“What?” Adrian faced off with the other man. “What the hell do you want me to say, Gabe? That I fucked up? Fine. I. Fucked. Up.” The admission escaped through a set of clenched teeth. “You think I’m happy about the fact that Jenna was drugged and almost kidnapped right under my fucking nose? Or that it doesn’t tear me up inside knowing she disappeared while my ass was lying in that damn bed, unconscious?Fuck!”
Adrian spun on his good leg and punched the closet door. The section of particle board below his knuckles caved in on contact.
His nostrils flared and…Jesus. He couldn’tbreathefor the fear running through him.
“I tried talking her into flying back to San Diego.” He turned to face Gabe again. “After she was almost taken that first time. I tried, but you know how she is. I swear, that woman’s so damn”—amazing—“stubborn.”
He should’ve forced her to leave. He could’ve tried harder to convince her. Hauled her sweet ass over his shoulder andmadeher go back to California.
“That, she is,” Gabe agreed. “But why was she so determined to stay in Gulfside Harbor?”
“She was hell bent on finding out what happened to Stella Gallagher. So, I set up a meeting with Campillo.”
“Tell me about him,” Gabe’s voice held less of a bite than before. “About when he was your informant.”
Adrian’s brows turned inward. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“It may not, but we have to look at this thing from every angle. What did Campillo do for you?”
“Before he became Chief, Ben helped me on a case. Local gang was buying illegal weapons here. They’d make the purchase on the black market then move the cache over the border and sell it. The gang’s main buyer at the time was Mexico’s largest weapons dealer. Thanks to some vital intel Ben shared, we were able to take down the entire organization.”
“That’s great and all, but that doesn’t mean he’s not—”
“Ben also helped me find my sister,” Adrian blurted more loudly than intended.
“Bree, right?” Gabe studied him closely. “You mentioned her once before.”
He had. Back when Elle was in danger and Adrian was still trying to convince Gabe and his team that he wasn’t a fucking traitor.
“The guy risked his career…hislife…by giving me the intel I needed to find her,” he shared. “I didn’t get to Bree in time to…” His voice cracked so he cleared his throat. “I wasn’t able to save her. But, thanks to Ben, the men responsible for her death will never hurt another living soul again.”
They shared a look only men like them would understand.
“That’s why you and Jenna went to him for help.” Gabe’s anger seemed to falter. “Makes sense, but what exactly were you hoping he’d be able to do this time?”
“I thought…” Adrian raked a hand through his hair and sighed. “Hell, I don’t know. I guess I was hoping he could set Jenna’s mind at ease. Let her know the copswerestill looking for the Gallagher woman. She was convinced no one was.”
A line formed between the man’s brows. “Why did she care so much about this particular case?”
Jenna’s words from before rang through his ears.
I’m just like her, Adrian. That could’ve been me.
“Jenna saw herself in Stella,” he explained. “Single woman. Nurse. No kids. No real family. After what happened at the club, she…I don’t know. Related to her, I guess. We were talking about everything, and Jenna told me if she ever disappeared…” His damn voice broke again, so he cleared his throat. Again. “She was convinced no one would notice she was gone or even care enough to look for her.”
“What the fuck?” Gabe’s face twisted with disbelief. That Jenna would eventhinkthat had clearly hurt him.
“I told her she was wrong, but it didn’t matter. For whatever reason, she was determined to stay in town and do everything she could to find out what happened to Stella.”
“And you agreed to help her.”
Adrian nodded woodenly. “It was either that, or she was going to do it on her own. I thought if I was with her, she’d be safe.”I was so wrong.“Instead, I ended up taking a fucking bullet, and now you’re here, telling me my woman’s missing. That the man who was supposed to beprotectingher is missing, and—”
“Hold up,yourwoman?” Gabe’s brows arched high a split second before coming together in a nasty glare. “The hell, you say.”
Shit. Had he really called her that out loud?
Yep. You sure did.