Chapter Seven
Gabrielle was up early and put on her swimsuit and headed for the pool. She wanted the physical release that she hoped would quell the longing she’d felt for Arran all night. Knowing that he was just a few walls away had kept her awake. She lay there and reexamined her life, as well as what the future looked to hold for her. Although she tried, there were few negatives she could summon up to worry about.
She began with smooth strokes and was soon doing laps as the sun rose above the horizon. Someone brought out a cart with coffee and pastries and as she donned a thick, terry bathrobe, she helped herself to both. She felt, rather than heard someone approach from behind and the question was answered as warm lips left a kiss on the nape of her neck. She heard a splash and knew Arran would be occupied for the next hour.
“I’m going into town to apply for that passport,” she called out and he waved to her. Gabrielle showered, dressed and headed to the door. Serra was waiting but Gabrielle didn’t like the idea of company on this short trip. She wanted some time to think and to talk to Ben and explain she was permanently quitting. “Serra, I’m running some errands and prefer to do them alone,” she said and saw Serra’s face fall. It must be some point of honor or something, she thought, but she couldn’t worry about that now.
She opened the roof on the Ferrari and headed to town. Her first stop was at a photo studio to get her passport shot made. Then came the post office where she filled out the application, filed it and was on her way.
The Bellagio was a bit quiet this morning and Gabrielle realized she’d never been in the bar at that time of the morning. Ben wasn’t in yet so she killed some time at the penny slots and ended up winning two hundred and fifty dollars. She played a while longer and then headed to some of the shops nearby, armed with credit cards and the house account Arran had established for her. She wanted some sexy lingerie, something Arran knew he couldn’t include in the wardrobe he had provided for her. She would have taken that the wrong way and never followed through in moving in with him.
She found a shop that was very exclusive, very quiet and sedate. The saleswoman sized Gabrielle up the moment she walked into the front door and asked her to take a seat on a tufted ottoman while she bought out some selections from which to choose.
The woman found Gabrielle’s coloring very fascinating and she brought out crimson and deep purple, as well as the more expected black – but none of these seem to be just right. At last she brought out a diaphanous creation in silver and they both knew it was perfect. Gabrielle tried it on and it gave the impression of her body being lost in a cloud of sparkling silver and lit her seductive eyes.
Gabrielle bought it immediately, as well as one in crimson so she’d have a bit of variety. She had lunch in a small café the tourists usually frequented and then headed back to the Bellagio to talk to Ben.
As hoped, he was behind the bar, stocking bottles. He looked up briefly to see her coming and greeted her with, “So you’re quitting again, are you?”
“How did you know?”
“Honey, when you’ve been around as long as I have, you begin to see the pattern.”
She thought about Arran’s remark regarding patterns and nodded. “I don’t want to leave you short-handed. Do you need me to work a few shifts until you can find and train a replacement?” she offered.
“Nah, you go on. I can tell it’s a better fit for you. You were too skittish to wait tables, anyway – cost me perfectly good glasses,” he added in a sardonic, kindly tone.
She reached out to shake his hand. “See you around, Ben. I appreciate all you did for me.”
“Aw, go on with ya,” he guffawed and gave her a half wave, half salute as she left.
Gabrielle stood for a moment on the gaming floor and looked around. She hadn’t had the time to make any friends, so there was no one to whom she needed to say goodbye. She took a moment to mentally bid farewell to the best job she’d had until then, and left. As she was waiting for them to bring her car up, she felt an arm beneath her elbow, propelling her forward into the crowd of people. She laughed. Arran always manages to surprise me, she thought to herself.
She looked up and to her horror, it wasn’t Arran. Carl was grinning down at her. He had an iron grip on her arm, to the point that it was hurting her. He dragged her to the curb where a taxi waited. He opened the door and shoved her inside, sliding in next to her. The cab pulled away from the curb and Carl held a switchblade to her side, out of the driver’s view. He tossed a hundred-dollar bill over the front seat and said, “Train station and don’t stop.” The driver nodded.
Gabrielle knew it would be useless to cry out or plead with the driver to help her. This was Vegas and those who lived and worked there knew to keep their mouths shut or it would not work out in their behalf. The driver sped on and Gabrielle began to shake.
When they reached the train station, Carl didn’t take her inside the depot, but forced her toward his car and made her get in. A small revolver replaced the knife now that they were alone. He made his way down the highway and they were soon surrounded by desert.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“You thought you were rid of me, didn’t you?” he said through gritted teeth.
“I tried not to think of you at all,” she responded, trying to keep her voice cool and disconnected. Her mind was reeling. Why didn’t I do as instructed and bring Serra with me? she admonished herself in fear.
“What is it you want?” she asked again.
“Yeah, I saw the guy – that rich guy with the bodyguard. You thought you were so smart, tagging up with him. You always were one to look out for yourself. Well, I’ve got you where I want you now.”
“Money? Is that what you want? I’ll give you all the cash I have. Just let me out of the car now and I won’t say anything to anyone.”
“Your money? Hell, no, that’s not even the beginning. I saw how that guy looked over you. He considers you his property. He’s probably worth millions. I wonder what he’d pay to get you back?”
“Carl, don’t be stupid. This is considered kidnapping and you’ll go to prison.”
“Not if there’s no evidence,” he said – words that made a cold chill run down her spine.
“You won’t get away with it, Carl. This guy is connected,” she said, hoping to intimidate him. “He’s got diplomatic immunity. He can have you killed and nobody will blink an eye. You can’t put one over on him. He’s smart and he’s vicious. He’s got all kinds of people who work for him. For all you know, they’re tailing us right now. Give it up, Carl. You don’t want me. He might pretend to give you the money, but then he will kill you, take me and his money back. You’re sealing your own death here.”
Carl snickered. Stupid people seldom realized their deficiencies and the result was they tended to repeat their mistakes and always paid the price.
“Give me your cell phone,” Carl ordered her. Gabrielle pulled it from her bag and handed it to him.
“No, you dial his number and give me the phone.”
Gabrielle nodded and tried to look unconcerned as she did so. Carl cocked the revolver and Gabrielle decided this was no time to play games. Carl was not only stupid; he was overly self-assured. He would make a mistake, she told herself.
She dialed Arran’s private line and handed the phone to Carl.
He quickly pulled off onto the sandy shoulder and turned, holding the gun directly at Gabrielle. Arran answered, expecting to hear Gabrielle’s voice.
“No, this ain’t her. But I got her. You want her back you’ll put two million in suitcases and lock them in locker number thirteen at the train terminal. I got a duplicate key so just lock it in there, good and tight.”
Gabrielle watched Carl’s face go white. She didn’t know what it was that Arran was saying, but she doubted it contained any sort of pleasantries.
“Just do as I told you,” Carl said. “You got until midnight tonight. It ain’t there, I got a gun and a shovel and you’ll never find her body.” He tapped the phone and pocketed it. “There, now let’s see how much you mean to that boyfriend of yours,” he sputtered, drooling in anticipation at the riches he was about to receive. With that, he pulled back onto the roadway and headed further from town.