AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes. You?” I ask, giving her my best fake smile, even though I am dying inside.
“Did you know that they have this amazing spray on sunscreen now? I can’t wait to lie on the beach in Greece and fall asleep in the afternoon sun under those big beach umbrellas!” she gushes as we walk back to the office.
“Cindy, why don’t you pack up now and leave work early. We don’t have anything on and I am sure you have a million things to do before your flight leaves tomorrow,” I say to her as we approach the front of our building.
“Are you sure?” she asks, but the smile on her face tells me she is really keen to start her holiday now.
“Go. Have a wonderful time away, please stay safe, and I can’t wait to hear all about your trip when you get back!” I wrap my arms around her shoulders and give her a hug goodbye. I am glad she gets to take this trip of a lifetime, but I’m sad I won’t see her for six weeks.
“I will bring you back a souvenir from Paris!” she exclaims happily, and my breath hitches. Paris. If the universe is trying to tell me something, it is starting to become very clear.
I wave as she continues walking to the subway, then I turn to Romero.
“Can you take me back to the compound now? I need to get back to work.”
He nods, and within moments, I am in the backseat of a blackened car, my only mode of transport these past weeks, wondering not for the first time what the hell I am doing in my life. As I sit in silence and watch the world flash past, I rest my hand on my stomach and think about options and what ifs. Am I pregnant? If I am, what will Nico think? What will we do? Do I even tell him?
Suddenly changing my name and moving to Mexico to make jewelry on the beach doesn’t sound like such a silly idea after all.
30
NICO
Leaving her with Romero for the day is making me as comfortable as sitting on a cactus, but she needs space, and I need to show her I can give her that. In our professional relationship, I know she is a good lawyer, and if we want to keep her, then we need to trust her and she needs to trust us. Trust me.
While the boys and I are sitting around, looking through a few of the more important documents Emilia found, I grab my phone.
Romero sent me a text a while ago saying they were running errands with Cindy, and I am keen for an update. Even though that was only thirty minutes ago.
“So, who do we know in Europe who has pockets deep enough to be funding his role into the senate?” I ask as I pocket my phone again, looking at Dante and Sebastian. They would have a better idea than anyone who we might be dealing with.
“There is the Karra family in Greece, but we periodically check in with them, so I know it can’t be them,” Dante says, glancing at Sebastian for confirmation.
“I wouldn’t put anything past the Greeks, so don’t count them out just yet,” he says, gritting his teeth, clearly knowing something we don’t.
“What about the Moreau family in France? What are they up to?” Dante counters, and Sebastian’s eyebrows rise.
“They are quiet as of late, but quiet is not always a good thing...” Sebastian says, again giving us nothing to go on.
“What are those Sutherland boys doing in London lately?” I ask. Those boys are always in trouble.
“It isn’t them,” Dante says quickly. “I spoke with them last week. They are busy trying to land grab from the Irish at the moment.” We all nod.
“The only other ones that are capable of this level of business, then, are the Danes,” Carter says, and we all nod once more in agreeance.
The Danish are tough, tougher than most, but I can’t see them wanting anything to do with an American businessman such as Brian Cole. It isn’t really their style.
Sebastian shakes his head. “I’ll put in some calls. I can get our boys in Sicily to start asking around,” he says, standing, knowing we haven’t got any other leads. The frustration of the situation festers in all of us.
My cell vibrates then, and I look down at it. Romero is on his way back, and I am surprised. She was gone less than a few hours, much quicker than I was expecting, but I am happy about it just the same.
“I’m going to the apartment. I want to check on the last few boxes Emilia did this morning.” I have checked every box she has opened. Some better than others, but I trust her to tell me anything she has found, no matter how small or insignificant she thinks it is. After her behavior this morning, though, something definitely is not right. I hope by looking through this morning's boxes, I will find a clue that may help me piece it together.
“Doc and Ivy are on their way here, so I will get them settled and see you later,” Carter says, walking out the door.
“I will call you if we need you,” Sebastian says to Carter and I. “Dante, come with me to make these calls. Let’s see what we can find out.” Sebastian dismisses the meeting, and we all walk out and go our separate ways.
In the apartment, I grab the two boxes and start to sort through them. There has to be something here that upset her, something that would explain why she needed space.
