby said.

  “Oh, I’m so jelly. If I didn’t have to keep my girlish figure, I’d get the same thing.”

  Ryder and Gabby flashed Sky a look that told her she was full of it.

  “You never for one minute watch what you eat. I’ve seen you devour half a pizza before,” Gabby said.

  The three friends caught up on everything from Ryder’s college courses to Sky’s latest audition for a dance role on Broadway to Gabby’s boring life. Ryder and Sky laughed because Gabby was so busy with her work, she couldn’t possibly have time to be bored.

  “Ok, so spill,” Ryder said. “You walk in here looking like a zombie that just saw a ghost. It’s more than a hangover. What gives? And we’ll stay here all day. Do you want me to call Case and have him come over here?” Case was another mutual friend of theirs that Gabby was especially close to.

  “No!” Gabby’s hands knotted her napkin then looked up. “Okay. I have this cousin who used to harass me as a kid and he sort of showed back up last night. Then this morning there was a note stuck to my office door.”

  Ryder’s jaw snapped shut as he stared at Gabby. “What exactly do you mean by harass?”

  “It’s nothing, really.”

  “Gabby. You tie a major one on last night and right now I can see how upset you are. I’m calling BS on that. Tell us. Or I will call Case.”

  “He did some stuff that I really don’t want to talk about. And I’m serious, Ryder. Okay?”

  Ryder leaned forward and asked, “Have you called the police?”

  “What will they do?”

  “They’ll put a restraining order on him?”

  “Why? He hasn’t done anything and this is the first time I’ve heard from him in three and a half years. It’s fine. I’ll be extra careful. I’m just a little upset by this and shocked.”

  “You need to tell Case.” Ryder glared at her.

  “Ryder, if I tell Case, he’ll keep me homebound. I’m not telling him and neither will you. Promise me you won’t say a word.”

  Ryder leaned back in his chair and stretched his neck. Then he ran his hand through his hair. “If Case finds out about this, he’s going to be pissed off at me and I don’t like it when he’s pissed at me. It doesn’t make for a good situation. He’s one of my best friends.”

  “I know and I’m sorry, but you have to promise me.” Gabby turned to Sky and said, “And you too. Promise me you won’t say a word to Case. I know how you are Sky.”

  “Okay. I promise. Just be careful.”

  Ryder shook his head and said, “I don’t like this one bit. If you think there’s any possibility of him around, you call me. Got it?”

  “Yeah. And thanks.”

  Noticing Ryder’s displeasure, Sky changed the subject. “So, Gabby, have you met tall, dark, and dangerous yet?”

  The question startled Gabby so much she choked on her Coke. Ryder patted her back. “Damn, Sky. That was random. And why do you have to be so nosy?”

  “Well, I only want her to find someone to make her happy.”

  “She’ll find him when she least expects it. Now let her be.”

  Gabby finally stopped coughing and smiled.

  They finished lunch and promised to catch up soon. Gabby said she wanted to have a girl’s night with Sky and Cara, another mutual friend.

  When she got back to her office, she felt somewhat better. The burger and fries felt like lead in her belly, but her headache was gone and she had more energy for her afternoon patients. Though Danny still rattled her nerves, she was more focused on her work and the afternoon sailed on by.

  # # #

  When six rolled around, his curiosity could no longer be contained. Kolson joined Sam when he went to check up on Gabby. They parked about a half a block away, near the subway entrance, and watched her leave her office. Kolson couldn’t get the dark-haired psychiatrist off his mind. Something about her had reached inside him, which troubled him for more than one reason. He wasn’t the kind of guy who usually gave a shit about strangers and he never got involved in other people’s lives, particularly those with issues. Why he was tracking her made absolutely no sense at all. He needed to have his head examined.

  He laughed to himself. What a fucking joke. Here he was, the most screwed-up individual he knew, following a psychiatrist who apparently had her own issues and he was telling himself he needed to have his damn cerebral matter examined.

  After she locked the office door, she trudged toward the subway station. She had taken a cab that morning and since she was on a barely existent budget, she couldn’t afford another one. She carried her briefcase in one hand and held her purse next to her body with the other. About twenty yards from the stairway to the train, a shadow crossed in front of her and she looked right up into his face. The briefcase hit the sidewalk with a thud.

  “Didn’t think you’d see me so soon, did you, cuz?”

  Her heart hammered her ribs so hard, she was sure he could hear it.

  “H-how did you find me?”

  Danny laughed. “For such a bright girl, you sure are stupid. You’re in the fucking phonebook, you idiot.”

  Gabby tried to inhale, but the steel band that had tightened around her trachea made it impossible. He’d found her office. God, she prayed he hadn’t discovered where she lived too. What would she do if he had?

  “What? Aren’t you happy to see your cousin Danny?” He spread his arms out wide, like he was going to hug her. If he touched her, she would scream. He laughed again, the sound like fingernails on a chalkboard. She cringed.

  She bent down to retrieve her briefcase, never taking her e
yes off him. Her mind raced—what should she do? If she had to, she would check into a hotel. There was no way he could find out where she lived. She shook with fear, and it pissed her off because he knew it. He saw the effect he had on her. His menacing laugh confirmed it.

  His hand stretched out as if to touch her cheek and she stepped backward. The sidewalk dipped slightly, and she lost her footing and started to fall.

  But she didn’t. A pair of sturdy arms wrapped around her and pulled her back to her feet, steadying her. “There you are, precious. I was wondering what happened to you.”

  Skippy! Or Mr. H. or whoever he was.

  She spun around in his arms, latched onto his coat, and held on to him like a lifeline, pressing her cheek against his chest. She knew he felt her trembling. He held her close while his eyes narrowed and targeted cousin Danny, who didn’t look as threatening as he liked to think he was. Slightly paunchy in the middle, Danny appeared to have lived hard, though he may have been attractive at one point in his life.

  “You must be the cousin Danny I’ve heard so much about.” There was no disguising the menace layering Kolson’s voice.

  “Yeah, I am. What’s it to you?” Danny stood facing Kolson, dark orbs flashing dangerously as though he owned the world.

  But Danny couldn’t miss the hostility on Kolson’s visage. “I’ll tell you exactly what it is to me. It’s quite obvious Gabby doesn’t want a thing to do with you. And besides, she’s mine now. So get the fuck out of here and don’t come back. Or you’ll have me to contend with. And I can assure you of one thing: I don’t play nice. Got that, Danny Boy?”

  Danny stared hard at Kolson. “We’ll just see about that. See you around, Gabs.”

  And Danny melted into the crowd.

  Kolson stood holding her until he felt her trembling ease. He let her be the one to decide when she was ready to release him. When she looked up, he gently asked, “May I offer you a ride home?”

  She nodded. “H-how did you know he was my cousin?”

  “I overheard him. I was in the car and saw your reaction, so I jumped out and ran to you. When I got there, he was asking if you were happy to see him. It was quite clear you weren’t.” He took her briefcase and escorted her to the car parked directly across the street.

  As they drove, Kolson took in her appearance. Ashen-faced and trembling, he thought perhaps the last thing she needed was to be alone.

  “Sam, take us to Antonio’s.”

  “Sure thing, Mr. H.”

  Kolson turned to Gabby and said, “I hope you don’t mind, but I thought you might need a little diversion and I know a great little place. You know how the Upper East Side has all these great neighborhood restaurants? Well I know the perfect one where we can sit for a little while. Sound good?”

  “Yes. Thank you.” Her voice trembled as she answered.

  “By the way, my real name is Kolson Hart. You can drop the Skippy.” He grinned.

  His comment got a semblance of a smile out of her. “It’s nice to meet you Kolson.”

  Sam dropped them off on East 83rd Street and they walked into a bistro where the host greeted Kolson by his first name. He showed them to a table in the back corner of the restaurant. Most New York restaurants were crowded and closed in, not allowing for intimate conversation, but this one was slightly different. It was dimly lit and their table was set in the back so it was much more private than the others.

  “I hope this is okay. Since I know the owner, he’s fairly accommodating and it’s early so this table was open.”

  “No, this is nice. Thank you.”

  “Are you any better?”

  “Yes, a little. I was just ... he just took me by surprise.”

  “I could see that.”

  The waiter came to their table and took their drink order. Gabby asked for water with lemon and Kolson ordered a glass of wine.

  “Are you hungry?” Kolson asked.

  “I don’t think I could eat.”

  The waiter returned with their drinks and Kolson ordered an antipasti platter. Gabby smiled.

  “At least I got a smile out of you.”

  “Only because that will probably be huge.”

  “Yeah, and they make a really good one here. I’m starving.”

  They were silent.

  Kolson cleared his throat. “The fact that your cousin scared the shit out of you wasn’t lost on me. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

  Gabby nodded. If Kolson was hoping she’d open up, he was going to be disappointed.

  “So, a psychiatrist, huh?”

  “Yep. A shrink.”

  The corners of his mouth turned up and her attention was drawn to that sexy scar of his.

  “How’d you get that scar?”

  His expression turned stony and he said, “A horse riding accident. Don’t take offense at this but you seem so young to be a physician.”

  “No offense taken. I was a nerd.” She tugged on her collar. “No friends. You know the type. I finished high school a year early and then I did the same with college. That part was motivation for financial purposes.” She grimaced. “I went to Princeton and then Columbia Med School. Stacked up quite a bit of debt. And now I’m trying to get my private practice up and running but it’s not been easy.”

  Kolson listened to her and knew how she must’ve racked up some serious financial obligations. Princeton was about forty grand a year in tuition. And Columbia Med School was about fifty grand. Neither of those figures included the cost of living or fees associated with it.

  “It can’t be. Not starting out with that kind of debt hanging over your head.”

  “I wish I could be at the point where I could afford to take cash, but I’m not established enough. Insurance reimbursement for psychiatrists is terrible. Sometimes I only get about twenty percent of what I bill, other times, fifty percent. It depends and each policy is different. I spend so much time trying to figure them out because I don’t have an insurance specialist. So that puts me further behind plus I have office rent I have to pay.”

  “And I always thought psychiatrists were wealthy.”

  She agreed with a small nod. “Most people do. But we’re not. Particularly when we’re starting out. I have to work shifts at the hospital to help out with my bills. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to complain.”

  “You’re not complaining. You’re explaining. There’s a difference.”

  Gabby reached out to touch the single rose bud that was in a vase and her sleeve slipped back off her wrist. Kolson noticed the scars that were previously hidden. Her other hand moved to cover her wrist. She glanced up at him to see if he’d noticed them. When she found him watching her, her body deflated.

  “That’s a beautiful flower, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” she mumbled.

  “It’s not nearly as beautiful as you are.”

  Gabby wasn’t sure she heard him correctly, as she slanted her head.

  “You don’t believe me, do you?”

  “I uh, well, I ...” She twirled a piece of her hair.

  Kolson laughed. “Believe me, Gabby. It’s the truth.”

  The waiter showed up with their drinks, and right afterward, their antipasti platter. Gabby smiled at the size of it and at the way Kolson enjoyed eating.

  “Are you laughing at me?” he asked.

  “Not at all. I like to see people enjoy their food.”

  “I wish you’d eat.”

  “I think I will.” And she had a few bites, but that was all she could manage.

  When they were finished, Kolson asked the waiter to box it up for him, and then gave it to Gabby to take home.

  “You may find you’re hungry later tonight.”

  She smiled and clasped his forearm. “Thank you. You’re very kind.” She pressed her fingers to her lips. Gabby wasn’t used to this type of treatment from complete strangers. Though she had spent the night at this man’s home, she was still a stranger to him.

  Th
e dinner had eased her worries a bit, but now that she was going home, thoughts of Danny were storming her mind again.

  When they arrived at her building, he asked, “Would you like me to walk you upstairs?”

  “Please.” Her voice was raspy and strained.

  When he delivered her to her door and made sure her apartment was safe, he handed her a card. “If you need me, for anything at all, call.”

  She looked at the card and it bore no name. Only a single phone number. She smiled. Reaching into her pocket, she said, “Here.” She handed him a card that looked identical to his with one exception. The number was different.

  He turned to leave, but she stopped him with her hand. Gripping his arm with a firm hold, she said, “Thank you. I’m not sure how, but …” She squeezed her lids together and swallowed. Then she looked at him, caramel-colored eyes meeting multihued ones, and repeated herself, “Thank you for everything.” Her look imparted much more than gratitude. It conveyed to him exactly how much she appreciated what he had done for her.

  He nodded and left. When he got back in the car, he said to Sam, “I want that man, Danny whoever he is, tracked. I want you to find out everything you can on him. He’s her cousin, but she doesn’t want anything to do with him. In fact, he scares the shit out of her. I’m putting Tom Barrett on it. There’s a reason, and it has to be deeply personal.”

  “Got it, boss.”

  “And Sam, if he ever touches her again, lays so much as a finger on her, and you’re near him, beat the fuck out of him. And I mean beat. The. Fuck. Out. Of. Him.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Kolson was determined that Danny wouldn’t get close to Gabby again. If he was the one who had fucked up her life, Kolson would do his best to keep her safe. He knew what it was like to live in fear, to dread every minute of the day, and if he could prevent that from happening to her, he would do everything in his power to make it so.

  Chapter Four

  When the door closed behind Kolson, Gabby almost collapsed. How did he happen to be there when Danny showed up? What would’ve happened if he hadn’t been around? Gabby’s body shuddered so violently, she could barely unbutton her blouse. Maybe a hot shower would soothe her frayed nerves.