TWENTY FOUR
" T here'll be a drop off tonight at an abandoned building in Szold Place," Ares said as I glanced at him.
"You're sure?" I asked. "Something about this doesn't make sense. They've been covering their tracks for the past three weeks, and suddenly, today, the location for their next drug deal lands in our laps?"
"That's the thing. I'm not sure about it, and my gut is telling me that this is a set up, but that's why we'll be prepared."
"Antonio Freeman doesn't strike me as the kind of man who'd have any slip ups. If we're going to approach them tonight, we need to ensure we're covered from all angles." I crossed my arms, staring at the whiteboard in front of me.
"We still don't know who he's working with," Ares sighed, picking his phone up from the desk and clicking the side button to unlock it.
"I don't think he's working with someone, I think he's working for someone. This drug trafficking syndicate has more to it than what meets the eye."
Ares' eyes flickered back to me as he squeezed the cellular device in his hand. "That's been one of my theories, too. Antonio might have some power in New York, but he's not the one in charge of this operation."
I nodded, tugging on my tie. "He doesn't seem low level, either. Based off his movements for the last week, he seems to be somewhere in the middle." Ares didn't say anything else. "What time is the drop?"
"Midnight."
I opened my eyes, squinting as the sunlight streamed through the cream curtains. I blinked slowly, breathing through my nose.
For the first time since that night, I didn't have any nightmares. But the dream I had definitely evoked all of those negative emotions and had me feeling unsettled. The dream consisted of the events that led up to the moment I got shot.
I turned over, staring at Gabriella's angelic face while she slept so peacefully, and that's when the other problem gnawed on my conscience.
I needed to protect her. I needed to keep her safe. And knowing that she could potentially be a target because of me was fucking me up. I didn't even know how to tell her, I didn't know if I could share that information with her.
It seemed to me like Freeman knew my every move, but I didn't know anything about him. I knew he'd come looking for me again, once the word spread that he hadn't killed me that night.
Gabriella stirred slightly and turned her body in my direction before slowly opening her eyes. "Good morning." I smiled at her, running my thumb over her deep dimple.
"Good morning," she responded sleepily, burying her face in my chest. I chuckled softly, holding the back of her head. I rested the side of my cheek against her hair. Christ, even her hair smelled delectable.
There was this overwhelming urge to protect her, to keep her safe. If they planned on using her as leverage, I'd lose the last shred of sanity I had left and it would end in bloodshed.
"Are you hungry?" she asked, moving closer to me.
"If you get any closer, you might shove me off your bed." She laughed, kissing my chest. I swallowed hard, trying to control the lustful feeling in my veins while struggling to make sense of what I was currently feeling.
Joy? Comfort? Contentment?
I didn't know what the correct terminology was, but everything felt foreign to me and it forced me out of my comfort zone.
"To answer your question, though, yes I'm hungry," I stated.
"You smell so good and you're so warm. I don't think I'll be able to get up any time soon," she mumbled. Such a simple compliment, but it had me feeling light headed.
"I don't mind."
"Of course, you don't." She finally looked up at me before rolling out of bed. "Why'd you have to be shirtless? I can't stop looking."
Her eyes lingered on my abdomen as the sheets covered the rest of my body. "Again, I don't exactly mind because I can't stop looking at you, either."
I placed both hands behind my head, now her gaze were on my biceps. "You're trying to kill me, aren't you?" she accused.
"Never."
Gabriella placed my plate of food in front of me. Toast with scrambled eggs, avocado, and chilli oil. Apparently, this was her preferred breakfast, paired with a salted caramel iced coffee.
"Just take a sip, I promise you, it tastes really good." I eyed the cup, contemplating my options.
"Caffeinated beverages are meant to be consumed hot. Who in God's name invented iced coffee? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?"
"You're so pessimistic," she grumbled.
I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. "I'll try some if you ask me nicely."
"Oh please," she scoffed, bringing the glass straw closer to her lips and sipping the contents from her silver cup. "Do you want me to beg and plead?"
"As a matter of fact, yes, that would be extremely convincing. And it's guaranteed to get you the results you desire."
"I don't beg," she said confidently, rolling her eyes at me.
"That's funny." I took a bite of my toast as she watched me with curious eyes, probably waiting to see what I'd say next. "I could've sworn you were begging me to keep eating you last night."
She blinked a couple of times before tossing a cucumber slice at me. I easily dodged it, shrugging. "Again, I'm just being honest, I'm sure you wouldn't want me to be untruthful, right?" I smirked.
"I want you to stop being so indecent," she said with an attitude. "At least try ."
"Careful," I warned. She stopped her movements, dragging her eyes down my face. "I'm not above pulling you across my lap and spanking that ass of yours."
"I'm convinced you just enjoy punishing me, because I didn't do anything."
"That tone of voice you just used suggests otherwise." Gabriella shifted in her seat. "Getting heated by a little assertiveness?"
"No," she said breathlessly. "I'm still on the important topic at hand. Perhaps we can come to a compromise?"
"I'm not a monster, I can compromise, sweetheart." She brushed a few loose curls behind her ear. "Now will you elaborate?"
"You can be crude and honest as you call it, when we're…" She paused, leaning forward on the marble counter.
"When we're?" I pressed, wanting her to finish the sentence.
"You know…"
I laughed softly, leaning back in the chair. "When we're fucking?"
She covered her face with both palms, groaning softly. "How do you even manage to speak like that without breaking a sweat or getting uncomfortable?"
"I told you, it comes naturally, but…" I got up from the barstool and walked over to her, grabbing her wrists and holding it together in one hand then using my other hand to tilt her head backward. "I'd break a sweat if you asked me to talk about the way you make me feel."
Her eyes never left mine, sparkling with an unknown emotion. "Really?"
"Yes." I nodded. "Maybe one day I'll be able to vocalise them."
For the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn't focused on anything other than her beautiful face and the steady sound of her breathing. She wore clothing that showcased every dip and curve, but the only thing I could see were those pools of hazel staring at me.
"Every time I look into your eyes, I lose myself completely." Her breath hitched, but we were interrupted by her phone blaring. The standard Apple ringtone bounced off her kitchen walls.
"I'm sorry, I need to check that." I stepped back, watching her every move. "It's Melissa, my assistant. I'll be right back."
I nodded, keeping my gaze locked on her as she exited the kitchen area. She returned a few seconds later, sighing heavily.
"What's wrong?"
"There's a problem with the venue for Asher Braun's event. I need to get to work." She was practically hyperventilating.
"Hey." I walked over to her, pulling her closer. "Breathe in." She obliged. "Good, breathe out." Gabriella released a heavy breath. "That's it, try to stay calm for me. You can't resolve anything if you're panicking."
She nodded, trembling slightly. "Do it again. In and out." I made her repeat the breathing technique until I could see her visibly relaxing. The look she gave me was heartwarming to say the least. "Feeling better?"
"A little bit, thank you so much for that. If you hadn't stopped me from panicking right now, I would've spiralled."
"Everything's going to be okay. Go to work, find out what the problem is, and try to find a solution. You're an event coordinator, yes?" I asked.
"Yes."
"And you wouldn't have been in this position had you not been good at your job, right?" It may have been rhetorical questions, but I needed her to realise her worth in her work.
"You know I'm going to say yes."
"Exactly, now go get ready. I'll clean up the kitchen for you and then I'll drop you off at work, okay?" She stepped closer to me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
I held her tightly, the realisation hitting me with ferocity. I was falling for this woman and I didn't know how to stop myself. It was beyond obsession. Beyond lust. I was falling in love with her. Slowly, but surely.
"We've managed to secure the venue despite the owner being a complete pompous prick," Helena hissed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Co-owner, actually. The founder of the company has been out of town for the past two months. which means Jonathan Freeman has been handling all business enquiries," Melissa added. "Not to worry, as soon as Daniel returns, I'll be having a word with him regarding his co-owner’s unprofessional behaviour."
I sighed, leaning back in my chair. "I'm so glad both of you are here or I would've lost my mind. He's been cooperative this entire time, but wants to give us problems two weeks before the event? He's purposely pushing us, isn't he?"
"Oh, definitely," Helena added. "Suddenly, he can't accommodate the amount of people we agreed upon. That's complete bullshit."
"How long has he been working for the company? Because I don't remember dealing with him prior to this."
"I'm not entirely sure, but apparently they had issues with the previous co-owner and had to dismiss him. That's when Jonathan made an appearance, and he happens to be some big shot, so it might be nepotism because I've never heard of him," Melissa grimaced.
"With his bad attitude I wouldn't be surprised, but I don't think Daniel would ever allow that, so perhaps he isn't even aware."
Melissa nodded. "That's exactly why I'll be discussing this issue with him. We use his venues often to cater for big events, so I don't think he'd want to lose any clientele."
"At least the issue at hand has been resolved. Now there's only one thing I require that will genuinely help improve my mood. "
"Iced coffee," we said in unison, which immediately made me laugh. They already knew me so well and I instantly thought of what Nicolas' reaction would've been to this scenario.
Speaking of which, he asked me to text him once I was done wrapping up things at work, because he planned on taking me somewhere. My curiosity was at an all-time high and I couldn't wait to see what he was planning.
I looked around the vicinity in confusion while I tied my hair in a bun. "Why are we at the gym? Normally if you're trying to impress a woman, this isn't the ideal destination."
There was, however, one positive outcome—Nicolas wore slutty attire. A black compression shirt paired with grey sweatpants. Was he trying to seduce me in public? If so, it was working.
"I thought I already impressed you." He raised an eyebrow.
"You're so conceited at times." I laughed.
"Not conceited, I'd like to think of it as being confident, but it seems like you're not impressed yet," he teased me. "I brought you here because I wanted to teach you some basic self-defence techniques."
"You think I need to learn self-defence?"
"Yes, and because I think this is a unique date idea. Wouldn't you agree?"
I laughed softly, placing my bag on the floor. "I can't argue with that. It certainly is unique and it's nothing I've ever experienced before, so you get points for that."
"I like your outfit, by the way," He scanned my clothing from head to toe, slowly raking his eyes up and down my body. "Come closer." He tilted his head sideways.
"It's just shorts and a tank top." I smiled, slowly walking towards him.
"My love." He shook his head, grabbing my wrist gently and pulling me closer. "You look absolutely breathtaking in everything." He stood behind me, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look in the large mirror. "Absolutely beautiful."
Time stopped, my senses were heightened and my breathing became uneven. "You're exaggerating," I said softly.
"I beg to differ." He easily exceeded me in height, pressing his body firmly against mine. "What are you doing to me?" he questioned. "You're on my mind 24/7, you're consuming me."
I gulped, looking at us in the mirror. "What if I told you that you've done the same thing to me? Would the score be even?"
"No." He moved my head sideways and leaned in. "Christ, I want to kiss you so badly."
"What's stopping you?" I asked, looking at our reflection.
He held my chin firmly in his grasp and tilted my head all the way back, placing his lips on mine. The angle made this experience more intense, more passionate. When he pulled away, a string of saliva formed and I parted my lips, trying to catch my breath.
He chuckled softly, making me look into the mirror again. "Before we get carried away and I end up slutting you out in this gym, let's get started, yes?" he said, his tone low and deep. "We'll begin with some basic stretching exercises, I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."
It took me a few seconds to come back to my senses due to our kiss and the filthy shit he just uttered to me. "I don't think I'll hurt myself, I happen to be fairly flexible." I rolled my eyes. His hand was around my throat in nanoseconds as he spoke directly into my ear.
"You don't have to tell me anything about your flexibility, because I'm well aware." My jaw fell slack. This man's slick mouth would send me to an early grave for sure.
"It's only been a few hours since our last conversation," I said.
"I didn't say anything appropriate, I just stated a fact. I know that you're flexible, I've seen it in real time." He shrugged, gripping my throat a little harder.
"You've seen it while we had sex, that's what makes it inappropriate."
His laughter was always like music to my ears. "Semantics." He backed away, gesturing towards the exercise mats. "Now, enough talking. Get onto the mat and let me teach you the basics, yes?
"If you wanted to stretch me out, you could've just said that." I laughed, getting onto the mat.
"I prefer stretching you out in other ways, and this definitely isn't one of them. Stop trying to procrastinate and start stretching."