Sal Gabrini: Just The Way You Are by Mallory Monroe Read Free Book Online

still aren’t too big for me to put over my knee.”
    Sal and Big
Joe laughed.
    Gemma was
dressed more conservatively than she usually dressed, Sal thought, as she
headed his way in her black skirt suit and white silk blouse, with her black
and white heels.   But it was court day
for her today.   Closing arguments.   She knew what she was doing.
    He remained
leaned against her car when she arrived, and he kissed her on the lips.   Just the feeling of her lips on his, and his
lips on hers, reminded them both of their sexual encounters the day
before.   It was such a powerful reminder
to Sal that his penis throbbed when he kissed her.
    Gemma was
feeling the burn too until Big Joe opened her back passenger side door as if he
was opening it for her.   And she quickly
realized that he was.   “Oh, Sal,” she
said, “I don’t need this!   I can drive
myself.”
    “Not right
now,” Sal insisted.   “Big Joe will do the
driving.   He’ll take you to your office,
to court, to Champagne’s.   To anywhere
you need to go.”    
    She looked
at Sal.   “You think it’s that serious?”
    “Promising
to pay somebody fifty grand to trash your office?”   Sal nodded.   “Yeah, it’s serious.   And until I
find out who’s responsible, I’m taking no chances.   And neither are you.   Where you go, Big Joe goes with you.   And my baby is going to accept his assistance
like the smart, savvy, sensible woman I know her to be.   Understand?”
    Gemma
trusted Sal’s judgement above any human being’s.   That wasn’t always the case, but it was
now.   “I understand,” she said.
    He kissed
her.   She got into the car.   “Oh, and Sal,” she said.
    He leaned
into the still open door.   “Yeah?”
    “Tree
called.   She and Reno wants us to meet
them at Barney’s for lunch today.   Think
you can make it?”
    Sal knew he
was putting himself in a bind agreeing to anything other than working overtime
at the office, but he knew Gemma would like it.   “I’ll make it,” he said.
    Gemma
smiled.   “That’s great, Sal.   I’ll call Trina and get a time.”
    “Let it be a
late lunch.   One or two this afternoon.”
    “That’ll
work for me too.   And is the weekend
still on?”
    Sal ran his
hand over his face.  
    “I know it’s
a lot to ask,” Gemma said.
    “No, but
we’ve got to do it.   You’re be showing
soon.   Your parents need to know that
they’ll be grandparents soon.”
    “I don’t
know how they’re going to react,” Gemma said.   They had the unenviable task of going to Indiana this weekend and
telling her parents that she was with child.   Sal’s child.   “But I agree.   We’ve got to do it.”
    Sal nodded,
closed the door, and Big Joe got behind the wheel of the beautiful Aston-Martin
Sal had purchased for her, and drove her away.    Sal waved as she left, feeling foolish given the yardmen and security
detail around his home looking at him.   But he did it anyway.
    When Gemma’s
car drove out of their security gate and out of his sight, he headed for his
own car, pulling out his cell phone as he did.   He pressed a number.   Spoke to one
of his men.   “Any news?” he asked.
    “Nothing
yet,” was the response.   “We retraced
Crowler’s tracks, but that didn’t turn up a person.”
    “Trace his
bank account too.   See if you can find
who deposited that fifteen hundred.   If
my hunch is correct, he’ll never see the fifty grand.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “And give me
more.   This is my wife they’re fucking
with.   I need more!”
    “You’ll get
more, boss.   Don’t worry.   We’re find out who’s pulling the strings.”
    “You’d
better,” Sal said.   “Or I’ll be pulling
yours.”
    Sal ended
the call, got into his Porsche, and sped off too.

 
 
 
 
 
 

CHAPTER
FOUR

 
    After court,
after all closing arguments were completed and jury instructions were given, Gemma
had nearly three hours to spare before the two