26. Grace
TWENTY-SIX
Grace
“Here we go again,” Dane said with a sigh. “The Kip and Bristol show.”
We were in the car on our way to the wedding ceremony. “At least they’ll be busy the whole time with the event and their guests,” I said. “They’ll hardly have time to notice we’re there.”
“Good point.”
“I bet we’ll even have fun.”
“What are we betting?”
I leaned into him and whispered, “If I’m right, you can tie me up again.”
He gave me a hot look, shifting against the leather seat.
We’d spent as much of the afternoon as possible naked in his bed. Enjoying each other, napping, snuggling under the covers.
We’d talked about our families too. Both the good memories and the bad. Dane told me stories about his time with Ashford in the Army, things I’d never heard before. It was strange to think of how close Dane had been with my brother before I even knew him. But at the same time, that connection between us was comforting. Like we’d always been destined to meet.
Ugh, I was getting so romantic about this man. It wasn’t a good thing.
He’d asked me that afternoon to keep seeing him after this trip was over, but how could that possibly end well?
“You’re scowling,” Dane said. “What’s going through your mind?”
I shook my head, smoothing out my expression. “Nothing.”
“You sure?” He studied me.
“Sibling stuff, I guess.” That was close enough.
Dane nodded, glancing out the window. “Speaking of siblings, I asked Kip last night about Dirk Lancaster and Nina Jamison. Kip claimed to know nothing, and I’m pretty sure he was lying to me.”
“You think Kip knows Nina Jamison?”
“It’s a hunch. But it’s possible. And then my mom mentioned him today, saying he’s having a rough time… Makes me wonder if Kip told Mom some part of it.”
“You think Kip would do that? Like, confessing his sins?”
“I don’t know. But I have an investigator looking into the different pieces, so I guess we’ll find out how it all fits together. Then we’ll decide what to do about it.”
I was glad that Dane kept saying we . I hated to think his brother could be involved in whatever had resulted in someone breaking into my home. But it was clear Dane considered me a part of this, no matter what he learned about Kip. He wasn’t going to shut me out.
“What else do you want to do in NYC?” Dane asked. “After the brunch tomorrow, we’ll be free. We can do anything you like.”
It was bittersweet to think about tomorrow being my final full day here. “Hmm. Maybe some more touristy stuff. Oh, the subway! I want to see what that’s like.”
“The subway? You really are adorable,” Dane said, and I stuck my tongue out at him. He kissed my head. “Alright, subway it is. I will take you any other places you want to go. Even the Circle Line boat tour.”
“That too! Thank you.”
He kissed me again, lips lingering on mine.
Dane’s driver, Ben, pulled into the driveway of a modern tower, all glass and steel and striking architecture. “Your family owns this hotel?” I asked, peering up.
“Yep. Another Knightly Global property. This one’s pretty swanky. My father’s pride and joy.”
“Bristol’s family owns hotels too, right?”
“They do. Kip and Bristol had plenty of wedding venues to choose from.” Dane leaned into me, speaking against my ear. “Harcourt Hotels has name-brand recognition. But technically, Knightly Global is the bigger enterprise. Choosing this hotel was a compliment to my dad. Kip is all about scoring those brownie points with my father.”
We got out and went through the lobby doors, joining other people in evening wear. I was in a slinky, pale-green gown with cap sleeves. Dane wore a tux. Not the one he’d worn to the Silver Ridge hotel grand opening, but another that was equally well-tailored and hugged all his muscles. I’d never known it was possible for a man to be this sexy, but Dane managed it like it wasn’t even hard. I had spent an hour making my hair and makeup just right, while he’d spent all of ten minutes getting ready. So not fair.
The ceremony was being held on an outdoor patio way up on the twentieth floor. When we stepped out of the elevator, a server holding flutes of champagne greeted us, along with classical music played by a dozen musicians over by a reflecting pool. Flowers and greenery were everywhere, draped in garlands and placed in dramatic, tall arrangements.
Dane held my hand and steered me through the crowd, greeting people as he went.
“Cutting it close,” his father said under his breath when we reached our seats near the front on the groom’s side. “The ceremony’s about to start.”
Dane lifted his champagne flute. “Great to see you too, Dad.”
I had to give it to Bristol and Kip’s wedding planner. The ceremony was beautiful. The patio overlooked a Manhattan cityscape, with the sun sinking behind us and painting the surrounding buildings in vivid colors. I wasn’t a huge fan of the couple, but I couldn’t help being affected by the romance of it all. The sweeping music and the heartfelt words of the officiant. Bristol’s gorgeous bridal ballgown.
And more than anything, the man beside me, who hadn’t let go of my hand once since we’d arrived.
Only one more full day here. Yet as Kip and Bristol exchanged their vows, I wasn’t thinking about sightseeing on my final day in NYC. Instead I found myself imagining all the places I wanted to take Dane in Silver Ridge. Little hidden-away hiking trails with breathtaking views. The places Piper and I had played as kids. And of course, I also imagined lots of sex with Dane in his hotel suite overlooking the ski mountain.
I wanted him to be part of my life there. A real part.
I didn’t want this thing between us to end.
While Dane was called over to pose in some family photos, I took the opportunity to text my best friend. Because after that sudden realization, I was freaking out .
Me
Remind me of the general parameters of our no-dating pact?
Piper
We made it up, girlie. You don’t need a loophole if you like him!
Do you like him that much??
Dane wants us to keep seeing each other.
Then listen to your instincts. Trust yourself. What do YOU want?
Dane interrupted me, resting his hand on my back, and I glanced up in surprise, holding my phone screen against my chest. He looked pensively at my device. “Something wrong?”
“Nope. Finished with the photos?”
“I’ve officially appeared in photographic evidence that I was here. But my dad demands that I make nice with Mr. Harcourt, father of the bride. It should be just a few minutes, but?—”
“Go, I’m fine. I’ll top up my champagne and have some of those hors d’oeuvres I saw waiters carrying around.”
“But I hate leaving you alone.”
“I am fine .” I gave him a kiss on the cheek, then pushed him gently in the direction of his father. “Besides, I’m in the middle of a text conversation with Piper.”
“Say hi for me. I’ll be right back.”
I had a few appetizers and sipped champagne, walking over to a quieter side of the patio to admire the scenery.
The hotel really was gorgeous. The place sparkled. Not just the lights of the city, which twinkled in a panorama around us, but the inside of the hotel too. I made a quick visit to the ladies’ room, then looked for a spot where I could think for a minute or two, away from the wedding festivities.
I found a sitting area that wasn’t occupied, off to one side of a quiet hallway, and sat on a sofa. There was a fireplace with a roaring fire. It reminded me of home. Of everything and everyone that I missed back in Silver Ridge.
I still hadn’t answered Piper’s question.
What did I want?
Dane had said he would head back to Silver Ridge with me after this trip. He still had work to do with the ski resort, and I was still supposed to be his guide to the town.
How would my brothers react if I came back and Dane and I were a couple?
I didn’t worry so much about their disapproval. Ashford and Callum both were forgiving. But they worried about me too much. And Dane’s friendship meant so much to Ashford. If things didn’t work out between me and Dane, would I be causing permanent damage to their friendship?
If things didn’t work out, would my heart be able to take it?
I had been terrified that I would trust the wrong man, fall for him, and then he’d turn his back on me. Leave the way my father had, or hurt me even worse than that.
But deep down, way in the center of me where I really knew what was true, I believed that Dane wasn’t like that. We might not work out, but not because he wasn’t trustworthy.
Heaven help me, I wanted Dane to be my boyfriend.
I was about to text Piper back, because I had my answer, and I didn’t want to leave her hanging. Then I glanced over, catching movement from the corner of my eye, and every part of me went cold.
The sofa where I sat was partially concealed by the fireplace, so he hadn’t seen me. But I’d gotten a good enough look to recognize the man as he walked down the corridor. A shaved head, a salt-and-pepper goatee.
The same man I’d seen last night at the rehearsal dinner. The guy who’d confronted me at the ski resort back in Silver Ridge.
He was here in New York, and this time, I knew I definitely wasn’t imagining it.
I stood up, quietly crossing the sitting area while keeping myself mostly hidden behind the fireplace. I watched the man’s back as he strode down the hall with purpose. Like he had somewhere important to be.
Who the heck was he?
I wasn’t going to let him vanish this time. At the very least, I could find out where he was going, and there would be security cameras around here that would catch an image of his face. The police could identify him. Unless the cameras conveniently “glitched” again, like the security cams at the ski resort…
No, I couldn’t let that happen. I had to get a picture of the man myself.
I followed as closely as I dared, while still keeping some distance between us. I kept my phone up with the camera ready, which would be an excuse to keep my head down in case the guy looked back. I would look like I was messing around on my phone and not paying him any attention.
The man turned a corner, and I took a few quick steps, hoping to catch up. I was about to peek around to see what he was doing. But then his voice rang out.
“Did you think I wouldn’t find you here?”
I froze up against the wall, expecting him to dart out and grab me. My heart thrummed so hard I couldn’t make out the individual beats.
Then someone else spoke. A woman. “I don’t have time to?—”
“You’ll make time. You’ve been avoiding me. Makes me think you have something to hide.”
I carefully angled my phone so that just the camera lens edged past the corner. Using my thumb, I snapped several photos. My phone was on silent, so it didn’t make any noise.
“I’m just trying to get by, like always,” the woman said.
“You do what I tell you to. Right now, I want to know where Nina is.”
My hand shook as it held the phone. They had to mean Nina Jamison. I switched the camera setting to video and hit record.
“I don’t know. Nobody’s seen her in weeks since that ski resort in Colorado.”
“But I’ll bet she’s been in touch with you.”
“Seriously, Vincent, I have no idea.”
So that was his name. Vincent.
“It’s not my fault she slipped away and disappeared,” the woman said. “Bother somebody else about that, not me. It’s not my problem.”
“Not your fucking problem?”
There was a scuffling sound, then a muffled cry. I risked glancing around the corner, still recording with my phone. Vincent had shoved the woman up against the wall. I hadn’t seen her at the wedding, but she was dressed in an evening gown, her blond hair up in a twist. His hand was over her mouth, while his other squeezed her roughly by the arm.
“Get this straight, Lexi. If I don’t find out where Nina is soon, I’m going to get suspicious that her friends are helping her stay hidden. And what do you think I’ll do if I find out you’re involved in that?”
Her eyes were wide and terrified. She tried to say something, but her voice was muffled by his hand.
“I’ll make sure that pretty face of yours can never be shown in public again. But I can already see that you’re not listening. You think it’s not your problem. So I’m going to have to show you that it very much is your problem.” He suddenly wrenched her arm at an angle that made me flinch in sympathy. I saw the agony in her eyes, and I couldn’t stop myself from taking a step toward them into the next hallway.
“Stop!” The shout left my lips before I’d even realized I was doing it. “Let her go!”
Vincent went still. His head swiveled in my direction. “Excuse me?”
I lifted my phone, still recording. “I’m filming this, asshole. So you’re going to let her go. Right now.” My whole body was shaking, but I couldn’t just hide behind the corner and watch him hurt her. It wasn’t right.
Somebody had to stand up to men like this, and if I stayed silent, what did that say about me?
“What’s happening here is none of your concern.”
Lexi shook her head, eyes begging me not to do this, but I stood my ground, lifting my chin. “It is now. Leave her alone.”
Vincent shoved Lexi, and she went sprawling on the carpet. He turned fully toward me. “You’re brave, I’ll give you that. But you’re also very fucking stupid.”
He started toward me. I walked backward, still holding up my phone, then realized that I had to get out of here. Shit. Okay, maybe this hadn’t been the best idea.
I pivoted and ran.
A vise-like grip landed on my shoulder, spinning me and pushing me up against the wall so hard I felt my insides rattle. Vincent was in my face, pure malice bleeding from his gaze. “I remember you. You helped Nina get away that night.”
“What? No, I?—”
“I’d planned to let that go. But you should’ve kept your nose where it belonged. Out of my business.”
I sucked in a breath to scream. But a blow landed to my chest, robbing my lungs of air. Then Vincent’s fist lashed out again, and pain exploded across my nose before my vision went dark.