In the private dining room, she sat down, and resumed eating.
“Well?” Sydney asked.
“I got the best birthday kiss of my entire life. Now, I can die a happy woman.” Her phone binged, and she read the text from Grey.
Happy Birthday Bella. Make this one count
She smiled.
Sydney leaned over, read the text. “Why does he call you that?”
“No idea.”
“When did it start?”
“Years ago, after we first met at HQ.”
“Do you know what bella means?”
Caroline smiled “It’s the name of a character from one of my favorite fairy tales.”
“That’s Belle,” Sydney corrected her. “It means beautiful in Italian. He’s been calling you beautiful.”
Her grin filled her face, the joy pounding through her.
My birthday just got a whole lot better.
GREYSTONE
Greystone dealtwith the patron who tried to skip out on his bill, then returned to his office, fighting the urge to pull Austin from her party. He’d spent the entire day reaching out to contacts and informants regarding the Day of Destruction. No one knew a damn thing. The terror cell was very tight lipped, keeping their plans close to their chests.
Two months wasn’t enough time, but it’s what he’d been given to work with. Even so, he’dneverget it done if he was working the job alone.
The Haqazzii terror cell was a group of cunning men driven by hatred who would stop at nothing to succeed. The more innocents they took down, the happier they were, but to come after America like this was unprecedented.
Growling out his frustration, Grey left his office to make the rounds. First stop? The restrooms. People liked sneaking into the family restroom to screw. As he made his way to the front, several people glanced in his direction. He’d slow, ask how their meal was, then continue on. He was the face of Santini and, damn, that felt good. For the first time in thirty-two years, he was proud to be one.
He stopped at the hostess counter. “Hey, Tara.”
“Hi, Mr. Santini.”
“Bathroom check.”
Tara was a sweet, young woman who showed up every day, did her job, didn’t cause trouble, and kept things running smoothly. A good replacement for when he left.
Together, they made their way back to the restrooms. The men’s room was clear. He waited outside the ladies’ room.
“Hi,” said a woman. “Can I go in?”
“Go ‘head,” he replied.
“Are you waiting for your girlfriend?”
“I’m the GM. My staff is checking the restroom.”
“You’re very handsome. I’m not normally this bold, but you’ve got the most beautiful hair.”
“Thanks.”
