“Oh,” she gasped then looked up into Jeffrey’s bloodshot eyes.
“So predictable,” he said then stuck her with something. A needle?
She fell to the ground as darkness overtook her vision.
* * * *
Jeffrey smiled to himself as he opened the trunk of her car and placed her inside. No one would know what was going on. He took out the security cameras then knocked out Johnny. He never liked the way that asshole looked at him anyways. He hadn’t expected there to be so much blood when he struck Johnny in the back of the head with the crowbar. It didn’t matter now. Nothing mattered but getting to Gia.
He locked Kaleigh’s trunk and texted with her phone. He reread what he’d texted then pressed send. “Okay, now all we do is wait.”
* * * *
Teddy was working in his office with Shane when he got the call from Gunny. Gunny explained about the Mercedes and what had happened yesterday after picking Gia up at lunchtime.
“Well it turned out to be nothing, right?” Teddy asked.
“I’m not too sure. I forgot to ask Gia if she knew the name Valencio Corporation. I wasn’t going to bother her with this. Not with Jeffrey’s trial being this morning. I think she’s trying to keep it off her mind.”
“Valencio Corporation? That sounds familiar,” Teddy stated.
“It does? What was the last name of that guy she was involved with in New York?”
“Antonio Pelloni.”
“What about the other guy? The one who was partners with Antonio and tried to move in on her?” Gunny asked.
“What are you talking about?”
Gunny soun
ded worried. Teddy felt like Gunny knew something more. Maybe Gia shared something with him.
“Gunny, tell me. What didn’t Gia tell me?”
Gunny explained and now Teddy felt uptight.
“Shane, come over here. I have Gunny on the phone, can you check out this last name and corporation,” Teddy yelled to Shane and Gunny could hear the typing on the keyboard.
It felt like it took forever until Teddy was telling him what they found.
“Shit, Gunny, Valdere’s last name is Valencio. It’s his company, his car, and probably his men.”
“Fuck!” Gunny yelled.
“Call her and I’ll meet you at the office,” Teddy said then Gunny disconnected the call. He slammed his fist down on the desk. Everyone in his office looked at him. He turned to Sparta, a fellow Ranger, and explained the situation.
“I’ll come along with you.”
* * * *
Gia was smiling as she looked at the bouquet of wildflowers from Robert and the staff. Everyone was thrilled to see her back at work, but despite the cheery faces and upbeat atmosphere, she felt the anxiety in her belly, knowing that at any moment the attorney would call and inform her of the court hearing and about Jeffrey’s destiny.
Just as she gathered her files that needed to be put away, her cell phone went off. A text message. It had to be one of the guys. She looked at the screen. It was from Kaleigh. She asked her to meet her downstairs in the garage. She had a box of items for the office and needed help carrying it upstairs.
Gia headed out of her office, telling the main secretary where she was headed and what she was doing. As she entered the elevator her cell phone rang.
“Gia, where are you?” Gunny asked and he sounded upset.