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Gabriel
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By the end of the next day, Gabe had a better understanding of what Virginia went through on a daily basis. The difference was, he didn’t give a shit what they thought of him. They could speak in clipped sentences and shoot him all the dirty looks they wanted; it wasn’t going to change anything. He was there to do a job, not win a popularity contest.
Daskalakis hadn’t been thrilled with the idea of having him around, but he didn’t have much of a choice. With a forced smile resembling a grimace, he admitted that having Gabe on site could facilitate the investigation and get them to a resolution quicker.
Virginia, on the other hand, seemed quite pleased. Whether it was because his presence made Daskalakis uncomfortable, because she didn’t feel so alone, or because she genuinely liked having him around, he didn’t know, but he’d take it.
He hadn’t seen much of her since he’d arrived, other than occasional glimpses. She was busy in her office, and Gabe had spent the last few hours doing reconnaissance: looking around the grounds, making notes, and chatting up the staff. He found no indication that Darius’s men were staying on site, yet his gut told him they had to be.
He hoped Mancini had more luck with his endeavors, doing basically the same thing Gabe was, but from the outside. The landscaping crew was out in full force on the grounds, trimming, raking, and sweeping. If there had been any tracks, he was quite sure there weren’t any longer.
Gabe and Fred had been provided a guest suite. It was nice, nicer than some of the hotels he’d stayed in. Private bathroom, bedroom, and what he thought was called a sitting room. Located on the second floor, it had a balcony that looked out over the gardens he’d been walking through earlier.
He’d set up some tech, wanting to know if anyone came snooping around while he was out and about. For the next several hours, it was a waiting game. Perhaps he and Fred would grab a bite to eat, then take a walk, see if they could put some faces to those skulking shadows.
The urge to see Virginia was strong, and it wasn’t simply because of the investigation. He liked her smile. Liked hearing her voice. Liked the way her eyes softened when she doted on Fred.
If he were honest with himself, he also liked the way he felt when he was around her.
And that, right there, was exactly why he shouldn’t seek her out. His purpose was to find out what happened to Christos Kristikos and use it to his advantage, not to indulge in the pleasure of a woman’s company.
Why can’t I do both?
He was still contemplating that when a soft knock sounded at the door. Fred’s ears perked up. Gabe’s hopes rose, thinking that maybe fate was making the decision for him and bringing Virginia to him. When he opened the door, however, it wasn’t Virginia.
“Commander Michaels.”
He looked down into the face of a young woman, recognizing her as one of the kitchen staff. He’d asked her a few questions under Phyllis’s watchful eye, but she’d been off the evening of Christos’s private dinner and hadn’t had anything useful to contribute.
“Althia, right?”
“You remembered.” She beamed, a rosy blush splashing across her high cheekbones. “I’ve come to see about your dinner. Would you prefer to eat in the dining room? Or,” she lowered her lashes, “I could bring it to your room, if you’d like. You could . . . ask me more questions.”
Warning bells tolled in the back of his head. He might have been out of the game for a while, but he wasn’t stupid. The woman was young, beautiful, and half his age. If he was going to ask her anything further, he would do so in a public area, not in the privacy of his guest room.
He was just about to suggest that when another female voice spoke from beyond the doorway, one that had Fred’s tail wagging excitedly. “The Commander already has dinner plans.”
Althia whipped around, her smile morphing into a scowl as she glared at Virginia. Considering the girl was the daughter of the head of housekeeping, Phyllis Calligaris, and the heads groundskeeper, Pearce, Gabe didn’t have to wonder where the attitude originated from.
Virginia retained a pleasant smile, but he saw the steel in her eyes as the two women faced off. If it came down to it, Gabe was pretty sure he knew who would win.
Althia’s smile returned as she looked back to him. “Perhaps another time, then.” With one last, haughty look at Virginia, she walked away.
“Mind telling me what that was all about?” Gabe asked.
Virginia raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “I believe the correct phrase is, ‘I just saved your six,’ Commander. I thought SEALs were supposed to be alert and aware.”
He was. In fact, his body was feeling pretty alert at that very moment, intrigued by the fact that Virginia felt the need to come to his rescue. Yes, Althia was beautiful in a dark and exotic way, and had clearly been offering something other than information, but she didn’t hold half the attraction of the woman now regarding him with equal parts irritation and amusement. He wondered if she knew that.
Even more importantly, Althia’s motives were suspect. What if she’d been sent to set him up? Put him in a compromising position that could jeopardize his investigation? He said none of that to Virginia, however, choosing instead to appreciate her ready defense, and maybe, just maybe a touch of jealousy.
“Maybe she wanted to impart important information relevant to the case.”
Virginia made a soft, feminine sound of derision that skittered happily through his chest. “I doubt anything she hoped to impart was relevant to the case.”
He couldn’t help it. He chuckled. Unfortunately, that seemed to piss her off. She stiffened, releasing her arms and squaring her shoulders. “You know what, Commander? It’s none of my business. My apologies.”
She turned to go, but he couldn’t let her do that, not now.
“Ms. Miller.”
Fred, proving once again that he was a damn fine wingman, moved in front of her and blocked her path. She paused, but didn’t turn around.
“Thank you. For the save, I mean. It wasn’t necessary, but I appreciate it just the same.”
She sniffed and scratched Fred’s head. “You’re welcome.”
“So, where are you taking us for dinner?”