23. The Lie and the Truth #3
“I’m starving,” Teddy said. “I gotta eat something—”
“How can you be thinking of food now?” Gabriel asked.
“My stomach doesn’t know we’re in crisis.”
Halston stepped away from Gabriel, the chilly air rushing in to take her place. In that instant, he wanted to pull her back in and never ever let her go.
“What’s the deal on food?” Sydney asked.
“Caroline and my mom are making breakfast,” Halston said.
“Now, that’s what I’m talking about,” Teddy replied.
“I’ll help,” Sydney said.
“I want to check on my mom,” Halston said before she and Sydney took off toward the kitchen.
As Gabriel and Teddy strode toward the conference room, Teddy said, “Things are bad, aren’t they?”
“They’re not good,” Gabriel replied, “but we got this.”
“How can you be that confident?”
Gabriel stopped in front of the closed conference room door. “I live like I’ve already won. For me, there’s no other way to be.”
HALSTON
Halston and Sydney entered the kitchen and were bombarded with the delicious aroma of pancakes and sausages.
The amount of food being placed on platters had her wondering how many people they were feeding.
Then, she remembered—three giant Santini brothers, with Teddy being a human eating machine.
And her parents hadn’t eaten much in the past forty-eight hours.
Halston put her arm around her mom. “Mom, how are you doing?”
“Keeping busy,” Sonya Devereux replied. “How’s Daddy?”
“Working away.”
“Sydney, how’d it go?” Caroline asked.
“All good at the morgue,” Sydney replied. “But for the other, CJ couldn’t start. He’s got generators if the situation is in progress, but he can’t start a job until the power comes back on.”
Halston didn’t like that the bodies of Dmitri Petrov and Natasha Petrova were on hold in the crematorium. They were evidence, waiting to be discovered…
“It’s scary what’s going on,” Sonya Devereux said.
“It’ll be okay.” Halston hoped she sounded more positive than she felt.
In truth, she had no idea how this would turn out, but she wasn’t fueling the stress. Best to tamp that out before the fear got ahead of them.
Caroline stopped stacking pancakes. “Sydney, put the scrambled eggs into the serving dish—the one with the cover.”
After they prepped the food—which consisted of pancakes, scrambled eggs, a large fruit salad, a pot of oatmeal with blueberries and walnuts, two dozen sausage links, and two pots of coffee—Sydney made a call.
“Hey, babe,” Teddy’s booming voice filled the kitchen.
“Food’s ready, honey.”
“On the way.” Teddy hung up.
“Do you think he’ll tell the others?” Sydney asked. “Maybe I should call Greystone.”
Caroline smiled. “He’ll tell them.” Then, Caroline turned to Halston. “Do you want to let G know?”
“Me?”
“Oh, Halston,” her mom said. “I’ve never seen you act coy before. It’s adorable.”
“All I do is act coy,” Halston replied. “I’m the coyest person ever.”
“I don’t want to jinx anything,” Caroline said putting her arm around Halston, “but we hope you become part of the fam.”
Her mom stopped folding napkins, her gaze fully glued on Halston. “Gabriel did tell Dustin and me that he wants to marry Halston.”
Silence while the sisters stared at Sonya, then shifted to Halston.
“Yay!” Caroline cried out.
“That’s so great, especially now, when things are super loony out there,” Sydney said.
“Well?” Sonya Devereux asked. “Did he ask you?”
“No,” Halston replied. “I heard about it when you did.”
Teddy appeared in the doorway. “Heard what?”
“Teddy, you’re first in line.” Halston shoved an empty plate at him. “Hurry before your hungry brothers eat everything up.”
Halston wasn’t talking about a proposal, especially since there wasn’t one.
Teddy took the plate, then stepped away. “Halston’s mom and dad should go first.”
Sydney smiled. “So thoughtful.”
Halston’s dad walked in with Greystone and Gabriel, a laptop tucked under Gabriel’s arm.
Once the breakfast buffet line started moving, Halston’s mom tugged her into the hallway. “Honey, did you get married?”
“Of course not.”
Staying silent, her mom peered into her eyes.
“I know that look,” Halston said. “I used to tell Wolfie it was your death stare, but now I find it comforting. It reminds me of how we’d do a battle of the wills.”
Her mom smiled. “Well, you’re wearing wedding bands, and Gabriel announced he was going to marry you.”
“Well, he has to ask first, and I have to accept.”
“Would you?”
That was a loaded question. One that Halston hadn’t given thought to. Yes, she’d fallen in love with Gabriel, but marriage? That was a big—and permanent—step. Something she didn’t have to answer in the moment, especially this moment.
“There’s a lot going on right now—”
“Halston, it’s a simple yes or no.”
“Mom, why do you have to push?”
“Sorry. You’re right. It’s just that it was a surprise for Dad and me to hear, that’s all. You haven’t had a boyfriend—at least one you’ve introduced to us—in a long time. Years.”
Gabriel joined them in the hallway. He glanced from Halston to her mom, then back to Halston. “Can I make you both a plate?”
Sonya regarded him. “Gabriel, maybe you can answer—”
“Mom, no.”
Halston adored her parents, but her mom could be a lot—at times. She was driven and intense. Her dad less so.
“Gabriel, Dustin and I have been through a lot in the past forty-eight hours,” Sonya said. “It surprised us when you mentioned marrying Halston—or is it Barbi?”
“Just don’t call me anything, okay?” Halston needed to get Gabriel away from the interrogation. She tried physically moving him, but he didn’t budge. All man, all muscle. Zero movement.
“Dr. Devereux,” Gabriel began.
“Sonya.”
“Sonya, I love Halston and she knows that. Your daughter is everything I’ve ever wanted in a life partner, but my time is split between here and Italy. That’s not something we’ve talked about.”
“Everything is very new, Mom, so let’s take our foot off the gas.”
Gabriel put his arm around Halston, kissed the top of her head, then peered down at her. “I live pedal to the metal. I’ve never coasted through anything in my life, but I love you, so I won’t push.” He let her go, the separation leaving her feeling alone… and vulnerable.
“I love you too. For now, that’s enough for me.” Then Halston gripped her hip. “Mom, you good with that?”
Her mom smiled. “Yes, that’ll work. Thank you, Gabriel. Halston, I’m sorry I put you on the spot. It’s just that I got excited. Dad and I thought they were going to kill us and leave us in the middle of nowhere—”
“They were,” Gabriel said.
“Not helping,” Halston added.
Halston’s dad joined them, slipping his arm around his wife’s waist. “Is Mom talking to you about marriage?”
“Uh-huh.”
Her dad smiled. “Okay, Sonya, let’s get you something to eat.” As he escorted her into the kitchen, he turned back and mouthed, “Sorry.”
In the hallway, Halston regarded Gabriel. “That was embarrassing.”
“That I brought up marriage?”
“No, that she did,” Halston replied.
“I gave you a wedding band.” He dipped down, kissed her. “I don’t do things by accident. Like you, I’m a very intentional person. You know that about me.” He caressed her cheek with the back of his finger, sending tingles flitting through her. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she replied.
In the kitchen, Halston made herself a plate of food, poured herself a coffee.
There were no seats beside Gabriel, so she sat on the end.
After peering around the table, her gaze settled on his.
He was staring at his laptop, completely focused on the task.
Conversations were happening about the blackouts, about the challenges her dad was having trying to quickly undo all the work his team had just completed.
Her mom, sitting catty-corner, clasped her hand. “I’m proud of you, honey. And you’re right. You two will figure it out. If it’s meant to be, it will happen.”
The lights in the kitchen flickered, then went out.
Phone flashlights came on around the table.
“Did the generator die, or did someone breach the site?” Greystone asked.
Gabriel pulled his CANiK pistol from its holster. “Who’s coming with me to check?”