Page 46 of Smitten with the Single Dad

“Put that away,” the other immigration officer said. They were the first words he spoke since getting there and his tone was menacing to go along with his deep, raspy voice. He took a step toward Radcliffe, but the kid—who couldn’t have been more than nineteen—held up his tongs like a sword.

“Come and get me, big fella. I’m one finger click away from live streaming this whole fucking thing.”

The immigration officer grunted and took a step back.

“That’s what I thought,” Radcliffe said, his voice only cracking a touch.

“New evidence has come to light,” Jenkins added, “regarding the death of Track Croft. We have every right to take Ms. Vitale into custody. And if you make this difficult, we can charge everyone here with obstruction and have this whole place shut down.”

“Obstruction,” Burke piped up, his big back a solid barrier between Vica and the people who wanted to deport and arrest her. “That’s a big word. Was that a word in your jumble today, Dan? Did you have to Google what it meant?”

Jenkin’s face went redder than it already was.

More than anything, what they were all doing was stalling until Gabrielle could get there. Vica needed someone who actually knew the law, and not a bunch of civilians who caught the tail end of the odd Law and Order episode.

“Gabrielle just pulled up,” Dom said, glancing at his phone.

Vica exhaled in relief, but it wasn’t a full exhale. The men there to collect her weren’t prepared to leave without her and they seemed to be ready to dowhatever that took, including arresting and charging everyone there.

In less that a minute, a chestnut-haired goddess with amber eyes of fire and fury, burst into the kitchen. “What the hell is going on here, gentlemen?”

“Ms. Vitale’s visa has expired,” Spain birthmark said. “She needs to come with us.”

Gabrielle checked her phone. “Ah, see, I have a copy of Ms. Vitale’s visa documents here and technically,legally,she has three more days. So you’re wrong there, as well as many other places, I’m sure.”

Birthmark grunted and seemed to have smelled something foul judging by the face he made.

“Yes, but, we have reports of her stealing classified documents and handing them over to a competitor,” Duane said, waving the paper around like it was a recording of Vica bludgeoning Track to death or something.

Gabrielle snatched it from the man with even more anger than Wyatt had. She snorted after a cursory glance. “This is garbage and you know it. Could have been easily fabricated, and its pretty convenient timing considering my client just declined Croft Engineering’s attempt to silence her with hush money. So they’re trying to silence her in a different way.”

“Well, until that is proven one way or another, we need to detain her,” Duane said, yanking up the waistband of his pants to zero avail.

“Do you have a warrant for Ms. Vitale’s arrest?” Gabrielle asked.

Dan and Duane’s face’s fell.

Gabrielle’s grin was filled with triumph, but almost in an evil-Disney-queen kind of way. Thank god, she was on Vica’s side. “Then you’re not taking my client anywhere.”

“Well then, we’ll just be back in three days when her visa expires,” the deep-voiced immigration officer said. “It’s only a matter of time. We have no record of a flight out for Ms. Vitale and unless she has a visa pending for this establishment—and you can prove she hasn’t stolen a job from an American citizen, and she’s working here illegally—then you’re just prolonging theinevitable and making everyone’s jobs more difficult.”

“And I care about making your job easier, why?” Wyatt asked.

Both immigration officers grunted and glared at him.

Gabrielle threw her shoulders back. “You’re not taking her without a warrant, and she still has three days left on her visa. So I suggest you four leave before—”

“Before what?” Duane challenged, staring down Gabrielle. “You seem to forget who you’re talking to, girlie.”

A few of the kitchen staff gasped.

Vica hadn’t known Gabrielle for long, but even she knew not to test this woman and calling her “girlie” was surely a big test on whether or not Officer Fischer would be keeping his testes.

To everyone’s utter surprise, Gabrielle smiled. Her eyes told a different story though. One of death, destruction, revenge, and ruin. “I have not forgotten, Officer Fischer. But I do appreciate the reminder. However, I would also like to remind you that my friend, Radcliffe, over there,isfilming this and while I won’t assault an officer of the law, I will put him in his place. You, sir, are a washed up, windbag, sack of shit who should have retired a decade ago when his wife had the good sense to finally leave him. You can’t walk ten feet without getting winded and I’m sure you’re one hamburger away from a fatal heart attack, and yet, they still believe you are suitable to uphold the law, and serve and protect. You have no warrant, just an inflated sense of superiority and an ego that needs some serious pruning—much like your nose hairs. So, I will say again, unless you have a warrant and Vica’s visa hasactuallyexpired, your presence here is no longer needed or welcomed.” She glanced at the camera and smiled. “Come visit Westhaven Winery on San Camanez, mention this video for a complementary glass on the house.” Then the woman with ovaries the size of a Sicilian red orange, winked at the camera.

Mouths around the kitchen hung open, including the immigration officers.

“We’ll be back in three days,” birthmark finally said.

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