"We're back on track, two full units ahead of schedule. We caught the bottleneck at station 6 and rerouted the process."
"Good. Keep it tight," I say, my thoughts drifting to Gianna. Has she had something to eat?
I take out my phone to see if Bernard has said anything. He left a message to say he's delivered breakfast to her. I wonder what she's doing. I told her to call me if she needs anything, but I haven't heard anything from her. I thought things would be different after that night at the rooftop. After the kiss we shared.
We haven't gotten the chance to speak yet. Or maybe she's just avoiding me.
I put my phone away and continue walking. We stop by the quality control department. A few engineers are huddling around a dismantled gearbox. I ask questions not to test them, but to understand what's being built. They walk me through it with diagrams and figures, and I take mental notes.
As we move, I stop by the design wing. New renders are pinned on foam boards. Curves, paint options, interior layouts—it's all coming together. I point at one of the more aggressive front grilles.
"Let's not overdesign," I say to somebody close to me.
"Understood," he replies.
"What's next on my schedule?" I ask Stella, and she falls into step beside me.
"Nothing for the next thirty minutes," she replies, and I breathe out a relieving sigh. I haven't been sleeping well lately because of Gianna, and it's affecting my day.
I walk back to my office alone. Stella has taken her position in her office, and I push my glass door open. I enter and walkstraight to my seat, dropping my phone on the desk. I take off my jacket and collapse in the chair with a deep exhale.
I roll my sleeves up to my wrists, loosening a few buttons near my collar as I lean back into my chair. I remain like that for some minutes, my mind drifting to Gianna when my phone rings.
Sitting up, I pick up the phone to see Declan's name displayed on the screen. I answer and bring it to my ear.
"What's up?" I say, leaning back in my chair as I run my hand through my hair, trying to shake off the weight of the day. My office is dim, quiet except for the AC. I'm hoping this is something minor, something I can brush off, but Declan's voice cuts through like a blade.
"The Italians intercepted our weapon shipment to Boston." Just like that, the air shifts. His voice is cold, sharp, and laced with fury that I know not to cross. I sit up immediately, every trace of exhaustion gone from my body in an instant.
"What?" I say in disbelief, a tightening in my chest. My fingers curl around the edge of the desk. "No one knows about the shipment. How did that happen?" I ask.
Declan raises his voice, fury now fully unleashed. "You know what, I'll just ask the enemy in our midst. I'm sure she'll know how." It hits me like a slap. My stomach drops. Gianna. My heart jumps to my throat as I shoot up from my seat, the chair screeching backward.
"Don't touch her!" I growl into the phone, already grabbing my keys off the desk. They jangle loudly in my grip. "She doesn't know about the damn shipment!" I say.
Declan doesn't respond at first. There's only silence, the heavy kind, like the eye of a storm.
"There's only one way to find out," Declan finally says, and the line goes dead. "Don't touch her, Declan," I bark, but he's already hung up. "Fuck!" The curse slips through my mouth as Iyank the door open. I rush past Stella's office without a second glance to the elevator.
My shoes slam against the marble floor, the hallways blurring around me as adrenaline takes over. I press the button, and it's slow to open up. It feels like it's mocking me, testing my patience, drawing out the seconds I don't have. I have to get to Gianna.
Come on, come on, come on.
The door finally opens, and I step in. The door slowly closes, and I hear Stella's voice calling to me to know where I'm going, but nothing is more important than Gianna. Nothing.
The elevator seems slower than it is. Why is it moving so slowly? I take out my phone, dialing Gianna's number. It rings.Please, pick up. Please.I pray as the elevator moves. I know Declan and what his anger looks like, and I never want Gianna to be on the receiving end of it.
The door slides open, and I burst into the garage, sprinting to where my car is parked. I slide into the seat, buckling the seat belt with urgency. The engine roars to life, mirroring the storm raging in my chest. I grip the steering wheel so tight my knuckles go pale, but I don't care. I throw the car into gear and slam my foot down.
The tires screech against the concrete, and I'm off. I dial Gianna's number again, but she's still not picking up. Where did she drop her phone? Has Declan gotten to her? I need to get to the estate before Declan does something stupid.
The street blurs around me. My foot stays heavy on the gas, and the speedometer climbs. I weave through the traffic, left, right, cutting inches with my bumpers. Horns blare, but I barely register them.
My jaw clenches so hard it aches, and my heart pounds against me like a warning drum. I can't stop thinking about Gianna. Her face when she's scared. That quiet way she triesto act like everything's fine, even when she's clearly crumbling inside.
The estate is ten minutes away. If he touches her... I curse under my breath, slamming my fist on the steering wheel.
CHAPTER 14
