Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chance leaned forward on the office chair.
He and Pennebaker had been huddled in an intense discussion for the past thirty minutes.
If he’d thought it would shed light on the chaotic household, Chance had been wrong.
They shared passing conversations with Lark and the camera crew, and both men wondered what was for real and what was for show.
Were Dax and Gigi a danger to themselves?
Or, more likely, unable to satiate their desire for attention?
A quick knock on the security office door preceded it swung open. Jumpy, they twisted. His heart caught. “Jane?”
Her puffy eyes and faltering hello were enough to turn his stomach. Pennebaker muttered a greeting and appraised the situation, and after a confirming look at Chance, he stepped toward the door. “I was on my way out.”
Jane crossed straight into Chance’s arms. She curled her arms between them, knotting her hands between their chests. Whatever had happened, she needed to be held. He pulled her close and backed onto his chair again.
Her face buried against his neck. She curled tightly on his lap, silently begging him to keep her safe.
Chance stroked the back of her head. Her quiet sniffles made his blood boil.
One of the Thanes was responsible, and he wanted to kill them.
Which meant he needed to get the hell out of Dodge before he actually did.
Neither he nor Jane should have their jobs.
He didn’t know what to do about Teddy, but he had to act fast. “Want to talk about it?”
She shook her head.
“When you’re ready.” And then, after he knew what had happened, Chance would make a phone call to Boss Man. If he wasn’t available, Chance would call his teammates until he had someone with a clear perspective. Both he and Jane were in too deep to see the situation with any clarity.
“I said you were my boyfriend.” Her lips tickled his neck.
Chance chuckled and inched her from his chest. With a lopsided grin, he hoped he could make her laugh. “And that made you cry?”
She smiled.
Not laughter, but he’d take what he could get. He kissed her forehead. “Guess that means you’re my girlfriend?”
She sniffled and almost laughed.
“My woman?” he tried again, dropping his voice low, again hoping for a laugh.
Jane smiled, gave a short laugh, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He’d take that triplicate for a win.
She met his eyes. “We need to get out of here.”
His neck muscles stiffened. For Jane to say that… “What happened?”
Her eyes closed, and with a slight head shake, she said, “The details don’t matter. You were right. This place is toxic.” Her voice broke. “But we need a plan.”
“For Teddy?”
She nodded.
Knowing she was right but not having the slightest idea what to do, his stomach turned.
He reached for the bottle of antacids that Pennebaker had left behind.
Jane shifted off his lap and pulled a chair closer.
Once they were settled again, face to face, she admitted, “I still don’t know how. But I won’t abandon him.”
A rough knock pounded on the door, and Pennebaker announced, “Coming in.”
The door swung open, and just as his stomach had lurched when Chance saw Jane, it did when he saw the dread on Pennebaker’s face.
“What?” Chance handed over the bottle of antacids.
Pennebaker popped a few and capped the bottle. “They’ve called another family meeting.”
“Janie!” Teddy’s voice echoed down the hall, and it was the only thing that could have propelled Jane out of the security office.
She found Teddy still on the barstool. Several members of the staff lined the wall behind a large kitchen table. To Jane, it almost looked as though they were hiding with the hope of blending into the wallpaper.
Teddy leaned away from Dax, legs kicking and reaching for her arms. “We’re having another family meeting.”
The omnipresent camera crew positioned in a corner. Unlike usual, they had lights strategically stationed as though the room was set up for an interview.
Gigi swept in for Teddy. Jane could’ve ripped the boy from her arms but stepped back. Teddy seemed ready to cry.
The heavy footsteps of Chance and Pennebaker approached. Jane didn’t look toward them, but knowing Chance was close somehow made her feel better.
“Now that we’re all here,” Dax said and hung an arm over Gigi’s shoulder. “We have an announcement to share.”
Gigi leaned against Dax. “We’re renewing our vows!”
Jane’s jaw dropped. No one made a sound. Bile churned in her stomach, and she could use the security office’s bottle of antacids.
Gigi placed Teddy on his feet, just short of dropping him, and turned to Dax. With all the talent of a soap opera wannabe reject, her eyelashes fluttered, and she tossed her hair dramatically off her shoulder. “I love you.”
Dax clinched her waist. “And I love you.”
Teddy ran toward Jane, jumping into her arms.
The happy-again couple turned toward the group, angling for the video camera. Dax said, “I bought Gigi a campy little resort.”
Bought her a resort? Though… why not? An everyday guy might grovel and makeup at a mountain hotel. Dax Thane would buy the whole damn mountain and give his wife a resort.
“Campiness is so vogue at the moment,” Gigi explained. “I can’t wait to post the pictures.”
Clearly, this conversation wasn’t for anyone in the room. The Thane mini-documentary was turning into a weird mishmash of the Real Housewives, Survivor, and Punk’d.
Teddy leaned close to Jane’s ear. “They’re going to camp?”
His hopefulness sliced her heart. “I’ll explain later, honey.”
Dax clapped his hands and rubbed them together as though he were about to dive into a meat lover’s buffet. “Champagne glass hot tubs and heart-shaped beds.”
“We’re leaving tonight!” Gigi beamed. “Off to the wild, rugged Poconos.”
Jane recalled the time she and Teddy visited an indoor water park in the Poconos. They’d had the absolute best time. Dax and Gigi refused to join them. Looking back on the rural area, Jane wondered how the locals would take to the Thanes.
“Say that one more time,” a producer called.
Gigi and Dax restarted their banter, repeating themselves word for word. Jane rolled her eyes. But a realization hit Jane like a semi-truck. They were essentially filming a commercial. Nothing was ever what it seemed.