I bite my lip and shrug. “I need to head to the restaurant. I’m meeting my chefs in an hour.”
I stand and fiddle with my hair, redoing the bun atop my head. He does have a point. If Valentino was so worried about me maybe he should have put me in some kind of protective custody. Instead, I’m walking into the same unsafe environment I was in before. I frown at the thought of walking back in there. I shove Betty in my purse and shake my head. I’ll probably end up shooting someone by mistake if I do use her.
“Dominique, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything negative,” he says, standing and grabbing my hand. “I’m worried about you, both of you, but mostly you,” he says smiling, trying to get me to smile as well.
“I trust him, Santiago.”
“Well, then, that’s enough for me,” he says, kissing my cheek and pulling me into a hug.
“I better get going. I’ll catch you later, okay?”
“Of course,” he replies, letting me go.
~*~
I’m still in the kitchen after my chefs have already left. I’m jotting some notes down on my paper regarding the specials, wanting to make a couple of changes. Since I had Valentino here all weekend, I didn’t get a chance to try the rest of my specials so there are some tweaks I want to make. I smile every time I think of him. It’s the strangest sensation to feel this much for him already, but like Santiago said, there is no right time to fall in love. It happens when it happens. My body pulses from the memory of his touches. The way his lips feel on my skin. The way his face looks when he’s concentrating. I feel a shiver cross over my body as I remember how good it felt to make love to him. I am abruptly drawn out of my memory by the back of my jacket being pulled.
“We need to talk,” Whitney states angrily as she jerks me up.
“What the hell is your problem?” I ask in a voice that I hope comes off as gruff and angry versus shocked and terrified.
She yanks me back towards my walk-in pantry and shoves me inside, slamming the door behind us. Her eyes are crazy and her expression is like a rabid dog. It’s the face of someone you cannot reason with and now I’m truly horrified. She corners me against the shelves, which rattle against my back.
“I warned you, didn’t I?” She whispers sweetly in my ear.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” I stutter in fear.
She brings a knife out of her back pocket and places the tip at my neck. I swallow thickly, frozen in terror. I can feel her breath on my ear before she glances at me, using the knife to push a stray hair behind my ear. When I see the expression on her face, I know, without a doubt, that she intends to kill me. Visions of Valentino and Santiago pop into my mind along with Jackson’s serious face and Clayton’s goofy grin. I see my dad and even my mom and little sister, and in that moment, my heart aches with the knowledge that I’ll never lay eyes on them again.
“What’s mine is mine,” she says with a twisted smile.
I push her away with all the strength I have in me. She laughs shrilly as she starts to approach again. Think, Dominique, think. I become aware of something heavy hitting my leg as I start to move backwards, trying to get as far away as possible. BETTY! I bring out the gun from my pocket, pointing it at her. My arms are shaking and I’m trying my best to steady them.
“Stay away from me, you psychotic bitch!” I yell.
She bends at her knees and screams at the top of her lungs before bouncing up again. She takes a step towards me just as the door swings open. Marshall is glaring at her and jerks her arm, basically throwing her out of the pantry room. I never thought I would be happy to see Marshall, but I am. He eyes me up and down, seeing the gun in my hands. His eyes narrow, his face hardens, and suddenly I’m not so happy to see him anymore.
“Are you planning on shooting someone, Dominique,” he asks with a calmness that doesn’t fit the situation.
I don’t move right away. I’m not sure if I can trust him. Finally, I drop my arms and put the gun back in my pocket. He motions for me to walk passed him but I still don’t move. He smirks and steps out of the pantry. A few moments later, I exit and look around hesitantly. I don’t see either of them as I walk through the kitchen slowly. As I approach the door to leave, I can hear them. They sound like they are in the hallway, by the storage room.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he roars at her.
“You want her!” she shrieks.
“Darling, you’re being ridiculous.”
“No…” something slams against the wall, “I’m…” another crash against the wall, “not!”
“Dammit, Whitney,” I hear Marshall yell.
There is more commotion and then silence, which has me a little worried. I start to head in that direction because, well, I guess I’m an idiot, but what if someone is really hurt, or worse, dead. Before I hit the hallway, I start to hear grunting and moaning. Oh, for crying out loud. Those two are freaking crazy. I dig my phone out of my back pocket as I slip into the dining room.
D: I need to talk to you, please call me right away.
He’s probably still with his team but I need to tell him what happened. I take a deep breath and glance at my hand that is shaking crazily. I really need to quit this job. I hope Valentino understands. These two by themselves are nuts! How did Phillipe ever get involved with them? I listen for a moment and then there is no sound again. Well, that didn’t take very long. I better get the hell out of here before they decide to come looking for me.
~*~
I stare at the clock. It’s close to midnight and he hasn’t called me yet. I sent several messages to him but he never responded. Where is he so late? Is he okay? Just as I’m about to finally doze off, my phone starts ringing. I answer without looking to see who it is.
“Valentino!”
“I just got to your messages. What’s going on?” he asks detached.
“I had an incident at the restaurant,” I start hesitantly, not sure what’s going on with him and a little concerned that he doesn’t seem very interested.
He laughs kind of crazily. “Of course, you did.” His voice strains slightly as he clears his throat.
“Valentino, what’s going on? Are you okay?”
Now he really laughs. “Am I okay? No, Dominique, I’m not okay.”
I’m silent for a moment. This isn’t the Valentino I know, or maybe this is the real Valentino, and I just saw the sweet side of him. Obviously, he isn’t as interested in what’s going on with me as I thought he would be. I breathe in deeply, trying not to let my emotions get the better of me.
“I’m sorry I bothered you. I just thought you would want to know that Whitney pulled a knife on me today. I’ve decided to quit so I won’t be able to give you any more information. I’ll let you go now.”
“Wait!” I hear him say as I hang up.
I set the phone down, dejected as the tears come. My stomach hurts as I play over what happened this afternoon. I thought Valentino would be concerned about me but he seems ambivalent. When the phone rings, I know it’s him. I wipe my eyes and blow my nose before finally picking it up.
“Hello,” I answer softly.
“Dominique, I’m sorry. It’s been a really messed up day for me.”
“Me too,” I say more annoyed than I intended.
“Dominique, please tell me what happened.”
I clear my throat and mumble, “All right.”
I can hear the urgency in his voice and don’t hesitate. I tell him everything. Right down to hearing them having sex in the hallway. He listens and asks questions as we go. I tell him how scared I was and he tells me how brave I was and how proud he is that I wasn’t afraid to pull out Betty. I cry, a lot, finally letting it out.
“Are you upset that I’m going to quit?”
“No, Dominique, not at all,” he says reassuringly. “I want you safe, and with that being said, I want you to come to Chicago. I can keep an eye on you here. Out there, I can’t. I’ll feel better about everything knowing
you’re safe…” he pauses, adding softly, “with me.”
“I’ll go in tomorrow and quit and then I will arrange to fly out as soon as I can.”
“Things are crazy right now so I might not be able to get your call but text me before you go to the restaurant and the minute you are done. I need to know you’re okay, Dominique.”
“I will. I promise.” I can hear him breathing heavily on the other end.
“I better let you go,” he finally says. “Bye, Dominique.”
“Bye, Valentino.”
I lie back down and smile. He wants me to come and stay with him. I’m not looking forward to facing Marshall tomorrow, but I need to do it. At least if I’m with Valentino he can protect me until all this nonsense is done, and then who knows. But for now, I am just going to sleep, knowing that I will see Valentino again very soon.
August 3rd
I slept peacefully for once and when morning arrived, I jump on my computer and check flights. There are several that are within my price range that will get me in to Chicago tomorrow at a decent time. I quickly text him and tell him possible flight plans. He responds right away. Telling me he’ll pick me up at the airport. I smile as I sip my coffee. I love the fact that I will be seeing him soon. I don’t like why I need to go there, but I will take what I can get at this point. I was completely honest with Santiago about everything that happened yesterday. I reiterated with him that I completely trust Valentino and know he will protect me. He agreed it was a good move. Of course, I’m a little worried about him. I remember the way Marshall looked between us that day he came to the house. My phone buzzes again and I look down.
V: I don’t want you seeing Mr. Beauchamp alone so I arranged for an escort for you.
D: you did?
Before I see the follow up text, I hear the knock on the door. I glance at Santiago and he shrugs, indicating he isn’t expecting anyone. I step to the door and open it to find Jackson standing in full-on police uniform. He looks so official. He steps inside the apartment and I eye him up and down. Santiago sees him and slings his arms around him, giving him a kiss.
“What are you doing here, baby?”
“I’m taking Dominique to meet her boss,” he says seriously, none of the typical Jackson enthusiasm.
D: he’s here
V: good. Text me when you’re done
D: I will
“Sorry, Dominique, but Valentino asked and I agree,” He states seriously. “I already feel horrible about what happened. I was supposed to be keeping an eye on you and I failed miserably,” he says, looking to the ground.
“Jackson, what are you talking about?” I ask confused.
“Valentino asked me to watch you, make sure you were safe,” he says, looking up at me. “I was watching from outside and didn’t see anything unusual, but when I found out what happened, I felt terrible. I should have been in the restaurant to prevent her from attacking you like she did.”
“Uh, no you shouldn’t have,” I say, sighing deeply. This is so out of hand.
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Dominique. I promise.”
“I’m more concerned about Santiago. What if these people try to go after him?”
He’s shaking his head. “He will be with me,” he turns to him and wraps his arm tighter around his waist.
I nod. “Good!”
“Are you ready?”
I nod at him and then give Santiago a hug before Jackson and I head out. When we get to the parking lot, I breathe a sigh of relief. Thank God, he isn’t driving me in his squad car. That would be horrible. He opens the door, and as I slide in, I watch him go around the vehicle, looking around cautiously.
“Jackson, why are you in uniform?”
He grins slightly as he starts the car. “People are less likely to act up when a cop is around.”
“That’s true.”
“You know when Marshall came to the apartment a while ago, he met Santiago.”
“I know. He told me he was a creep.”
“He is. But…” I look down, and when I look up again, he is side-eyeing me. “He knows how much I love him. I’m scared he’ll try to go after him to get at me.”
“I will watch him, Dominique.”
“But who’s gonna look out for him when you’re at work?”
“He’s taking some time off so he will be at my place and the boys in the neighborhood will keep an eye out for my place.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “Let me get this straight. You are gonna have thugs watch my Santiago?”
He turns to me, with an expression that says he is not joking. “They’ll do whatever it takes to protect him.”
He turns back around and continues to drive. I understand what he’s saying. Even though he lives in a rough neighborhood, his house is probably the safest place to be. A few minutes later, he is pulling into the back parking lot of the restaurant. There are a couple of cars already here. He parks and then opens the door for me. As I type in the code on the keypad, my hands shake. I’ve never really quit a job I loved before. As we approach the office door, I stop and turn to Jackson.
“Please wait out here for me. I want to do this on my own.”
He is hesitant and I’m sure that Valentino probably told him not to let me out of his sight. But, I already feel uncomfortable, and having Jackson standing right there makes me even more nervous. Finally, I touch his arm softly.
“Please, Jackson. You stand right here, they will know you are there but it gives me some privacy. Okay?” I plead. With a heavy sigh, he nods. “Thank you.”
I knock on the door and am told to come in by a voice I don’t recognize. When I step inside, Marshall is sitting stoically behind Phillipe’s desk and there are four other people in the small office. Two I recognize immediately from the dinner that Phillipe hosted a long time ago. The woman is sitting on the couch and the three men are standing. One taller than the other two, but all with their arms crossed. As I glance at Marshall again, I almost feel sorry for him because it looks like he has just been berated.
“I’m sorry for interrupting,” I say quickly.
The tallest of the three men turns to me. “It’s fine, Chef Dominique.”
“How do you know who I am?”
He smiles widely. “You served us before.”
I nod and shake my head at my idiocy. “Of course,” I turn to Marshall. “I’d like to formally advise you that I am quitting.”
Before he can say anything, the taller man touches my shoulder. “Chef Dominique, might I inquire as to why?”
I stare at him confused. Who the heck are these people and why do they even give a damn whether I’m here or not. They may be special guests of Phillipe but they are nothing to me.
“Perhaps we should introduce ourselves,” the women on the couch suggests.
He nods. “I am Hamadi Mubarak and this is my wife, Nephthys,” he motions towards the women. She is very beautiful with jet black hair and a welcoming smile. He then puts his hands on the other men’s shoulders, “and this is Mkhai and Kafele. They work for me. My wife and I are the owners of Le Creole.”
“I thought Marshall and…” I stop as he shakes his head.
“It is I who provided the startup capital. Marshall and the late Phillipe work for me as well.”
I start playing with the necklace that Phillipe gave me, suddenly a little nervous and wondering if maybe I should bring Jackson inside. Valentino said that Marshall was bad news and that he worked for even worse people. Is he talking about these guys? There is movement, and then the woman he identified as Nephthys approaches me. She smiles as she places her hand gently over mine, stopping the fiddling I’m doing of my necklace. She folds it in her hand and smiles up at me.
“Do you know what this means?” she asks quietly.
I almost say to keep the bad guys away but I restrain myself and just shake my head.
“It is the Eye of Horus. It is an Egyptian symbol that stands for protection and power,”
she reaches inside the top of her shirt and pulls out a necklace like mine. “Only the men in our family can give these out. The bearer is marked as untouchable, safe from all harm. Phillipe had such a pendant but it was not with him when he passed away. Do you know what happened to his?”
I nod. “He gave this to me before he died.”
She gives me a small smile and drops the pendant. Stepping back, she looks at her husband and nods slightly. He then turns to the man named Mkhai, who also nods, and then whispers something to the man identified as Kafele. What the heck is going on? I take a small step back when Hamadi turns to me determined.
“Chef Dominique, I would like to encourage you to stay,” he states with emphasis, stepping in front of me and touching my shoulder. “I assure you the incident that occurred yesterday will not repeat itself as Ms. Badour is no longer with us.”
“She isn’t?” I ask as I glance at Marshall and see him visibly blanch.
“Will you consider staying?” he continues, forcing me to look at him.
“I need to think about this.”
“I see,” he says and he doesn’t sound happy.
“Look, I was planning on quitting, so I arranged to go out of town for a few days to think about the next steps in my career. I will give you an answer by the end of the weekend. My sous chef can handle the kitchen this weekend and my line chefs already know all the specials. If that’s not good enough, then I ask you to accept my resignation,” I state determinedly.
There is silence in the room and it’s making me nervous as well as afraid. I glance at Marshall from the corner of my eye and he looks pissed. But he isn’t looking at me. He’s looking at this Hamadi person. Since he is speaking for everyone, I would ascertain that he must be the one in charge. The person identified as Mkhai whispers something to him, which causes him to nod.
“That is fine. Take the weekend to decide and advise us by Sunday. May I ask where you’re going in case we need to reach you?” Hamadi asks casually.
“Colorado,” I say the first thing that pops in my head and regret it immediately. I better call mom and tell her to go out of town this weekend, just in case they decide to look for me there.
Retaliatory Justice (The Talionic Files #1) Page 25
