Unbroken (Fighting for Gisele #3) (3 page)

Even though Gisele knew that Micah was watching from some vantage point, she didn’t dare glance to either side. It wouldn’t do to reveal his hiding place, or give any indication that her attention was on anything besides the opening of her safe deposit box.

Bolstered on each side by burly men, Gisele felt like some kind of royalty with a dark entourage. She didn’t appreciate the gloomy look of her companions. Alek and the guard lumbered forward, one on each side of her, bereft of any hint of lightheartedness.

“This is an exciting moment for me,” Gisele said, looking directly at her brother. “Don’t look so somber.”

Alek didn’t react to that. He just headed toward the manager’s desk, clearly impatient. The manager didn’t give any indication that he’d seen Gisele the day before. She breathed a sigh of relief, even though that had been prearranged.

As before, the manager checked Gisele’s identification, taking pains to be thorough. When satisfied, he said, “I’ll show you back to your safe deposit box.”

“I’m her brother,” Alek said. “I’ll go with her.”

Gisele’s heart pounded so hard that she was sure the others could hear it thump in her chest.

“I’m sorry, sir,” the manager said. “That is expressly forbidden by the trust documents, as well as the bank. Only Miss Shelton will be permitted to view the contents.”

Alek towered over the man by several inches. He glowered at him, but to the manager’s credit, he didn’t back down. “You gentlemen may wait in the lobby there.” He motioned toward the chairs where Micah and Zeke had sat just the day before.

“Gisele, tell the man that I’m going back there with you.” Alek wasn’t used to being told no, and in this situation he was even less agreeable to it.

Gisele took her brother’s arm and guided him toward the waiting area. Her pulse raced, but she kept her voice even. “Just relax, Alek. I am more than capable of opening a safe deposit box.” She released his arm, hoping he’d keep going toward the chairs under his own volition.

“It’s unacceptable,” Alek said, but with less conviction than he’d had a moment ago. “I feel I’m falling down on my duties.”

“Not at all,” Gisele said. She managed a smile to reassure her brother. “I’ll be back in five minutes. There’s no reason for concern. I’m in a bank, after all.”

Alek wasn’t mollified, but he had no grounds to further object. Without giving her brother a chance to come up with a new argument, Gisele walked swiftly over to the manager, who guided her away from the main room.

Once Gisele was out of sight, she relaxed a little. The manager took her to the box and opened the metal door, as he had yesterday. When he delivered her to the private room, he said, “Just buzz when you’re finished.”

When the door shut and locked behind her, Gisele dropped into the chair. Having Alek breathing down her neck was grueling, and it wasn’t over yet. She opened the box to retrieve the items, taking time to reread her father’s letter and note. It wasn’t quite as shocking as it had been the day before.

There was no time for sentimentality. Alek was waiting for her, and the sooner she got this over with the better. Gisele pulled out the letter intended for her brother’s eyes, and reached back into the box for the wedding rings. The other documents she returned to the box for safekeeping.

The manager responded promptly to the buzzer and led her back to the waiting room, where Alek was pacing. He stopped when he saw her. Gisele wrapped her hand tighter around the rings, feeling a bit emotional. She didn’t need to hide how emotional she was at receiving her parents’ treasured rings.

Standing in front of Alek, she opened her hand to allow him to see. “My father left me their wedding rings,” she said, with tears in her eyes. “It was just so…thoughtful.”

Alek looked at the rings without comment. “What else?”

His cold attitude didn’t affect Gisele. She expected no less. He wanted to know whether her father had left anything of monetary value to her, although he certainly didn’t voice the words
blue diamond
.

“There’s this letter,” Gisele said, holding the paper out to him. “My father left money too—about five hundred thousand, it says there. That is a lot. I’ll be able to finally get my own place.”

Alek snatched the document and read it. But he didn’t return it to her. “I’ll keep this safe for you,” he said, folding the letter in half.

Her brother had confiscated her letter, probably so he could read it to Yuri, in case she didn’t do that herself.

Gisele was still emotional over the rings, or so her brother believed. She wrinkled her brow. “Aren’t you happy for me, Alek?”

Only Gisele knew that the letter was merely a decoy, but her brother was clearly displeased. However, he had the good sense not to say anything while they were still in the bank.

“Of course I’m happy for you, Gisele. You received your inheritance. Why wouldn’t I be pleased?” Alek didn’t give her time to answer. He took her arm and led her out of the bank, a little too aggressively.

Gisele prayed he’d release her when they got outside. If Micah saw the rough treatment he might misinterpret it, and she didn’t want him coming out in the open to challenge Alek. At the car, one of the guards shuffled her into the back seat and got in next to her. Her brother got in front with the driver.

It was obvious her brother wasn’t pleased. Gisele tapped him on the arm, and when Alek turned to her, she looked at him accusingly. “What’s wrong with you?” she said, wisely not letting on that she had any clue.

“I’m sorry,” Alek said, and she saw a flicker of kindness in his eyes. Or maybe she misread it. “I just thought that your father would leave more for you, that’s all.”

That was close to the truth. “It’s more than enough,” Gisele said. “My father wasn’t a wealthy man, like you are. He saved what he could, and loved me enough to leave it for me, so I can create my own future.”

Gisele’s statement matched what she’d been telling Alek for years: she wanted to shape her own future, and she would do so. This was not any new revelation. But Alek had expected more to be in that box. Gisele already knew his motives, yet it was a stab to the heart. Her brother didn’t care about her; he was after the diamond. There was no more conversation on the way home, and as soon as Gisele got out of the car, she went to her room.

As if her stress level wasn’t high enough, Gisele had to work a high-stakes poker game that evening. To keep Alek off guard, she had to show up for her shift like usual. As long as she acted as if her plans hadn’t changed, and her brother didn’t call her out on the deception, she was safe. There was no telling how long she could keep things going in her favor.

Since Gisele hadn’t eaten all day, she decided to dress early, then slip down to the kitchen for some food. Alek wasn’t expecting her until the players arrived. She took the hallway toward the kitchen, but detoured past her brother’s office.

Through a crack in the door, her brother’s voice drifted out into the hall. Gisele trod lightly and slowed near the door. She removed her high heels so she wouldn’t make any noise. Then she held her breath. Alek was talking to someone, and he was upset.

“I don’t know, Father,” Alek said. “That’s all that was in the box.”

Gisele waited for her brother to say more, and her pulse pounded in the interim.

“Yes, I agree. It’s too simple. Shelton thought he could outsmart us,” Alek said.

It was quiet for a couple of seconds, then, “I asked her, and she said that was all that was in the box. I told you.” Alek let out a sigh of exasperation. “I don’t think she’s lying. I know her very well, and I think I’d be able to tell. But…there’s something we’re missing.”

Unwilling to get caught eavesdropping, Gisele took a few silent steps farther along the hallway. As she headed toward the kitchen, she heard, “I’ll look into it and get back to you.”

The warmth of the kitchen did little to heat the coldness in her heart. Gisele knew that her father and brother were plotting against her. For now, she had provided them with a diversion, but it wouldn’t be long before they came to her with more questions.

Chapter 3

Gisele’s text was simply:
I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow
. That was her code signaling that the bank visit hadn’t been a disaster. They’d agreed on that in advance. She’d told Micah that she had to work a high-stakes game later that day, and had better follow through with her obligation.

Micah had been outside the bank while Gisele had been inside with her brother and his goons. It had been hard to resist going inside to see firsthand what was going on. Micah had feared the worst, until he’d seen Gisele exit and return to the car.

If her life had been in danger, she would have given him a sign. But she got in the car, looking fairly unruffled, all things considered. Alek’s dark expression had been predictable. The man hadn’t gotten what he wanted; instead he’d been handed a poor substitute.

When the car drove away and was out of sight, Micah went to the gym. Zeke dropped him out front. “I’ll be in touch,” Micah said, and patted the hood of the car. The bodyguard replied, “I’ll make sure I’m available. Whatever went down this morning must have been some serious shit, judging by the looks of those Russians.”

Zeke didn’t know the details of Gisele’s predicament, but he had been to the bank both days. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that it involved money. The specifics were better left unsaid, and the bodyguard didn’t ask.

Micah had eaten some hours before, and hunger gnawed at his stomach. But he was late for training as it was, and didn’t want to tempt fate. He’d told his coach that he had personal business to attend to. Harlan would be gruff with him, then put him through an extra-challenging workout to make up for the lost hours.

As soon as he’d changed clothes, Micah got out to the gym floor and spotted his coach waiting for him. Without pleasantries, Harlan started in on what he had in mind for the day. He had a habit of assigning a priority for each session, and then following that agenda.

“Are you paying attention, Micah?”

“Yeah, I’m listening,” Micah said. “You said I need to practice my footwork.”

“No, I said that a couple of minutes ago. I said I have a new sparring partner for you. I think you need someone more on par with your upcoming opponent.” The coach scowled. “If you have your mind on a woman, you better get it off real quick.”

Micah was distracted, but the coach didn’t need to know that. “I’m here. I’m ready. What’s first?”

The coach barked directions, and Micah complied, putting his best effort into the training. Yet his mind was on Gisele. She couldn’t talk on the phone while she was in the complex. Micah didn’t need to be told that. Her environment was monitored, likely in more ways than he knew.

The brief text had conveyed that the situation was stable. Yet Micah didn’t know how long that would last. The circumstances were volatile, and the winds could shift without warning. Meanwhile, Gisele was by herself, in the grip of the mob.

But yanking her out of there would be the worst approach. Such an action would alert her family that Gisele was aware of the imminent danger. And there was only one reason for her to feel under threat. As long as they believed that she was clueless, then she was safe.

The reprieve was temporary, as Alek would find out about the diamond soon enough. But Micah’s hands were tied. He had to let Gisele deal with her brother for that evening, then he’d figure out what to do next.

Harlan worked Micah hard. “You’re fighting a German killing machine this time,” he said. “No Cubans, no sissies, no amateurs. Need I tell you that this underground fighter will show no mercy? His sponsors expect him to win, and your life has no value to them. Have I made myself clear?”

Micah toweled off. “I know the situation.”

“I hope you do,” his coach said. “Now get out of here and get some rest. I’m nowhere near done getting you ready for this next fight. But that’s enough for today.”

After Micah showered and dressed, he met Luke for drinks. Since he was in training, that meant Luke would drink and Micah would eat. They met at a place on the Strip, and sat at one of the few available tables.

Luke ordered bourbon on the rocks, and Micah had iced tea with his nachos. He’d need more food, but the appetizer was a start. “It looked like you and Abby were getting along pretty well at the party,” Micah said.

“I like that woman,” Luke said, and belted back his bourbon. “I’ve only seen her a couple of times, but I plan on calling her again.”

“Glad to know she has staying power.”

Luke rolled his shoulder. “We’ll see.” That was saying a lot for him.

Since Micah had known him, his friend had rarely dated a woman more than a couple of times. Part of it was due to how often they moved on, traveling with the fight circuits. But most of it was just Luke being Luke. He liked women in all varieties, and wasn’t inclined to limit himself.

“I hope you’re focused on your training, and not
other things
,” Luke said. “Gisele will still be there when this next fight is over.”

Micah munched on a couple of tortilla chips dripping with cheese.

“And this German has a reputation.” Luke stared across the table. “He hasn’t been beat yet.”

“Is that supposed to scare me?”

“Nope, I don’t want you scared.” Luke twirled his glass on the table. “I want you to win.”

“So this Max Fromer has the fight circuit in awe?”

“As a matter of fact, he does. The Russians are rather fond of him, as he has made them a chunk of change. They expect that to continue, and won’t be pleased if you take their guy down.”

“All the more reason that I should,” Micah said.

“In case you’re ever playing Trivial Pursuit and you need this vital information: Max is short for Maxim, which means
the greatest
.”

“So the guy has no problems with his ego, is that what you’re saying?” The more Micah heard about this Neanderthal, the more he wondered how much of it was true. Some fighters tried to ride on their reputation. Fear and intimidation preceded them in the ring, an advantage they made the most of.

“Ego aside,” Luke said, “his nickname is the Brute, and it fits. He’s an ex-con, was in for deadly assault. The dude is mean, and without conscience…grew up in a gang.”

Micah sipped his tea. “I didn’t know you had a pep talk planned for tonight.”

Luke continued without missing a beat. “From what I’ve heard, he doesn’t care about dying and wouldn’t lose sleep over killing an opponent. Rumor has it that he’s already accomplished that feat and would welcome the chance to do it again.”

“Sounds like a guy who would do well in the underground circuit.” The sarcasm didn’t dampen Luke’s enthusiasm for singing the praises of Micah’s next opponent.

“Fromer fights underground to avoid the cops,” Luke said. “He can’t get a regular job.”

Micah considered that for a moment. “Can’t see how he’d want one…seems like he’s got a good thing going.”

Luke drained his glass. “But you know what I think?”

“I thought you just got done telling me?”

Not prone to introspection, Luke didn’t hesitate to share his thoughts. “A guy like that gets arrogant…he gets sloppy. Every fighter has weaknesses. All you have to do is find his, and
wham
, take him down.”

Micah laughed. “Now I feel a lot better.”

The waiter came by and they ordered dinner with drink refills. Luke’s dissertation on the impressive Max Fromer succeeded in taking Micah’s attention off Gisele, but not for long. As he ate, his concern returned and his worry over her safety grew.

After dinner, they moved to a new hotel. Micah was used to moving around. Even Vegas hotels weren’t designed for long stays. He liked a change of scene anyway, so they moved into the Wynn. The casino had a trendy allure, so they decided to stay there for a while.

The valet brought the luggage up to the rooms, but before Luke took off, Micah said, “Got a few minutes?”

“Sure.” Luke stepped into Micah’s new suite and walked over to the window. “Nice view, not that we’ll be up here much…at least not in daylight.”

Micah plopped into a chair, and motioned for Luke to take a seat. “I’m going to tell you something, but you can’t share it with anyone…not even Abby.”

Luke’s loyalty was not in question. Micah would trust him with his life, and had done so before. Their history together was a testament to the fact that Micah’s faith in him was justified.

“Go ahead and tell me whatever you need to,” Luke said, and put his hands over his ears. “I didn’t hear it from you.”

Micah leaned back. “It’s kind of a long story, but Gisele is in danger.”

“She grew up with the mob,” Luke said. “She hasn’t known anything but danger.”

“True enough.” Micah proceeded to fill Luke in on the situation. He recited what Gisele had told him, starting with her mother dying. He went over what he knew of Andrew Shelton’s dealings with the mob, his refusal to testify against them, and his untimely demise in jail.

“Not a happy story,” Luke said. “I feel for Gisele.”

“Yes, losing her parents was very difficult.” Micah went on to explain that the Danilovs had raised her, claiming only virtuous motives. “But I’m sure it won’t shock you to know that the mob had a more sinister purpose.”

“I’m listening.”

Micah told his friend about the safe deposit box, what the letter had said, and finally, about the rare blue diamond.

“Jesus Christ…you’ve got to be kidding me.” It took a lot for Luke to lose his cool, but he did upon hearing that forty million dollars had fallen into Gisele’s lap.

Micah let the news settle in.

“As long as Gisele has possession of that diamond, she’s a target,” Luke said.

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“The longer you wait, the more dangerous the situation will be. The Russians aren’t a patient bunch. They won’t be held off for long,” Luke said. “You have to make sure she takes possession of that diamond, sooner than later, and then make it disappear.”

Micah pondered that.

“That little gem is a hot item,” Luke said. “She needs to get free of it as soon as she can.”

“Yes…but how?”

Luke had no further words of wisdom, but offered his support. “Just say the word, whatever you need…and I’m there.”

“Good to know,” Micah said. “Well, to start with, Gisele needs to make a trip to Chicago and have a heart-to-heart with the attorney. He’s the one with the connections, so she will deal with him to retrieve the diamond from the Swiss bank.”

*****

Gisele agreed that a trip to Chicago was the next step. Such matters shouldn’t be discussed over the phone, and she wanted to meet the attorney to find out what he knew. The next day when Micah finished training, Gisele met him at his hotel.

They took the redeye to Chicago, while Alek thought she was spending the night with Micah. She was, just not in Vegas. As a precaution, she’d removed her cell phone battery so her brother couldn’t track her. During a short layover, they drank black coffee, trying to stay awake. “I’m anxious to talk to this attorney,” Micah said. “The more I know, the better I’ll be able to protect you.”

Gisele sipped her coffee and rubbed her eyes. “I was thinking about it,” she said. “The diamond has to be stolen.”

“I don’t think there is any question of that.”

“I have a lot of other questions, though,” Gisele said. “I just hope we get some answers.”

“Yes, like how did your father get his hands on such a valuable item in the first place?”

“And how in the world did he manage to secure it in Switzerland, right under the nose of the mob?” Gisele frowned. “Surely they must have been after it, even then.”

“It’s not like they wouldn’t notice it was missing.”

“My father must have planned for the worst,” Gisele said. “He set up the trust before he went to prison.”

“Prison is treacherous, so I can understand that.” Micah tossed his now cold coffee in the bin next to him. “It was smart to make preparations in case he wasn’t released.”

“He couldn’t have known that he’d die before that ever happened,” Gisele said. “He had a heart condition, so his death was sudden. No one predicted that.”

Micah massaged the back of his neck, stiff from the uncomfortable seat on the plane. “In retrospect, it was fortunate that he handled the matter of inheritance before he was incarcerated. If he hadn’t, he might not have had the chance.”

“Consider for a moment how long the mob has been waiting to get their hands on that diamond,” Gisele said.

“For that much money, even they will wait,” Micah said. “Besides, what choice did they have? Apparently, only your father knew where he’d hidden the gem. And they
assumed
that he would include the item in any inheritance he left you.”

“Of course, why wouldn’t he?” Gisele furrowed her brow. “It’s not likely a father would overlook something that valuable when setting up a trust for his daughter.” She sighed. “The thing that has saved me so far is that my brother doesn’t know
for sure
if my father shared the location of the diamond.”