Somewhere in the cosmos she heard a phone ring. It had a different sound. One of his friends was trying to reach him.
“Anatoly? Your phone…”
Gabriella was beneath him. She pushed against his shoulders with her hands in an attempt to distract him.
“Let it ring. I have more important business right here.”
Once again his mouth descended, sweeping aside everything in its path, igniting another feverish response from her as they clung, arms and legs entwined.
Gaby knew this insanity had to stop, but her body was slow to obey. A driving need to know his possession was pushing her closer and closer to the edge.
The phone rang again.
Keep ringing…
On a groan of protest, Anatoly finally tore his lips from hers and stood up to answer it.
Though dazed and weakened by the rapture he’d created, Gaby found the strength to get off the couch. Somehow she managed to make it to the kitchen.
Never again, Anatoly.
If Gaby had felt frightened after leaving Girls’ Village, that emotion was nothing compared to the fear she felt now.
And he’d only been kissing her!
Anatoly was like a fever in the blood. Since the accident, she’d known that it would be like this if he ever really kissed her. Given any more opportunities, she could easily imagine herself falling completely under his thrall and staying with him no matter what kind of man he was…
MAX TURNED his back on Gabriella and pulled out his phone. It was Gideon. He clicked on. “What’s happening?”
“You’re asking me? Good grief, Max, get rid of the bug or move to another part of the apartment. Otherwise you’re going to cause the guys listening to every cry, breath, moan and syllable to forget why they’re being paid.”
Heat crept into his face. “I couldn’t do anything about it without raising suspicion. Then things kind of got away from us.”
“You don’t need to tell me that. Listen. Karl’s got a plan to rescue Galena without Nikolai catching on, but he needs your input. He’s called a meeting.”
“When?”
“Now. It’ll probably be an all-nighter.”
Max sucked in his breath.
“I’ll be there.”
He clicked off.
When he walked to the kitchen, he discovered Gabriella making tacos. The ground beef had started to sizzle in the pan with the onion salt. It smelled good, but nothing compared with the scent of her skin and hair.
He slid his hands around her hips to her stomach. She trembled when he pulled her body against him.
“Karin has called me with a big problem. The flowers shipped from South America did not come in on their normal flight. Now she has had word that they will be in on the next shipment. I have to go to the airport and wait for them to arrive.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
Gabriella—are you asking me because you can’t bear to be separated? Or are you under orders to watch my every move? He turned her around so he could look at her.
“There is nothing I would love more. But if the plane is delayed, it could take much longer. Once the boxes come in, they have to pass customs inspection and it is a very lengthy process.”
He rubbed her arms with growing insistence. “This is not how I imagined our first night alone would be. Already I am aching for you. But I will make it up to you tomorrow.”
She smiled at him with those velvety eyes. “What is it you have planned for us?”
“How is it that you have forgotten? The Big League Stickball Tournament is tomorrow. It starts at ten in the morning and goes all day.”
“That’s right!” Her face lit with genuine pleasure.
“If it is too late for me to get back here tonight, I will pick you up at nine-thirty sharp. I will not forget to wear my baseball cap.”
“I’ll bring my pennant to wave.”
“Gabriella, I do not want to leave you. Not even for one moment.”
“I’ll miss you, too, but I’ve got four new cases that need working on. I could use the time tonight to get going on them.”
“Thank you for being so understanding.”
Her mouth was irresistible. It was impossible to kiss her without wanting to devour her.
His friend Gideon knew that. It was why he’d interrupted Max during a moment of such intense pleasure it eclipsed all others—even memories of Lauren in those early days before their marriage.
If Gabriella had agreed to do this job for the mafia, she’d lost her way, just as he had.
This was something that happened on occasion in the department. An occupational hazard. Max had never imagined it happening to him. But the proof was in his arms, clinging to him.
Five minutes passed before he lifted his mouth from hers. Her lips were a little swollen. They quivered with longing. Could there be anything more enticing to a man than to know the woman he desired above all others wanted him every bit as badly?
“Tomorrow,” he whispered before striding swiftly away.
GABY WATCHED him disappear out the front door. She gave him a minute, then hurried over to the front window in time to see the van drive off.
The urge to run had her jumping out of her skin. But one false move right now might turn him into someone like the monster who’d answered the door at Irina’s apartment.
Searching back, the only time she’d ever seen a hint of a grimace on Anatoly’s face was at the accident, right after the crash. But anyone would have been angry to have their car demolished. When he’d approached her, he didn’t yell or act upset in any way.
Not under any circumstances could she imagine Anatoly being ugly like Nikolai. Irina had told Gaby he’d been nice to her and her mother.
But nothing excused his being involved with the mafia. He was either into stealing cars or crashing them. Both represented big business and million-dollar revenues.
How could Anatoly associate with men like that? Where was his humanity when he knew the other men were going to rape Irina? How could he sit back and allow Nikolai to beat Irina’s mother? The more she thought about it, the less she could stand it.
Where to turn? She didn’t dare venture outside or use her cell phone in case he’d bugged it.
Suddenly she got an idea and didn’t know why she hadn’t thought of it before. She could call her uncle Frank from the Arnolds’ down the hall. She knew they wouldn’t mind being bothered.
Making sure the stove was turned off, she covered the food, then ran over to the table for her keys.
Once the door was locked, she walked to the next unit and knocked. After trying it several times she remembered that they always went to church on Saturday evening.
Mrs. Boyd might be home.
Gaby darted across the hall and rapped on her door. No luck there. She was probably visiting her children. Besides being the weekend, it was the wrong time of night.
Mr. Ortega in the other apartment was away on a business trip and wouldn’t be back for another week.
Her neighbors in the next section would help her. She hurried down the stairs to the front door. But when she saw a strange man saunter by on the sidewalk and make eye contact with her, she feared he might be someone Anatoly had ordered to keep watch. It wasn’t worth the risk.
Wheeling around, she retrieved her mail from the box, then dashed back upstairs to her apartment. She would have to wait until one of her neighbors came home tonight. Tomorrow would be too late.
Knowing Anatoly, he would show up with the sun. Then any opportunity to use someone else’s phone would be lost.
Until she heard noises in the hall, she would work on her new cases and eat the tacos she’d made. No matter how late, she needed to unload on her uncle. Never in her life had she needed his love and professional advice more.
Three hours passed before the sound of Mrs. Arnold’s voice reached Gaby’s ears. She got up from the table and hurried out into the hall.
“Hello, Gaby. How are
you? How’s that handsome young man of yours?”
“He’s fine.” He’s in the mafia. “Listen. I’m sorry to bother you, but my cell phone’s not working properly and I need to make an important call. Would you mind if I used yours? It’s a long-distance call, but I’ll use my phone card.”
“Come on in.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, she followed the Arnolds into their cozy apartment. “Over there at the desk. Talk as long as you want. We’re going to watch television for a while.”
“Thank you so much.”
Gaby moved to the love seat, then reached for the phone. After punching in all the numbers, she sat back and waited to hear her uncle’s booming voice. When she got his voice mail, she let out a groan.
There was no way she could leave a message. Her aunt would tell Gaby’s parents she’d phoned them. Then her mom and dad would be hurt that she hadn’t tried to call them.
Gaby phoned home once a week without fail. But this week was different from any other. Crashing into Anatoly had turned her world inside out.
Maybe she could get through to her uncle at his office. She called information for the number of the detective bureau in Atlantic City. It took ten minutes to wade through all the extensions. She finally reached a dispatcher who gave her a number to call.
In the end, all she got was more voice mail. She would have to wait. Maybe tomorrow at the ball game she could excuse herself to go to the rest room, then find a pay phone.
She would find a way….
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“WAY TO GO, Gents! Woo-hoo!”
Max slid his hand to the back of Gaby’s neck. Watching stickball with her was almost as exciting as being in her arms. Several times the pennant she waved blocked his line of vision and he missed a play. None of it mattered as long as they were together.
He couldn’t prevent his gaze from wandering over her glossy brown hair. She’d caught it back in a ponytail again. But it wouldn’t stay that way for long. After being cheated out of last night, he was counting the hours until they returned to her apartment.
Unable to resist, he kissed the tip of her ear. “Are you hungry? Do you want me to buy you another hot dog while we wait for the next game?”
She turned to him with a fake look of compassion on her face. “I’m sorry the Bronx Knights are losing so badly, Anatoly. But more food isn’t going to solve the problem.”
“Maybe this will.” He swooped down to capture her mouth. It tasted of orange drink and Cracker Jack. In fact, it tasted of so many wonderful things, he couldn’t get enough and didn’t care who might be watching.
When he released her, the teasing expression had vanished. She looked as shaken as he felt. The chemistry between them was explosive.
Last night Karl had told him that as long as Nikolai expected Max to take a vacation from his part-time job to look for Irina, that was exactly what he should do. Let the department handle Galena Pedrova’s escape. The guys would keep a close eye on Ms. Peris while Max cooled off.
On an intellectual level, he knew his boss was right. But Gabriella’s mystique had him trapped so snug and tight, he couldn’t bring himself to stay away.
“There are people walking up and down the aisles selling popcorn. I am going to buy us a box. We will feed it to each other. That is something I have never done with a woman, but I want to do it with you.”
She flashed him a wary glance. “What’s the catch?”
“Why do you always think I have ulterior motives?”
“Don’t try that tragic Russian tone on me. It won’t work anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m on to you, Anatoly.”
The oddest sensation swept through him just then. He had the distinct impression she was trying to tell him something.
Was it possible she’d fallen for him to the point where she was willing to warn him the mafia had a contract out on him? Did she care for him enough that she wanted to give him a fighting chance to defend himself?
If that was true, then it was also possible that somewhere down the road she could be reformed. Maybe she wanted to be free of the mafia, but needed help.
Too many thoughts converged in his mind at once, playing his emotions like a seesaw.
“Popcorn! Fresh buttered popcorn!”
Gabriella glanced at the vendor, then back at Max. Her eyes gleamed with mischief. “Go ahead and buy some for us. Make my day.”
His eyes narrowed on her mouth. “I intend to do that.”
They’d been sitting next to the aisle. He stood up and reached in his back pocket for his wallet. When he turned to the vendor, he saw Nikolai hovering nearby.
What the hell?
Nikolai’s presence meant something big had come up. Otherwise he would never have emerged from the woodwork to find Max. Normally he’d send someone like Oleg or Alexey to inform him of an unexpected meeting.
For some reason he must have had Max tailed since he’d left the apartment house this morning. No doubt he was in a rage because Max had taken time off to be with Gabriella, instead of getting down to the business of finding Irina through the port authority.
Max nodded at the vendor. “How much?”
“Two-fifty a box.”
“I will take one.”
He gave him five dollars. “Keep the change.”
“Thank you, sir.”
As the man handed him the popcorn, Max read the note Nikolai flashed from his hand at the same time. Then Nikolai moved on.
Max sat down, opened the box and extended it to Gabriella. “Go ahead and feed me a piece.”
“What will happen if I do?”
“You will like it. I promise.”
After a slight hesitation she picked one up and put it in his mouth. He caught her fingers and kissed the palm. To his surprise, her hand was shaking.
There was a difference between shaking and trembling. She was frightened. Suddenly the pieces of a puzzle he hadn’t been able to put together started to form a design.
Nikolai had been sent by someone higher up to take Max out. Today was the day. Part of Gabriella’s job had been to let Nikolai know where they’d be. But it hadn’t been part of her job to warn Max.
If there weren’t so much at stake, so many guys in the department depending on him, he’d convince her to disappear with him. They’d find their own private haven somewhere on the globe where they could relax and love each other into oblivion. But that wasn’t the way it worked.
He let go of her hand. “You did not mind that too much?”
“No.”
Unable to coax a smile out of her, he said, “Now it is my turn to feed you.”
“Anatoly.” She stopped him from reaching for more popcorn. “If you’ll excuse me for a minute, I need to use the rest room.”
“I will accompany you. Not inside, of course.”
“That will be a relief to the other women.”
They got up from the bleachers and headed toward the pavilion in the distance.
Another stickball game had started. Gabriella didn’t comment on it. She was afraid for him. Max could feel it. He wanted to take her in his arms, tell her she didn’t have to worry. His colleagues had him covered.
It didn’t take long to reach the west-end rest rooms. She glanced up at him with an unfathomable expression in her eyes. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
“Take your time, Gabriella. I’ll get a drink while I wait.”
Once she’d disappeared behind the door, Max headed for Nikolai’s car in the west parking lot where the note had said he’d be waiting. He sat behind the wheel of the white Mercedes. The engine was idling.
If Nikolai were going to shoot him, he’d wait until Max got in, then use a silencer on him. To his surprise, the other man climbed out of the car at Max’s approach. That wasn’t Nikolai’s style.
He waved him over before pulling out a cigarette. The addiction would kill him if the feds didn’t.
“What’s
going on? I thought you had better things to do than follow me to see if I’m doing my job.”
He drew on his cigarette, then exhaled. “You told me a fairy tale about finding Irina on a ship.”
“No, Nikolai. Like you, I have men loyal to me. One of them has located a boat headed for Australia with a stowaway aboard. A young blond female, underage. She’ll be put ashore in Hawaii and flown back to San Diego. When my source can make a positive identification, I’ll leave it up to you to figure out a plan to get her away from the authorities. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m spending the afternoon with my girlfriend.”
Nikolai squinted at Max, as if not knowing whether to believe him or not. “You think you’re so damn clever. But I have news for you. It’ll wipe that arrogant smile off your face. Don’t you want to know the real reason I didn’t put you back to work?”
“Not particularly. But I’m sure you’re dying to tell me.”
“That woman who crashed into your car. Your girlfriend,” he said mockingly. “The bosses think she did it on purpose to get friendly with you.”
Max’s heart did a thunderclap. “Now you’re the one telling fairy tales.”
“No.” He took another puff of his cigarette. “I sent your paperwork through normal channels. Boris did the usual checks and passed the documentation to those higher up.
“Someone recognized Ms. Peris’s name. She’s the attorney who was unsuccessful in representing one of our members working in the body shop where we pick up the cars. He’s now been deported.”
The guy at the jail…Max remembered the night he’d driven her there to meet a client.
“It’s possible he gave her names of the drivers in a plea bargain that went wrong, and now she’s working on a lead, hoping to get more information out of you.”
“The idea of her running into me to get my attention sounds pretty far-fetched, Nikolai. Even if it were true, you think I would tell her anything I didn’t want her to know?”
Max noticed how Nikolai’s eyes slid away. “It doesn’t matter what I think. Boris told me to tell you to get rid of her by tonight. The bosses don’t want her making trouble.” He smirked. “You aren’t so cocky now, eh, Kuzmina? You think I have nothing better to do than track you down for the hell of it? You were a fool to get involved with an immigration attorney. It has cost you the beach cities job.”
Accidentally Yours Page 19