Chapter Six

~ Janos ~

"Sir," Lester said as soon as I walked into my office. "You received a small package this time, but it looks like it came from the same sender."

Damn.

I had been in such a good mood after attending the auction with Gianni last night. Even if we'd only gone as friends, I'd been floating on cloud nine since the moment I had picked him up for our non-date date.

"Let me see it."

Lester handed me the small white box. I cut the tape holding it closed and the pulled the lid up. The first thing I spotted was a folded piece of paper. I felt a bit of trepidation when I opened it up and read what it said.

"For use in a Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity Test (NIPP)."

I set the note aside and looked into the box to find a small plastic baggy with what looked like several bloody cotton swaps inside.

I frowned, confused. "Lester, what is a Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity Test or NIPP?" I don't think I'd ever heard that term before.

"Let me look, sir."

I could hear Lester typing away on his tablet as I stared down at the bloody cotton swabs. I wasn't sure what to think of them. Whoever was behind this was obviously persistent that I was the father of this baby, but was that to be believed?

Just how far would they go to blackmail me?

"Sir, a Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity Test uses a blood sample from the mother and a cheek swab from the father to do a paternity test. It's a bit expensive, but is considered the safest method for the fetus and it only takes three to five days for the results."

"Set up an appointment with the lab." I wanted this test done as soon as possible. Maybe that would give us some ammunition to use against whoever was doing this. "And have them put a rush on the results."

"Yes, sir."

"How in the hell do I do a cheek swab?" I asked absently. "Do we need to call a lab guy down here or something?"

I had no idea how these things were done. My knowledge lay in making money out of mud holes, not paternity tests. Although, as often as people accused me of knocking them up, maybe I needed to learn.

"That would probably be best, sir," Lester replied. "It'll lessen the possibility of the sample being contaminated."

"Call whoever you need to call and get it done."

Lester was already pulling his phone out of his suit jacket as he walked away.

I felt as if I was being led around by the nose. Each piece of information was being spoon fed to me by someone I didn't know. Well, according to them, I knew them very well, at least in the biblical sense.

The rest of my afternoon was spent deep in meetings, answering phone calls, and getting the inside of my cheek swapped. It was a pretty uneventful day, but I kind of preferred it that way.

Usually, I enjoyed the hustle and bustle of buying and selling real estate. There were times when I could make or lose millions of dollars in a single second and that made my heart race with adrenaline.

This was my high.

There were other times when I just wanted peace and quiet, like today. I took the drink Vasso held out to me as I walked in the front door of my penthouse and handed him my suit jacket.

"Dinner will be ready in an hour, sir."

"Thank you, Vasso."

I walked directly through the living room to the outside patio overlooking the city. I stopped at the railing at the edge of the building, one hand holding my drink and one hand resting on the railing.

This might actually be my favorite spot in the entire penthouse.

When my cell phone rang, I slid it out of my pocket and checked the caller. I didn't recognize the number, but answered it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Janos?"

My heart skipped a beat. "Gianni?"

"Yeah, hey, um...I got a new phone, but they wouldn't give me a new number. So, I thought I'd call and give it to you."

I couldn't even describe how that made me feel.

Giddy?

"I appreciate it," I said as I settled myself in a chair facing the sunset.

He sounded a little hesitant when he asked, "I didn't call at a bad time, did I?"

"No, I'm just having a drink out on my patio, watching the sun set."

"Oh." He sounded much chipper. "Do you have a good view from your patio?"

"I do. I'd love to show it to you sometime." There were a lot of things that I wanted to show Gianni, including the view from my bedroom. Now just was not the time to mention that.

I could tell from the look on Gianni's face when we were together and the tone of his voice when he spoke that he was interested, but something was holding him back, something he wasn't ready to talk about.

That was okay. I could wait.

"The view is what sold me on this place," I continued. "Work can be fun, but it can also be tedious and frustrating at times. I like being able to come home and just unwind with a drink and a little peace and quiet."

Gianni let out a small chuckle. "Sounds nice."

"It is." I took a sip of my drink, my mind whirling with ideas. "Maybe you could come over for dinner sometime and we can sit and watch the sun go down together."

"I'd love to," Gianni replied.

"Are you free this weekend?"

The sooner the better.

"No, I'm actually flying out to Seattle to see my family this weekend."

Disappointment weighed heavy on me, but I understood Gianni's desire to see his family. From what I could recall, they were a pretty close-knit family.

"When you get back then."

"Sounds like a plan," Gianni replied.

I certainly thought so.

I was going to keep pursuing Gianni until I figured out what fascinated me about him. It wasn't his looks, although he was exceptionally beautiful. And I wasn't sure it was his intellect either, although that was far superior to most people I'd met. There was just something about Gianni that grabbed my attention and held onto it with a vice grip.

"Why don't you give me a call when you get back and we can plan something?"

"I will," Gianni replied. "I'll only be gone for the weekend."

"Do you need a ride?" I asked. "I have my jet on standby."

I'd fly him out myself if I had to.

Yes, I had a pilot's license.

"No, but thank you for the offer. My father is sending a plane for me."

We talked until the sun had set before Gianni said he had to go so he could get some rest. I hated hanging up. I was enjoying our conversation, but I understood the need for a goodnight's sleep.

I needed some myself.

"I'd better let you go so you can get some sleep," I told Gianni. "Call me when you get back." Instant distaste filled me at the idea of not hearing from Gianni for so long. "Call me if you just want to talk."

Gianni's chuckle rumbled through the phone. "I will."

"Okay, goodnight, Gianni."

"Nite, Janos."

I loved hearing my name on his lips.

I reluctantly hung up, but it was for the best. Right now, Gianni thought of us as merely friends, and that was okay. A good solid friendship would give us a foundation to build something else on.

After eating dinner, I looked over a few files that I needed for tomorrow, took a shower, and then headed for bed.

Unfortunately, morning came way too quickly.

I tried not to groan in protest and toss the alarm clock across the room. Instead, I slapped it to give myself ten more minutes.

When it went off again, I slapped it again, this time shutting it off. I'd taken a shower the night before and I probably should again, but I was just too damn tired. If I didn't have an important merger meeting later this afternoon, I'd take the day off and go back to sleep.

I sighed as I rolled to the side of the bed and then sat up. I rubbed both hands over my face before briefly glancing around my room. I glanced at my bed with longing as I got up and went to the bathroom to start my day.

Vasso was waiting for me when I walked out of the bedroom, a cup of coffee and the morning's newspaper in his hand. "Lester called this morning, sir. He wished you to call him before you leave for work."

Damn.

"Thank you, Vasso," I stated as I grabbed the coffee cup and then took a big gulp. I grabbed the paper and made my way out to the patio. As soon as I sat down, I dialed Lester. He usually didn't call before I reached my office so it must be important.

"Good morning, sir," Lester said as soon as the line connected. "Sorry to bother you before you left for work, but I wanted to remind you to bring the De Luca file with you. It should be on your desk, sir."

I vaguely remembered going over it the night before. "Any reason?"

It hadn't seemed like top priority.

"Victor De Luca called and requested a meeting, sir. I believe he wants to discuss the contract in more detail."

Asshole.

"When?"

"Ten o'clock, sir."

"This morning?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright, set the meeting for the conference room at ten, but make sure everything is set in there. I don't like this guy very much. I want everything he says to be on record in case he tries to come back later and say something else."

If it wasn't for the fact that Victor De Luca had connections all over the city, I wouldn't even entertain the idea of having a meeting with him. I certainly didn't want to do business with him.

Unfortunately, I might not have a choice.

"Yes, sir."

"I'll see you in a little while, Lester."

"Yes, sir."

As I hung up the phone, I sighed. I could already feel a headache coming on and I hadn't even left the building yet. That did not bode well for the rest of my day.

I read over the morning news as I drank my coffee. This might be one of my favorite times of the day. It was just me, my coffee, something to read, and silence. Vasso didn't even say a word when he delivered my breakfast.

I paid the man well and he was worth every cent.

I finished my coffee, my breakfast, and the morning paper, and then got up to go to work. I was looking forward to this day even less than I had been when my alarm went off.

I couldn't wait until the weekend.