"Episode 23 -  Truth cannot be hidden."  

"Okay, I'm done." I waited until she was satisfied. "I want a picture of us."

"I don't take pictures." I hated them. I hated looking at myself.

"I want one of us." She sat down on one of my thigh with her legs swinging in the middle. My hands were all over her back and thighs. 

I didn't care if Capone knew. I didn't care if the whole world knew. She lifted the camera to take a selfie and I hid the scared side of my face behind her hair. My lips pressed against her shoulder.

"BABE, come on." She wiggled her ass closer to my crotch and gritted my teeth. I was desperately attracted to her and one signal from her made me hard with need. When she got a good angle, she quickly snapped it and saved it.

She looked happy in that picture and so did I, even if my face wasn't fully visible. I hugged her tightly before getting up with her in my arms. There were many tourists here and we blended in just right.

"We need to get going. Do some shopping before we get back." Her face fell completely.

"Let's not Gabriel." When I let her down, she looked up at me with eyes that tore at my soul. "Let's run away. Let's forget leave everything behind and let's go." She leaned into me, my arms wounded itself around her small frame.

I rested my head on her forehead. "I wish baby, I have so much more I need to do before I establish myself again. I'll take care of you. I might be like your father but I'll make it." I heard her suck in her breath. The disappointment on her face made me hate myself.

"You're right." She tried to shake it off, plastering on fake smile.

"Hey, look at me." I grabbed her face and made her look up at me. "What is it? Tell me."

Her eyes fogged, determination gripped her frown. "No, no, you're right. I just... never mind. I guess I wanted to travel." She hid it well but I saw through her façade. "Come on."

She put on a huge smile and dragged me along with her. Feeling conflicted, I followed her. I wanted to run away with her but I couldn't support her lavish lifestyle. I wanted give her everything and I had nothing yet. 

The money in my bank account was given by her father and even though it was mine to use, I couldn't just withdraw it and take her with. I hired him the best trackers, they would find me anywhere.

Feeling trapped, I tried to focus on her. That's the only thing I found myself doing these days. When I turned my head, I found Ross walking away trying with a disgusted look on his face while he tried to get the gum off his fingers. A childish laughter bubbled inside of me but I locked it inside like I had for many years.

I was having fun. Unadulterated joy that I hadn't felt since my parents were alive. The numbness I lived with for so long, the darkness that weighed me down, lifted every time she was around me.

 Her voice soothed my nightmares and her touch started to heal me. Gulping the big ball of emotions down, I let myself feel for her.

The darkness was still there. It was a part of me that I tried to hide from her but I've become the darkness. The long years of sufferings, the weight of the world had broken me down and I built myself up to be something that couldn't be wrecked again.

But she had the power. Her pretty smile, dark eyes and fighter's spirit encouraged me to push myself to become a better person. To become someone who she deserves to be with.

By the time we got home it was dark outside and I used my phone to disable the cameras outside the back entrance. When we were through, I guided her through the garage and every time we passed a camera, I turned it back on. 

She didn't buy much, only a couple of souvenirs. So, I made sure, the places where she the credit card was spent, she ended up with the purchases. She deserved it.

I needed to see what was in the file. I needed to know what Nathan had uncovered on her. The need to know her, the need to be with her, this obsession was driving me crazy. I rubbed a hand down my face, frustrated.

She gasped in surprised when she saw the bags that covered all the surface of the sofas and even the floor and the coffee table in the middle. 

Bags from Chanel to Victoria's secret. She jumped over bags to get to that one and pulled out a cute little baby pink lace teddy. My mind undressed her immediately and dressed her in that teddy with similar colour high heels.

Cute and innocent. That's what I could imagine her as even though she was far from it.

"This is so cute." She held it up from her shoulders and the ruffles flared around her hips. My dick jumped. A groan mixed with a desperate sigh left my lungs.

"Baby, I have to go now, meet with my men to see what happened. I'll be back tonight. Keep the door open?" I knew if she used the dead bolts, there was no sneaking in unless I used her window again. 

"You want understand, right?" I needed her to understand because I couldn't live with myself if she thought that she wasn't my priority. Gulping the nausea down, I tried reach for her.

She dropped the article of clothing back in the bag before she came to me. The solemn look on her face scared the life out of me. She inhaled, her chest expanded visibly.

"Thank you for today." She rubbed her small hands down my chest before reaching into her back pack for my gun. When she handed it back, her hands were steady. "It meant a lot to me Gabriel."

I kissed her, with my gun still in her hand. I tasted her sweet tongue and wanted more. I wanted inside her. My mind spun, dizziness enveloped me. My blood roared in my ear whenever I kissed. Her.

When we broke apart, she patted my chest.

"Go. The quicker you finish, the faster you can see me in that." My eyes widened at words. Placing a last peck on her pulp lips, I headed for the security room.

It took Jamie about half an hour to debrief me. It was Jake him and I in the security room. Jake only came in right before Elena and I got home. Oliver was in before him. I trusted Jake because we had history and Jamie owed me because he was finally in for his bar exam.

Unfortunately, the men weren't followed. It was a quick in and out job. Jamie made sure the he hired who looked like Elena that went on that shopping spree was on her way-out country as we were speaking.

 I had personally made sure she had enough money to get out. There was no bank transaction but just a good chunk of money missing from my back account.

According to him, she just got out of prison like him and didn't know what to do with anymore. He's met her a couple of times before and was working hard as a waitress to live a straight life. 

She was more than happy with two million dollars. We didn't know where she was going but Jamie made sure she had a plane ticket out of this country. It was better that way. She got a fresh start under some allies and I got to spend a day out with Elena.

When I finally got to my room, I managed to take a quick shower before I booted up my laptop and inserted the USB. It only had one file named Elena. That's all I needed. There was only one photo in there, everything else looked like documents.

I was surprised to find a hospital report that stated a birth of a girl named Lucia Catalan in 1993. She'd be 23 now. Daughter of Sofia and Alberto Catalan. The Catalan family were notorious drug lords down in Mexico. But last I knew, they all died from a fire in Miami. It was everywhere on the news.

Another file was a FBI report of the slaughter of Sofia, Alberto and little Lucia Catalan in 2002. They lived in Miami and Alberto was allegedly accused of expanding the cartel ties down there. It made sense with the influx of drug related crimes and the Catalan family could have opened up a direct channel to USA. 

All the Catalan brothers had sons who would take over after them except from Alberto Catalan. He had a daughter. An only child who was treated like a princess by the whole family, including her cousins. She was untouchable and most protected.

On the eve of December 11 in 2002 the Catalan mansion was burned down 23 people inside it. The bodies were charred and DNA extraction was nearly impossible.

 They also found hundreds of shell casings found at the scene. The report stated that the fire was to cover up a violent gun battle that was allegedly started by the Capone family but no one was charged. Considering no one ever emerged claiming they survived, the FBI concluded that everyone in that family was dead.

Finally, I opened the photo, my jaws nearly hit the floor. It was a google image of Sofia and Alberto Catalan. They lived a high-profile life down in Miami with the politicians and billionaires. My shook slightly when I typed their names on google. The images of them that came up knocked the breath out of me.

"No, it can't be." 

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