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Revenued Vows

Chapter 4: DPA

Wilber was your typical security guard. The German Shepherd wore a simple white button down and black pants. His badge hung from his breast pocket as he clicked away at his computer and scanned the monitors. He watched, blurry eyed, as he had his third cup of coffee of the night to keep awake, but watching water gently pitter patter at the five story windows of the Windsor lobby and rippling the puddles in the security feed was lulling him dangerously close to sleep. It was a typical night after close, him and a couple other men were stationed at the facility and the police station was only a few blocks down so if any alarm was set off, it would be only a few minutes before the place was bathed in blue and red lights.

Yup, Wilber was having a normal nightshift until he saw someone role up to the parking garage with a massive motorcycle. That, or the rider was tiny. The dog blinked before pulling a walkie holding the button down.

“Hey, did we have anyone scheduled to come in?” Wilber asked.

“No,” the voice came back slurred as though the ringing of the phone had woken him. “Does anyone ever come here at night?”

“I mean, not since—” Wilber cut himself off as he saw the man on the bike, the comically small Labrador punching in a code by the garage and the lights turning green before the door rolled up.

“What the hell,” Wilber grabbed his walkie. “Someone just punched themselves in through the parking garage. Potential security breach.”

“Shit, really?” The guy on the other line suddenly sounded awake. “Well, do you need backup?”

“Not yet,” Wilber nodded and made his way around the desk and headed to the parking ramp. “You come and man the front desk. I’m going to check things out.”

Wilber was a little concerned that someone had stolen an access code and was trying to get into the building. He didn’t have to look very long to find the bike, the fucker was loud as shit and it echoed through the entire garage. He started walking forward when the bike’s lights went out and he could finally make out the rider.

“Jeez,” Wilber pulled his walkie up. “False alarm guys.” He holstered his walkie and came up to golden. “Gabriel, what are you doing here so late?”

“Wilber?” Gabe shuddered, his coat soaked to the bone, his hair dripping into his face.

“Yes,” Wilber walked up and looked over the bike. “What are you doin’ with this fat hog?”

“It’s…” Gabe paused, his mouth pulled thin. “It’s a gift for my brother, for crashing his old one.”

“Shit, really?” Wilber brushed a hand over it to whip some droplets off. “She’s a beaut’.”

“Yes, well, I’ve had one hell of a night,” Gabe looked like he was about to kick the thing before he thought better of it and shivered. “The owner was a nightmare and it took some serious negotiating.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t have Riker bring it in for you,” Wilber ran a hand over the handle bars, he could feel the power and respect the bike held, even if he didn’t know exactly why. “He’s got a thing for hot rods, I’m sure he’s a fan of bikes too.”

“Yeah, well, could you put it in the special reserve parking?” Gabe asked. “I need a place that my brother won’t see it, and we both know the last time he came in was for his birthday.”

Gabe nodded at that. His father never drove himself in. No one would care if one of the reserved special spots in the bottom of the basement had a massive Harley in it, and no one who’s in the know would see either. It was for the best that he kept it a secret for now until he knew more about what was going on.

“Which brother?” Wilber joked, but Gabe didn’t seem to be in a joking mood.

“Wilber, I need to get a change of clothes from my office, I mean, you can tell I’m dripping,” Gabe emphasized this by running his hands through his hair, the rain falling off it in drops. “Can I borrow your badge for now so I can get in? I’d normally let you scan me in as a visitor, but I’m fucking freezing.”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Wilber pulled his badge off his breast and tentatively handed it over. “I can, um…use the codes to get in.”

“Thanks,” Gabe nearly snatched that badge and made his way towards the elevators. “I’ll drop it off at the front desk before I leave, I promise. You enjoy parking that…um…fat hog.”

“You got it Mister Windsor!” Wilber’s eyes glittered as he took the bars of the bike and started it up again, loving the way it rumbled beneath him as he guided it deeper into the garage.”

Gabe on the other hand, had more important things to take care of. The golden took the elevator up to the office floor, shaking the water off as best he could and leaving little shoe prints wherever he stepped on the carpet. The half lights were on at the office, the signature blues and greens of his company in the décor. He had a quick stop at the bathroom to dry off with some paper towels before heading to his father’s corner office.

If his father was hiding something, there had to be a clue there. Especially if things were getting close to the date of the wedding, he should have something in his safe. The absolute dolt didn’t know how to change the code on it and kept grandfather’s old code for it. It was never a problem keeping that code for himself and never letting his dad know he knew it. The problem though would be getting into the office, but if Wilber had the security clearance he thought he had, then…

Gabe slid the key card next to the office door, the keypad blinking green and unlocking it. The golden smiled and slipped into his father’s office and flicked on a few lights. He wasn’t worried about being noticed from thirty stories up. His father’s office was just as his grandfather had left it, the only renovation was a new set of fake books to put on the bookshelves to make it look like he was more well-read, and a globe with a new set of crystal for his special whisky. Otherwise it was the tall endangered dark woods of the rainforests and the deep rich blue, greens and golds. The only thing missing was a menagerie of mounted beast heads and it would look just like a study out of Clue.

Behind the ten foot mahogany desk was a painting of his father. A far more flattering image than what the original was. The canvas was a print of the vanity piece his father had done, the real treasure was in the frame. Gabe came up and pressed the corner of the elaborate gold leafs on the frame and the sound of a small motor could be heard as the painting started to roll up, revealing a safe behind it. Gabe punched in the code and the lock unlatched and he swung it open.

“Good ol’ dad,” Gabe shook his head as he pulled out the files from the safe and put them on the desk to go over them. “I swear, we would have been ransomed for our data if it weren’t for my security upgrades.”

Gabe could still remember when he suggested multi-factor authentication and his father’s head practically exploded. Gabe made sure he laid out the documents so he would know how to stack them going back in. He flipped over a few pages and pursed his lips. Most of this was just old deals they had made and contracts. Then, there was Grandfather’s will. Gabe wanted to tear it open and give it a good look over, but he needed to know where the immediate danger was first.

The golden kept flipping through pages. There were a few other documents that seemed pretty benign, things he already knew, or even had his signature on them because he facilitated the actual agreements. None of the documents seemed particularly damning, but nothing ever did on the surface. He flipped over a few more files before he came across one with a business card clipped to it. Gabe furrowed his brow and looked over the card.

“Constance Twine of the—” Gabe’s jaw fell. “Of the Attorney General’s office?”

Gabe cracked the file open only to get pages upon pages of black lines and redacted information. The golden was ready to tear the fucking parchment to pieces, but he did get one thing from the title of the document.

It was a Deferred Prosecution Agreement, his father’s signature on the last page along with the Attorney General’s. A fucking DPA? How on earth did he manage to hide this bombshell from him? Whatever it was, it was recent, signed in the last few months near the turn of the quarter. Whatever his father did, whatever he was covering up, it was already blown wide open. So open, that the Attorney General, no, this Constance Twine came waltzing in here, slapped a big fat DPA on his father’s desk, and bent them over for, presumably, millions.

“Son of a BITCH!” Gabe snarled. He leafed through the pages briefly before realizing the document would be just as helpful as an inkblot test, but maybe he could get something from this Constance Twine. He took a mental note, the phone number mainly zeros making it easy to remember. He took a few deep breaths before going back and pulling out the will.

That was until he heard the elevator ding.

“Shit,” Gabe went over and slapped the office lights off and scurried back to the desk where he quickly piled the documents together and threw them into the safe and pressed the button in the corner of the portrait. He saw a flashlight swing through the hall through the frosted glass of the door outside. He had no time. He had to hide. For once, Gabe was grateful his father had a larger desk than himself. He slipped under the table, pulling the chair close. He was hidden…

But the whirr of the motor on that painting was still wining through the office! The door to the office beeped and the lock disengaged. The door swung open, the painting finishing sliding into place a beat after the door opened.

“Huh…” the guard furrowed his brow, swinging his flashlight to and fro. Gabe couldn’t see who it was, only that the light flashed up against the wall and locked on the painting. “Well, goodnight mister office ghost or whatever.”

Gabe was about to let out a sigh of relief before the lights to the office flipped on. Gabe slapped his hands over his muzzle, keeping himself from yipping in surprise. The rhythmic footsteps of the guard coming closer reverberated through the carpet, getting closer and closer. Then Gabe nearly yipped as something hit the table above him. He had to bite onto his lip to keep from shouting. But then there was a jingling and the sound of a hinge being opened.

“Hope you don’t mind me taking a few fingers for the bus ride home,” the guard said as he took the crystal stopper from father’s decanter. Gabe calmed his breathing as he rolled his eyes. It turned out that he wasn’t the only one who came in here to steel some of the good stuff from time to time.

“Ah! That’s the good shit,” the guard smacked his lips. “Okay office ghost, I’m sure you’d appreciate me sticking it to the man, huh? I saw that painting move, I did, you can’t keep hiding from me. But if you’re a ghost one of them Windsor’s put down, then you’re probably alright with me taking a nip or two.”

The sound of the guard closing the globe and picking his flashlight off the desk felt louder than Jagger’s fucking bike to the hiding golden. There was a few moments before the guard started stepping his way back and slapped the office lights off and left.

“oh god…” Gabe muttered to himself. “fuck me…”

Gabe waited until he heard the ding of the elevator open and close before he let himself out from under the desk and made his way out of his father’s office. All he needed to do was slip back downstairs, take a quick shower in his office, and then call up Riker to drive him home. He turned into the elevator lobby and was about to push a button when a light blasted his face.

“Hey there mister office ghost,” the guard chuckled. “You didn’t think I was so dumb to think that a ghost would leave wet footprints?”

Gabe put his hand up to block the light, but someone’s powerful paw gripped his wrist and he yipped.

“Fucking hell, Gabriel?” The guard huffed and leaned into his walkie. “Hey, can I get the lights on up here?”

The lights flickered on and Gabe was face to face with a badger, his husky form pushing out his gut, but Gabe could tell he had power behind all that bulk.

“Quill?” Gabe blinked and sighed. “Is that you?”

“Yeah, and be grateful it’s me,” Quill let go of Gabe’s arm, his Boston accent slanting his words. “Anyone else would have sold you out to your daddy.”

“Oh thank god,” Gabe sighed. “You won’t tell him that it was me?”

“Oh, I’ll tell him it was you alright,” Quill crossed his arms. “But our reports don’t go out until the end of the month. No need to bother him with all that when he’s so hard at work preparing for your wedding.”

“Quill, I…thanks,” Gabe rubbed the back of his neck. Quill was an old badger that had been with the company for some thirty years. The guy wasn’t a father figure so much as he was one of those cool uncles that got you the less-than-legal fireworks to shoot off. He was an overtime hound, so it wasn’t surprising he was there during the night shift.

“Don’t thank me yet, Gabe,” Quill smacked the lab’s ass with the side of his flashlight. “Get your ass in that elevator and hand over everything you took from your daddy’s office.”

“I actually don’t have anything,” Gabe turned out his damp pockets, but that didn’t stop Quill from sequestering him in the elevator and frisking him over.

“Well, you ain’t got nothing worth lookin’ at for now, and let’s keep it that way,” the elevator opened and the two of them went off to Gabe’s office. “Now you get cleaned up. I’ll get Riker here in a flash, and no more detours. And give me that badge!”

Quill snatched Wilber’s security badge from the golden.

“I’m your keycard for the night,” Quill shut down any complaints from Gabe before he could voice them. “Now, get your ass clean so I can go back to napin’ on the job.”

“Okay, I’m going,” Gabe huffed. He went into his office, the corner a lot less impressive than his father’s but was still large and filled with modern furniture. He quickly showered off, but instead of singing in the shower he recited Constance Twine’s phone number, committing it to memory.

“Seems like you even gave Riker the slip,” Quill said as Gabe came out with a fresh change of clothes. “He was worried about ya. Anything I should know?”

“I’ve got it handled,” Gabe stood up tall.

“Ooookayyyy,” Quill cocked a brow, guiding Gabe down to the lobby. “Now, don’t be doin’ anything that’ll get the company in danger, ya hear? I got a pension I’m ready to claim, and it ain’t going to be lost because you and your daddy want to play politics.”

“Quill, if you keep talking to me like I’m a child, I’ll fire you before your fortieth and you’ll only get seventy percent of that pension.” Gabe warned with a smile.

“Oh, look who thinks he’s a big shot, all grown up and doesn’t need uncle Q to bail him out anymore, huh?” Quill chuckled. “You wouldn’t even know how to get rid of me. I know where all the skeletons are buried in this joint.”

“Oh really, you know about the DPA?” Gabe asked coyly.

“Yeah…” Quill furrowed his brow and nodded, scratching his head under his security hat. “Yeah, I know all about that, uh dappa or somethin’.”

“Never mind Q,” Gabe shook his head. Clearly Quill didn’t know what a DPA stood for, but to be fair, not many people knew what they were for a reason. Gabe saw the Rolls Royce pull up and he was ready to take a step forward when Quill’s hand came down on his shoulder.

“Hey, Gabe, you doin’ alright? Should us guys downstream be worried?” Quill asked.

Gabe was about to shirk Q’s hand off when something struck him. The point of a DPA wasn’t just to settle things quietly, it was to save the company’s reputation, to help save the company from a PR nightmare and protect the jobs and lives of the people who worked there. Sure, people would love to see a company fall through and collapse under a scandal, but a lot of other lives get swept up in that, and that’s why this needed to be handled delicately. It wasn’t just his company at risk, it was the people that made the company too.

“No,” Gabe put a hand on Q’s and gave it a gentle squeeze. “No, I think this is a fight at the top.”

“Well, I don’t like the sound o’ that,” Quill gave his shoulder a squeeze before letting go. “But you know who I’m behind when it comes down to it.”

“Thanks, and I’ll be sure to get this figured out,” Gabe nodded. “For now, just keep that bike in the garage under lock and key. And if I call and tell you to scrap it, be sure it’s in pieces in the hour.”

“You got it, Boss,” Quill saluted him and then turned around to go back to the office. “Be safe out there, ya hear?”

“Of course,” Gabe sighed, stepping forward and went to his car where Riker was holding out an umbrella for him with an open car door.

“I’m so sorry young Windsor,” Riker apologized. “I was sure that you were with—”

“That’s enough Riker,” Gabe put his hand up as he sat in the back of the car. “I know it wasn’t your fault. Just take me home, please.”

“Of course,” Riker still sounded pained, but at least Gabe didn’t have to listen to excuses and apologies for the ride home. He already felt bad enough himself.

“Riker, can I borrow your phone? Mine was taken back at the bar,” Gabe asked.

“Of course, anything you need,” Riker pulled out his phone and handed it to Gabe. “The password is all ones.”

“Thanks,” Gabe tapped the keypad a few times before the system unlocked. “I’m going to add a contact to your phone. Don’t call them unless I tell you to.”

“You got it Gabriel,” Riker responded. “Who is it?”

“Some bitch that used my dad’s weakness to start all this shit,” Gabe growled. “I need to see if I can get ahold of her.”

Gabe called it up and was unsurprised he got a voicemail. An automated voice told him to leave a message.

“Hello Constance Twine, this is Gabriel Windsor,” Gabe needed to keep it short, but just vague and interesting enough to give an attorney at the AG’s office something to bite down on. “As my father’s council on these matters, I’d like to discuss amendments to the DPA in question. Please call me back at this number and we can set up a meeting.”

He hung up and tossed the phone next to him on the seat.

“So, a DPA?” Riker spoke.

“Yeah,” Gabe crossed his arms. “Do you know what a DPA is?”

“To be honest, I thought it was another word for an NDA,” Riker admitted. “Would talking about it help?”

Gabe gave that a moment’s thought and decided it would.

“Yeah, a DPA is an agreement with the Attorney General’s office that defers prosecution in a court of law to save the company from a long and damaging legal battle. Look up any bank and you’ll find they have one or two of them lying around. They prevent the company’s reputation from being destroyed and save the lives of the workers that were swept up by their CEO’s dumb actions.”

“Sounds like it’s just a legal way for companies to pay a problem to go away,” Riker stated plainly.

“It is, but if one is to violate the agreement, or break the same law again, then they can be prosecuted for their past crimes. Double jeopardy only applies to cases that were tried, not ones settled outside of court. That’s why it’s deferred prosecution and isn’t just an NDA. They are more dangerous because if the dumbass who signed it thinks they can get away with it now that he’s seen the evidence of how he was caught the first time…”

“He could slip up and get nailed for two crimes instead of one,” Riker realized the danger they were in.

“Exactly,” Gabe leaned his head into his knuckles as he looked out the window, watching the raindrops lazily trail across it. “My father became a ticking time bomb the moment he signed that agreement. Not only is he on the hook for his past crimes, but it’s an immediate loss if he violates it. No going back on a DPA when your signature is there admitting guilt to your crimes. Whatever money he shelled out irreparably damaged the company to the point of needing me to marry into money for indemnity. That much is clear, but Tucker seems to be in a bind as well. Maybe they’re both just two desperate fools who fell for each other’s ruse?”

“Or maybe they know and they’re working together to help each other out?” Riker proposed.

“No, my father won’t tell even me about what his plan is,” Gabe narrowed his eyes. “I doubt he would tell Tucker, and Tucker is too much of a prideful asshole to think he’s not pulling one over on someone who’s BMI is higher than two percent.”

Gabe leaned back in the car and closed his eyes. It had been a long day, and he had more questions than answers. He needed to figure this out before the wedding was official. His father was being surprisingly well guarded with this matter, and Gabe needed to be more careful. If he got caught again, who knows what would happen.

That’s when Riker’s phone started to buzz. Had Constance really been up at this hour? Gabe picked it up and looked at the name flashing across the screen and rolled his eyes and swiped to answer.

“Tucker—”

“Listen here you fucking glorified taxi cab piece of shit, if you don’t tell me where that skank is right now I’ll see to it you can’t drive a fucking scooter in this city, you hear me!”

Gabe’s fur stood on end as he growled into the receiver.

“Tucker,” Gabe snarled and the line went silent.

“B-Babe,” Tucker started, his voice warped by a nervous smile. “Y-You aint still mad about—”

“YOU’RE DAMN RIGHT I’M MAD!!!” Gabe barked so loud that Riker swerved the car before correcting himself. “You sold me to a fucking biker gang! And ‘still mad’? It was a few hours ago!”

“Baby, I didn’t sell you, you were just there to be sure nothing happened. You were safe right where you were, you need to go back.”

“Oh baby, I’m not going to do that,” Gabe gave the most sarcastic, sickly sweet voice he could. “Not for all the Lambos in the fucking world you miserable piece of fucking shit!”

“You Bitch!” Tucker snarled. “I can call your dad and have him straighten you out!”

“And have me tell him about Jagger and the Wild Riders? Fat Chance,” Gabe was bluffing. He had no idea if his father was aware of Tucker’s association with the Wild Riders, but let’s see if he’ll tip his hand.

“You…” Tucker’s voice left the phone, presumably because he set it down to scream before coming back. “I can get to you in different ways you little slut. You’re supposed to play nice, do as I say, and everything is supposed to fix itself. All you need to do is lay around getting laid all the fucking time. I still got to make this shit go through.”

Gabe was only half listening. So Tucker hadn’t told his father about the Wild Riders. Not that it was a surprise. Neither of those two trusted anyone or anything besides money, so it would stand to reason they were keeping things from one another.

“Tucker, I’m going to make this very clear,” Gabe sat up in his seat. “Eat shit and die.”

“You BITCH—”

Gabe hung up and tossed the phone in the passenger seat next to Riker. He didn’t talk the rest of the way home and fell asleep as soon as he hit his pillow.

***

“Honey!” Karen held her arms wide as she came in and gave her son a hug. One arm around Gabe and the other holding her sun hat from falling off.

“Hi mom,” Gabe gave his mother a hug, feeling safe for the first time in a long time.

“I’m so glad you came to brunch today!” Karen squealed. “With your sister out of town my brunches have been dreadfully dull.”

“What’s wrong with the twins?” Gabe asked pulling away and giving his mother a sly smirk.

“Those two wouldn’t know the difference between a screwdriver as a drink or as a tool,” Karen gently patted her son’s shoulder. “So tell me, how is wedding planning going?”

“Don’t ask,” Gabe rolled his eyes as they sat down on the rooftop patio of the restaurant. “It’s far more complicated than you might think.”

“I mean, if you lost your phone, it must be pretty bad,” Karen smiled as she scooted herself in, her blouse a powdery blue and her pencil skirt an immaculate white. “I can’t remember the last time you or your father went anywhere without it.”

“Yeah, I’m using Riker’s for now and he’s got a burner,” Gabe shrugged. “I’m sure I’ll get it back sooner or later, but I just need a moment away from all the drama.”

“Sure thing honey, you know I’m always down for quality time with my kids,” Karen smiled as she pulled up the drink menu. “Now, have you seen a waiter around?”

“Yeah, you love spending time with us so long as you get to pick the venue,” Gabe smirked.

“Of course,” Karen didn’t look away from the drink menu. “You kids have terrible taste in restaurants. Always wanting to go to…oh what was it, Chuck-o-the Cheese or something? I don’t think you kids got sinus infections quicker than when you were in that unwashed ball pit.”

“Sure,” Gabe rolled his eyes. “You were just mad because they only thing they had on tap for the adults was pitchers of light beer.”

“Ugh, those were dark days,” Karen said setting her menu down.

“Our childhood?” Gabe cocked a brow.

“Darling, you know I love you so much, but you and your siblings were monsters,” Karen said with a gentle smile. “Some of you still are.”

“Yeah, Matthew and Luke can be a handful,” Gabe agreed.

“I’m more referring to Reagan,” Karen shook her head with a half huff. “I swear, that girl just keeps accelerating. I can’t keep up with her anymore.”

“She is the youngest, so she’s going to want to run the fastest to catch up,” Gabe nodded. He was enjoying the late morning sunshine and the company that he knew wasn’t trying to stab him in the back. Sure, she was going along with it, but Gabe had a feeling Karen wanted to just play mother-of-the-groom more than anything. He couldn’t blame her. Gabe learned from a young age that his mother was more of a friend than a mother. Their relationship just worked better this way. Not that she didn’t have her nuggets of wisdom like peeing after you have sex and wine before beer. Once Gabe stopped relying on her as a mother and more as a friend that just so happened to be his mother, things became a lot easier, and Karen had no intention of changing. If four kids couldn’t change her, nothing would.

That being said, Gabe needed a break from everything. All he was doing was waiting for Constance to message him back and it was near maddening. So, he called his mother up and decided on getting some brunch.

“You kids keep me young,” Karen continued. “Which is fair because you aged me considerably.” She chuckled as she sipped on a mimosa.

“If I have to hear again about how I tore you from your V to you’re A, I’m not going to come to brunch anymore.” Gabe sliced into his eggs benedict.

“How did you know I was going to bring that up?” Karen cocked a brow.

“You’re on your third mimosa,” Gabe took a bite of his breakfast and smiled, using a napkin to swipe away some hollandaise sauce from his lip. “It always comes up around the third drink in.”

“Really? What other tells do I have?” She said crossing one leg and leaning back.

“You always cross one leg over the other when you think you’ve got a winning hand,” Gabe chuckled as Karen uncrossed her legs and had her heels click against the floor.

“Oh Hush!” She took another sip from her drink, her lipstick leaving marks on the glass. “What do you know.”

“I don’t know what dad’s been up to, and that scares me,” Gabe shook his head.

“Please, your father is just fine,” Karen waived Gabe’s concerns off. “He even took time out of his schedule today to talk to our legal team about getting your marriage certificate pulled together.”

“He needs a whole legal team for that?” Gabe cocked a brow. “What is he doing, binding me body and soul to Tucker?”

“You and your siblings can be so dramatic,” Karen rolled her eyes. “He’s also having them draft a prenup. Got to protect you as much as Tucker needs to protect himself. All that stuff.”

Gabe did wonder if the legal team would have something he could use. Though, how could he possibly get anywhere near it without alerting his father. Company Security was one thing, but a legal team devout to his idiot father was another.

“Either way, I got to use the little girl’s room,” Karen downed the rest of her drink and stood up, taking her purse with her. “Be back in a jiff and order me another will ya?”

“Sure,” Gabe rolled his eyes and took the menu up and kept looking over it to see if he wanted anything to drink only to feel his phone buzz. He pulled it up and his eyes widened as it was a text from Constance. He pulled the message up and felt his snarl before it came out.

“The matter with your father has been settled, please reach out through your attorney if you want to discuss further. Otherwise, have a nice day Mister Windsor.”

“Proper punctuation and everything,” Gabe huffed as he pursed his lips and tried to think of a way to do this without getting their lawyers involved. He was typing something up when the chair across from him scooted out. “Sorry Karen, give me just a moment.”

Just then the menu was snatched from his hands by a massive, meaty paw. The dark claws puncturing the menu as it was ripped out of Gabe’s hand. The golden looked up and nearly jumped out of his skin as Jagger was sitting across from him.

“You have three seconds to tell me where my bike, Reeva, is or I’m going to throw you from this fucking building.” Jagger rumbled, his breath heavy.

“What the hell? How did you find me?” Gabe furrowed his brow, but it all clicked. Karen must have told Tucker where they were going. Probably to invite him to see if he wanted to join.

“One,” Jagger started to count as his fur stood on end, his yellow eyes burrowing into Gabe’s, his hands gripping the table like he was ready to throw it as his arms strained.

“Wait!” Gabe put a hand up. “You do anything to me, you’ll never find your bike.”

“Two,” Jagger snarled.

“I mean it. I have an entire security detail on that bike. You do anything, it’s scrap by sunset!” Gabe glowered.

“Th…” Jagger was shaking, holding the table so hard his muscles rattled the table. “fffffuuuuuUUUUUCK!”

Jagger threw the table over, causing the dishes and glasses to shatter onto the floor. He snarled and huffed, as though he were breathing in the carnage like it were a soothing mist before he yanked the table back up on its legs and sat down.

“Was that necessary?” Gabe cocked a brow, gulping back his trepidation.

“It was you or the table,” Jagger huffed. “Just be glad you have something I want.”

“Yeah, about that,” Gabe took his napkin form his lap and put it on the table. “Even if I give it back, and that’s a big if, I’m not going back with you to your dingy biker bar.”

“What do you mean, if?” Jagger growled. “You think I can’t drag you back there and make you talk?”

“I think you need to keep me in good condition for Tucker,” Gabe calmed himself, remembering he was the one with all the leverage. “I think you need me to get married and you need me to be cognizant for that to happen. Throwing me from the roof was an empty threat, and I don’t take kindly to threats.”

“I swear, I don’t care how much money you’re worth, you keep talking like that I’ll cut your tongue out.” Jagger snarled.

“Yeah…I’m sure,” Gabe cocked a brow. “So, I have something you want, what do you have to offer?”

“What, your freedom ain’t good enough,” Jagger snapped.

“I clearly already have that here,” Gabe gestured around, a gentle breeze wafting over the roof as he sat there. “What else can you offer? I ain’t going to give away my best bargaining chip for something I already got.”

“You slippery little shit,” Jagger growled. “What do you want from me woman!”

“That’s a good question…” Gabe furrowed his brow before lifting his phone and looking at Constance’s info. “How good are you at tracking down people?”

“I found you, didn’t I?” Jagger huffed. “What? You want me to find someone for ya?”

“Yeah, her name is Constance Twine,” Gabe thought about it. “I want to speak with her directly.”

“And then you’ll give Reeva back?” Jagger pressed. He was clearly desperate. Boys and their toys.

“Hold up there big guy,” Gabe leaned back in his seat. “Once I get what I need from Constance, then we can talk about hostage release. Until then, be a good boy and fetch.”

Jagger’s eyes flashed as he got up, the chair throwing out behind him and clattering to the floor. His one hand was on his back, reaching for his piece, but he thought better of it and huffed before marching for the stairs.

“You’ll have your bitch before sundown,” Jagger growled and stomped away.

“Oh, and Jagger?” Gabe started, the big wolf pausing. “Tell the bartender to bring up another mimosa.”

Jagger huffed, his boots cracking against the concrete as he left.

Gabe hid it well, but he let out a sigh of relief. Jagger was a valuable tool he would have to use for now. He knew it was playing with fire, but if everything went smoothly, maybe he could string him along for a bit before cutting him loose.

“What happened!” Karen shouted as the elevator dinged open.

“The wind caught it,” Gabe wove to her. “I’m waiting for the waiter to come and help.” Gabe waived her over. “Don’t worry. I told someone to fetch you a fresh drink.”

“Oh thank goodness, I thought I might be mad there,” Karen came over and sat at in her chair. “At least not all is lost in this mess.”

“Yeah, I’d say so too,” Gabe nodded.

He would say so.