Design for Love ((Women of Landry's Landing and The Fabrizio men) Read online

  “Yes, but then what do I do? I don’t have any place to go.” Toni said as she went into the back bedroom and bolted the door. She went to the bookcase on the far wall and shoved it aside. Behind the door was a hidden staircase she quickly made her way down it and out the back of the building. “Okay I’m out of the building now. Where do I go?”

  “Is there any way you can get to the airport?” Gabe asked as he turned to his laptop while talking to her. “If you can’t get to the airport, then I want you to go to the nearest police station.”

  “There’s a police station a few blocks from here, what do I do when I get there?” She asked is a bit panicked.

  “You let me worry about that, you just stay on the line with me and when you get there give the phone to whoever is in charge okay?” Gabe said calmly hoping that his voice would help to calm her down.

  “I’m walking into the police station now.” She said.

  “Good now ask to speak to the person in charge, but first listen very carefully and repeat what I tell you okay?” Gabe asked to make sure she understood him.

  “Okay.” Toni replied.

  “Say what I say word for word. I am here on behalf of Fabrizio Industries, and I have a situation that I need someone with authority to take care of.” Gabe stopped talking to listen just as she finished saying what he’d told her to say to a desk officer, she began speaking to him again.

  “Uh, Gabe there is a really big guy standing in front of me, what do you want me to do?” Toni asked nervously.

  “Stay where you are and hand him the phone.” Gabe replied as he sent an urgent message to one of the pilots whom they always kept on stand-by.

  Toni did as he said and waited while he spoke with the man for several minutes before he handed her the phone back.

  “Toni, are you there, can you hear me?” Gabe asked.

  “Yes Gabe I’m here, and I can hear you now what?” She asked.

  “The man standing in front of you is detective Cooper he is going to take you to the airport. I want you to get on the plane that’s waiting for you the pilot is going to bring to Landry’s landing okay?” Gabe said to the young woman.

  “But I left all my stuff back at the loft the only thing I have with me is my purse.” Toni said as tears began to roll down her cheek.

  “Don’t worry about that you can go shopping when you arrive, I‘ll see you when you get here alright?”

  “Alright, thanks Gabe you are the best and tell London I can’t wait to see her.” Toni said before disconnecting the call.

  Gabe looked at the phone and frowned. “London’s probably not going to be too happy about this.”

  “London’s probably not going to be too happy about what Gabe?” London asked as she walked into Gabe’s office.

  Chapter Eight

  London stood on the opposite side of Gabe’s desk and stared at him through narrowed eyes before folding her arms below her breasts. She didn’t look too pleased with him at the moment.

  “What’s going on Gabe, what is it that I won’t be happy about?” She asked moving closer to his desk.

  “Hi dolcezza, I thought you were having brunch with the others?” He said as he stood and walked towards her.

  “I was and then I got a phone call only it wasn’t my cell phone it was yours. So I come back to the office so that I could switch phones with you. Now, let’s try this again either you answer my question, or I’m going to start breaking things, and you’d better hope that I don’t start with your knee caps.” London said through tightly clenched teeth. “So you might want to start talking or that Fabrizio fortune is going to be split three ways instead of four.”

  “Whoa, calm down baby, I’m sure once I explain what happened you’ll be very understanding.” He said as he reached for her, but she stopped him with an open palm to his muscular chest.

  “Slow your roll lover, don’t you dare touch me until you tell me what it is that I won’t be happy about. And you might want to talk fast because my patience is wearing thin.” She said not sounding at all happy.

  “First tell me why you’re so pissed, and I haven’t even told you what I did yet?” He asked folding his arms over his chest.

  “Let’s see because most of the time when a guy says that his girlfriend isn’t going to be happy about something, it’s usually because it has something to do with another woman.” She replied.

  “What, look dolcezza, I assure you that this has nothing to do with another woman, well at least not like you think.” He said cautiously. “Look will you please have a seat and let me tell you exactly what happened. I promise it’s not as bad as you think.”

  “Fine, but you’d better hope that it’s not as bad as I think, or I promise you that it’s over between us, now start talking.” She said as she took a seat on the couch along the far wall. When she’d decorated these offices, she’d made sure that she put a comfortable sofa in the offices of Pierce, Gio, Luc and Gabe. London thought that at some point a sofa may come in handy, especially if that were to get a visit from the Landry woman in their life.

  And now depending on what he had to tell her she may never get the chance to test this expensive piece of furniture. She just hoped that he was right and whatever he had to tell her wasn’t that bad.

  “Okay so as I was about to leave the office your cell phone rang, I didn’t know it was yours at the time, so I answered it. Remember when I told you that I knew you were hiding something? Well earlier this week I overheard you telling someone named Toni that you loved them. I, being the jealous fool that I am thought it was a boyfriend whom you’d left back in New York.” Gabe said pausing to get her reaction.

  London sighed loudly before responding. “So let me get this right you were eavesdropping on my private phone call and just assumed that I was talking to a boyfriend whom you thought I was hiding back in New York? And that’s when you got the stupid idea to bring Bambi to the café where you knew I’d be working?”

  “Yeah, that was pretty stupid huh?” He said lightly.

  “Yeah it really was, so even though I made no secret about the fact that I wanted a relationship with you, you thought that I’m the kind of person that would date two people at once?” She asked with a frown.

  “No it’s not like that.” He said shaking his head.

  “Then why don’t you tell me how it is.” She said with irritation.

  “Look I know that we had an attraction to each other from the very beginning, I just wasn’t sure if you wanted me as much as I wanted you. On top of that I was trying to deny my feeling for you, but when I thought that I might really lose you before I even had you, I had to do something.” He said hoping in his heart that she understood why he’d acted the way he had.

  “Okay, but that still doesn’t tell me what you did or why you think that I’ll be unhappy about it. Did Toni call, and that’s what this is about?” She said waiting for him to continue.

  “Yes she called and she was looking for you, but while we were talking someone tried to break in to the apartment. She thought it might be her stepfather, I told her to get out of there and go to the closest police station.” Gabe said.

  “What happened, is she alright, where is she now?” London asked slightly panicked.

  “Calm down dolcezza, she’s fine once she made it to the police station I spoke with the office and told him what I needed him to do, so she’ll be fine.” He explained.

  “Oh and he just did what you asked, just like that?” She asked a bit skeptically.

  “Of course he did I am a Fabrizio, and we have a way with people it also doesn’t hurt to offer a little financial incentive.” Gabe said with a smile.

  “Wow, where were you when I need help back in New York. So where is she, I need to call and make sure she’s okay?” London said.

  “Yeah about that, she’s fine, but you can’t call her right now.” Gabe said.

  “And just why is it that I can’t call her right now? Gabe, what in the hell have you
done?” London yelled.

  “That’s the part that I’m not sure you’re going to like. Toni is on a plane as we speak, she should be here in a couple of hours.” Gabe said and braced for the explosion that he was sure was about to happen.

  London laughed humorlessly. “Let me get this straight. You put a young girl who has never flown anywhere in her entire life on a plane by herself?” Have you lost your damn mind? What in the hell were you thinking? Anything could happen to her between New York and here. She’s been through a lot you couldn’t imagine the trauma that she’s experienced. Do you know that I’m responsible for that young lady? How could you do this without talking to me first?”

  “First let me just say she is safe okay have you forgotten that we have a private plane, I would never put her on a commercial flight alone. So to answer your second question I have not lost my damn mind. I know some of what she’s been through because she told me, and I didn’t talk to you before making this decision because there really wasn’t any time to talk to you, so I did what I thought was for the best at the time. So if you want to be angry at me for doing what I thought was right, then I guess I’ll just have to live with that.” Gabe said as he tried one of the tricks that Luc used to use when he was trying to get out of something with a person of the opposite sex.

  He placed a sad expression on his handsome face as he gazed at her with his moon eyes. “I guess I should tell that I really hope that you don’t stay angry with me, I did what I did because I love you, and I didn’t want you to worry about Toni being safe.”

  London gazed at him with wide questioning eyes, she shook her head slightly. “Wait, what did you just say? And you had better get the answer right the first time.”

  “I love you.” He said softly in his accented voice.

  “Don’t play with me Gabe, those words hold some heavy weight behind them, if you’re saying them to me you had better mean them.” She said seriously as she waited for him to confirm that he meant the words he’d just spoken.

  “I promise you that I love you with all my heart and soul, dolcezza.” He said as he took her hand in his.

  “I have dreamt of this moment so many times. I was beginning to think that was only time I hear you say those words to me. I love you too, lover.”

  “So does that mean you aren’t angry with me anymore?” He asked in a whispered tone.

  “You make it hard to stay angry with you.” She replied kissing him softly on the lips.

  “That’s good to know now do you want to tell me the whole story of how you ended up taking care of young Toni?” He asked.

  “I guess we should get comfortable if I’m going to tell you that story.” London said as she kicked off her shoes and removed her jacket. Gabe removed his jacket also before pulling her into his lap.

  “I’d just finished college I was offered a job in New York by a recruiter whom I’d met at the University. My sisters begged me not to go because they said they didn’t trust the guy. Nevertheless, I decided to go anyway and when I got to New York, there was no job, he’d lied to get me there. He thought that he had me at a disadvantage, by the time I realized that it had all been a lie. Well, he found out the hard way you do not mess with a Landry woman.” She said with a smirk.

  “What happened to the little creep? What did you do to him and am I going to need to hire you a lawyer? Alternatively, maybe fly us to another country?” He asked as he gazed at her with an arched brow.

  “No he’s alive he may never father any children but as least he’s breathing.” She said with a grin.

  “You didn’t. You crippled the man?” He asked laughing so hard he almost dumped her onto the floor.

  “You’re damn Skippy. I kicked that cream-puff in the jewels so hard he had to have surgery to find them and when they did find them. They had to use forceps to pull them out. And just to make sure he didn’t try the same crap on some other young girl. I broke a couple of his ribs.” She said with a grin on her face.

  “Damn dolcezza, you are definitely a true Landry woman.” He said grinning with pride. “So finish telling me about meeting Toni.”

  “Oh so after the ambulance hauled him off, and after I gave the police my side of the story, I went to rent a room, and the next day set out to look for a job. I ended up getting a singing gig at a dinner club. I work there for almost a year before get hired as a buyer at the department store. Anyway, I still sang at the club a couple of nights a week and one night after work. I was headed back to my loft when I saw this drunk man beating the crap out of this young girl. I yelled at him to stop, but he just started cussing at me, so I called the cops. Before I even disconnected the call he stalked towards me attempting to intimidate me.” She said with a faraway look in her eyes.

  “Let me guess that was a mistake on his part?” Gabe asked with curiosity.

  “You got that right, that stupid son of a…well you know. He reached out and grabbed my arm, and I broke his wrist right before I chopped him in the throat for having such a filthy mouth. While, he was clutching his throat, I went to make sure that the girl was alright. I tilted her face up and could not believe what he’d done to that poor girl. Her face was a swollen, bruised and blood mess.” He didn’t even think she realized that tears had begun to fall from her eyes as she continued to tell the story.

  “That low-life had broken her arm and several of her ribs she had bruises on her back and torso. He’d even pulled chunks of her hair out. Well, as I was squatting to check and see how bad, the damage was to Toni. He pushed me to the ground with his foot. That was another mistake and very unfortunate for him, because when I hit the floor, I took him down with me. It gave me great joy to whip his ass using the wedge heels. I was wearing. I kicked him right in the jaw, and shattered it. By the time the police got there, he needed paramedics more than she did.” London said as tears continued to roll down her cheeks.

  Gabe pulled her closer as he put both his arms around her to hold her tight and kissed her gently on the temple. “You are quite a woman, and you make me so proud to be your man. Neither you nor Toni ever has to worry about being hurt by anyone again. I promise to protect you both with all that I have and all that I am.”

  “When you say that it makes me feel like never need to worry again, but as long as her stepfather is breathing, he will continue to come after us. And I don’t want to put any of you in danger.” She said wiping her tears away.

  “Are you kidding me, hello have you missed all the danger and action that has accrued around this place, since we got here?” Gabe asked. “Being here at Landry’s Landing Inn has made us feel right at home. If you hadn’t figured out by now the Fabrizio family is use to being around danger.”

  “So I guess any idea I had about taking Toni and hitting the road is out of the question.” London asked as she gazed down at him.

  “In your very own words, you got that right.” He said teasingly. “So how did you end up with custody of Toni? What happened to her mother?”

  “I was the one that stayed by her side the entire time she was in the hospital. I'm also the one that paid for her hospital bill, and since she didn’t have anyone else they pushed my paperwork through so that she could stay with me. As for her mother, she was killed when Toni was twelve and shortly after that her stepfather started abusing her in every way imaginable.” London said wiping away more tears before resuming her story.

  “Anyway she’s doing a lot better when I first brought her home, she didn’t talk very much at all, but now it’s hard to get her to stop.” London said with a smile.

  “I noticed that, but she seems like a really nice girl, and I can’t wait to meet her.” Gabe said as he drew tiny circles on her back.

  “Speaking of which I guess she’ll be here soon. I suppose it’s time to talk to my sisters Will you come with me?” She asked nervously.

  “You just try to stop me. I’ll be by your side for as long as you’ll have me.” He replied with a smile.

  “And what if
I want you forever and always? What would you say to that?” She asked.

  “I would say you have me, I’m yours but just to make sure you don’t change your mind let’s get married.” He said he stood with her in his arms.

  Chapter Nine

  Gabe and London called everyone and asked them to meet them in the private dining room. Once everyone had arrived and was seated Gabe took London by the hand for support. She smiled at him before taking a deep cleansing breath.

  “We wanted all of you here because I have something to tell you, I’ve been hiding some things and it about time I tell you. Four years ago when I left here for that job I was offered after I got to New York, I found out there was no job. However, because I didn’t want to let you, guys know that you were right I got a place to stay and found a job. For almost a year I worked in a dinner club singing. Then I finally got a job as a buyer for a store but one night, I stopped a man who was abusing a young girl.” She took a breath, and Gabe squeezed her hand to let her know that he was there, and everything would be alright.

  “Anyway the man turned out to be her stepfather, but he went to jail once he was released from the hospital, and she come to live with me. Her name is Toni, and she’ll be here in little while. Gabe is flying her in from New York because her stepfather has just been released for prison, and he wants both of us dead. So if you don’t want either of us to stay here I understand.” London said as tears welled in her dark-brown eyes.

  “I should kick your ass, you stupid little girl. What in the hell is wrong with you?” Indy said a bit irritated with her sister.

  “What Indy is trying to say in her own twisted way is that we’re family you do not go through things like that alone. We are your sisters and no matter how bad things seem we will always be your sisters, whether you like it or not. Even if you think we’re crazy as hell, we are still family.” Gigi said as she stared at her.

  “What I want to know is how in the hell did you hide this for all this time?” Asia asked with curiosity.