Chapter 22
CHRISTIAN
“Where are we going?” Merry asked as they walked up Fifth Avenue, her arm locked in his. It was dark, but the Christmas lights that lined the streets made the city glow like a winter wonderland, and Merry herself seemed to glow with happiness as he led her along.
“You’ll see,” he replied. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind what?”
Christian led her around the corner into the Rockefeller Plaza.
“More hot chocolate?” she asked.
Tempting, but he had an even better surprise. Christian steered her past the chocolate shop and stopped outside the sleek glass doors of the Devlin Storm flagship store.
Merry’s steps faltered, just like he’d thought they would.
“Christian, what are we doing here?” She looked up at him with sad eyes. “I can’t afford anything from this place. It’s Devlin Storm — their window displays cost more than my rent.”
“I knew you were going to say that.”
“I don’t think you can either, can you?” she went on. “I mean, Storm stuff is really expensive.”
Christian took a deep breath. Once again, he wondered if he should just come clean and tell her everything.
There was a good chance she’d hear him out, then forgive him, wasn’t there?
But they hadn’t travelled far together, and it had been a rocky road in places.
If he waited a few more days, until after the ball at least, then it would give him a chance to show her who he really was.
That way, she wouldn’t have to judge him on a single lie.
“What I’m about to tell you is going to sound crazy,” he said. “But bear with me.”
“Okay . . .” she said, one eyebrow rising.
“I actually know Devlin Storm. I happened to meet him once, while I was working overseas.”
“Seriously?” Merry’s mouth dropped open. “You know Devlin Storm?”
Christian nodded.
“And isn’t he supposed to be, you know, a bit of a knob?” Merry asked. “That’s what all the gossip says.”
“He’s an acquired taste,” said Christian. “But not a bad guy when you get to know him. Anyway, I actually saved his life once.”
“ Really ?” said Merry.
“Really,” he said. “I helped him out in the mountains after he’d injured himself.”
It was the truth, although he wasn’t going to tell Merry everything that had happened.
It had been a couple of years back, during a fundraiser in Colorado.
The day after the actual event, they’d organised a cross-country trail, and he and Devlin had taken part.
Devlin had been fitter, but he’d overstretched himself and while climbing a rocky slope in the middle of the mountains in the dead of night he’d slipped and fallen.
Christian had carried Devlin back through a half-mile stretch of rocky wilderness to the club house, where he’d been treated for hypothermia and a snapped tendon in his knee.
“You saved Devlin Storm’s life?” Merry shook her head. “That’s just too weird not to be true.”
“Anyway, he told me he owed me, big time,” Christian said.
“And that if I needed anything at all, I just had to call him. Well, call his team .” He smiled at her.
“So I did, this morning after we talked. I kind of guessed that not being able to afford an outfit was the main reason you didn’t want to say yes to my invite. I hope I wasn’t wildly off the mark?”
Her eyes darted away, embarrassed. “I didn’t want to make a big thing of it.”
“I know, that’s why I didn’t make a big thing of it either.”
He had, after spending half the day wondering how he could buy Merry a new outfit for the ball without blowing his cover.
He knew he could have taken her to any store in the city, and bought her absolutely any outfit she desired.
But he would have had to tell her the truth, and more than that, he didn’t think it would impress her.
He had the funny feeling that if he threw money at her she would turn around and walk away.
It was one of the things that drew him to her.
Doing it this way was, ironically, much more honest.
“You literally tannoyed me through the whole of Carroll’s.” Merry laughed.
Christian grinned, pushed the door open and led Merry inside, where a smiling assistant swept over and offered Merry a glass of Prosecco.
“Go wild,” he said. “Pick anything you like.”
“Seriously?” Merry was breathless with excitement.
“Seriously. Merry Christmas!”
Merry squealed as the assistant led her away to the back of the store, and Christian laughed as he heard her gasping over the dresses and shoes.
He was still smiling when he heard the voice behind him.
“Well, well. If it isn’t the janitor prince.”
Christian turned to see Devlin Storm leaning against a marble pillar and eyeing him with his steely blues. He was wearing a sharply tailored black coat over an open-neck shirt and slacks, his golden hair swept back like he’d just walked out of a photo shoot — which he probably had.
“Devlin, man.” Christian pulled his friend in for a hug. “Didn’t expect to you to be here tonight. It’s so good to see you.”
Devlin glanced past him towards the dressing rooms. “I wasn’t going to stand by and let you shop here and not come say hi. Especially when there was a chance I could see Merry in the flesh. Plus, I promised the guys I’d report back.”
“She doesn’t know who I really am yet,” Christian said. “Or how I really know you, either, so maybe keep mum, yeah?”
Devlin arched a brow, amused. “Relax. I’m not about to blow your cover.” He paused, folding his arms. “But how on earth does she think you’re affording something from here?”
Christian shrugged, a grin playing at his lips. “I told her I saved your life.”
Devlin blinked, then let out a bark of laughter. “You what?”
“I mean, I did. Technically.”
“You dragged me half a mile through the snow because I was too stubborn to admit I’d torn something.”
“You tried to jump a ravine and failed. That’s on you.”
Devlin shook his head, amused. “So, let me get this straight. You used our little misadventure as a cover story to explain how a janitor gets VIP access to my store?”
“Exactly.”
Devlin clapped a hand on Christian’s shoulder. “I’m impressed. That’s some top-tier spin.”
Christian smirked. “Well, you always said I’d missed my calling in PR.”
“Just make sure she doesn’t fall for the heroic part too hard, or she’ll be devastated when she finds out the truth.”
Christian’s smile faltered for a split second. “Yeah. I know. I’m working on the timing.”
Devlin studied him for a beat, then nodded once. “You really like her, don’t you?”
Christian didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.
“Be careful. If you like her as much as I think you do, this is going to get a lot harder before it gets easier. If it ever gets easier.”
Devlin gave Christian a look, then shifted his stance and glanced around at his own busy shop floor. “So, what’s really going on with Carroll’s? You any closer to finding out?”
Christian rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s a mess. Half the staff are disappearing mid-shift and from what I’ve heard, they’re being paid off.”
“Paid off? That’s bad. Any idea who’s behind it?” Devlin frowned.
“Not yet. But it’s someone with serious pull. Whatever’s happening, it’s coming from high up — too high for it to be some rogue worker.”
Devlin went quiet for a moment, tapping a finger against his watch strap. Then he nodded. “Check the accounts.”
Christian raised an eyebrow. “The accounts?”
“Payroll, discretionary budgets, supplier invoices — whatever you can get your hands on. Big payouts like that? They won’t be marked ‘mysterious bribe’ or ‘severance for no reason’, but the money has to come from somewhere. It’ll be hidden, but not invisible. You just have to know where to look.”
Christian blinked, then gave a slow, impressed nod. “That’s actually really good advice.”
Devlin smirked. “I have my moments. Now go play Prince Charming before she comes back and catches us being all buddy-buddy.”
Christian laughed under his breath, his tension easing for the first time in hours. “Thanks, Dev.”
“Any time. Just don’t wait too long to tell her who you are. If she’s as special as you say, then girls like her don’t come around twice.”