Undefeated

by C. D. Gill

  Gia bit her lower lip. “Call me crazy, but my dream is to take on nonprofit projects internationally.”

  Xander smiled. Just like her to dream big. “Lots of places could use help.”

  “I know. And I spent a lot of time in Brazil with Ma’s family growing up. There’s a huge need there. The lower and middle class are separated by a massive chasm. A stunning difference. A lot of them barely have adequate shelter because gangs run the favelas and make money off them. People aren’t allowed in to help without a huge threat of physical violence.” She pushed her hair back and gave a small laugh. “I get really passionate about it. And if I’m honest, I’m desperate to do something good for others, like Uncle Angelo did for me. Not in a savior complex kind of way, but in a pay-it-forward kind of way that gives someone a chance to live a life they’ve always dreamed of.”

  Xander’s heart ached in his chest. That’s why he’d loved coaching. He loved helping others achieve their potential. “It sounds like what you do right now. What you did for me.”

  Gia shifted, putting her face inches from his. Her eyes blazed with intensity. “I gave you access to a couple of tools and a bed. You did everything else. Not everyone who asks for help wants a launch point. Some are fine with a comfortable docking station.”

  He nodded and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “You’ve been both for me. Thanks.”

  The sun’s warm haze cooled slightly as it made its descent, announcing an end to their perfect floating dinner. They rowed to the bank. Xander rocked the boat as he went. Gia laughed and splashed him. When she made a move for an oar, he lunged forward and threw her over his shoulder as he stepped onto the dry ground.

  Twenty minutes later, they sat on top of the mountain as the sun blazed toward the horizon in an orange and pink fury. This peace, this happy fullness was what he’d dreamed life could be like on the outside, but never saw it happening. After years in a cell with the same white walls and harsh lighting, the sky’s palette of color stole the air from his lungs. He intertwined his fingers with Gia’s. She didn’t flinch or jerk her hand out of his, instead she rested her head on his shoulder. It felt perfect there.

  The sun disappearing below the horizon broke the spell of silence. “Gia, I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for me these past two months.”

  “It’s been my pleasure, Xander.” Gia stood and gave him a hand. “Let’s not end the date yet. I have an idea.”

  They dropped the bikes and gear at the trailer in the parking lot. In less than an hour, the sky was dark as they reclined on the hood of the rental car with slushies in their hands, parked in the empty refugee housing community. No one had moved in yet, so it was the perfect place to get away from the noise and lights to see the stars.

  The faint moonlight highlighted her smooth skin and dark eyes. Xander hugged her to him. Soft music drifted from the car radio. It seemed like any minute the peace he felt in this moment would be ripped away and that he’d be shown once again how undeserving he was of having a normal life.

  He dared to think for a second that maybe he could have the life he’d dreamed of. Maybe he would be able to look forward to his future. Xander tightened his arms around Gia and stole a kiss from her lips. Her soft hair tickled his cheeks. In this moment, the only thing that mattered was that she, the small-town philanthropist, was here with him, an out-of-town felon.

  A ding from his cell phone interrupted their embrace.

  He opened his phone and took a second to glance at it. The text said, “We got a lead. Meet you at the house.”

  Gia saw the text over his shoulder and was waiting in the car in a matter of seconds. She knocked on the window. “Let’s go. This sounds big.”

  The tension in his chest warred against the peace that he’d felt with Gia in his arms. Today had been the most perfect distraction from the string of disasters. As Xander drove, Gia slipped her fingers between his. The strangest sense of rightness filled him. He didn’t have to prove anything to gain her acceptance. And that wasn’t any type of love he’d experienced before. Especially not with his parents.

  Back at the house, they quickly made their way inside.

  Joey and Tommy leaned over papers spread on the kitchen island and a computer sat to the side. Xander stood next to Joey and Gia picked a stool near Tommy.

  “We pulled a few strings—” Joey cleared his throat.

  Gia rolled her eyes. “My parents have connections everywhere.”

  Joey winked. “And one of them was able to get permission to retest a wide random sampling of the steroids found in Xander’s desk. Our contact at Salguod compared it with the structure of their composites. He found that while they have the same general markers, the samples we tested did not come from Salguod. But since the crime unit labs tested some that matched Salguod, it was immediately assumed that the steroids came from big pharma.”

  “What does the origin of the steroids change? The players all tested positive for steroids, regardless of where they came from.”

  Tommy held up his finger. “The differentiating markers gave the lab technician reason to believe that the majority of the steroids came from a home lab. Decently well done, but not the same quality as Salguod’s.”

  Xander scratched his neck. “We’re looking for an amateur chemist who planted this stuff? You know, Bob the homeless guy, mentioned that he’d been a part of something like that. Could this have been done in the university science labs? Meaning any student with access could have done this?”

  “No, that quantity would be obvious to the lab monitors at the university. This would be something done in a basement guided by a book like this Homemade Steroids we found online. This former professor wrote a book and put it out there for all the world to buy and perform experiments on their own.”

  Gia’s head fell into her hands. “So now we’re back to anyone being the culprit.”

  “A home science lab lines up with Jake seeing a ‘Victor Frankenstein’ written on the notes in the envelopes.” Joey made a note. “Someone was bragging about the homemade steroids to whoever was receiving them.”

  “We still have the athletic director, head coach, and main assistant coaches to interview tomorrow. We’ll ask them in person. No one recognized a Victor Frankenstein. I’ll send emails to the players we interviewed and ask if they know any science buffs,” said Tommy.

  A phone rang and Gia reached for her purse. As she walked toward the family room to answer, she said, “Hey, Luce.” She stopped abruptly and turned back around, her eyes connecting with Xander’s as they grew bigger. “Tucker’s in jail? What happened?”

  Chapter 24

  Lucy sobbed on the other end of the line. “He took on additional shifts to make some extra money. He picked up the cargo and stopped at the weigh station like usual. They did their routine scans, but then moved him to a different lane and told him to open the back so they could perform a search. He said they usually poke around and wave him on.”

  “But something stopped them this time.” Gia rubbed her temples, the dull ache becoming a heavy thumping now.

  “He thinks the metal containers triggered their X-Rays or something.”

  “Where did he get stopped?” Gia asked.

  “Somewhere near Sante Fe, but he’s being held in Sante Fe’s city jail. They’re questioning him and probably going to torture him for answers next.” She sniffed. “You’ve seen the cop shows. Poor innocent Tucker.”

  Gia grinned. Lucy had definitely seen one too many of those hot-cop shows. She’d bragged about being her own defense lawyer someday if she needed one. “He must have been coming close to here if you had a date with him tomorrow.”

  “He picked up the cargo at the Corpus Christi port and was supposed to drop it off at a warehouse in outside Denver.”

  “What was in his truck?”

  Lucy sniffled. “He didn’t tell me, but they held him in a holding cell while he contacted the person who contracted him for the cargo transfer. He ha
sn’t been able to reach the guy. And they’re going to hold him until then.” A wail cut off her words. “We were supposed to go on a date tomorrow night. I made him a pie and everything.”

  “What happens if he can’t get in touch with the contractor?”

  “They mentioned lawsuits and prison and he is scared for his life. I could hear it in his voice. I know your parents aren’t going to be happy that one of their employees was arrested in the truck they helped him buy, but is there anything they can do to help him out of this?”

  Gia swallowed. The headache spread from the front to her whole head. Tucker’s manager might fire him if he heard he was arrested. Any pleas to take it up the chain for help could get sidelined. She sighed. Going straight to her parents would be the best option. As Joey already had said at least one thousand times since his arrival, her parents could be very persuasive and influential. One of their employees being arrested was definitely something they took notice of.

  “I’ll call my parents tonight, Lucy. But promise me—” Lucy interrupted her with a string of ‘thank you’s.’ “Promise me, you will let them handle the lawyers and cops. You are not qualified for anything law-related.”

  Lucy huffed.

  “Promise me, Lucy. Or I won’t call.”

  “Fine. I promise. Just bring my Tucker back to me, please.”

  She made the call and explained the situation to Daddy before he said goodbye. She stared up at her ceiling for a while trying to process the day she’d had.

  What had Tucker gotten himself into?

  *****

  After breakfast the next morning, Gia showered and dressed. The boys were discussing the interviews of the day. A set of designs were due next week, and her ability to focus wavered. Two hours of sitting staring at her desk in her rented office offered her no solutions to her biggest dilemma. She turned on a classical music play list from the romantic period and stared at her project. What if something happened to Tucker?

  “I see your work music tastes haven’t changed,” a deep voice rumbled from behind her.

  Gia jerked upright and whirled around to face the doorway of her office. The speaker took a second to register. “Daddy.” In two steps, Gia crossed her office to throw her arms around his neck and kiss his weathered cheeks. His tight hugs and the fantastic smell of his aftershave took her back to her childhood in an instant. She missed him so much.

  Pulling away, she glanced around. “How’d you get in? I didn’t leave the door unlocked.”

  Daddy chuckled. “I stopped by your house first. Alexander drove me here and let me in.” Daddy leaned his sturdy frame forward and whispered. “With his key.” His eyes grew bigger. “To your office.”

  Gia waved him off. Daddy suspected every boy, but he had a right to suspect this one. “Xander’s office is upstairs. He got a key so I didn’t have to give him mine every time I couldn’t be at the office. Is Ma here? Is everything all right? You should’ve told me you were coming into town. I would have picked you up at the airport.”

  “Ma couldn’t come with me this time.” Daddy patted her arm. “And don’t worry about the airport. You have other responsibilities, baby girl.” Daddy cleared his throat and adjusted his stance. “I have a special meeting tomorrow. It’s not my usual kind of business, Giovanna, so I was hoping you’d be willing to accompany me to the meeting.” His attention shifted around her office, no doubt noticing the chaos.

  “What kind of meeting?” When he didn’t meet her gaze, she waited. There was more to this story. He probably came to Colorado dozens of times in the last few months without calling her. Gia crossed her arms and studied him. He was so handsome, exactly the same as when she’d left. Did parents ever really age? “What kind of business, Daddy?”

  He checked his Rolex that hid under his tailored tan suit cuff, the color was stunning against his dark skin. “Actually, I have a meeting in thirty minutes to discuss that very thing. Let’s grab a quick bite to eat on our way.”

  Her project sat eighty-five percent done, but Daddy counted on her accompanying him so her duty was to do that. After locking the office door, they stopped at a sandwich shop before Daddy navigated her to a grayish office building with the name of a veterinary association on the top.

  A run-of-the-mill office park.

  Daddy’s usual meetings were in warehouses.

  Gia met his eye. “You’re not trying to get me to ditch architecture and take over the family business, are you?”

  He gave her a half-smile. “Are you planning to continue going on dates with Xander while he lives over your garage?”

  “Do you and Ma need to approve of who I date these days?”

  “Always. Will you come home for the holidays this year?” He wouldn’t rub the mistake named Bronc in her face, but his meaning was clear.

  They rode the elevator to the third floor, the speed of the lift throwing them off balance and jerking to a halt in an instant. Daddy muttered a few choice words and motioned for her to precede him out the doors. In the hallway, four businesses split the space. Two had glass door fronts that exposed appealing waiting areas while the other two solid doors were surrounded by tan walls in the most uninviting manner as if they had something to hide. Gia knew a great interior designer that could work wonders for their lobby appeal. To her dismay, Daddy headed straight for one of the solid doors. The plaque tacked on the wall next to it read “Havisham & Associates.”

  No clues there.

  Daddy gripped the doorknob and held it without attempting to turn it. She leaned forward to check his face. “Daddy, you okay? You need help?”

  A second later, something beeped and the lock popped. Gia jumped backwards.

  Daddy flashed her a grin and twisted the knob. “You okay? You need help?”

  Narrowing her eyes, she punched his arm lightly.

  With the door braced open, Daddy motioned her in and set a hand on her mid-back as he guided her down a hallway to stop in a sparse waiting area. “You underestimate my knowledge of all things. You think I’m frail. You forget how much strength and manliness it takes to handle being married to a Brazilian firecracker like your mother.”

  Gia scrunched her nose. “Daddy, respectfully, I do not want to hear about how your manliness handles Ma. You’ve got golf buddies for that kind of thing. Besides, you like her sass.”

  Daddy laughed then kissed her forehead. “I’ve missed you so much, Giovanna Sophia.”

  “What kind of business did you say this is, again?” Gia cocked her head to listen.

  No one walked the halls or sat in the waiting area. No phones rang. No employees talked obnoxiously loudly. No doors slammed.

  Nothing.

  Just the sounds of her heartbeat quickening in her own ears.

  “I didn’t say,” Daddy said in a low voice.

  “Mr. Carter. Ms. Carter.” A man spoke from behind Daddy.

  Daddy shifted and nodded his greeting. Gia eyed the guy—short, balding, and stocky. White-collared shirt and nice gray slacks. He could be any regular paper pusher. Accountant, maybe?

  “Thanks for coming. Would you follow me, please?”

  They followed him to the first door on the right. He unlocked the door by holding onto the door handle. Fingerprint metrics scanner? High-tech, whatever it was. The door swung open, revealing a large conference room. Two men sat next to each other at the table speaking in low tones. Pictures and maps with pins scattered across them crowded the walls. The men stood and faced them on the other side of the shiny wooden table.

  She choked on a gasp interrupting the short man’s introduction of Agent Wheeler with the CIA and— “Excuse me.” Gia patted her chest to clear her airway. “Detective James, good to see you again. Agent Wheeler, nice to meet you.”

  “And I’m Agent Pirrip. I’m no stranger to your father, but I’m afraid we haven’t had the pleasure yet, Ms. Carter.” Agent Pirrip shoved his hand into the empty space between them. She nodded and shook his hand, withdrawing from his clam
my touch.

  Her eyes narrowed as she assessed him. She had not expected him to be an agent of all things.

  Agent Pirrip plopped into a chair at the head of the table, motioning to his left. “Agent Wheeler, would you like to get us started?”

  Agent Wheeler was tall, thin, had a goatee, and a rapid blinking habit. He appeared to be in his lower forties. “Ms. Carter, let me bring you up to speed. The FBI and DEA have been investigating illegal shipping around the country.”

  Gia resisted the urge to stare at Daddy. Was he involved? Was he caught? She moved her fidgeting fingers into her lap to play it cool.

  “We’ve been tracking the movements and searching for the leader of a certain organization that we believe is shipping banned exotic wildlife and unauthorized drugs, as well as involved in other highly illegal dealings like smuggling high-level criminals across borders.”

  All eyes focused on her as if they expected a reaction of some sort. “Okay. I’m assuming you’ve found the leader or have a lead on the person?”

  Eyelashes fluttering, Agent Wheeler nodded and motioned to Daddy. “Your father has been so kindly aiding us in our investigation for several years now after we mistakenly brought him in, thinking his company was involved.”

  Daddy offered Agent Wheeler a small smile, but said nothing. Gia had to look anywhere but at Agent Wheeler’s fluttering lashes.

  “Ms. Carter, we’re investigating two of your known acquaintances and have brought you here today to ask for your help,” Agent Pirrip said. “Do you know of any association between Grant Harrington and Daniel Marin?”

  Her spine straightened until it hurt. Grant Harrington? Daniel Marin? Gia’s jaw dropped open. “Bronc and Grant? How are they related?”

  Daddy captured her hand with his, stilling the rage before it started. “The agents believe that Bronc was trying to get to you by using Grant to get closer to you.”

  That snake.

  She wanted to take a driver to something so hard right now. Including Grant’s face. His nice guy routine, fixing the cars, job recommendations, date nights. All at the hand of Bronc. “So, Detective James, you were assigned to my cases because they believed it was Bronc or Grant? Or was it coincidence?”