“I meant nothing other than I had hoped to get the matter resolved without alarming anyone.”
“And is it resolved?”
Of course it wasn’t. More than twenty-four hours had passed, and he still didn’t know the identities of Gabriella’s abductors or their intent. If not for the fact that Carlos was in jail in Dallas, he might have thought the kidnapping was for ransom. That was something he understood and could handle. But this? He felt helpless, and the feeling didn’t set well on his broad shoulders. Things like this didn’t happen to him…he made things like this happen to other people.
“We have several leads.”
“Don’t patronize me, old friend. It cheapens our friendship.”
Luis held back a sarcastic reply. Friendship had never existed between them. Not only were they too much alike, but their rivalry had lived for decades, the hatred growing only stronger. Whoever had said, Keep your friends close but your enemies closer, had known exactly what they were talking about. Their fake friendship was based upon mutual distrust.
However, they both shared one specific goal. And Gabriella was the key.
“We will find her and soon.”
“I will send men to help.”
“No need. Too many will get in the way. She’s my granddaughter, not yours. I’ll find her and bring her home.”
“I don’t have to tell you what’s riding on you finding her, do I?”
“No reminder is necessary. I know what is at risk.”
“And you know the consequences of failure.”
If it had been possible to reach through his phone and grab hold of the decrepit bastard’s neck, Luis would have done so at that moment. How dare he be lectured like a youngster?
Luis held his temper, saying evenly, “I will keep my end of the bargain, as I promised.”
“I understand the arrangements for transfer were made. Was the transaction completed?”
Inappropriate laughter threatened to erupt inside Luis. Transfer? Transaction? Rudolph did have a way with words.
“Yes. Which makes our urgency even greater.”
“I agree. You’re sure you don’t need help? My men are fully capable of hunting down anyone.”
“Again…there’s no need. I have things well under control.” Unable to continue the pretense, Luis said, “As soon as I have news, I’ll contact you.”
Ending the call gave him no pleasure. With a roar of fury, he hurled the offensive cellphone across the room. The sound of glass breaking and a cracking case gave him a small amount of ease. But not enough. Not nearly enough.
How was it that he had been successful in every aspect of his life except the one that mattered most? He had wanted a large family, as had his dear Flora. After miscarriage after miscarriage, she had finally carried a baby to term—a beautiful boy. Flora had been happy, and Luis, at last, could have what he truly wanted.
Although he had been a stern disciplinarian, there had been no real need. The boy had been affable and agreeable. Luis had not seen any worries in achieving his ultimate goal. But then, what had happened? The obedient boy had grown into a rebellious man. From an early age, Javier had known his destiny. Instead of fulfilling his purpose, he had rebelled in the worst way possible. Falling in love with an American nobody had been bad enough, but he had married the girl, destroying Luis’s carefully laid plans.
Once again, his goal had been denied.
The only good thing his useless daughter-in-law had managed was to bear two children. He might have lost his son, but Luis had consoled himself that he had two more chances. Of course, one of them hadn’t turned out the way he had intended.
Carlos, his only grandson, was weak. An idiotic young man who had allowed his baser desires to control his life. Luis had plenty of people to run his businesses and see to his legacy. Maybe a short incarceration would make a small amount of difference in Carlos’s personality. However, the boy would never have the self-discipline to assume any kind of leadership position. He didn’t matter.
Gabriella was the key. She was what he needed. His final hope. His last-ditch effort to achieve his dream. Luis refused to accept defeat. He would find his granddaughter, and she would fulfill the destiny he intended. The one her father had failed at so miserably.
Those who tried to prevent it from happening would pay.
Chapter Nine
Colorado Mountains
Gabby started her day with a curious mixture of both elation and dread. She hadn’t expected to sleep. Fortunately, exhaustion had gotten the best of her. Even though her sleep had been restless, she felt better this morning and ready to deal with what came next.
Silly not to expect there would be questions. After all, no one except those closest to her grandfather knew the kind of relationship she had with him. Most probably thought there was affection between them or, at the very least, some sort of closeness. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The knowledge that her grandfather no longer controlled her life was an intoxicating feeling. Part of her wanted to fly, she felt so free. Another part, the cautious, trust-no-one side of her, knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. Jonah and those he worked with wanted to know what she knew. And she had to decide what she was going to do about that. If she told them everything, what would happen?
Just because she had been “rescued” didn’t mean she could give her blind faith to these people. What if this was all a setup? What if her grandfather had suspected what she’d been planning, was aware of what she had been doing, and had created this elaborate scenario to trap her? To find out everything she knew?
And she knew a lot.
When she’d been given her first computer a few years back, it had been to take her online college courses. In a little over four years, she had earned a bachelor’s of fine arts and a master’s in art history. Each year that she was pursuing those degrees, she had been presented with a new laptop.
Having online access had opened up a world of possibilities. Everything she knew about research was self-taught. Her grandfather was savvy enough to know that knowledge was power. Gabby knowing too much could be detrimental, so he made sure that her Internet usage was carefully monitored. But she had learned how to circumvent his control. Gabby knew more than he could ever have believed possible. More than anyone could have believed possible.
She had decided she would be philosophical about the whole thing. Jonah would ask questions, and she would answer what she felt she could until she had more information.
That her inquisitor was Jonah Slater, from the wealthy and powerful Slater family, was worrisome. Not only was the family known to have been involved in illegal activities, she knew that on one occasion at least, her family and his had socialized. How far did their association go? The Slater patriarch was dead, and one of the brothers was in prison, but what about the other Slaters? Were they associated with her grandfather? Were they in business together or perhaps rivals?
In her research, she didn’t remember seeing them linked, as friend or foe. That didn’t necessarily exonerate them, but it did give more credence that Jonah was actually on the right side of things.
She had a few questions of her own to ask. How he answered and what she learned would determine how she would respond.
“Good morning,” a male voice, morning rough, grumbled out. “Did you sleep well?”
Gabby stood at the kitchen door and worked to compose herself. She had come downstairs with what she considered her bland expression, but the moment she spotted Jonah standing in the kitchen, she could literally feel her face change. She was sure her mouth was open and could only hope there was no drool.
He had been working out, that much was obvious. He stood in the middle of the room and gulped down water while sweat rolled down his naked and very excellent chest. He was lean and muscular with some of the most impressive abs she’d ever seen. Wearing only a pair of faded blue sweats that hovered just below his belly button, Jonah Slater was a work of art. As an a
rtist, she told herself it was only natural to appreciate such a superb specimen of the human form. Her pounding heart and flushed skin were harder to explain away, so she ignored them.
Deluding herself had never been her thing, but in this she had no choice. No way could she allow herself to become attracted or infatuated with Jonah Slater. That would be a disaster.
“Gabriella? Everything okay?”
Hoping to explain away the moment of weakness, she shrugged. “Guess I’m still a little groggy from yesterday. But I do feel better.”
Giving her a look that said he didn’t quite buy her story, he nevertheless let it go. “Maybe breakfast would help. Cheese omelet and toast sound okay to you?”
“Sounds perfect.”
Determined to not feel like the idiot she had last night, she went to the cabinets to pull down plates for their meal, then withdrew cutlery from the drawer. Jonah said nothing about her initiative, as if he hadn’t expected anything different. She appreciated that. Being normal, acting like an average, ordinary person, was going to take some time. This was a good start.
She was grateful he pulled on a T-shirt before he started cooking. Her concentration needed to be keen and watching a shirtless, still glistening Jonah Slater prepare breakfast was a distraction she didn’t need.
The meal took him all of five minutes to prepare. He performed the task with such ease, she knew he had done it many times.
She wanted to do that. To feel comfortable in the kitchen. To feel comfortable with herself in the kitchen. That was just one of her many goals. She had so much catching up to do.
They sat in silence and devoured the meal. Jonah didn’t seem to be a morning person, which was fine with her. She had way too much on her mind to try to come up with idle chitchat.
After breakfast, they did another cleanup like they’d done last night. Knowing what to do and where things went made things easier this time. She liked that the procedure now felt like a routine.
With a restful night’s sleep behind her and a full belly, she was prepared to face whatever he threw at her. The table clear of breakfast things, she sat across from him and watched as he set up for the interview. Spending most of her life alone had given her exceptional observation skills. She couldn’t read minds, but she was good at reading people and determining whether they were telling the truth. So far, she hadn’t been given any indication that he wasn’t being honest. Wouldn’t he try to be more agreeable and likable if he was trying to gain her trust? He definitely hadn’t put much effort into that. Grunts and one-word answers seemed to be the norm for him.
That didn’t mean she couldn’t be pleasant herself, though. Maybe she could disarm him with charm.
“Before we get started, I wanted to thank you for your involvement in this.”
He looked up quickly, apparently startled by her words. Remarkable eyes shimmered with confusion. “My involvement in what?”
“In helping me escape.”
An emotion flickered on his face that told her he wasn’t comfortable with gratitude. He acknowledged her answer with a customary grunt, then said, “You ready to start?”
Quickly recognizing that charm wasn’t going to get the job done, she went for broke. “Could I ask you a question first?”
“Sure. I guess.”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
Cynicism curled his lip as his eyes darkened to a hunter green. “Are you asking because of my family or because I’m an ex-con?”
“But you were innocent.”
“How do you know that?”
“I read articles.” She wouldn’t tell him she had followed his case daily. Nor would she tell him she had cried when she’d learned he had been exonerated. There were certain things he didn’t need to know.
“Then you know I was framed.”
“By your brother Adam. Yes?”
“No. By my father.”
She straightened her shoulders. Now that was something she hadn’t known. “Your father? But why would your father do something like that?”
“Why would a corrupt man do anything? It was to his advantage. He learned I was delving into his illegal activities, and that was his way of not only stopping me, but also punishing me.”
“What were you going to do with the information you uncovered?”
“Destroy him.”
The words were stark, said without an ounce of emotion. She saw the steely determination behind the handsome face. This was a man who had been resolved to bring down a powerful empire, no matter what. And it had cost him. She could definitely respect a man like that. Maybe she and Jonah Slater had more in common than she’d first thought.
“Your father…he never faced punishment?”
“Not publicly, no. But he received his punishment all the same.”
She remembered the story. Every news outlet had carried it for days. Mathias Slater had been killed by an employee, but there had been nothing in the news about his own illegal activities. The fact that Jonah was telling her something that wasn’t public knowledge went a long way in helping her trust him.
“Your family has had many tragedies. I’m very sorry.”
Surprise and something like warmth flared in his eyes. For a brief moment, she saw behind the implacable façade to the humanity he worked so hard to cover. It was gone in seconds, and the veneer was once more in place.
“You ready to talk?”
He had answered only a few questions. If she was going to share what she knew, he was going to have to do better than that.
“Why are you involved in this?”
“You mean your rescue?”
Gabby had been manipulated with words too many times not to recognize the ploy. His use of the word rescue had been deliberate, meant to remind her that while she had instigated this event, she owed gratitude to the ones who’d brought it to fruition.
Playing along, she said, “Yes.”
“I work for the man who arranged it.”
“My so-called benefactor?”
“You doubt that he is? After what he arranged for you?”
“If he is indeed on my side, why can’t I know his name?”
“You will, in time.”
She didn’t like the mystery, but did she have any other choice? She couldn’t leave here—a blizzard raged outside. She had no money, no way out.
As if he knew exactly what she was thinking, Jonah said, “Look, Gabriella, you can look at this as your prison or your temporary safe house until we can get you where you want to go. That’s up to you.”
“Gabby.”
“What?”
“The people I trust call me Gabby. I need to be able to trust you, so therefore, please call me Gabby.”
If he was surprised at her words, he didn’t show it, just gave her one of those infuriating grunts again and said, “You ready?”
Holding back a frustrated breath, Gabby nodded. “Very well. What is it you want to know?”
Placing a small recorder between them, he stated the date and time, and then, “This is Jonah Slater interviewing Gabriella Mendoza regarding the activities of her grandfather, Luis Mendoza.”
His green eyes piercing with intent, he said, “Gabriella, are you answering these questions of your own free will?”
She told herself that his not using her nickname meant nothing. Compared to what she had experienced in her life, one little slight made no difference.
And even though she didn’t feel she had any choice in the matter, she answered, “Yes, I am.”
“Are you aware that your grandfather is considered one of the most notorious crime bosses of this century?”
Gabby had no feelings of loyalty, admiration, or the remotest affection for anyone in her family, most especially her grandfather. Still, her strong sense of self-preservation made her cautious. Trusting too soon could lead to her doom.
“I see my grandfather only a few times a year. He shares nothing about the family business with me.”
> “So is that a yes or a no?”
She refused to be bullied. “It is my answer.”
He gave a little nod of concession and said, “When you see him, what do you talk about?”
“At the end of each year, he invites me to his home and gives me his list of expectations for the next year.”
“What sort of expectations?”
“He has a list of approved social activities for me to review. I look them over. If I have questions, I ask. If not, I leave.”
“And that’s it?”
“When I return from my trips, I go to his home and give him a report of where I went, what I did, and what I learned.”
“That’s all?”
He didn’t believe her. On an odd level, it bothered her that he thought she was lying. She wasn’t lying…she just wasn’t telling everything. Not until she was sure.
“So you’re telling me you never attended family gatherings? Christmas? Easter? No holiday or birthday parties?”
“I stopped having birthday parties after my parents were killed.” The correct word was murdered. She didn’t trust Jonah enough to tell him this truth.
“And there were no other get-togethers? Holiday parties or social events you attended?”
Even now, years later, the memory of that first social event had the power to cause a minor panic attack. Hearing the increase of her heartbeat, knowing dizziness and nausea weren’t far behind, Gabby took controlled, measured breaths. This was not a good time to reveal her weaknesses.
“Gabriella, do you need to stop? Take a break?”
The sound of Jonah’s deep voice, the concern in it, had an amazing calming effect. She took in another controlled breath and shook her head. “No. I’m fine. What was your question again?”
His eyes narrowing slightly, he watched her in silence for several more seconds. Then, apparently satisfied she wasn’t going to keel over, he said again, “Holidays? Birthdays? Family gatherings?”
That again? “We’re not exactly a close-knit family.”
“You’re telling me that after your sixth birthday, you spent all the rest of your birthdays and holidays completely alone?”
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