by Suzanne Rock
“You did well out there,” Jake said. “I look forward to reading your report.”
I snorted and shoved my hands in my pockets. “Thanks. I look forward to reading yours as well.”
“Friends?” He held out this hand.
I studied it for a moment before taking it. “Friends.”
Jake finished the last of his coffee. “I guess I better go down and help Sal. Looks as if he might be having a little difficulty with Cox.”
I glanced over to where Sal was trying to get Edgar into the car. The owner of the escort company was a good foot taller than the cop and twice as big.
“Yeah,” I said. “It looks like he could use some help.”
Jake raised his coffee cup to me. “Talk to you later.”
I watched Jake walk away and realized that I had been wrong about him. He wasn’t a bad guy, just misunderstood. Just like Scarlett and I were misunderstood in high school. Like me, he felt he had something to prove. He had his own demons that haunted him. I hope, like me, Jake could someday overcome his ghosts and find peace.
Turning, I headed back to Scarlett. To my peace. Over the last several days, she had made me realize that living in the past wasn’t really living at all. Now I wanted to live for the future, a future with her. All I had to do was convince her that staying with me would make her far happier than doing everything on her own.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Scarlett
Needless to say, Bridget’s arrest rocked the art world. When one of the largest names in art dealing gets caught stealing priceless art and selling it on the black market, the entire industry is shaken. Her more legitimate buyers questioned their own purchases and looked for someone they could trust.
This all meant that I ended up staying in Miami much longer than I intended. There were deals to make, egos to stroke, and pieces of art to appraise. Many of the artists who had been working with Bridget were looking for new dealers, and I wanted to make sure that I was around to let them know that Splash of Scarlett would be there for them to meet their every need.
The irony wasn’t lost on me. Bridget had worked so hard to bring me down. Now, thanks to her mistakes, my gallery was flourishing. There was so much to do that I hardly had enough time to eat, let alone think about anything besides work.
Thankfully, Gabe understood the pressure I was under. He backed off, checking in nightly to make sure I was okay, but otherwise letting me do my own thing. I felt guilty about pushing him away, but I knew that if I didn’t act fast, I was going to lose these potential clients to other dealers. The pressure was high, but I didn’t mind. This was what I lived for—closing the deal. Reassuring artists and keeping their businesses afloat was what I did best. At the end of the week, I had secured 40 percent of Bridget’s former clients, with another 20 percent thinking over my generous offers. If they decided to do business with me, I’d easily become the most sought after art dealer in the Western world.
A couple of days ago, it became apparent that I was going to need something far bigger than my small art gallery to house all of the contemporary pieces I was acquiring. I needed to expand, and since Miami was where a lot of my new clients were located, it seemed like the perfect place to build another gallery. I let Violet shop around, since she knew what I needed better than anyone, and she swore she had found the perfect place. Thanks to a small crisis, she couldn’t show me the space, but instead had to fly back to New York this morning, so I decided to look at this new building on my own.
Well, not completely on my own. I wanted to show Gabe as well. Tonight was the night that I’d tell him that I was moving the bulk of my operations to Miami, and would be spending a lot more time around town.
Which meant a lot more time around him. I felt guilty for pushing him away these past few days, but now that everything was coming together, I was in the mood to celebrate. I also wanted to set in motion the last part of my expansion plan, which was another reason why I wanted to meet Gabe tonight.
By the time Gabe arrived in the parking lot, I had already gone through the building and knew that it was perfect for our needs. I couldn’t help but feel nervous as I watched him get out of his car. Seeing his dark hair and broad shoulders made my stomach flutter like it did in high school, and as he approached, doubt tickled at the edges of my mind. All week I had been so sure that he’d love my plan, but now, as he softly kissed my cheek, I felt a distance between us, and I wondered if I didn’t make a huge mistake.
“I’m glad you came,” I said.
“I said that I’d always be there for you, Scarlett. I meant it.”
Yes, but would he be there for me in the way I wanted him? I was going to ask a lot of him. I knew this, but my idea was just too perfect to ignore.
“I know that I’ve been kind of busy these past several days. Between Bridget’s arrest and Henri’s murder, there have been a lot of clients left without direction. I had to work fast if I was going to secure them for my gallery. I also had to reassure my own clients that it would be business as usual.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “It’s okay. I’ve been busy, too.”
“You have?”
“Yeah.”
I hesitated. In all of my excitement, I hadn’t considered that he’d be moving on with his life, too. Gabe worked undercover, and I wondered if that meant that he’d be going on another case soon. The thought of breaking off contact with him for a few months while he placed himself in a dangerous situation didn’t sit well.
“Anything you want to tell me?” I asked.
“Not just yet.” He smiled. “Did you manage to talk to all of Bridget’s clients?”
“Yes.”
“Did you convince any of them to work with you?”
“Some.” I grinned and slid my hand through his arm. “Come on. I want to show you something.”
We walked into the building, and I was immediately struck by the wide, open space. The foyer was round, with a second floor overlooking it from above. Four hallways went off the foyer in every direction, and I imagined different categories of artwork being showcased in each wing. This was really a huge step that I was taking, and the thought of expanding made me a little giddy.
“What’s this?” Gabe asked.
“It’s my new gallery.”
He stepped away from me and raised his brows. “I don’t understand.”
I glanced around the room, not bothering to keep the smile off my face. “I’m expanding, Gabe.”
“Expanding?”
I nodded. “I knew most of Bridget’s clients from back when I was her intern. It didn’t take much convincing to get them to work with me.”
“That’s fantastic, Scarlett.”
My joy faltered. While his words were sweet, that distance I felt when we first met came back, and I couldn’t help but think that I had something to do with that.
“It means that I’ll be spending a lot more time in Miami.”
“Time working.”
I nodded. “Yes. There will be a lot to do.” I flashed him a sideways glance. “What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought you’d be happier about this.” I turned to face him. “By spending more of my time in Miami, we’ll get to see each other.”
“Yeah, about that.” He pressed his lips together for a moment in thought.
“Gabe?” I inched closer. “What happened?”
“Well, like I said, my boss was very impressed with the work I did on the Escort Killer case. Normally I’d get a few months off from undercover work to recharge and prepare for a new assignment, but something came up.” He averted his gaze. “This morning, he told me that he has another assignment.”
“Another assignment? Where?”
“I can’t talk about it, but it would mean disappearing again for several months.” He glanced up at me. “I knew it was coming. I just didn’t think it would happen so soon.” He leaned against the wall and let out a long breath.
“The timing is awful, I’ll admit.”
“Yeah.” I leaned on the wall next to him. “When do you leave?”
“Well, I have to study the case, but he hopes to have me in place next week.”
I looked down at my feet, unsure of what to say. This was his life. He was fulfilling his father’s dream. I don’t know why I thought he’d drop everything for me, but I did.
All of a sudden, I felt as if I was running out of time. My chest hurt, and tears stung my eyes. I didn’t want him to leave me, not yet.
“You don’t sound thrilled about it.”
He shrugged. “I’m not. The police work doesn’t excite me the way it once did, but you’ll be so busy with your expansion . . .” He pushed off the wall and took a couple of steps away from me. “I suppose there’s no reason why I shouldn’t take it.”
“Wait a minute, you’ve been thinking of not taking the job?”
He turned to face me. “It doesn’t matter now.”
Oh no, that was where he was wrong. It mattered a lot.
I started to close the distance between us. “Don’t go.”
“Scarlett, there’s no reason for me to—”
“There’s one reason, a very good reason.” Desperate, I grabbed his shirt. “I know I have no reason to demand this, especially after ignoring you for almost a week, but . . . don’t go.”
He placed his hands over mine. “I don’t want to leave you any more than you want me to go, but it isn’t as if we’d be spending that time together.”
“But we could.”
He shook his head. “You have your job, and I have mine.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way.”
“What?”
I nibbled my lower lip and tried to gather enough courage to continue. “That was part of the reason why I asked you here tonight.” I took in a deep breath, then let it out. Here goes nothing. “I’m growing faster than I can handle. I already have staff in place up in New York, and Violet has agreed to oversee operations there, but I need people to work with me down here to get this gallery up and running.”
“I know you’ll be busy, that’s why—”
I put my finger against his lips.
“Hear me out. After this place is filled with art, I’ll need some type of security system in place. In addition to the system, I’ll need a visual presence to deter anyone thinking about stealing any of the artwork.” I swallowed. “I also want protection for myself.”
He furrowed his brow. “For yourself?”
I nodded. “I never thought about my own safety before, but after what happened with Henri . . .” I shook my head. “One can never be too careful.” I tightened my grip on his shirt and blurted out what had been on my mind for the past three days. “I want you to head my security.”
Surprise lit his features. “Scarlett.”
“No, listen. This could work. You’re the bravest guy I know. I won’t feel safe with anyone else, and we’ll be able to spend more time together. I’ll give you a budget, and you can hire help. It would mean that we’d have to work closely together, and when I needed to travel, you’d have to be with me.”
“I . . . I don’t know what to say.”
Panic sliced through me, making it difficult to breathe. All along I had thought that this was the perfect idea, but now, seeing his face, I wasn’t so sure.
I let go of his shirt and shrugged. “But I know about your debt to your father, and I know how much you like undercover work. If you would rather go out on another case, I won’t stop you.”
“Scarlett.”
I didn’t move. I had laid everything out on the line, and now the ball was in his court. I felt so vulnerable, so small. It was as if I was a child, waiting for my parent’s permission.
“Scarlett.” He hooked his finger underneath my chin and turned my head up to meet his face. “The only reason why I was going to take that undercover job was because I thought you didn’t want me around anymore.”
“Didn’t want—” I shook my head. “Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s this job. This company is so important to me, and sometimes I get so focused that I’m not aware of what is going on around me. That’s why I need you to—”
I gasped as he brushed his lips against mine. Warmth spread out through my body, and I leaned into the kiss, desperate for reassurance.
“I’d love to come and work for you,” he said when we finally parted.
“You would?”
He nodded. “I realized something these past few weeks. All of my life, I’ve been living for someone else. For a memory. I think it’s about time I started living for myself, don’t you think?”
I smiled and raised myself up on my tiptoes. “Absolutely.” I pressed my forehead against his. “I love you, Gabriel Ferreira.”
“And I love you.” He kissed my nose and leaned back.
“Now.” He cleared his throat and took my arm. “Tell me everything about your plans.” He glanced at me sideways and smiled. “As your head of security, I’ll need to know every detail about your routine to ensure your safety.”
I cleared my throat. “Every detail?”
“Absolutely.”
“Even the more . . . intimate ones?” I said.
“I need to know those most of all.” He winked, and heat spread out over my skin, warming me down to my toes.
“I think that could be arranged.”
As he leaned down and kissed me, desire sparked in my lower abdomen, then quickly spread through my body.
“Now,” he said as he slid his thumb down my cheek. “Where do we start?”
“Right here.” I tugged his shirt from his jeans.
“In the abandoned building?”
I grinned and nipped his lower lip. “Do you have a problem with that?”
He lifted me in the air and pressed my back against the wall. “No, ma’am. No problem at all.”
Excerpt: KEEPING HER CLOSE
Available from St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Chapter One
MAX
I tightened my grip on the cardboard sign and searched the line of people walking into the airport terminal. Couples, families, and friends filed out into the open seating area and embraced their loved ones. None of them looked like the young, free-spirited blogger I was supposed to meet.
My best friend, Vash, cleared his throat and leaned in close to my ear. “Maybe she’s having trouble getting her suitcase out of the overhead compartment.”
“I doubt it.” I shoved the sign at him as the last passenger spilled into view. “More like she wasn’t on the plane.” I scrolled through the computer screen on my wristwatch, seeing if I missed some communication about her flight schedule. There was none. This was the flight, I was sure of it, and yet . . . No Tess Abbott.
Grinding my teeth, I punched a code into the tiny pin pad on my watch to signal my contact outside. “Hold tight in position,” I said into my wrist.
“Is there a problem?” Roy’s voice echoed through my earpiece.
I thought about telling him the truth but decided against it. Admitting that I had been outsmarted would not earn me any points back at the precinct. Knowing the guys, they’d probably make fun of me for weeks.
“No.” Not yet, anyway. “The principal wants to take a detour in one of the shops. You know how women are.”
Vash flashed me a confused look, but I ignored it.
“Got it,” Roy said. “You need more coverage?”
“Negative. We’ll only be a moment. Stay vigilant out there. We have no idea how credible these death threats may be.”
“Yes, sir.”
I motioned to Vash and started walking toward the exit. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“Baggage claim. Radio our contact at the precinct. It’s possible she came in on another flight and is somewhere in the building.”
“The plan her father gave us said—”
“I know what it said, but th
ere are multiple layovers in that flight plan. Who knows what could have happened on one of those stops.”
Vash jogged to catch up to me. “You’re not saying that someone might have taken her—”
“I’m not saying anything, not yet. Right now, there’s no reason to panic. There could be a very reasonable explanation for all of this.” I turned and followed the crowd down the stairs to baggage claim. “She could have turned her layover into an overnight or decided to take an earlier flight.” Hell, for all they knew she could have changed her layover to another city because she liked the pastries they served there. “Those rich kids all have this sense of invincibility, as if nothing bad will ever happen to them. It makes her unpredictable.”
Vash smirked. “You sound like an old fart, you know that.”
I snorted. “Well, it’s true.” I used to feel invincible, too, once upon a time. Then I joined the police force and saw far too much to believe that people lived forever. Bullets were the great equalizer. Whether someone was young or old, billionaire or bus driver, they didn’t discriminate. In the end, we all ended up dead.
All my life, I had wanted to follow my older brother’s footsteps and become a police officer. We had always been close, but then Gabe got a job down in Miami. I had always suspected that he had taken that job in order to run away from the ghosts that were haunting all of us in Boston. As he disappeared into his undercover work, I was left feeling adrift. I took a job in New York City and spent a few years as a beat cop while trying to decide what to do with my life. That was where I met Vash and we had become inseparable. Then one day, during an annual review, my boss mentioned that both Vash and I would be good candidates for special weapons and tactics training. I had always been an adrenaline junkie, and being part of a SWAT team intrigued me. After I agreed to try it out, things progressed quickly. I was like a sponge, absorbing information and acing my exams. Vash also performed above average in his assignments, and we became an invincible pair. He often knew what I was thinking before I did. I have no idea what I’d do without him.
