Alone she filled her Camaro with a few boxes and luggage and headed to her apartment to drop them off. Once there, Agent Ramirez happily aided her in bringing the boxes into the apartment. When she walked in she noticed that he was deep into the investigation process. He had scribbled a few notes of his own on her dry erase board and there was a stack of papers on her desk where he had jotted down information. The computer was still turned on, though it was now dormant in sleep mode.
"How's the investigation going?" She asked, taking a seat on the sofa and stretching.
Trying to appear casual he said, "It’sgoing fine." He was back at the desk fumbling with the mouse.
In truth he was nervous with Danny in the apartment since he had been only hours ago investigating her fiancé per his partner’s orders. His partner had called him as soon as she boarded the plane to let him know that she was on her way. Alejandro had taken the time to conceal anything in the apartment showing that he had been investigating the doctor. Right before Aiden called, Alejandro had started taking a look at the Angel Faces charity that the doctor worked for.
"Any new leads?" she queried.
"Not yet." He pointed at the computer screen. "I've been doing some research into the parent company that owns the free clinics, the Knight Corporation. I've been talking to the IRS trying to get any info listed under their Federal Tax ID number."
Danny nodded. "Good idea."
"Agent Stone called looking for you." He pronounced.
"Looking for me?" She seemed confused since she had talked to him as soon as she disembarked from the plane.
"Yeah.He said it was important that you get back to Dallas."
"Has that man lost his mind? I just left Dallas. What could he possibly need me for?"
Alejandro was a rookie, but he wasn't stupid. He knew there was some kind of attraction going on between Stone and Ms. Labouleaux. He could feel it whenever they were in the room together. Aiden had called him giving him orders to say whatever it took to get her back to him even if he had to lie. He confessed that he had illegally obtained evidence showing that Dr. Wolfe was possibly involved and may be dangerous, and he didn't want Danny getting hurt. That's why he had been keeping her close he explained, though Alejandro figured that wasn't the only reason.
"Yeah.There was some new development he wanted to discuss with you." he fibbed. "He said he needed you back in Dallas."
"I am seriously gonna kill him." She snarled in frustration. "I'm supposed to be flying to New York."
"New York?" He questioned.
Danny nodded. "My best friend still lives there. She just got a few weeks off for vacation and since I'm not getting married I reckoned I'd spend a few weeks with her until I figure out my next move."
“You're not engaged to Dr. Wolfe?" He really wasn't surprised.
Danny confided, "No I'm calling it off, Alejandro. Too much has happened, and I just don't feel ready. I feel so out of place here." "That's why I was going to New York. I need time away from everything."
She also figured that since Gerard would be gone for the next few days she could go about finally moving all of her things out of the house. She didn't feel like the drama today so she left a few things just so he would think there was a chance for reconciliation. Tomorrow, in his absence, she had planned on moving the rest of her items to the bat cave and leaving him with his engagement ring. However, now that would have to wait.
"Fine I'll see what Stone wants tomorrow, and then I'm going out to New York." Danny declared.
While she was deciding what her next possible plan of action was in Phoenix, Aiden was doing his own investigation. When she was busy packing for her return to Arizona, he had taken a few high definition photographs of her engagement ring with his phone. She had taken it off and put in her hotel room night table.
He compared it to the photograph Mrs. Cavender had given him and determined that the rings were an identical match. By no means was he an expert in fine jewelry. He had taken the photo to several jewelers to see if they could give him any information. After five fine jewelers, his efforts were unproductive, other than the fact that they thought the diamonds in Danny's ring were manmade.
It puzzled him why a man with Gerard Wolfe's money and clout would give a woman a fake diamond to celebrate their engagement. He drove a $200,000 supercar, yet he had his woman walking around with a phony diamond on her hand. He figured if Nani was his woman, she would never have to worry about whether her ring was a fake or not.
Whoa! Where the hell did that come from? He had surprised himself with his own thought.
Setting his burgeoning feelings for her aside for the moment, he pushed open the door to the Big Texas Pawn Shop. An electronic chime above his head alerted the owner and his employees to his presence. A knight's armor greeted him at the door, the metallic silver polished to a muted gleam. A 'We Pay Cash for Gold' sign was hanging prominently against the back wall. Flat panel televisions and Blu-Ray players were on display on shelving against the walls. Cell phones, iPods, and other electronic gadgets were safely displayed behind one display case while jewelry was exhibited behind the others. Bargain hunters were on the prowl and milling about the store.
"May I help you?" The owner, a Chaldean man with slightly accented English, spoke up. He placed a Rolex watch back in the display case. His dark eyes immediately went to the Glock posted on Aiden's hip before taking in his height.
To put him at ease, Stone quickly produced his shield. "I'm Agent Stone, FBI. A piece of jewelry came up in my investigations and I was hoping to get your expert opinion as far as it's concerned."
"I'd be happy to help. Step back here with me." He spoke to his other employees who Aiden assumed were his sons based on their looks. Then the owner introduced himself as Al and ushered him to the back of the store.
He slid his phone across the metal desk to Al, the device displaying the photos he'd taken of the ring. Al slipped his glasses onto his face and scrutinized the snapshots.
"I've been to a few jewelers in the area, and the most they can tell me is that the diamonds are probably man made."
"They are correct." Al said removing the glasses from his nose. "I've seen diamonds like that many times."
"Is there any other info you can provide to me concerning this ring? I've been told it's a pretty unique design."
Al was now peering at the cell phone pictures with a magnifying glass. "The design I'm not sure about, but I'm pretty sure the diamonds are what you call cremation diamonds."
"Cremation diamonds?" Aiden’s brow furrowed into a puzzled look.
Al nodded, pushing the phone back across the desk. "Notice the almost yellow tint of the gems. If you want to make artificial diamonds you want to make them as clear as possible. That is not the case with cremation gems. You can't do anything about the color. It's just the way it is with them."
He suddenly got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "What exactly is a cremation gem?"
Al pointed to Aiden, then himself. "You, me, everybody, all our bodies are made up of skin, tissue, bone, but it is all carbon. When your body is cremated everything is condensed into ash. Sometimes loved ones may want something other than an urn to remember their relatives. That's where you get the cremation gem."
"The process may take up to a year but you have craftsman who take the ashes," His fingers formed into claws, and he made a crushing motion. "And you compress them like you would a chunk of coal until you get a diamond or whatever other gem you may want."
"Are you sure?" Stone said after he had picked his jaw up off the floor.
"Yes." Al nodded adamantly. "Stay here. I'll be right back."
He returned a minute later with a gold cross on a chain. The cross was filled with miniature diamonds, also with a slightly yellow tint. He delicately placed the cross in Aiden’s hand, and he immediately started getting the chill throughout his body that was representative of his entering the spirit realm. He had also noticed the sensation when he handle
d Danny's ring.
"One of my sons purchased this from a customer without realizing what it really was. You've been in business as long as I have; you can pretty much tell what it is."
Aiden wondered what kind of person would sell jewelry made of the deceased, and what kind of sick bastard would put a ring containing a departed loved one on the finger of a woman he professed to love. After getting a bit more information from Al, along with the names of jewelers who specialized in creating cremation jewelry, He shook hands with Al and left the pawn shop.
Danny arrived back in Dallas the next morning pissed as hell. She glowered at Aiden once she located him in one of the hallways of the Dallas Field Office. Sensing her foul mood he excused himself from the two agents he was conversing with, and taking her by the arm he escorted her into an empty conference room and shut the door.
To say that he was overjoyed to see her unharmed was an understatement, though with the way she had her hand on her hip and her lip stuck out he could tell that he had better be ready for a verbal spanking.
Throwing a little serpentine motion with her neck she uttered, "You had better have a damned good reason for making me fly back out here, Stone."
"I missed you too, Nani." He offered with a goofy smile hoping to diffuse her bad mood.
She didn't respond in the manner he had hoped for. She looked him up and down as if he was a child who had come home all muddy from playing outside. The look was antagonistic and spoke volumes about her disposition.
"What the hell was so important that you needed me here?" she asked.
"I just want you with me, that's all baby. Just in case this thing with the Knight Corporation doesn't pan out, you may be able to steer us on the right course again."
She shook her head. "No, that's not gonna work. Alejandro told me they're looking into the IRS files of the Knight Corporation. You don't need me to look at tax records. You have accountants for that."
Aiden was ready with another lame excuse off the top of his head. Whatever it took to keep her away from Dr. Wolfe was what he needed. "We also have the hotline just in case any of the prostitutes want to get to safety and turn themselves in."
Danny scoffed, totally irritated. "You still don't need me for that. You have people monitoring those lines 24/7. So what's the big deal, Agent Stone? Why did you have me come back out here again?"
Shocking both of them he blurted. "B-Because I love you!"
Danny looked at him like he had just lost his mind. The shock value of his words was written all over her face. "What?"
Aiden took a step forward. "I love you. Stay here with me." He said it as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
She pushed him back. "Boy, have you taken leave of your senses?" Frustrated, she ran her fingers through her tresses. "You are seriously making the back of my head hurt."
He took another step forward and kissed her softly. She lightly shoved him away.
"Aiden, I can't do this right now." She said. Her voice was sounding hoarse. "I'm an emotional wreck. Whatever is going on between us we're gonna have to wait until later to sort out. Gerard and I are over, but I still have some things to take care of."
"Look, you say you and the doc are through. Why do you need to go back there?"
"Because all my stuff is still there!Before you called Alejandro, I was planning on moving my stuff out of Gerard's house and heading to New York for a little while."
"What if you get to his house and he's there and causes a problem for you? What then?"
"Gerard is not going to be there. He told me he's leaving for a doctors' conference in Vegas. I'm gonna go in there, grab the rest of my stuff and drop it off at the bat cave and catch my flight to New York. Since he's not there it will be the perfect time to move all my stuff out."
Aiden sat on the edge of the table. "I still don't like you going back to his place alone."
Danny fondly rubbed his cheek. "I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."
"I'm going with you. I'll go tell Lucius now."
"Absolutely not!"Was Lucius, answer to Aiden's request to follow Danny back to Phoenix. Agent Stone was standing before him in his temporary office pleading his case to protect Danielle.
"No?" He returned.
"That is correct, Agent." He spat out, his cold gray eyes skimming over him. "We have no proof that Dr. Wolfe is even involved in the human trafficking ring cartel. Everything you have is just circumstantial. I don't believe that Ms. Labouleaux is in any danger."
"Agent Johnson--"
Lucius waved his hand indicating he didn't want to hear it. "Over the past few weeks you've gotten too close to her. The only danger Dr. Wolfe is capable of is endangering your chances to woo her."
The words stung in Aiden’s ears, and he was tempted to show him the video he had extracted from the clinic. However, he resisted the urge as he knew the only thing the video might do at this point was get him fired. Lucius was already on his case about not following protocol.
"Look, Agent Johnson, my gut is telling me that there's more to this guy than there seems to be."
Lucius actually chuckled, the gesture dripping with contempt. "Your gut, Agent Stone?I'm pretty sure you're not thinking with your gut. I think you are thinking with another part of your anatomy where Ms. Labouleaux is concerned. Like I've said, you've gotten too close and it's clouding your judgment. Danielle is very capable of taking care of herself. My word is final on this issue. Are we clear?"
Aiden leaned forward against the desk, his grip so hard it was a wonder he didn't leave dents. "I really hope you're right Agent Johnson because if anything happens to Danny you'll have me to deal with."
His hulking frame departed the office. He made a point of slamming the door so hard the glass rattled in its frame.
The next morning they headed for the airport. Despite her protests Aiden insisted on once again dropping her off. Tendrils of foreboding crept up on him, the anxiety getting to him for the first time in a long time. He was standing outside her security checkpoint not quite ready to see her go.
"I want you to call me as soon as you get to his house." He instructed. His brow knitted in all seriousness.
Danny saluted and smiled. "Sir, yes, sir!"
He wasn't amused "I mean it Danny! Take this seriously! Breaking up with someone can get nasty. I want to make sure you're safe."
"You worry too much." Standing on her tiptoes she softly nipped his lower lip before kissing him. "I appreciate you worrying, really."
His hand lingered on her hip. "Get on that plane before I decide to quit my job and come with you."
Turning on her heels she shifted the messenger bag on her shoulder and headed through the checkpoint.
Chapter 17
It had been a while since the fight at the restaurant, still feeling bitter Cassie found herself obsessed with revenge against that uppity, gold digging bitch Danielle. The aftermath of the fight was not in Cassie’s favor. She found herself a social pariah. The sordid story spread faster than an S.T.D amongst her peers. No one wanted to be seen with the woman who was presumed to be racist. Most of the women in her circle avoided her now. There were no party invites, no social functions to attend.
There had been rumors that Dominick was going to leave her. How could he stay married to a woman who thought less of him because of his skin color? She did love Dom, but the mean girl that possessed her during the fight with Danny caused her to use less than better judgment in her choice of words. Truth was that she wanted to get a rise out of Danny, make her fight. Cassie just wasn't figuring little skinny Danielle could win.
Cassie's insecurity within herself was the main motivator for her hatred of Danny. Danny was everything Cassie really wanted to be but wasn't. Cassie had chosen Dominick for love partially, security mostly. Marrying a plastic surgeon afforded her the luxuries she had grown accustomed to, and besides he was easy to control and even easier to please. That had all changed now. He was taking the reins and challenging the statu
s quo with her. He had taken the credit cards away for punishment and taken a much sterner tone than he had ever done in their ten years of marriage. He knew Cassie really wasn't a racist. In their years of marriage she never uttered a single slur towards him even in their most heated arguments. This, however, took him by surprise, and he realized Cassie's mean girl attitude had grown out of control.
He fired the property management company and demanded that she work for a living as the property manager for their several rentals. Dominick figured it was time she occupied herself with something useful and learn to appreciate earning a living. He gave her a salary and put her to work. If she didn't like it, then he would be filing for divorce. Cassie had accepted the new terms grudgingly. She figured if this was what it took to save her marriage then she would submit temporarily.
Cassie drove up to the sleek mini mansion Gerard and Danny called home. Seeing Danny's Camaro in the circular drive she assumed she was there. Now she had her in the crosshairs. Danny's day was coming, and she was determined to see her pay. The goods to confront her were all in her cell phone. The day before she had filmed a damning video of Danielle's lies, the comings and goings of Danielle and her secret lover in an equally secret love nest above the bookstore in the building Dominick owned.
Cassie had been there to collect past due rent from the bookstore. She had recognized the classic Camaro. It wasn't hard to miss since it was the only one in town. Parking across the street from the bookstore and apartments, she saw the familiar slender silhouette in the open window along with the man. Taking out her iPhone she zoomed in on the window and pressed record. The footage showed Danny sitting on what looked like a second-hand couch looking at something with the unidentified male. Later she filmed her coming out of the apartment alone with the man coming out a few minutes behind her and both leaving in their respective vehicles.
"Gotcha now you bitch" Cassie said aloud to herself as she reviewed what she had shot. She had been waiting and biding her time since the dinner fiasco that ended up with her hair full of shit. Now she was going to confront her nemesis and blackmail her out of Gerard's and everyone's life for good. Cassie checked the management records of the lease. It showed the lease was under a name of Lucius Johnson.
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