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I look over at Parker, who’s staring at me – now wearing almost the exact same Ray Bans and Armani suit as Niko. Parker just has more mass. “My wife doesn’t drink, Jonny.”
“I know, Boss. That’s why I’m technicallynotalerting you, I’m just…:”
“Alerting me?”
Niko starts the SUV and merges into the traffic.
“Yeah, she’s just… sitting there. Not drinking. She ordered a glass of that Argentinian wine, and she’s been staring at it. Like, really hard. Jonas is freaking out.”
I look at my watch. “It’s barely noon.”
Jonny sighs sassily.
“We’re around thecorner. Don’t let her leave.”
“I’m pretty sure she’s merged into the barstool. She hasn’t moved in twenty minutes, Boss. I don’t think she’s blinked. But yup, I’ll be here. Not like I have anything else to do today with the fight happening tonight. I don’t have a million other things to prepare for whatsoever. Not like I haven't told you to get another assistant.”
“You’re very sassy today.”
“I’m sassy every day. Be happy I love Sabrina, Maks,” he replies, hanging up on me.
“Is that a thing now?” I ask Niko.
“What?”
“The hanging up on me thing?
He laughs. “You tend to hang up first. No kiss goodbye. No ‘I love you.’ Justclick.”
“Shit.” Parker grunts. “I have six missed calls from Jonas.”
“Call him back.”
“Don’t need to. I got double the amount of missed texts from him, too.”
I grunt in response when he parks in front of an empty Eden, and we all get out. Jonas opens the door to greet us, apologizing, and we follow him up to the bar on the second floor, where Sabrina is still staring at a glass of very expensive white Argentinian wine. The bartender, Mike, darts his eyes to me, then leaves to give us privacy.
Sabrina rubs her thumb over the condensation, her fingers wrapped around the stem of the glass, just… lost to whatever is going on in her mind. I put one hand on the bar, the other on her shoulder. “Duchess?”
She flinches, only to blink and lean into my touch – but she still doesn't look at either of us. “Hey.”
“Are you okay?”
She shakes her head. “I haven't had a drop of alcohol in three years now. This was my favorite wine.”
“Wanna tell us what happened, baby girl?”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Sabrina.
One Hour Prior…
"Miss Sabrina?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes, Lily?" I look up from the documents I'm reading to see my assistant standing at the open door to my office, hand on the knob.
She grins and pushes her glasses up her nose. "I'm heading out to lunch. Do you want me to pick up your usual, or is Mr. Giordano accompanying you today? I haven't seen Parker down in the lobby either. Is he okay? Is Rory okay?"