CHAPTER 7

Both Riccardo and Gemma turned to look at Michelle as she entered the office. Michelle had a bright smile on her face, but she halted her step when she saw Gemma.

"Oh, sorry am I interrupting?"

Riccardo smiled at his wife while Gemma scowled. Closing the files on his desk, Riccardo stood and approached his wife.

"No, you're not, Gemma and I were just finishing up."

He put his hand around Michelle's waist pulling her closer to him. She smiled up at him and he saw the love she had for him in her eyes. No way was he believing that his wife would betray him. He knew Michelle, knew how much she loved him. She would never hurt him.

He lightly kissed her on her lips then turned to Gemma, who was now standing.

"Gemma, you remember my wife Michelle?"

Gemma stepped forward, a fake smile displayed on her face. She eyed Michelle up and down. For the life of her she couldn't see what Riccardo saw in her. Sure she was pretty, with her exotic looks but so was Gemma. She might have fooled Riccardo with her fake wide-eyed look of innocence, but Gemma wasn't buying it. She was hiding something and Gemma was going to find out and expose her for the fraud she was, then Riccardo will see that the woman he married isn't who she said she is.

"How could I forget?"

Her voice might have sounded sweet, but Michelle heard the scorn all too well.

"How are you Michelle? I must say that you are looking quite lovely."

Michelle smiled back at Gemma. Two can play this game.

"I am fabulous. I have the perfect husband and a job I love, what more can a girl ask for?"

Riccardo pulled her closer to him and kissed her head. Gemma saw this and almost rolled her eyes. Michelle can flash her fake smile and boast as much as she wants, but Gemma will be the one laughing when her true self is revealed.

Picking up her bag Gemma got ready to leave. She was not going to subject herself to their true love routine.

"Ricky, I'll be heading you now. You can keep the files."

She said then turned and looked at Michelle.

"And please think about what I told. Rest assure, I will find out the truth."

The challenge in her gaze was not lost on Michelle, but she just smiled back at her. She wasn't going to give Gemma the benefit of seeing her react.

"Thank you for everything Gem, I really do appreciate it," Riccardo said.

He saw the way Gemma was looking at Michelle, but he said nothing. It wouldn't do to test Gemma. He knew she would stop at nothing to prove that his wife was working with the police, a fact that he refused to believe.

Gemma smiled one last time at them then turned and walked out of the office. It was going to be a long night for her and an even longer week.

"So are you free for lun-"

Michelle did not get a chance to finish her sentence. One minute she was asking her husband a question and the next she was being scooped up into strong arms and being thoroughly kissed.

Riccardo ran his hand up her back and into her curls, angling her head to the side so that he could deepen the kiss. Michelle slid her hands up his chest and into his hair, returning his kiss with as much passion.

Her lips always felt like home to Riccardo and her body was his sanctuary. He can always count on Michelle to help him forget all the bad things he had to deal with every day. She was his safe haven, he couldn't... wouldn't lose her.

Riccardo pulled back and rested his head against hers with his eyes closed. Michelle palmed his face, sensing that something was troubling him.

"Rick, are you alright?"

Riccardo sighed, pulling back. He looked into her eyes and saw the concern. He touched his lips to her one last time then smiled.

"I'm always alright when you are in my arms."

He stepped back, ran this hand through his hair then asked.

"What were you going to ask me before?"

Michelle assessed him for a while longer, then smiled and replied.

"I wanted to know if you were free for lunch."

"For you I will always be free."

Riccardo grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and followed his wife out of his office. He knew what he had to do. He was going to find out why his wife was talking to the police and how much about him she really knew. And if she knew what and who he was, he was going to make her understand because he had no intention of losing her.

++++++++++

"I don't care what Gemma says, Michelle would never be talking to the cops about you. Rick, you know our girl, she's crazy about you. It might have taken her a while, but we both know that she loves you."

Martin was pissed that Gemma was still on her antics, Riccardo dumped her for Michelle and she was being a bitch about it. Why couldn't she just move on and leave the couple alone? He's bet any money that Gemma was setting Michelle up somehow. He wasn't going to let her mess up his friend's life by painting his wife a traitor. Martin knew how it feels to lose the person you love like that and he wasn't willing to watch him friend go through it if it wasn't true.

Martin has never seen him friend happier than when he was with Michelle. She helps to keep the demon at bay and because of her a lot of men are still alive today. Whenever she puts him in a good mood he spear lives, something he would never have done before. He'd be damn if he let Gemma take away his friend's saving grace.

"Don't worry, leave it to me. I'll find out exactly what is going on and if I find out Gemma is involved in any way, I'll deal with her. I never liked the bitch anyway."

Martin grabbed the file and walked out of Riccardo's office. Riccardo sat back in his chair and sighed deeply, he knows Martin will not rest until he got to the bottom of it. He also know that if Martin found out that is wife was working with the police, he would expect him to handle it, the way the always do. Riccardo just wasn't sure he could and he pray to god that he wouldn't have to.

He rested his head back and brought his hand to his face. His mind wandering back to one of the darkest time in his and Martin's life. It was still something that haunted him and it almost killed Martin. He saw what his friend went through, he saw how it took away a part of his friend and he wasn't willing to go through that.

Flashback

"Rick give it to me straight man, who is the traitor in our mix?"

Riccardo looked at Martin, he was not sure he wanted his friend to know who the traitor was. He himself was filled up with rage, how could she go against Martin like that?

Riccardo held the file in his hand that contained the information that will forever break his friend. He reluctantly handed it over to Martin and waited. He watched as Martin face became unreadable, the only emotion he displayed was when he threw the file across the room and pictures after picture of Carmen floated across the room.

"Martin?"

Riccardo asked, but Martin grabbed his gun and holstered it.

"Let get this over with."

Martin stormed out of his office leaving Riccardo. He bend to retrieve the file and all its contents. He walked out of the office and followed Martin to Carmen's house.

The drive to her house was done in silence. Martin was gripping the steering wheel tight and speeding down the highway. Riccardo didn't know what he was feeling at the moment but he knew that it couldn't be good.

When they finally reached to the house, Martin jumped out of the car barely turning the engine off in time. He was on a mission, whether it was to kill or save Riccardo wasn't sure.

They walked into the house and found Carmen cooking in the kitchen. She turned and smiled at them.

"Martin, Rick, you didn't say you were coming, but it's always nice to have my two favourite guys over."

She walked over to Martin and kissed him on the lips.

"Especially you."

Martin hands came around her and he held her tight, burying his face in her hair. He inhaled deeply and kissed her head. He then palmed her face and took her mouth captive. She moaned softly, wrapping her hands around him.

Martin pulled away and rested his head against hers.

"You ok baby?" she asked, concern laced her voice.

"I love you Carmen, but I've got a job to do. Please forgive me."

Martin stepped back from her and she looked from him to Riccardo. Her beautiful face showed her confusion, her eyes unsure of what was going on.

"Forgive you for what? What are you talking about? What do you mean?"

To answer her question Martin pulled out his gun and pointed it right at her head. She gasped and took a step back, her eyes frantically moving between us.

"B-baby, what are y-you doing?"

Martin finger was seconds away from pulling the trigger. Her eyes pleaded with Riccardo to help her and he rested his hand on Martin's hand, slowly pushing down. Forcing him to lower the gun.

"Don't do anything stupid, Martin. We need to find out what she knows and who else knows it. Then and only then will I let you pull that trigger, not a minute before."

Carmen started crying, she was backed up against the counter gripping it. She knew that a time would come when she would be found out, she had just hoped that that time would have been when the FEDs arrested Martin and Riccardo, and she was in protective custody.

Riccardo turned to her, grabbing her by the arm he dragged her down to the basement. Carmen eyes went wide, she knew that if she let them take her down in the basement she wasn't coming back up alive.

"AHHH-"

She screamed but it was cut off by Riccardo's hand over her mouth. Riccardo never hit a woman in his life and he wasn't about to start now. He held her more firmly as she tried to escape. His hand cut off any attempted to scream and alert her neighbours.

When they were down in the basemen he pushed her into one of the chairs Martin brought down with him. He took the other one and Martin took the steps.

He didn't want to have to tie her to the chair, he wanted to make it as painless as possible, but her attempted to run was pissing him off. He took off his tie, grabbing her hands he ties it behind the chair. He tied it as loose as possible but firm enough that she won't be able to escape.

"Now Carmen, I'm going to ask you a few questions and you're going to answer me truthfully, ok?"

She nodded her head, her eyes wide with fear and tears streaming down her face. Her eyes landed on Martin and she said.

"I'm sorry Martin, I really do love y-"

"Shut up! Don't you say it, don't you dare say it!!"

Martin jumped to his feet, taking the stairs two at a time he left the basement. Her eyes closed and she started crying harder. Riccardo give her a few minutes to have her cry then he began his interrogation.

"How long have you been working with the police?"

Carmen stop crying and answered. She knew two much about how they operate to not cooperate.

"Since the day I met Martin. They approached me when I was leaving work one afternoon and told me that my boss was dealing in gun trafficking and drugs. I was just a lowly office supply girl. Although I worked at M.W trading for six months I'd never met Martin out right."

She paused and looked up when Martin come back into the room.

"They said that I was the type of girl he likes, at the time I thought it was a joke. I mean, they were telling me that the guy I work for was a hard core criminal. But they showed me pictures and proof. I didn't want anything to do with it a first but they say that I would be helping out my country that I'll be helping to put away a really bad guy, so I said yes."

Martin and Riccardo listen as she talked, it wasn't anything that they didn't already know. Riccardo leaned back him his chair and continued.

"What did you find out and how much of it did you tell them?"

Carmen didn't answer straight away, her eyes were on Martin. She did love him and it killed her every day to know that she was betraying his love. She hadn't expected to fall in love with him, she thought that he would have been a cold hearted son of a bitch, but he wasn't. At least not to her, he treating her like a queen and give her so much love. To see him look at her like she was a stranger almost made her wish that he would just pull the trigger and end the torcher in her heart.

"I found shipment and documents dating back a few years. I also found the warehouse you take you victims to in order to dispose of them. I give everything I found out to the police, but I never got a chance to tell them about the warehouse. What I give them was enough, they needing a smoking gun and warehouse would have been it."

She looked down at her lap. She knew her end was near.

"I was going to give it to them tomorrow at the bakery two blocks away from my house. That's where we meet, one of the workers is an undercover officer. Her name is Milly."

She looked up back at them.

"Please don't kill her, she has two young children and no family to look after them if she gone. They'll end up in foster care, it's not nice being in foster care."

Riccardo nodded his head, he had no intention of killer the officer. He had what he wanted, it was all up to Martin to do what he wanted with Carmen. He stood and turned to his friend.

"What do you wanna do, it's your choice. Whatever you choose I'll support you on it."

Martin stood with his gun in his hand. He pointed it at her and she closed her eyes and waited for him to pull the trigger. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes and saw Riccardo watching her. She felt someone at her back loosening the tie from her hands. When she was untied, Martin grabbed her and yanked her out of the chair.

"You sure this is what you want to do?"

Martin nodded and Riccardo did the same, understanding why his friend chose not to kill her.

"I'll have all the necessary paperwork and the chopper fuelled, ready and waiting."

Riccardo turned and left his friend.

Martin grabbed Carmen and pushed her up against the wall hard. She was still scared, but at lease he wasn't going to kill her. Martin grabbed the front of her top ripping it open. She gasped and looked at him. His lips descended on hers in a forceful almost punishing kiss. When he pulled back, they were both breathing hard.

He grabbed her hair tight, making her cry out.

"If I ever have the displeasure of laying my eyes on you again, make no mistake I will kill you. I don't care if you've found a family and decided to get married and have children, I will put a bullet between your eyes, understood?"

Carmen shivered from his threat, she knew he meant every word. She nodded her head letting him know that she understood. Then he growled and his lips were on hers again. He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. If that was all he was offering her after what she did, she would willing take it.