Chapter 80: Chapter 80

C H A P T E R - - - - - T H I R T Y - - - - F I V E

Isabelle and I, escorted by Vance Crowe and Hector Nava, entered the Nightingale Investigations offices.

They were posh, all gleaming wood and bronze statues.

Nice.

“I can’t believe you ditched me!” Antonette screeched after I got two feet in the door. I turned to look at her and she was advancing on me then she skidded to a halt when she saw Isabelle. “Holy crap! You busted her out!” she yelled.

“I didn’t bust her out. She escaped,” I replied.

“Shee-it,” Sitting behind the front desk, was a tall woman with a huge afro and lovely chestnut brown eyes was glaring at Isabelle. “Little thing like you caused all this ruckus? Feds, cops, badasses, commandos all in a tizzy. Manila’s underground and overground spinnin’ like tops.” She smiled huge and nodded once before she finished with, “you go, girl.”

Isabelle grinned at her.

I looked toward an inside door that had opened and Justin Chavez and Jorge were coming out of it.

“Smoke,” I whispered.

“Thinkin’ we should count ourselves lucky you don’t clue in that Falcone still watches your every move, babe,” Jorge said to me. “And that means your every move. He’s got a tracking device on your car.”

Shit.

“And in your phone,” Jorge went on.

Shit!

“And we monitor your calls and texts,” he finished.

Shit!

“Okay,” I replied. “So if you monitor my texts, does this mean you’ve been looking for him since this morning?”

“Lookin’ and findin’, Gia,” Jorge returned. “Mighta went faster we didn’t have to keep your shit covered, you runnin’ around Manila, findin’ trouble.”

My relief was so extreme, I felt lightheaded.

“You found him?” I breathed.

“Rescue mission is imminent and would be under way, we didn’t have to lock you and your sister down in Lee’s safe room to keep your shit out of trouble.”

My relief fled as my eyes narrowed. “What did you expect me to do?”

“I don’t know, hit base and tell us Falcone was compromised?” Jorge shot back.

Sarcasm.

“I didn’t want you to go all commando and get him killed!” I yelled.

“Part of Falcone’s business is K and R, babe,” Jorge informed me.

“I don’t even know what that means,” I informed him back.

“Kidnap and ransom, or, for Falcone, the R stands for rescue,” Jorge enlightened me.

Wow. That was cool.

“Really?” I whispered.

“Jesus,” Hector Nava muttered.

“Rhian, make our guests comfortable,” Lee, clearly done with Jorge and my exchange, moved toward the outer door.

“I’m coming with you,” Isabelle announced.

“You’re goin’ back to the Feds,” Lee contradicted.

“They want me,” Isabelle returned.

Lee stopped close to her. “They aren’t gettin’ what they want.”

“Her old man could get hurt,” Isabelle told him.

“Woman, you know who I am, you know who Falcone is, you know his boys are trained, don’t talk stupid,” Lee warned.

“My sister’s old man can’t be –” Isabelle started but Lee leaned into her

“He’s hangin’ from a hook right now, Isabelle. I gotta stand here listenin’ to your mouth and your guilt, he hangs from that hook longer. You shut up, I can go get him and get him back to your sister. You got more to say?”

“I feel like taking a tour of the safe room,” I declared quickly, my eyes going to who I guessed was Rhian, the tawny-eyed lady behind the reception desk. “Rhian? Do you do tours?”

She shot out of her chair. “Part of my job description.”

“Yay,” I said but it came out shaky.

Rhian rounded the desk and I looked to Isabelle as the men headed toward the door. Rhian scooped up Isabelle as she passed her, hooking her arm through my sister’s and pulling her along.

My eyes went to Lee who was the last one out the door and he paused before he went through, his eyes coming to me.

“Be careful,” I whispered, he nodded and I finished, “But bring him safe back to me.”

“Less than an hour, Gia, he’ll be close enough to touch,” Lee whispered back and the tears filled my eyes and slid down my face.

“Thank you.” Those two words were barely audible

Antonette’s arm hooked me, I had no choice but to turn away from Lee but before I did I saw his chin go up and then I saw the door close on his back.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I was in the safe room with Antonette, Isabelle, Rhian, and Rhian.

We were all crammed in there watching The Greatest Showman on a flat-screen TV, even though it wasn't that huge. Rhian recited the majority of the dialogue as the characters were speaking it, which led me to believe that she saw this movie frequently. The fact that it was already on Netflix added to my suspicions. Last but not least, she didn't ask us what we wanted to watch before she settled us down and put it on, which prompted me to assume this.

The room had a double bed, a recliner, and shelves stacked with DVDs. It resembled a collection from the days before the internet existed.

In the chair was Isabelle. I was curled up on the bed like a ball of protection, squeezed up against the wall. Holding my hand, Antonette was standing near by. At the foot of the bed, Rhian was curled up on her side.

Rhian and Isabelle were both watching the movie. Because I was out of time, I wasn't certain that Antonette was, but I didn't believe she was.

My eyes widened in response to the sudden, unexpected opening of the door as Falcone crept inside.

As soon as I took a breath, my heart stopped.

He was dressed in a fresh pair of black cargos and a dark blue, skintight t-shirt. He was also clean and without any signs of trauma.

He had a raw, frightening-looking cut on his lip, a similar raw, frightening-looking cut on his face, and swelling around his eye. Three tiny, short, white bandages were used to patch the wound on his cheek. Around both of his wrists, he also had intense red welts.

The rest of the time, he appeared fine. Prowling, breathing, and standing normally.

But somewhere deep inside my thoughts, I had the thought that he seemed a little angry.

I didn’t care.

I sprung out of my safety ball and stood up straight on the bed. My foot landed on the side of the bed as I took one stride, sprang over Rhian's corpse, and flung myself at my guy from the air.

With a groan, he grasped me, then retreated on one foot.

He was surrounded by my arms, legs, and a torrent of kisses from my mouth, which I began to pour down on.

“Babe,” he called, one of his arms curled under my ass, the other one around my back.

I ignored him and kept kissing his neck, his jaw, his throat, his cheek…

“Sweet Pea,” he called, his arm at my back becoming a hand sliding up and into my hair.

I continued to ignore him and my mouth touched his.

His head jerked back and his hand twisted gently in my hair.

“Gia, baby, I’m okay,” he whispered and my eyes moved to his.

I took him in as I looked down at him, feeling his strength, his heat, and all that was him wrapped around my limbs. Then, as my face started to fall off, I pushed it into his neck just as my body began to shake with sobs.

His fingers in my hair grew tighter as his head moved. He said softly in my ear, "Baby."

I screamed, "I can't believe you took a shower before you came to see me!" as my head jerked up.

“Gia –”

“Next time I get a scary picture text where you’re bleeding from your ear and hanging from something, new rule!” I shrieked. “You come see me immediately after you’re rescued!”

“It wasn’t exactly a rescue effort,” Hector Nava put in and my head snapped to see him standing two feet from Falcone and my side. “More like a clean up one,” he finished.

“What?” I asked.

“Glad I work for Lee,” Vance Crowe muttered and my head snapped to the other side to see him standing two feet from us there. “Lee doesn’t like mess. Fuckin’ hell.” Vance leaned forward to look at Hector. “Did you see Jorge? He walked into that shit and didn’t even blink.”

“Forgot that smell,” Hector muttered and shook his head. “Fear.” Then his lip curled.

Oh boy.

I looked at Falcone. “What’d you do?”

Falcone looked at me. “Not a big fan of bein’ tasered, hung on a hook and men takin’ fists to me, babe.”

This was not an answer.

“What’d you do?” I repeated.

“Yeah, what’d you do?” Rhian asked from behind me and she sounded more than a little curious, actually, she sounded excited.

“Thought we agreed ignorance is bliss,” Falcone said to me.

“What,” I started. “Did,” I went on. “You do?” I finished and he grinned at me, the dimples popped out and seeing them again after thinking I’d never see them again, my heart skipped a beat.

“Commando Lesson One,” Falcone answered. “You got a hostage you know is trained, you incapacitate him. They should have drugged me. They didn’t. They tied my ankles but left me hanging. Tyin’ ankles doesn’t do shit. The power, babe, is in my thighs. I get a head between my thighs, the neck is vulnerable –”

“Okay,” I said swiftly, “I’m done with Commando Lessons. That was the first and last.”

Falcone’s dimples came back. Then he set me on my feet. Then the dimples disappeared.

Uh-oh.

“All right, Sweet Pea, Commando Woman Lesson One, you get a text like you got, you call it into base and you do it immediately.”

I was right except uh-oh didn’t quite cover it.

“Falcone –”

“You do not go visit your local, friendly motorcycle club to recruit assistance.”

“Ha –”

“You do not drag your dispatch cosmo girlfriend into your man’s shit firstly, because it might get her ass fired but especially because it might get her ass hurt.”

“Yago –”

“You do not set your banker friend on a data search that’ll get his ass hauled to the local FBI offices for an interrogation that will be really, fuckin’ uncomfortable.”

Uh-oh!

“Ca –”

“You do not,” he leaned into me, his serious face turning hard, “ever, offer yourself up for exchange.”

“Baby –”

“And you do not go on the lam with your protective custody witness sister.”

“I –”

“Confirm you get me, babe.”

“But –”

He leaned in so he was an inch from my face. “Confirm… you… get… me.”

I stared at him.

Then my day surged through my brain which sent acid through my system and I lost my mind.

“I will do,” I planted my hands on my hips and stared in his black eyes, “what I have to do first, to make sure you’re safe and second, to make sure I get to make more memories with you so, okay, I’ll call base but then I will do whatever the fuck I have to do to make that happen so, no, Falcone, I do not get you!”

“Gia –”

“I’ve been panicked all day!” I shouted, throwing up my hands and taking a step back from him. “You didn’t give me Commando Woman Lesson One this morning. No, you kissed me good-bye and said you’d see me tonight and I went about my business of the day to make sure you’d see me tonight!”

“Gia –”

“You were bleeding from your ear!” I shrieked.

He reached out with both hands, caught me and hauled me into his body, whispering, “Baby.”

My hands clenched in his tee as his arms slid around me. “It was you or my sister. Do you know what that kind of decision does to your head?”

“All right, Sweet Pea, I get it,” he said gently.

“Yes, Yago,” I stared him in the eyes, “of anyone, you do. You know what I was facing today.You know.” I watched his eyes close, my hands released his shirt, slid up to wrap around the sides of his neck, his eyes opened and he showed me he not only got it, he really, really got it. So my voice was quiet when I went on.

“I can get why you’re angry, honey, but cut me some slack. I was doing the best I could do so you didn’t become a picture on my fucking refrigerator.” His neck bent and his forehead touched mine then slid to the side, his cheek hit mine and that slid down too and then his face was in my neck and his arms got tight.

In return I circled his shoulders with my arms and pressed close.

“They need a minute,” I heard Hector say in a way that was kind of a suggestion but more a get your asses out of here.

I felt people move around and I heard a door close. Then I turned my head and put my lips to Falcone’s ear.

“You think you could make a call so the Feds don’t do a cavity search on Enrico?” I asked.

Falcone lifted his head and looked at me.

“Yeah,” he answered, his lips twitching.

“You think, before Isabelle goes back to the Feds, Dad and Melinda can visit with her?”

His eyes warmed and he repeated, “Yeah.”

“Okay,” I nodded, relaxing into him. “Now do you think, since you’ve been close enough to touch for at least five minutes and you’re safe and healthy enough to get pissed at me, you could finally kiss me?”

His eyes got warmer and he added intense.

“Yeah.”

My hand slid up to cup his head. “Then kiss me, baby,” I whispered.

He stared into my eyes then his head slanted and, just like Falcone, he gave me what I wanted most in the world.