16. Feeling the Heat #3
There was a second document titled “Details Package Schedule”, but she had run out of time. She yanked out the thumb drive, started closing windows as fast as she could, then slapped the laptop shut. As she was hurrying out of his office, she went flying into him.
“Minka!” he exclaimed as she jumped back. He glanced around his office. “What are you doing in here?”
She still had on the rubber finger, so she shoved her hand into her pocket.
“What happened to dentist?” he asked as he collected his reading glasses off the desk.
She slid her finger out of the latex, covered her cheek with her hand. “I took a painkiller.”
He hurried out.
She double-stepped it to catch up with him. “I need my laptop.”
In her office, she shouldered her laptop bag and strode into the hallway. They walked outside and ducked into the waiting sedan, driven by an embassy chauffeur. In the back seat, she placed her hand against her cheek again.
“Are you in much pain?” he asked.
“I’ll be fine, sir.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” he said. “What were you doing in my office?”
“Hoping to catch you before you left.”
He shot her a smile. “You are dutiful employee.”
“My duty and allegiance to my country have no limits,” she said with pride.
For the first time since taking the assignment, she’d never spoken a truer statement.
GAbrIEL
Gabriel drove with a lead foot to chartered flights at Dulles International Airport.
On his way inside the terminal, he called his pilot.
She’d secured a copilot from Gabriel’s short list of vetted aviators.
As he waited, he thought of Angelo. His underboss would have accompanied him.
Together, they would have handled the problem.
The emptiness filled him, then the guilt, and another wave of grief.
He pulled out his phone, called Mr. Moretti.
A few rings and he answered. “Gabriel, I heard.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Moretti.”
“Sorry won’t bring my boy back.”
“I know. What can I do to help you and your family?”
“Joanie said you offered to pay. The funeral director said he hasn’t heard from you.”
“I’ll call him. What else can I do?”
“You can do the honorable thing and marry our daughter.”
What the hell?
Silence.
“Cecelia’s broken up about Angelo,” Mr. Moretti continued. “We all are. If you marry her, you do right by us and honor Angelo’s memory.”
Now wasn’t the time to tell him he’d fallen in love with someone else. Now wasn’t the time to refuse him either.
“That’s the most important decision of a person’s life,” he said. “A partner to go through life with.”
“She’s been in love with you for years, G. Give her a chance. Cecelia’s a wonderful girl.”
He had to be honest. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have feelings for her.”
“Maybe they would develop over time,” Mr. Moretti pushed. “You asked. I told you. Nothing will bring our Angelo back, but marrying Cece would make us all happy. I’ll text you her number. Take her to dinner at your restaurant. Have a conversation with her, you know, get to know her.”
Gabriel’s phone buzzed with a text from the pilot.
Ready
“I’ll give it some thought,” Gabriel said to Mr. Moretti.
“Swing by for dinner tonight, G.”
“I’m flying back to Italy.”
“Invite Cece to dinner when you return.”
Gabriel made no promise before he ended the call, then powered through the terminal.
Mi dispiace, Angelo. Non sposerò tua sorella. Non la amo. I’m sorry, Angelo. I won't marry your sister. I don't love her.
After boarding the Santini jet, the flight attendant greeted him with a warm smile.
“Welcome back, Mr. Santini. I haven’t flown with you in a few years. How’ve you been?”
“Never fucking better,” Gabriel bit out as he eased into the plush, white leather seat.
He made another call to the funeral home, spoke with the director. “How can I pay you?”
“Through the website portal, and there’s a line for tipping, if you want to add a little extra.”
“Of course.” Everyone wanted something from him.
Everyone except Halston. She didn’t want a thing from him. She just wanted him.
After he paid for the funeral services and left an over-the-top tip for the director and his staff, he texted Halston.
I miss you. Next time, you’re coming with me
No response.
The flight attendant walked over. “Please buckle your seatbelt.”
As he did, she sat across from him, facing him, instead of returning to her seat behind the cockpit.
Then, to his surprise, she removed her shoe and started to run her bare foot up his leg.
“No,” he said.
She pulled her foot off him. “Like I said, I haven’t worked for you in a while, but I remember we had some wild fun. As I recall, you initiated me into the Mile High club.”
He didn’t remember her. Had she changed her hair? Lost weight? Gained weight?
Her shoulders fell. “You don’t remember me, do you?”
“When was this?”
“Three years ago,” she replied. “You were flying to Italy. I was married. My husband was cheating on me, so I returned the favor… with you.”
“Did you repair your marriage?”
She held up her left hand. “I’m single now and on all the dating sites. You should look me up.”
“I’m not online.”
“Seriously? Why not? I thought you ran Santini International Euro and your alcohol companies.”
“I do.”
“You don’t post about them?”
“I have marketing teams for that.”
“What about your private account?”
Gabriel had had enough. He held up his right hand, displaying his GPS ring. “I’m with someone now.”
She dismissed him with a flick of her hand. “So what? That piece of metal doesn’t stop anybody these days. Don’t be such a prude.”
“This conversation is over.” He tossed a nod to the flight attendant seat. “Please take your seat up there.”
Her cheeks turned tomato red. She slid on her shoe and relocated to the front of the cabin.
The pilot’s smooth voice cut through the conversation. “Mr. Santini, we’re next in line for takeoff. The flight time is approximately nine hours with a six-hour time difference. We’ll be landing at one o’clock in the morning, local time. Relax and enjoy the ride.”
Gabriel was anything but relaxed.
The person trying to kill him had taken out his best friend and his best friend’s father wanted him to marry someone he’d never liked…
much less respected. Halston was in danger of being found out by the Russians and linked to his killing spree in the BDSM club.
He couldn’t stay and protect her because the Bratva had taken over his Italian whisky plant and were threatening to burn down his Tuscan winery.
He felt like a damn cat chasing its tail. Frustration coiled around his spine like a python.
With everything going so fucking right… what could possibly go wrong?