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“Fine,” she says, and I hear her stomping her foot before storming out of Gary’s office, nearly crashing into me.
“Oh. Hey Ade. Can’t stop, gotta run, talk to you soon.” And with that she’s off, already halfway down the corridor.
I step through Gary’s wide open office door.
“Ah, Angel. Come in,” he says, walking toward me to slap me on the back in greeting.
Even after four years of working for Gary, it’s strange to hear him call me by my Army nickname. For Ethan, Axel, and Garrett, it’s second nature. It came about pretty much as soon as we enlisted.
Angel, but only on the outside, they would tell me.
“It’s a bit early for a Miranda ambush, isn’t it?” I joke as Gary returns to his desk and sits down.
He’s a great boss, friendly and warm with everyone who knows him. Strict but fair as an employer, a positive hangover from his military days. He climbed the ranks in the SEALs but left them in his midforties and spent the next decade building up Freemont Security. It’s now one of the top three security companies in this country. Clients from all over the world come to us because they know when they hire Freemont, they get excellence.
Gary co-owns this company with his brother Martin, who left a high paying corporate job to start this with him. He doesn’t have a military background but with an MBA in business, he looks after the running and growth of the company while Gary with his expertise is the main client contact and overall head of operations.
“Tell me about it,” he says, chuckling. “You’re here early too. Did you stay the night?”
“Yeah, I crashed upstairs. It was late when Riley and I got here.”
“How is she? I didn’t like you two being on the road in that bloody storm.”
“Nor did I, but she had her mind set on getting to Atlanta.”
“And let me guess… you couldn’t resist her beautiful smile?” he jokes, knowing nothing can normally sway me. Just that with Riley, it’s pretty close to the truth.
Fuck. I think she could get me to do pretty much anything.
I ignore his ruse. “What’s Riley’s story? Why is she getting this special treatment? Jet escort, company apartment, Miranda fussing over her?”
He regards me for a moment,clearly debating how much to tell me. “It’s her story to tell, not mine. I offered her my help, and she accepted it.”
“Come on Gary. Don’t hold out on me. She’s clearly running from something or someone. She’s jumpy and looks over her shoulder continuously. What are we up against?” I try again. “I’m responsible for her training. I can tailor it to her needs, but I need to know what’s going on.”
He sighs. “You do, and you have access to her file. You’ll find everything relevant in there.”
Being responsible for everyone’s training at Freemont gives me access to most employee files. In some cases, though, there are sections redacted. I had assumed this to be the case with Riley. Probably because Gary was tight-lipped about her over the phone.
“I was tempted to check it out on the jet, but that would have inevitably led to more questions, and she wasn’t talkative. She was so flustered by the change in plans when I met her, I thought she was going to have a panic attack.”
I recall Riley’s fear, how it radiated from her every pore.
“Who is she running from?” I ask again.
Gary sighs, tapping his fingers on the desk. “Gualtiero De Marco. Head of the De Marco crime syndicate. Based in Sicily but running operations throughout Europe with worldwide connections.”
I keep my expression impassive, but inside it’s like being stabbed with a knife. How did such an innocent angel get entangled with the mob?
“Did she witness a crime? Why isn’t she in witness protection?”
Gary’s expression turns grim.
“I’m not sure how much she’s seen. She met him on vacation in Sicily… saved his life, not knowing who he was. He pursued her, concealing what he does. They had an affair. When it was time for her to return home, he kidnapped her. She tried to escape a few times but was always recaptured. She finally succeeded when we were already watching her.
“Riley is best friends with Lex’s girl, who sensed something was wrong. Lex started looking into it and called me for help. Ethan and Garrett were in Europe and went to investigate. They caught up with Riley in Switzerland with De Marco’s men hot on her heels. We put her on a cruise to Halifax to get her out of Europe.”
The longer I listen to Gary the more enraged I become. She must have gone through hell. All I want to do is protect her from this monster.
