by C. A. Szarek
Gio’s head spun. “We need to call Maddie.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Thanks for the ride, Garcia, I appreciate it.” Maddie flashed a smile she wasn’t really feeling.
“Oh, my pleasure, Inspector. I’m just glad I could help. It’s a shame you won’t be running the team anymore,” the detective said.
Yeah, ‘cause I need that reminder. Thanks, Garcia.
Griggs had made the announcement after she’d pulled him to the side to relay Randall’s orders. Her coworker didn’t ask why, and for that she was grateful.
When he’d told the taskforce of the change, he’d only said Maddie had been pulled to another case. Another reason for her to be thankful.
She slid from the car so she wouldn’t be rude; it wasn’t the detective’s fault. Besides, Garcia had agreed to give her a ride home without hesitation. “It’s okay, I’m sure I’ll see you around.” She forced one more smile as she shut the passenger door of the unmarked LMVPD Ford Fusion. It was a copper color, and the only thing revealing it was a police vehicle was the spotlight on the driver side.
He smiled and offered a wave as he pulled onto the road.
Maddie’s stomach churned and she sighed. She glanced up at her apartment building. The place was home. It was starting to feel like home, too, but she didn’t want to go inside.
She should be at work. Perusing over financials. Prepping reports and documenting information for arrest warrants. Conferencing with her taskforce. Calling Agent Grey from the FBI to touch base. Checking emails.
Any. Fucking. Thing.
She peeked at her phone’s screen. It was black, inactive, just like she’d been relegated.
She touched it to wake it up, although her earlier text to Gio had gone unanswered. Maddie sent her thumbs to work on another one.
Hope you’re okay. Call me.
Why was he ignoring her?
He was the one who’d chosen to lie.
She never would’ve asked that of him, and when she did get a hold of him, they were destined for an argument, because she was going to tell him so.
Although, Gio had changed so much.
The Nico Giovanni from this past weekend was not the hotheaded cop she’d known eight years ago. The tenderness, the humor, the gentleness and genuine interest in their son.
He’d finally grown the hell up.
What she’d always wanted. What she’d always dreamed when she’d thought about what a family with him would look like.
The weekend had shown her what it would be like.
Tears stung Maddie’s eyes.
She wanted more.
That was a very dangerous thing. Especially if he wasn’t going to talk to her because of something he’d done on his own.
She shook her head and cursed him to hell and back.
Gio needed to get over himself and call her.
Maybe he wasn’t so grown up, after all?
She smirked.
Something told Maddie to glance right, where a small parking lot sat next to the building. It only had about twenty coveted spots, but the high-rise also had a parking garage around the corner. Her neighbors seemed to prefer the surface lot, so the place was generally full.
She’d managed to snag a spot on Friday, and her car hadn’t moved since, because Gio had done all the driving.
The silver Toyota Camry glinted in the desert sun.
She still hadn’t been assigned her duty car, and likely wouldn’t until Randall returned from Virginia. Good thing she didn’t have to pay for the rental out of pocket.
There was something on her windshield, but she couldn’t make it out from her distance. Had she gotten a parking ticket?
That would piss her off.
Maddie trotted over and lifted her wiper to retrieve the item. It was a goldenrod envelope, about half the size of a piece of paper.
She flipped it over. There was no writing on the front or back, nor was it sealed; the flap was just held in place by the attached brads. It was warm from the afternoon sun.
She looked around, as if she could magically discover who’d put it there.
There was no one in sight.
Maddie opened it, sliding its contents toward her palm.
A photo hit the cement before she could catch it.
“Shit.” She bent to grab it, and when she flipped it over, her heart stuttered.
It was of her, crossing the street with Jake. They were holding hands, and their hair was windblown. They were in winter attire, too. On the busy street their apartment high-rise in downtown Chicago was on.
There were more.
Of Jake, of her, of Jamie.
What the fuck?
The last thing inside the envelope didn’t make her heart skip; it made it stop.
It was a folded piece of paper with one typed line—not handwritten.
Is Jake’s life worth The Giovanni?
Maddie’s lungs constricted. She had to pant to move air. The world spun and she had to plant her hand on the car’s hood to keep from falling over.
Who had…
Someone who…
Knew her son’s name.
She kicked her ass from petrified mother into federal law enforcement agent.
Maddie reached for her phone and dialed Jamie. It didn’t even ring.
“Hi, you’ve reached Jamie. Leave me a message…”
“Fuck!” She glanced at her Fitbit. It was about thirty minutes after their plane should’ve landed. Her heart wasn’t beating; it was cantering. She needed to calm, before she passed out.
Jesus. Breathe, Maddie. Just breathe.
With shaking fingers, she pulled up the airline’s app and punched in Jamie and Jake’s flight number.
‘Delayed’ was in all-caps, red text next to the flight info, across from the three letter code for O’Hare.
She pushed out air as slowly as she could, and inhaled until her lungs stung.
They’re just late.
They were fine, the plane was just late.
She called Jamie’s phone again, waiting for the voicemail beep this time. “Hey, you need to call me the second that plane is on the ground.” Maddie sent a text with the same message, then dialed another phone number. She exhaled another ragged breath so she could speak without fucking crying.
“Crosby,” he answered on the first ring.
Thank God.
“Colt, it’s Maddie. I…I need you to do something for me.”
“Granger? Hey! How’re ya doin’? How’s Vegas treating you?”
Her short pants ratcheted up with the small talk she didn’t have time for. “Listen. I need you to meet my son and my sister at O’Hare. Their plane was delayed, but it should be landing in the next twenty minutes. Can you do that for me? Are you at the office?”
“Granger, what’s wrong?” His pleasantness was gone. Colt must’ve plugged into her urgency.
“There’s a threat to Jake’s life, related to my case. He’s headed back there with my sister, Jamie.”
“Shit. Yes, of course. I’ll grab Drew and Sid and go there now.”
Maddie blew out more air. Three marshals were better than one. “Thank you. I’ll text you the gate and flight info. Can you get through security?”
“With riot gear if I have to.”
She was able to smile. She’d always been fond of her former teammate. He was an ex-Seal, and a hell of an investigator. He was huge, too, about six-six and just as wide. Full of muscles and scary as hell when he needed to be.
Being a marshal would afford them certain allowances at the terminal, and he and the guys should be able to get Jamie and Jake right off the plane.
“Thanks, Colt. You have no idea how much I appreciate this, and how much better I feel knowing they’ll be with you.”
“Anytime, Maddie.”
She could hear his smile.
“I’ll take them to your place and sit on them?” Colt asked.
“Yes. I’ll hop on the fir
st flight I can to get them.”
“Sounds good, keep in touch.”
They ended the call, and Maddie dialed her sister’s number again. This time her message wasn’t as frantic. “Colton Crosby is going to take you guys back to the apartment. I’ll fill you in later, but I’m sure you remember him from work. Call me, please.”
Jamie wouldn’t like the cryptic message, but she wasn’t about to freak her out via message—text or voice. Her sister would call her when they landed. Probably rudely demand to know what was going on.
Maddie dug her keys out of her pocket and slid behind the driver seat of her rental after slamming her thumb on the fob’s unlock button. She called Gio’s cell.
“You’ve reached Detective Giovanni, from Las Vegas…”
“Fuck, Gio. Answer your damn phone. Call me back.” She cursed him some more, and dialed one more number. She really didn’t have time for his pout-fest.
“Garcia,” the detective said.
“Hey, I have an odd request.”
“Oh, hey, Inspector. Everything okay?”
Hector Garcia was a genuinely nice guy, so Maddie shouldn’t be irritated by his pleasantries, but for some reason she was.
“It will be. Do you happen to have Gio’s address? He’s not taking my calls.”
“Ah. Word is, he’s gotten himself suspended. It’s pretty hush hush, so we don’t know why.”
She rolled her eyes, glad he couldn’t see her. He might not be digging for information, but she wasn’t about to give him shit anyway. “Do you have his address?”
“Oh, sure. I’ll text it to you, okay?”
“Absolutely. Thanks.”
“No problem. Tell him if he needs anything, let me know. Same goes for yourself. Take it easy, Inspector.”
She ended the call without another word, and when her phone dinged with a message, Maddie felt a tiny bit guilty for being short with him.
Gio’s apartment was only a nine minute drive, according to Waze.
She took a breath, and shifted the car into gear.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Why do we need her?” Elise demanded, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring. No more tears in sight, which was good, but the flip-flop to rage was about to make Gio’s head spin.
“Because she’s a shit-ton better at numbers than I am.”
His sister shook her head. “I got that handled. No one’s better than me.”
If he wasn’t busy defending the woman he loved, he might’ve taken time to give his sister shit about her egotism. “You’re the one who said you needed my help, Lise.”
“Yeah, because you’re the cop. You’re the one who has the power to help. I brought you the proof. You fix it.”
Gio shoved his hand through his hair. “Yeah, about that…”
Elise straightened her shoulders. “What?”
“You’ll really need Maddie now.”
“Why?”
“At the moment, I’m not a cop.”
Her fair eyebrows dipped down and she cocked her head to one side. “What happened?”
“I’m suspended.”
“What the fuck, Gio?” Elise’s frown deepened and she shook her head.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard his sister drop the f-bomb, but she’d done so more than once since coming to his place.
After he’d explained the whole sordid situation, she shook her head. Her arms were crossed even harder, but it was more like she was hugging her torso. Trying to squeeze any comfort for herself. Anger, desperation, defeat made up her form, and Gio wanted to slay all the dragons he could for her.
Armani the fucktard had gotten her into this situation, and she was going to come out scarred.
He’d keep her out of a prison cell, especially now, since they had the proof they needed. But she was rocking a broken heart that would take a long damn time to heal.
His sister didn’t open up easily, and sure, there’d been guys, but no serious relationships. This asshole really had one over on her, and their father.
How had that happened so fast?
Big Tony didn’t trust easily, either, but the tertiary redundancy proved their father didn’t completely trust Armani.
Which was a good thing. The thing to save their asses.
Maybe he could cut his dad a break in that regard.
Maybe Big Tony had seen something Elise had missed. Or, he was just a paranoid freak, like always.
“Fine, call her,” his sister spat, an ugly scowl marring her beauty.
Gio sighed and grabbed one of her hands, tugging her arms free of her body. “Listen, don’t be upset with Maddie. She was just doing her job. This all started when the FBI arrested an old friend of dad’s. An accountant named Cesare Fratelli.”
“Marco’s dad?”
He winced. It wasn’t a shocker he’d have to break it to her that Armani wasn’t who he’d claimed to be. He just wasn’t excited the “done” timer had popped up now. He didn’t want to make her feel worse. “Might as well rip the Band-Aid off,” he muttered.
“What?”
“The man you know as Marco Fratelli isn’t who he says he is.”
His sister blinked. “What?”
“Marco Fratelli was a very sick little boy who died a long time ago, before he reached age six. And he was the son of Cesare Fratelli, yes.”
“And…you knew this?”
Gio nodded.
Before he could open his mouth to explain, Elise yanked her hand from his grip and reared back, landing a hard smack on his chest. Another followed, and another, until he had to grab both her wrists to protect himself.
She was crying again, and when their gazes brushed, his sister crumpled.
He closed his eyes and gathered her close for the third time that day.
Gio was going to kill that fucking cockstain.
“No, Gio… No…” she sobbed against his shirt.
“I’m sorry, Lise. I’m so fucking sorry.” He rubbed her back and held her until she got it together.
When she pulled back, Elise wouldn’t look at him right away. She wiped her face on the bottom of her shirt, instead of grabbing a new paper towel.
The inelegance of it made him smirk.
“Call Maddie,” she sniffled. “If she’s who we need, she’s who we need.”
She’s who I need.
Gio didn’t realize he’d spoken aloud until Elise spoke again.
“Are you two back together?” His sister’s mouth was hanging half-agape, and she had one eyebrow arched. She didn’t appear angry, just curious.
“Something like that. We, um…I have a son.”
Elise popped up in her seat, her eyes wide. “What?”
Maybe he was a coward, but he already had his cell to his ear, and the phone was ringing, so he wouldn’t have to answer his sister.
“Gio!” Maddie barked. “I’ve been fucking calling and texting you for hours!”
He winced.
She sounded pissed.
Gio rammed his hand into his hair. “Yeah. Sorry about that.”
“I’m around the corner from your place. We have to talk.”
Relief and trepidation bounded off each other in his gut. As much as he didn’t want his ass handed to him by Maddie; his sister—and his dad—needed her. “Text when you get here. I’ll buzz you up.”
****
Maddie tumbled into his apartment, shoving a gold envelope into his hand, without so much as a hello. She was upset, just as frazzled his sister had when she’d arrived. “This was on my car.”
He almost missed taking the thing from her shaking hands. “What is it?”
She didn’t speak, and the question was answered when pictures slid into his waiting palm. There were a few shots, all had Maddie and Jake in them, and one included Jamie.
Gio’s heart didn’t pick up speed until he saw the white piece of paper. It was small, like an afterthought, until he read it.
Is Jake’s life
worth The Giovanni?
“Fuck,” he spat.
“What is it?” Elise asked from the periphery. She seemed hesitant to come closer, but she joined them right inside the front door.
Gio cursed some more, trying to keep his panic in check, but it wasn’t working.
Maddie was too quiet, and she’d paled out, like she was trying to mimic a ghost.
“This is him? My nephew?” his sister asked, but her tone was a muse, as if she was talking to herself.
Maddie took a big breath and their eyes met. “I called someone to meet them at the plane.”
A million questions went through his mind, but he needed to breathe through them so he could speak. “Good.” He was about to follow up with, who, what, where, when why, but she beat him to the punch.
“Three marshals will take them to my place and sit on them. Jamie will want to know what’s going on…”
“These pictures weren’t taken in Vegas,” he said. “Someone’s been watching you.”
“No shit.” Maddie had an eyebrow arched when he swept over her pretty face again, but at least she had some color in her cheeks again. “Someone in Chicago.”
He had to smirk. “Who do you think—”
A cellphone rang, and Elise dug her device out of her pocket. Her eyes widened and she flashed the screen before them. It displayed a photo of the cockstain’s smiling face. “It’s Marco, what do I do?” Panic dominated her expression, and she shifted in her flip-flops.
“Answer it,” Gio ordered. “Put it on speaker, and act normal.”
“Normal?” his sister squeaked even as her thumb hovered over the green circle.
He nodded as she said hello.
“Hey, tesoro.”
He scowled.
Elise stumbled through a greeting, and inhaled audibly.
Gio shot a glimpse at Maddie.
Confusion, then anger shot across her eyes, and she flattened her lips.
“What?” he mouthed.
She shook her head and gestured to Elise. She was plugged into his sister’s call.
“Where’d you go?” Armani asked.
“Uh, the hospital called. Dad…passed out.” His sister sounded like the mess she was. It worked, since the asshole would believe she was emotional over Big Tony.
