“You look stunning, Tía Mariella.” Gabriel Santiago kissed his aunt on the cheek. She was a vision of refined elegance in a floor-length red gown with a flowing chiffon skirt and a beaded overlay.
“As do you, Elana.” He hugged his cousin, who looked beautiful in a burnt-orange goddess gown. The gown had a twisted fabric detail at the neck and sash and an impossibly high slit over one leg.
It was by no means the most revealing dress Elana had ever worn. However, the scowl on his aunt’s face indicated her displeasure with the amount of skin his cousin was showing.
“Wait until you see the decor,” Gabe said cheerily. The women had entered through the private back entrance used to usher high-profile clients into their private dining rooms. Mariella wanted the family to make a dramatic, united entrance to the party. “Teresa went with a modern take on the glamorous, old Hollywood vibe. You’re both going to love it.”
“I’m sure it’s fine.” Elana shrugged nonchalantly. “You and Teresa are great at what you do.” She surveyed the private party room where they’d agreed to gather. “Where’s Thom? I saw his car when the limo brought us around back.”
Gabe shrugged, gritting his teeth. Had Thom gotten cold feet? Or was there some other reason he hadn’t made his way back to the private dining room? “I haven’t seen him.”
“Thom’s a responsible young man,” Mariella said. “He’ll be here on time. Don’t worry.” She turned to Gabe. “Thank you for handling the party with Teresa. It was a comfort to know you were here when I couldn’t be.”
Gabe grinned, his heart swelling with pride at his aunt’s compliment. He was grateful to her in more ways than she could possibly ever know.
He couldn’t imagine what his life would’ve been like had she not taken him in. His aunt and uncle had treated him like a son and given him an incredible opportunity. He could never repay them for all that they’d done. Yet it never stopped him from doing all he could to earn their continued love and respect.
“It was my pleasure.” He smiled. “Can I get anyone anything while we’re waiting?”
“I’ll take a glass of that whiskey.” Joe slipped into the room, a big smile on his face.
Gabe frowned as Joe strode across the room and kissed his aunt on her cheek. As if he hadn’t just left her home.
He watched as Joe chatted with Mariella, his hand on her arm. His aunt was completely oblivious to the truth.
The bastard is in love with her.
Gabe could see the longing in Joe’s eyes whenever he looked at Mariella.
The man practically burned with desire for his aunt. It was evident in the quiet desperation emanating from Joe whenever he was around Mariella. His dire need to be near her. The way he invented excuses to touch her.
Gabe poured a glass of whiskey for Joe begrudgingly. He wasn’t the hired help. He was a member of the family. Gabe handed Joe the glass, forcing himself not to scowl.
“Mom, you look amazing.” Luc and Rachel stepped inside the room. “You look great, too.” He smiled at his kid sister. “You nervous?”
“Why should I be? It’s just a little party with a few hundred of our friends. Most of whom I don’t know.” Elana eyed her mother.
“It was important that we invited all the right people. But since your dad’s accident, this party must serve dual purposes, so I added a few more to the guest list. You know that, darling.” Mariella’s tone was firm. “But your family is here.” She nodded toward Rafe, who’d just entered the room. “And all your friends are here. That’s what matters.”
“Everyone is here except my fiancé.” Elana glanced at the door again. “Where the hell is Thom?”
“He’s supposed to save his cold feet for the wedding, not the engagement party,” Rafe teased, kissing his mother then his sister on the cheek.
Elana elbowed him in the gut, which only made Rafe laugh harder.
“I’m only teasing, Elana. I saw his car, so he’s here somewhere.” Rafe picked up the chilled bottle of cabernet sauvignon and poured himself a glass. “If Thom was going to play the runaway groom, he probably wouldn’t have ditched his car outside the party venue.”
“If he doesn’t arrive within the next ten minutes—” Gabe checked his watch “—I’ll hunt him down. I promise.” He gave his cousin a reassuring smile, despite the uneasy feeling in his gut that told him Thom’s uncharacteristic tardiness was no mere coincidence. He’d always believed Thom to be a smart, dependable person. He hoped that assumption wasn’t wrong. That Thom was a stand-up guy who would do the right thing.
“I’m sure everything will be just fine, Elana.” Rachel sidled up to her. “I can’t imagine how excited you must be about tonight, and about the wedding.”
Elana’s halfhearted smile indicated otherwise, but Rachel didn’t seem to notice. She pinned Elana in a corner and chatted her up about every detail of the impending wedding, pressing for details about the style and designer of Elana’s dress. The color scheme. The menu at the reception. All while constantly remarking how lucky she was to be getting married and how wonderful that must be. Periodically, she would rope Luc back into the discussion to ensure the hints she was dropping weren’t lost on him.
“Could she be any more obvious?” Mariella hissed in Gabe’s ear, and they both laughed. She sighed. “I’d love to see your cousin settle down and get married, but...”
“Not to her?” Gabe whispered conspiratorially.
Mariella sighed, shaking her head. “Rachel has everything going for her. She’s smart. She’s beautiful. She’s from a good family.”
“But?” Gabe prodded again.
“She can be a little pushy.” Mariella sipped her wine.
Gabe didn’t disagree. Rachel was a spoiled little rich girl who was accustomed to getting everything she wanted. She was ambitious and self-involved, but then again, so was Luc.
As far as Gabe could see, Luc and Rachel’s relationship seemed mutually beneficial. Luc was Rachel’s highway to the glitzy, fast life the Marshalls led. Rachel was eye candy from an influential family with connections that could be useful to Luc’s career, particularly Rachel’s father—a powerful congressman Rachel had wrapped around her little finger.
They saw each other as a means to an end. In Gabe’s book, that made them a perfect match.
“I don’t doubt that she cares for Luc, but she’s more enamored with the glamour of the Marshall family than she is with Luc himself.”
“But that’s not really what’s bothering you.” Gabe noted Mariella’s frown. “What is it? Are you worried because Thom isn’t here yet?”
“No. I just keep thinking back to my wedding to Harrison. How nervous and excited I was. I want that for Elana, but maybe I shouldn’t have pushed for this.”
“You’re only being a good mother. Trying to take care of her. Any child would be grateful to have a mother who loves her children the way you do.”
Mariella smiled. She hugged Gabe then excused herself and rushed from the room.
“Is Mom okay?” Elana asked, seemingly desperate to get away from Rachel’s incessant wedding chatter.
“She’s fine. I think she’s just a little emotional about her baby girl getting married,” Gabe said. “Don’t worry, I’ll go see about her.”
“And what about Thom? You promised to look for him if he wasn’t here by now.” Elana’s voice was strained, despite her insistence that she wasn’t nervous.
“I’ll check on Mariella, and you can hunt down Thom. Then we’ll meet back here with the entire merry band.” Joe finished his glass of whiskey and set it on a table.
Who the hell died and left you in charge?
Gabe gritted his teeth but held his tongue. Here and now wasn’t the place or time to confront his uncle’s so-called best friend. The man who was champing at the bit to get his aunt alone. Provide her with a shoulder to cry on.
“Fine.” Gabe seethed as he left the room in search of the missing groom.
* * *
Mariella stepped into one of the other private dining rooms and pressed her back to the door. She took a deep breath and released it slowly.
This should be a happy occasion. So why did she feel such foreboding?
Yes, she’d pressed Elana to get married. But she’d done so because she felt it was the best thing for her daughter.
Elana needed to settle down and behave in a manner befitting the Marshall family. Not like a spoiled, ill-behaved debutante. Elana was capable of so much more.
Marrying a sensible, upstanding young man like Thom, who hailed from a well-regarded family, was just the thing to help Elana finally grow up.
Besides, Thom and Elana had always been such good friends. With a foundation that strong, surely they would eventually grow to love each other.
Mariella sighed. She wanted Elana to be happy, as she and Harrison had been. But what did she know?
In the period since Harrison’s accident, startling truths had been revealed about her husband. She had the uneasy feeling that there was still more to come.
Did I ever really know Harrison at all?
She’d believed them to be so happy. That they were living a perfect, charmed life.
Was it all a lie? A delusion he’d coaxed her into believing? Or worse, one she’d devised herself by ignoring all the signs that had pointed to the contrary?
Joe peeked inside the room. “Up for a visit from a friend?”
“I’m fine, really.” She forced a smile. “I’m just being a silly, sentimental mother.”
“You are not fine, Mariella.” Joe stepped inside, his voice filled with concern. “You forget I know you all too well. I’ve seen the many faces of Mariella Santiago-Marshall, including sentimentality. This is something else...deep concern. Sadness.”
Joe closed the door behind him. “I’m sorry for the role I played in making you feel this way.”
“None of this is your fault, Joe. You’ve been nothing but a good friend to me and to Harrison.”
“I should never have told you about the Fixer. Or said what I did about Harrison having secrets.” His brows furrowed, and his eyes were filled with regret. “That’s why you’re so upset when you should be happy, celebrating Elana’s engagement.”
“Of course you should have told me.” She placed a hand on his. “Perhaps Harrison didn’t think so, but as his wife, I deserve to know what’s going on in our business.”
“But I’ve upset you.” Joe lifted a hand to her face and cupped her cheek. “And that breaks my heart.”
Mariella leaned into Joe’s hand, enjoying the warmth and comfort of his touch. There was something in his intense gaze that made her feel safe and loved, in a way she hadn’t in so long.
Her pulse raced, and her mouth was suddenly dry. She couldn’t extricate herself from his touch, though she knew she should.
She wanted Joe to pull her into his arms so she could bury her face in his chest and breathe in his clean, fresh scent.
What would the children think if one of them happened upon them in such an embrace?
Finally, she found the strength to step away, beyond the reach of Joe’s strong hand. Mariella’s cheeks stung with heat, her heart racing.
If only for a moment, she’d hoped he would lean in and claim her mouth with a kiss.
How could she consider such a thing, even for a moment?
“Mariella, I’m sorry if I—” Joe rubbed a hand over his head. “I didn’t mean to—”
“No, of course not.” Mariella rummaged in her clutch, her eyes not meeting Joe’s as she dug out her compact mirror.
She flipped it open and checked her makeup before closing it and putting it away. She pulled out her cell phone and checked the time.
“It’s getting late. We’d better join the others. Hopefully Gabe was able to round up Thom.”
“Right.” Joe moved toward the door, deep grooves spanning his forehead. “Mariella, you know how much you mean to me...as a friend. That I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
“Of course.” Lips pressed into a stiff smile, she opened the door and rushed from the room, her hands shaking. Mariella wasn’t sure what had come over her, but she had to regain her composure—and someone needed to find Thom.
* * *
“I discovered something I’m not supposed to know.” Thom rubbed his forehead and stared out at the Pacific Ocean, gauging Lane’s reaction in his peripheral vision.
The man’s expression didn’t change, and he didn’t speak immediately. He settled back against the sofa cushions. “About?”
Thom exhaled, turning to meet Lane’s gaze squarely. He wasn’t hanging on every word, as if he was desperate to learn salacious details about the Marshall family.
He relaxed a little. “It’s about a certain aspect of their business. Something they didn’t learn about until after Harrison’s accident.”
“I’m guessing it’s a little more involved than a limited-label wine they’ll be releasing or the opening of a new club. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be so stressed about it.” Lane shifted in his seat when Thom didn’t reply. “And I’m guessing it’s something you haven’t told Elana about.”
“Bingo.” Thom rubbed his palms on his pant legs again.
“Is it something you feel she should know?”
“Yes.” Thom nodded. “She has the right to know the details about her family’s business. Besides, she’s my fiancée. I shouldn’t keep secrets from her.”
“Sound reasoning.” Lane nodded sagely. “Personally, I prefer to be straight up with people. Even my clients. It’s one of the reasons Mariella has been with me for so long. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a hell of a stylist. But I’m pretty sure what she values most about me is that she knows I’m going to tell her the truth.”
Shit. A chill ran up Thom’s spine. Lane had been Mariella’s stylist for more than two decades. His first obligation was to her. What if he went straight to Mariella and told her about their discussion?
“Relax.” Lane put a hand on Thom’s shoulder and smiled. “Mariella values my honest opinion. I’m not her spy, if that’s what you’re thinking. The thing my clients value even more than my honesty is my discretion. I know where all the bodies are buried, and I haven’t said a word yet. So your secret is safe with me.”
Thom regarded the man warily. He’d liked Lane from the moment he met him.
A little too much, in fact.
Spilling his guts to Mariella’s stylist was ill-advised. He realized that. But Mariella wouldn’t have maintained a relationship with Lane all these years if she didn’t trust him.
Lane had already saved him from making a fool of himself by getting tanked at the bar, and his interest in Thom seemed sincere. Besides, he needed to talk to someone. Talking to Elana or his parents was out of the question.
Sitting at the bar drinking, Thom had felt like he was going to lose it. He’d felt more at ease in the few minutes he’d been talking to Lane than at any point since his encounter with the Fixer.
Just be careful and don’t say too much.
“I appreciate you keeping this between us.”
“Of course. Now, back to your problem. Honesty is usually the best option.”
“Usually, I’d agree.” Thom blew out a long breath, his spine stiffening and the churning starting in his belly again. “But the situation is complicated.”
One corner of Lane’s mouth curved. “Well, let’s try to simplify the matter. Is there a specific reason not to tell her?”
“Yes.”
Thom stood, pacing. The look in the Fixer’s eye and the quiet, veiled threat still haunted him.
Lane waited patiently for clarification.
“Revealing this secret to Elana and her mom...it would change everything. Tear their family apart. Then there’s the possibility that...” Thom folded his arms and stared out into the darkness. With the patio closed and the fire pits not running, the cold wind seeped into his skin. “If I tell Elana and her family what I know, it could put them and me in danger.”
“Physically?” Lane leaned forward, his brow raised with concern.
He’d said too much. He couldn’t trust Lane with that much information.
“Our business interests and maybe our reputations,” Thom said, his eyes not meeting Lane’s.
The man folded one long leg over the other. He propped his elbow on the armrest and framed his jaw with his index finger and thumb. “That explains why you’re so reluctant to tell her or anyone.”
“Exactly.” Thom collapsed onto the sofa again, his thigh brushing against Lane’s. He hadn’t meant to sit so close to him. Yet there was something oddly comforting about the contact and his nearness.
“Could any harm come to her if she didn’t know this secret?” Lane asked thoughtfully.
“Possibly.” Thom shrugged. “Though it’s less likely.”
“So there’s less risk to you both if you don’t tell her. Plus, it sounds like if she doesn’t know, she’ll maintain plausible deniability.”
“True.” Thom hadn’t thought of that. If the shit ever hit the fan and there was some sort of legal blowback from the Fixer’s actions, the family could honestly deny knowledge of the Fixer’s identity or any of the resulting actions.
By not telling Elana, he was protecting her. Just as Harrison had.
But then, again, Harrison hadn’t been able to protect himself. So how could Thom know if keeping Elana in the dark about the Fixer was a kindness or making it more likely she’d become an unsuspecting victim?
What if one of the Fixer’s targets wanted revenge?
Elana was the most vulnerable member of the Marshall family. She was flighty, lax with security and rarely aware of her surroundings beyond who was wearing what designer and which drinks were being served.
He’d chastised her for all of those things before, but she hadn’t taken heed. Maybe knowing the truth about the Fixer would make her grow up and take her security seriously.
Or maybe it would simply put them both in danger.
Lane put his large hand on Thom’s shoulder and squeezed it. “Sounds like this decision is more about you than her.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like I said, I’ve known Elana a long time. She’s a great girl, but she doesn’t handle stress very well. Sounds like you want to relieve your conscience by laying the burden at her feet. If this is something she really needs to know, and it’s in her best interests, you should tell her. But if this is just about alleviating your conscience...”
“We’re going to be married. Am I just supposed to keep this secret from her?”
A smirk curled the edge of Lane’s mouth, and his eyes danced with amusement. “You’re telling me that you’re not keeping any secrets from Elana now?”
Thom swallowed hard, his spine stiffening. “What are you saying?”
“Look, I’m not judging.” Lane raised his palms and shrugged. “We’ve all got to do what we’ve got to do to get by in this world. And if you can honestly say there are no secrets between you two, then the decision shouldn’t be nearly this hard.”
The hair stood up on the back of Thom’s neck as his gaze locked with Lane’s.
Does he know the truth about me?
Had he sensed the attraction Thom felt the moment he’d laid eyes on him?
Thom clasped his hands. “Look, I don’t know what you think you know...”
“I don’t know anything. We’re just speaking in generalities, remember?” Lane looked at his watch. He stood, buttoning his jacket. “It’s getting late. We’d better head inside. I’m sure someone is looking for you by now. You know how much emphasis Mariella puts on order and punctuality.”
Thom pulled his cell phone from his pocket. It was well past the time he was supposed to meet up with the family. He’d silenced his phone earlier and forgotten to turn the alerts back on. He’d missed three calls from Elana and two from his mother.
“I have to get inside.” He stood, prepared to sprint around to the back entrance. Thom extended a hand to the man. “It was nice to finally meet you, Lane. Thanks for intervening at the bar tonight and for being a good listener. You’ve given me a lot to think about. I appreciate it.”
A big smile spread across Lane’s face. Something in his smile and in the touch of his hand made Thom’s skin tingle and sent electricity up his spine.
Lane Devereux was an incredibly sexy older man. Thom had tried to ignore the slight attraction he’d felt when he first met him at the bar. It was a fact that was more difficult to avoid when they were in such close proximity, skin to skin.
Lane pulled him into a warm hug. “Good luck with making your decision, and congrats on your engagement to Elana.” Lane gripped his shoulders and held him at arm’s length. “I can see why she’s so crazy about you.”
Heat trailed down Thom’s spine, and blood rushed below his belt as Lane held his gaze.
Thom swallowed hard, grateful for the chilly breeze that blew across his face, cooling his heated cheeks. He stepped away. “See you inside, I guess.”
Lane smiled. “You bet.”
Thom hurried around the building toward the private entrance, trying to think of anything but Lane Devereux.