THREE
TWO DAYS...
Forty-eight hours...
Two thousand, eight hundred and eighty minutes...
One hundred seventy-two thousand and eight hundred seconds...
No matter how Gaby stated it, that was how long she’d been at the Santoro estate and how long she’d gone without laying eyes on her new boss. It was weird. Beyond weird. What would that be? Bizarre?
Gaby sighed. Whatever you called it, she wasn’t comfortable with this arrangement. Not that her accommodations weren’t comfortable. In fact, they were quite luxurious. And unlike the estate’s grounds, the guest suite was immaculate, thanks to Mr. Santoro’s housekeeper, Mrs. Kupps. The woman had even written her a note, welcoming her.
Gaby glanced at her bedside table and realized that she’d slept in. She only had five minutes until she was due at the office. She had to get a move on. She slipped on a plain black skirt to go with a gray cap-sleeve blouse. There was a jacket that went with the outfit, but she rejected it. It was a warm day and she was more comfortable without the jacket. After all, it wasn’t as if she had any business meetings. When Mr. Santoro said that he would limit their interactions to strictly email with the rare phone call, he hadn’t been exaggerating.
She stepped in front of the full-length mirror and slipped on her black stilettos. With her height of only five foot two, the extra inches added to her confidence.
A knock sounded at the door, startling Gaby. She knew who it was without even opening the door. It would be Mrs. Kupps trying to lure her into eating breakfast. Gaby already explained that she didn’t eat much in the mornings. In all honesty, she loved breakfast but never had time for it. She’d grown used to her liquid diet of coffee, with sugar and milk. It was easy to grab when she was on the run. Upon learning this, Mrs. Kupps had clucked her tongue and told her that she would end up with an ulcer if she didn’t take better care of herself.
Gaby rushed to the door. “Good morning.”
Mrs. Kupps stood there with a bright smile, a tray full of food and a carafe of coffee. “Good morning to you, too. I just brought you a little something to eat.” Mrs. Kupps rushed past her and entered the small kitchen, placing the tray on the bar area. “I know you’re in a hurry, but I’m determined to find something you can eat quickly.”
“Mrs. Kupps, you don’t have to do that.” And then, because she really didn’t want to hurt the woman’s feelings, she added, “But it is really sweet of you. And the food looks amazing.”
Mrs. Kupps beamed. “Oh, it’s nothing, dearie. I enjoy having someone around here to spoil. Lord knows Mr. Santoro doesn’t let anyone fuss over him since the accident. He’s like a big old bear with a thorn in his paw.”
“So he wasn’t always so standoffish?”
Mrs. Kupps began setting out the food. “Goodness, no. He was always gracious and friendly. Perhaps he was a bit wrapped up in his acting career, but that’s to be expected with his huge success. But now, he lurks about all alone in that big mansion. He doesn’t see guests and rarely takes phone calls. I cook all his favorites, but his appetite isn’t what it used to be. I’m really worried about him.”
“Do you know what’s wrong with him?” Gaby couldn’t help but wonder if the guilt over the accident was gnawing at him.
Mrs. Kupps shrugged. “I don’t know. And I really shouldn’t have said anything. I just don’t want you to leave. We need someone young and spirited around here. Lord knows, we’ve gone through assistant after assistant. He’s even tried to run me off but it’s not going to happen.” The woman smiled at her. “You’re a breath of fresh air. I have a good feeling about you.”
Mrs. Kupps checked that everything was as it should be and then made a quick exit. It wasn’t until the door shut that Gaby thought of a question for the very kind woman. Why did she stay here? Mr. Santoro was not the easiest person to work for. In fact, he was demanding and expected nothing but perfection with everything that Gaby did. And when she messed up, there was a terse note telling her to fix said error. And he didn’t spare the exclamation points.
Still, she had agreed to this arrangement to save her father—a father who was now more eager to know what dirt she had dug up on her boss than worrying about how she was making out in such strained circumstances. It was all he’d wanted to talk about on the phone. His full attention was on making Mr. Santoro pay for the accident.
Gaby’s gaze scanned over the croissant and steaming coffee. There was also a dish of strawberries. Okay. So maybe she had enough time to enjoy a few bites. Her stomach rumbled its approval. Perhaps some nourishment would help her deal with the stress of the day.
She couldn’t help but wonder if this would be the day that Mr. Santoro revealed himself to her. He couldn’t hide from her forever.
* * *
Deacon awoke with a jerk. His gaze sought out the clock above the door. He’d slept for more than two hours without waking. That was a new record for him, but it had come at a cost. He’d had another nightmare and, even worse, he was late.
It’d been another night spent in his office. He preferred it to staring into the dark waiting for sleep to claim him. Because with the sleep came the nightmares.
A couple of months after the accident, his nightmares had started to subside. But then Gabrielle’s father had staged his protest with a megaphone, and he’d shouted horrible accusations. It was then that the nightmares had resumed. Sometimes Deacon remembered bits and pieces. There were brutal images of fire, blood and carnage. He had to wonder how much was real and how much had been a figment of his imagination.
Other times, he was left with a blank memory but a deep, dark feeling that dogged him throughout the day. It’d gotten so bad that he dreaded falling asleep. That’s when his insomnia had set in with a vengeance. After spending one sleepless night after the next, he’d given up sleeping in his bed. In fact, he’d given up on sleep and only dozed when utter exhaustion claimed him.
It’d helped to keep his mind busy. And so he’d become a workaholic. Knowing the movie industry inside and out, he was working on starting his own production business. But being the man behind the curtain meant he had to find people he could rely on to do the legwork for him. That was proving to be a challenging task.
He’d just sat down to read over the lengthy letter that Gabrielle had typed up for him. It had been late in the night or early in the morning, depending on how you looked at it. He’d made it to the last page when his eyes just wouldn’t focus anymore. Blinking hadn’t helped. Rubbing them hadn’t made a difference. And so he’d closed them just for a moment.
He jumped to his feet and gathered up the papers that he’d reviewed. If he didn’t get these on Gabrielle’s desk before she arrived, it would have to wait until lunchtime. Because the mail drop in the wall only went one way. There was no way for him to deliver any documents anonymously for his assistant. He would have to see about rectifying that, but for now, he had to beat Gabrielle to the office.
He strode toward the door. When he reached out his hand for the doorknob, he couldn’t help but notice the webbed scars on the back of his hand. They were a constant reminder of the horror he might have caused that impacted so many lives—especially Gabrielle’s.
It was no secret that he’d liked his cars fast and he’d driven them like he was on a racetrack. He couldn’t remember the details of that fateful night, but it wouldn’t surprise him if he’d been speeding. If only the police would just release their findings. Gabrielle’s father wasn’t the only one anxious for that report.
His attorney had told him there were a number of complications. There had been an intense fire that destroyed evidence followed by a torrential downpour. Deacon didn’t care about any of it. He just needed to know—was he responsible for taking a life?
Deacon moved through the darkened hallway, past the dust-covered statues and the cobwebs