Page 49 of Dauntless

CHAPTER TWELVE

A side trip to a 24-hour phone repair shop with my new guard, Kevin, wasn’t as painful as I thought it would be. Although I didn’t agree with Elliott moving Tove to another job. There wasn’t any time to discuss his decision. He left with Trish to deal with Walter. After a brief wait in the repair shop, I had my phone back in my hand without losing any of the contacts and messages I had saved on it. Pair that with the plush comforts of the luxurious hotel Elliott had reserved, I relaxed, ordering the dinner I missed. I was starving.

After eating every crumb, I soaked in a warm bath in the large, claw foot tub. As I did, I pondered on why Elliott chose the Waldorf Astoria. It was luxuriant and opulent, not a place I’d have expected him to choose to stay in New York on his own. Though he does enjoy finer things, there was a different ambiance to the room’s arrangement. Champagne and glasses, and flower petals on the bed. Romantic. Had he arranged it specially for the two of us? With that thought came the butterflies in my stomach. Was I reading too much into it? Or was I not reading enough?

The thought came to call Astrid for advice, and my heart ached. While it was good to get away, I missed my best friend. I missed my life. And what this break showed me was that leaving didn’t stop bad things from happening. It was time to stop running. It was eleven in the night as indicated by the wall clock. Would have been too late; however, for the first time since I left Seattle, I was happy with the three-hour time difference. I could still call her.

Drying off, I put on a robe and padded back into the bedroom for my phone. When I turned it on, I found a message Astrid had left only minutes before and laughed. We’d been thinking about each other. I sat down on the soft bed and listened to her message.

I’ve been getting calls from around the world supporting you and the company. I thought you should know. You do whatever you feel is right, but you’re not a social pariah. We’re all with you. I know you’re on break, but I hope you come home soon. Call me whatever time you can. I miss you.

I immediately called her.

“How was the show?” she asked. I answered by telling her all the things that stood out and ideas I had about possibilities for a makeup collection for Perfetto.

“I’ve set up an alert for images from Justus’s fashion show, but if you can send me your new contacts, or better still, come back and work on it with me,” she said. “Sorry. I know that sounds selfish, but I miss you here.”

“It doesn’t, I miss you too,” I replied. “I will be back soon, but something happened earlier here, and I want to see if I can be a support for Dane with Angel. Though I’m not sure if I’ll be needed now.”

“Oh, what happened?” she asked. Her voice lowered.

I told her about the show and the visit to Dane’s home. She gasped when I got to the part of Walter possibly being blackmailed and how he told Dane that he was Melinda’s father. How he knew where she was and hid her away even from her own child.

“That’s unforgivable,” she fumed. “Who does that to their own children?”

“Apparently, Walter,” I said in equal annoyance. “I had thought he was ruthless in business when he stole all that money and got away with it. It’s no wonder Dane wants nothing to do with him.”

“Is he going to jail for hiding Angel?” she asked. “From what you shared, he must be involved in her disappearance.”

“I think so too,” I agreed. “I hope Walter does get locked up for what he did, but things take time. It’s a process. God, I sound like Elliott.”

“Oh, you do—do you?” she said in a teasing tone.

“I do,” I said and giggled. “Anyway, I still have a slim hope that Melinda is Dane’s, but knowing Dane, that won’t matter either way. He’d never abandon her.”

Or Angel. If I had any doubts left about Dane with Angel, they were gone after seeing them together tonight.

“So where does that leave you?” Astrid asked. Her voice gentled. “I know you like them both, but Gia I watched you for years being sidelined by Patrick. Not that Dane’s mistreated you. He and Elliott have been good to you. But don’t you deserve to be with someone that would put you first?”

I hunched my shoulders. “I want that too…. I don’t know.”

“You do,” she said. “I see it, and I’m thousands of miles away. You wouldn’t be thinking of giving up Dane if you hadn’t already chosen Elliott.”

I wanted to argue that I hadn’t. I had tried hard to keep myself open to both men, but, after tonight, I realized now I’d been closed. I shared myself, but I had kept a part of me back. I liked our friendships besides the sex. Undeniably, I’d known that things had changed the last time the three of us were together. Even Dane had seen a change in me that I hadn’t been ready to admit, mainly out of fear. However, If I had been honest with my true feelings, I’d admit that I liked and cared for the both of them, a lot, but I was falling for just one of them. Elliott. But would he be willing to be exclusive with me?

“You still there?” Astrid said bringing me back to our conversation. “I have to go. Just think about it and come back home.”

“I will, but I’m going to leave again when I get back. I want to visit my father in Palm Springs,” I responded before hanging up. Even if my father was having a hard time with his memory, being in his presence would be healing. But that would be later. For now, I would wait for Elliott.

***

I worked on my computer for the better part of the morning, although my eyes kept drifting to the door, anticipating Elliott’s return. I couldn’t suppress my disappointment that he hadn’t returned last night. However, he did send word to me through Kevin when he was checking in with him with important updates, such as the warrant they had secured and Walter’s arrest. He also had him tell me that he would return as soon as he could. I was elated, though impatient. I was ready to share my feelings now that I was willing to admit them. I wanted him to give us a chance to start over. I wanted him to know I was in love with him.

When he walked in close to noon, my mood immediately lifted. Having been up all night, I’d expected him to be dead on his feet, but instead, he was smiling.

My brows rose in confusion. “Good news?”

“Yes,” he replied with a lift in his voice. “We may have found the man that calls himself Dimitri.”

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