“Don’t you think I know that? I’m trying to save my brother’s—”
“No matter what you do, your brother will probably die anyway.” Her eyes widen, all venom leaving her at that thought. “If it was Cane he was fucking with, he wouldn’t have lasted this long.” She stands fully, mouth ready to launch into something I’ve got fuck all interest in hearing. “And don’t bother trying to talk. You’re damn well hearing this. SIT. THE FUCK. DOWN.”
Her ass hits the chair at my tone, lips clamped closed and her eyes refusing to look anywhere but directly at me. I pull in a long breath through my nose, trying to regain some element of calm in the middle of my concern for her life.
“You want to know who I am, Gabriella? Look around you, because you’re right. I am worse than your brother. Far worse. None of this is honest, nor has it been acquired through decency or respect. My brother? Killer. Me? The same, just hidden in an accountant’s clothes these days.” I throw my gun on the table, the metal sliding across to her, and remember that one damn time I had to take a life. “You see that? That has all been Cane. Underhanded. Dirty. Fingers in every fucking pie to make sure the deal goes our way.” Her face stays flat, eyes pinched as she listens. “Do you know how many times I’ve watched an Andreas Alves be killed, his sister be raped and tortured for fun?” That screws her pretty little face up again. “Want to know how many times I was part of it?” My fingers stretch on the table, remembering those women and their screams, the men and their pleas for life. It sickens me now as much as it did then. “Your associate, Marco Mortoni, is just as insidious when necessary. And his lineage certainly was.” I frown at the thought, still able to visualise my mother in that house even though I never saw her there.
I lean back, watching as she shrugs my dressing gown tighter around her, and pull in a breath at the thought of all those wasted hours making us legitimate if this was going to come bite our ass. “You wanna know how hard I’ve worked to make us safe? How much I’ve had to close the fences around us to lock out this shit you’re now bringing to my door again?” She shakes her head slightly, eyes looking at the floor now rather than boring into mine like I’m the one in the wrong. “Real fucking hard, Gabby.” I huff out, intent on not giving a damn for the one woman I love so I can keep Cane safe. It’s a damn lie, one that nearly rips my heart open when she slowly crawls her eyes up to me. “You’ve got yourself neck deep in a shitstorm that could well blow and there’s not a goddamn thing I can do about it without risking my family.”
Silence. Utter fucking silence.
“Nate, I can go,” she eventually says, quietly. “I’m not bringing anything to your door. This is my—”
“No.” I hold my hand up and stand. She’s not going anywhere, and she needs time to assimilate all that information, as do I, now I’ve finally let it out of my mouth.
And I need to plan, strategize, or think harder than I already have done.
I walk away from the table and cross to the lounge, eyes staring out of the window in the hope that divine intervention gives me some clue where the hell we go from here. I need to speak to Quinn about Andreas, and I need to know more about whatever deal she has going down. From her and from him. Details are what I need.
All the fucking details.
“What’s your next move?” I ask, head turning over my shoulder to look at her through the room. She hasn’t left the chair. She’s hunched over the table, slight fear etched into her features, now she’s seen the enormity of what’s happening here.
She raises her head and looks right at me. “Marco has half the diamonds. We’re safe. Or should be for now.”
I watch her mind ticking over those words, the essence of them not meaning the same thing as she’d like them to. “He’s dealing with me now instead of Andreas.”
“And that means what?” There’s the longest pause as she gazes at the wall, some part of her lost in her own planning and preparation.
“I’m not stupid, Nate. I’ve got this.”
No, she hasn’t. Not entirely. And that’s not good enough for me and what it could mean to my family. At least she’s safe for now. Whether her brother is or not isn’t my concern. I stare until she lifts her chin back to me, a small smile playing around her lips as she leans back.
“You’re gonna tell me everything, Gabby. Right from the beginning.” I walk back to the table and sit opposite her, flicking a smoke out and rolling up my sleeves. We’ll do this all fucking night if we have to until I can see a way through, because I’m not losing her. I can’t. Won’t. “And then we’ll see what we can do about us.”
Chapter Nineteen
He’s smoking. I hate that he’s smoking. In Bora, he stopped or at least tried not to when I was around, which was most of the time. He flicks out the light and brings it to that death stick he puts between his lips. The red cherry glistens at the end as he draws the poison deep into his lungs. It makes me want to vomit. Of course, that could just be the overwhelming amount of information I’m doing my best to process.
Nate asked me to say something, explain to him, but I can’t get my mind on track. It’s lost, buried under all the truths he’s just spilt.
“Gabby!” Another snipe as if I’m a wayward child who isn’t listening.
“Marco has the diamonds,” I mutter out, exhausted by this whole thing.
“You’ve told me that already. I need to know everything.” He taps the table, eyes purely focused on me. “Start at the beginning.”
“I’ve told you everything I know already.”
Our voices grow in strength with each volley.
“From the beginning, Gabby. Your brother came to you with an idea? Did you offer? How did you get involved?”
“He asked me if I was able to get a large number of cut diamonds on a regular basis. He wanted ten million with certification every quarter, but the first deal was double that.” Nate’s eyes are so intense as he listens. His body is stiff and rife with tension—the same tension I feel.
“And you just had some lying around?” He stubs out the cigarette in frustration.
“Of course not.” It’s my turn to snap. “What I do might be illegal, but it’s not dangerous. It doesn’t put lives at risk. It doesn’t even hurt people. Not really.” I’ve almost had enough. He sits there chastising me, and yet he’s just told me he’s a killer? I can’t cope with any more. “What you and my brother do destroys lives, Nate. Families. I didn’t want anything to do with it at first, but Andreas is someone I’ve always struggled to say no to.” He tuts at me like I’m a child again, lighting another cigarette.
“You will from now on, don’t you forget that.” His pull on the cigarette is so long I think we might have finished talking for a second. “So, you just went off and gave him the diamonds?” Obviously not. I huff a little and look at the table.
“It’s not quite as simple as you make out, but yes. I have contacts.” So many contacts. I can’t process this conversation anymore. I’m tired, cranky, and ready to explode with all this information.
“And why did you go to the drop with Andreas?” Nate looks puzzled as he asks his question, as if he’s trying to make sense of it himself.
“Because he wanted me there. He saw this as a joint venture.”
“You mean he saw you as a scapegoat if anything went wrong. He didn’t want all the blame on his shoulders. If I ever fucking meet your brother, I’ll—”
“Hey, he’s family. Just like Quinn is to you.” He looks affronted instantly, his body ready to defend his family over mine.
“Quinn would never sacrifice me or set me up.” He sneers and stubs the cigarette out. “That’s the difference between my family and yours. Fucking loyalty.”
“Well, I thought we’d already established I’m a little short on family. He’s the only one I have.” Nate’s words about Andreas hurt more than I thought possible. I’ve never looked at my brother’s actions in that light, choosing to see him wanting to work with me, even if it is
for his own benefit.
“And it was him on those calls in Bora. He wanted the diamonds back.”
“Because Mortoni had a hit out on him. If I didn’t give them back Andreas could have been killed.”
“Nothing else happened? No others involved?” My brain is about to explode. It’s the third time we’ve been over it. As if something is going to change suddenly. “You have no idea who set you up?”
“Set me up?”
“Well, they took the diamonds not the drugs.” I think about the feeling I’ve not been able to shake. The man at the airport, the feeling in the pit of my stomach, and wonder if this is about me. No.
I knock the chair back as I stand to escape the scrutiny Nate’s subjecting me to. I’ve worked on my own for so long, only relying on myself, that it’s hard to have this conversation. The few people I do work with, it’s strictly business. I trust them. My relationships with them are borne of mutual respect and need, not emotional ties that should never be involved in business.
I walk out of the room, searching for a way to put all of this back in the bottle. This isn’t what I thought having Nate in my life would mean. Running was the safer option for him—running and leaving him to get on with his life without me. And now it seems I should have kept on running.
The gun still resting on the table behind me tells me that.
“Where the hell are you going? I need to know everything.”
“Why?”
“Why? Jesus, Gabby.” He stands up, rounding the corners to get to me. “So I can help you out of the shitstorm you’re in. Despite your occupation, sweetheart, you’re going to get yourself killed without me. An unknown group busted up and stole the diamonds. Mortoni is out of pocket. Do you want me to continue?”
“You here to rescue me, Nate?” I joke, not able to grasp the seriousness of all he’s divulged.
If I hope for a future now, what do I see? More crime? More deals? More looking over my shoulder? That’s not what I want. I want Nate and Bora, without the complications. I stare away from him through the large window, looking up to the mansion in front of his place.
“You need to realise how dangerous this is,” he says, coming up behind me. “What did you think? That you’d hand back half the diamonds and everything would be fine? That Marco wouldn’t be worried about finding the other half of his package? Hell, Quinn would have killed your brother by now for that kind of disloyalty.” I frown at the words, hating every single time he reiterates the sound of death, and continue staring anywhere but at him.
“Well, aren’t I glad that he didn’t get mixed up with you or your brother,” I scoff.
“Gabby, I need to know more about this other group—the ones who disrupted the operation and stole the other half of Marco’s diamonds.” Why? Why does he need all this? It’s not his business. It’s mine. I’ve got this. I don’t need him or anyone else to make this work out. All this is just another rung in a ladder I haven’t quite climbed yet.
“Enough, Nate.” I plead, swinging back to him. The kitchen I’ve found myself in is pristine. Marble work surfaces gleam at me, with stainless steel appliances all lined up ready to use. It’s nothing like the Nate I know. It’s cold and unfeeling, devoid of care or warmth. “Can’t you see I can’t do this now? It’s too much.”
His face hardens, and I search to find the softer features that always promised so much to me. “Not my choice, Gabby. It’s here, so we’re dealing with it whether you like it or not.”
“You were shocked when I told you I’m a thief, right? What about me and everything you’ve just revealed. A gun? You’ve killed someone? Lots of people for all I know. How am I supposed to deal with that?”
He waves a hand through the air, slicing my conversation in two before it’s started. “We don’t have time for this. I’ve seen you operate. You can be just as ruthless and calculating. Life ain’t sweet all the time. Grow a pair and start acting like you wanna sort this shit out.”
“That’s not me, though.” My fists slam down on the cold surface. “I play a role. I choose who I can be. But I thought with you, it would be different, that I could learn exactly who I am. But you’ve taken that away.”
“I’ve done fuck all, Gabby. This is on you. And you’ll have to trust I know what I’m doing. Talk. All of it. From the beginning. Again.”
“Trust you? You just told me you’re a murderer,” I scream at him. All the disbelief, all the pain and worry from the last few weeks begins pouring out of me. How can this be happening? Where did it go wrong? All I see is more anguish and loss, not the family or security I crave.
My fingers run through my hair, clawing at my head as I come to terms with what I need to do. “I need to leave. I’m going home.” I race back towards the bedroom to get dressed. All of this was a mistake. Nate was a mistake.
He snatches my arm and swings me back against his chest. “I’m not letting you out of my fucking sight.”
“You can’t keep me prisoner, Nate. Let me go.” My lips press into a firm line, determined to make him see it my way. An amused look crosses his face, but it’s gone after a second, replaced with a no-nonsense gaze that is nothing but cold and stern again.
“Where the hell is home anyway? You know you can’t go back to your brother.”
I pull from his grip, moving away. “Antwerp,” I snap, turning for the stairs again. I’m going. Have to. This is all a mess and I won’t be told what to do, even by him.
“As in Belgium? Why there?”
“I have a place. It’s as close to home as anywhere.” And it’s my favourite place, somewhere I feel safe. Or as safe as I’m accustomed to. Apart from Bora. Although those memories are tainted now, spoilt with this shadow. I glance back at the gun, sadness tampering with my anger as I keep trying to walk away.
“And I’m guessing diamonds?” I can hear the disdain in his tone. Screw him. He tells me all this and still thinks I’m the one in the wrong here? My foot hits the stairs, head shaking.
“Sixteen billion dollars of polished diamonds pass through the exchanges each year. And that’s just the legitimate worth.” I look back down at him, smiling with that thought. “You’ll read that Antwerp is the safest centre in the world for diamonds, every stone accounted for on and off the docks.” The glint in my eye is back, smile broadening, now I’m talking about what I love rather than death. “It’s not quite that way. What did you say, fingers in pies?”
“Like I give a fuck, Gabby. Get back down here.”
“No. Enough, Nate. This is done if you can’t treat me with some bloody respect. I’m not a fool.”
I stand firm in the middle of the staircase, arms crossed as I watch him try to work me out. He can try all he wants. I’m done if he doesn’t calm down a little and stop acting like he’s my brother. I’ve had enough of that to last me a lifetime. I’m not having it from him. “You can give me some of the Nate I knew in Bora or this ends.”
Silence ensues for a time, neither of us moving from our positions. I wish I knew what was going on in his mind, but I don’t. He’s like a closed door all of a sudden, hard and unyielding. I glance around, noting all the furniture set in this pristine space. It’s so lifeless. So, ordered. Nothing like the man I know. I feel like screaming at him, asking him to back down and let me be. To trust me.
He sighs eventually and puts his hands in his pockets, turning away to walk towards the lounge area. “Get your ass down here and tell me more about Antwerp.” His tone’s softer this time, quieter. He grabs his coffee and sits on the black leather couch, loosening the tie around his neck. “If that’s where we’re going then I need the details of that, too.”
“What?” My feet inch down a step in surprise. He looks up, sipping his drink.
“You think I’m letting you out of my sight until this is finished? Not a fucking chance. We stay together until I can work this shit out.” He sips again, little care for whether I agree. “Like it or not, when we fucked I became involved, Gabby, whic
h means my family is involved now, too.”
“Together?”
“Hmm,” he says, looking at me over his coffee. “Antwerp sounds safest all round.”
“For whom?”
“Everyone.”
I frown a little and walk closer, unsure if what he’s suggesting makes sense or not. Antwerp might be the place I consider home but taking Nate with me isn’t something I’d considered. I just need to get there to see Christophe and find out where the rest of the diamonds are—dig myself and my stupid brother out of this mess.
“You’re sure?” I ask, looking at him as he takes another drink. “I don’t want to get you or your family involved in this, and—” He raises a brow at me, telling me what I already know. He is involved, and so they are, too. My heart sinks, annoyed with my brother that any of this is causing problems. I walk closer still, willing him to at least smile and make this easier in some way. He doesn’t. Business Nate is firmly in place. “I need to make some calls then.” He nods, giving no other reaction. “So I can find out where the diamonds are.” Another nod, one laced with the longest sigh I’ve ever heard. I know how he feels.
Chapter Twenty
Antwerp
“What do you mean, Antwerp?” Quinn questions, his voice muffled over the phone line. “What the hell is in Antwerp?” He’s got a point, and I’m not convinced either given I know nothing of this city, but it’s what she wanted, and if it gets us away from Marco or whoever this other party is for a while, I’m good with that for the time being.
“It’s safer if we’re here.” For him and my mother, too.
“Is it fuck. Safe is here, Nate. How the hell are you protecting her there?” I watch her fiddling with some flowers on a market stall, a true smile on her face. “Or yourself?” That’s another point I’m trying to ignore. She looks back at me, holding up a lemon coloured tulip and then tucking it over her ear like I did in that casino. “I’ll deal with Marco, change the situation so it can be managed.”
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