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Virginia
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Virginia sighed and shut down her desktop. She wasn’t accomplishing much of anything. Not that there was much to do. On the best of days, she could expect a few hours of busy work, but with Chris gone, she didn’t even have that.
Being PA to a man like Chris wasn’t exactly what she’d call fulfilling, but Chris had created the position for her specifically, not anyone else. He’d done so much, and she’d pleaded with him to let her do something to attempt to repay that kindness. It had taken nearly a year before he’d agreed. She’d started out by making appointments and travel arrangements, then answering emails and handling his social media presence as well. Over time, she’d gained his trust and became not just useful, but indispensable. He’d even been planning to take her over to Greece with him on his next visit. Now she had to wonder if that would ever happen.
Her thoughts wandered to Gabriel Michaels and his investigation. She’d seen him and Fred leaving early. Did that mean he’d found some leads?
She wasn’t sure what to expect now that Gabe was staying at the estate, but she had hoped they’d form an alliance. That they’d work together. Especially after their dinner in the gazebo last night.
It hadn’t been much—just some pizza and a bit of casual conversation—but it was the nicest evening she’d had in a long time. For a few hours, she hadn’t been alone and, more importantly, she’d felt as if someone had actually enjoyed her company.
She’d certainly enjoyed Gabe’s. Fred’s, too, if she was completely honest. It was refreshing being around someone who wasn’t pretentious or condescending. To be around a man who didn’t put on airs or pretend to be something he wasn’t.
And if she was attracted to him, well, that wasn’t a crime, was it? For a few moments, she thought he might have been entertaining similar thoughts, but that was probably just wishful thinking on her part. It had been so long since a man had shown any interest, she’d forgotten how to read the signals, possibly mistaking simple kindness for something more.
Gabriel Michaels had a job to do and he had no qualms about doing it. She was a resource to him, nothing more. It would do her good to remember that.
Unfortunately, the odds were stacked against him. What could one SEAL Commander, even one with a laundry list of medals and commendations, accomplish that the resources of a man like Darius Kristikos could not?
Yes, she had used some of her free time to look into the man tasked with the job of finding Christos. That was what a good personal assistant did. They researched, they vetted. There wasn’t a lot of information publicly available, but everything she did find reinforced her theories about him. Her conclusion: Gabriel Michaels was the best possible choice for finding Chris.
And a really bad choice for any of the other things she had in mind.
Virginia stepped out onto her small veranda, looking at the dark clouds building along the horizon. A cool breeze whipped around her, making her shiver. They were running out of time; she could feel it.