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“Gunny, you’re making me nervous.”

He reached over and covered her thigh with his hand. He felt nervous as that gut instinct and feeling of anxiety filled him.

“Sorry, baby, I don’t like the way that Mercedes showed up and followed us. Just as a precaution I’m running the plates.”

She glanced back and then looked at him.

“What Mercedes?”

“They turned off two blocks back. I’m still not sure it’s nothing.”

“I’m sure it isn’t anything. I don’t know anyone who drives a Mercedes, do you?”

“No. What does Jeffrey drive?” he found himself asking. She appeared very nervous.

“A Porsche.”

A bit of relief filled him, but then again, it would be easy for a guy like Jeffrey to get another car. Perhaps a loaner or something. “Just relax. I’ll take you to lunch and we’ll head home.”

“Okay.”

* * * *

Gia sat in the restaurant with Gunny and he didn’t seem like himself at all. Even as he held her hand, he wasn’t focused on her but on two men who entered the restaurant and sat at the bar.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine. Let’s eat and then get going.”

This wasn’t exactly her idea of an enjoyable lunch and as she turned around to see who he was staring at, she caught sight of two men. Her belly tightened for some odd reason. Did she know them? Had she seen them before? As she thought about it, she vaguely remembered walking into work this morning with Gunny and seeing one of the men standing in the main lobby, reading a paper. The building had multiple businesses in it so she hadn’t given it any thought.

“Gia?”

“Yes?” She played with her fork. She didn’t have much of an appetite now.

“What is it?”

She hesitated only a moment then whispered to Gunny, “Are you watching those two men?” He nodded his head. “I’ve seen one of them before.”

He focused on her face. He looked very serious.

“Where?”

“Back at work this morning, in the lobby. The tall one was reading a paper and he looked right at me.”

“Have you ever seen him before then?”

She shook her head.

“Let’s go.” Gunny waved over the waitress so they could pay the check. As he did, the two men left the bar in kind of a hurry.

Gunny threw down more than enough money as they headed out of the restaurant.

As they exited she saw Gunny’s line of sight.

* * * *

Gunny immediately saw the Mercedes. While they were dining, it came up as registered under Valencio Corporation. He didn’t know who that was and was going to ask Gia when the men exited the bar area. The same two men stood outside the car and as Gia and Gunny walked closer, they began to get into the Mercedes. They were being obvious that they were watching.