it were so easy. She’s afraid of them. I don’t blame her.”
“Why didn’t you tell her you were a Fed?”
“And have her slam the door in my face permanently?” Gabe shook his head. He needed a drink. “No way. I’m playing this one close, real close. That slime bag Tucci wants her, and so do his gorillas.”
Gordo grinned. “Just how close you gonna play it?” He leaned toward Gabe and sniffed loudly. “Smells like you’ve already made some headway.”
Gabe shoved him away and started for his car. “Gordo, did it ever occur to you that the reason you don’t get laid more often is because the ladies smell the dog in you long before they see you?”
Gordo laughed. “Yeah, but when they find out this dog can hump like a lion, they come back until they can’t stand.”
Gabe hit the key fob and his car lights blinked on and his dick sprang up. “In your dreams, old man, in your dreams.”
Once settled in his car, Gabe called in to SFPD dispatch and asked for a detail to keep a sharp eye on Gianna’s addy. He doubted the gorillas would be back but didn’t want to take anything with Tucci for granted.
Gabe sped past his partner, who stood in the middle of the street giving him the finger.
Gabe raised his right hand to his nose. Essence of Gianna swirled about his senses. His dick swelled, and he wanted to turn around, climb up the fire escape, creep into Gianna’s apartment, and slip between her sheets. The urge to turn around was so powerful, he found himself braking, then signaling to turn right. He shook the urge off, and though it was fifty degrees outside, he turned the AC on full blast and cursed all the way to the Marina district, where he had an appropriate flat for his cover.
Once inside, Gabe poured himself a stiff bourbon, tossed it down, then poured another one. He paced the floor of his living room. What he knew was that Cappy Cipriani was into Tucci for a hundred forty large. He’d bet the meeting tonight was to discuss repayment options. Tucci would force Gianna to pay off her father’s debt. How the hell was she supposed to do that? The only thing of value she possessed was the restaurant.
Gabe snapped his fingers. “That’s it!” Quickly he put a call into the task force secretary’s voice mail.
“Hi, Jan, I need you to run a title search on Ciao Bella. It’s on Lombard, but start with Alberto Cipriani, then Gianna Cipriani, and find out the balance on the mortgage. I need that info like last night.” He hung up the phone.
If Tucci wanted the restaurant, that would explain why he let Cappy run up his pony bill so high. Most bookies would have cut him off at ten grand. He’d bet his hazard pay that the dirty don told Cheeks the bookie to let him ride. After all, when he dug himself in too deep, there would be only one recourse: hand over the restaurant and the property it sat on.
Gabe poured another bourbon. He moved to his panoramic window and gazed out over the bay and the lights of the Golden Gate Bridge.
A question niggled at his brain. Why Ciao Bella? He sipped his drink, this time savoring the smooth bite of it. The answer wasn’t what was important. Because in the end, it wouldn’t matter. His time to leave this city by the bay was near. Gianna was his ticket to Tucci, and once he was arrested, his work here would be done.
He tossed back the rest of his drink, which suddenly bit too hard. Another reason he couldn’t let things with Gianna go too far. He’d love her then have to leave her, and for a man who didn’t do morning coffee with aplomb and was more comfortable slipping out before there was any uncomfortable morning-after conversation, he didn’t want to hurt the innocent Gianna. She was a pawn, the key to the prize. And as such he owed it to her to leave her alone.
Gabe looked at the nearly empty bottle of JD. Enough was enough. He began to unbutton his shirt and head for the bathroom. He needed a shower. A really cold one.
Gianna spent a
“Why didn’t you tell her you were a Fed?”
“And have her slam the door in my face permanently?” Gabe shook his head. He needed a drink. “No way. I’m playing this one close, real close. That slime bag Tucci wants her, and so do his gorillas.”
Gordo grinned. “Just how close you gonna play it?” He leaned toward Gabe and sniffed loudly. “Smells like you’ve already made some headway.”
Gabe shoved him away and started for his car. “Gordo, did it ever occur to you that the reason you don’t get laid more often is because the ladies smell the dog in you long before they see you?”
Gordo laughed. “Yeah, but when they find out this dog can hump like a lion, they come back until they can’t stand.”
Gabe hit the key fob and his car lights blinked on and his dick sprang up. “In your dreams, old man, in your dreams.”
Once settled in his car, Gabe called in to SFPD dispatch and asked for a detail to keep a sharp eye on Gianna’s addy. He doubted the gorillas would be back but didn’t want to take anything with Tucci for granted.
Gabe sped past his partner, who stood in the middle of the street giving him the finger.
Gabe raised his right hand to his nose. Essence of Gianna swirled about his senses. His dick swelled, and he wanted to turn around, climb up the fire escape, creep into Gianna’s apartment, and slip between her sheets. The urge to turn around was so powerful, he found himself braking, then signaling to turn right. He shook the urge off, and though it was fifty degrees outside, he turned the AC on full blast and cursed all the way to the Marina district, where he had an appropriate flat for his cover.
Once inside, Gabe poured himself a stiff bourbon, tossed it down, then poured another one. He paced the floor of his living room. What he knew was that Cappy Cipriani was into Tucci for a hundred forty large. He’d bet the meeting tonight was to discuss repayment options. Tucci would force Gianna to pay off her father’s debt. How the hell was she supposed to do that? The only thing of value she possessed was the restaurant.
Gabe snapped his fingers. “That’s it!” Quickly he put a call into the task force secretary’s voice mail.
“Hi, Jan, I need you to run a title search on Ciao Bella. It’s on Lombard, but start with Alberto Cipriani, then Gianna Cipriani, and find out the balance on the mortgage. I need that info like last night.” He hung up the phone.
If Tucci wanted the restaurant, that would explain why he let Cappy run up his pony bill so high. Most bookies would have cut him off at ten grand. He’d bet his hazard pay that the dirty don told Cheeks the bookie to let him ride. After all, when he dug himself in too deep, there would be only one recourse: hand over the restaurant and the property it sat on.
Gabe poured another bourbon. He moved to his panoramic window and gazed out over the bay and the lights of the Golden Gate Bridge.
A question niggled at his brain. Why Ciao Bella? He sipped his drink, this time savoring the smooth bite of it. The answer wasn’t what was important. Because in the end, it wouldn’t matter. His time to leave this city by the bay was near. Gianna was his ticket to Tucci, and once he was arrested, his work here would be done.
He tossed back the rest of his drink, which suddenly bit too hard. Another reason he couldn’t let things with Gianna go too far. He’d love her then have to leave her, and for a man who didn’t do morning coffee with aplomb and was more comfortable slipping out before there was any uncomfortable morning-after conversation, he didn’t want to hurt the innocent Gianna. She was a pawn, the key to the prize. And as such he owed it to her to leave her alone.
Gabe looked at the nearly empty bottle of JD. Enough was enough. He began to unbutton his shirt and head for the bathroom. He needed a shower. A really cold one.
Gianna spent a
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