Three weeks after Victor Salerno’s arrest, Gabriel called a meeting.
Frankie walked into the same conference room where twelve men had once stared at her as though she were a mechanic accidentally lost on the executive floor.
This time nobody laughed.
Salvatore Bellini had been arrested for taking Salerno’s money.
Carlo had accepted immunity in exchange for financial records.
Three harbor supervisors had been fired.
Two captains were awaiting trial.
Antonio had temporarily stepped away while Natalia recovered.
Gabriel sat at the head of the table.
The chair to his right was empty.
Frankie deliberately sat four seats away.
Gabriel looked at her.
She looked back.
“No.”
A few men suddenly found documents fascinating.
Gabriel sighed.
“Francesca.”
“No.”
“The chair.”
“I know where chairs go.”
“Sit beside me.”
“Why?”
“Because that is your seat.”
Frankie crossed her arms.
“I am a mechanic.”
“You are the new director of fleet integrity.”
The room went silent.
Frankie stared.
“The what?”
Gabriel pushed a folder toward her.
She opened it.
Salary.
Benefits.
Authority.
A budget large enough to make her swear.
And a separate document.
Frankie stopped breathing.
“What is this?”
“The deed to the building beside Moretti Auto.”
“My garage burned down.”
“Yes.”
“The insurance investigation isn’t finished.”
“I know.”
She looked at the architectural plans.
A rebuilt shop.
Larger.
Modern equipment.
Eight bays.
Training classrooms.
“You bought the property next door.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“So Moretti Auto can expand.”
Her anger rose automatically because feelings were becoming dangerous.
“I’m not accepting a gift from you.”
“It isn’t a gift.”
She glared.
He slid another document forward.
“A loan.”
Frankie read it.
No interest.
Twenty-year term.
Early repayment allowed.
The garage belonged entirely to her.
Gabriel had no ownership rights.
“You had lawyers do this?”
“Several.”
“Did they hate you?”
“Most people do eventually.”
Frankie looked at the plans again.
A classroom.
She had once told Dominic she wanted to create an apprenticeship program for women and kids from neighborhoods where technical education was disappearing.
She had told Gabriel once.
At two in the morning.
She hadn’t realized he remembered.
Her throat tightened.
“You remembered.”
Gabriel’s voice softened.
“I remember everything you say.”
That was a terrible thing for him to say in front of twelve people.
Frankie closed the folder.
“Everybody out.”
Several men looked toward Gabriel.
Gabriel smiled.
“You heard her.”
They left.
Frankie waited until the door closed.
Then turned.
“What are you doing?”
“Offering you a job.”
“No.”
“Building a garage.”
“No.”
“Being unusually generous?”
“Gabriel.”
He stood.
She hated when he did that.
Not because he intimidated her anymore.
Because she noticed too much.
The tattoos.
The rolled sleeves.
The way his mouth changed before he smiled.
“You nearly died at the harbor,” he said.
“So did you.”
“I realized something.”
“That you need better security?”
“That too.”
He came closer.
Frankie’s heart began behaving irresponsibly.
“I spent most of my life believing attachment created vulnerability.”
She swallowed.
“Victor agreed.”
“Victor was wrong.”
Gabriel stopped in front of her.
“Caring about Antonio is why I listened instead of killing him.”
Frankie held his gaze.
“Caring about Natalia is why Antonio finally came to us.”
Another step.
“Caring about Leo is why you walked into my office and insulted my entire bloodline.”
“Your bloodline deserved some criticism.”
His mouth curved.
“And caring about you is why I lowered the gun in that tunnel.”
There it was.
No game.
No teasing.
Frankie’s chest tightened.
“Gabriel.”
“I love you.”
She stared.
The most feared man in Chicago had just said it like a verdict.
“You can’t say things like that.”
“I just did.”
“We’ve known each other barely two months.”
“Fifty-four days.”
She blinked.
“You counted?”
“Yes.”
“That’s deeply disturbing.”
“I know.”
“You threatened my brother.”
“I negotiated aggressively.”
“You tried to take my garage.”
“I changed my mind.”
“You call me Francesca just to annoy me.”
“No.”
Her voice softened.
“Why, then?”
Gabriel reached toward her face.
He paused.
Always now.
Waiting.
Frankie leaned into his hand.
“Because Frankie is who everyone knows,” he said.
His thumb brushed her cheek.
“Francesca is the woman I see.”
That was unfair.
Completely unfair.
Frankie grabbed his shirt and kissed him.
Gabriel froze for half a second.
Then wrapped his arms around her.
The kiss carried every argument they had never finished.
Every joke.
Every moment of fear.
Every night standing beneath warehouse lights pretending they weren’t becoming something neither had planned.
Frankie pulled back first.
Gabriel looked annoyingly pleased.
“Do not smile.”
“I’m not.”
“You’re absolutely smiling.”
“You kissed me.”
“I may have suffered temporary judgment failure.”
“Do it again.”
“You’re very demanding.”
“Francesca.”
She kissed him again.
Much later, after the conference room had stopped being appropriate for corporate meetings, Frankie sat on the edge of Gabriel’s desk.
“I’m not quitting Moretti Auto.”
“I know.”
“I will not become decorative.”
“I would never survive suggesting it.”
“My employees are mine.”
“Yes.”
“My money is mine.”
“Yes.”
“My decisions are mine.”
“Mostly.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Gabriel.”
“Yes.”
“All.”
“All.”
“And Leo’s debt?”
Gabriel opened a drawer.
Removed the agreement.
Frankie’s balance was almost cleared through her work.
Only twenty-three thousand remained.
He placed the contract in front of her.
Then tore it in half.
Frankie stared.
“No.”
Gabriel paused.
“No?”
“You don’t erase it.”
“Why?”
“Because then everything I did becomes a favor you bought.”
“That is not what I mean.”
“I know.”
She took the torn pieces.
“But I finish what I agreed to.”
Gabriel looked at her for a long time.
Then nodded.
“Fine.”
“And I pay the last twenty-three thousand.”
“Fine.”
“With overtime.”
“That seems unnecessary.”
“I enjoy suffering.”
“I’ve noticed.”
She smiled.
Gabriel leaned closer.
“You’re still sitting in the right-hand chair.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“You are impossible.”
Frankie smiled.
“Your grandmother would have liked me.”
Gabriel laughed.
“She would have worshiped you.”
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