Sex and the Billionaire Crime Boss - Season 2

Ch. 6: Liftoff

When I get downstairs Gabe is waiting at the curb, leaning against the car. He pops the trunk open and puts my luggage in, then opens the passenger door for me.

I usually feel comfortable with Gabe, but this is awkward since I don't know what, if anything, Max has told him about the change in our relationship.

But I don't have long to wonder.

"You're making a mistake," he tells me, as we pull away from the curb.

I don't bother pretending not to know what he means.

"I know about what Max did to Ramon Suarez. I'm not okay with that."

He glances over. "Are you okay with what Suarez did to his girlfriend?"

"Of course not. But that didn't give Max - or you - the right to take things into your own hands."

"That's where we disagree," Gabe says.

We ride in silence for several minutes, then he looks over at me again. "I've known Max for a long time."

"I know. You grew up together."

"Not a lot of people have the power to hurt him."

I really don't have an answer to that. I'm not going to sit here defending my decision to a man who himself is up to his eyeballs in anything criminal that Max is involved in.

Martina obviously thinks I made the wrong decision, although she gets my reasons why. Gabe is openly disapproving. The only person on my side in this is my grandfather, although he'd probably want to kill me if he knew I was heading right now to meet Max and take off for New York.

I try changing the subject.

"I'm surprised you didn't invite Martina along for the trip."

"It's business," Gabe says.

"Max took me along to Las Vegas when he had business."

Gave gives a short laugh. "And look how that turned out. Now Gino is summoning you to go to a meeting. Given recent events, I'm surprised you agreed."

Now I turn in my seat and face him.

"I got the impression from Max that saying no was not an option."

Gabe is silent for a moment, then he nods. "Gino usually gets what he wants."

But he's leaving me wondering if it's true that there would have been serious trouble with Gino if I didn't show up, or if maybe it was Max himself who considered it so important that I come on this trip that he wouldn't give me the option of saying no.

Before I can fully consider the possible ramifications of this, we arrive at the airport and park near the terminal where private planes arrive and depart.

Gabe waves me off when I try to lift my suitcase out of the trunk, and just hands me my tote bag. Then he grabs the suitcase and we walk toward the waiting plane.

Even though I've been on it twice already, it's still a shock to travel in this kind of luxury. I go up the steps into the now-familiar cabin, and stop in the doorway. Max looks up from the wide leather seat where he's sitting scrolling through a tablet. He sets it down and gives me a stare so intense I can't seem to move forward.

Then he stands and he's walking toward me.

"Hello, Hadley. Come take a seat."

He takes my arm and leads me to the seat next to him, by the window. When he sits down in his seat again, I'm effectively blocked in.