Lost Faith (The Firm Book 1)

by April Zyon

  “We’ve been gone nearly a month, and yes we will be going to get groceries tomorrow. Need to at least have some items around to snack on even if my cooking skills are limited. Unless we’re talking grilling and then I’m pretty good. Sadly, my stove skills are mostly centered around breakfast meals. I’m an expert egg scrambler I will have you know.”

  She laughed, “I think it’s a good thing then that I took all of those cooking classes huh? I’m actually pretty good with the whole cooking thing. I enjoy it so that will be something that I can contribute and I look forward to being able to do it. I want to give back to you as much as you give to me.”

  “I haven’t exactly done all that much, sweetheart. Between kidnapping you, ruining your life, and then pretty much smuggling you out of the country what is it that I’ve done? Nothing good I can tell you,” he muttered. Tobias pulled her in closer to him. “I keep wondering if your life would have been better off if we never had met. It hurts to think about missing out on you, but really all I’ve done is thrash everything you’ve believed in up to a week ago.”

  Gabbie shook her head and turned on the seat to face him. “No. No, Tobias don’t think that. You are very good to me. My life is good and I’m happy to have you in it. Yes, you opened my eyes to a lot of different things and have torn my life apart but you have been there the whole time and you’ve kept me together. I couldn’t ask for anything better than that, Tobias. Plus, when we add in how attracted to you and how fast and how hard I’ve fallen for you I think that you were meant to come to me. You and I belong. I feel that, don’t you?”

  Cupping her face, he searched her eyes for a time, and must have found whatever he needed to see because he seemed to relax. Tobias gave a nod and leaned in to brush his lips over hers. “I definitely feel like I’ve found a missing piece I never realized I was without. You and I fit, there’s no other word for it that I can think up. At least, not at the moment, but that may only be because of the lack of blood in my brain whenever you are near.”

  “You are too funny.” She said and leaned in so that she could brush her lips to his. “Now, we have to get home, get ourselves fed with delivery and then we will get very naked together. I absolutely love and want to be naked with you.” She couldn’t wait for it actually. They hadn’t come together in Brazil but god she wanted to now. She needed to have him now.

  “We’ll get to that in time. Starting with a shower in my awesome bathroom. One that’s built for someone my size instead of that closet I’ve had to use for the last month. It has plenty of room in it for you too, in case you were wondering and I’m big into water conservation so shared showers are a must.”

  “Oh, we definitely have to conserve water.” She felt her whole body warming with the idea of having him naked and wet with her. “I really enjoy the idea of us doing all sorts of things in your home. What might be our home one day. At least I’m hoping that it will be our home one day.”

  “It can definitely be our home if you like it. It needs a woman’s touch, which you’ll see for yourself in about forty minutes. This is our drop off point, sweetheart.” The bus slowed and then came to a stop with a couple others getting up to climb off with them including a couple of his team members who threw them waves before disappearing around the bus to find their own vehicles.

  She loved how he kept reaching for her hand and squeezed his in return. “I can’t wait to see the house and if we need to spend money to make it look better we will. We will do whatever it is that we have to do in order to make the house fully ours, no one else’s just ours. I want and need to be part of your forever life and that starts with the house.”

  “It starts with us first, Ella. The house is merely an abode in which we shall dwell, sleep, and have mad sex romps.” Clambering down from the bus he turned to give her a hand and then tucking her close led her quickly through a couple rows. He dug out keys and popped the locks helping her up into the surprisingly warm vehicle. “Car starter, I clicked it once I knew we were in range. Don’t need you getting anything important overly chilled now do we?”

  “Oh, you are so smart.” Damn she didn’t even think about that. She hadn’t thought about a car warmer. “I love that.” She said with a grin. “The car is nice and warm, love it.” She nestled back into the seat and let out a sigh. “And seat warmers to boot. Goodness you are a very good man.”

  “I like to have my bottom toasty warm on cold days, what can I say.” Grinning he shut her door and after tossing their bags into the back got in behind the steering wheel. A minute later he had them underway to getting free from the long-term parking maze.

  “And the back as well. I bet that it’s incredible on your back when you are suffering from cramps, although you wouldn’t have to worry about cramps I would say.” She had terrible cramps from time to time and had to have heating pads during that time, this was just as good as a heating pad actually.

  “Can’t say I’ve ever suffered from more than the occasional muscle cramp after a particularly vigorous workout with the team. But I have the distinct impression that isn’t the sort you’re referring to. Which, should that be the case, you will be happy to know I have a couple decent sized heating pads at the house. Again, normally reserved for overused muscles but they can be easily retasked for the new lady in residence.”

  “Thank goodness. I look forward to you taking care of me during that time. I want to know what it will feel like to have you looking after me during that time. I like hot chocolate and a heating pad when I’m cramping. Just for future knowledge.” She added with a grin.

  “Copy that, duly noted for future incidents. Anything else you need to tell me about that I should know so I’m not walking into the proverbial minefield, my sweet? You know, since I’m a man who while of above average intelligence still occasionally misses the obvious signals from the opposite sex.”

  “I will tell you when I’m feeling crampy and PMS’y, okay? That way you don’t have to try to guess about anything. I want to always be there for you. I want to have you as a partner and that means talking to each other. I won’t hold things back, that’s something else you should know. I will always tell you what I’m feeling, when I’m feeling it.”

  “Good to hear,” he told her. Reaching out he took her hand in his and laced their fingers together. “Goes both ways, although I have been told I brood so you might need to poke me occasionally. I want to be there for you through each step forward into our new life. It’s an adventure I’m looking forward to, sweetheart.”

  “Same here. It’s going to be a ball learning you, learning what makes you tick and everything else. Now, drive darling man because I really want food, a shower with you and then want to check out that fabulous bed that you are talking about. I can’t wait to try it out.”

  Grinning he stopped at a light and hit a button on the steering wheel. A couple rings later the call was picked up and he asked to talk to the chef giving his name. Quickly enough he was put through and soon was chatting with the woman she assumed was the chef. A couple minutes of chatter and then he placed the order ending with a request for something special for their dessert. Hanging up he looked her way. “Be ready to have your tastebuds singing and dancing in your mouth. Bernice makes the best damn double baked potatoes on the planet.”

  “God that sounds good. I happen to love potatoes. They are my comfort food, so thanks for ordering them. As for the dessert, what do you think that she will make for us?”

  “No clue, but I trust her. She’s used me as her guinea pig on more than one occasion for new recipes. Which is a good thing in a way, getting to try stuff before she puts it on the menu. It’s like a sneak preview of something pretty damn amazing.”

  “Oh, and because I’m with you right now I get to have a part of that preview menu as well? Or will she be mad because you’ve hooked up with someone and it’s not her?” Women typically did things like what Bernice did for Tobias to impress them because they were attracted or they were related in some
way.

  “Ha!” He started laughing and sounded like he might not stop. Eventually he wound down to a couple inelegant snorts and let out a long sigh. “Bernie’s wife might have something to say about that. She’s been happily married for the last two years. Her wife can’t eat anything with processed sugars so it’s been Bernie’s new life goal to find ways to still create these elegant over the top desserts but in a way that her wife can enjoy them. Not every dessert on the menu is without the sugars, but a good portion are. She’s got an equally balanced menu at the restaurant for everyone out there whether they are vegan, a celiac, or have some unusual allergy. And even if the menu doesn’t offer something up the guests can ask her to come up with something. She has it as the challenge the chef option on the menu’s, and the only requirement is that your allergy must be one hundred percent real. No fucking with the chef because she owns large blades and has been trained to use them. I think she even has a little ninja figure on there to emphasis the point.”

  She snorted, “Little ninja’s huh? I love it.” So, she wasn’t going to have to compete for his affection. She liked that. A lot. “Well then I look forward to anything. As I said I don’t have any allergies so I’m good with anything. Potatoes however are a weakness just as gnocchi is. I know how odd those foods are for me to love when I’m Brazilian not Italian or whatever but I adore those foods.”

  “I think when it comes to comfort foods who cares where they are from, or if they are of your nationality. If they comfort you that’s the only thing that really matters. Then again, I can say that being a mutt myself. Pretty sure I have half the world swimming through my veins, likely why I was so comfortable for the many years in the Marine’s being shipped all over the map. I will admit that now I’m damn glad to have a home to go to though.”

  “I like that. I wish that I was more nationally generic.” Her father had been Brazilian and her mother had been Swedish. That was the only mix in her genetics. “Marines. It suites you. I’m glad that you did what you did because it brought you to me. Do you and your friends own a firm and hire out or do you still do wet work for the military?”

  “We have our own company and hire out. As to what we may or may not do for the military I am unable to confirm nor deny if we do or do not have any involvement now or potentially in the future.” He said it with a perfectly straight face and in the classic monotonal drone. Then he grinned and snickered. “Sorry, sweetheart, but them be the rules.”

  “That’s okay, I’m perfectly fine with you not telling me. I would never want you to do anything that would get you into any sort of trouble. That’s the very last thing that I would want actually.” He meant too much to her so she was ready to keep his secrets if she needed to. “I think that I need to figure out what I will do in life once we are home.”

  “No immediate rush. Take a few days, figure your way around and then think on it. Who knows maybe it’ll jump out and tackle you from left field. Besides we’re taking a couple days down time once I let the client know and send confirmation to them. We can sit back and relax while getting to know one another better and in a much less stressful situation than we’ve been in of late.”

  “I really like that idea. Less stress would be nice. Even when I was away from my father I was also always under his control and stressed to the max. Being able to take time and figure out what I want will be good so thanks for that.” She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “Do you need an IT person? I am semi-good with a computer as you could see.” She was teasing him now, sort of.

  “Babe, there was no semi about it, you’d damn fucking good. Rainer’s our IT guy but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind a hand from time to time. You can broach the subject when next they invade the house for a free meal and whatever sports game is on the TV.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I don’t want to replace him and god only knows I don’t want or need a full-time position but from time to time it would be nice to be able to do something outside of the house, something other than shop. I’ve done that far too long. Who knows, maybe I will also do some volunteer work, if you think that I would be safe doing it?”

  “Not immediately but I don’t see why not in the future. We’ll be keeping an eye on things back in Brazil to ensure that no one even considers looking for you. Rainer did a great job hiding you and to all intents and purposes you’ve ceased to exist. Your current identity has a solid backstory and he’ll continue to fill in any holes he finds for the next while until it’s impenetrable.”

  “Should I get my hair cut, colored and changed? I’ve always wanted to have red hair and have it chemically straightened so that my curls don’t go wild. That would be a huge change for me.” She would still be slightly tanned, but that was something she would never be able to change.

  “Whatever you want to do, sweetheart. Just do me a favor and warn me before you do anything that drastic. I’d hate to react thinking you weren’t you and get myself in the doghouse for life do to those actions. That would suck ass.”

  She snorted in laughter. “Well I think I will get my hair at least chemically straightened. I am not sure about the color change, but I do want to get it straightened. My curls are wild and crazy so I would love to have them tamed down.”

  “I like the curls but it is your hair, sweetheart.” He sped up and merged into traffic working across a couple lanes to an exit he took them onto. “We’re about five minutes from the house. If I timed things right Bernice’s delivery guy should be arriving about ten minutes after we get inside and dump our gear.”

  “Good because I’m starving.” She admitted. “I’m just happy that you haven’t heard my stomach growling.” She told him and leaned her head back again. “I like my curls, however the bad thing about them is the upkeep. I have to put so much product in my hair that it takes forever to get the curls to keep from getting all frizzy and out of control.”

  “I haven’t heard anything from over there. While we wait on the food I’ll give you at least a partial tour. We can start upstairs and work down. Depending on when the food gets there we’ll do the rest of the place after our meal when we’re both stuffed and need to move around.”

  “Sounds good. If we don’t see the whole place tonight that’s fine too. As long as I know where our bed is, the bathroom and that amazing shower you’ve talked up, and the kitchen are then I’m good.” And he had talked up the shower and now she couldn’t wait to get fed and get into it so she could see every single inch of him.

  Chuckling he shrugged. “It is a great shower. I went all out when I had it redone, pretty much the only room that was torn right out and rebuilt from scratch. I did get rid of all the carpet and put in hardwood throughout except the kitchen and bathrooms which have stone flooring for ease with spills and the like. But I really haven’t done much else through the place. It’s a blank slate waiting for someone with some artistic vision to put their stamp on it. Hint, hint.”

  She did laugh and loved it. “I like the fact that it’s a blank slate. I hate carpet so I’m glad that it’s gone. Kitchens and bathrooms should never have wood flooring so smart choice there as well. You have made a number of great choices and we will see what I can do in order to make it more of our home.”

  “Pretty sure anything you do will be a serious improvement. In a couple minutes you’ll be able to see for yourself.” For the rest of the ride they chatted about his neighborhood as she tried to get a feel for where she’d be living. It sounded like a great place to call home in her opinion.

  Chapter Thirteen

  After handing over the cash to Bernice’s delivery guy of the night Tobias shut the door and called out to Gabriella. Moving to the kitchen he began to unpack and sort everything into their piles according to the instructions Bernie had sent along. The woman hated letting a meal out of her sight when the client wasn’t in house. That she made allowances for him and his team was huge.

  Finished plating he set everything onto the table and called for Gabriella once more
. “It’s going to get fucking cold woman. And Bernie will have both our hides if we dare to let it congeal. It’s bad enough it had to come in take-out containers, don’t make it any worse on me.”

  When she came down he looked at her, to the table and back up again. Damn the woman looked good. She had gone up and got into his closet and came back down in only one of his t-shirts and if he was lucky no panties. “Oh goodie, food. Thank you.” She leaned in and inhaled. “Oh it smells wonderful as well. I can’t wait to taste it as well.”

  He pulled a chair out and waved her onto it. “Come and sit, taste it and we’ll both know how good it is. The dessert I need to throw in the oven according to the instructions so I have it on and warming. We need about ten minutes according to Bernie for it to warm properly. When you’re ready for it let me know and I’ll toss it in.”

  “Sounds good to me.” When she sat down he realized that she wasn’t wearing panties. Damn. “You don’t mind me raiding your closet, do you? Until I’m able to order some clothes I think I will be raiding it often.” And he loved the way she looked in his clothes.

  “I don’t mind in the least. My closet is your closet, sweetheart. Feel free to raid it whenever you want. But promise me you’ll wear underwear when the others are here. I don’t want anyone seeing what’s mine.” Leaning in to kiss her gently Tobias moved to collect the wine bottles that Bernice had sent along with the meal. “You have the option of red or white. Bernie recommends the red but she knows I can’t drink reds because they give me brutal fucking migraines. The tannins get me every single time.”

  “White it is.” She was watching him as he walked away from her to get the wine. “And don’t worry, if anyone else is here I will totally have on not only underwear but also pants as well. I like you thinking that I’m yours because I think of you as mine.”

  “I not only think it I damn well know it, Ella.” Tobias poured them each a glass and carried them to the table. Taking his seat he passed one over and held his own up. “Welcome home, sweetheart. I’m very glad to have you here, all to myself, to do with as I wish.” Wiggling his eyebrows he tapped his glass to hers and took a sip.