Chapter Forty-three
Standing beneath the spray of gushing hot water, Gabby tried to push down the excitement. Just because Jonah was coming didn’t mean anything other than he was concerned about her. Given his need to protect and control, she shouldn’t have been surprised when he’d called and told her he was on his way. Plus, the other two times as well. Jonah Slater was ever the protector.
But she wanted so much more. She wanted a partner, a lover, a companion, a friend. And she wanted all of those in Jonah. Would he ever want that, too?
It should help that she agreed with some of what he had told her. She hadn’t had a chance to live, not truly. She’d never dated anyone. Never had the chance to be free and independent.
But if all the threats were gone and she could finally have the freedom to do all the things she had missed out on, would she still want to be with Jonah? She knew to her soul that the answer was a resounding, one hundred percent yes. She loved him, now and forever. Being out of danger was not going to change her heart.
The guilt he felt over his fiancée’s death continued to influence him, preventing him from moving forward. Just because she saw the problem for what it was didn’t mean she knew how to fix it.
Finishing the shower, she wrapped a towel around her hair and one around her body. She wanted to be dressed when Jonah arrived…ready for battle. She refused to give up on them. Making him see the light wouldn’t be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever was.
Telling herself that her new optimism wasn’t a façade to cover heartbreak, she hurriedly dried her hair. The new style was one she never would have considered, but thanks to Lacey’s insistence, she had changed her mind. Her hair was five inches shorter and framed her heart-shaped face like a dream. The added golden highlights made her eyes seem darker and more mysterious. And it was much faster and easier to style.
She applied a minimum of makeup and slid into her lingerie. If she hurried, she could order Chinese from the new restaurant the next block over and have dinner waiting when Jonah arrived.
Steering her mind away from how she was going to persuade Jonah to give their relationship a try, Gabby slipped into one of her favorite summer dresses, a white sleeveless sundress with a lovely flared skirt. By habit, she slid the silver bracelet over her hand—the reason she wore it every day barely registered anymore. It was one of several safety features she had suggested. A tracker in a bracelet was much less invasive than having one inserted in her body.
The shoes she’d bought to wear with the dress were the most uncomfortable she’d ever owned, but they made her legs look a mile long. Jonah loved her legs.
Deciding to wait until he knocked on the door to put them on, she finger hooked the shoes by the straps, grabbed her cellphone, and headed to the kitchen.
Preoccupied with finding the takeout menu she’d stashed in a drawer, she didn’t notice anything off until she heard the sound of a throat being cleared. Gabby whirled around. A woman she had never seen before stood in the middle of her kitchen. An amused smile on her sultry, exotic face, she was quite possibly the most beautiful woman Gabby had ever seen. She also had the coldest eyes imaginable.
“Who are you?”
The woman laughed, flashing white, perfect teeth fitting for a toothpaste ad. “I’ll be honest. After all the things I’ve heard about you, I assumed you’d either squeal like a little mouse or cower in the corner, whimpering like a puppy.” She shook her head. “Men always underestimate women, don’t you think?”
Surprise turned to alarm. Her heart in her throat, she looked behind the woman. Where was Chamo?
“If you’re looking for the dog, not to worry. He barely felt the tranquilizer dart I shot into him. He’ll wake up in time for breakfast tomorrow. There’s no fun in harming a defenseless animal. People, on the other hand, are rarely defenseless.”
She smiled again, and Gabby knew without a doubt the woman was a cold-blooded killer. But why was she here?
Backing up slightly, Gabby reached into the drawer behind her. The gun, one of five she had stashed around the apartment, was gone.
“If you’re looking for your SIG Sauer, I’m afraid it’s no longer there. All five of your guns have been confiscated. I have to say, I’m impressed with your arsenal of weapons. They were another pleasant surprise.”
The gun might not be there, but the woman had missed the other weapon taped to the top of the drawer. Keeping her face impassive, she slowly eased it from the sleeve.
To distract from any noise she might make, she demanded in an overloud voice,
“Who the hell are you, and what do you want?”
A flush of delight brightened the woman’s face. “Considering what your grandfather told me about you, I can’t tell you how pleased I am that you’re not the mealymouthed, timid creature he believed you to be.”
“Luis hired you?”
“Yes, but to be fair, our association didn’t live up to his expectations. You see, he hired me to find you and bring you home. I had a different agenda.”
“You’re the contract killer hired by Bianchi.”
Beautiful eyes flashed with surprise. “Okay, now you’re just trying to freak me out. No way could you know that.”
“It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure that out. No one had reason to hate Luis more than Rudolph Bianchi.”
“Except for you, of course.”
“Hiring a sleazy contract killer isn’t my style.”
“Don’t try to get on my bad side by insulting me. I have extremely thick skin.”
“Are you here to kill me?”
“Of course not. That would defeat the whole purpose.”
“And that purpose is?”
“Turning you over to my employer.”
“Both of your employers are dead. There’s no one who’s trying to find me anymore.”
Shrill laughter echoed through the apartment. The eerie noise was so indistinct and odd, Gabby at first thought her mind was playing tricks on her. That hideous laugh was often featured in her nightmares. She told herself the sound was an auditory mirage brought on by fear.
The sound grew louder…closer. And she knew. With the speed of an out-of-control wildfire, a nauseating chill zoomed through her whole body. It couldn’t be. It. Could. Not. Be.
The woman shifted slightly, and Gabby got her first glimpse. For the first time in twelve years, the evil monster was in her presence. He looked so different from the memory she had of him that she at first told herself this was someone else. Then she saw his eyes. They were the same. Dull gold with flecks of mud brown gleaming with a terrible light. She remembered those eyes peering down at her, hovering over her.
Don’t panic…don’t panic. She worked to control her breathing as she tried to hide the horror she was feeling.
Focus on the here and now, not the memories, Gabby. You’ve trained for this.
Except for the eyes, everything else was different. A scar ran down the left side of his face, causing the corner of his mouth to droop slightly. His nose was bumpy, larger, too, as if it had been broken more than once and hadn’t been set correctly. When he was younger, he’d had thin, coal-black hair. The hair was gone, replaced by a multitude of dark, elaborate tattoos. Even his body was different. Twelve years ago, he’d been slender, almost skinny. Now, he looked muscular enough to move a boulder with his broad shoulders. Prison had not been kind to Rudy Bianchi. The ordinary, unattractive man now resembled the brute he was inside.
“Ciao, Bella. It’s good to see you at last. Did you receive the gift I sent you?”
He didn’t need to explain his words. She knew exactly what he meant. Nausea surged up, but with a strong gust of fury, Gabby fought it back. She would not panic.
Ignoring his reference to the artificial insemination, she asked, “So you and your grandfather hired this woman to kill Luis?”
“Actually, my grandfather encouraged Luis to hire a private investigator to find you. Which he did, never knowing that she was an assassin sent to gather all the intel he had before putting a bullet in his brain.”
He grinned, showing the wide space between his front teeth. “And I was the one who recommended this dear lady to my grandfather.” He nodded toward the beautiful and deadly woman standing beside him. She looked slightly bored with the whole matter.
“Luis and Rudolph never knew they were hiring their own killers. Though, to be fair, Rudolph kind of did his own thing once he saw me. My grandfather was ever the contrarian.”
She turned her attention to the woman again. “You conned them both?”
Eyes the color of a cold winter sky gleamed with pride. “A con within a con within a con. One of the more enjoyable and lucrative jobs I’ve had.”
Gabby took a breath, found her center. She had two things going for her. They didn’t know that she could defend herself. And they didn’t know that Jonah was on his way here. Between the two of them, these two didn’t stand a chance.
Sidling over to the pantry, Gabby reached behind her and into the small bin labeled potatoes where she’d taped her Glock to the inner wall. She touched empty space.
The woman smiled again. “Told you.”
Yes, she had, but Gabby had had to make sure.
How far away was Jonah? She had no clue. He had called when his plane landed, but that was almost an hour ago. Could she keep them talking until he arrived? She had only one weapon at her disposal. She needed two.
She directed her gaze to Rudy once more. “You think you’re going to take me back to Italy and force a child on me?”
That same creepy laugh erupted from Rudy. “Do you actually think I want a brat? I want what was denied me all those years ago. I got beaten up for my troubles and absolutely no satisfaction. You’re a lot older than what I prefer but I’m willing to make an exception.” His grin sickly evil, he added, “You owe me, bitch.”
Disgust roiled through her, but she refused to give in to the feeling.
“So you weren’t in on Rudolph and Luis’s plan?”
“Not hardly. My grandfather played yours like a violin. He knew Luis would do anything to get his prize.”
“And that prize would be?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
The woman standing beside him released a loud sigh. “While this reunion is touching, there’s the little matter of what I came here for. Can we please get on with it?”
Gabby latched on to the woman’s words. An ominous feeling joined her fear. “What did you come for?”
“Why, Jonah Slater, of course.”
Why hadn’t she seen it before? Jonah had told her about the woman who’d been hired to kill all the Slaters. They had believed she was dead. Jonah had described the woman perfectly. “You’re Ivy Roane.”
Another beautiful smile flashed across her face. “I see my reputation precedes me.”
“I wouldn’t call that a compliment.”
“But you’re not me.” She held up a slender, perfectly manicured hand. “I’ll save you the insult. We’re both glad we’re not each other.”
The gun still pointed at Gabby, the woman shifted her gaze to Rudy. “I have things I need to set up. If we’re to proceed with your plan, I suggest we get started.”
There was a plan? Gabby told herself that was a good thing. That meant she would have some time to come up with her own. Because, dammit, she would not be taken by Rudy Bianchi, and Jonah would not be killed by this sleazy contract killer.
Wanting to give Jonah more time, she continued Rudy’s distraction. “What prize did my grandfather want from Rudolph?”
“The Rossi sapphire, of course. The Rossis presented it to Rudolph when Flora jilted him. Your grandfather always resented that he had it.”
Hard to be insulted or outraged when your life was on the line, but she was. All of this trouble just for a jewel? “So my child was to be a payment?”
“The gem is worth millions.” He gave her a dirty up-and-down look. “Much more than any brat you could produce.”
“Enough!” Ivy snapped.
Knowing she couldn’t wait any longer to act, Gabby swung her arm up and threw the knife. Her satisfaction at Rudy’s squeal of outrage was short-lived when a bullet ripped through her arm.
“Dammit, don’t kill her,” Ivy snapped.
“The bitch stabbed me.”
“You should learn how to move faster.”
“She’s gonna die now.”
“Not yet, you idiot,” Ivy snapped. “She’s got a job to do.”
Holding her arm, Gabby fought the piercing pain as her eyes searched for an escape. They had her cornered, but if she could—
The small pop sounded like an explosion in the silence. It hadn’t been a gunshot. The sound was too hollow. She glanced down at her bleeding arm. A dart-like object protruded inches from where the bullet had entered.
Her vision blurred, and a numb feeling spread throughout her body. Her muscles went heavy, useless. She tried to speak, to scream. Nothing happened. Her legs folded, and she felt herself falling. Strong arms caught her before she landed. The hideous sound of Rudy Bianchi’s laughter followed her into unconsciousness. Her last thought was a silent scream for Jonah.
***
He didn’t bother knocking. Using the key from the packet Justice had provided, he pushed the door open, gun at the ready. The instant he entered, he noticed two things immediately. The scent of an expensive perfume that he knew didn’t belong to Gabby—she didn’t wear perfume—and the silence. If Chamo had been in the apartment, he’d be having a barking fit. The emptiness screamed at him.
She was gone.
Even though he was sure, he still went from room to room. He found Chamo in the guest bedroom, unconscious but unharmed. His breathing and heartbeat were good. He didn’t bother to tell himself that since Ivy didn’t kill the dog, that meant something. He knew better. A killer had Gabby. One who could kill without batting an eye.
His first call was to Justice. “She’s gone.”
Justice released a soft curse, then said, “I’ll check the video feed and get the trackers activated.”
His heart leaped. “She has a tracker?”
“Yes. On a bracelet she wears every day. Plus, she has an additional one on her phone. She was the one who suggested them, along with giving Lacey a key to her apartment.”
Jonah’s heart clenched. That was his Gabby. Incredibly brave and ever practical.
“Can you tell how long ago she was taken?”
“Within the hour. I called her when I landed.”
“We should have her location in minutes.”
“I’m taking her dog to the vet. Looks like he’s been drugged.”
“I’ll be back with you soon.”
Jonah gently lifted Chamo into his arms and carried him to his car. The dog whined a little but never opened his eyes. He was a beautiful, loyal companion to Gabby. She would be heartbroken if he didn’t recover.
Five minutes later, he was delivering Chamo into the capable hands of an emergency vet’s office. He gave a vague explanation of what he thought had happened, and the veterinarian assured him that they would take good care of the dog until Gabby could pick him up.
Returning to Gabby’s apartment, he searched every room to determine how it might have gone down. He found drops of blood in the kitchen in two different places, with no trail between them. Two people injured? Gabby and Ivy?
A sick feeling was growing in his gut. When he had been in prison, Mathias had put out a contract on him. Cyrus Denton, Mathias’s head henchman, hadn’t liked the fact that Mathias was trying to have his own son killed. Denton had used some of his contacts to get Jonah to a safe place.
Did Rudy Bianchi have the same kind of pull? Jonah had already determined that Rudy was behind the whole thing, but was there more? Money could pay for a lot of things, including a get-out-of-jail-free card. Was Rudy with Ivy? Had they abducted Gabby together?
There had been little to no struggle. Gabby could defend herself, but two armed attackers would be harder to fight off. They had likely taken her by surprise and held guns on her. A tranquilizer had been used on Chamo. Had Gabby been able to get off a couple of shots, or did the blood on the kitchen floor belong to her?
Only by concentrating on what needed to be done was he able to push back the panic surging inside him. He could not lose her…he wouldn’t. He didn’t care what Rudy Bianchi and Ivy Roane had cooked up between them. They wouldn’t win. Not this time.