Chapter Nine
Colorado Mountains
Gabby started her day with a curious mixture of both elation and dread. She hadn’t expected to sleep. Fortunately, exhaustion had gotten the best of her. Even though her sleep had been restless, she felt better this morning and ready to deal with what came next.
Silly not to expect there would be questions. After all, no one except those closest to her grandfather knew the kind of relationship she had with him. Most probably thought there was affection between them or, at the very least, some sort of closeness. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The knowledge that her grandfather no longer controlled her life was an intoxicating feeling. Part of her wanted to fly, she felt so free. Another part, the cautious, trust-no-one side of her, knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. Jonah and those he worked with wanted to know what she knew. And she had to decide what she was going to do about that. If she told them everything, what would happen?
Just because she had been “rescued” didn’t mean she could give her blind faith to these people. What if this was all a setup? What if her grandfather had suspected what she’d been planning, was aware of what she had been doing, and had created this elaborate scenario to trap her? To find out everything she knew?
And she knew a lot.
When she’d been given her first computer a few years back, it had been to take her online college courses. In a little over four years, she had earned a bachelor’s of fine arts and a master’s in art history. Each year that she was pursuing those degrees, she had been presented with a new laptop.
Having online access had opened up a world of possibilities. Everything she knew about research was self-taught. Her grandfather was savvy enough to know that knowledge was power. Gabby knowing too much could be detrimental, so he made sure that her Internet usage was carefully monitored. But she had learned how to circumvent his control. Gabby knew more than he could ever have believed possible. More than anyone could have believed possible.
She had decided she would be philosophical about the whole thing. Jonah would ask questions, and she would answer what she felt she could until she had more information.
That her inquisitor was Jonah Slater, from the wealthy and powerful Slater family, was worrisome. Not only was the family known to have been involved in illegal activities, she knew that on one occasion at least, her family and his had socialized. How far did their association go? The Slater patriarch was dead, and one of the brothers was in prison, but what about the other Slaters? Were they associated with her grandfather? Were they in business together or perhaps rivals?
In her research, she didn’t remember seeing them linked, as friend or foe. That didn’t necessarily exonerate them, but it did give more credence that Jonah was actually on the right side of things.
She had a few questions of her own to ask. How he answered and what she learned would determine how she would respond.
“Good morning,” a male voice, morning rough, grumbled out. “Did you sleep well?”
Gabby stood at the kitchen door and worked to compose herself. She had come downstairs with what she considered her bland expression, but the moment she spotted Jonah standing in the kitchen, she could literally feel her face change. She was sure her mouth was open and could only hope there was no drool.
He had been working out, that much was obvious. He stood in the middle of the room and gulped down water while sweat rolled down his naked and very excellent chest. He was lean and muscular with some of the most impressive abs she’d ever seen. Wearing only a pair of faded blue sweats that hovered just below his belly button, Jonah Slater was a work of art. As an artist, she told herself it was only natural to appreciate such a superb specimen of the human form. Her pounding heart and flushed skin were harder to explain away, so she ignored them.
Deluding herself had never been her thing, but in this she had no choice. No way could she allow herself to become attracted or infatuated with Jonah Slater. That would be a disaster.
“Gabriella? Everything okay?”
Hoping to explain away the moment of weakness, she shrugged. “Guess I’m still a little groggy from yesterday. But I do feel better.”
Giving her a look that said he didn’t quite buy her story, he nevertheless let it go. “Maybe breakfast would help. Cheese omelet and toast sound okay to you?”
“Sounds perfect.”
Determined to not feel like the idiot she had last night, she went to the cabinets to pull down plates for their meal, then withdrew cutlery from the drawer. Jonah said nothing about her initiative, as if he hadn’t expected anything different. She appreciated that. Being normal, acting like an average, ordinary person, was going to take some time. This was a good start.
She was grateful he pulled on a T-shirt before he started cooking. Her concentration needed to be keen and watching a shirtless, still glistening Jonah Slater prepare breakfast was a distraction she didn’t need.
The meal took him all of five minutes to prepare. He performed the task with such ease, she knew he had done it many times.
She wanted to do that. To feel comfortable in the kitchen. To feel comfortable with herself in the kitchen. That was just one of her many goals. She had so much catching up to do.
They sat in silence and devoured the meal. Jonah didn’t seem to be a morning person, which was fine with her. She had way too much on her mind to try to come up with idle chitchat.
After breakfast, they did another cleanup like they’d done last night. Knowing what to do and where things went made things easier this time. She liked that the procedure now felt like a routine.
With a restful night’s sleep behind her and a full belly, she was prepared to face whatever he threw at her. The table clear of breakfast things, she sat across from him and watched as he set up for the interview. Spending most of her life alone had given her exceptional observation skills. She couldn’t read minds, but she was good at reading people and determining whether they were telling the truth. So far, she hadn’t been given any indication that he wasn’t being honest. Wouldn’t he try to be more agreeable and likable if he was trying to gain her trust? He definitely hadn’t put much effort into that. Grunts and one-word answers seemed to be the norm for him.
That didn’t mean she couldn’t be pleasant herself, though. Maybe she could disarm him with charm.
“Before we get started, I wanted to thank you for your involvement in this.”
He looked up quickly, apparently startled by her words. Remarkable eyes shimmered with confusion. “My involvement in what?”
“In helping me escape.”
An emotion flickered on his face that told her he wasn’t comfortable with gratitude. He acknowledged her answer with a customary grunt, then said, “You ready to start?”
Quickly recognizing that charm wasn’t going to get the job done, she went for broke. “Could I ask you a question first?”
“Sure. I guess.”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
Cynicism curled his lip as his eyes darkened to a hunter green. “Are you asking because of my family or because I’m an ex-con?”
“But you were innocent.”
“How do you know that?”
“I read articles.” She wouldn’t tell him she had followed his case daily. Nor would she tell him she had cried when she’d learned he had been exonerated. There were certain things he didn’t need to know.
“Then you know I was framed.”
“By your brother Adam. Yes?”
“No. By my father.”
She straightened her shoulders. Now that was something she hadn’t known. “Your father? But why would your father do something like that?”
“Why would a corrupt man do anything? It was to his advantage. He learned I was delving into his illegal activities, and that was his way of not only stopping me, but also punishing me.”
“What were you going to do with the information you uncovered?”
“Destroy him.”
The words were stark, said without an ounce of emotion. She saw the steely determination behind the handsome face. This was a man who had been resolved to bring down a powerful empire, no matter what. And it had cost him. She could definitely respect a man like that. Maybe she and Jonah Slater had more in common than she’d first thought.
“Your father…he never faced punishment?”
“Not publicly, no. But he received his punishment all the same.”
She remembered the story. Every news outlet had carried it for days. Mathias Slater had been killed by an employee, but there had been nothing in the news about his own illegal activities. The fact that Jonah was telling her something that wasn’t public knowledge went a long way in helping her trust him.
“Your family has had many tragedies. I’m very sorry.”
Surprise and something like warmth flared in his eyes. For a brief moment, she saw behind the implacable façade to the humanity he worked so hard to cover. It was gone in seconds, and the veneer was once more in place.
“You ready to talk?”
He had answered only a few questions. If she was going to share what she knew, he was going to have to do better than that.
“Why are you involved in this?”
“You mean your rescue?”
Gabby had been manipulated with words too many times not to recognize the ploy. His use of the word rescue had been deliberate, meant to remind her that while she had instigated this event, she owed gratitude to the ones who’d brought it to fruition.
Playing along, she said, “Yes.”
“I work for the man who arranged it.”
“My so-called benefactor?”
“You doubt that he is? After what he arranged for you?”
“If he is indeed on my side, why can’t I know his name?”
“You will, in time.”
She didn’t like the mystery, but did she have any other choice? She couldn’t leave here—a blizzard raged outside. She had no money, no way out.
As if he knew exactly what she was thinking, Jonah said, “Look, Gabriella, you can look at this as your prison or your temporary safe house until we can get you where you want to go. That’s up to you.”
“Gabby.”
“What?”
“The people I trust call me Gabby. I need to be able to trust you, so therefore, please call me Gabby.”
If he was surprised at her words, he didn’t show it, just gave her one of those infuriating grunts again and said, “You ready?”
Holding back a frustrated breath, Gabby nodded. “Very well. What is it you want to know?”
Placing a small recorder between them, he stated the date and time, and then, “This is Jonah Slater interviewing Gabriella Mendoza regarding the activities of her grandfather, Luis Mendoza.”
His green eyes piercing with intent, he said, “Gabriella, are you answering these questions of your own free will?”
She told herself that his not using her nickname meant nothing. Compared to what she had experienced in her life, one little slight made no difference.
And even though she didn’t feel she had any choice in the matter, she answered, “Yes, I am.”
“Are you aware that your grandfather is considered one of the most notorious crime bosses of this century?”
Gabby had no feelings of loyalty, admiration, or the remotest affection for anyone in her family, most especially her grandfather. Still, her strong sense of self-preservation made her cautious. Trusting too soon could lead to her doom.
“I see my grandfather only a few times a year. He shares nothing about the family business with me.”
“So is that a yes or a no?”
She refused to be bullied. “It is my answer.”
He gave a little nod of concession and said, “When you see him, what do you talk about?”
“At the end of each year, he invites me to his home and gives me his list of expectations for the next year.”
“What sort of expectations?”
“He has a list of approved social activities for me to review. I look them over. If I have questions, I ask. If not, I leave.”
“And that’s it?”
“When I return from my trips, I go to his home and give him a report of where I went, what I did, and what I learned.”
“That’s all?”
He didn’t believe her. On an odd level, it bothered her that he thought she was lying. She wasn’t lying…she just wasn’t telling everything. Not until she was sure.
“So you’re telling me you never attended family gatherings? Christmas? Easter? No holiday or birthday parties?”
“I stopped having birthday parties after my parents were killed.” The correct word was murdered. She didn’t trust Jonah enough to tell him this truth.
“And there were no other get-togethers? Holiday parties or social events you attended?”
Even now, years later, the memory of that first social event had the power to cause a minor panic attack. Hearing the increase of her heartbeat, knowing dizziness and nausea weren’t far behind, Gabby took controlled, measured breaths. This was not a good time to reveal her weaknesses.
“Gabriella, do you need to stop? Take a break?”
The sound of Jonah’s deep voice, the concern in it, had an amazing calming effect. She took in another controlled breath and shook her head. “No. I’m fine. What was your question again?”
His eyes narrowing slightly, he watched her in silence for several more seconds. Then, apparently satisfied she wasn’t going to keel over, he said again, “Holidays? Birthdays? Family gatherings?”
That again? “We’re not exactly a close-knit family.”
“You’re telling me that after your sixth birthday, you spent all the rest of your birthdays and holidays completely alone?”
“With the exception of paid companions and my guards...yes, I spent them alone.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“That’s because you’re looking at the people I’m related to as a real family. We are not. My grandfather, brother, and various aunts, uncles, and cousins are related to me by blood. Nothing more. I have no relationship with any of them.”
“So you’ve been like a princess in a castle, held prisoner until the prince comes to rescue you?”
If not for the mocking amusement glittering in his eyes, the blatant sarcasm would have been much more palatable. His doubt was understandable. Who would believe that in these modern times she had been held a prisoner? His amusement hurt. Her life was no joking matter.
As she did with every other unpleasant ordeal in her life, she dealt with it by pretending it didn’t matter. Her voice was cool and emotionless. “Believe what you like. You will anyway.”
Jonah cursed himself silently. He had hurt her feelings. She had been willing, if not eager, to answer his questions. But now her face was as remote as a mountaintop, her lively eyes now blank.
“I’m sorry, Gabriella.”
In the few hours he’d known her, he knew that Gabriella Mendoza liked to maintain a calm façade. He was quickly learning something else. Beneath that feigned serenity was a mass of emotions.
“Why are you sorry?”
“Because my comment obviously hurt you. That was not my intent.”
“You have a job to do. You have nothing to apologize for.”
Jonah realized he was going about this the wrong way. He had been approaching this as if she had lived a normal life. Even with the bare facts in her file, he had known her life wasn’t typical.
“Let me ask you a few more questions, and then we’ll take a short break.”
“All right.”
“Who would you say is your grandfather’s closest adviser? And before you say you don’t know, who is he with when you see him?”
“Stephan Conti. They’ve been friends for years.”
“Anyone else?”
“He has numerous acquaintances but no true friends. He does have a handful of bodyguards, but they change frequently. As far as I know, Stephan has been the only constant.”
“And when you see your grandfather, what does he talk about?”
“As I said, he gives me my agenda for the year.”
“Your agenda?”
“Yes. He reviews my events for the upcoming year. He hands me a calendar and allows me to look at it. As I do, he asks questions about my year before. When we’re finished, if I have questions, I’m allowed to ask. If I don’t, I leave.”
“And that’s it?”
“On rare occasions, he’ll send word via one of my guards.”
“And what would a word from him be like? What’s the last message he sent you?”
She frowned as she replied, “That I had a doctor’s appointment with my cousin, Antonia Rojas.”
“That was an unplanned appointment?”
“Yes. I have a physical every year, but that was months away. A few weeks ago, I had a slight cold, and she insisted I come in, which I did. I recovered quickly. This new visit was unexpected.” She shook her head. “I didn’t question it too thoroughly since it was so fortuitous. I knew my brother would be accompanying me, which gave your people the chance to make the abductions.”
“Do you have health problems?”
“No. I’m very healthy.”
Despite the fact that he was asking questions to learn more about her grandfather, the oddity of this gave him pause. Why would a seemingly healthy woman need to see a doctor unexpectedly and at her grandfather’s instigation?
“What did the examination entail?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
“Antonia gave me tea with a sedative. I slept through the exam. When I woke, I was dressed and ready to go.”
“Why would she drug you?”
“She said I was acting nervous and she thought the sedative would calm me.” She lifted her shoulders, shrugging. “I probably was acting nervous. I knew what was going to happen once I left the doctor’s office.”
“Did you ask anyone what the exam entailed?”
“No. I was so out of it, I had no real thoughts other than going home and taking a nap. I had even forgotten about the abduction.”
Why the hell had she been drugged?
He could tell she was uncomfortable with this line of questioning. Even though he wanted to know more, he wouldn’t pursue it. He might be offended on her behalf, but her doctor visits would not provide any information about her grandfather’s business dealings.
“Is your brother involved with your grandfather’s activities?”
“I don’t believe so, but can’t say for sure. I try to stay as far away from Carlos as possible.”
Jonah could certainly understand why. Had the bastard ever physically hurt his sister? Even though it was none of his business and not relevant to what he needed to learn from her, he had to ask, “Has your brother ever harmed you?”
Her mouth tightened, and even before she spoke, he knew she was not going to tell him the truth. “No. My brother stays away from me and I from him.”
“He was with you at your home. Had been there for several weeks. Why?”
“He claimed that he had been charged to oversee my security for a while. It might have been as punishment. I don’t know.”
So she assumed she was her brother’s punishment for his misdeeds? Hell, no wonder she had no affection for her family.
“Did he indicate what he had done?”
“No. As I said, I stayed as far away from him as possible.”
“You didn’t have meals with him?”
“No.”
“Very well. Did he bring anyone with him?”
“If you mean like a friend, then no. Carlos has no friends. That’s one of the few things we have in common.”
The statement was matter of fact, with no evidence of self-pity. Jonah had no idea why that bothered him. Hell, other than his brother and Justice, he had no real friends either.
“What do you do on a daily basis?”
He told himself the question was pertinent. She could reveal something inadvertently that would be relevant.
If she thought the question was off base, she didn’t let on. “If I’m not traveling, I have a routine. Exercise, breakfast, painting, lunch, reading, gardening, dinner, Internet browsing, television, and then sleep.”
“As restrictive as your grandfather is, I’m surprised he allows you to travel.”
“It surprised me at first, too. He claimed he wanted to enhance my knowledge of other cultures and have a chance to practice my language skills.”
“And you’re allowed online access?”
“My browsing history is monitored daily.”
Her full lips lifted, and he was momentarily distracted. Forcing his eyes away, he pushed himself to get back on track. “So you don’t have friends, not even boyfriends? Now or in the past?”
The laugh she gave was incongruent with the beauty of her face. The sound was both ugly and mocking. “Boyfriend? Mr. Slater, please ask a serious question.”
Anger surged through him. He didn’t know whether it was the way she tried to put distance between them by coolly referring to him as Mr. Slater, or the fact that based on Kathleen’s intel, her words were a lie. She’d once had a fiancé. Possibly still had one.
He practically barked his next question. “Not even Rudy Bianchi?”
Surprise and then anger flared in her eyes. “That’s a vile, wretched thing to ask.”
“Why?”
“Because Rudy Bianchi is a murderer. A madman. A psychopath. A…a…disgusting piece of human filth. He’s in prison for the rest of his life. I haven’t seen him since…I haven’t seen him in years.”
“Then you want to tell me how it is that you were once engaged to him?”
The chair made a screeching noise as she sprang up. Her face was almost as white as the snow outside. “How dare you say something so revolting? I have never been engaged to Rudy Bianchi.”
Jonah forced himself to stay seated. Her reaction was extreme, her voice shaking with insult. Either she was the best liar he’d ever come across, or Kathleen’s intel was wrong.
“I have it on good authority that you were once engaged to marry Rudy Bianchi. Your engagement ended when he went to prison. Some think it’s still on.”
“You have been misinformed.” Her voice was less forceful, more uncertain than before.
“Is it possible that your grandfather arranged the engagement without telling you?”
Gabby put her hands behind her and gripped them together, her fingernails digging into her skin. Of course that was possible. For more than half her life, the man had dictated every second of her waking moments. He would have had no hesitation to arrange a marriage for her, even to a murderer.
What would have happened if Rudy had never been convicted? Would she have been forced to marry the monster?
The very thought of what might have happened had the breakfast she’d consumed churn in her stomach.
“Gabby, look at me.”
Whether it was because he called her by her preferred name or because of his steady, deep voice, she didn’t know, but something calmed her down enough to look at him.
“Just because he arranged it means nothing. It’s over. You’ve escaped. You’re going to start a new life. He can’t make you do anything ever again.”
She nodded. Jonah was right. It didn’t matter what her grandfather wanted. She had escaped. He would have no control over her life ever again.
“Thank you. You’re right. I was panicking over nothing.”
“Why don’t we take that break now?” He glanced out at the falling snow. “It’s snowing too heavily to go out, but there’s a gym downstairs and an indoor pool. Some physical activity might make you feel better.”
Yes. She needed to move, to work out all these emotions bubbling inside her.
“There should be something in your room to wear.”
“Thank you.”
She was grateful he didn’t follow. That he didn’t want to show her how to get to the gym. She needed to be alone. Needed to absorb what she’d learned and come to terms with the fact that she’d had even less control of her life than she’d thought.
Even though she was far away from him now, the knowledge of what her grandfather had planned was impossible to accept. Had he actually intended for her to marry Rudy Bianchi? The monster who had almost killed her?