Chapter 2 - The Fox and the Hound
Gabriel walked out of the bedroom and descended the grand staircase.
He moved with the calm, lethal grace of a king inspecting his domain.
Standing in the grand foyer was Derek Lawson.
Derek was wearing his police badge aggressively clipped to his belt.
His hand was resting casually on the grip of his service weapon.
Two of Gabriel's heavily armed guards were standing inches away, ready to kill him.
"Can I help you, Detective?" Gabriel asked, his voice dripping with absolute boredom.
Derek smirked and took a step forward.
"I am looking for my wife, Ashford," Derek sneered.
"She stole some money from me and ran away."
Gabriel stopped at the bottom of the stairs and casually adjusted his cuffs.
"This is a private residence, Detective Lawson."
"I do not run a shelter for runaway women."
Derek's face turned red with sudden anger.
"Do not play games with me, you arrogant mobster," Derek snapped.
"I know she took a job cleaning this massive glass cage of yours."
Gabriel stepped directly into Derek's personal space.
The height difference forced the corrupt cop to look up.
"If you know who I am, then you know exactly what happens to men who raise their voices in my house," Gabriel warned.
Derek swallowed hard, his confidence faltering for a fraction of a second.
He knew Gabriel Ashford controlled half the judges in the city.
He knew a shootout here would end with his own body dumped in the harbor.
Derek took a tactical step back toward the front door.
"You can hide her for now, Ashford," Derek said, his voice dropping to a sinister whisper.
"But she cannot hide the kid."
Gabriel's eyes narrowed slightly.
"What kid?" Gabriel asked.
Derek smiled a wicked, triumphant smile.
"Her little brother, Noah," Derek replied.
"He is waiting all alone in a cheap apartment in Dorchester."
Derek patted his badge with a sickening sense of pride.
"I am a police officer, Mister Ashford."
"I can easily take the boy into protective custody before the sun comes up."
Derek turned around and walked out the front doors into the freezing night.
Gabriel stood completely still in the foyer.
He felt a rare, violent surge of protectiveness ignite in his chest.
He turned to Elias.
"Get the assault team ready," Gabriel ordered.
Gabriel ran back up the stairs to his private quarters.
He opened the bathroom door.
Harper was sitting on the floor, fully dressed, weeping silently into her hands.
May you like
Gabriel knelt beside her.
"Where is your brother right now?" Gabriel demanded.
