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“Mr. Keller,” I begin, “This is Xavier Cerelli. Your partner, Mr. Stone, emailed me about you having an interest in assisting with the search for my wife. Something about your client needing protection from my family?”
I keep my voice even, not wanting to let him know how much I want to make this deal. Gray and I spent part of our work lunch researching Keller and Stone. They haven’t been operating long, but already they have an impeccable reputation and an impressive success rate in locating missing persons. They also only hire combat veterans to staff their security teams, and that is something I can completely get behind. If not for my father demanding my participation in the family businesses when I was younger, I like to believe that I would have joined the ranks of men similar to this one. I know that Grayson would have too, but he stayed because he knew that I had no choice other than to stay. At least he was able to find a calling outside of the family.
“That is correct, Mr. Cerelli,” the calm voice on the other end of the line states. “I would like to arrange a trade, so to speak. My services in helping to locate your wife, and in return, you would take steps to ensure that my Faye would be safe from the Cerelli family. It is my understanding that it was your late father who had an interest in having her located. I want your assurance that the search has been terminated.”
I can’t help the sigh that heaves out of my lungs. Cleaning up another mess that my father made. “Why was my father searching for your woman?” I finally ask. He gives me a brief description of what definitely sounds identical to a family arranged hit on his uncle and the mother of his girlfriend. Then he fills me in on her years in hiding. “She saw nothing, and she has no knowledge of any dealings between my uncle and your father.” He concludes. I hum a vague agreement, “Sounds as if we are in a position to help each other.”
“I believe that we are Mr. Cerelli.” He says. “Call me Xavier, Mr. Cerelli was my father, and he was a total bastard.” I tell him, “I will email over a file about my Analise and the little I have been able to discover since she left. I would need to meet with Faye before I take steps to end any search that my be ongoing.” I don’t really mean it. I plan to start digging to see what I can find out, it’s totally something my father would do, have people looking for a woman, and it sounds like she was just a kid when he started it.
“I think that can be arranged,” Travis says, all business. “I will start looking for Analise as soon as I get the file on her.” I’m already on my laptop, attaching files to a secure email. “Sending it now,” I have to ask, “What makes you think you can find her when my team hasn’t had any luck in 5 months?”
“Keller and Stone has a very good track record when it comes to locating missing persons, Xavier. I’m certain that you did your homework on our company after hearing from Blake, so you should know this.”
He’s right, so I admit, “I have looked into your business. Your reputation is solid, and that’s why I’m willing to work with you.”
“Xavier,” his tone is grave, “I want to level with you on this. Sometimes we locate people who have good reasons to not want to be found.”
This isn’t going anywhere good.
He continues, “When this happens, we often help them relocate in a way that makes them more difficult to find again.”
This surprises me, this makes their success rates even higher than I had thought.
My respect for this man goes up, even though I am not happy about what he is telling me. “That will not be the case in our deal, Travis. If you locate Analise, I will be notified. No matter what she tells you. It is the only way our deal will be agreeable to me.” I can tell from his silence that he wants to argue, but after a long moment, he responds, “I will write up the agreement and get it to both of our lawyers for approval. You will hear from me soon, Xavier.”
We quickly say our goodbyes, and I sit back in my desk chair. For the first time in months, I can breathe. If anyone can find Analise, I have to believe it will be this man. I just hope she doesn’t say anything to him that will make him go back on our agreement. He sounds like he’s an upstanding guy. Not the sort that would consider me raping my wife on our wedding night acceptable in any way… no matter what my feelings for her are. All I can do is hope she comes home and can find it in her heart to forgive me. I will do whatever it takes to earn her forgiveness.
And her love.
Chapter Seven
Ana
Working without Franc… FAYE! I correct myself every time I think her name now. Anyway, working without her makes my shift feel so much longer. Even though we don’t touch on in depth subjects, we have spent enough time together that we have a rhythm. I hope that if she comes back, by some chance, we can try to be better friends. Maybe see each other outside of work. Not that her man is going to ever let her step foot back in this place if he found her yesterday. I don’t blame him either. I wish I could shake the dust of it from my feet, and sooner rather than later.
Once again, I consider the ramifications of picking up a phone, calling Xavier, and asking if I’m welcome to come home. I’d even move back in with Vince if that is what he wants. I’m just tired of living this way, poor and friendless. At least in Vegas, I had Vince and Ellie. That’s more than what I have here.
After sharing my tips with the cook and making sure that everything is ready for Rhonda, the gal who just came in late for her shift, I put on my sweater and head toward my little car. There is a big black pickup parked right next to it, and I catch a glimpse of familiar faces locked in a heated kiss. It’s Faye and Travis. I don’t want to interrupt their moment, but I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t to see me, so I lift my hand and gently rap on the window. I can’t stop my smile at the startled look on Faye’s face.
My smile quickly fades as I can’t help but recall how I felt the same kind of awe and happiness when Xavier kissed me. Before everything got out of hand, and I lost control of my body and mind in his arms. Before something unexpected in me was illuminated.
Faye hurriedly scoots off Travis’ lap and across the bench seat. She opens the door and jumps down to the ground before rounding the front of the truck and meeting me by my car. “Can we talk?” She asks without preamble, and I give Travis a quick smile through the window as I turn to head back inside.
We sit down at a table in the back, and Travis takes a seat at the counter where he can keep all of his attention focused on Faye. Rhonda is doing her best to get his attention. I’m sure that she’s hoping to make a date with him for later. He’s way better looking than the majority of men who find their way in here. I’m impressed when he doesn’t even seem to notice as she leans over to pour his coffee, showing him the tops of her ample boobs showcased by her too-small top. Her lower lip pushes out in a sullen pout as she sashays toward her next victim… err, customer. I chuckle quietly and roll my eyes. “So, he found you?” I ask, motioning to the big man silently stirring cream into his coffee. She nods. “You ok with being found?”
“Oh,
yes. I have been waiting four years for him to find me.” Her face brightens with happiness, but it fades quickly. I wait silently for her to say what she needs to.
When she does, it is nothing that I could have ever expected. My past crashing into my present in the most unanticipated way.
“Ana, I have to ask you something, and I need you not to freak out.” She finally begins.
I nod, fingers of unease tracing their frigid fingers down my spine as I wait for her to continue.
”Do you know who the Cerelli family is? From New York?” she asks, her voice just barely more than a whisper.
I feel the color leech from my face, and unconsciously I reach up and wrap my fist around my wedding ring where it hangs on its chain around my neck. “Wh-why?” I stumble over the word, knowing that probably gave me away, but she goes on, pretending that I hadn’t been startled by her question.
