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— GRACY —
I give the two people standing in front of my desk a brilliant smile and thank them for their stay. They say their goodbyes and leave the lobby. I honestly can say that I love working here. Maggie has done a great job making this estate a success and it shows with the happy customers.
There are hardly any problems and if there is, we’ll be sure to fix it right away. Another thing I love about working here is the flexibility. By splitting the front desk work with another employee named Travis, I manage to balance my hours and not get stuck behind a desk all day, every day.
It also allows me to keep an eye on everything happening around here when I do my rounds. Normally Maggie would be the one checking up on things and walking around the estate to see if everything flows fluidly, but the last three months I’ve been slowly taking over.
Maggie doesn’t like to talk about her health but I’ve been noticing how she gets tired more often and has problems with walking around the estate when the temperatures are higher. It worries me but she doesn’t want to go to a doctor for a checkup.
She just waves me off and tells me she’s already taking it slow and it’s just because her body isn’t what it used to be and it’s all about getting older one day at a time. I make a mental note to mention it to Eddie the next time I see him.
Though, I have no clue when the next time will be because the last time I talked to him was when he dropped me off after we went to the bar to find Yates. That was three days ago. I’ve only had glimpses of him jogging down the beach and watching him punch a punching bag dangling from the ceiling of his patio. His hands covered in white tape, body all sweaty and slick.
Yes, I have no shame, and I’m honest enough to admit I’ve been ogling him from afar. It’s not like he or anyone else saw me do it. He’s too busy working out and it’s too early for anyone else to be up at that time of day.
“Now there’s a sight for sore eyes,” a familiar voice rumbles and it makes my head whip up from staring at the papers I was checking.
Well, not so much checking, more like mindlessly staring at because I was mentally watching Eddie’s sweaty body move in a loop of a memory I have branded in my mind.
“If I knew I was going to see your gorgeous face I would have dressed up.” My gaze collides with familiar eyes.
They are somewhat the same as mine—a ring of brownish green flowing to blue—because he too has heterochromia iridis, a genetic condition. Black glossy hair perfectly groomed with a handsome face showing off a radiant smile. He’s wearing a crisp black suit with a white button up shirt, radiating the high class he thrives in.
“Clemente,” I gasp, shocked he’s here because the last time I saw him was at my mother’s funeral. “I could say the same thing.”
His father and my mother have been friends since high school but his father left for Italy with his family right after they graduated. My mother mentioned a few times in the past how she never forgot her high school crush. A few months before my mother’s death they accidentally ran into each other and became fast friends again. Since me and Clemente are of the same age, the two of us became friends too.
“Nonsense, pasticcino,” Clemente rumbles, and I’ve always loved the way his voice sounds when he speaks Italian, or English for that matter with a hint of an accent. “You would even look stunning if you’d be wearing a garbage bag.”
I rush over and give him a proper hug. “Stop calling me a cupcake unless you bring me some. No, on second thought, don’t bring me cupcakes. I’ll end up eating them and my ass is big enough as it is.”
A laugh rumbles through Clemente’s chest and he places a kiss on the top of my head. “That’s an absolute lie, Gracy. Your ass looks fine.”
“What the fuck is this?” an angry voice blares through the lobby and I instantly know it’s Eddie. “Get your hands off her.”
I try to step away from Clemente but he holds me tight against him. “Eddie Barhamer, I presume? You look quite different than the last photograph my uncle had on file.”
“Yeah, well, I was expecting your uncle for the meeting I requested, and not someone else to represent him. Now, let go of my personnel. Gracelynn, go to your room.”
“Go to my room?” I gasp, completely stunned and becoming angry and frustrated of this whole situation. I have no clue what’s going on but I do know one thing. “What am I? Five? Besides, this is my friend and you’re being rude.”
“Do you know who your friend really is?” Eddie says through clenched teeth.
Who my friend really is? What does he mean?
“Gracy, sweetheart, we’ll catch up later,” Clemente says and gives me another kiss on the top of my head before he addresses Eddie. “Shall we?”
Eddie points at the office on the left and Clemente heads in that direction. Eddie stalks up to me and whisper hisses, “I thought you didn’t have a boyfriend or a dick to jump on from time to time.”
Another gasp leaves my mouth and I’m getting sick of his attitude. “That’s none of your business,” I snap.
I don’t say anything else and turn on my heels and stalk to my desk. Asshole. I can’t believe he avoids me for three whole days and suddenly pops up and starts to order me around. In front of a friend no less. Ugh. How embarrassing. Eddie eyes me for a moment before he disappears into the office Clemente walked into and shuts the door behind him.
I grab the phone and call Travis to see if he can replace me. There’s no way I want to face Eddie when he’s done with his meeting and I will call Clemente later to catch up. I wish we could have talked more but Eddie ruined it. I never had any feelings for Clemente, other than friendship, but the way Eddie whispered those words to me made me feel weird.
Travis walks in with a bounce in his step. He’s the kind of guy who is always wearing a smile and when you see his face with the warm and welcoming look, and the light brown curly hair standing on end, all you can do is smile back.
He stalks around the desk and bumps my shoulder. “Where’s the fire, girl?”
I point at the door and huff, “The boss is in the office and I would like to be gone before the meeting that’s going on in there is done.”
“Maggie?” Travis questions with scrunched eyebrows.
“If it was Maggie, I wouldn’t be calling you,” I grumble in frustration.
“Ah, the rugged, long lost son who got back a few days ago. Hmmm, did you notice how he always takes a run down the beach each morning and a swim in the ocean right after? And I’ve caught him doing this kick, punch, knee routine on a punching bag...you have to get up early for those, though. Ah, three days in and I know his routine where the man gets his sculpted abs from,” Travis states and his eyebrows are now dancing seductively.
Eddie goes swimming early mornings too? Sculpted... “Travis, are you ogling your boss?”
That’s my job, not his. But I can’t help to tease Travis, and already my mood changes because Travis always has this effect on people.
“Girl, any man or woman with a pair of eyes would check out that man’s body. From the looks of it he did some hard work to get it in that shape, and he works hard to keep it that way, so it deserves to be ogled.”
“I guess I missed the memo,” I mutter and grab my stuff. “Thanks for taking over. If you need me for anything, call. I’m going to take Finn for a walk first, though.”
“All good,” Travis says and checks the computer for the new arrivals.
I point at a name on the screen. “Just one couple coming in today but their bungalow is all set.”
“Go, go, go, Gracy. I got this.” Travis ushers me out.
I pick Finn up who was sleeping on his blanket. Travis looks at Finn and I know he really wants to pet him because he loves animals, but he’s also very allergic so he can’t. If he did, he would be a complete mess with the sneezing and eyes watering.
Instead of taking Finn for a walk, I decide to get in my car and take a drive down to the marina. My grandfather used to own this marina but when he died it all went to my mother. Our name is connected to shipbuilding and port logistics. We own a lot of businesses, and this marina is also where Lightners Yacht Club is located.
All of it was once founded, and some bought by my grandfather. My mother’s father to be exact. My father took my mother’s name when they married because it came with a status. It’s what my mother used to say during some of their fights.
Those fights always used to be about my father’s infidelity. They would always lead to my father saying their marriage wasn’t one of love. And that would be the point where my mother would throw out how he married her for her name and the wealth attached to it.
I’ve heard this story over and over but my grandfather explained it to me when I was older. He bought a commercial freight and shipping company and Spencer—my father—was the CEO at the time. My grandfather thought he was a good match for his daughter seeing my mother never actually got over her crush when he left for Italy.
I remember the fighting between my parents all too vividly. When I was younger, I used to lock myself in my room or head for the marina to visit my grandfather. At a young age I was always around this place and enjoyed spending time with my grandfather. He was the one who taught me how to sail. I love the water. Swim, sail, surf, dive, or just soak in the sun and hear it slosh against my sailboat.
That last part is what I’m going for now, to relax in the sun while touching up my tan and let my mind trail off with the sounds of the water and the marina. Finn is wearing his orange life jacket and happily humps his stuffed shark before he collapses into a peaceful sleep on his blanket next to me.
I love this boat. It’s not too big, not too small, and designed perfectly for my needs. Most times I just plaster myself on the pillows like I’m doing now while I have a bottle of wine in a holder and a glass in my hand.
I’m taking tiny sips and with each one I relax a bit more and feel my frustrations ebb away. I think I’m going to sleep here tonight. There’s a large double bed below and the tiny cabinets are stocked with food so I can easily whip up something if I get hungry.
I’m about to give my glass a refill and put some more sunscreen on when I hear people arguing. I place my glass in the holder before I stand to see what the fuss is about. Finn follows me as I stroll to the back of my boat and to my surprise, I see both Clemente and Eddie standing in front of my boat getting in each other’s face.
“What the hell are you two doing here?” I snap. “Not to mention I came here to avoid you, Eddie. And Clemente, I texted you about meeting somewhere later this week or the next to have lunch. So, I ask again, what are you two doing here?”
They both start to ramble simultaneously. My eyes hit the sky for an instant before I shush them and point at Clemente. “You first.”
Yes, I deliberately skipped Eddie because I’m still pissed at him for what he said to me.
Clemente smirks and says, “I wanted to catch up with you but Travis told me you left and mentioned you were probably at the beach. Seeing I didn’t want to get sand in my shoes without knowing for sure if you were there, I located your phone through an app and saw you were at the marina. Eddie here followed me when I told him I wasn’t going to honor his request. Or make that a demand, whatever, it’s not going to happen.”
At my mother’s funeral Clemente made me add him to an app so we could see where each other was, just in case we were in trouble. At the time my mind wasn’t really processing but he was genuinely concerned about me. That’s why I mindlessly processed his request.
“Well, as you can see, I’m fine and I was trying to relax, but with the two of you arguing, my peace and quiet has come to an end.” I direct my attention to Eddie. “Clemente wanted to catch up because I haven’t seen him in a long time, as for you...what are you doing here?”
“I need to speak with you, privately,” Eddie growls.
“Or you can just say it with me standing here,” Clemente easily supplies. “He doesn’t want you anywhere near me. Which, by the way, is pretty damn hypocritical if you ask me.”
“No one is asking you,” Eddie snaps.
“Between me and you, I’m the one who has all the rights to be here,” Clemente says in utter calmness. His eyes meet mine and they soften before he says, “I’m your half-brother, Gracy. I’ve had my suspicions since the day we met. With us having the same eyes as my father, it wasn’t hard to make the connection when your mother and my father reconnected. But when I took over my father’s business...it came with a lot of undisclosed secrets, including this one. I wasn’t going to say anything but this asshole here thinks he can ban me from your life. But instead it’s the other way around.” Clemente’s gaze swings sideways and his tone turns to ice as he says, “I won’t have you near my sister and let you drag her into the shit you’re wrapped in.”
“What about the shit you’re wrapped in?” Eddie fires back. “Are you going to stand here and ignore the fact you’re the head of one of the biggest—”
“Shut your mouth,” Clemente hisses.
My mind is boggling over the flow of information and these two idiots are going at each other as if they are the ones having issues. Okay, maybe they are, but all my mind is screaming at me is “What?” And it’s too insane to be true and they are dragging away my ability to process.
“Stop it!” I scream, making Finn bark along with me as both Clemente and Eddie fall silent and stare at me.
“Hey, Finn. It’s okay, little man,” Eddie says and shakes his head at me. “Did you really think it was necessary to add a shark fin to his life jacket?”
“Yes,” I hiss. “It came with a stuffed shark for him to hump, alright?”
The corner of his mouth twitches and his whole demeanor changes along with it. “Good to know. Can you bring him by my bungalow later tonight? He’s my dog too, remember? I’ll leave you guys to it, and Gracelynn...call me if you need me.”
He doesn’t wait for a reply but strolls away instead. A deep breath flows from my lungs and I rip my eyes away from Eddie to address Clemente. “Don’t just stand there, climb on board and start explaining.”
I head to the front where I left my wineglass and sit down. Taking a few sips, I grab the bottle and refill my glass. Okay, I might have thrown back the whole glass in one go but really, I need it with the little tidbit Clemente just threw at me. My half-brother. Half or not, I have a brother.
“Do you have another glass?” Clemente asks.
I wave my hand in the direction where he can get his own glass. Clemente grabs one and hisses when Finn decides to give him a warm welcome by humping his leg.
I groan and grab the stuffed animal from his blanket and wave it in front of Finn. “Come on, Finny, stuffed buddies only.”
Finn happily hobbles my way and snatches the stuffed shark from my hands to give it special treatment on his blanket.
“Now I can see who the dog belongs to,” Clemente grumbles. “What’s the deal between you and the president of Unruly Defenders MC?”
“I don’t believe that’s any of your business. Please, Clemente, I think we have something more important to discuss than Eddie.”
Clemente stares at me and I can see it in his eyes, he’s not going to let this go.
I huff and grumble, “Fine. He’s Maggie’s son and was released from prison a few days ago. I’ve been working for Maggie ever since I left my father’s house the day of my mother’s funeral. I was devastated and had nowhere to go and she found me on the beach, completely upset. She offered me her home and a job. And no, there’s nothing going on between me and Eddie other than him owning the estate I work in. Or so it seems, because I didn’t know that little detail either until a few days ago. Eddie owns the estate, so Maggie isn’t my boss, he is. Again, there’s nothing going on between us. We agreed to be friends, nothing sexual. And I only agreed because Maggie told me he could use a friend.”
“Smart, hooking her convict son up with money,” Clemente mutters.
The wine almost sloshes over my glass as I dash up and get in his face. “You take that back. Maggie isn’t like that. She’s a sweet woman who was there for me when I needed someone and has been there ever since without asking for one damn thing in return. So, yes, if she asks me to be a friend to her son, who has been betrayed by those who he trusted, then yes, I sure as hell will be there for him.”
Clemente doesn’t seem impressed by my outburst at all. He’s as calm as the sea before a storm.
“Those who betrayed him are the ones who want him dead, Gracy. He’s dangerous and wrapped in things I don’t want you anywhere near. If I knew you were in trouble I would have come. You should have reached out to me or to my father. I would have opened up my home for you too.” There is no warmth in his voice, a hint of anger, maybe. Though, I don’t feel as if it’s aimed at me, more at the circumstances he’s only now became aware of.
“I couldn’t think, Clemente. I wasn’t in my right mind the day of the funeral. Then my father arranged some guy for me to fuck to get my mind off my mother’s death and I lost it. I ran away and found myself walking down the beach until I was so tired I had to sit down. I was lucky Maggie found me when she was walking Finn.”
“That piece of scum isn’t your father,” Clemente hisses through his teeth. “Spencer is a disgrace and shouldn’t have been anywhere near you or your mother.”
My shoulders sag and I take a seat between the pillows, Clemente sits down next to me. The both of us are wrapped in silence as we both sip our wine.
“The day my father heard the news about the death of your mother is when he had his first heart attack,” Clemente states and my head swings toward him but he’s staring at the horizon. “As you might know your mother and my father went to the same school growing up. They were in love but our world works differently. My father wanted to escape his responsibilities and run away with your mother. My grandfather found out about their plan and instantly moved back to Italy.”
“I know about the sudden move of your father, and,” I gasp and do a little headcount. “You’re telling me my mother was pregnant with me when your father left the US?”
“He didn’t know she was pregnant at the time. If he knew, he would have found a way to get back. But in our world, we have arranged marriages to forge bonds to expand the familia. He knew about the woman he needed to marry; it was arranged when he was fourteen years old. It messed up his future with your mother because when his arranged wife became of age, they would be wed. It’s also the reason why I was born. The presentation of the bloody sheets. The whole take the virgin bride, wedding night. I don’t think I would have been born otherwise. My father had enough respect for the familia but his responsibilities toward his wife and the familia ended that night. My grandfather died six years later, that’s the day our father became the head of the family and moved back with me to the US. Like I said, our world functions differently and marriages aren’t forged out of love, but my father only ever loved one woman.”
I grab the bottle of wine and give both our glasses a refill. “What happened to your mom? You mentioned your dad taking you back to the US, did she stay in Italy?”
He gives me a sad smile. “She died giving birth to me.”
I lean against him and place my head on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”
“Did you know your mother was forced to marry the asshole who pretended to be your father? Seems our families didn’t differ a lot when it came to arranged marriages.”
My head whips up and I stare at him. All of this sounds insane and yet at the same time it all falls into place. The fights they had regularly, the things they used to throw at each other. And when I look into Clemente’s eyes and recognize his familiar eyes I also see when I stare in the mirror...I know he speaks the truth. Not to mention the way my mother used to react when she left to visit her friend.
“Did...does...my father. Shit. I should probably be calling him Spencer now. Did...did Spencer know I’m not his biological daughter? Was he aware about your father and my mother, about me?” I ask.
“From what my father told me, Spencer should have known since she was pregnant when my dad left. When my father couldn’t stay away from your mother, he arranged to accidentally run into her and they stayed in close contact until she died.”
“I remember that, you and I were there too. It was one of the rare times I saw my mother smile her radiant smile. I still can’t believe she killed herself. I mean, she could have gotten a divorce, right? She wanted to, she already moved out of the house to create some distance because of all the fighting. If your father and my mother...sorry, I’m thinking in fairytales.”
“When Spencer found out she was seeing my father behind his back he tried to forbid her from seeing him, even if they weren’t living together anymore. There’s a lot more at stake here than just people in love, ripped apart and both married, only to find each other after all those years, Gracy. There are companies involved. A status to uphold and a whole lot of money thrown into the mix and that’s where things get dangerous.”
“Again with the danger,” I mutter and lean back to take another sip of my wine.
Clemente leans back too and the both of us watch the sunset as darkness wraps around us. There’s so much more to say and talk about but there’s a lot already running through my head I need to process. Besides, the wine is taking the edge off and I don’t think this is a good time to be sober, though it’s not a good time to get drunk either.
The mere thought of knowing who my biological father is, my mother’s past, and my father...Spencer’s reaction. I need more wine to let this settle and process. Come morning I will be able to wrap my head around it. Before he heads home Clemente and I decide to have dinner later this week.
I should head home too but I’ve had three glasses of wine and I shouldn’t be driving. So, I decide to stay here instead. I shoot Eddie a text to tell him I’ll drop Finn off tomorrow morning. I open another bottle of wine and decide to have one more drink before going below deck to fix something to eat.
