What the hell…?
He sent a frown toward his brother’s office. Tom’s door was closed, but his light was on, so Gabe knew his brother was there.
Shit—when wasn’t Tom there these days?
“Welcome back.”
Gabe turned his head to see Deputy Abby Morrow—the sheriff department’s digital forensics investigator and his brother Kyle’s girlfriend—sitting at her desk. She offered him a grin that looked forced. “It’s good to see you up and around again.”
“Thanks,” he muttered. “What the hell’s going on this morning? Someone piss in the coffee?”
Abby sent a glance toward Tom’s office, then leaned forward a little and tucked a wisp of shoulder-length blond hair behind her ear. “Tom wants to see you—and you might want to wear a flak jacket.”
His brows shot up. “What? This involves me? I’ve only been in the office for two minutes. I haven’t had time to piss off anybody yet.”
“Your dad got a call this morning,” Abby explained, keeping her voice low. “Don’t know what about, but we could hear him yelling at whoever it was from all the way out here. He called Tom into his office afterward. Tom stormed out a few minutes later and demanded we send you in as soon as you got here, then slammed his door.”
Gabe grunted. “Well, that’s encouraging. Where’s the Old Man?”
“Left,” Abby informed him. “No clue where he went, but he looked like he wanted to kill someone.”
Shit.
Gabe knew that look well. The last time he’d seen it was when the Old Man had caught him and Joe sneaking in after curfew coming home from Eric Malone’s party, where they’d consumed at least a case of beer between them—probably more. To make matters worse, Gabe had still been completely blitzed when he’d driven his younger brother home.
That was the first and last time Gabe had ever driven after drinking. He’d learned his lesson. The Old Man had made damned sure of that when he’d put both boys into the back of his patrol car and driven them to the jail to sit in the drunk tank overnight. Gabe still remembered dozing off on the cell bench and waking up to some boozer lying on the floor at his feet, puking all over his shoes.
Yeah, no way in hell was he ever gonna go through that shit again. Even if he hadn’t become a deputy, that experience alone would’ve kept from getting behind the wheel when he was trashed and putting someone he loved at risk. Now he either caught a ride home or took a cab. Period.
He frowned, wondering who was on the receiving end of the Old Man’s fury now. And why. “And that’s all you know about what’s going on?”
“Sorry,” Abby said on a regretful sigh. “I wish I could give you more to go on before sending you in.”
He shook his head. “Yeah. No problem. Thanks for the heads-up.” He rapped his knuckles on her desk and donned his most unconcerned smile. “Well, guess I’d better get my ass in there before Tommy throws another tantrum.”
Based on the way Abby grimaced and suddenly became very interested in what was on her laptop screen, Gabe suspected he’d already lingered too long. When he turned to see Tom standing in his office doorway, arms crossed over his chest and looking like he was barely keeping a lid on his urge to go completely apeshit, that pretty much confirmed it.
Gabe didn’t even wait for Tom to say a word. He headed into his brother’s office and dropped down into the chair in front of the desk. As soon as he heard the door close, he drawled, “So, thanks for rolling out the red carpet, Bro. You all really know how to welcome a guy back.”
Tom took his seat behind the desk and ran a hand through his dark hair before heaving a harsh sigh. “How do you know Sandra Monroe?”
Well, fuck.
“I don’t,” Gabe said, his stomach sinking even as he said it. “I met her yesterday on the sidewalk outside of the pharmacy on Fulton. She came up to me and asked if I was Gabe Dawson. Then she told me she was afraid her dad was planning something. She didn’t know what, but she was worried for my safety and Elle’s. And she was worried about her brothers getting hurt. I tried to get her to come into the department with me to make a statement, but her brother Jeremy showed up and made her leave with him.”
Tom pulled a hand down his face and gave Gabe a pleading look. “Please tell me you didn’t have your hands on her when her brother got there.”
Gabe closed his eyes, his shoulders sagging. He cursed under his breath, dread clenching his gut as he realized where this was probably going. “Of course not. But you know it’s going to be my word against theirs.”
“Jesus, Gabe,” Tom hissed. “Are you fucking kidding me? Jeb Monroe’s daughter!”