The Troubleshooter: Norcross Series

by Hackett, Anna

  “Wait!” Gia cried. “There was a large, pale-pink stone.”

  “A pink diamond.” Saxon nodded. “Pinks are worth up to twenty times more than white diamonds. And if it’s old, that would make it invaluable.”

  “God,” Gia breathed.

  “Did your contact say who the previous owner was?”

  Easton’s jaw tightened. “Albert Sackler.”

  “Fuck,” Saxon said.

  “Who is he?” Gia demanded.

  “Eccentric old guy,” Saxon said. “Made his money from tech, but the rumor is he trafficks women for fun behind-the-scenes.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Gia said, horror on her face.

  “It’s best we steer well clear of him.” There was no way in hell Saxon was letting that sick fuck anywhere near Gia.

  Chapter Eight

  Gia was incredibly busy at work, but thoughts of the stolen diamond and gross, evil men who abused women wouldn’t leave her alone.

  She tried to focus on her current project for a client, but finally pushed the laptop away and sighed.

  Saxon wasn’t with her right now, but he wouldn’t be far away.

  He had her all churned up too.

  Refocusing, she checked her email. There was still nothing from Willow, and her belly clenched. Was Will all right?

  God, everything was going wrong.

  Frustrated, she Googled Albert Sackler. Nothing shady or evil showed up. There was a spread about his big house in Palo Alto, and several pictures of a slightly overweight man in his late sixties, who clearly liked to wear vests with his suits. He didn’t look like an evil asshole. But they never did.

  “Contessa?”

  She glanced up to see Saxon in the doorway. “Yes?”

  He cocked his head and walked over. “You okay?”

  Gia blew out a breath. “No. Willow is on the run, there is a stolen, giant pink diamond out there somewhere, all my things need replacing, and then there are the bad guys, Dennett and now Sackler.”

  Saxon moved behind her and started rubbing her shoulders. “So, you do have a breaking point?” He kneaded her tense muscles. “I always thought the intimidating Gia Norcross could handle anything.”

  God, he had strong hands. She dropped her head forward and bit back a moan. “I’ll handle it, but I’d be happy if we could catch a break.”

  “You aren’t alone to cope with this, Gia.”

  She felt a shot of warmth, but he was another thing leaving her jittery and confused. “I appreciate that, Saxon, but we still aren’t doing this ‘us’ thing.”

  He leaned down. Oh, he smelled so good. He was still massaging her muscles as he nipped her earlobe. This time, she couldn’t stop the small moan that escaped.

  “We’re doing it,” he murmured. “Every time I touch you, you light up.”

  “So arrogant.” She hated that her voice was breathy.

  He nipped her ear again. “I have to run out to meet Vander to follow up on some stuff.” He swiveled and pressed a hip to her desk. “Rome’s busy, so I want you to stay here.”

  “Okay.”

  “Don’t leave the building, Gia. Don’t go near the front doors, stay in your office, if you can. No visitors. At least not anybody that you don’t know.”

  “I won’t leave. I don’t have a death wish.”

  “Ace has tapped into the building’s security cameras. He’ll monitor them.”

  Gia’s eyes narrowed. “By tapped in, do you mean hacked?”

  Saxon just smiled. “Stay out of trouble until I get back.” He reached over and tugged on one of her curls.

  Then he strode out, shrugging into his jacket.

  She stood and watched him cross the open-plan area. Every one of her female employees stopped to watch him as well.

  “Have you slept with him yet?” Ashley asked from the doorway.

  “Don’t you have work to do?”

  “I’m doing it. I’m just not sure those of us around you two will survive the smoldering sexual tension much longer.”

  Gia rolled her eyes. Her cell phone started ringing, and she moved back to her desk. “Gia Norcross.”

  “Third time’s the charm,” a low, male voice said. “I’ll get you next time.”

  She frowned. “Excuse me? Who is this?”

  “Twice you’ve made me look like an incompetent fool. Not again.”

  “Lex,” she breathed.

  “Yes. My reputation is everything.”

  “If you suck, that’s not my problem.”

  “Dennett let me go, but I’m doing this job for free now.”

  His voice was so bland, unemotional. It made goose bumps rise on her skin. “What job?”

  “Taking you down.”

  Gia’s mouth went dry and she swallowed. “My brothers—”

  “I don’t care. If I do it under their noses, or take them down too, my reputation will be bulletproof.”

  Oh, God. “Look, asshole, if you—”

  “See you soon, Gia.”

  The line went dead. Fuck. Just what she needed. An out-for-vengeance hitman, or henchman, or whatever the hell he was.

  Well, there was nothing she could do right now. She rubbed her temple and made a mental note to tell Saxon when he got back.

  She sat back down at her desk and her phone rang again. She eyed it like it was a snake before answering it.

  “Gia Norcross.”

  “Hey, Contessa.”

  She blew out a relieved breath.

  “Heard you got a call from Lex.” Saxon’s voice turned ice cold.

  “How do you know that?”

  “I told you that Ace is keeping an eye on things.”

  “You tapped my phone!”

  “Just your cell.”

  “Unbelievable.”

  “To keep you safe.”

  “You could’ve asked first!”

  “Better to beg forgiveness after the fact.”

  “Well, I don’t hear you begging.”

  His voice lowered. “I don’t beg, baby.”

  Her hand clenched on the phone. “I bet I could make you beg.”

  There was silence, followed by Saxon’s harsh breathing across the line.

  Yes! She’d gotten to the always smooth and cool Saxon Buchanan.

  “Yeah, Contessa, I reckon you could.”

  Oh, God. A shot of heat went straight between her legs and she shifted restlessly in her seat.

  “Stay inside,” he warned again.

  “Yes, Master Buchanan.”

  His deep chuckle came over the line. “I like that.”

  She rolled her eyes. She knew he couldn’t see it, but she hoped he could sense it. “Goodbye, Saxon.”

  “Bye, darling.”

  Gia sat back in her chair. She was turned on. She wanted Saxon. It felt like he was a black hole, pulling her closer and closer.

  And dammit, she wanted to dive right in.

  That scared her.

  When her phone rang again, she almost cursed aloud, but then she saw it was Haven. “Hey, girlfriend.”

  “Hey, G. How you doing?”

  “Oh, well, bad guys are after me, a priceless, pink diamond is missing, an old friend is on the run, and I have no idea if she’s okay. Added to that, the hottest guy I know wants to claim me and bang my brains out.”

  Haven made a choked sound. “A bit of a rough day, then. Although, if you let the hot guy have his way, you’d be far less stressed.”

  “But then I’d become addicted to him, and things will be even more out of control.”

  “Gia, you aren’t supposed to be in control when you fall in love.”

  “No one said anything about love!”

  “Mmm.”

  “I hate that sound.” Gia closed her eyes. “I can’t fall in love with Saxon Buchanan.”

  “Girlfriend, you’re already halfway there.”

  God. Gia stood, then sat again. It was like a punch to the stomach.

  “You probably have be
en for a long time,” Haven added.

  Shit. Gia pressed a hand to her belly. “I can’t talk about this right now.”

  “Okay, how about we talk about diamonds?”

  “Usually, it’s a subject I like, but lately, not so much.”

  “More specifically, a large pink one.”

  “Easton told you guys about Sackler’s stolen diamond?”

  “He told Rhys. I was there. I’m at the museum now, so I decided to talk to a few of my contacts—”

  “Haven…”

  “I made a few phone calls, nothing dangerous. Anyway, I tracked down a friend who’s an expert in old jewelry. Gia, can you describe the diamond you saw?”

  “I think so. I didn’t pay too much attention. It was rectangular—”

  “Okay, I want you to talk with Deborah, my jewelry expert.”

  “Haven, I can’t leave my office. Saxon had to leave to follow a lead.”

  “Then we’ll come to you. We’ll be there in half an hour.”

  “All right. See you then.”

  Gia wasn’t sure if more info on the diamond would help, but the more they had, the better.

  She knew Saxon had said no visitors, but this was Haven, and her expert was someone she’d vouch for. Gia reached for her coffee mug and sipped. She grimaced. Her drink was cold.

  Ashley appeared in the doorway, holding out a fresh mug. “Latte?”

  Gia took it. It was hot. “How do you do that?”

  Her pink-haired assistant winked. “Special assistant powers. If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” Ashley winced. “Sorry, now’s probably not the time to make jokes about that.”

  Gia waved a hand. “I’d prefer to laugh than lose my shit.”

  “I don’t think you’ve ever lost your shit.”

  “I’m on the verge, my friend.”

  “Luckily, there’s a strong pair of arms waiting to catch you.”

  Gia aimed a glare Ashley’s way. “Get back to work. Oh, and Haven’s coming with a guest.”

  Gia did some more work before Ashley buzzed her to tell her that Haven was here. Gia rose.

  Haven bustled in, looking gorgeous in stylish, gray slacks, and a blush-pink top. There was another woman with her. She was about Gia’s mother’s age, but with ash-blonde hair in a stylish bob, flawless makeup, and a sharp suit.

  “Gia.” Haven circled the desk and they hugged. “This is Deborah Cohen.”

  Gia shook the woman’s hand. “Thanks for helping.”

  “My pleasure.” The woman had a deep smoker’s voice. “Haven’s always fabulous to work with, so I’m happy to help.”

  They all sat.

  “So, she told you that we’re looking for info on a rare, valuable, pink diamond?” Gia rested her hands on her desk.

  Deborah nodded. “Can you describe it?”

  “To be honest, it didn’t really make much of an impact on me. It was rectangular, not very shiny, flat on the top. It was sort of clear, more transparent than most diamonds I’ve seen.”

  The older woman’s face changed and Gia’s stomach dropped.

  “What?” Gia prompted.

  “You described a table-cut diamond. They have less facets than a modern, brilliant-cut diamond, which is the most popular style today. The table-cut gives the stone the more translucent look you saw.”

  “Okay. This diamond was table-cut and pale pink.”

  Deborah nodded. “Something like this?” She held up her phone to show an image.

  A large, rectangular pink diamond in an elaborate setting of white diamonds.

  Gia nodded. “Without the white diamonds, of course, and smaller. Yes, that looks identical to the stone I saw.”

  “This is the largest and oldest pink diamond in the world. It’s called the Daria-i-Noor, or the Sea of Light, and came from the Kollur Mine in India. It once belonged to the Shah Jahan, and legend says it may have graced his famous Peacock Throne. It changed hands several times, and is now part of the Iranian Crown Jewels and kept in the Central Bank of Iran. It’s 182 carats, and it is impossible to put a price on it, but let’s go with somewhere between a hundred and two hundred million.”

  Gia’s mouth dropped open.

  “Wow,” Haven breathed.

  “The one I saw wasn’t that big,” Gia said. “It can’t possibly be that diamond.”

  “No,” Deborah agreed. “But there are rumors and legends that say the Daria-i-Noor came from a larger diamond.”

  “Larger?” Gia said weakly.

  “In 1642, a French jeweler by the name of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier described a large pink diamond that was studded in the Shah’s throne. He called it Diamanta Grande Table, or the Great Table diamond. It was estimated to be 400 carats. Some people believe that the Daria-i-Noor, and another oval pink diamond that is also part of the Iranian Crown Jewels called the Noor-ul-Ain or the Light of the Eye, were both cut from the Great Table diamond.”

  “So, the Daria-i-Noor is 182 carats,” Gia said.

  “And the Noor-ul-Ain is 60 carats,” Deborah added.

  “That leaves approximately 150 carats,” Gia said.

  The older woman nodded. “Obviously some gets lost during the cutting process, but there could have been other diamonds that came from the Great Table pink diamond.”

  “There are no other leads or stories?” Haven asked.

  “No,” Deborah said. “There are always plenty of myths and legends, though. Pink diamonds are said to increase creativity and intuitiveness. And many of the diamonds that came from the Kollur Mine are said to be cursed.”

  Gia remembered a cursed diamond exhibit held at a museum in Washington DC not too long ago. There was a dangerous attack that made the headlines across the country. The press gloried in diving into all the gory details on the curses.

  “If this diamond was part of the Great Table, it would be very valuable,” Gia said.

  The woman nodded. “Quality and size aside, it’s steeped in history, once owned by emperors. That adds to its value.”

  “God.” Who the hell had the diamond?

  Suddenly, her door flew open and Saxon strode in, unhappiness blasting off him. “What the fuck is going on?” He pressed his hands to his lean hips.

  Gia rose. “Saxon—”

  “I told you to stay here, and no visitors. Explain.”

  * * *

  Saxon stared at Gia, waiting. He’d been mad from the moment that Ace had called him to tell him that Haven and her friend were on the way.

  Fire ignited in Gia’s eyes. “Don’t take that tone with me.”

  “I’m trying to keep you safe.”

  She moved toward him. “I didn’t leave. I hardly think Haven is going to attack me.”

  “And do you know your other guest?”

  Both Haven and the other woman watched them with rapt attention.

  “No,” Gia said. “But Haven does. And I don’t think even Lex can pull off masquerading as a woman.”

  Her perfume hit Saxon and that chin jutted at him. Damn, he loved it when she was mad. He tried to keep a hold on his anger.

  “Instead of coming in here, growling like an enraged alpha male—”

  Saxon growled and gripped her arm.

  “Saxon!”

  He dragged her close and kissed her. It was the best way to shut her up. The kiss was hard, deep, and wet. Then he set her back down on her heels.

  She blinked. “Damn you, Saxon Buchanan! You can’t just end an argument by kissing me.”

  “Darling,” Deborah drawled. “I’d let him.”

  Haven grinned at them.

  “Saxon, this is Deborah Cohen,” Gia said. “A jewelry expert Haven knows.”

  Saxon nodded at the woman.

  “She’s an expert in old, historic jewelry.”

  He straightened. “The diamond?”

  Gia nodded and shared what they’d learned.

  He scowled. “Shit, I hope what we’re looking for isn’t part of that diamond.”

 
“Thank you for your help, Deborah,” Gia said.

  The woman rose and shook Gia’s hand. “Good luck. I hope you get your situation resolved soon. Let me know if you do find the diamond. I’d love to see a picture of it.”

  After Deborah left, Haven grinned at them. “So?”

  “We aren’t together,” Gia said.

  “We are,” Saxon said.

  “God, you guys generate so much steam.” Haven stood and shivered. “I might have to jump Rhys for a quickie before the get-together tonight.”

  “Ew. TMI.” Gia held up a hand. “Wait, what get-together?”

  “The guys decided on dinner and drinks tonight at some new sports bar,” Haven said.

  Gia pinned Saxon with a look. “Can I go?”

  “Well—”

  “Were you going to tell me, or—”

  He pressed a hand over her mouth. “I was going to tell you. I haven’t had a chance, and you gearing up to rant will delay it even more.”

  Chocolate-brown eyes fumed, then she bit his palm.

  He yanked his hand back and shook his head. “You can bite me later, Contessa.”

  She sniffed.

  “And yes, we can go. All the guys will be there.”

  “Yay.” Haven hugged Gia. “I need to get back to the museum to finish a few things. I’ll see you there.”

  Gia walked back to her desk.

  “Are you almost done?” he asked.

  “I have a couple of more things I want to finish—”

  He pressed up against her, trapping her against her desk. “Did I tell you that I like your shirt? And your shoes?”

  “No,” she breathed.

  “I like what’s under that shirt even more.” He slid a hand around her waist, then leaned down and nipped the side of her neck.

  A small moan escaped her, and he felt it in his gut, his cock.

  “I need you soon, Gia Gabriella. I’m burning up for you.”

  She pressed her ass back against him. “We shouldn’t do this.”

  “You want it. Where’s that courageous, fearless Gia I know?”

  “Don’t you mean reckless?”

  He nipped her neck again and she turned her head. He took her mouth. The taste of her, the scent of her, the feel of her. Saxon felt like Gia Norcross was in his pores. “You be reckless, I’m here to catch you, baby.”

  “Gia, I… Oops, sorry.” A grinning Ashley whirled away from the door.