GABRIEL’S POV
The phone buzzed on my desk as I poured another glass of scotch. Five days since Ava had left for the beach house. Five days of trying to convince myself I'd done the right thing by letting her go.
I glanced at the caller ID: Martins, the private investigator I'd hired to keep watch over the girls from a distance. He checked in twice a day, confirming they were safe and accounted for.
"Martin," I answered on the second ring.
"Mr. Thorne. Evening check-in. All three subjects are secure at the beach house."
"Any signs of trouble? Anyone suspicious in the area?"
"Negative, sir. The area's clean. Local law enforcement has been briefed to keep extra patrols in the vicinity, though they don't know why."
"Good." I took a sip of scotch, feeling some of the tension leave my shoulders. "How are they doing?"
"The youngest one spent most of the day on the beach. Seems to be recovering well from her ordeal. The friend has been shopping in town. And Miss Moreau..."
He paused, and I felt my grip tighten on the phone.
"What about Miss Moreau?"
"She's been indoor, sir. Spends a lot of time at the window, looking out at the water. Like she's thinking about something."
Or someone, I thought but didn't say.
"They stick to their routine. Beach in the morning, lunch in town, back to the house by evening. No deviations, no unexpected contacts."
"How much longer are they planning to stay?"
"Their reservation runs through Sunday. Two more days."
Two more days, and then she'd be back in the city. Back to her regular life, her classes, her future that didn't include me.
"Keep watching them," I said. "And Martins? Make sure they don't know you're there."
"Of course, sir. They have no idea."
I hung up and stared out the window of my apartment. The city looked cold and empty without her in it.
I'd kept my word. Stayed away, just like she'd wanted. No calls, no texts, no attempts to contact her. It was killing me, but I'd promised myself I wouldn't interfere with her choice to leave.
The scotch burned as it went down. I poured another glass, then another. It was the only thing that helped quiet the voice in my head that kept asking if I'd made a mistake letting her go.
My phone rang again twenty minutes later. I glanced at the clock – too early for Martin's next check-in.
"Boss!" Marcus's voice was sharp with panic. "We have a problem!"
I shot to my feet, knocking over my glass. Scotch spilled across my desk, but I ignored it.
"What kind of problem?"
"The girls – they're gone!"
"Gone? What do you mean gone?"
"I mean they're not at the house! I did my usual evening surveillance, and the place is empty. No lights, no movement, no cars in the driveway."
My blood turned to ice. "When did you last confirm they were there?"
"This afternoon around three. I saw all three of them on the deck having lunch."
"That was five hours ago!"
"I know, I know. I should have checked sooner, but they never deviate from their routine—"
"Have you searched the house?"
"I can't get close without alerting the neighbors. But from what I can see through the windows, it looks abandoned."
"Their belongings?"
"I can't tell from this distance."
I was already moving, grabbing my keys and jacket. "Stay there. Keep watching. I'm on my way."
"Sir, that's a four-hour drive—"
"I'll make it in three."
I hung up and I grabbed a gun from my safe. I headed for the door when my doorbell rang.
My doorbell rang again, sharp and insistent. Moving quietly, I approached the front door.
The hallway was dimly lit, and I couldn't make out who was standing outside. I looked through the peephole, but all I could see was shadow.
"Who is it?" I called out.
No answer.
Slowly, carefully, I disengaged the locks and opened the door just a crack, keeping the chain engaged. My gun was raised, ready for whatever threat might be waiting.
The door pushed open wider, and a familiar figure stepped into the light.
"Ava?"
Relief and shock crashed over me in equal waves. She stood in my doorway, looking tired and beautiful and absolutely perfect. Her hair was windblown, her cheeks flushed from cold, and she was carrying a small suitcase.
"Gabriel," she said quietly.
I lowered my gun immediately, my hands shaking. "What are you doing here?"
"We drove back early. Sophie wanted to surprise her boyfriend, and Elise wanted to see her friends."
"And you?"
She looked up at me with those brown eyes that had haunted my dreams for the past five days.
"I wanted to see you."
My heart stopped. "Ava—"
Before I could say anything else, before I could ask why she was here or what this meant, she stepped closer and looked directly into my eyes.
"I love you," she said simply.
The words hit me like a physical blow. After everything that had happened, after all the reasons she had to stay away, she was here. In my doorway. Telling me she loved me.
"You love me," I repeated, hardly daring to believe it.
"Yes, I love you."