Chapter Three
Loni tossed the keys to Halligan. His grin as he slid behind the wheel sent flutters to her core. She had fond memories of that grin as he pleasured her during the night.
She figured if they were going to make this work—and she needed him to make it work—trusting him with Dottie was the first step. She’d be trusting him with a lot more than a car if this worked out the way she planned.
Halligan backed the car out.
“I know we have a lot to talk about, but let’s start with, why are you here?” he asked.
And that was the freaking million-dollar question, wasn’t it? Did she share it all and trust him immediately or test him with just a little information?
“I needed somewhere to be safe,” Loni said, watching Halligan’s face as he processed the information.
“Is someone after you?” Halligan asked, reaching to hold her hand across the console. When was the last time anyone comforted her?
It had to be while Gigi was still alive. Just the warmth of his hand and his words relaxed something inside her.
“I’ll protect you, but I’ll need to know more to figure out how best to do that. If you don’t want to tell this more than once, then we should probably drop the car off and head back to my family,” he said.
“Are you saying they’re nosy?” she asked.
“In the very best way. In a fight, I can’t imagine anyone better,” he said, pulling up to a gated entrance. “Code is 26627,” he said, driving the car through the entrance once the gate opened.
“I need to write it down to remember,” Loni said.
“Just remember BOOBS and spell it on the keypad,” Halligan said.
Loni chuckled. “Noted.”
“Quinton may be a lawyer, but he has the humor of a thirteen-year-old boy sometimes,” Halligan replied.
Halligan drove through the garage toward the family’s secure area. He input another code in the keypad and waited for the steel gates to open. Pulling through, he headed toward one of the spaces for their high-end vehicles.
He hurried out of the car to hold her door for her.
“Let’s grab your bags and take them up to my apartment,” he said.
Loni took the keys he’d handed her and opened the small trunk. Halligan grabbed the two larger bags, leaving a smaller one for Loni.
Once at the door to her enclosed parking space, he turned to her.
“Pick a code that you can remember,” Halligan said.
“4564364,” she replied.
“Do you want to write it down?” Halligan asked.
“Nope, it spells 456 Hemi,” Loni replied with a grin.
“Well, at least it’s not boobs. The first time you park here, put in asterisk, asterisk, then the code. After that, follow the directions to open it,” Halligan said. Once she nodded, he waited while she programmed the code.
“I really don’t want to go through it twice, but you’ve got a lot of family. I’m not sure I’m comfortable sharing everything with them yet,” she said.
“We don’t need everything yet. I get that we don’t know each other, and it will take time for us to establish trust. But if you can’t share enough for us to keep the family safe, which includes kids, then you and I can leave. I’ll keep you safe somewhere else,” Halligan said.
“Let’s drop the bags off, then tell everyone. I couldn’t handle it if something happened to kids because I wasn’t forthcoming,” Loni said.
“All right. We’ll figure out a plan, and once everyone is safe, I will be begging to take my wife’s car out for a real ride where I can see exactly what that 456 Hemi can do.”
“That can be arranged.”
Halligan sat by Loni, waiting for everyone to get settled.
His older nephews were watching all the younger kids while they watched a movie.
None of his family wanted to miss his explanation of how a wife none of them knew about was in Dodge City.
He couldn’t blame them; he’d be doing the same thing if it were one of his brothers or cousins.
He’d had a little bit of time to think as he and Loni sat on the couch waiting for everyone to arrive.
He’d promised Loni he’d keep her safe and he would.
He just didn’t completely trust her yet because something wasn’t adding up.
A one-night stand coupled with the wedding could be chalked up to impetuous decisions made while inebriated.
But now, she was worried about her safety.
He’d need more facts before he could relax and trust her.
And he wanted to trust her because there was something about her that called to him—that part of him that wanted to cherish and protect someone.
“All right. Let’s settle down. Halligan, why don’t you introduce us to your wife,” his dad directed.
“This is…”
A slamming door and the exclamation of holy shit had everyone turning.
Elijah stood, eyes wide and mouth open, staring at Loni.
“Did you need something, Elijah?” his mom, Ellie, asked.
“Yeah, the kids are hungry. I was going to get a bag of chips, but you didn’t say who you were meeting when you asked us to babysit. I would have said no,” Elijah said, his adoring eyes on Halligan’s wife.
“Who do you think she is?” Halligan asked.
Elijah walked forward, holding out his hand. “I’m sorry I cursed. You just surprised me. I’m sorry you lost your grandma. You always seemed so happy in pictures with her.”
“Elijah?” his dad, Hennessy, queried.
“She’s Apollonia Rossellini—of Rossellini Racing, Rossellini Motorsports, and Rossellini Classic Cars.”
It seemed his wife might have a couple more secrets that Halligan hadn’t known. If she was that famous, there was no way his private detective couldn’t find information on her.
Halligan turned toward Loni. “Did you bribe my private detective? He said he couldn’t find anything about you online. I couldn’t either,” Halligan said. The quick flash of guilt on her face told him that yes, he’d been duped.
“I expect a refund,” Halligan said.
“Oh, she’s only on the Rossellini racing sites and not on their social media pages. I just follow their racing information,” Elijah said.
“It’s nice to meet you, Elijah, and thank you. I do miss my Gigi tremendously,” Loni said, her voice quaking.
Halligan couldn’t bear her sadness, sliding his arm around her shoulders. If her family was that big in racing, he imagined they had a lot of private detectives on their payroll to not give out information. He was still going to ask for his money back.
“I’m sorry for your loss, too,” Halligan said.
“My grandmother’s death seems like a good starting point.
She ran the corporation for years. Although I worked for a division of the corporation, she knew I never wanted to take over.
I like the designing aspect—making the cars look good, helping them go faster.
I haven’t been privy to any major business functions besides making the cars.
She died two weeks before Christmas. She was sitting across from me at dinner, her face turned white, and she fell into her plate.
No pulse, no breathing. I called 9-1-1. They came and couldn’t revive her.
I was devastated,” she paused, and Halligan patted her thigh.
He couldn’t imagine the pain and shock she’d felt.
I’m so sorry for your loss echoed from his family members.
“Thank you. At times, it still seems like a bad dream, and maybe if I pinch myself hard enough, I’ll wake up. We got through her funeral. I was grief-stricken and in a daze most of the time.
“It was a couple days before New Year’s.
I’d decided I needed to pull myself out of just lying around.
Gigi would have been the first one to walk into my room, her hand on her hip and the other one shaking in my face, saying, ‘Apollonia, it is time to get back to life. Things happen and our only choice is how we respond. Now, scooch.’ So I scooched.
I showered and put on what I called my working clothes and headed downstairs.
Gigi and I had talked over some new designs before she passed, and I’d left them in her office.
As I got closer to the office, my brother’s voice drifted out.
He was talking with someone in Gigi’s office. What he said scared me.”
Halligan’s stomach hurt hearing the fear in Loni’s voice.
“Go on,” Quinton said. Halligan was glad someone was keeping their head. All Halligan could think about was how sad it had to have been for Loni.
“He said that it was high time I quote earned my keep unquote. At first, I was furious and was going to run in there and tell him all I’ve done.
I’ve worked for the division for years. My designs have increased our wins on the racetrack and our profits for the new cars.
Gigi wasn’t impressed with my brother, so she only let him run the Rossellini Classic and New Car lot. ”
“Earned your keep how?” Quinton prodded.
A shudder went through Loni at Quinton’s words.
“He said that for the small price of one million, the man could have me as his wife,” Loni said softly.
“One million? Would he control something in the company for that? I mean, you’re beautiful, Loni, but one million seems like a lot,” Schaefer said. Halligan hated to have to share the details, but it seemed that it was needed. He wasn’t sure Loni wanted to say it.
“I’m guessing he wasn’t just selling her to be a wife. Was he selling your virginity too?” Halligan asked.
Loni nodded, staring at the floor as if she should be embarrassed, not her slimy brother.
“Hey, none of this is on you,” Halligan said, sliding his hand under Loni’s chin to turn her head.
“I want you to hear this. His sliminess had nothing to do with you, and it was all on him. Is that why you were out on New Year’s Eve?” Halligan asked.
“Yes. I have a suite at the hotel in addition to my quarters at the estate. I noticed you and your friend checking in. I was attracted to you, but you were also kind when that family needed help. I decided I would see if you were interested in helping me get rid of what my brother wanted to sell,” she said softly.
Halligan despised that the confident woman who shoved Judy out of the bar was embarrassed about her situation.