Chapter 10 #2
Saxon drew in a deep breath. “You’re still pissed.”
“Yes, I’m still pissed,” Vander clipped out. “You should’ve fucking told me. I didn’t need to find out my best friend is doing my sister by seeing your tongue down her throat.”
“There’s been shit happening—”
“Fuck, Saxon.” Vander ran a hand through his black hair. “You’re like a brother to me. We’ve been through so much shit together. Now this?”
“What’s going on?” Rhys appeared, frowning.
Vander looked at his shoes. “Saxon and Gia.”
“Saxon and Gia what?” Rhys looked confused. “Did you guys finally try and kill each other?”
Saxon looked at the ceiling. “No.”
“Not yet,” Vander said.
“I’m not planning to hurt her,” Saxon said.
“But you will,” Vander said.
“What?” Rhys looked between them like he was trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together.
“He’s fucking Gia,” Vander said.
“Not yet,” Saxon growled. “And don’t talk about her like that.”
“Saxon and Gia.” About a hundred emotions crossed Rhys’ face in an instant.
“What is going on?” Haven appeared. “I just got here to take Rhys out for coffee, and I can hear you guys from the front door.”
“Saxon and Gia…” Rhys looked like he was struggling to find the right words. “Are together .”
Haven looked at Rhys, then Vander. “You two only just worked that out?” She shook her head. “I thought you guys were crack investigators.”
Rhys shifted his feet, and Vander’s scowl darkened.
Haven arched a brow. “The two of them put off enough sexual heat to power a nuclear plant.”
“She’s my sister ,” Vander said.
“And I’m in love with her.” The words rushed out of Saxon, and he stiffened. Shit, did he just say that aloud?
Haven clapped her hands together, beaming at him.
Saxon rubbed the back of his neck. Shit. Fuck . He was in love with Gia.
What the hell? He didn’t know the first thing about love. He looked up, and saw that Rhys had a small smile on his face, and Vander was just staring at him.
“You should’ve told me that,” Vander said.
“Um, I’m just kind of realizing it now.”
“You fuck with her…” Vander let that hang.
He met his best friend’s gaze. “I’ll keep her safe, and make her happy.”
“Man, you are brave.” Rhys grinned at him.
Haven slapped her man’s chest.
Vander shook his head. “All right, let’s talk work. Where are you at with Dennett and the diamond?”
“I’m tracking down Willow. Gia wants her found.”
Vander’s brows drew together. “Any luck?”
“I’m closing in.”
“Okay, keep me briefed.” With a nod, Vander strode out.
Saxon released a breath, glad that he and Vander had cleared the air a bit.
“Soooo,” Haven said, with a knowing smirk.
“Mouth zipped, Haven. I haven’t discussed everything with Gia. Hell, I’ve barely convinced her to give me a chance.”
Haven nodded. “My money’s on you, Saxon.”
He smiled at her. “Thanks, Haven.”
Rhys dragged his woman away. “Come on, angel.”
At that moment, Saxon’s laptop beeped. There was a message from Ace. He read it and his muscles tensed. Shit . They’d found Willow. He scanned the info. That fucking bitch.
He kept a stranglehold on his anger and called Ace. “I’m on my way. I’ll pick up Gia and take her with me.”
“Got it,” Ace replied. “No rush. I like Gia’s offices, and there’s plenty of pretty scenery.”
“As long as that scenery doesn’t include my woman.”
Ace laughed. “She knows you’ve claimed her?”
“Yeah. She’s not quite on board yet, but I’m working on it.”
Saxon drove to the Firelight offices and parked, then jogged upstairs.
He saw Ace sitting at a desk near Ashley’s, bent over his fancy, high-powered laptop. Several of Gia’s employees were watching him from under their eyelashes.
“Hey, Ace.”
The other man lifted his chin. “You going to talk to the friend?”
“Yeah.”
Ace closed his laptop. “Good luck.”
“Thanks for watching Gia.”
His friend winked. “No hardship.” With a wave, Ace headed out.
“She free?” Saxon asked Ashley.
The woman nodded.
“Can you clear her schedule for the next hour?”
“Sure. Luckily, I can perform miracles.”
He walked into Gia’s office. She was at her desk, scribbling notes. The light from the windows behind her made her skin glow.
Beautiful . And all his.
“Hey,” he said.
“Saxon.” She smiled at him, but then it dissolved. “What’s wrong? Did Dennett hurt someone?”
“I found Willow.”
Gia gasped and rose. “So fast?”
He nodded. “She’s holed up in a hotel in the city.”
Gia walked to him. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, yet. Let’s go and have a chat with her.”
“I’m not getting good vibes from you.”
“Get your bag, Contessa.”
In the car, he drove them toward Nob Hill. When he pulled up in front of the historic facade of the Fairmont, the swankiest hotel in San Francisco, Gia frowned.
Saxon grabbed her hand and walked straight into the old-world grandeur of the opulent lobby. It was all marble, elegant columns, and gilt touches. Near the elevators, a young man in a hotel uniform appeared, and nodded at Saxon.
They circled a large, potted plant, and the man—who worked on the hotel maintenance team and was one of Saxon’s contacts—slid Saxon a key card.
“She’s in a suite.” The young man rattled off the floor and room number.
Saxon slipped him some money. “Thanks, Joe.”
He took Gia’s hand and pulled her into the elevator, then used the card and stabbed a button for one of the top floors.
“She has a suite?” Gia frowned. “How can she afford this? She doesn’t have any money.”
Saxon didn’t answer her.
The elevator slowed and they exited. He stopped in front of the door and knocked. “Housekeeping.”
“No, thanks,” came the muffled reply.
Gia stiffened. It was Willow’s voice.
Saxon slid the card through the lock and they walked in. They rounded a corner into the large living area.
An angry Willow stormed out of a bedroom. “I said—” She broke off, panic blossoming on her face.
“Willow.” Gia pushed forward. “What the hell? I’ve been so worried about you.”
Gia’s gaze swept the room. The heavy drapes were drawn, and boutique shopping bags were strewn all over the floor.
Her gaze fell on the glossy, round table.
A half empty bottle of champagne sat in an ice bucket, a card and the remnants of white powder sat beside it, along with the remains of some chocolate-dipped strawberries.
There was also a black, velvet bag resting on the surface, an emerald and a ruby spilling out of it.
Saxon had guessed as much. Ace had tracked down that Willow had pawned a ruby to afford the hotel.
Rage flared in Gia’s eyes. “You have the gems.”
Willow held up a hand. “Gia—”
Gia exploded. “You trashed my place! You took the gems!”