Chapter 5 - The Trap Closes
Claire was pressed against a broad, muscular chest in the pitch-black space of the closet. The distinct scent of cedar, expensive cologne, and faint gunpowder filled her lungs.
Gabriel.
His large hand covered her mouth, his body completely shielding hers in the tight space. Outside, the closet door handle jiggled slightly, then stopped.
"Must have been the central air," Helen’s voice drifted from the corridor before her heels clicked away down the hall.
For several long seconds, neither Claire nor Gabriel moved. Gabriel’s chest rose and fell steadily against hers, his grip on her wrist firm yet surprisingly gentle. Slowly, he removed his hand from her mouth.
"You shouldn't be wandering the halls at night, Claire," Gabriel whispered, his voice vibrating against her ear.
Claire turned in his arms, her eyes adjusting to the dark. "You heard them, didn't you?"
Gabriel’s gray eyes were visible in the thin sliver of light beneath the door. They were icy, lethal, and devoid of surprise.
"I’ve known Victor was leaking information to the Moretti family for three weeks," Gabriel revealed softly. "What I didn't know until tonight was that Helen was his contact inside this house."
Claire gasped softly. "You knew... and you let them stay here near your daughter?"
"I needed them to feel safe," Gabriel explained, his grip tightening slightly. "If I moved against them too early, their backers in the syndicate would have gone into hiding. I needed the full trail. But tonight, they crossed the line."
"They said Lily saw something," Claire whispered, her voice shaking with righteous anger. "They want to hurt her!"
Gabriel’s face transformed into an expression of raw, terrifying rage—a monster unleashed, yet completely under control. "No one touches my daughter again. Not while I draw breath."
He opened the closet door slightly, checking the hallway before stepping out and pulling Claire with him. He walked her back to Lily’s room, locking the heavy mahogany door from the inside.
"Tomorrow morning, I am taking Victor and Helen to our private facility in Red Hook under the pretense of a security briefing," Gabriel said, standing near the window as rain battered the glass. "I will handle them permanently. But I need you to stay here with Lily. My most trusted guards—men who answered directly to my late father—will be posted outside this door."
Claire looked at Gabriel, seeing the immense burden resting on his shoulders. He was a man who lived in the filth of the criminal underworld, yet he had built a fortress to keep his daughter untainted by it.
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"Gabriel," Claire said, using his first name for the first time. "Be careful."
Gabriel paused, his gray eyes softening as he looked at her. He reached out, his long fingers gently tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "No one has worried about my safety in a very long time, Claire. Take care of my girl."
