THE BRUISE HE COULDN'T IGNORE

I shoved the gold watch back into my coat pocket.

My mind was racing. Did Gabriel plant it? Did Mitchell?

But I couldn't think about it now. Leo was the only thing that mattered.

I followed Gabriel through the massive estate. The house was a fortress of marble and glass. Silent men in dark suits stood at the ends of the hallways. They didn't look at us, but they parted seamlessly as Gabriel walked past.

We stepped out into the freezing Chicago night. A sleek black SUV was waiting, the engine already running.

A driver stood by the open door.

“Mrs. Gable’s house. West side,” Gabriel ordered as we climbed into the back.

The SUV sped away from the estate, tearing through the empty city streets.

I sat rigidly against the leather seat, clutching my ribs.

“If she’s his aunt,” I whispered, staring out the dark window, “why wouldn't Mitchell just take Leo home? Why leave him with her?”

“Because Mitchell wants you to come to her house,” Gabriel replied, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “He knew you collapsed. He knows you didn't go home. He’s waiting for you to panic and run to your son.”

“He’s using Leo as bait.” The thought made me sick.

Gabriel turned to look at me. In the shadows of the backseat, his face was unreadable.

“Harper,” Gabriel said softly. “When Mitchell killed my sister, I made a promise to my mother on her deathbed. I promised I wouldn't kill a cop and bring the wrath of the CPD down on our family. I’ve spent three years building a case to put him away legally. To destroy his entire corrupt precinct.”

He paused.

“But if he lays a hand on your child tonight, I am breaking that promise.”

I swallowed hard. The mafia boss who terrified the entire city was willing to start a war over a waitress’s five-year-old son.

The SUV swerved sharply onto a narrow, tree-lined street. The houses here were small, cramped, and completely dark.

“Stop here,” Gabriel commanded.

The driver killed the headlights and eased the SUV to a halt two houses away from Mrs. Gable’s address.

Gabriel pulled back the slide of his handgun. The sharp metallic click echoed loudly in the quiet car.

“Stay behind me,” Gabriel instructed.

We slipped out of the car. The freezing wind bit into my cheeks.

We crept across the frosted grass toward the small white house. There were no lights on inside. The front porch was entirely dark.

As we approached the driveway, my foot brushed against something hard on the concrete.

I looked down.

My heart completely stopped.

It was a small, blue wooden train car.

Leo’s favorite toy. He never went to sleep without it. He would never, ever leave it outside.

I dropped to my knees, picking up the small wooden toy.

“Leo,” I sobbed quietly, clutching it to my chest.

Gabriel knelt beside me. He touched the wooden train, then looked at the driveway.

There were fresh tire tracks in the frost on the concrete. Heavy, wide treads. A police cruiser.

“They’re gone,” I gasped, panic rising in my throat. “He took him.”

Gabriel stood up, his eyes scanning the dark street.

Suddenly, the front door of the small house clicked open.

An old woman in a floral bathrobe stepped out onto the porch. Clara Gable.

She wasn't looking around for a lost child. She was holding a cell phone to her ear.

“Mitchell?” her frail, raspy voice carried through the cold air. “She’s not here yet. Did you get the boy settled at the precinct?”

I lunged forward, pure maternal rage blinding me to the pain in my ribs.

Gabriel grabbed my arm, holding me back effortlessly.

“Let me go!” I hissed.

“Listen to her,” Gabriel whispered harshly.

Clara paused, listening to Mitchell on the phone. Then, she let out a cruel, dry laugh.

“Good,” Clara said. “When she finally shows up, I’ll tell her the boy ran away. By the time the police 'find' him, he’ll already be in the foster system. She’ll never see him again. It serves her right for stealing from that Alderman tonight.”

My blood ran cold.

Stealing from the Alderman.

My hand moved to my coat pocket, feeling the heavy gold watch hidden inside.

Mitchell hadn't just used his aunt to kidnap my son.

He had planted stolen property on me at the restaurant. He was framing me for a felony, so that when he took Leo, the state would permanently strip me of my custody rights.

He was legally erasing me from my own child's life.

“Gabriel,” I whispered, looking up at him in pure horror.

Gabriel’s eyes locked onto the old woman on the porch. The calmness was gone.

“Get back in the car,” Gabriel said. His voice was entirely devoid of emotion.

“What are you going to do?”