20. Lexi
20
Lexi
A s the morning comes, Gabriel is no longer next to me in bed. Still sleepy, I stumble out of the bedroom and notice the door to his study wide open. He never leaves that room open when I’m around… this is new. I walk up to the doorway and see him working at his desk. His study looks just as minimalist and tastefully furnished as the rest of the house—perfect for a busy guy living alone.
“There’s coffee and groceries in the kitchen if you’re hungry,” Gabriel says, glancing up. “I’m just finishing something and will join you for a second coffee.” He’s got that jeans-and-white shirt thing going on, with his hair ruffled, smelling like citrus spice. Daytime Gabriel is a whole other person compared to the wild, passionate guy who had me weak in the knees with just one good hand.
“And good morning to you, too,” I grumble, heading back to the bedroom. “Me? Oh, I slept well, thanks. It was nice having you naked next to me,” I mutter to myself while pouring coffee into my mug. Beautiful, naked, mysterious, but quiet, keeping me at a distance.
Sure, he does it with tender gestures, but he still brushes me off when I try to find out more about him. I need a bit more courage myself to tell him what’s really bothering me, about my vendetta against the Maiers. But as long as he keeps me at arm’s length, I can’t fully trust him. I wish I didn’t have to carry this burden alone .
I’m not thrilled that in the daylight, I can’t find the same Gabriel from last night, but I’m glad he’s full of energy and seems to have recovered a bit from the sadness of yesterday’s events.
I grab my coffee, shut the bedroom door behind me, and text Lena: Don’t forget to meet me at ten at the Grain Inc. building. Wait for my signal.
Lena: Good morning. I take it the night you spent in Gabriel’s arms didn’t make you change your mind?
Me: How did you know?
Lena: You barely texted, so I figured you had your hands full.
Me: Maybe I was asleep.
Lena: Were you?
Me: Meet me there, please. It’s my only chance.
Lena ends our chat with three emojis—two of them slightly inappropriate, the third one a thumbs-up. I know she’s got my back.
I shower, put on a pair of comfy jeans and a blue T-shirt, and head to the living room. Gabriel’s already there, tapping away on his phone, dressed and ready to go.
“I need a couple of things if I’m staying here for a few more days. I’d like to drop by my place… well, Lena’s place,” I say, breaking the silence.
“Okay, we can stop by before I go to the office. It won’t take long, right?” Gabriel says, looking at his phone.
“Oh, we’re going to your office today?”
“Yeah. I have a few meetings. I’ll set up a corner for you with internet access so you can do whatever you want—look for a job or talk to your father.”
“Okay. But if you’re busy, Mike can give me a ride to Lena’s, so I won’t have to rush and forget things again. I really don’t want to bother you.”
“You’re not bothering me. I told you that yesterday. But the idea of having Mike around is actually good. I’m glad you’ve gotten used to having him around. It makes me feel more comfortable so I can deal with other things.”
I jump up and kiss him on the cheek. Okay, things are really falling into place. He hugs me back, but looks at me suspiciously. “Should I worry that you’re so excited to see Mike?”
“Is that jealousy I’m hearing, Mr. I don’t do relationships ?”
He says nothing but gives me a long look, like he’s trying to figure me out completely. We should leave the house quickly before I lose my poker face. I make two sandwiches to go, and we head out to meet Mike.
We find his car parked on a side street. In true Lexi delivery style, Gabriel hands me over to him, and the second I buckle in, Mike speeds off to Lena’s place without a word. It looks like Gabriel filled him in.
I don’t want to waste time at home since Lena’s already downtown and waiting to meet up with me. So, I move on to the next part of my plan—I pretend to type on my phone and put on a worried face.
“I got an email from Grain Inc. Apparently, I need to sign some stuff for them to process my resignation officially. Can you swing by there real quick?”
“It’s not a good idea, Lexi. Let’s talk to Gabriel. I’ll have to keep everyone away from you again.”
“Let me see how important this is,” I continue as I text Lena, asking her to be in the parking lot and text me back immediately.
Seconds later, my phone buzzes, and I turn to Mike. “It’s important, and it won’t take long. I want to wrap things up with them. Peter’s secretary left an envelope for me at the front desk. I go in, sign, get my copy, and leave. ”
Mike looks at me, unsure of what to do. I deliver the final blow. “You can come with me.”
“Of course, I’ll come with you. Call security so they can let us in.”
Fuck! I totally forgot about parking access. I take a few seconds to think things through before I answer. “I’d better not. We shouldn’t make a fuss about this. Just leave your car somewhere close. It won’t take long.”
There’s something Mike doesn’t know (and I hate myself for doing this to him), but the restroom by the front desk has a secret exit straight to the supply elevator. Once I’m in there, getting to the parking lot and Lena shouldn’t be a problem.
Mike finally agrees, parks on a side street, and walks me to the Grain Inc. offices. Once we’re in the lobby, he ensures the others don’t recognize me and act up, giving me time to slip away unnoticed. I left my phone in Mike’s car since I had brought the burner phone Gabriel didn’t know about. All I need to do now is let the front desk know I’m here to see Susanah and ask them to tell her to come down. Then I quietly sneak to the bathroom and, from there, up the back stairs to the parking lot. Mike is in the lobby, but I have to move fast. He might get suspicious and come looking for me soon.
I leave the parking lot and spot Lena’s car nearby with its hazards blinking. Once I get to her, I quickly throw myself into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut behind me. “Step on it!” I shout, my voice catching in my throat. “Let’s make sure no one follows us.”
Lena snorts with laughter as she takes off. “What did you do?”
“I mean it, step on it. Let’s get going, and I’ll tell you more.”
Minutes later, we reach the port. Lena parks the car and then gets right down to business. “You know what’s confusing to me? Why bother with this when you can just tell Gabriel and have him go all out to find that damn car you’re so obsessed with?”
“I have so many reasons that I don’t even know where to begin. First, he’ll say it’s dangerous and won’t involve me. After all the suffering and research I’ve put into this, I deserve to be part of this investigation.”
“You really are obsessed with this car. You know, you could lose Gabriel. He’ll get pissed about you running away today.”
“He always gets pissed. Only what he does is right. And what’s he going to do, give me a spanking and send me home?”
“You could lose him. That’s all I’m saying. This man likes you and is on your side. Remember how he jumped to defend you at the hotel and how affected he was to see you in pain?”
“Lena, listen,” I say, my voice shaking a bit. “Gabriel is not protecting me, but an illusion—the image of a woman who’s scared and in danger. He doesn’t know I’m here to get revenge against someone who belongs to his world.”
I pause, taking a deep breath to steady myself. “I’ve seriously thought about it—what if the car belongs to one of his clients? Do you think he’ll expose them? If he betrays a client, his reputation will be ruined.”
My voice gets harder. “I’m not here to play nice, Lena. Someone made a mess of my life, and until I find who was behind the wheel, I can’t trust anyone, not even Gabriel.”
“You forget he put Lucas in jail.”
“For a short time. He knew he’d get out. Plus, it was personal. That idiot Lucas insulted him in the video.”
“I think it was more like him punishing Lucas for what he did to you.”
“Lena, I’m just a small-town girl, like that bitch Anita keeps saying. I somehow got caught up in their world, and now I’m messing it up by throwing a snobby, wealthy coward in jail. Of course, none of them could possibly like me.”
“I think you’re being unfair to Gabriel. He’s different.”
“See, Lena,” I sigh, “it would be nice to believe he’s completely on my side. But no matter how hard I try, there’s this distance between us. He dodges my questions, you know? It’s like I don’t even know the real him. And I can’t risk believing he’d pick me over… whoever he has in that world of his. I’m not one of them. No one ever chooses me. I guess I’m just alone in this.”
“You have to take a chance, Lexi, if you want to be happy. It’s the scary part of being alive, but it’s worth the risk. You’ve been through a lot, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the good stuff. Go for it! Grab whatever life throws your way. And if it shows up like a Greek god with a hot ass and soft lips… that’s just a bonus.”
“When did you become so wise?”
“Maybe I could use a happy ending. My job can get really dark sometimes.”
“Come on, you love your job.”
“I do. Just not every day.”
“Oh, by the way, what did you say to Dominic? Why don’t you want to go to the boat show with him? The guy was actually pretty sweet, if you think about it.”
“Dominic’s a total control freak, and he’s just full of himself. He took advantage of the house break-in to patronize me.”
“But seriously, what did you tell him?”
“That he’s a womanizer.”
“God, Lena, you took it too far.”
“Did I? He has a list of girlfriends as long as my yearly to-do list. There’s no single beautiful woman under forty in this city who hasn’t spent some magical moments in his arms. ”
I giggle. “I still think that’s a bit much, but okay…”
“Let’s just get back to our stuff. Enough billionaires, hot bodyguards, and alpha protectors for one day,” Lena says. “We need to get to the port. Did you save the car pic on your phone?”
“Fuck. Stupid me. It’s on the other phone.”
“Girl, you’re lucky to have me. You’ve sent it to me so many times that it must be somewhere in my downloads.”
Lena locks the car and fixes her clothes. With the phone in her hand, she heads toward the port entrance.
“Did you find it?” I ask, slightly panicking.
She scrolls her phone for a minute, then shows me a picture of the car that’s worth almost half a million. I must’ve spent hours researching the model, listening to engine sounds in tons of videos and online recordings so I could find the exact one that hit us. I narrowed it down to two matte grey European models that look the same from behind and are limited editions with only a few hundred made.
“There’s no way this car entered the country by road. It was definitely shipped in and then stashed somewhere. If it had come by road, people would’ve seen it. I’m sure there are some folks here in the port who might remember. How do we get in?” I ask.
Lena shoots me a confident smirk. “We’ve got this. I sweet-talked a guy who works here this morning. I told him I was writing a feature about the port’s recent investments and upgrades and that I needed a firsthand look before interviewing the management.”
“And he bought that?”
“Who cares what he bought? He’ll let us in and make a little money on the side.”
“I hope we’re not talking much. You know I’m jobless.”
“I’ve got front-row tickets to a match. I was saving them for someone else, but it’ll be worth it if we sort this out. ”
“You’re my guardian angel.”
“No. I’m just the crazy chick who jumps in to lend a hand. The port is huge, you know. We won’t find out everything in one visit.”
Lena calls her contact, who guides her to a port entrance, where we find him waiting for us—somewhat chubby, in his late forties, holding two hard hats for us.
“Do we have to wear these?” Lena asks after greeting him.
“Yes, it’s mandatory; it’s for your protection. So, for your article, let’s kick things off at the South Port. That’s where you’ll find the container terminals—massive operations with cutting-edge cranes and storage. They’re a sight to see! Then, we can head to the North Port, where bulk cargo like grain, ore, and coal comes in—a completely different world that is fascinating in its own way. They’ve got all the latest tech for efficient loading and unloading. You’ll get a well-rounded picture of the port by the end of the day.”
Our guide navigates a labyrinth of corridors on hidden paths only he seems to know. The surrounding noise is insane—clanging, shouts, engine roars—a symphony of industrial chaos. This stupid helmet might protect my head, but it also blocks out everything he says. Frustrated, I shuffle next to him, on the opposite side of Lena.
“I work for Lena. I help her with the research part. She took me with her today because she knows I’m obsessed with the port,” I say, trying to get his attention. “So, where do the special shipments, like luxury goods, come in?” I ask.
“It depends on what it is, but everything in a container goes through the South Port, especially valuable stuff like small, expensive items. The terminals are equipped for all sizes, including refrigerated containers for perishable luxury goods.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean perishable goods. I was thinking about luxury cars. ”
“Well, luxury products like high-end cars, designer clothes, electronics, or delicate foods go through the container terminals and then go to Customs and Inspection. Ports have designated areas where officials check everything to make sure it follows the rules and isn’t fake or damaged, especially for luxury items.”
“Can we go there first?” I insist.
The guy fixes his gaze on us, then jerks his chin toward the container area. “Did you get me the stuff we talked about?” he asks Lena casually.
Lena fishes an envelope out of her bag. The man rips it open and eyes the cash inside. “This will get you past the gate,” he grunts. “But your little friend here is asking a lot of questions. Do you have anything else for me?”
Lena takes out a second envelope. He opens it, checks out the stack of K1 tickets inside, and shoves them back in with a groan. “So, what exactly do you want to know?”
I unlock my phone and show him the picture of the car. He stares at it, then pinches the screen to get a closer look. “Yeah, cars like this don’t come around often. My wife works in Customs. I can WhatsApp her and ask her to check. I don’t want us to be seen there. But that’ll cost you extra.”
Lena sends him the picture of the car. “No worries. We’ll find something nice for your wife, some concert tickets. Ask her what she wants and let me know. I want to know if a car like this has been through customs in recent years. If you throw in an owner’s name, we’ll make your wife happy. You know I always settle my debts.”
She always does. That’s how Lena made connections in this city. This is the first time I’ve seen her work her magic, though. She’s one heck of a detective, that’s for sure .
“Stay here and don’t get lost. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” the guy says before disappearing.
We wait for twenty minutes, but no one shows up. Lena tries calling him, but he doesn’t pick up. “Lexi, I think we should go. Let’s head to a busier area. I didn’t like the way he suddenly acted differently when he saw that picture.”
Lena grabs my hand, and we rush back the way we came, heading to the front gate—the most crowded spot we’ve seen in the port.
“I thought you said you knew the guy,” I say, trying to contain my panic.
“I do, but if you ask strange questions or bring up touchy subjects, sources disappear, or they sell you out sometimes. That’s my worry right now.”
We reach the end of the road, close to the gate. Suddenly, three men appear from behind a building, blocking our way. One of them, all crisp suit and shiny badge, stands out, while the other two look like professional thugs. They stop just a few feet in front of us.
The suited guy flashes us a grin. “Well, well, where are you sweethearts off to?” he asks. Shivers run down my spine. This guy is huge, even in a suit. He looks mean, like a tough soldier with that buzz cut. His icy stare makes me want to shrink. He seems like the kind of guy who doesn’t get scared of anything and enjoys intimidating people for a living.
We stop, and Lena, brave as ever, steps up to the guy. My heart races as I slowly try to dig my phone out, praying for a signal so I can call the police while she keeps them talking. We’re stuck in this dead-end alley, alone with these creeps. They look like they could easily throw us in those containers and make us disappear. And judging by their stares, that’s exactly what they’re thinking .
“I’m a journalist,” Lena replies. “We’re doing research for my article. I’m working on a piece about the port.”
“Where’s your press badge and visitor pass?” the man in the suit asks, walking up to her.
“Who wants to know?” Lena answers without flinching.
“Vargas. Port Manager,” he replies, coming closer and shoving his badge in her face.
“How do I know it’s you? The badge has no picture.” Smart move, Lena. Maybe that will buy us a bit of time and show we’re not afraid to challenge them.
Vargas shoves the badge at Lena again, his jaw clenching. “And what exactly would satisfy you?” he asks, with a sleazy grin splashed all over his face. “You journalists are all the same. You just got to dig deeper, right?” The way he talks and looks at us makes my skin crawl.
“An ID with a photo and a name would be nice.” Huh, my Lena doesn’t scare easily.
Vargas turns to his goons and barks, “One of you better run back to my office and have my secretary give you a stamped document with a picture. Oh, and while you’re there, maybe ask my boss to give a statement saying that I work for him. Chop chop, we don’t want to get the journalist here all mad.”
The two guys stare at Vargas, confused. They look at each other, and then one of them slowly turns toward where Vargas pointed, unsure of what to do.
Before his goon can take a step, he barks, “Stay put. We’re not finished with these two sweethearts.” Vargas sizes Lena up, his eyes lingering on her boobs and hips. He continues to talk, his laughter cold and mocking. “Maybe we’ll bring them back to the office with us. You know, for a coffee. We don’t want anyone thinking we’re terrible hosts. ”
I’m about to explode. My heart races like a drum solo, a mix of fear and excitement. I feel like we’re onto something huge, like we finally uncovered a secret. These guys showed up right after Lena’s contact dumped us. The car picture definitely triggered this. But getting out of here alive is more important than anything right now—before we end up in some container.
“I don’t think I like your attitude,” I shout with my phone in one hand. “I’m going to call the police right now and say we’re being harassed and threatened.”
“Be my guest,” he says, laughing. “Maybe I’ll walk you to the cops myself and file a complaint for trespassing.” Before I can react, his hand shoots out, grabbing mine like a vise. Pain explodes as he twists it, almost making me drop the phone. Lena lunges to grab his other hand, but one of his goons slams her back onto the rough ground, pinning her with his knee. Curses fly from her mouth as Vargas shoves me down, too, his hand like a steel trap on my shoulder. My hand feels like it’s on fire as he twists it harder, and I scream and drop the phone, collapsing to my knees.
“Vargas, you piece of shit. Get your fucking hands off my woman,” I hear Gabriel’s voice suddenly booming. Vargas turns around and loses his grip for a second. As I lie on the ground, I look up at him, and there it is, on the side of his neck—the same symbol from the car that slammed into Dad and me. I feel a rush of hatred and adrenaline take over my body, and with the last ounce of strength, I shove my head and shoulder into his groin as hard as I can. He crumples with a roar of pain, screaming, “Bitch!”