Chapter Nineteen
Jake yanked open the doors of Dani’s real estate office and stepped inside. Dani’s boss, a former Miss Texas who’d had so much work done she looked like a perpetually smiling scary clown, lifted her bloodred-tipped nails and gave them a waggle. “Jake. Nice to see you, sugar. Dani’s in the back.”
“Thanks.” He hurried to Dani’s cubicle and leaned over her divider. She was on the phone, so she lifted a finger and then quickly wrapped up the call.
After she disconnected, she fist-bumped the air. “That makes closing number ten! I’m going to be the top producer this month, Jake. Mark my words.”
He smiled. Dani’s powerful mother had gotten her the job, so Dani had been hell-bent on proving she could be a success on her own. Everyone had their doubts, including him. Seemed she’d figured out how to control her unwanted dreams enough to make a real go at it. He couldn’t be happier for her. “Knew you’d get there. How about I—”
“Yes, you can buy me lunch. I’m starving.” She grabbed her purse. “And of course, I’ll help you with Gabby. That’s why you’re here, right?” She stood and slipped into her coat. “I had a dream last night that you’d stop by, so I’ve even had time to think about where I want to go.”
That Dani knew what he was thinking before he did sometimes could be incredibly annoying. But he wanted Gabby back, and Dani probably already knew how he was going to do it. Why fight it? “Where are we going?”
She headed for the front door. “This new organic place I’ve been dying to go to, but Michael says it’s too foo-foo for him.”
Jake caught up. “If Mr. Suit and Tie won’t go, then it’s going to be torture for me, right?”
“Absolutely. My advice doesn’t come cheap.” She waved to her boss and then poked the door open before he could beat her to it. “We’ll walk. It’s only a few blocks away.”
Great. But if it’d get Gabby back, he’d endure a foo-foo lunch. He stuck his hands in his pockets to warm them and matched her stride. “So, do you already know I quit today?”
“No. Good for you.” Dani shook her head. “That’s only the first step, though. You helped send her father to jail. You’re going to have to do a whole lot more than quit a job to convince Gabby to take you back. A whole lot more.”
They stopped at the curb to wait for the light to turn. “If I could actually speak to Gabby, I’d tell her what really happened with her father. And hope she’d find a way to eventually forgive me. But I’m trying to prove to her how much I want to be with her by changing my life to make that happen. You would have been ecstatic if I’d quit working so much while we were married.”
“You’re right.” The light changed, so they stepped off the curb together. “But we both know you hadn’t met the woman of your dreams yet, so what would it have mattered really?”
As they hopped onto the opposite curb, he said, “Wait a minute. You knew I was going to meet Gabby while we were married?”
She shrugged. “Not until we’d separated, but yes.”
“Then why did you tell me I should date Charlene after we got divorced?”
Dani stopped in front of a small café and opened the door. “Because she was interested in you. I’d hoped you’d see how badly you messed that up, before it was time for you to meet Gabby.”
He had messed up his relationship with Charlene. By working too much and not paying enough attention to her. He’d been too busy wallowing about his divorce. She hadn’t deserved that. “Dammit. So you’re telling me getting Gabby back isn’t a given? You haven’t seen that?”
Dani held up two fingers to the hostess, who nodded and asked them to follow her. Panic filled him as they weaved in and out of the little wooden tables with bunches of wildflowers sticking out of vases even though it was February.
He had to win Gabby back. He’d always love Dani, but he hadn’t known he could love anyone as much as he loved Gabby. Like he could finally take complete, deep breaths of air when he was with her.
Dani didn’t wait for him to pull her chair out and sat. “I’ve seen a lot, but not that.”
He flopped down in a heap and accepted the laminated menu the hostess held in front of him. “Thank you.” After she left, he tossed the menu on the table. “So, what do I have to do? And why does it smell like perfume in here?”
Dani chuckled as she studied her menu. “This is a vegetarian farm-to-table place. The centerpiece is our appetizer. Try it.”
What the hell? He shook his head and picked up the menu, hoping they’d have a bean burrito, at least.
Dani chomped on her flowers and tilted her head. “Mmmmm. Lavender and something else. Very nice. You should really try it.”
“Negative.” He laid the menu down. “You’re killing me here, Dani. Please just tell me what I have to do.”
When a waitress appeared, Dani placed an order for peach iced tea and the Southwest-greens special for both of them. He didn’t care what they put in front of him. He’d probably just get a burger on the way home anyway.
After the waitress had left, Dani took his hand. “Are you ready to open up your life? To really share it with another person? Not just play the role of a husband, but to actually be one?”
“Yes. I’m all in.” A year ago, he’d have no idea what she’d meant by that. Now he understood it meant sharing secrets, wants, and needs with a partner. All the things that he never wanted to share because they made him feel weak and vulnerable. Gabby’s gentle and kind soul had made it almost natural for him to want to share them with her.
“Good.” Dani gave his hand a squeeze before she released it. “The only person Gabby has left in her immediate family is her father, right? And you put him in jail. So that’s where you have to start. With her dad.”
Jake blinked at her as her meaning slowly sunk in. “What are you suggesting I do with him?”
Their salads and drinks came, so he leaned back as the waitress placed a bowl of green stuff with suspicious balls of something in front of him. “Thanks.”
Dani took a bite and moaned. “This is awesome. Try it.”
Not interested, he took a slug of the peach iced tea instead. It was like a summer picnic of fun in his mouth. Maybe the salad wouldn’t be so bad. He picked up his fork and stabbed at the greens and weird chunks. Delicious spices danced on his tongue as he chewed. It wasn’t half-bad. “I don’t want to know what the lumps are, right?”
“Nope.” Dani laughed. “So back to Luca Moretti. You need to ask for Gabby’s hand in marriage. I’m assuming you aren’t quitting your job just to date her, right?”
He choked on his salad. Leaning close so the other diners around them wouldn’t hear, he said, “Moretti wants to kill me, not give me permission to marry his daughter.” And while he hadn’t thought that far ahead, the idea of being married to Gabby sat nicely with him.
“I know.” Dani happily chewed her lunch. “I didn’t say this would be easy. Gabby won’t talk to you or respond to texts, right?”
“No. She’s iced me out. And I don’t know where she lives. She deleted the tracker I put on her phone. They have armed guards where she works, so chances of me being able to talk to her are slim.”
“I know where Gabby lives. If you can get Luca’s permission to marry her, I think you have a fighting chance.”
Easier said than done. How would he ever convince the man he had helped arrest to allow his daughter to marry his captor? Worse, how would he get permission to see Luca in jail? He had no reason to visit him. Only his lawyers would have access at this point.
He asked Dani, “Do you know who Luca’s lawyers are?”
She shook her head. “That I don’t know. But I saw on the news earlier that his lawyers are holding a press conference later today. To get the public on their side is what the analysts are saying.”
“Since when do you follow court cases?” He went back in for more of the delicious tea.
“When they involve people I care about. Go figure out how to get yourself inside Moretti’s prison. Then we’ll talk.”
Piece of cake. Why wouldn’t Moretti’s lawyers want to talk to the man who had fingered their client?
He’d be lucky if the receptionist didn’t hang up on him.
Looked like he was going to have to get on a plane again. But this time, one headed to DC.
Jake sat in the plush offices of one of Washington’s top lawyers, trying not to fidget with impatience. He’d been granted the last appointment of the day but was warned he’d have only five minutes. He’d been waiting for over an hour to see Moretti’s lead lawyer, and the damn suit he wore was making it hot and hard to breathe. He hated wearing suits but wanted Farber to take him seriously.
The receptionist called out, “Mr. Morris? Mr. Farber will see you now. Will you come with me, please?”
Jake jumped out of his chair and followed the older woman dressed in black down a hallway covered with what was probably expensive art. What did he know?
All the spit had dried up in his mouth, making it hard to swallow. He had to make his one chance count.
The receptionist held out a hand toward a conference room. “Mr. Farber will be here shortly. Help yourself to some refreshment if you’d like.”
Jake nodded and went straight for the fancy green bottle of water on the side table. He poured himself a glass and then settled in one of the leather chairs around the long conference table. While taking a deep drink, he went over his plan one last time.
“Mr. Morris?” A portly man, about sixty with gray hair, shut the door behind him. “Don’t bother to get up.” Mr. Farber sat across from Jake and laid a leather portfolio on the table. Then he took out a fat pen and took the top off. “Your phone call intrigued me. As it did Mr. Moretti. However, we aren’t willing to compromise the case.”
“I assure you this has nothing to do with the case. It’s personal. Concerning Benji.” He’d remembered Gabby’s code word with her father and had used it to get the appointment. He couldn’t be sure the lawyer knew of Gabby’s existence, though, so he’d have to play his cards close to the vest.
Farber laid his pen down with a thump. “I fail to see what personal connection you could possibly have with Mr. Moretti.”
“I don’t think I’d be here unless Mr. Moretti were interested in hearing what I have to say.”
Farber leaned back in his chair. “I might be able to set you up with a video visitation.”
“Nope. What I have to say is for his ears only. It needs to be face-to-face.”
Farber’s eyes narrowed. “Mr. Moretti has a question. If you answer correctly, I’ll arrange for you to accompany me on my scheduled visit with him tomorrow. Only legal counsel has access to him right now.”
“I’m aware. What’s the question?” Jake tugged at his tight collar. What if he didn’t know the answer?
Farber opened his portfolio. “Mr. Moretti would like to know if Benji knows you’re asking to meet with my client.”
Jake studied Farber’s eyes. Puzzlement and curiosity filled them. Farber had no idea why Luca would ask that, and Jake wasn’t sure how to answer exactly. Was Luca asking if Gabby knew he’d come to see her father? Like to blackmail him because he knew who Gabby really was?
Or, Gabby could have asked him to pass something on to Moretti for her. That could get him in the door.
Rather than risk the wrong answer, he’d go with his gut. “No. But Benji needs his help. I would’ve e-mailed Mr. Moretti, but, obviously, he doesn’t have access at the moment.” He didn’t need to know that the help she needed was to be allowed to live her life.
Farber rubbed the back of his neck as he studied his notes. There were four or five lines on his page, but Jake couldn’t make out what they said from across the big table.
After a few moments, Farber nodded. “Meet me here at ten tomorrow. You’ll have to drive in with me. Check in as one of my staff.”
Cool relief swept through him. It’d worked. Next, he hoped he could figure out what to say to convince Luca not to kill him and then let him marry his daughter. “Thank you.”
Farber stood, so Jake did as well. The older man said, “Don’t bring anything with you. Especially a weapon. And don’t be late.” Farber headed for the door.
“I won’t.” He hated to be without a gun but was getting used to it.
Jake waved to the receptionist on his way out and then hit the elevator button to take him to the underground parking garage. While he waited, he pulled out his phone to check for messages. He’d asked Gabby if she’d please meet him for a drink or coffee. No response.
He jammed his phone into the pocket of his suit pants and stepped into the empty elevator. Once inside, he pushed the “G” button and then leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. It’d been a long day. He looked forward to a cold beer and burger at the place beside his hotel he’d seen earlier.
When the doors parted, he stepped out into the concrete structure and headed for his rental car. Heavy footsteps behind him made him glance over his shoulder. Really?
He stopped and turned around as two guys who could be Sal and Louie’s cousins approached him. Had to be sent by Moretti to be sure he kept his distance from Gabby, like her text had said. “Look. I’ll make this easy for you. I’m going back to my hotel near M Street in case you lose me in the traffic circle. Those things are a bitch.” Then he pushed the remote and made his rental beep. “I’m right here, in the silver Chevy. Have a nice evening.”
They both nodded and then turned toward their car.
He shook his head before he strapped in and started the engine. He’d probably be safe, at least until Moretti heard what he had to say the next day. After that, who knew?