Page 67 of Billionaire and the Barista

“Ah, she’s stubborn.”

Mitch laughed in agreement.

“She refused to listen to me. Developments like mine bring in more money to the neighborhood, revitalize it. I made the mistake of mentioning that selling out with that old building might be a good idea. Give her a fresh start. She could have a space in the new development or get out of the neighborhood, get her away from the racers she still allows hanging in there.”

“That’s not what you think it is. She doesn’t want to leave the neighborhood.”

“Oh, yeah?” I spun to face him. “What is it, Mitch? Cause it looked like she was having a party after a night of illegal street racing. Are you still fixing the bikes that go out? It’s dangerous, and half those kids are dealing drugs—”

“And the other half are rich brats coming down to show off their expensive-ass bikes and score some dope. I remember how you got in Nathan. I’m aware of when you and your friends on shining new Ducati’s came rolling up. You picked up Gabby, your buddy picked up crack.”

I shook my head. It hadn’t been the smartest of ideas at first. But I had met Gabriella with her full smile, and her flowing long hair. She had been right, she looked like an angel perched on the back of my bike.

“Yeah, but you were always down there keeping those bikes running.”

“Still am. Someone has to make sure those idiots won’t turn themselves into ground meat because the bike they’re on can’t handle it. Most of those kids can’t afford their bikes,” Mitch said.

“You worked on my bike, man. Insisted on it,” I said.

“Do you think I was going to let Gabby go out on some bike I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure was up to it? Or that I would do what was necessary to make sure you came back to her? She had already lost her parents, and when I saw what you were to her, I was going to make sure that she didn’t lose you on my watch. Look, Nathan, you are wrong about what she’s up to. She’s never been there to party. Never. Her mother started bringing food down because she knew those kids would forgo food and rent for their bikes. That’s what Gabby’s doing. That’s what she’s always done. Make sure those kids have something to eat, a safe place to talk. After the kid was born, she doubled down on it too. She stopped bringing the food to the racers. But she wouldn’t turn any of them away.”

He kept talking, but my brain latched onto a single word he had said in passing. “What kid?” I asked.

“Robbie, Gabby’s little boy. I think she realized she was helping to take care of someone’s baby after she had her own. She brings in resources to those meetings, ways to help those kids get away from their dealers, find jobs. You aren’t going to get her out of the neighborhood, not when she thinks people need her. Hell, just the other day a little girl was getting beat on by her old man, and the first person she could think of to help her was Gabby. And she was right. Gabby looks out for them like some kind of big sister.”

“When did she have a kid?”

“Seriously, man? Gabby didn’t tell you? Maybe she’s doing that single mother thing where she doesn’t introduce the kid to the date until she knows it’s serious. The kid is five. So, tell me, what’s got you so anti-racing these days? You used to be in the thick of it.”

I drank down the rest of my coffee like a shot. It burned. Why the hell hadn’t she told me there was a child?

“Not until you tell me who the father is?” My throat went dry as I waited for the answer.

Mitch shrugged. “You’ll have to ask her yourself. That’s not something she goes around telling people. Not even me.”

I was running calculations in my head. If her kid was five, there was a very good chance.

“Fess up, why are you so against racing all of a sudden?” Mitch prompted.

“I realized it was stupid and dangerous in the most tragic way possible. It would have been different, I guess if it had been me, but it wasn’t.” I breathed out through my nose. “I was winning, and then my buddy got in front of me. The truck came out of nowhere. I went down. The driver rolled right over my bike. I was so fucking pissed. I expected Fred to be standing on the other side of the truck laughing at me. He hadn’t made it. My bike wasn’t the only thing that truck rolled over.”

---