Chapter 33

Mitch found a place where the car wouldn't be spotted and turned it off, he waited for Gabriel to give him an order.

Gabriel turned to Paige.

"You stay in the car and keep the doors locked."

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "No way am I staying here when my baby could be inside. Please, let me come."

He made a growling sound and cupped her chin in his hand.

"You are so stubborn," he says, and taking her hand they get out of the vehicle. "Stay with me and don't do anything."

"OK," she says, nodding.

Taking his hand they made their way towards the cabin. She wanted to run, to hurry inside and get her baby but Gabriel had a firm grip on her hand. It was almost as if he knew she might try something.

"You go around back and keep a lookout," he said with his hand on his gun.

He and Paige made their way up the front steps of the cabin. He cursed when they creaked underneath their weight, and moved slower.

"Stand back," he ordered her and kicked in the door.

A woman came running from the bedroom, she stopped when she saw them. Her eyes showed fear, she knew who Gabriel was and his reputation for destroying anyone who wronged him. He was pointing the gun at her, sweat poured down her face.

"Don't move," Gabriel shouted.

They all turned their heads towards the sound of a baby's cry, coming from the bedroom.

Paige knew it was her baby and when the woman turned to go back into the bedroom she scooted out from behind Gabriel. Sprinting forward she grabbed the woman by the back of her hair and yanked her as hard as she could.

"Stay away from my baby," she screamed.

Face to face with the woman she raised her fist and punched her in the nose, blood flowed out as the woman fell to the floor.

Gabriel smiled, he had never seen this side of her before, he kind of liked it.

"Stay down," he shouted as Paige ran to the bedroom.

A feeling of joy filled his heart when she returned carrying their baby and she went right over to where he was standing. Keeping his gun on the woman he looked down at the baby.

Paige couldn't stop the tears as she held Lorenzo protectively in her arms.

"We have him back and he seems OK."

"I took good care of him," the woman on the floor cried out.

"You keep your mouth shut," Gabriel snapped.

The baby was crying, sucking on his thumb.

"He's hungry, I need to feed him."

"OK angel, go into the bedroom while I have a talk with this woman," he said, bending over kissed his son's head.

Once she left he threw a towel at the woman and pulled up a chair, sitting down. "What's your name?"

"Brandy," she replied, wiping the blood from her nose and face.

"Where is Sergio?"

"He went into town to get some supplies for the baby, he'll be back soon. He made me do it, I didn't want to and I took good care of the baby."

"Tell me everything."

"All I know is that he wanted the kid to disappear, he was paying me to take him to Australia. He was giving him to a couple there to raise."

Gabriel felt the anger swirling inside him.

He raised his gun and pointed it at her and wanted so bad to kill her. He might have if Mitch hadn't walked in at that moment.

"Tie this bitch up," he said and stood. "Keep an eye on her and if she tries anything shoot her."

"Where's Mrs Maestri and Lorenzo ?"

"She's feeding him in the other room," he answered.

Walking away headed to the bedroom, anxious to be with his family. He went over and sat next to her on the bed. She gave him the sweetest smile that melted his heart. His finger caressed Lorenzo's head as he greedily sucked on her breast.

They didn't speak, her head resting on his shoulder as they both stared at the precious bundle of joy that they thought was lost to them.

When she was done the feeding and changing his diaper she wrapped him up in the blanket she had brought with her.

"What happens now?"

"I'll have Mitch take you home where you'll both be safe and I'll wait here for Sergio. It's time I end his reign of terror."

"Just come home with us, let the authorities deal with him."

"For once don't argue with me, let me do it my way."

"I don't want to lose you," she said, knowing he was not going to let her sway him.

"Angel, I have too much to live for, he will not hurt me. You do trust me, don't you?" he asked, cupping her chin in his hand and kissed her softly.

"Yes, I trust you."

"That's my girl, come," he says.

With his arm around her waist, he walked with her to the other room where Mitch and the girl was.

Mitch stood when they entered the room and smiled as he walked over to take a look at the baby in her arms.

"Thank God," he said, letting out a deep breath.

"I want you to take them home."

"What about you and the girl?" he asked, pointing to the woman on the floor.

"I'm going to wait for Sergio. As for her, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with her. Whatever happens, you keep my them safe."

"I will boss," he says, looking out the window.

"Oh shit boss, I think it's too late. I see lights approaching."

Gabriel left Paige's side and went over to the window and looked out.

"It's got to be him. You stay here and take care of my family," he said, pulling his gun out.

Paige placed the baby in the bassinet and ran over to him, putting her hands on his chest as she stood in front of him.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to confront the bastard and kill him." Putting his hand behind her head pulled her closer. "Trust me."

A tear ran down her face. "Be careful Gabriel, come back to me."

"I will," he said, giving her a deep kiss before letting her go and walked out the door into the dark and waited behind a tree.

Gabriel waited till Sergio who was clueless to the fact that he was there to get out of the car. He could see a couple of bags in his arms. Stepping out of the shadows he pointed his gun at his father.

"Hello, father, surprise."

Sergio dropped the bags and looked at the gun that was pointed straight at him.

"You going to kill me in cold blood son?"

"I won't let you hurt my family again," Gabriel hissed.

"You won't kill me," Sergio said with a smug look on his face.

"I wouldn't bet on it. You tried to rape my wife and now you kidnap my son and plan to send him away. Hell yeah, I'm going to kill you."

"If you do you'll go to prison and then what will become of your wife then."

"At least she'll be free of you."

"If you want to kill me then don't do it the coward's way, with a gun. Kill me with your bare hands, if you can," he says with a smirk on his face.

He knew Gabriel could kill a man with his hands, but so could he. He had training in the art of murder, had moves that his son didn't know about and had no qualms about killing his own son, it wouldn't be the first time.

Gabriel smiled. It would feel good to beat the life out of him, the way he was beaten as a child. So dropping his gun he moved forward.

"You're an old man, don't seem fair but I'm willing to oblige you."

"Don't be so cocky Gabriel. I may have twenty years on you but I'm a born fighter," he said, taking off his jacket and letting it fall to the floor.

Sergio let him take the first swing and laughed when he missed.

"Hell boy, I thought I taught you better than that."

As they fought for what seemed liked ages, each getting punched Sergio managed to get Gabriel on the ground, kicked him hard in his gut, knocking the breath out of him.

Thinking he was done, placed his foot over his throat, getting ready to press down and crush him. But he made a mistake when he waited.

"I want you to know I never wanted to kill you. Don't worry about Paige. I'll take real good care of her, she will be my new bitch."

Gabriel grabbed his foot, twisted it till he heard the bones snap and Sergio screamed out in agony.

"It's time to end it," he said and walked over to where his gun was laying.

As he went to bend over to pick it up a gunshot rang out and he rolled to the ground. He turned and saw a gun in his father's hand and reached for his own gun. Just as Sergio was about to fire again he pulled the trigger first, shooting his father right in the heart. He died instantly.

It was then that a couple of police cars pulled up, the officers got out with their guns aimed and went over. Seeing the gun clutched in Sergio's hand and one in Gabriel's ordered him to drop it.

INSIDE THE CABIN:

With the baby fast asleep Paige laid him in the bassinet and started pacing, chewing on her fingernail. Sweat formed on her forehead and her heart was pounding.

When she heard the gunshots she cried out Gabriel's name and made a run for the door. But Mitch grabbed her from behind, stopping her from running out.

"I can't let you go out there, Mrs. Maestri."

She tried pulling his arms away as she struggled.

"Please, let me go to him."

The door opened and when Gabriel walked in Mitch released her and she ran to him. Throwing herself into his arms he picked her up off her feet, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"Thank God you're alive," she said, weeping, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

Putting her down on her feet he took her face in his hands.

"It's all over. He can never hurt us again, he's dead." He lowered his mouth to her lips and kissed her, forgetting about the others in the room.

When they finally separated that was when she noticed the blood on his sleeve.

"Gabriel, you've been shot, and look what he did to your face."

He looked at his sleeve and saw a small amount of blood, knowing it wasn't serious.

"It's nothing angel." He pulled her back into his arms even though the pain in his gut where Sergio had kicked him was quite painful.

"Lorenzo," he said through the pain.

"He's asleep," she says, moving back starts taking off his jacket so that she could get a look at his arm.

As the police were questioning them she also removed his shirt and tears came to her eyes when she saw the bruise on his stomach and ribs.

Getting a cloth and water she cleaned the blood from his arm and was relieved to see the bullet had only grazed him. She then cleaned the blood from his face. She kissed his knuckles when she saw they were bruised.

"We need to take you to the hospital to get looked at," she said, doing up his shirt when she was finished.

"No need, I'm OK. I just want to take you both home. I need to tell you something and I hope you won't hate me," he said, whispering in her ear so that the others couldn't hear.

"I love you, I could never hate you."

He looked to make sure the others were busy, getting and giving statements.

"I killed Sergio and I'm glad. I've been wanting to do it for years and I have no regrets."

"Oh Gabriel," she says, taking his face in her hands and moved to stand in between his legs.

"I understand and if the truth is to be known I'm glad he's dead too. Does that make me a bad person?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Mr. Maestri, you can all leave now," the officer told him.

"What about the girl?" Gabriel asked, pointing at her.

"Two counts of kidnapping and accessory to assault, she'll be gone for a very long time. Now take your family home."

Mitch walked over with the baby in his arms and handed him over to Paige.

"Let's get you all home. You both need a hot meal and a good nights sleep, and same here."

With a grin on his face, he followed behind them, she carrying their son and Gabriel with his arm around her. No more bad days for them he thought as he helped them into the car.