“If she felt one tenth the love I felt for you, well, I can understand how she was led astray. Now that I’m married, however, I feel sympathy for Mrs. Hutton. If someone were to try to lure you away—” He cursed.
“I love you more now than I did before we were married.” Julia wore a contemplative expression. “Marriage is the strangest thing. Almost without realizing it, I feel as if our lives and our hearts became knitted together. I don’t know how it happened.”
“Marriage is a sacrament.” Gabriel’s tone was solemn. “And of course, there’s the sex we’re no longer having.”
“The three weeks are almost up.”
Gabriel moved his mouth to her ear.
“You’d better inform your professors that you won’t be in class that day.”
She shivered at his nearness.
“I won’t?”
“Do you think I’ll let you leave the house after going without you for three weeks?” He nipped at her ear. “You’ll be lucky if I let you leave the bed.”
“I like the sound of that.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I know that alongside our medical appointments, you were making inquiries about your family history. Have you found out anything?”
“I asked Carson to look into things. He was supposed to get a copy of the coroner’s report on my mother, and also health information about her parents and my father and his parents. But I haven’t heard anything.”
“No one is going to give your lawyer that kind of information.”
“Probably not,” said Gabriel grimly. “But he’s been known to hire private investigators that tend to be persuasive. They’ll find out what I need to know.”
“Persuasive?”
“In this case the information can probably be bought. Failing that, people can be made to talk.”
“Gabriel.” Julia’s tone was reproachful. “Have you ever bought information like that?”
“Yes.”
His swift, unblinking answer surprised her.
“Did you feel remorse?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Why?”
“Because I was doing it for you. That’s why.”
She pulled away from him. “I don’t understand. What kind of information did you get?”
He sighed. “It’s a long story. You’d best get comfortable.”
Julia resisted the urge to move and remained where she was, in his lap.
“I should mention that although I didn’t intend to tell you what happened, for the past few months it’s been nagging at me that I should.”
“Tell me what?”
“How I ensured that Simon and Natalie would never bother you again.”
Julia’s eyes widened as Gabriel began his story.
Chapter Fifty
April 2010
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania
Gabriel’s cell phone rang. He reached over to pick it up so he could see who was calling. Julianne had called several times since he’d left her in Toronto. Although he listened to her voice messages in an effort to torture himself, he couldn’t risk answering and actually speaking with her.
July first. If I can just hold on until July first, she’ll be safe.
The display indicated that the number was blocked. Gabriel had a fair idea who was calling.
“Jack,” he rasped.
“Found the girl. Found her boyfriend. We need to meet.”
Gabriel rubbed at his eyes.
“Can’t you look after this? That’s what I’m paying you for.”
Jack cursed.
“Don’t trust you. Tom tells me you broke my niece’s heart. I should be tuning you up rather than doing a job for you.”
“This isn’t for me. It’s for her,” Gabriel snapped. “The girl tried to blackmail her. The boy f**king bit her and threatened to rape her. How is it in those scenarios, I’m the villain?”
“Melrose Diner, South Philly, tomorrow at nine A.M.”
Jack hung up.
“Fuck,” said Gabriel.
Jack Mitchell was a private investigator. At least, that was the occupation he put on his tax forms. He was an ex-Marine who also worked in private security, investigations, and enforcement.
Simply put, he helped rich individuals stay safe from all kinds of threats, including blackmail.
Jack was Tom Mitchell’s younger brother and the man that he turned to when his friend Richard Clark needed to pay off the drug dealers his son owed. Jack and a few of his contacts took the money Richard provided (money that was gained by mortgaging the family home in Selinsgrove) and persuaded the dealers to forget the name of Gabriel Emerson.
Jack could be very persuasive.
When Gabriel needed someone to persuade a certain couple to stay away from Julianne, he immediately thought of Jack. Contacting him wasn’t easy, but a few well-placed phone calls put them in touch.