Gabriel made the decision the morning after Cassie was accosted. For the life of him, he couldn’t rid himself of the unsettling notion that her kidnapping had, perhaps, not been a random incident, as the police believed. It made his blood boil every time he thought of it. By God, but he’d have liked to get his hands on the scoundrel—he’d take him apart piece by piece! But Gabriel had long since outgrown his reckless, careless youth. He would make no accusations—no assumptions—without just cause. Perhaps his suspicions were unfounded—more the better. But he offered a reward should her assailant be found, and he hired an investigator to return to Charleston. He did not doubt Cassie’s claim that her mother did not know the identity of her father, or that the vile woman had abandoned her. But if there was someone from her past who might be responsible, Gabriel intended to find out. Perhaps there was some connection between the shooting and her kidnapping—perhaps there was not.
