I peeled my fingers off of his shoulder and watched air fill his chest again. It occurred to me I’d never voluntarily touched him, and my own insides were buzzing like mad. A man like Daniel wasn’t one to let contact—or anything—-affect him. I wondered if it was my touch or if he just didn’t like it in general.
“Getting more interesting by the minute,” he finally said.
“I’ll take that back now.” I held out my arm for him to hang the straps on, but he clutched it in his large hand.
“Allow me. It weighs more than you do.”
I put a hand on my hip, and his eyes flickered with interest. “Did no one ever teach you a thing about women?” I asked, exasperated.
“As a matter of fact, they didn’t.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m here to help you,” I told him earnestly. “Never ever mention a woman’s weight. Even if you don’t mean it in a derogatory way. You might think it’s a nice thing to say something like, ‘Oh, you’ve lost weight. You look fantastic.’ Seems innocent enough, right? All she hears is that you thought she was fat before, even if you didn’t. It’s a no-go topic, Princess. You can thank me in five years when your eyes are still intact because no female has clawed them out.”
“What else do I need to know about the opposite sex?” He was amused, a cocky smirk on his face. Daniel probably had more knowledge of women in his pinky than I did as a whole.
“Oh no. You’ve gotten your free piece of advice. This isn’t an all-day buffet.”
The sound of his laughter was drowned out by the approaching train, and for once I wished it could have waited another second. Eliciting that laugh from him seemed the equivalent of winning a gold medal. I was filled with the sound, my already stellar mood enhanced because I had gotten a laugh out of the no-nonsense Daniel Elliott. It seriously competed for the best part of my day, and I’d had a pretty damn good one.
The doors to the subway car opened, a few people exited, and I pushed my way in, making a beeline for a vacated seat. Daniel sank into the one beside me, and I seized my purse from him, settling it on my lap.
“On your way to a performance?” he asked, pointing his chin at my worn out ballet slippers as if he’d just noticed them.
“Cute,” I said, pretending to be unimpressed by his wit. “For your information, these are comfortable.” Although they really weren’t much better than walking barefoot on the streets, they were a vast improvement over heels. “Obviously, you have no fashion sense.” Obviously, I was lying through my teeth. The man looked amazing in whatever he wore. It was kind of disgusting what he did for a suit.
“It is true I am most definitely not on the cutting edge of high fashion,” he said dryly.
Apparently I wasn’t the only one who appreciated the gorgeous package that he was. The woman seated across from us wasn’t even trying to hide that she was staring, her lips slightly parted as she was imagining exactly what was underneath that power suit. Daniel didn’t notice his observer, his eyes trained on me like I was the only other person on the planet.
I shifted in my seat, though I met his gaze head-on, as if all that intensity didn’t affect me in the least. “Then you’re really in no position to comment.” Something about him made me extra sassy, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
My phone pinged inside my bag, and I pulled it out to find a text from my carrier that a payment was due or my service would be suspended. I couldn’t get a signal down here if my life depended on it, but the damn phone company is going to get the message through when I owe them money. I snapped the phone shut, hoping Daniel hadn’t seen that. The bill wouldn’t be paid for at least another week.
“You dropped this.” The nosy bastard was holding out a wrinkled piece of paper that he’d unfolded. “Where is it?”
“New Zealand.” I’d printed it off the internet. I snatched the photo from him. The mountains were so majestic in the picture that every time I looked at them, they took my breath away.
“Did you take that?”
“No. But someday I will,” I told him confidently, folding the paper back into a square.
“What’s all that?” He indicated the rainbow of writing that covered the back of the white copy paper.
“The places I have to visit someday. I want to spend at least a month on the South Island. I mean, I’d like to see the north one too. But the south is what I want to visit first.”
“May I have a look? Please?” he added, and I felt a small victory that he was doing something for me that he didn’t for anyone else.
I held the paper a little tighter. This was something I’d never shared with anybody. It’s not like it was a big secret or anything, but if nobody knew and for some reason I never made it, then no one would know I’d failed. Except I wasn’t going to fail. Because I was on my way to being an accountant, and one day I would see this mountain for myself. Without any further hesitation, I passed the paper to him, deciding I could share my dreams with him. If I expected him to do the same, I had to go first.
Daniel took it from me as if I was handing him a glass egg. He unfolded the picture again, studying it.
I’d found the photo online several years ago during a mindless perusal of the vast information superhighway. The mountain had spoken to me right away, had some kind of spiritual pull on me. My desire to see it made no sense, yet I couldn’t ignore it. That’s what I’d been saving all the money for. It wasn’t a question of if I would go, but when.
“We’re almost to my stop,” I said after a few minutes. Daniel’s eyes were still riveted to my notes. He blinked at me, almost as if he’d forgotten where he was, gently folded the printout, and handed it to me. “Think you can find your way back on your own?” I goaded as I slipped it back in my purse.
He pressed his lips together and pretended to give the question serious thought. “Not sure if I can manage.”
I actually smiled at that, standing when the train came to a stop. Daniel got to his feet along with me and followed me through the open doors and out of the station. I was three stops away from my apartment, but I didn’t want him knowing where I lived.
“Here’s your coat,” I said as I shrugged it off. “You shouldn’t be out in this weather in your frail condition without it.” My body temperature plummeted without the outer garment, and I immediately missed his scent that had surrounded me.
“Frail?”
I squeezed his biceps, which were solid. I gave him an apologetic look. “Definitely frail.” Definitely lying. “Now get back into the station before you freeze.” I handed him his coat, which he didn’t seem to want to take.
“Keep it,” he said, still sounding miffed.
“I’ll be fine. I have a lot of energy, so I can get home in a flash.” I gave him another saccharine smile, and sauntered off, stopping after a few steps, turning back to him. He was still standing at the mouth of the subway, coat draped over his arm like an accessory. “Where do you want to go, Daniel?”
For a moment, he appeared caught off guard. The question was innocent enough, a generic, run of the mill, everyday kind of question. Yet I knew it meant more to him. Just like that picture meant more to me.
He’s not going to answer.
I focused my expectant gaze on him. If he wanted off this hook, he’d have to find his own way.
“Iceland.”
I hid my surprise at such an obscure answer and then turned away, heading down the sidewalk. I half expected him to follow me. He didn’t.
When I got into my frigid apartment and changed into my thermal underwear, flannel pajamas, a hoodie, and three pairs of socks, and settled under two blankets, I realized he hadn’t once demanded I go out with him. No. Everything he did today was about getting to know me and nothing more. He’d upped his game.
10
Daniel
Present
“What the fuck has gotten into you?” Donato asked as the tennis ball sailed past him for the umpteenth time this afternoon.
I was taking out my frustration on the little green ball, and in the process beating myself to a pulp. “I won’t complain about kicking your ass on the court, but this is aggressive even for you.”
“I’m fine,” I said, wiping the sweat from my forehead.
“Sounds like it,” he said in disbelief, walking toward the center of the court. “I’m done here. Quitting while I’m ahead.”
“I have somewhere to be anyway.” Fuck, I sounded like a sulky kid, but I couldn’t help it.
“Don’t be mad because an old man ran circles around you on the court today.” This wasn’t a jab. It was Donato’s way of trying to get me to talk without getting too touchy feely. He knew I didn’t go for that shit. He wasn’t exactly a teddy bear either, except when it came to his wife and children.
“First time for everything.”
Donato took a bottle of water from the ice chest beside the court and handed it to me. I unscrewed the cap and downed half the contents. We got together at least once a week, when weather permitted, to play tennis on the private rooftop court at his penthouse. My mother had taught me how to play. Donato fed the addiction, helped me get better. I wasn’t half bad, but the stress relief was the appeal for me.
Donato moved to a set of chairs and sank into one. I dropped into the seat next to his. “I’ve come to a decision about Vinny,” he started, and I darted a look at him. “My judgment has been clouded in regard to him. No need to rehash the reasons why again.” He ran a hand through his sweat-slicked hair. “Vinny has proven repeatedly he’s not to be trusted. You and I will handle the important business, as we have been. We cannot allow him to sabotage what we’ve built. We need to keep him on a short leash. A choke chain.”
“How did he take it when you told him you recovered the painting?” We hadn’t had a chance to discuss it, but to say I’d been preoccupied was an understatement.
“Outwardly, he appeared relieved, but he wasn’t happy. I made like I was looking for the thief. I decided it was in our best interest to continue to behave as if we’re oblivious to his doings. When he gets cocky, he fucks up.”
“No matter what, he fucks up,” I muttered.
Donato didn’t disagree, leaning forward and bracing his forearms on his knees. He dropped his head for a moment before looking back at me. “I was hoping Vinny would step up, do things the right way. It would free you. Get you out of this world. There will come a day when I won’t be here, and I don’t want you to be stuck.” He spoke as if that were in the distant future when we both knew otherwise.
“I’m only in it because of you,” I confessed.
Donato’s eyes softened at the admission. “I know that,” he said. Guess I was more transparent than I thought. Donato’s gaze sharpened, his mouth turning hard. “The authorities have me shackled, especially with this new development. They’ll use whatever leverage they can to get what they want. It’s always money, and sometimes blood.”
“What more could they possibly want now?” I asked bitterly. My businesses operated on the wrong side of the law at times, but I managed to stay on the good side of the authorities. Thanks to Donato, they pretty much left me alone.
“They want to know who owned the Cézanne. Where we got it,” Donato said, running his hand through his hair once again. That painting had been stolen over twenty years ago from a museum in Prague and had been hiding in a private collection ever since. Owning it was a serious crime, selling it a great risk. Brokering the sale of stolen goods on the black market could be dodgy, especially when the authorities wanted to use it as leverage.
“Why would the feds put you in that position?”
“Because they fucking can. No matter what I do, how many years I’ve fed them whatever they want to know, it’s never enough,” he grumbled, his face turning dark. “That’s one reason I let Vinny handle the deal, to keep you out of it. They’ve been breathing down my neck about it.” Donato’s eyes met mine, his jaw set the way it did when he was forced into a decision he didn’t like but had resolved to see through. “When the owners go down, Vinny will look like the rat.”
I digested the implication of what Donato had said. To think I’d doubted his decision to let Vinny take the lead on such a big deal. He’d chosen me over his brother, protecting me over blood, which only reinforced the tough decisions I’d had to make. The people we’d gotten that painting from would kill anyone who betrayed them. Donato had made sure they didn’t know I existed.
“That must have been a difficult decision,” I said carefully. How do you thank a man who has saved your life on more than one occasion? Not with words. For once I was going to protect him, by doing what was necessary.
He reached over and covered the hand resting on my knee. “Actually, it wasn’t at all.” Donato asked me with his eyes to see what he wanted me to hear. That he cared about me. But I couldn’t do it. Breakers began to flip inside me, shutting me down. He saw my protective shield rise into place, disappointment and hurt in his eyes. Donato never pushed me, not when it came to letting him in. I simply could not acknowledge how I felt about him, and I couldn’t stand to hear his feelings about me.
“I need to go,” I said, standing abruptly.
Donato stood with me. “Stay for dinner. Teresa is coming over and bringing the kids.” She was his youngest daughter. The “kids” he referred to were his grown grandchildren.
“Enjoy your time with them.” The man made it difficult to say no to him, so I avoided uttering the actual words as often as possible.
“Daniel.” The way he said my name made me uncomfortable. We stood at the top of the stairs that led to the interior of his apartment. “I can tell something other than Vinny is eating at you. I’m guessing it’s Vivian. I don’t know her, but I’ve had a lot of experience with relationships. I’d be more than happy to discuss how to fix the mistake you’re making. Because I’m sure I’ve made it. At least twice.” He said it lightly, so I could tolerate it. Before I could answer, he held up both hands. “I know. I know. Just reminding you I’m here.”
“Thanks,” I said tersely. No amount of advice could fix my problems. I preferred to spend valuable time getting answers about a subject we’d been avoiding for days. “How much time have we got?”
He narrowed his gaze as if I’d insulted him. “I’m not sure,” he bit out, knowing exactly what I was referring to.
“Any idea who’s stirred up this shit again?”
“Not yet.” The unspoken in that statement was that he would find out. And when he did find out who was framing him, I almost pitied the person. Almost. Except they were dredging up my shit too.
I shifted the tennis racquet from one hand to the other. “I’m at a dead end. I haven’t heard from them again.” I looked toward the sky. “All the fucked up shit my dear old dad was into is really coming back to bite us.” I swallowed thickly and cleared my throat as I tried to clear my mind. “This would be a lot less complicated if the feds had let NYPD keep the case.”
“I’ll handle it.”
“It’s my problem too.”
Donato’s brows rose. Arguing with the man was useless, but I wouldn’t back down on this. He placed his hands on my shoulders. “You will leave this alone. Stay away from it.”
“I shouldn’t have told you.” I clenched my fists at my sides.
He squeezed my shoulders. “Yes, you absolutely should have. Stop fretting over things we can’t control.”
I couldn’t stop worrying, but I knew I wouldn’t dissuade him, so I let it go. I unballed my fists and released a long breath. “I’ll speak to you soon.”
He nodded, disappointed I wouldn’t relent to his demand I stay away from the most pressing fire we had burning. Disappointed I wouldn’t stay for dinner. He’d be pissed when I took matters into my own hands, but that’s where this was headed. And as much as I didn’t like it, I’d already accepted the reality of the past finally catching up.
A pit formed in my stomach as I rolled into the garage at the apartm
ent. I had no idea what to expect. Each day, the pile of Vivian’s belongings in the foyer remained in place, barely touched.
My heart pumped a little faster as I rode the elevator to the top floor. Will she be here? I’d wondered on more than one occasion if she would really leave.
When the elevator doors slid open to our private lobby, I stepped out and stopped, craning my neck. What is that? It sounded as if someone were having a party. There was music at a high volume coming muffled through the walls.
Madonna blasted me in the face when I opened the door, and I had my answer. Vivian had physically left, but she was still very much here, along with the mountain of her things. It stung like a motherfucker that she didn’t want them, but deep down, I knew keeping them was too painful for her.
I stormed to the study, found the source of the music, and punched the off button on the stereo. The silence was far worse. I felt lost—a feeling I hadn’t had in a very, very long time. Vivian should be here. I rounded my desk and sank into my chair, feeling another blow when my eyes landed on the picture that had been there for nearly eight years.
I picked up the frame, caressing her happy face, remembering that day like it was yesterday. Looking at myself in the picture, it was clear I’d been in love with her then, though I’d have never admitted it to anyone. I pulled out my phone, tempted to call her, but we both had to quit cold turkey. So I settled for second best and tracked her cell to that sushi place Muriella had been wanting to try. Now’s as good a time as any. I confirmed that Muriella was there too, and then I threw myself into action.
“Giselle,” I said tersely when she answered the phone.
“Daniel. I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.”
“When can you be ready?” I asked, skipping the pleasantries.
“Now,” she replied hesitantly.
“Meet me in twenty minutes. I’ll text the address to you.”
I hung up before she could protest and scrolled through my playlist, selecting “Trouble” by Cage The Elephant. I blasted it through the speakers in the apartment. I had to get Madonna out of my head before I went through with this. Once I did it, there would be no turning back.
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