“Well—Cecily and Alex are my concern. So….”
“Actually no they aren’t. Cecily is not your family. She’s mine and maybe even Alex’s daughter.”
Braylee spoke slowly and evenly to gain some control over her frustration with this woman willing to do any and everything to get the results she wanted. Braylee knew she was lying because Alex told her he’d had Cecily tested. “Will you just stop! Aren’t you tired of playing these stupid games? You told Alexandro that Cecily was Luciano’s. For whatever reason, you made that choice and now you want to change your mind?”
“I never said anything to you.”
Braylee couldn’t hold back her anger. “Why would you do this? If you cared anything for Cecily, you wouldn’t….”
Gina slammed her glass down on the table, “Don’t you dare tell me about how I feel about Cecily! You have no idea what I’ve sacrificed or given up to keep her safe. Don’t come in here pretending that you’re so concerned about her anyway. You’re just afraid that if Alex is her father and if we can figure a way out of this mess, you might get left in the cold. I know you saw the way he looked at me.”
Try as she might to ignore it Braylee had seen it. “Alex loves me. I’m not at all concerned about your past with him because that’s exactly what it is…his past.” While she was proud of how the words came out of her mouth, she wasn’t certain of their truthfulness.
Gina couldn’t read Braylee and honestly, didn’t want to spend any more time dealing with her. “Back to my original question, what the hell do you want?”
“Look we can snipe at each other all night but, if you were serious back at the airport, we could try to put our heads together and figure this out without anyone else getting hurt. I have some favors I could call in if you…”
Gina almost snorted as she cut her off. “You obviously don’t know my father very well. He’d just assuredly kill me as I stand here as drink a cup of tea. I have my own way of dealing with this situation. I’ve kept the lid on it for fifteen years.” Gina wrung her hands together. “I just need to keep Alex and Cicely out of the way a little longer until my plan is complete.”
Braylee was quickly losing patience. “And, just how do you plan to do that? Alex is never going to let this go unchecked. Why the hell do you think we’re even over here in the first place?”
Through clenched teeth, Gina enunciated each word. “I. Have. A. Plan.”
Braylee wasn’t the least bit intimidated. Yes, she hated her, but she also loved Alexandro and Cecily more than she hated Gina. She needed the people behind killing Nate to pay for their crimes. “What do you plan to do Gina because Luciano and my best friend are dead?”
“You don’t give up do you? Is this how you win all of your cases? Annoy your opponents to death?”
Braylee looked to the heavens as if asking for strength. ”You’re smart Gina, but you’re also a hot head. You’re leading by emotion, and I don’t want Alexandro or Cecily to be the next victims because you didn’t think whatever plan you have all the way through.”
Gina poured herself another shot. “And, you don’t show enough emotion. Sometimes it’s a good motivating force.” She was just about to throw it back but stopped mid-way to her lips. “Anyway, don’t act like you know me. You have no idea who I am and what I’m capable of. As a matter of fact, if I were you, I’d tread very carefully.” She then turned up the glass.
Was she serious? Was she really about to get hammered when an hour ago Alex thought that she was responsible for the death of Luciano? Braylee was done playing games. She stepped a little closer to Gina and snatched the bottle away from her. “No, I think you underestimate me. That’s been your mistake from day one. You don’t know me, and you certainly have no idea of what I’m capable of.”
Slowly, Gina clapped. “Bravo. My goodness, there is a bit of fire in that cold body of yours. I was beginning to wonder what the hell Alex was thinking.” She narrowed her eyes. “But, I’ve told you…I am NOT the one.”
The two women stood glaring at each other when the door flew open. Alexandro hadn’t knocked. He just barged into Gina’s office. He wasn’t totally surprised to see Braylee. She could tell by the way he cut his eyes at her that he was pissed that she was there. “Braylee can you please excuse Gina and I. I think we have some things we need to discuss—privately.”
Braylee wanted to tell him no. She also knew she was wrong for taking it upon herself to talk to Gina in the first place. If she were honest, she didn’t want Gina anywhere near Alex, and that was part of her motivation for even being in the same room with her. “Fine. I’ll go check on Cecily.”
He responded in his own terse tone. “Thank you.”
Braylee took one last look at a smirking Gina and Alex before she left the room.
“I have no idea what you see in her Alex.”
“Braylee
