I blinked. What would make Jeremy cut off his words like that? “She threatened to what?”
Jeremy sighed into the phone. “She threatened to wrap an IV line around my neck and squeeze until my eyeballs popped out. She’s a little scary right now, and—”
“Tell that slimy rat bastard I want him here right now!”
I winced as Carlina’s shout rang in my ears. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Have her nurse get her ready to leave.”
“That’s been done. She was just waiting for the doctor to finish signing her out.”
“Good. You took care of the photographer, right?”
“Of course. I broke the memory card from his camera and Hunter is holding him until we get Ms. Pérez out of the hospital.”
“Thank you. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”
“Drive faster, dude.”
The call dropped. After putting my paperwork into my desk, I locked it, then strode from my office. “I’ll be out for the rest of the day and probably tomorrow as well,” I told Linsey. “Keep in contact with my attorneys about getting the articles on Carlina taken down and let me know if you run into trouble.”
“Yes, sir. Tell her we hope she gets better soon.” She shook her head and scowled. “It’s terrible what they’re doing to her when she just wanted to help Antonio. She seems like a very nice lady.”
“She is, and thank you. I’ll give her your message.”
I left Linsey to her work and climbed into the back of my waiting car.
“Hospital?” Clyde asked. “Or La Panache?”
“La Panache can wait. Call Julie and have her get the guest room ready. Carlina will be staying with us until she’s better.”
When I got to the hospital, I found Jeremy standing in front of the closed door to Carlina’s room.
“Your woman is waiting,” he murmured, stepping out of the way. “She isn’t happy with you. I hope you brought armor.”
I almost corrected him. Carlina wasn’t my woman, and after the debacle with the press getting hold of her information, I’d be lucky if she didn’t try to castrate me with one of her kitchen knives. I knocked softly and opened the door.
Her doctor stood in front her making notes on a clipboard. “Your breathing sounds good and the only thing you’ll need to do is rest and come back in a week or so for a checkup. I’ve made you an after-hours appointment in my office downtown to control who sees you. I’m also giving you a prescription for oral pain meds. Do you have any questions before I let you go?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.” She leaned forward in her wheelchair and met my gaze. “And it seems my ride is here, so I’ll get out of your way.”
Madelaine pushed her chair out while I held the door. Carlina barely looked at me when we all trooped into the elevator, Jeremy included.
He cleared his throat and crouched to meet Carlina’s eyes. “I’m sorry we didn’t catch the little ass… I mean the photographer before he bothered you.”
Carlina nodded, but didn’t say anything. She looked up a moment later, a wicked smile blossoming across her face. “Want to make it up to me?”
“Anything,” he said. “Just name it.”
“Take me to La Panache. I want you to make my ex-boyfriend wish he’d never been born.”
“I already plan to ruin his business,” I said. Why wasn’t she asking me to slay her dragons? I glared sourly at Jeremy and nearly missed what she said next.
“That’s fine for a start, but I want him to know it’s because of me and regret the day he ever set foot in a kitchen.”
“Did he hurt you?” Jeremy asked, his knuckles popping as he clenched a meaty fist.
“No, he doesn’t have the balls for that. I know he’s the one saying all those horrible things about me and you’re going to make him recant his lies on video.”
“May I ask a question first?”
“Sure. What is it?”
“How do you know it’s him?”
“Because he already threatened it, and because he’s the only person I know who’s nasty enough to lie about me.”
“But you have no proof,” Jeremy mused, clasping his hands behind his back.
“No, and if it turns out he isn’t the one feeding that bullshit to the tabloids, we’ll leave him alone and you can find out who did. Deal?”
“You got it, Ms. Pérez.”
“Two things,” she added. “You can’t physically hurt him, and you will not mention a single word about Antonio. Understood? Protecting Antonio’s privacy is our goal here.”
His gaze softening, he said, “You’re a real nice lady to do that.”
“No, I’m not. You can throw the tabloid bait in the overpriced suit under a bus with my blessing.” She scowled at me and added, “Make sure to run over him a few times.”
I clenched my fist, resisting the urge to take a belt to her plump ass. That woman had a sassy streak a mile wide, but I couldn’t do anything about it.
Chapter Eleven
Carlina
Jeremy stood in front of us while we waited for Mr. Dennison to bring Giorgio’s car around, refusing to allow anyone too close to me. I glanced at Giorgio out of the corner of my eye and wondered if I should forgive him. None of this was truly his fault and I didn’t think I could hold a grudge for very long. Even though his high-handedness irritated me, he’d bent over backward to make sure my hospital stay was as pleasant as it could be.
He’d also paid my medical bills. I had insurance, but it wasn’t worth much and only covered about a quarter of my care. It would have taken me months to pay it off if he hadn’t helped and I’d have had to spend the money I’d saved for my kitchen renovation.
Nobody would have cared about me or Antonio if Mark hadn’t opened his big fat mouth. It was bad enough he stole my recipes to open La Panache, but I didn’t understand why he’d go out of his way to ruin my reputation. It wasn’t like I was competing with him.
Maybe it would be nice to run my own place someday, but I honestly wasn’t sure I wanted the headache. Then again, with talented staff and a good location… I sighed and let Giorgio help Madelaine settle me into the back of the vehicle. He slid in from the other side, carefully fastening the seatbelt around me.
It had been less than a week since the fire, and I was already tired of being an invalid. I had no idea how I was going to make it through another month of this crap.
“Are you comfortable?” he asked.
“I’m fine.” Actually, I was lying my ass off. My ribs ached like a bad tooth, but I didn’t want to take a pill until after I dealt with my stupid ex-boyfriend.
“If you’re in pain, we can put this off. You should be resting.”
“No, I want to get this over with, please. Once we shut Mark up, the tabloids will find someone else to pick on.”
Thankfully, there wasn’t much traffic and the drive across town was smooth and easy. Mr. Dennison had my wheelchair ready when Giorgio eased me from the car, his strong arms wrapped around my middle. I smiled in thanks as I sat, then winced when I tried to lean back.
A black SUV pulled up behind us. Jeremy and the other guard exited without bothering to lock the vehicle. They looked like twin gorillas, and even dressed alike in neatly pressed jeans and button-down shirts. Maybe it was some kind of uniform for bodyguards.
The man I hadn’t been introduced to held out a hand and said, “I’m Hunter Riggs. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Pérez.” He gave my hand a quick shake, holding my fingers gently in his massive paw. He had shaggy dark hair, green eyes, and I saw the edges of a tattoo peek out from under his collar. Like Jeremy, he wore a thick gold wedding band.
“You as well, Mr. Riggs.”
“Call me Hunter.”
“Thanks. You can call me Carli.”
He nodded and let go of my hand. “What’s the plan, boss?”
I bit back a laugh when I realized he was looking at me instead of Giorgio. “Well, we’re going to knock on the service
door in back. When Mark answers, you two are going to talk him into telling the truth about what he said, and I’m going to record it.”
Giorgio laid a hand on my shoulder. “After that, you’ll take Carlina outside. I have some unfinished business with the little weasel.”
He had a gleam in his eye that I didn’t trust, but I hurt too much to care. He could do whatever the hell he wanted to my dirtbag ex.
After Giorgio pushed me around back to the service entrance. Hunter pounded on the door, his heavy fist making the steel rattle in its frame.
Elizabeth, the manager, opened the door. Her eyes widening, she smiled and leaned down to hug me. “I’m so glad to see you out of the hospital, and I’m sorry about your house and all the other…” She broke off and grimaced. “Yeah, the other stuff. Nobody here said a word to those stupid magazines.”
“Well…” I glanced around her toward Mark’s office.
Wrinkling her nose, she nodded. “Yeah. Anyway, sorry about your house.”
“It’s okay. I have insurance and it gives me an excuse to do some upgrades now. Is Mark around?”
“Yeah, the asshole is in his office.”
“Trouble in paradise?”
“The health department came through not ten minutes ago and shut us down.” Elizabeth replied. “Seems they found evidence of rats and the building inspector said the gas lines weren’t up to code.”
I choked out a laugh and glanced at Giorgio, who looked everywhere but at me. “Wow. All in one day? He must be beside himself. Are you guys looking for new jobs yet?”
Elizabeth winked at me. “No, not yet. The inspector pulled me aside and said there might be a new owner soon and to sit tight. I figure we can give it a week before we have to send out resumes, but we want to see who the new owner is.”
I frowned. Who would be buying this dump? Granted, it would be easier for a new owner if the staff was already in place, but I couldn’t think of anyone who would want it.
We followed her through the familiar corridor to Mark’s office. I could hear him swearing to himself as he slammed things around. I smiled, relishing the opportunity to make his day worse. Hunter opened the door without bothering to knock, allowing Giorgio to wheel me inside.
Mark spun around and glared at me. “Who the hell let you in here?”
“Such a lovely greeting to an old friend,” I retorted. “You can’t imagine how surprised I was to find out that I’d stolen recipes from you, especially considering you could barely pass our classes.”
He glanced around, suddenly seeming to notice our audience. “I did not! You were always hanging around me. I know you were stealing my ideas!”
“I was your girlfriend, dumbass. Maybe you can explain why you presented my raspberry torte for our pastry final, forcing me to come up with something else in less than an hour? You might remember that recipe too. It was the pear tartlets with candied ginger that are on the menu here.”
He sputtered and I spoke right over him. “I probably ought to thank you for that. The instructors called that torte pedestrian and loved the tartlets. Maybe that’s why they made it to your menu.”
“You little bitch!” Mark lunged for me, but never made it. Hunter grabbed his shoulder and squeezed, making him cry out in pain.
I ignored the slur. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to record a video for me in which you will recant all the lies you told and then you’re going to apologize to me.”
He wriggled, trying to get away from Hunter’s grip. “Fuck you. I’m not doing a goddamned thing.”
Hunter tightened his fingers on Mark’s shoulder and pushed him into the chair behind the desk. “Oh, I think you will. These two gentlemen are excellent at making people tell the truth and I’d hate to spoil their fun, wouldn’t you?”
Mark shuddered and looked up into Hunter’s face. I couldn’t help but enjoy the fear in his eyes.
Giorgio
Jeremy had been right. Carlina was scary, but also hot as fuck when she was mad. The Cuban fire that normally went into her cooking was directed solely at the asshole sitting in a chair dutifully recounting every lie he’d ever spoken for the phone placed in front of him.
Jeremy drew a finger across his neck to cut Mark off, making the little asshole swallow hard. “To wrap this up, I lied about Carlina Pérez. I dated her so I could steal every recipe I could get, and lied about her relationship with the Acardi family. Also, I’m very sorry for my actions.”
Carlina tapped the button on the phone to stop the recording.
“Thank you, Mark.” She cocked her head and gave him an assessing look. “You might have been a good chef, but you’re lazy and took the easy way out. Try again, and this time, come up with your own ideas.”
I jerked my head at Jeremy, telling him to take Carlina outside. He nodded and wheeled her away, followed by Hunter. Even pissed as hell, she’d given her loser ex-boyfriend a half-assed compliment. I honestly didn’t know how she managed to find something positive to say about him.
Reaching into my inner jacket pocket, I pulled out the papers I’d had drawn up, then laid them on his desk. “This is a sales contract. I’m buying La Panache from you at fair market value.”
He sneered and pushed the papers aside. “Buying me out to placate your girlfriend?”
“Ms. Pérez is my brother’s caregiver. Further, she likes me less than she likes you.” I dropped a pen on top of the sales contract. “I’m giving you a fair price. It’s enough to start over in another city. You can take it, or I’ll make it my life’s goal to drive you out of business and buy the place at the county auction.”
Mark glanced down at the page and his eyes widened. Pushing it aside, he read the second document. “A gag order? Really?”
“The sale isn’t final until that is signed. You will never mention Carlina’s name in public, nor will you ever reside in the same city. I believe the penalty involved will keep your mind on your own business.”
“Why are you doing this?” he asked. “You admitted she’s not your girlfriend and that she hates you, so I’m not getting why you’re being her champion.”
“You hurt a woman who actually managed to say something nice about you even though you fucked her over. She may not like me, but she is my employee and I take care of what’s mine.”
“Whatever. Temecula sucks anyway.” He picked up the pen and signed both documents. “Have fun with the health inspectors.”
He grabbed his jacket and walked out, leaving me the proud owner of a space I wouldn’t mind redeveloping into an office complex. Shaking the thought away, I texted Linsey to have her express a cashier’s check to Mark’s address.
Whistling softly, I made my way out of the restaurant, wondering what Carlina would think about what I’d done.
I found her sitting in her chair, cursing at her phone. “C’mon baby, I know you’re here.”
“Do you want us to move you a few blocks?” Jeremy asked.
“No, well, maybe. I know he’s around here somewhere.” She turned her phone and squinted at it.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Be quiet. She’s looking for Chansey,” Hunter said, craning his thick neck to see her phone. “Carli, let’s try a block over next to that sports bar.”
Who the fuck was Chansey?
Her gaze fixed on her phone, she said, “Sure, but push me. I don’t want to miss him.”
“You got it, boss.”
I followed behind them, confused, but willing to go along with whatever she wanted. The sports bar Hunter mentioned came into view and she squealed as she tapped her phone.
“Oh my God, I got him!” she screamed, holding up her phone.
Turning in place, I looked around to see who she was talking about, but found nothing.
“Hey, Chansey is here!” she shouted. “Tell everyone!”
To my shock, people pulled out their phones, tapping madly as others ran into the bar. A crowd soon milled around her, smiles o
n their faces as they gazed into devices.
“Who the fuck is Chansey?” I asked, not expecting an answer.
“Dude,” a man with dreadlocks and a beatific expression said. “He’s only like one of the rarest Pokémon. This is my best day ever.”
Carlina smiled as people hugged her. She had the most infectious laugh and I couldn’t help joining in as the crowd surrounding her held up phones. I had no idea what she was doing, but it didn’t matter.
Her smile faded as she looked at me. Dropping her eyes, she said, “I wish Antonio was here. He’s the one who got me addicted to this silly game and he loves Chansey.”
I’d been so focused on my own needs that I hadn’t paid attention to the relationship building between Carlina and Antonio. It was a deep bond I didn’t share with either of them, and I hated that I’d missed out on so much.
Leaning down, I tipped up her chin and gave her a somewhat less than platonic kiss. Surprisingly, no one snapped a picture of us, at least not that I could tell. “We can go get him and bring him back. Maybe Chansey can convince him to leave his room.”
She frowned when I straightened and moved behind her wheelchair to push her back to the car. “Why is Antonio in his room?”
“He’s blaming himself for you getting hurt and for the fire.”
Carlina went silent for a few seconds and chewed her lip. “All right. I’ll take care of it, but I need to stop by the drugstore and have my prescriptions filled. After that, you can take me home.”
“Already done,” I said. “You’ll be staying with me until you’re better.”
“Bossy, aren’t we?” She shifted in her chair and squeezed her eyes closed. It was obvious she was in some pain.
I stopped the wheelchair and moved around to face her. “You have no idea how demanding I can be and I almost always get what I want.”
That wild mane of deep brown curls fascinated me and I sank a hand into the silky mass to hold her still as I kissed her, tracing her plump lower lip with the tip of my tongue. Biting back a groan, I pulled away and stroked her swollen mouth with a gentle finger.
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