Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
T illy glanced at Cass, dashing and commanding the room as they entered the venue despite him being slightly underdressed in his dark jeans and black suit blazer over a plain black shirt open at the neck.
People had turned toward them, but this time, no one yelled, screamed, or shoved phones into their faces. This was a crowd of Montreal’s rich and famous clad in elegant evening gowns and full tuxedos.
She had to catch her breath at the incredibly beautiful décor welcoming them, everything done in glimmering shades of gold and green.
As Cass rested his palm at her back, she took him in with newfound delight.
“This is truly lovely.” She stared again at the lavish tables surrounding the stage and dance floor. The finest glassware shone under a cascade of golden fairy lights illuminating the ceiling. The flower arrangements dotting the ballroom in tones of luscious rust and greens to match the season’s autumn foliage gave the venue the allure of a magical forest.
A friendly-looking man in a perfectly cut tux, streaks of gray in his thick curly hair, waved at them and Cass nodded back.
“Is this Jean-Jacques Desjardins?” she asked, starstruck at the well-known French-Canadian movie producer who was now an A-lister in Hollywood.
“Yes, he’s in town,” he told her with a smile. “We get together now and again for a beer.”
She couldn’t help but be impressed. She knew plenty of big names in the music business but not Hollywood celebrities.
“A little quieter here, isn’t it?” He bent toward her and his breath so close to her cheek made her shiver. A pleasant glow spread through her entire body. She was attending a gorgeous party, on the arm of the most seductive man in the room, and for the first time in a long while, she felt truly content.
“This gala is really fabulous.” She leaned in a little closer into him.
“These things are always fancy affairs.” He looked around as if noticing the décor for the first time. “But Nyssa has a flair for making her events super special.”
“Nyssa?” She wondered at the warm tone of his voice. Another woman of his entourage?
“Vlahos, she’s my future sister-in-law,” he said, his expression relaxed.
Tilly frowned and he laughed.
“My brother Mag’s fiancée,” Cass mentioned while waving at an older gentleman who had caught his eyes. “They’re getting married this Christmas.”
“Oh right, I remember now.” Cass had told her that three of his brothers were married. But she didn’t recall him mentioning an engagement.
“Nyssa’s a big deal in Montreal. Real estate magnate,” Cass continued. “This gala is for the Catalina Vlahos Foundation. Her little sister’s project. But really Nyssa’s in charge. Cat is just a teen.”
“And the cause?” She suddenly realized that her child had inherited a large family.
“Support teens recovering from human trafficking. Trauma remains with them their whole life and they need professional help. Cat was abducted by daemons last year.” His tone turned dark, and he paused for a second. “Horrible tragedy. She’s all safe and thriving now, thank the Almighty.”
A teen, abducted. Her heart broke. That was awful.
“Is that why you insisted on me being here?” She was starting to glimpse a side of Cass she knew little about. His connection to his family’s endeavors. “To meet your family?”
“Mr. St-Amand.” A beautiful hostess in a white shirt and black skirt joined them. “Miss Davenport. Allow me to show you to your table.”
“Yes, I want you to meet them all.” Cass gently slid his arms closer on Tilly’s waist to guide her between the packed tables. “And I’m sure you’re perfectly safe here.”
As they walked between tables, a few people stood to shake their hands.
Cass was in full charmer mode. “Mairesse Lavoix.” He stopped for a moment to shake the hand of a middle-aged woman in a sparkling blue gown. “I see your husband’s here. How you doing, René?”
The woman beamed at him, her face flushed with pleasure, before Cass guided Tilly farther into the crowd.
He paused once more. This time by an elegant blonde with a fancy updo. “Hello, Céline. I just loved you in Infinite Justice .”
“You have time for movies, Cass?” The woman, who Tilly recognized as the dramatic actress Céline Marquis, was pleased, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
“He’s too modest, aren’t you, gorgeous?” Her companion, a beautiful dark-haired lady asked Cass. “How many Grammys do you have now?”
He laughed and waved off his accomplishments casually before bending over to kiss the renowned actress’ cheek. “It doesn’t matter. Now you , Céline, are the real deal.”
Tilly couldn’t help but sense that everywhere Cass went, he was loved.
“Hey Tilly Davenport! Is that you?” A young man with a short, expensive blond dye job shouted at her from the next table over.
She frowned, trying to place him. Well-dressed in a designer tux over a pristine white tee, he had to be in his early twenties and sported multiple heavy gold chains around his neck and a confidence that assumed the world belonged to him.
“Avery! Avery Brooke.” He stood and walked around to meet her. “Don’t you remember? You did a couple of my singles.”
“Avery, of course.” She finally recalled the young, very wealthy Cape Cod teen who’d come to the studio with his father, Fletcher Brooke, a New York tech CEO with a summer home on the Cape. Ryan had been too busy that week to mix the kid’s tracks and had asked Tilly to take over. The large, intricate neck tattoo that disappeared behind the man’s gold jewelry hadn’t been there at the time, and now clashed with his image of an affluent and connected East Coast heir.
“Wow, you’re all grown up now,” she forced a smile. She remembered him as a very annoying and entitled rich kid who would come for his recording sessions with his gaggle of equally moneyed and bored young friends. Not an ounce of talent but loads of cash.
“And you’re pregnant!” He blurted out, looking her up and down, without much tact.
“Yep, I am.” She looked at Cass who was chatting with an older glamorous couple, shaking hands with the elderly man, and kissing both cheeks of his female companion who sat drenched in diamonds and blushing with effusion at Cass’s attentions.
“Oh, right,” Avery continued. “He’s the father. That’s cool. I’m in college here in town now. MacDougall University. Dad’s gonna cut me off if I don’t graduate.”
He chuckled, obviously not worried about being left out of the will.
“Is that right?” She held on to Cass’s arm to get his attention. “Cass, this is Avery. I did his tracks about three years ago.”
“Hey Avery.” Cass extended his hand. “Nice to meet you. You’re in the music business?”
“Not anymore. My dad wouldn’t have it,” Avery snorted and stared at Cass with enthusiasm as he shook his hand. “I’m in business school right now. But you’re my hero, man.”
“Well don’t give it up.” Cass shot him a fast smile.
“I won’t!” Fire lit Avery’s pale blue eyes. “Just need to finish that damn degree to secure my inheritance.”
Tilly caught the impatient look on the hostess.
“Cass.” She pulled gently on his arm, tilting her head toward the young woman.
“We got to go, man.” Cass casually slapped Avery’s shoulder. “Nice to meet you.”
“Yeah, me too.” He gave him a wide, pleased grin.
“Good luck, Avery,” Tilly said.
“You did his tracks?” he uttered close to her ear.
“Yeah. Are you afraid of the competition?” she teased.
“Should I be?” He chuckled, drawing her closer to him as they followed behind the hostess toward their table near the front.
“Not one bit. Kid’s better off sticking with business,” she admitted. “The talent just isn’t there.”
A ping of longing for her job suddenly hit her. She missed hanging out with Ryan, and the other two engineers, Gino and Levi, focusing on getting that sound right, commuting to work and back with a long walk by the surf. Her little munchkin had changed all her life’s plans.
“Thank you, mademoiselle .” Cass gave a bright smile at the hostess as they reached their table by the stage.
The young woman blushed under his gaze while Tilly nodded at her.
“And as promised, here’s my brother.” Cass motioned to a dark, handsome man with hair brushing the motorcycle jacket he wore over a plain black T-shirt. He was talking to a large, brawny man in a custom-tailored suit and narrow black tie.
“It’s Magnovald, right?” she asked.
“Yep. Mag,” Cass told her. “My wild brother. Always on the dubious side of the law. He owns a big nightclub downtown. The Serpent Maudit .”
Tilly could hear the pride in Cass’s voice. He obviously was very fond of him.
“Which means?” she asked.
“Cursed Snake,” he informed her.
“Oh…” She raised a brow at him. “Cool name.”
“Happening place.” He patted her waist with eagerness, and she felt the shiver of desire rising in her again. “We should go sometimes.”
“Will we have time after…?” She looked down at her belly.
“Oh damn, you must be exhausted.” He leaned in to support her better, suddenly aware of her condition. “Let’s get you seated.”
“I’m fine.” She was touched by his concern. And happy to be here with him. “This whole outing is really something.”
“I’m excited for you to meet my family.”
“Sacrament! Cass! Wasn’t sure you’d make it.” Cass’s brother now stood from his chair to meet them. The handsome club owner wrapped his arms around Cass in a powerful bear hug before letting go to turn to Tilly.
“Of course, I made it,” Cass retorted, “I promised Nyssa.”
“And this must be Mathilda,” Mag’s gaze connected with hers instantly.
“Tilly.” She smiled at him, immediately liking the bold immortal vampire.
He took hold of her and kissed each of her cheeks, wrapping her in enticing manly cologne.
“I heard you’re a banshee.” He winked as he pulled back.
“Yep.” Aside from Cass, he was the most attractive man here and Tilly noticed more than a few actresses looking in his direction.
“Nice.” He nodded with warm enthusiasm.
“So, this is my brother,” Cass said with a laugh.
“Oh honey, let the poor woman sit down.” A stunning blonde in a floor-length golden gown approached, extending a flawlessly manicured hand toward her. “I’m Nyssa.”
“Nice to meet you,” Tilly returned the handshake with a comfortable smile.
“You can sit here if you want.” A teenage girl sporting two sassy low ponytails at each side of her head and bright-pink lipstick had pulled out a chair at the table for her.
“Oh, thank you, Cat,” Nyssa said as Tilly took seat by the teenager. “Tilly, this is my little sister, Catalina. I have you and Cass sitting between her and us. That’s okay, right?
“And this is her date Djanm.” She pointed to Cat’s companion, a young man with a head full of dark kinky curls. He seemed a little ill-at-ease in his brand-new tux but wore a tender expression when he looked at Cat.
“I’m so excited about the baby.” Cat beamed with happiness. Twinkles shone in her eyes.
“Oh… Of course.” Tilly had never realized other people could also be interested in the impending birth.
Nyssa clasped her hands together, genuinely gleeful. “We’re all very happy.”
“Does everyone in your family know?” Tilly turned to Cass as he took his seat beside her. She’d been alone for so long, the idea of multiple family members being invested was unexpected.
“Yes, I think,” Cass said. “And they’re all thrilled.”
“Especially our mother. She sends her blessing,” Mag said. “She won’t make it this weekend.”
“So Mom knows.” Cass seemed surprised. Tilly thought he would have taken the time to tell his own mother. He’d said he would when she’d sprung the news on him earlier. But then, what did she know about family relationships?
“Yeah,” Mag chortled. “She would have liked to have heard it from you.”
“I better call her soon.”
Eying Cass and his brother, Tilly was suddenly overwhelmed at realizing that Cass came with five siblings, some with spouses, too. That was a lot of relatives to take into account.
“I never had a chance to tell you,” Cass told her. “Rosalie wants us all over for dinner in Briac Falls tomorrow night.
Rosalie, Tilly had learned earlier, was the wife of Cass’s brother Renaud, who lived in the mountains outside Montreal. She was not only a wolf-shifter but also her pack’s alpha.
“Us?” Tilly asked, a little dizzy from the attention.
“You, me, everyone. My family wants to meet you,” Cass explained to her with a bright look on his features. “Griff will be there, too. It’s less than an hour’s drive. Justin is away but his wife Emme should be around.”
“A family dinner?” She hadn’t expected this at all. “Tomorrow?”
She swallowed with apprehension. She didn’t remember a single big family dinner with any of the foster families she’d been placed with, that didn’t turn sour. From the shouting matches at the Sullivans every Thanksgiving, to that Fourth of July barbecue with the Lewises when a distant cousin had come barging in holding a gun, completely drunk and threatening to shoot everybody because he hadn’t been invited.
She was only eleven years old that July and had nightmares for months over it.
“Most everyone will be there,” Cass continued. “Val and Maisie can’t make it. Some witch’s feud Maisie needs to settle as the High Priestess of their coven.”
“Mom won’t be able to be there, either,” Mag said.
“Thank god.” Cass seemed relieved.
“Why?” Mag asked. “I thought you two were super tight.”
“Charlotte is lovely,” Nyssa chimed in.
“She’s just opinionated,” Cass said with a shrug.
“She’s so interesting,” Cat offered, turning away from her date for a second.
Tilly looked around the table. “Any more family I should know about?”
Her encounter with Ambrus El Berith weighed heavy on her mind. She realized that this was not the time to bring it up. The mysterious being was Mag’s father, too.
“Not for now,” Cass said before bending closer to her.
“But here is Maestro Lorenzo and Dr. Justine Laroche,” he continued, whispering in her ear and nodding at a bearded, hefty man and his equally sturdy-looking raven-haired female companion sitting across from them. “Friends of Nyssa.”
“And over there is our friend Vincenzo.” He waved at the heavyweight who’d been talking with Mag earlier and who now sat next to a small older lady all in black with a leopard stole around her neck.
“Hey man, congrats.” The tough-looking man nodded at Cass.
“Next to him is his boss, Se?ora Moreno. Mafia boss actually.” Cass gestured back at Vincenzo as he whispered the last words under his breath.
“For real?” she murmured back.
“Yeah. Somehow she’s tight with Nyssa.”
“Yikes.” She looked at Nyssa, all high class and perfect poise. Not the type to fraternize with organized crime. Cass’s family was full of surprises.
“Vince helped rescue Cat,” Cass explained while the dinner’s first course was served—gold-rimmed plates artistically arranged with harvest salad greens topped with roasted beets and figs.
Soon, they began to eat—the delicate, fresh salad followed by grilled filet mignon with tiny root vegetables—while they chatted casually. Her tablemates asked her about her job as a sound engineer and life on the Cape while Cass listened to her answers with rapt attention, making sure she was at ease through the whole meal.
They had just finished dessert, a masterpiece of chocolate decadence drizzled with raspberry coulis, when the master of ceremony took the stage to welcome the crowd to the gala.
“Cat,” Nyssa extended a hand to her little sister as she unfolded herself gracefully from her chair. “It’s time.”
She nodded at Tilly and Cass. “If you’ll excuse us.”
“Time to do your thing, mon amour .” Mag looked at her with nothing but pure love in his eyes. She patted his cheek with equal adoration and for an instant a ping of longing took over Tilly. To have what they had, such a close bond with someone, would be something to cherish forever.
“Go get them, kid,” Mag winked at Cat.
“Sure, Mag.” She beamed at him, the connection between them unmistakable.
As Nyssa and Cat made their way to the stage, Tilly turned her attention to the host.
There was no time to tell Cass about Ambrus without being rude.
“And here we have the lovely Zara to open the gala,” the short, energetic male presenter announced.
Zara walked on stage, and everyone turned silent. The lights sparkled off the gilded tiara atop her cascade of blonde hair, and, just as she’d described in Cass’s suite, she looked like an angelic golden vision.
Tilly’s mouth thinned as a bout of uncontrollable jealousy took hold of her. That woman was truly gorgeous. Was she a possible threat to her child, or a competition to her reunion with Cass? And did Tilly have any claim to Cass now?
She looked to him and caught his solicitous gaze upon her.
“Are you comfortable,” he purred in a low baritone frequency that resonated deep in her chest. “These chairs are a bit stiff.”
“Zara’s on.” She nodded toward the stage at the model who was reciting a list of the Vlahos Foundation missions for the past year.
“Oh yes, sure.” Not even noticing the model, he waved at the waitstaff, a young man with a goatee who’d been their obliging server throughout the whole dinner. “Can you find a cushion for Ms. Davenport’s back, please? We’ve been here for a long time. And maybe some herbal tea instead of coffee?”
“Yes, of course, Mr. St-Amand,” the waiter answered with a respectful bow.
“Do you want to leave early?” Cass leaned in closer to her, his head tilted to the side with attention.
“Cass, I’m fine.” She laughed, warmed by his attentiveness. “I’m not sick.”
“Just want you to be comfortable. These speeches can go on forever.”
Tilly nodded again at the stage, where Zara was now done with her speech and stood as poised as an ivory statuette, her cream lamé dress exposing one long lean tanned thigh. A video of various good deeds the foundation had enacted played on a screen above her.
“Are you two…?” Tilly couldn’t help herself but ask.
Cass frowned, looked at the stage and back at her. “What?”
“You and Zara?” An uncontrollable flush of heat rushed to her cheeks. She shouldn’t care if Cass dated but she did.
“No.” Shock was obvious on his face. “Who told you this?”
“She did.” She pointed at Zara who held a serious expression on her perfect features as she watched the Vlahos Foundation audiovisual.
“For real?”
“Well, she had her stuff all over your place last night,” she countered.
“She told you I’m dating her?” Both brows were raised in disbelief.
“Was it a one-night thing?” Tilly was shaking a little, not sure if she really wanted to know.
“One night? No. It wasn’t any night.” He was genuinely baffled. “People had a few drinks before the show last night. Karim brought her over. She might have left things in the suite. People do all the time.”
“Oh. I thought…”
“You thought I’d been with her?” He shook his head slowly.
“I did,” she clarified. “She came around while you were at the bar with your brother and told me so. Plus, you must admit, she’s got that glamour. I mean, this is the type of woman you usually date, right?”
“Tilly, there’s been no one but you since I met you.” He took a long deep breath and rested his hand on hers on the table.
“Really?” Was it true?
“What you and I had, I know it was brief,” his tone turned passionate, “but damn, I couldn’t forget it. I just couldn’t…”
She studied his face and saw no deception.
“And you know,” he added, “even before you, there was no one for a really long time. I told you that night.”
“Hard for me to believe you were celibate all this time.” She was still cautious. “The media…”
“Karim loves to have the press link me to this or that star.” He gave her another headshake as he squeezed her hand. “It’s a persona, Tilly. Surely you know this.”
“I do. It’s just…”
“You care?” He looked shocked at her confession, then pleased.
She bit her lip tentatively. “Yes.”
Oh god, was her pregnancy making her weak? She couldn’t meet his gaze.
Here she thought she couldn’t be with Cass because of his stardom. Because she couldn’t have her child brought up in this environment.
But what she saw tonight was different than expected. A glimpse of a family. Normality. A brother and future sister-in-law for her, a cousin for her baby in Cat. People who cared enough to give back to the community. Could she keep her child away from all that? They were the baby’s kin.
And then there was him.
Charmer to the end but still honestly considerate of her comfort.
She raised her chin to stare into the depth of his expressive dark-brown eyes. Their gaze connected for a moment and the emotion it unearthed rocked her very soul. Blast it, she was falling for him all over again. And that scared the hell out of her.
“I’m glad you care.” He lifted her hand to his sensual lips and dropped a kiss on her knuckles.
Shivers emerged from deep inside to scatter all the way down to the lower part of her belly. She was unable to move.
Guilt at keeping him from knowing about his birth father tightened her chest. Politeness be damned, she could no longer keep quiet.
“Cass, I?—”
“Welcome Montreal friends and community.” Nyssa’s voice rose over the crowd. The video had ended, and she stood at the podium with Cat at her left.
Tilly took a breath at the interruption and turned to the stage with frustration, waiting for Nyssa to finish. She barely noticed their waiter placing a delicate cup and saucer, along with a steamy pot of fragrant tea on the table, before pouring her drink.
“And here is our gift to you tonight,” the real-estate magnate continued, regal in her golden gown brushing the stage floor. “Stopping here just for a few nights, I am thrilled to present to you, for an exclusive performance, my very special future brother-in-law—Cass St-Amand.”
Tilly stared at him with astonishment while the whole crowd around them applauded and shouted his name.
“Go knock them dead, bro,” Mag said with amused pride in his voice.
“You didn’t tell me…” Tilly started.
“Sorry, it’s a bit of a surprise.” He patted her hand, stood under the clamor, and dropped a kiss on her hair. “I couldn’t say no.”
And soon, the man she was falling for, the father of her child, was standing on stage with an acoustic guitar in front of Montreal’s rich and famous.
Nyssa and Cat had exited the stage leaving only the emcee standing at a respectable distance and staring at Cass with excitement.
“Thank you everyone for the heartfelt welcome and…for your generosity.” He grinned warmly at Cat who was weaving back through the tables to her seat. “Well done, Catalina. I know this cause is dear to your heart.”
He sat on a simple wooden stool and positioned his guitar, one long leg perched on the rung.
“This one is new, a very unique collaboration that couldn’t have been possible without someone incredibly important to me.
“Tilly, this is all you.”
His warm baritone made her tremble with repressed needs.
“To our little one, ma belle .”
The first chord hit straight at her soul. She had heard this song thousands of times in the studio, and listening to it now performed acapella brought back all the memories.
Their first intimate contact, when they were all alone in the recording room and he had pushed a strand of her hair over her shoulder to brush his lips at the crook of her neck. Then his fingers interlaced with hers as they’d walked to his cottage under the feathery snowfall in the middle of the night after the late recording session. His mouth had tasted like the wine they had just sipped as he’d taken her lips for the very first time.
The skin at the bottom of her spine still shivered with the recollection of his touch along her back. Her thighs quivered remembering how lean his hips were as she’d wrap her legs around him while he took possession of her in the most intimate way. How he’d filled her, connected with her, to the deepest part of her soul.
Longing consumed her. She had never let anyone in, never believed she could. But she had let him know her that first night.
And now, as his velvety voice rose in the magical room to sing of love for a beautiful stranger, and the twangy guitar chords resonated from his masterful fingers, she was back there.
With him, making love, with all her heart.
The ballroom was silent, enthralled by his song, unaware of the turmoil inside her, of how they had been so connected when he’d created this ballad.
The last note dimmed slowly in the hushed room, and everyone clapped loudly, bringing her back to the present.
Cass beamed with obvious pleasure at the audience before settling a loving gaze toward her.
He may have dedicated the song to her, but this piece was first and foremost for them, his fans. It was them he belonged to. It was all too clear as he stood to bow to his adoring public. He would never wholly belong to her. No matter how much he cared for her.
And here lay the reason why she couldn’t truly and completely be with him.
He was too good of an artist to belong to just one, or two once the child was born.
Since she was old enough to understand that she’d been abandoned, she had wanted a family of her own. Her heart ached knowing that despite her deepest desire, her child would have a father who would be forever torn between them and his audience.
She took a deep breath to settle her hammering pulse and smiled at Nyssa who was clapping loudly and smiling at her. Cass’s family would never understand Tilly’s predicament.
She was taking a sip of her spearmint tea to compose herself when she felt a presence beside her. Marjo was standing right there, in her plain suit and white blouse with pearls at her neck. She motioned to the stage where Cass was shaking the hand of the host.
“He asked that you meet him out back,” the competent assistant said.
“Really?”
“If you don’t mind.”
“Yes, of course.” Tilly wondered if he might want to leave early for her sake now that his performance was over.
“If you’ll excuse me,” she told her tablemates. “Cass asked for me.”
Nyssa nodded at her, and Tilly followed after Marjo past the crowded table where people were back to socializing with each other or had taken to the dance floor.
They exited to the lobby and circled a few board rooms at the back of the event space, Marjo’s efficient heels clicking on the linoleum of the hallways.
“Right here,” she said, opening the door to a carpeted back office.
As soon as Tilly followed her in, a pungent odor of chemicals filled her lungs as someone smashed a rag over her mouth. She struggled to scream. Wanted to retch.
Her vision blurred, shadows moved in front of her, as her knees buckled.
Then everything turned black.