Cold hearted, p.16
Cold-Hearted, page 16
Even if she betrayed me.
At this point, the betrayal would be worse because now I was invested, but there was no going back at this point. I had to know what sort of woman Gabriella was and I needed to know now.
I pulled out and went to the shower. “Clean yourself up. Pack your glock and I’ll meet you downstairs.” I didn’t look back to see how Gabriella had taken my order. I was in the shower for five minutes before I looked over though the grass. She was gone.
And I’d be gone before she realized it.
NINETEEN
GABRIELLA
We were late for our reservation. I didn’t know how far the restaurant was but if it wasn’t in the driveway then there was no way we’d make it on time. Over thirty minutes had passed since I left the bathroom. My pulse jumped when I remembered the way Jacob had looked at me through the mirror.
It had been terrifying, but thrilling.
Everything about this day had kept me on edge of a mental breakdown. The moment I told him he could kiss me when I was naked, I knew I’d made a mistake. I should have known that if I gave Jacob an inch, he’d take a whole mile. That I’d been walking around in nothing but my birthday suit for the last twenty-four hours meant there’d been a lot of lips and tongue on me and seemingly in every place.
I’d let him hold me when we weren’t in bed. At first, I’d allowed it because I was using his body as a shield, just in case the guards were watching the feed, but after awhile I knew I was letting him touch me because I wanted it and I liked that he wanted it.
As the hours passed, I waited for him to get distracted with business but that never happened. He’d been all mine, which meant I’d been all his.
A promise was a promise.
But what about the promises I’d made to myself?
Was I falling for my husband? It should have been too soon to ask myself that question, yet there I was.
I needed to speak to Beatrice. I needed to find my center, my safe place. I needed to remember that I was a lioness. A huntress, free to roam where she wished. I couldn’t be contained.
At least I’d earned a free day to myself.
But what good was a free day when I wanted to spend every moment with him?
Oh God, you’re in trouble.
Olivier approached me ten minutes later. His expression didn’t bode good things. “Mr. Anderson has left.”
I cocked my head as if the tilt would help me hear better. “What?” He had to be mistaken.
“Your husband is gone. He asked me to see that you were fed.”
“What?”
Olivier opened his mouth to repeat himself but I put my hand up to stop him. I’d heard what he said. Now, I needed him to make it make sense. “He left?” I didn’t even see him come down or hear the front door open.
Olivier nodded. “He went through the garage and took a car.”
I pushed myself off the couch and stood. “Did he say where?”
Olivier shook his head.
My hand found my chest as my heart began to race at the ideas in my head. “Did he get a call? Was he nervous? Worried?” Was Reggie hurt?
Oliver shook his head again. “He seemed perfectly fine. He said…” He shut his mouth and his gaze grew wary. He glanced around at the ceiling, probably remembering the cameras, and then cleared his throat. “I’m sure he’ll be back eventually.”
He was hiding something. Switching to French, I asked, “What did he say?”
Olivier took a deep breath and lowered his voice. “The words were whispered under his breath. It was not for me to hear.”
“What did he say?” I pressed.
“He said he needed to get away.”
Get away?
How more ‘away’ could a man get than a tropical island?
He didn’t need to get away from work. He needed to get away from me.
Why? Had I been clingy?
No, that was impossible. I’d been purposeful about keeping my distance. It was always he who sought me out. Jacob asked me to go swimming, which we’d done for all of five minute before he’d taken me on the stairs while I’d clung to the rail for dear life.
He’d shocked me by making breakfast and then even more when he’d spread me on the table and done a series of wicked things to me with his rough tongue and wandering hands.
It had been his idea to watch a movie in bed, his idea to hold me. The only thing I’d done was ask about Reggie. We’d talked a little about the situation in NY, but he’d changed the subject once he saw how upset it made me. It had upset us both.
But now he needed space?
“Would you rather order something to be brought to the house?” Olivier asked.
I looked down at myself. Earlier in the bathroom, Jacob had taken care to not ruin my dress or my face. I was ready to go out and I would. “No, I want to leave.”
He nodded. “Are we keeping the reservation?”
I shook my head. “Take me somewhere else.”
He escorted me out and I tried my best to shift my anger to something else. I’d wanted freedom, right? Well, now I had it and I was getting on a beautiful island. I had money to spend and the glock to keep me safe. I wasn’t completely helpless. I didn’t need Jacob.
My face burned when I remembered he was the reason I’d taken the gun. He must have known he wouldn’t be with me. He’d planned to leave me before I even left the room.
The monster.
I’d been looking forward to tonight. He’d made me look forward to being with him.
Now, I wanted to carve his eyes out. “Where would Jacob go?” I hate that I seemed fixated on Jacob. I was stalking my own husband.
Olivier kept his eyes on the dark road as he drove us down the winding private road from the house. “Perhaps, he went for a drive. Sometimes, men do that to clear their heads.”
Clear his head of what? Me? Well, if that was the case, he could just drive himself off a cliff.
I threw myself back against the seat and crossed my arms, vowing to not ask another question about Jacob tonight.
An SUV followed us. Jacob’s guards. None of the people with me were my people. The faces were familiar but I didn’t know them. I wondered how much trouble Olivier would get into if I asked him to lose them.
Probably a lot. They’d kill him once they realized he’d stolen the Italian mob’s beloved princess.
But then I remembered what Olivier had told me earlier. He could help me, get me whatever I wanted.
Maybe someone was protecting him.
I can’t believe I didn’t remember until now. “Olivier, if I asked you to lose the guards, would you do it?”
A smile rested in his voice. “Whatever you desire, Miss La Pieski.” there was that last name again. Barely two days had passed since my wedding and already the last name I’d had for most my life sounded foreign to my ears.
“And you wouldn’t get hurt for doing it? You’d be… safe?”
He chuckled. “Very safe.”
My heart raced. Would it be childish to lose the guards? Maybe. And who said I could trust Oliiver anyway. He knew my last name, which meant he knew too much. “How do you know who I am?”
“Let’s just say, you have a friend who is very interested in your husband’s business.”
“His business?” My heart stopped. “Are you with the authorities?” Was this a sting operation?
Olivier laughed. “No, I’m with your husband’s enemies,” he said plainly. “And they are offering you a lot of money for very little information.” Even with darkness invading the car, I could feel his eyes on me through the rearview mirror. “I could take you to the airport.” We entered the heart of the city. Lights dazzled the interior of the car. I watched people from all walks of life, rushing in and out of shops, restaurants, and clubs whose music spilled out on the streets. “You could go wherever you want, be whoever you want.”
He was offering freedom, but I didn’t trust it. “Who do you work for?”
Olivier dropped the games. “The Irish, Miss La Pieski.”
I gasped for my next breath as my mouth went dry. The Irish were the Italian’s suit’s real enemy. The feud went deep and back for generations.
The Irish knew I was here. I was alone with one of their associates. Panic made my lips numb.
“Don’t worry,” Olivier said, coming to a stop in front of a busy restaurant. “You are safe, Gabriella. All they want is information.” He turned around and motioned with his chin to the place he’d brought me to. It looked popular. Rhythmic music was playing. People were well dressed for the most part but I saw a few couples in shorts as well. “The food is delicious here. The atmosphere will help you forget about your problems.”
I turned to him just as Olivier added, “You can trust me, Gabriella. I’m on your side. I’ll wait here. Let me know when you’ve made up your mind.”
I moved to get out, but then he called out to me. “Oh. Here is the offer.” He held an envelope in his hand. Part of me didn’t want to take it but I found my hands around it before I could even process what I was doing. Taking the note, I slipped it into my puse and rushed out of the car. The guards were waiting for me.
They escorted me inside but spread out once I was seated, probably to go stand at the exits. Of the four, only one lingered in sight. None of them tried to join me, thankfully.
The restaurant was dim. The scent of spices clung to the air like an old friend. The aroma was mouthwatering and the ballad playing from the live band was soothing.
But not enough. My stomach was in tight knots. I didn’t know if I’d be able to eat but when the waitress came over I ordered the special of the night and when she asked if I wanted to pair it with the chef’s chosen wine, I said yes.
I was on my second cup of wine and feeling a light buzz when the guard assigned to watch me got distracted by a woman in a short red dress who strutted her way to his table and curled her curvy body into his personal space. With his eyes no longer on me, I took a chance and opened my bag and grabbed the envelope.
Thanks to the wine, which was actually really good, my hands didn’t shake as I opened the package.
The first thing I saw was an American passport. I glanced around before I cracked his open. My pulse jumped when I saw my face, but the name wasn’t mine.
It was a fake. A really good fake, I think. It seemed real enough to me.
I glanced at one of the bills inside and saw it was a one hundred. I didn’t bother to look at the rest. From the weight alone I could tell it was high in the thousands, but I’d need more than that to survive.
Oh God, what was I doing? Would I seriously leave Jacob?
I stuffed the envelope away when the seafood dish came. By then the guard had finished flirting and had managed to get the women in the red dress to move on. She refilled my wine as I took a bit of the shrimp.
The flavors called me in for another. I was surprised I could actually eat given the circumstances.
I’d betrayed Jacob. I mean, I hadn’t actually gone through with anything, but guilt was alive and well in my system. The food almost came back up but I forced it down and then pushed my plate away.
I shouldn’t have taken the envelope. I shouldn’t have even looked at it. Why didn’t I tell Jacob about Oliiver yesterday? Why did I keep his secret? Why was I keeping it now?
Was it because of the way he entertained the kids outside while I’d been shopping? He seemed like such a nice man. The women in the clothing stores had spoken so well of Olivier. If I told Jacob that Olivier worked for the Irish, he’d be head in the next second.
I couldn’t have his blood on my hands, could I? It was one thing to be a part of the Italian mafia but quite another to be involved in the business and as a woman, I was not involved.
But I was involved in this.
“Hey.” I looked up at the sound of the masculine voice. The stranger put his hands up. Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He furrowed his brows. “Do you speak English?”
I blinked. “Yes, I speak English. I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else.” I thought he’d been Jacob. I was so on edge. The wine wasn’t working anymore.
He smiled and I was momentarily caught off guard by how striking he was. He was undeniably gorgeous with a strong jaw and a bed of dark, playful curls at the top of his head. His soft blue eyes were warm as they gazed down at me. “Can I sit? And please, don’t say no. It’s my birthday. Also, I was dared to come over and talk to you, because I was staring at you all night.” He pointed to a table across the way. A girl and another guy waved at me. From their clamped hands I could tell they were a couple. They seemed nice.
“Can I sit?” the stranger asked.
“I’m married.”
His crestfallen expression almost made me giggle. And then I did. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” I covered my mouth. Wow, was I inebriated. “I’m sorry.”
“Well, now you have to let me sit down. Otherwise, my friends will never let me live it down.”
I motioned for him to join me as I tried to contain my laughter.
My guard came over. “Sir—”
“He’s fine,” I told my guard. “I invited him.”
My guard did not look pleased. “Mr. Anderson wouldn’t like this.”
Oh, I knew that. And as I imagined Jacob’s face when he heard the news, my smile grew. “Mr. Anderson isn’t here. You may go.”
The guard pressed his lips together and then huffed before he moved away.
“Woah,” my guests said, leaning back. “That was… unexpected. You must be someone important. I mean, not that you’re not important. You’re the most beautiful woman in the room.”
My cheeks burned. I lowered my head. “Thank you, but…” I shook my head. “It’s not me. It’s my husband.”
“Celebrity? Actor?” he asked. “No, let me guess. A musician? You look like the sort of woman who likes to be serenaded.” He wiggled his brows.
I laughed out loud. I didn’t know if he was really, or just really cute, or if I was really wasted. Maybe it was the combination of all three. “He’s not a singer or a celebrity.”
He stared at me. “Businessman.”
I nodded.
“That’s why he’s not with you right now,” he said. “Makes sense. I mean, it doesn’t, because I couldn’t imagine anything being more important than spending time with you, but…”
With a grin, I shook my head. “You don’t know me.”
“No, but…” He shrugged and sighed. “I’ll be a gentleman and keep my thoughts to myself.”
A part of me wanted to push him to be inappropriate. We were already skirting the line. Some people would say there was no harm in sharing a meal with another man, but I knew Jacob would think differently, just as I would if he were having a meal with another woman.
And maybe he was. Maybe he hadn’t just gone for a drive. Maybe he’d heard one of the women he’d messed around with before we married was on the island and he’d gone to visit her.
I just couldn’t understand why, one minute he was so warm he’d have me burning in his arms and then in the next… He didn’t even say goodbye.
“I should head back to my friends,” the stranger said. “Our flight to Aruba leaves in the morning.”
“You live in Aruba?” I asked. I could tell he was American by his accent.
He shook his head. “No, my friends and I decided to travel the world for the year. We’re brokers.” Then he leaned forward and whispered, “They weren’t even a couple before we left the states. Had I known they were going to hook up I would have stayed home.”
“But traveling the world seems So wonderful.”
“Then join us,” he said.
I giggled until I realized how serious his expression was. My mouth fell open. “I can’t. I’m married.”
“So?” he shrugged. “Is the old man going to miss you?”
So now he was assuming Jacob was old? Did I really look that lonely?
“We’re staying at the Canon Bay. I’m in Room 1103. Be there by 5 A.M. and we’ll leave.”
My heart flipped. “I can’t.” I hadn’t even given him my name and I was glad he didn’t ask for it. I wouldn’t have known which one to give. Did I go with my real name or the one on the passport? “You don’t even know me.”
“Let’s figure that out together.”
His confidence was enthralling. I watched him get up, leave, and rejoin his friends. Once he sat down, he toasted me with his glass. I turned away.
And smiled.
Room 1103. Canon Bay.
I’d remember that thirty years from now. Maybe I’d tell my grandchildren about how a dazzling man tried to steal me away from my husband with the promise of seeing the world. The trip was more tempting than the cash burning a hole through my purse.
I wasn’t going. The stranger would probably be disappointed but leaving was never a choice.
Just like betraying Jacob wasn’t.
Because, even with his absence, I could still feel him around me. Inside me.
I’d never escape him. He’d come for me.
You belong to me.
His words were true. I belonged to him and the family. I was the daughter of Alfred and Griselda La Pieski, Gabriella Andretti, future queen of the Italian mafia. The stranger had offered to help me discover myself but I already knew who I was. Leaving my current situations wouldn’t change that.
My circumstances couldn’t be helped, but my attitude about the situation could.
Jacob wanted space. Fine. He could have all the space he needed. He could move to the next galaxy for all I cared. He didn’t have to touch me again. We’d know in a matter of weeks if I was pregnant or not. The job was likely done.
The honeymoon was over.
It was time to move on. I stood and walked out of the restaurant. I didn’t look in the direction of my new friend though I could feel his eyes follow me. Hopefully, he’d get the message that I wouldn’t be joining him.
