Too Far Gone: A Grey Justice Novel

by Christy Reece

Mendoza Estate

  “We lost them again. They entered a populated area and we had to back off. We lost visual.”

  “But you’re still tracking her, right? You’ll be able to pick up—”

  “No. The GPS tracker stopped working.”

  Luis hit the speaker button on the cellphone and laid it on the desk in front of him. If he didn’t, he knew without a doubt he’d be throwing the damned thing across the room again. How could one small woman cause such aggravation? She was just a girl, and not a very bright one at that.

  “How is that possible? The tracking device inside her is of the highest technology. The best money could buy.”

  “Unless it’s damaged.”

  “You think something happened to Gabriella?” His mouth went dry with fear. Nothing could happen to his granddaughter. Not until he got what he needed.

  “No. I think the person who took her discovered the tracker, removed and destroyed it.”

  Insult replaced the fear. “Someone dared touch her? Dared to cut Gabriella open?”

  The fact that he had approved several invasive procedures himself was of no matter. Gabriella was his granddaughter—a Mendoza. She was his to do with as he pleased. Anyone else who had the audacity to touch her without his permission would deal with his wrath.

  “That is our assumption, yes.”

  “So you’ve lost them completely?”

  “We know the general area and the description of the vehicle. It’ll take more time, but we will find them.”

  “Keep me updated on any new developments.”

  “Of course, sir.”

  Luis took deep breaths. Getting more upset would get him nowhere. Gabriella had been gone two weeks, and as much as it pained him that she had not been recovered yet, at least they had more information than before. Setbacks were bound to happen. They knew her location. She couldn’t go far before his people spotted her again.

  Luis eyed the man sitting on the sofa so quietly. Stephan was such a hulk that even in silence he made his presence known. His expression was both contemplative and sad.

  “What is it?”

  “The men said that Gabriella ran alongside her captor. She didn’t resist?”

  “No, but that’s no surprise. Gabriella hasn’t an ounce of gumption or guile. She hasn’t had any since she was fifteen. I’m sure the man holding her has completely intimidated her. She’s living in terror, waiting for rescue. She wouldn’t know how to fight.”

  The lack of response from Stephan was irritating.

  “You don’t agree?”

  “What if Gabriella instigated this entire event to escape?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. The girl is a simpleton.”

  “I know you like to think of her that way, Luis, but you’re wrong. Gabriella has a master’s degree in art history. She speaks four languages fluently and is a gifted artist. She’s much more intelligent than you’ve ever given her credit for.”

  “All right, perhaps she’s not simpleminded, but even if she’s not, how could she instigate such a thing? She had no contacts with the outside world. Even when she travels, she’s watched twenty-four/seven. Besides, why would she want to escape? She lives in a mansion. Has the best of everything.”

  “And her life is organized and controlled by you.”

  “And your point is what? That she’s unhappy? Her happiness is not a concern. She is a Mendoza. I make the choices that are best for her.”

  “What if she wants to make her own choices?”

  “That’s not for her to say.” Luis surged to his feet. This kind of nonsense would get them nowhere. “She was taken against her will, and she’s waiting for her grandpapa to save her. That’s the end of this discussion.”

  Stephan saw no reason to continue an argument that he wouldn’t win. When it came to his family, Luis was blinded by his pride and his own opinion of how things should be. He had lost his son because he refused to see the truth. His grandson had chosen a different path, but still just as destructive. And then there was Gabriella. Luis had smothered the girl, kept her under his rule and control since she was a child.

  No, Gabriella wasn’t known for her rebellion, but she had a brain, and Stephan assumed she had hopes and desires of her own. Luis had never taken the time to find out what those were. Nor did he believe that she should have them. If they didn’t mesh with his plans for her, they weren’t pertinent.

  With no ransom demand and none of their enemies taking credit for the deed, Gabriella’s disappearance was worrisome. Why would anyone take her without the possibility for either financial gain or leverage for power?

  Luis Mendoza was brilliant in many ways, but in the way of his family, he was as clueless as a baby duck. There was more to this situation than met the eye, and it was Stephan’s job to uncover the truth.

  He had watched over the Mendozas from an early age. He didn’t always agree with his friend, but Luis was the head of the family, and his decisions were final. But just because he felt that way didn’t mean others did. And that included Gabriella.

  As Luis continued on, talking about business as well as the upcoming visit from the man they both despised, Stephan made plans of his own. He had protected the Mendozas from every threat that had come their way. He would do so again. If Gabriella had anything to do with her disappearance, she would be returned home and duly punished. Luis could be quite creative in disciplining his family members. They almost never misbehaved again.

  At fifteen, Gabriella had survived a punishment so severe she had almost died. Since then, she had caused almost no worries, which was the exact reason Luis discounted Gabriella’s involvement in her own disappearance. But had that changed? Had Gabriella developed some backbone? Or had it never disappeared and perhaps had been lying dormant, waiting for the right time to exert itself again?

  ***

  Colorado

  Eight stitches. She had needed eight stitches. Even hours later, Jonah had a hard time wrapping his mind around that. In prison, he’d dealt with some of the toughest and meanest bastards imaginable, and he doubted even one of them would have been able to cut into their own flesh as she had. Not only that, she had done it with no fuss, no complaint. Hell, he hadn’t even been aware of what she had done until it was over. Gabriella Mendoza had courage and then some.

  The little out-of-the-way clinic had been expecting them. The influence of the Grey Justice Group reached far and wide, even into the remotest areas, such as Curtis, Colorado, population 292. He and Gabriella had walked into the tiny clinic and were immediately taken back to an exam room. Within ten minutes of arrival, a grizzled-faced but efficient doctor had sewed Gabby’s wound and administered a tetanus shot. A pain shot had been offered, but Gabby had declined, saying the numbing salve the doctor applied would be enough.

  Jonah hadn’t been surprised at the refusal. Not only was she strong, she wanted to be fully aware of her surroundings and circumstances.

  “How much farther?”

  “Couple of hours.”

  He glanced over at his passenger and hid a smile. The expression on her face reminded him of his nieces, Sophia and Violet, when they were exhausted. She looked both grumpy and adorable. The remnants of the milk shake she’d consumed with her burger and fries had left the shadow of chocolate at the corners of her mouth

  Number seventeen on the list he’d read last night had been eating a cheeseburger, fries, and a large chocolate milk shake. Not the healthiest meal in the world, but he imagined her strict lifestyle hadn’t included anything remotely close to junk food.

  When he’d driven up to the fast-food drive-through window, he’d placed the order and waited, anticipating her excitement. She hadn’t disappointed. The instant he’d ordered, she’d laughed softly and said, “Something else I can check off my list.”

  She’d eaten only half her burger and fries but had lingered over her milk shake, drawing noisily on the straw until the cup was completely empty. He hadn’t needed to ask if she had enjoy
ed it.

  “Why don’t you get some shut-eye?”

  “I’m okay.” The words had barely left her mouth when he saw her burrow deeper into her seat and she was gone. Just like his nieces when they dropped off to sleep. Only, she wasn’t a child. She was a beautiful, vulnerable young woman. And he had no right to have the thoughts he’d been having about her. She was his to protect. Nothing more.

  Teri’s face appeared in his mind. She was his purpose. She had been his life and had died because of him. How damn selfish was he to forget that for even one moment?

  Gabriella Mendoza was a job. Just like many others he’d had. Once this job was done, he’d go on to another one.

  He glanced over at her again. She’d had a rough day. He wished he could say her bad days were over. She had more to come, possibly the most difficult she’d ever faced. He had seen her courage firsthand. She was going to need every bit of it to deal with what came next.

  Chapter Twenty

  Utah

  Gabby opened her eyes to darkness. They were still driving, but she must have slept for several hours. It had been sunny when she’d closed her eyes.

  She moved her gaze to the man beside her. The dashboard lights gave off just enough brightness for her to see that his mouth was set in a thin, grim line and his jaw was clenched in tension.

  Her heart going into overdrive, she sat up and looked around. “What’s wrong? Are we being followed?”

  “No. We’re clear. We should be arriving at the safe house within ten minutes.”

  Asking why he looked so grim would do no good. She’d learned that Jonah shared only what he wanted to tell her. “Where are we?”

  “Utah.”

  “What happens once we get to the house?”

  “We lay low. Let the dust settle.”

  “And then?”

  “Then I go on to another job, and you become someone else’s problem.”

  The words made a direct hit. Before she could respond, he cursed softly. “I’m sorry, Gabby. I didn’t mean that.”

  She wasn’t so sure about that. Either way, it was a good reminder. Jonah Slater wasn’t her friend. He was being paid to watch out for her and get information on her grandfather. For her to expect something more was both fruitless and naïve. She was through with naïveté.

  “No worries. I’m sure you have somewhere else you need to be instead of babysitting me.”

  “I just meant—”

  “I know exactly what you meant, Jonah. Further explanation isn’t necessary.”

  She kept her eyes focused straight ahead. With the night so dark, he likely couldn’t see the hurt on her face, but she would take no chances. The longer she was with Jonah, the more she let her guard down and the easier it was for him to hurt her. Perhaps all of this was for the best.

  The man beside her expelled a lengthy sigh. “The thing is, Gabby, I—” Another sigh, this one held more than a hint of disgust. “Look. I’m attracted to you. Okay? More than I have been to anyone since Teri. And I know you’re attracted to me, too. But there’s no point in pursuing something that can’t last. You’ve got a new life ahead of you, one that can’t include me.”

  “Because, with my new identity, I can’t have anything remotely associated with my past?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s not the only reason, though, is it? You’re still searching for Teri’s killer. You won’t stop until you find him and make him pay. Correct?”

  “No, I won’t stop.”

  “And what happens if he stops you instead?”

  “I’ll just make damn sure he goes with me.”

  “Do you even care if you live?”

  The silence that followed was painful, awkward, and telling. He really didn’t care if he lived once his fiancée’s killer was dead.

  She had no idea what to say. She wasn’t going to change his mind about pursuing the killer. She actually admired him for his courage. She couldn’t even lecture him on the sanctity of living the life he had been given. She had been living in limbo for more than half her life, waiting to live. Who was she to lecture?

  Nor would she tell him that the thought of something happening to him was so abhorrent that it literally made her sick. He definitely wouldn’t want to know that.

  The quiet was uncomfortable. Ordinarily, Gabby would rush to fill the silence with something witty or amusing. She had honed her social skills while playing hostess for her grandfather’s parties. Charming a room full of people, half of whom dealt with their rivals by killing them, took a special kind of expertise. She could easily say something that would ease the tension. She wouldn’t. The painful silence would just have to stand.

  “We’re here.”

  The night was pitch dark, but lights blazed throughout the small structure, giving off a welcoming glow. The cabin was about a fifth of the size of the house they’d fled in Colorado. Gabby immediately fell in love. The other place had been a mansion, majestic with every amenity imaginable. This place, with its wide front porch, wooden rocking chairs, and tin roof, looked like a home. A place you could pull off your shoes and warm your toes by the fire.

  “It’s lovely. Is this someone’s home?”

  “Sort of. I bought it last year. Stayed in it a couple of times.”

  That the house belonged to him wasn’t a surprise. Jonah Slater might be a wealthy man, but he had a down-to-earth quality that would look right at home in a small cabin in the woods.

  The front door of the cabin opened, and Gabby lost her breath. “Who’s here?”

  “The man who arranged your rescue.”

  So she was finally going to know her benefactor. She felt both apprehensive and excited. She also felt messy and wished she could freshen up a bit before meeting the man who had been generous enough to change her life.

  She had nothing, not even a comb. She resisted the temptation to look in the mirror on the sun visor. Since she could do nothing about her appearance, what was the point of knowing just how disheveled she looked?

  Straightening her shoulders, Gabby reached for the door handle.

  Jonah touched her arm. “Hold on a minute.”

  Surprising her once more, he reached into the console and handed her a small cloth bag. She unzipped it to find moist towelettes, a comb, breath freshener, and, of all things, lip gloss.

  “Where did this come from?”

  “My go bag. I once asked my sister what were the things she always had in her purse that she never traveled without. I thought they might come in handy.”

  A lump formed in her throat, and Gabby swallowed, wanting to tell him what his thoughtfulness meant to her. When she realized the lump wouldn’t budge, Gabby settled for a quick smile and nodded her thanks. She made quick work of the contents of the pouch and felt a million times better.

  Jonah, who had been staring straight ahead, giving her some semblance of privacy, said, “Ready?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s go.”

  He reached for the door handle, and this time, it was Gabby who grabbed his arm. “Wait. I might not get the chance to say it again. I just want to thank you for all you’ve done for me. You protected me when it would have been much easier and safer for you to leave and let my grandfather’s men capture me. That was very courageous.”

  He looked at her for a long moment, and she got the impression he was fighting an inner battle. Finally, he lifted a shoulder in a careless shrug. “I’m no hero, honey. Let’s go meet the man who really saved you.”

  Letting her hand on his arm drop away, Gabby opened her car door. Once again, she had been reminded that she was a job to Jonah, nothing more. This time, she swore the lesson would stick.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Grey stood in the doorway and watched the exhausted couple trudge toward the cabin. Although he had met Gabriella a few times at various events, he wasn’t sure she would remember him. If he had known what she had been enduring for most of her life, he would have done something for he
r sooner.

  The instant he saw their expressions, he knew something had happened between them. There was both an awareness and a wariness of each other. Gabriella wore a proud and defiant expression. It was Jonah’s face that Grey focused on the most. Despite his obvious exhaustion, this was the most alive Grey had seen the man in years. No, he didn’t look happy or even particularly angry. Grey scrambled for a description and decided engaged was the right word. Jonah had been in shutdown mode for so long, but now he looked like he actually gave a damn.

  Stepping out onto the porch, Grey sent Gabriella a reassuring smile. “Hello, Gabriella. I’m glad you’re safe.”

  “Grey?” She threw a disbelieving glance at Jonah and then returned her amazed gaze to him. “You arranged all this? But why?”

  “Come in. We’ll talk once you get settled.”

  She stepped inside warily, as if expecting her grandfather or one of his goons to jump out and grab her. He couldn’t blame her for that. Gabriella had learned distrust of powerful people at an early age. Though he and Luis Mendoza had nothing in common businesswise, they both wielded a huge amount of influence in their particular worlds.

  Once inside, she went to stand beside Jonah, and Grey was pleased to see that his first impression was correct. She trusted Jonah as her protector, but he got the feeling it was more than that. There was a connection there. It wasn’t what he’d expected. Nevertheless, he was glad to see it. Considering what they were each facing, that connection might be the only thing to save them both.

  “Gabby,” Jonah said, “why don’t you go and freshen up? Your room is up the stairs, second door. You should have whatever you need. If not, let me know.”

  Throwing Jonah a grateful smile, she nodded at Grey and then sped up the stairway.

  The instant the door closed, Grey said, “What happened?”

  Jonah threw the duffel bag in his hand down and dropped onto the sofa. “She had a tracker inside her. I should’ve scanned her at the beginning, but it never occurred to me her grandfather would be that bloodless.”