Page 66 of Protecting Christina

I wondered if that’s what couples did after having mad sex in the stairwell. I wouldn’t know. I was never part of a couple.

“Yeah. Breakfast sounds good.”

16

Will

The days following the rescue flew by. I was in and out of the police station, meeting with Homeland Security officials and going over what I’d seen and heard with our surveillance tapes. I didn’t think any of it was admissible, but the investigators were still eager to see it.

I’d seen Christina every day since then. She had been busy at work building her case against Simon, as well as balancing her other cases. However, we’d managed to fit in some alone time whenever we’d had the chance. Whether it was in an elevator, a bathroom, or even a damn broom closet in the courthouse. It had been one hell of a week. And I wouldn’t change a second of it.

Tonight, I had something special planned for her. Christina mentioned she loved Japanese food, so I hired one of New York’s most famous Japanese chefs to cook for us at my apartment. I asked Nikole for some help in getting Christina a gift and she came shopping with me earlier and helped me pick out a few items.

“I’ve never seen you like this,” said Nikole when I walked her back to her apartment. “You’ve always been so reserved. It’s almost like all the emotions you had bottled up inside of you before are coming out all at once.”

I laughed. “It feels that way, too.”

Her eyes softened. “I’m happy for you, Will. Christina’s got a tough shell, but I’ve always known she has a lot of love to give.”

“Yeah. It took some time, but she is worth the wait.”

Nikole wrapped her arms around me and squeezed. “Be good to her. She deserves it.”

“You know I will.”

She patted my back. “I do.”

Looking down at my watch, I realized I didn’t have much time to get ready. “I’ve got to run. Tell Jake I may be a little late coming into work tomorrow morning.” I winked, and she chuckled.

My penthouse was only down the hall from Jake and Nikole. Once inside, I sniffed the aroma of sauteed ginger and garlic. “Mmm, it smells good, Haruto.”

“I’m only just getting started,” said the chef with a grin. His white apron was perfectly ironed and his long jet-black hair was neatly tied back into a ponytail.

“I’ll get out of your way then,” I said and carried the shopping bags from today into the bedroom. I hadn’t decided how I would give them to Christina yet. All at once? Or one after every course? There was still time to figure that out.

My phone rang, and it was Gabby. My finger hesitated at the green button. Whenever Gabby called, it wasn’t good news, and it usually required me to be away for several hours. I didn’t want anything to mess up my date with Christina tonight. But, while my heart wanted me to ignore the call, my head wouldn’t let me.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Will. It’s me. I need your help. Are you free?”

I went back and forth in my head on how to answer that question. “I have a couple of hours. What do you need?”

“Can you pick up Ingrid Spencer and bring her to the safe house? I’ll text you her address.”

Gabby never called me unless it was urgent and dangerous. She also hadn’t reached out all week and I knew I wouldn’t be able to get through the night without worrying about this woman named Ingrid. “Sure. Send me the address. I’ll go now.”

“Thanks, Will.”

The address came through as soon as I hung up the phone. It wasn’t too far from the safe house and I knew I could make it with enough time to get back to my apartment before six o’clock tonight. The car service would drop Christina off at seven and I wanted to give myself enough time to shower and shave beforehand.

Tucking my phone into my back pocket, I walked back into the kitchen. “I’m heading out, but there are no changes to the time we discussed. I’ll see you later, Haruto.”

He didn’t look up from chopping his onion. “See you later.”

***

Ingrid’s neighborhood was one I’d been to before and the last time I was here, the experience was one I’d rather not repeat. A group of young guys watched me as I stepped out of my car. No one approached, but I kept an eye on them, not turning away until I reached Ingrid’s apartment building. I pressed the buzzer to her apartment.

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