Chapter One

Gabriel

Six years later….

Sitting at my desk I look out the large windows out over the city of Chicago. I hold our wedding photo. Things are taking a lot longer than I anticipated. It’s been 6 years. I wanted to go and get her, but there was so much I had to do. There is still so much I still have to do.

I know she has no idea what happened that night. It was shitty of me to get her so drunk, but she looked like she needed it. When she told me about her ex boyfriend and best friend I was pissed for her.

Katrina and I clicked that night and I have not been able to stop thinking about her since. 

I’ve kept track of her for the last six years, still keeping up with the weekly updates. I have thousands of pictures of her. I know who she has dated and for how long. I feel like I know her more now than I thought I did before. 

Six months after I got home from Vegas my father was killed by the rival family, The Gallo’s. That started a war between the two families until Senior Gallo was killed by a smaller gang that none of us heard of. Once that happened we joined forces and things calmed down. I took over the family and started changing things.

We’re one of the most powerful families in Chicago, don’t get me wrong. This is the mafia for christ sakes. No way of getting out of that unless you die. I just restructured it so there is a little less, and I mean a little less violence. I started my own business in marketing that took off faster and makes us way more money than I ever thought manageable.

The family is no longer dealing with drugs or guns. I made the family more legitmate. We make money the right way and keep our noses clean. But like I said this is still the mafia. As long as you don’t mess with what is ours or start any unnecessary turf wars we keep to ourselves. 

I am so close to being able to go get my wife. I just have to figure out to get her back without scaring her.

“Lost in la la land again?” Maria Gallo says sauntering into my office with her brother in tow, Xavier.

When our father’s both died and I started the Marketing company the Gallo kids were more than happy to come on board and help build the company. We grew up together. Maria and I were about to be forced to get married. Kind of like an alliance marriage between the families. Our father’s were getting tired and old and they wanted to make sure that the families were going to be okay. 

That’s why I ran off to Vegas. I didn’t expect to meet anyone and marry a complete stranger. My father and I got into another argument about it and I just needed to get away. 

I knew Maria didn’t want to marry me anymore than I wanted to marry her. So she and I devised a plan to keep pushing it off. She was dating someone then. Maria and I were more like brother and sister and best friends since we were kids. She knows everything about me. Even about the marriage with Katina. Now almost everyone knows about Katrina in the office.

“Yea, I feel like I am so close yet so far.” I say placing our wedding photo back on my desk.

“It’ll happen soon Gabe. Just a little longer. At least you know that she is okay.” Maria says.

“Yea, but I can’t help but feel like something is happening or something happened. The last couple months photos have been odd.” I say pulling out the latest report.

I hand it to Maria. She flips it open and I can see the bewilderment and then concern flash across her face.

“What are you thinking?” I ask. I want someone else’s opinion. 

“It’s July and she lives in Texas.” I nod my head at her statement. “Then why is she wearing long sleeves?”

I grind my teeth together. “My thoughts exactly.” I slam my fist on the desk.

I knew I wasn’t see things. It did seem more and more like she was hiding something, like bruises. I noticed it happening more and more in the last 6 months. Now it was the heat of the summer and she was still hiding under long sleeves. 

I know for the last 2 years she has been dating a guy named, Travis Michaels. I looked into his background and he seemed okay. He was a vet that served in the Army for 10 years. I knew they were old friends. I had a bad feeling about him.

“Now don’t go all caveman yet. Wait till you get more information before you do anything. The guys are still down there following her right?” Maria says. I nod rubbing my top lip. “Okay, just wait a little while and then we’ll go get her and bring her if it is what you’re thinking.”

I nod my head and take a deep breath trying to expel the horrible feeling I have in the pit of my stomach. We dive into work for the next hour.

Then Thomas bursts through the door looking like he just ran to the office from home.

“Boss,” he starts through trying to catch his breath. “We lost her.”

My heart plummates into my stomach. My world tilts on it’s axis and I see black.