AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I don't know what else you want me to say, Nick."
"You could apologize, too.You jumped down my throat on everything I said, even after we got over the part of me being late."
He might have a point, but she really didn't want to admit that.
"I got the feeling you weren't just seeing my face when you were telling me off, either," he added."It felt like there was more going on."
She licked her lips."I probably should have canceled, too," she admitted."But I didn't want to disappoint my grandmother.I also didn't want to keep hearing about how I should meet you."
"Same for me.I guess we have one thing in common: not wanting to disappoint our grandmothers.Maybe we can build on that."
"Build what?"
"Why don't we start with a truce?Being at war with each other won't make this situation better."
"Fine.We'll call a truce.For our grandmothers."
He held out his hand."Shake?"
She reluctantly put her hand into his, and as his warm fingers closed around hers, a wave of heat ran through her body, and she let go as fast as she could.But it probably wasn't fast enough.
ChapterFour
Nick was happy to call a halt to the war with Isabella.And as she walked up the stairs, he found himself admiring the sexy sway of her body.She was a fiery, stubborn, like-to-win-at-all-costs kind of woman, but she was sure as hell attractive.
Maybe he should have kept the war going, because he could feel something else simmering between them, and that could not possibly end well.He needed to keep his guard up because this woman was related to his grandmother's best friend in the entire world, and he could never hurt Isabella without hurting his grandmother.
Putting Isabella out of his mind, he took out his phone and punched in Flynn's number.It was Thursday morning in LA, and he should already be at work.
"No, you can't come to work today," Flynn said, bypassing hello."I told you to take time off, Nick."
"That's good, because I won't be in today.I'm in Rome."
"Seriously?Well, good.An Italian vacation sounds fun."
"It's not a vacation.My grandmother witnessed a robbery at the museum where she volunteers.A painting she put into an exhibition was also stolen.It was one of only a few pieces targeted, which is odd because the artist was my great-grandfather, whose work had no particular value."
"Well, that's not what I was expecting you to say.How can I help?"
"I may need a contact in the art world.I'm going to speak to a Captain Lavezzo at the Carabinieri T.P.C.tomorrow, but I'm not sure how forthcoming he'll be.You worked art crimes, right?Did you ever deal with him?"
"Not him, but I consulted on a case with that unit.They were territorial, but I could understand that because I was invading their territory.That said, everyone was professional, and we all had the same goal: to recover stolen art."
"Good.I'm going to call him in the morning.Do you have any thoughts about why three paintings by unknown artists would be stolen from a museum while pieces of greater value were ignored?"Flynn had more than just experience working art crimes with the FBI.His father had been an art gallery owner and a very successful art thief, who, as far as Nick knew, was still running from the law.
"I would say the paintings do have value.It's just not obvious what that value is.But it's there.What can you tell me about the art itself?"
"Honestly, nothing.I don't even know what the painting was about or what the style was.I need to ask my grandmother about that.But I know that the painting was hidden away fifty-something years ago at my great-grandfather's request and that he and one of the other artists whose work was stolen died together in a fire."
"That sounds intriguing.But why don't you ask me what you really want to know?"
Trust Flynn to get to the point."Are you still in touch with your father?"
"I'm not.I haven't seen Sam Beringer since he disappeared on me a few years ago after saving my life."
He'd forgotten that Flynn had changed his name to avoid being connected to his father."Sorry.I shouldn't have asked.I'm sure he's not your favorite subject."
"He's not.But I've made peace with his life choices.I would start digging into the lives of the artists whose works were stolen."
