He smiled. "Liam told me what was going on and although he doesn't agree with what you're doing, I get why you're doing it. Sometimes there are things we have to know first, before we deal with it head on."
I nodded. "Yeah. Let's hope I'm wrong."
Reaching his hand out for me, he said, "I'm not far from here. If she leaves and you want to follow, give me a call. It will take me two minutes to get here."
I shook his hand. "Thanks, Jim. I appreciate all your help."
As I made my way into the hotel, I couldn't shake the strange feeling I had. My world was about to be turned upside, and I had no idea how much so.
I SAT ON the balcony and stared out over the beautiful city of Padua. No wonder Gabi's family returned here every year. It was breathtaking. A part of me ached that I wasn't able to share this with her. It was my first time in Italy and it should have been spent with the woman I loved showing me where her family was from. Instead, I was hiding out in the hotel like some creeper waiting for her to leave.
As if on cue, my phone beeped. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. Was I really going to do this?
Yes.
Standing, I walked back into the room and picked up my phone. I sent Jim a text and he called me back in a few seconds.
"Wait for her to leave, then come down to the front five minutes later."
I paced my hotel room for the five minutes before I finally headed down to the lobby and out to Jim's car.
Slipping into his black BMW again, I showed him my phone that was tracking Gabi.
"She's heading into Padua."
Jim hit the gas and started following the same route.
"Any idea who she is with?"
My heart dropped.
"Why? Did she leave with someone?"
"I didn't see her walk out with anyone, but a car did pull up and she got in. I got the plates and I'm having them run."
I swallowed hard while giving a slight nod. A part of me wanted to tell Jim to turn around. That none of this mattered and that I trusted Gabi with my whole heart. The other part was screaming to stay the course. That I needed to know who in the hell she was talking to on the phone. For all I knew, she could have hired a driver.
Jesus, this was insane.
"It looks like it stopped," I said.
"Address?"
I called out the address and Jim pushed a little harder on the gas.
He turned the corner and found a parking spot. "There's the car, and it looks like she's still in it."
My mouth dropped open as I stared at the Maserati. I pointed. "She got into a Maserati?"
He nodded. "And it looks like she's waiting to get out."
"Why? What is she waiting for?"
"Or who is she waiting for?" Jim added.
Glancing his way, I frowned then glanced back to the car. "This is crazy. I trust, Gabi. What the fuck am I doing?"
Jim let out a harsh laugh. "If you trusted her, Nic, you wouldn't be thousands of miles away from home sitting in my car reaching for my binoculars to get a better look."
I looked down. My hand was out stretched as I waited for him to hand me the binoculars.
"Fuck," I whispered.
He handed them to me and I could see into the car better. There was an older gentleman in the car. Gabi was facing him, her smile big and bright.
The driver's side door opened and the older guy got out.
"Money," Jim said. "Whoever this is, he has a shit ton of it. Look at how he's dressed."
I didn't answer him as I watched the guy look around. I put the binoculars down when his eyes swept our way.
"It's like he is looking to see if they were followed or if someone was watching," I said.
Looking over to Jim, I added, "He's also carrying a gun."
He smiled. "Nice observation. Who do you think he is?"
I shook my head and looked back over at the driver. "I have no fucking clue."
"They're parked outside of Giovanni's."
"You've been there?"
"Sure, lots of times. It's a nice place, one of the nicest in the city."
The driver put his finger to his ear.
"He has an ear piece in," Jim said.
I scrubbed my hands down my face. "What in the fuck is going on? Who are these people she is with?"
Pushing off the side of the car, the driver walked to the passenger side and opened the door.
The first thing I noticed was her beautiful leg, then the other. Reaching his hand out for Gabi's the guy helped her out of the car. She had on a black dress and black high heels. A coat was draped over her arm and the driver motioned to put it on her.
"Seems to me she is used to this kind of behavior. Does she come from money?"