’
‘ N ever heard of the guy. What’s up with him ? ’
Jack shrugged. ‘ I’m not sure . A friend has an appointment with him tomorrow, and I said I’d ask around, that’s all. ’
‘ M ake sure that’s all it is , Jack , ’ Mike said curtly .
‘ Don’t worry. I have no intention of getting involved in anything you don’t sanction. ’
‘ Glad to hear it. Any chance you could cut short your leave and come back to work ? The office is short-staffed since Hayes and Santos transferred to Chicago. ’
‘ Sorry, Mike. But with things they way they are — ’
‘ That’s okay, I understand. Just thought I’d ask all the same . ’
Jack returned his gun and ear defenders to the range manager , then left . R ather than take the freeway back to his condo in Coral Gables, he drove downtown .
The central business district was a mixture of high-rise luxury condominiums and modern office blocks, and home to the tallest building in the State, the Four Seasons Hotel. According to the card Grace had shown him, the office s of Parous and Associates were located on South Biscayne Boulevard.
He pulled into the kerb , and rolled down the driver’s window. A blast of sultry air filled the vehicle. He read the building directory etched into the wall at street level. Apart from Parous and Associates, the steel and glass skyscraper housed a bank, a collection of brokerage firms, international financial advisors and a public relations c ompany , as well as a number of luxury apartments.
One thing was certain; Parous was no two-bit lawyer to afford offices in such prime real estate. Jack’s gut tightened. Whatever Elliott had b een involved in, it was bad news .
He put the car into gear and drove home.
Rosa was waiting for him when he opened the door of the condo. The first thing he noticed was the stain on her shirt. The second was that her generous full lips were compressed into a tight, thin line. He bent to kiss her che e k, but she deft ly turned her head to one side.
‘ You’re late. You said you’d be home by five. ’
‘ My meeting took longer than expected. And then I bumped into Mike from the office. ’
Rosa’s husky voice took on a sharp edge. ‘ What meeting? Damn it, Jack. You’re supposed to me helping me with the baby , not working ! ’
‘ Her name is Emilia. She’s not just ‘the baby , ’ Rosa. ’
She clicked her tongue. ‘ Okay, Mr . Metrosexual, Emilia. Are you happy? That little monster’s been screaming since you left. Driving me nuts. And who were you meeting, anyway? Out with some other girl? ’
He flinched. How the hell did she know these things?
‘ I met an old friend. She wanted my advice. ’
‘ What kind of old friend? You bastard! You’re cheating on me! ’
‘ S hush ! Calm down or you’ll wake Emilia . Grace really is an old friend, nothing for you to get worked up about. ’
Rosa folded her arms across her chest. ‘ You’re lying . ’
‘ I don’t lie, Rosa, you know that . Now, instead of standin g here arguing over nothing, wh y don’t you tell me how Emilia is ? ’
She shook her head. H er thick black hair tumbled loose from its clip. ‘ I don’t know what to do with her. I fed her and she threw up all over my shirt. It’s silk. It’s ruined. The stain will never come out . ’
‘ Who feed s a baby in a silk shirt? ’
‘ I do, you asshole! ’
‘ Okay, you do. I officially give up. ’ He groaned and walked down the hallway to the family room . He’d hoped that looking after the baby for a few hours would have enable d Rosa to bond with the child. He was obviously mistaken. Emilia lay on her back in the Moses basket . H er unfocused eyes stared at the mobile hanging from the frame. The n she saw him and cooed, favo u r ing him with a gummy grin. He tickled her tummy and she gurgled . He turned back to Rosa.
‘ She
‘ N ever heard of the guy. What’s up with him ? ’
Jack shrugged. ‘ I’m not sure . A friend has an appointment with him tomorrow, and I said I’d ask around, that’s all. ’
‘ M ake sure that’s all it is , Jack , ’ Mike said curtly .
‘ Don’t worry. I have no intention of getting involved in anything you don’t sanction. ’
‘ Glad to hear it. Any chance you could cut short your leave and come back to work ? The office is short-staffed since Hayes and Santos transferred to Chicago. ’
‘ Sorry, Mike. But with things they way they are — ’
‘ That’s okay, I understand. Just thought I’d ask all the same . ’
Jack returned his gun and ear defenders to the range manager , then left . R ather than take the freeway back to his condo in Coral Gables, he drove downtown .
The central business district was a mixture of high-rise luxury condominiums and modern office blocks, and home to the tallest building in the State, the Four Seasons Hotel. According to the card Grace had shown him, the office s of Parous and Associates were located on South Biscayne Boulevard.
He pulled into the kerb , and rolled down the driver’s window. A blast of sultry air filled the vehicle. He read the building directory etched into the wall at street level. Apart from Parous and Associates, the steel and glass skyscraper housed a bank, a collection of brokerage firms, international financial advisors and a public relations c ompany , as well as a number of luxury apartments.
One thing was certain; Parous was no two-bit lawyer to afford offices in such prime real estate. Jack’s gut tightened. Whatever Elliott had b een involved in, it was bad news .
He put the car into gear and drove home.
Rosa was waiting for him when he opened the door of the condo. The first thing he noticed was the stain on her shirt. The second was that her generous full lips were compressed into a tight, thin line. He bent to kiss her che e k, but she deft ly turned her head to one side.
‘ You’re late. You said you’d be home by five. ’
‘ My meeting took longer than expected. And then I bumped into Mike from the office. ’
Rosa’s husky voice took on a sharp edge. ‘ What meeting? Damn it, Jack. You’re supposed to me helping me with the baby , not working ! ’
‘ Her name is Emilia. She’s not just ‘the baby , ’ Rosa. ’
She clicked her tongue. ‘ Okay, Mr . Metrosexual, Emilia. Are you happy? That little monster’s been screaming since you left. Driving me nuts. And who were you meeting, anyway? Out with some other girl? ’
He flinched. How the hell did she know these things?
‘ I met an old friend. She wanted my advice. ’
‘ What kind of old friend? You bastard! You’re cheating on me! ’
‘ S hush ! Calm down or you’ll wake Emilia . Grace really is an old friend, nothing for you to get worked up about. ’
Rosa folded her arms across her chest. ‘ You’re lying . ’
‘ I don’t lie, Rosa, you know that . Now, instead of standin g here arguing over nothing, wh y don’t you tell me how Emilia is ? ’
She shook her head. H er thick black hair tumbled loose from its clip. ‘ I don’t know what to do with her. I fed her and she threw up all over my shirt. It’s silk. It’s ruined. The stain will never come out . ’
‘ Who feed s a baby in a silk shirt? ’
‘ I do, you asshole! ’
‘ Okay, you do. I officially give up. ’ He groaned and walked down the hallway to the family room . He’d hoped that looking after the baby for a few hours would have enable d Rosa to bond with the child. He was obviously mistaken. Emilia lay on her back in the Moses basket . H er unfocused eyes stared at the mobile hanging from the frame. The n she saw him and cooed, favo u r ing him with a gummy grin. He tickled her tummy and she gurgled . He turned back to Rosa.
‘ She
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