Chapter 36

"My phone is in my back pocket. Call the cops."

Gabriel whispered to Lori and she looked at him in bewilderment.

"What?"

She whispered back.

Gabriel sighed, his eyes focused on the two men in front of him.

"Lori call the cops!"

He said again. Almost raising his voice.

Lori shook her head. She was smart enough to know that was pointless. And it'll only piss of Asher more and give him more information about them.

"No."

"Let's just leave."

"Leave?!"

Gabriel exclaimed.

"How the hell can I just leave them after everything they just did!"

"Gabriel, please trust me on this. It's pointless. Let's just go."

She had seen first hand how Asher and the police worked hand in hand together. She wouldn't be surprised if he had friends in the police force, even in Colorado. Besides, even with that they couldn't actually charge him for breaking and entering, she opened the door for him. Even if they decided to charge him for assault because he hit her Lori was hundred percent sure he would weasel his way out of prison on bail, making him more angry and more set on destroying her.

Calling the cops, won't do shit.

"I think you'd better listen to her. She's right yunno."

Asher said as he wiped the blood from his lips.

Gabriel glowered at him.

"Shut up!"

He warned as he contemplated on Lori's words.

He wanted to argue with her, he really did, in fact he was angry with her, but he decided to trust her on this one, this one time because he knew there was no way in hell he'd let the two idiots get a hold of her ever again.

He would find them and hunt them for what they did.

He stepped away from the door.

"Well. Get out!"

He said as he pointed to the exit.

Slowly, the two of them walked out, with Gabriel's eyes on them till they reached the end of the hall and disappeared from site.

By this time a couple of neigbours were already outside their apartments. They just heard the gunshots.

Lori looked around nervously and sighed.

"Let's go."

She said and Gabriel shook his head.

"Not after explaining to me what the hell just happened."

Lori sighed.

"I'll explain on our way back."

She said as she walked towards her phone that was on the floor.

"I'll talk to the landlord about the door... maybe they can get maintenance to fix it..."

"God! Lori I don't care about a stupid door!"

Gabriel exclaimed.

"I just want to know what happened! Why were they here?!! And why the hell didn't you tell me anything!!"

She nodded.

"I'll tell you everything."

They left the apartment shortly after she called her landlord. She promised to pay for the door to get fixed. Told him there was a slight disturbance. The cops came in a few moments later, someone must have called 911.

Lori talked to them and while they wanted to go take her to the station for a statement, Gabriel was somehow able to convince them with his influence that she didn't need to.

It was an intruder, they had both said. It all happened so fast and the person had left when Gabriel came over. The cops let her go.

Inside the car Lori told Gabriel everything. He was mostly silent as she talked.

About going to the cemetery, then feeling sad and lost and going back to her apartment, till Asher and Jared showed up.

Gabriel didn't say a word till she was done, he only clcnched his jaw whenever she mentioned their names.

When she was finally done, he didn't say anything for her while.

He just looked at her. There was an angry red scar on her cheek, where Asher had slapped her and she had almost even forgotten she was slapped till she started talking and feeling the sting of the pain.

"Lori, I told you before. I told you I would always protect you."

"You should have called me."

"A call! A text! Anything really to let me know that you're okay and good!"

"I was worried sick! Worried sick! I started to think something bad had happened to you!"

"You could have called me!"

"I'm sorry."

She said and he shook his head.

"That's not okay! It isn't."

"I promised you I'd keep you safe and always protect you. I told you you could tell me anything. With that bastard in town why did you feel it was safe to go back to your apartment when you know he must have been looking for you?!"

Lori sighed.
Yes that was true. She shouldn't have assumed that he had just left town. Knowing Asher and knowing how little he knew about what was going on in her life, he would have been curious.

He wouldn't have been able to stay away.

"I'm really sorry Gabriel..."

"You know... you know how I feel about you. I'd never let anyone hurt you. And I promise those guys are going to pay for what they did."

"But you Lori. You have to start trusting me more."

Lori wanted to protest that she did but she didn't say a word.

"Seeing you like that today... it made me so angry.."

"I didn't even think that I could feel that amount of rage... that amount of anger towards someone."

"No more secrets Lori. Please."

Lori nodded.

"No more secrets."

She said.

He reached out and held her hand in his, kissing her palm softly.



Back in the mansion, everyone in the main house was worried and still awake, at least until they saw Lori.

"Oh! Lori! You're back!"

My Gregory called out the minute Gabriel and Lori entered the foyer.

Lori nodded.

"I am. Thanks."

He searched her face and saw the angry red mark on it.

"Are you okay?!"

She nodddd.

"I am. Just a bit sore."

She answered honestly.

"Sylvia! Bring some ice for Lori."

He called out as Sylvia ran back into the kitchen.

"We'll be upstairs."

He told Gregory as he led Lori uostairs.

Lori wanted to stop at the nursery but Gabriel shook his head.

"No. Not yet."

He said as he led her into his room.

Moment later, Sylvia arrived with the ice.

Gabriel instructed her to bring her dinner up for her.

"I'm fine. Really.."

Lori lied as she winced while settling on the bed.


Gabriel shook his head.

"You're not."

"Let me see your belly. I remember him hitting you there."

Lori raised her top slowly. He was right. There were angry purplish bruises on her ribs.

He frowned at them.

"We'll need more ice."

He said to himself as he touched them gently.

"Does it hurt?"

He asked her and she nodded.

"Yea. When I move, it hurts a bit."

She confessed and he sighed.

"Okay. Let me get you more ice."

Lori sighed as she settled into the covers, with an ice pack on her cheek. If she had not been so stupid and gone to her apartment in the first place. This wouldn't be happening! She wouldn't have had to drag Gabriel in her mess.

Gabriel and Sylvia came back moments later. Sylvia with a tray of food and Gabriel with more ice packs.

"Thank you."

She murmured as she looked at the food.

Her stomach grumbled.

She didn't realize how hungry she was.

Gabriel sat close to her, one hand on her legs.

"Now, you're going to tell me everything you know about those two men."

His voice was low, deadly, like that same deep warning voice he used while they were back in her apartment.

She had never heard him sound so scary before.

"Every single detail."

Lori gulped. She didn't need to ask him what it was for. She already knew. He would go after them.

"Everything you know I can use against them because when I'm done with them, they're going to wish they never crossed me."




Sienna Robertson loved the smell of coffee. She loved the smell of coffee in the mornings and noon. After a particularly long day she could just imagine drinking a cup of coffee. One could say she was addicted to the stuff. And as a nurse she went through at least five cups of coffee a day.

So when a woman named Sabine Reinhardt had called, requesting her audience, she had asked them to meet her at her favorite coffee shop.

She didn't know what they wanted, but it sounded urgent enough and they were willing to pay for her time.

On a normal day, she would have refused. But the Reinhardts were a household name in Denver. Her father owned a chain of restaurants in Colorado. Sabine was his daughter. She had accepted out of curiosity.

She sat down and mused over the coffee she would order. Wondering about whether or not it was rude to order before the guests came.

She made her order anyways. One espresso macchiato.

Shortly after her coffee arrived, she spotted her guests. Sabine Reinhardt accompanied by a woman she didn't know.

"Pleased to meet you Ms Robertson! I'm so glad you honored my invitation."

The woman shook her hand.

Sienna smiled warmly at her.

"The pleasure is mine. Although I have to confess I don't know why you'd want to see me..."

Sabine slipped into the seat across from her while Vara stood beside her.

"This is my assistant Vara. You spoke to her on the phone."

Sienna nodded.

"Yes. I remember."

Sabine sighed.

"Mrs Robertson I'd go straight to the point. I'm a very busy woman as you know it so I can't stay too long for idle chit chat."

Sabine said as she chuckled. Sienna watched her closely waiting for what she would say.

"Have you ever met a Mr Gabriel Caine in your profession? Mr Gabriel Caine?"

Sienna furrowed her eyebrows.

She was a nurse, she met lots of patients and their families.

"I can't say that I remember..."

Sabine nodded.

"Let me juggle your memory. You found him a breast milk donor."

"Oh! Oh! I remember now!"

Sienna exclaimed and Sabine seemed to sigh in relief.

"Excellent! I want to ask you about the donor."

Sabine said and Sienna's eyes darted between Sabine and her assistant.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I want you to tell me about her Ms Robertson."

Sienna chuckled. Surely they were joking.

"I'm afraid I can't reveal that kind of information."

"Oh please. You're not revealing anything. We just want to know about the donor."

Vara said and Sienna glanced at her.

"Why?"

She asked suspiciously and Sabine signaled to Vara.

Vara reached for her breast pocket and pulled out a brown envelope.

She dropped it on the table.

"Let's hope this is enough incentive for you to talk."

She said and Sienna eyed the money.

What was going on?!

"Mrs Robertson I promise you we mean no harm. We just need the name of the donor. If you can help us with that and a description of how she looks, we'll be well on our way in the next minute."

There was a short pause before Sienna nodded.


"I think her name was Loretta Wyatt. Yea. Loretta."

Sabine nodded.

Loretta Wyatt.

Very unfamiliar name.

"Okay. Can you describe her?"

Sienna shrugged. There wasn't much she remembered about the woman. Except that she was very beautiful.

"She had long dark hair. Petite frame, hazel eyes. That's all I remember really."

Sabine nodded.

"You said she donated milk to Mr Caine's daughter. Was this a one time thing or did they continue with the agreement?"

"Oh it wasn't a one time thing. From what I heard she went on to continue donating her milk."

"In fact, I think it's quite possible she still donates today."