by Tee O'Fallon
“But why the Piazza?” Gray asked. In the background, Dom heard beeping as Gray’s computer turned on. “Based on our intel, the original target was One PP. We were going on the assumption that they were planning to take out as many cops as possible, but even with the mayor’s presence, the Piazza won’t have a police presence inside during the event. That was something the hotel was adamant about. Turns out they have their own security team and, aside from the mayor’s security detail, don’t want any help from the department.”
When the light turned green Dom made a left onto Broadway, heading downtown to his loft. “The Piazza is a prestigious city landmark, and this event’s been too long in the making. They’ve been renovating that place for years. Without hardcore proof of an attack they’ll never cancel.”
“You’re probably right,” Gray said. “But if there aren’t going to be any cops at the hotel, then who’s the target?”
“Damned if I know.” He glanced in his rearview mirror, checking for a tail. “Could be they’re changing venue because they suspect we know the original plan was to hit One PP. We need to find out if the commissioner is on the guest list for the hotel event. If he is, we have to consider that he may be the target.”
“I’ll check with his security detail. Stand by while I pull up the report on that hit and run.”
The clicking of Gray’s fingers on a keyboard came to Dom as he turned right onto Houston Street, heading toward SoHo.
“Got it,” Gray said. “Gus Padagno was hit by a car reported stolen the night before. Driver took off. No prints inside the vehicle. Not even the real owner’s.”
“Someone wiped it clean.” Pretty much what he’d expected. Schneider had mowed down an innocent man so he could take his place as Daisy’s driver. He stopped for another red light and gripped the wheel tighter. “No way in hell will I leave her alone with that guy.”
“Then tell me about your plan to keep her safe.”
He carefully outlined his idea.
“You’re right. She’s not gonna like it,” Gray said. “But it’s a solid plan and the best way to keep a close eye on her and Schneider.”
A car horn blasted behind him, and he realized the light had turned green. “Until we’ve got enough to arrest Jack, telling her about him now would only put her in more danger. If I told her the truth, she’d fire him and he’d demand to know why. With Gus in the hospital indefinitely, he knows damn well she’s desperate for a driver, so any reason she’d give would make him suspicious. He’d never let her stand in the way of whatever he’s planning. He’d kill her first.”
“I agree,” Gray said. “Keeping her in the dark is the best way to keep her safe.”
For now, Dom thought. Although part of him still wondered if he was doing the right thing.
He turned left into his building’s basement parking garage and held his swipe card up to the card reader. As the garage’s large metal door rose, he heard Gray yawn. “I’ll keep you posted, partner.” He ended the call and gunned his car down the ramp and into his assigned parking space.
After turning off the engine, he leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes.
Behind his closed lids, the image of Daisy’s face came to him just before he’d left her place. Her eyes had been glistening with tears, reminding him of fine whiskey swirling with flakes of 14-karat gold. When he’d caressed her cheekbone with his thumb, her skin had been soft and warm. There’d been so much he wanted to say but couldn’t.
Distance. Make it. Keep it.
It was just as well that she’d kicked him out of her apartment. He’d needed to think, and being anywhere near her clouded his judgment until his brains scrambled into mush.
Can I put her in this kind of danger? Hell, she’s already in danger.
Years ago he lost the only woman he’d ever loved. Fear gripped him now at the thought of Daisy suffering Anika’s fate.
He got out of the car and slammed the door shut. His boots echoed in the concrete garage as he made his way to the elevator.
There was one thing he and Gray hadn’t discussed. Jack already had the job with Highland Floral, so why was he hitting on Daisy? He didn’t have to get into her bed to gain access to the Piazza. He already had that.
Shit. He smacked the elevator button with the heel of his hand. Schneider actually liked her. If he had real feelings for her, it might be the one thing that kept her safe. Either way, Dom vowed to keep a close eye on her. For professional reasons.
He’d let this play out, but if something changed and he thought Daisy was in any immediate danger, he’d kill Jack in a heartbeat and fuck the operation.
The elevator doors opened and Dom got in. As the doors closed, the truth kicked him hard. If anything happened to Daisy because of the decisions he made, he wouldn’t be capable of living another day on this earth.
Chapter Ten
As the cab stopped to let her out in front of the door to her shop, Daisy looked up at the red neon sign. Highland Floral was all hers, and she was damn proud of it. Good thing it earned her a nice income, because she’d just gotten the repair estimate on her Mercedes and it wasn’t pretty.
Not only would the car be in the shop until next week but she’d have to pay a small fortune to get it fixed. She didn’t know which was costing her more, the Mercedes or the city’s exorbitant taxi fares.
She paid the driver, then hefted her purse and leather briefcase over her shoulder. Both bags matched the snug red sheath and sweater she’d worn, and the coordinating red and gold earrings and necklace capped off the outfit nicely.
Morning sounds of the greatest city on earth came to her. Horns blaring. People shuffling past on their way to work. Food vendors rolling their silver carts into place for the day. She paused before entering the shop. It had been hard work and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears getting her business to where it was now. She only wished her parents had lived to see her accomplishments.
Every time she thought of the train derailment that had claimed their lives, utter sadness enveloped her. At least the desolation she’d experienced then had diminished to a dull, occasional ache. It had taken two years to get to the point where she didn’t cry every morning, and another ten years after that to stop hating her grandparents. And now they were dead, too. From old age.
Daisy pushed open the door to her shop, surprised at the unexpected resurgence of anger over the callous way her grandparents had treated her. She realized Dom was the reason for her mood. She’d once hoped he would be the one to love her and help her pick up the pieces of her shattered family life. Maybe even be the father of her children. But he never would be. Like her grandparents, he’d thrown her away like trash.
“Morning, Daisy.” Marjie, her fifty-something assistant, waved to her from the display room counter where she sat slicing thorns off a bucket of red long-stem roses.
“Hey, Marj.” She waved back, smiling. Marjie Evans had been with her since she’d opened the shop, and Daisy was proud of her ability to retain employees. It was a sign of a good, stable work environment. “Jack here?” she asked, eager and yet apprehensive to see him. She still wasn’t fully on board with the idea of dating him.
“He’s in the back, loading urns for the Piazza.” Marjie indicated with the floral knife in her hand to the back of the shop. “He knows how swamped we are with all the extra deliveries lately, so he got in early. He brought you coffee,” she added with a wink and a knowing smile. “I think he’s sweet on you.”
Daisy froze, not completely sure whether Marjie’s observations made her feel happy or anxious.
Give him a chance.
“We have a date tomorrow night,” she admitted, still not sure how she felt about having accepted Jack’s offer.
A bright smile lit Marjie’s face. “It’s about time. You haven’t been on a date in quite a while. I can’t wait to hear how it goes.”
“Thanks.” She nodded and smiled at her assistant. It was about time.
&nb
sp; She headed to her office, inhaling that flowery mix that made all floral shops smell unique. After setting her bags on the desk, she sat in her rolling chair and stared at the deli cup of French roast coffee waiting for her. It reminded her of that morning so long ago, after she’d woken up in her bed. Alone, praying that Dom had only gone out to get coffee and bagels for breakfast.
You were foolish then, and you’re foolish now. Time to move on.
Uttering a sigh, she pulled out the Piazza drawings she’d shown Alex the other night. Unfortunately that, too, reminded her of Dom. Watching him teach Nicky multiplication tables by using bullets had been amusing, but it was also clear that Nicky loved Dom as if he really were the boy’s uncle. He was good with kids. Just not with her.
She took a sip of coffee, then spread out the drawings. After making pencil notations for placement of the giant flower urns in the grand ballroom, she realized she’d have to go with Jack to the Piazza to verify the layout herself.
Flipping to another schematic of the Piazza’s grand ballroom, she yawned. After Dom had left her apartment, sleep had been slow in coming. She’d lain awake for hours, her lips still bruised from his kisses, her body heated as if his skilled fingers were again skimming across her bare skin.
She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Oh, for God’s sake.”
Loud thumping sounded from the open bay door as Jack loaded the heavy urns onto the delivery truck. Then she heard him talking to someone, and his tone was far from friendly. She got up and headed to the loading door. Jack stood next to the truck, talking to another man on the sidewalk. Beside them were several large flower urns. She hung back just inside the door to listen and watch.
“I told you not to come here.” Jack’s body was tense, his fists clenched as if he were about to slug the other man.
The guy was shorter than Jack and lanky, with thinning brown hair. Like Jack, he wore jeans and a work shirt tucked into his pants. Over his left breast pocket was an embroidered Magellan Foods patch. Magellan was one of several food service companies that supplied the Piazza.
“I’ll do whatever I think is best,” the stranger growled in a low voice. “And I don’t answer to you, either.”
Jack must have sensed her presence because he jerked his head around, locking his angry gaze onto her for a brief instant before turning back to the other man. “Stay out of my way,” he hissed.
Curious, Daisy stepped down onto the sidewalk.
“Morning, boss,” Jack said with an easy smile, though his posture was stiff and his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides.
“Good morning. Is everything okay?” She glanced from Jack to the other man. Jack might have smiled at her, but from the tension on his face it had obviously been forced.
Up close, the other man appeared rather ordinary, but there was nothing ordinary about the intent way he looked at her. No, make that tracked her. Every feminine instinct she possessed told her this man was a predator.
His brown eyes held a hint of meanness that screamed so loudly he might as well have been wearing a sign. His gaze slid from her face to her chest before slithering down her entire body. When he raised his gaze to meet hers his half smile was smarmy, making her feel as if he were imagining her naked.
“Pleased to meet you, ma’am.” He held out his hand. “I’m a friend of Jack’s.”
Before she could react, Jack insinuated himself between them. “You said you were leaving.” His tone was laced with challenge.
Daisy couldn’t see Jack’s face but sensed the barely contained anger radiating from his body.
“I did, didn’t I?” The man gave Daisy a mock bow. “Another time then, ma’am.”
“Don’t count on it,” Jack said under his breath as the guy turned and disappeared around the corner.
“Who was that?” She looked at Jack with raised brows. Whoever it was, Jack clearly hadn’t been pleased by his presence and, frankly, neither was she. He gave her the creeps.
“Nobody important,” he snapped in such a harsh tone that she instinctively took a step back.
Daisy raised her brows. What the—
Then he smiled at her as if everything was fine and began loading more urns into the truck. She didn’t know quite what to make of his abrupt change in demeanor, but was quickly distracted.
Jack’s shirtsleeves were rolled midway up his forearms, exposing thick, ropy muscle that flexed and bunched as he wrestled with the heavy pottery. He really did have a nice body.
“If I haven’t mentioned it,” he said as he hefted another urn onto his shoulder, “wear a dress tomorrow. I’m taking you someplace nice.” Then he grinned at her.
She stepped out of his way as he loaded the urn onto the truck. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.” He wiped his brow. “I think you’ll like it.”
“Can’t you give me a hint?” She laid her hand on one of his thick forearms and looked up at him, batting her lashes playfully. His skin was warm from exertion, and the muscle beneath was rock solid.
When he took her hand from his arm and linked his fingers with hers, she found the feeling was rather pleasant.
“I think I’ll keep you in suspense. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it. It’s one of my favorite places.”
“All right.” She uttered a sigh. “Have it your way. But you’re stuck with me for the rest of the day.”
“What do you mean?” His eyes went sharp.
“I’m going with you to the Piazza.” She pulled away, intending to go inside to grab her things, but he tugged her back to him.
“You don’t need to go today, do you? The forecast is calling for rain.” He glanced up at the graying sky. “As soon as the first drop hits the pavement, the streets will jam up and you’ll be stuck in traffic with me for half the day.”
She patted his arm. “There’s no one else I’d rather be stuck in traffic with. Besides, I haven’t walked through the grand ballroom since all the furniture was put in place, and I need to verify the vases and arrangements I designed will still work. I just need to get my drawings.”
As she headed back inside, she glanced over her shoulder to find him staring after her. His brows were drawn and his forehead creased, leaving her with the odd impression that he didn’t want her with him today.
After grabbing her bags from her desk, along with the coffee he’d so thoughtfully gotten her, she headed to the front of the shop. “I’ll be at the Piazza with Jack,” she informed Marjie. “I should be back in a few hours.”
“Ooh, a road trip. With Jack,” Marjie teased. “Have fun, boss.”
“Very funny.” She went back into the hallway where Jack was waiting for her. “Let’s go.”
He followed her to the passenger side of the truck. “Today’s really not a good day to go to the hotel. When I was there yesterday dropping off all those bromeliads and ficus trees, the place was still a mess. Workers were doing last-minute sanding and the air was thick with dust.” He caught her arm as she reached for the door latch. “Why don’t I take you there tomorrow instead?”
Releasing the door latch, she turned to face him. She could have imagined it, but the look in his eyes was…wary? Again she was struck with the impression that he didn’t want her at the Piazza today. Why that could possibly be, she couldn’t fathom.
“I’ll be fine.” She rested her hand on his shoulder, then pulled open the door. “Could you help me up? It’s tough getting into this truck wearing a dress and high heels.”
When she held out her hand, he took it but frowned. Then his eyes tracked down and up her body, and the corners of his mouth lifted. “Yes, but you do wear them well.”
“Why, thank you.” She smiled back and pulled in her legs, which Jack was also watching. It was nice to be appreciated by a man without him automatically trying to jump her bones.
He came around the front of the truck, then got in and cranked the engine. The truck rumbled and shook as he guided it onto the busy street. For t
he next few minutes, he said nothing. A muscle at his jaw flexed repeatedly. Something was bugging him, and Daisy intended to find out what.
“Are you going to tell me who that man was today?” she prodded.
“Just an old colleague.” He turned onto Fifth Avenue. “Not someone I’m particularly fond of.”
“No kidding.” She grabbed the door’s side handle as he made a sharp turn to avoid a cab that cut them off. “That guy was creepy.”
At the next red light, he gripped her arm so hard she flinched. “You don’t ever have to worry about him. He won’t be back.” The icy look he gave her sent a brief chill up her spine. Subdued anger simmered in his eyes, although she didn’t sense it was directed at her. “I’ll make sure of it,” he added. When a horn honked behind them, he returned his eyes to the road.
The south end of Central Park came into view, as did the Piazza. Each time Daisy came to this majestic landmark she was more in awe than the last. The hotel was truly magnificent.
Situated at Central Park and Fifth Avenue, New York’s finest hotel had recently undergone a four hundred million-dollar renovation from top to bottom. With its classical architecture, it was a tribute to the history of New York City and embodied all the elegance expected of a five-star hotel.
Jack parked on the side street next to the hotel and shut off the engine. He hopped out and came around to the passenger side where Daisy had already opened the door. She paused before getting out, glancing up at the nineteen-story structure.
When Jack held out his hand, she hooked her bags over her shoulder and let him help her down. “Thank you,” she said, although her attention was still glued to the grand structure that took up an entire city block.
He shut the door behind her. “I’m not sure if the manager wants me to unload the urns to see how they look in place, or whether he wants to look at them in the back of the truck first.”
“Let’s go inside and track down Andrew.” She led the way to the main entrance, bypassing the magnetometers that wouldn’t be operational until the opening.
A man wearing a classic burgundy doorman’s jacket and black cap held open a large glass door. No sooner had they entered the foyer than she was awed yet again by the hotel’s stately grandeur.
