Page 23 of Sal Gabrini: Man on Fire

“Because I’m not gonna save that shit and lose you,” Sal said bluntly. “I’d lose a million shipments and a million syndicates before I lose you.”

Gemma was touched by his devotion to her. She was devoted to him too. But she couldn’t desert her client! She placed her hand on the side of his tortured, beautiful face. “You aren’t going to lose me, Sal,” she said. “How many times do I have to tell you that?”

“You didn’t have to tell me no times. I see what I see and I know what I know. And that Kidd Curry character I do not like.”

“So far he’s been an excellent, attentive client. He’s done everything I’ve asked him to do. He’s been very kind to you too.”

“Yeah, he knows how to get what he wants. But you’d better not let him get you, that’s all I’m saying.”

Gemma frowned. “Get me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He wants your ass. That’s what it means.”

Gemma exhaled. “News flash, Sal: Not every man wants me. News flash, Sal: Almost every single man on the face of this earth do not want me.”

“Yeah, but I know you. You like those chocolate college guys. That’s your type.”

Gemma frowned. “My type? What are you talking about? I married you and you aren’t a college guy and goodness knows there’s nothing chocolate about you.”

“So I’m your type now?”

“I don’t have a type, Sal! I have you. Period.”

“Yeah, Gemma, tell that shit to the birds alright?”

“Just forget it,” she said, breaking away from him. “I’ve got to go.” Then she looked back at him. “You need to get a grip. For real.”

“I know that,” Sal said with anguish on his face. He didn’t know what was wrong with him either! Gemma stopped when she saw that look.

“You think I don’t know I’m acting like some lovestruck idiot? You think I like this shit? You’ve been nothing but professional around that guy, despite his fondness for you.”

“We’re old friends, Sal. That’s it. That’s as far as it goes.”

“It used to go further than that,” Sal said, and he looked at Gemma. Gemma never disputed it.

Sal exhaled. “Just be careful. And don’t you dare go anywhere without my guys going with you.”

“I know that, Sal.”

“This shit is a give and take, Gem, I mean it. I’m giving you over to this case, and to that joker who I still don’t like. But if any one of my guys tell me that you tried for even a second to ditch security, I’m pulling you off the case. That’s it. It’s done. It’s a wrap. Your ass coming back to Vegas and his ass can twist in the wind for all I care. Do we understand each other?”

Gemma looked at the pain and worry in Sal’s always intense eyes. “Yes,” she said. “We understand each other. Stop worrying. I don’t know why you’re being so needy.”

Sal looked at her as if she had just slapped him. “I’m beingwhat?”

“Nothing,” Gemma said, realizing some things were better left unsaid. “I’ve got to go.” She kissed him on his lips, gave him a hug, and then made her way up the air steps to board his plane.

But Sal was still reeling from that word she mentioned. Was she callinghimneedy?Him? He couldn’t believe she would fix her mouth to describe him that way. A man who had so many people needing him that he could barely function and she was callinghimneedy? Had this Mason character changed his wife into this Hollywood lawyer-type who was talking like that crowd talked?

And even when she made it onto the plane and turned around and blew a kiss at him, he didn’t respond. He just walked away. He loved her too much, he knew that. He was a sucker for her, what could he say? But that didn’t mean he wasneedy. That didn’t mean he was some loser trying to cling to a woman’s skirt tail. He didn’t like Gemma saying that shit to him. All he did for that woman and that was how she saw him? As some needy loser? He didn’t like that shit at all!

He was disappointed in Gemma for seeing him the way he was beginning to see himself.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Gemma was in California putting the final touches on their case for the past week, but Sal didn’t phone her and didn’t so much as drop her a good morning text the entire time. But she didn’t disturb him, either, because she knew he was putting out fires left and right and didn’t need her to bother him too. That was how intense and tenuous his grip on power in the underworld had become. She gave him his space. But it did feel odd to her that a man who sometimes couldn’t seem to stay away from her, wasn’t even phoning to check on her.

But he made certain she had the heaviest of security. Security that was at least three levels deep. Sal had his front-line guys blanketing Gemma and watching her every move. Then he had a different set of guys watching the front-line guys’ every move. And then he had a private security firm watching both teams. It was an unprecedented level of security.

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