"I'm listening."
Annabella's smooth, cool voice is what greeted his struggling conscious mind. If he could smile he would just at the sound.
"Bridgette here!" Another voice on a speaker phone interrupted his mental sojourn.
"What've you got?"
"A shit ton of lore."
His eyes slowly started to open revealing a headache he hadn't noticed until that point was vibrating in the background. He took a mental assessment of his body and noticed that he felt like he'd been hit by a semi. Every piece of him hurt but not like his arm. He frowned trying to piece together the last bits that he remembered.
He was confronting Sophia. Finally had her under his thumb, or that was what he thought. It was surreal seeing her again. He'd dreamt up so many different scenarios most of them ended up with her still tugging at his heart. She was supposed to be his soulmate. He didn't think he'd ever feel the way he actually did: nothing.
He was focused, certain. He could say this now after finally coming face to face with the woman, that all he wanted from her was his son.
He frowned recalling the exchange with Sophia, followed by his gun being knocked from his hand and pain at the back of his head. When he finally came too besides the pain in the back of his head he also remembered his constricting chest when he heard Sophia's voice mingled with his Bella's.
"The key you showed me is supposed to, according to myth, open a treasure chest from Hernán Cortés. You know the Spanish conquistador." The conversation brought him back briefly to some semblance of reality.
"I'm pretty good with my history." Annabella responded. "So is this treasure chest the real deal?"
"Mmmm, well, according to several sources that's the big question. No one's ever been able to find it. Some say it's in South America, others say it's in Spain locked up underground. The funny thing is, there were several of those keys made. Obviously only one of them is the genuine article, but they're all pretty much the same in style and make up. It's difficult to say if the one you have is the real one. I'd have to see it in person."
"I'll have to arrange that sometime soon."
His eyes cracked open and he saw Annabella sitting at the table with her forehead in the palms of her hands with the phone resting on the surface in front of her. She picked up the gold key on the chain and stared at it. "Did you come up with any more information about the boy?"
"When I do, you'll be the first to know. Temptress out!"
She tapped the phone and rubbed the back of her neck. She paused when she looked his direction and saw him looking back at her. The corner of her pretty mouth lifted slightly. "Hey." She said still gazing at him.
"Where are we going?"
"The States."
Good. That's where he wanted to go. He had some business to wrap up there. He examined her. "Are you okay?"
She stood with a stretch and a wince. "Fine. A few bruised ribs that time will heal. I'm more concerned about you." She made her way over to him and perched on the couch at his side.
"Worried? That's a strange choice of words when referring to a long time enemy." He reached up and stroked her cheek with his thumb.
"You lost a lot of blood. Plus a concussion from God only knows when and how. I wasn't sure if you were going to make it."
"So you put me on a plane."
"After you spent two weeks under a physician's care. She was flown from South America somewhere to look after you. She cleared you to fly just this morning."
YOU ARE READING
Smoke & Gun (+18) (COMPLETE)
Romance|:| She remembered her last interaction with Piero Albano. He was on his knees before her and she pressed the gun against his forehead . He said the words that she dared to repeat. "Well, what are you waiting for?" |:| Piero had plans to kill her b...
