Chapter 22
CHAPTER 22
JULIA
J ulia’s pulse quickened as she left Grant behind with Lydia. She knew the dance wouldn’t be Lydia’s big request of her, but she couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that something was about to happen.
At least they’d been able to remove Lydia’s leverage. The pictures of Sierra had kept them dancing to her tune for far too long. But now…
Before her mind finished the statement, warm fingers grabbed her wrist. She snapped her gaze up to the owner, heat washing over her.
“Luke,” she said.
“Hi, Julia,” he said with a smile. “You look…incredible.”
She glanced down at her dress before she flicked her gaze up to him. “Thank you. I’m guessing you are Lydia’s plus one?”
“I am, yes. I’m…sorry if that’s a problem for you, but…I guess I don’t have the history with her that your husband does.”
She shook her head, not wanting to discuss it but needing to warn him again. “No, you don’t. Nor the history I have with her. If you did, you wouldn’t be so nonchalant about this.”
“Your history with her? I assume most of that comes from the fact that you’re married to her ex-husband and she doesn’t know that’s fake.”
“Shh,” Julia said as she pressed closer to him. “Don’t say that out loud.”
He pressed his lips together, breathing out a sigh through flared nostrils. “I’m sorry, Julia. But soon, this won’t matter, right?”
Her heart ached at the words as he forced her to face the decision ahead of her.
“I’m sorry,” Luke said. “I…want to talk about this, but…whenever you’re ready.”
She offered him a slight smile as he squeezed her hands.
“Everything okay here, Julia?” Kyle asked as he sidled up to them.
“Yes, thank you, Kyle,” she said with a nod.
The two men stared at each other, a deep-seated tension obvious between them.
“We were in the middle of something–” Luke started.
“Well, that’s too bad. I was in the middle of asking Julia for a dance. Julia?” Kyle offered his arm to her.
She hesitated before she slid her hand around his arm and flicked her gaze to Luke. “Excuse me.”
Kyle led her to the dance floor, his grip on her tight despite the easy music. He kept his eyes trained on Luke. “That guy is really something else.”
“I was perfectly fine,” Julia answered, her gaze lingering on Luke. Memories of their past mingled with the present, a tangled web of what-ifs. A pang of something lost, yet unfilled danced inside her. Her mind drifted to Grant, recalling the unexpected warmth they’d shared. Her heart was a battlefield of emotions, each fighting for dominance.
“Really?” Kyle snapped his gaze to her. “You left pretty readily.”
“I didn’t think you were taking no for an answer.”
He lifted his chin, offering her a slight grin. “I wasn’t.”
“Well, there you have it.”
“At least one of us was looking out for you. My father is otherwise engaged, as usual.”
“Don’t be so hard on him. You know these events tend to be more work than play.”
“His loss,” Kyle said as he spun her around. “If we were married, I wouldn’t spend a night like this working.”
“Really? What if you were in the middle of your big plan to sink all of Luke’s tour boats?”
“I’d take the night off to spend it with you.”
Julia chuckled at the conversation. “Oh, really? You would take the night off from sinking boats just for me.”
“Of course, Julia. You are the most important thing. The boat sinking can wait.” He flashed her an amused smile.
“Well, well, well, what have we here?” Lydia’s smug voice said as she danced her way closer in Luke’s arms.
Julia clicked her tongue. “Do you want to cut in on this dance, too?”
“Oh, no. No, no,” she said with a shake of her head. “You look far too comfortable in Calvin’s arms. I’m not sure I could get between you.”
“It’s Kyle,” he shot back.
“You can stop with the insinuations, Lydia. There is nothing untoward going on here,” Julia said with a sigh.
“Could have fooled me. Oh, Julia, I need a word with you. But at your convenience. I’d hate to interrupt your little lover’s chat.” Lydia flicked her gaze to Luke. “I am sorry you’re seeing this. I know how deep your feelings run for her, but Julia just can’t seem to keep her fingers out of all the pies.”
“I really don’t think Julia is like that,” Luke answered Lydia.
“Well, she is married to my husband, has been known to kiss his son, and…then there’s you. You caused quite a stir in Maine. I’m certain you two have locked lips. It just seems like she can’t decide whose arms she wants to be in.”
Julia rolled her eyes.
“Anyway, find me when you’ve finished parading your line of men across the dance floor.”
Lydia tugged Luke away.
Julia heaved a sigh as she shook her head. “She’s in her usually friendly form.”
“If Luke can’t see through her now he never will.”
“Does it matter if he does?” Kyle asked.
She centered her gaze on him. “I don’t want him to get hurt in this. He’s going to end up being collateral damage.”
Kyle’s jaw clenched.
“I know you don’t want to hear that, but I don’t want anyone getting hurt in this. Lydia is dangerous.”
“I know. Why don’t you just tell Luke to leave then? You’re the reason he’s here.”
The words stung her. He had a point…again. She could easily end this by simply telling Luke to leave. Would he go? She wasn’t sure, but a bigger question loomed. Did she want him to?
“Sorry,” Kyle said. “Was that another line?”
She glanced at Luke across the room with Lydia. “Probably.”
“Well, how about this for crossing lines? There’s no way I’m letting you meet with Lydia alone.”
“I don’t think she’s going to let you come with me, sorry.”
“We’ll have to figure something out because that’s not happening.”
She offered him a tight-lipped smile as the music came to an end and the dancers applauded. “I can’t avoid her all night. Besides, what is she going to do in a room full of people?”
“Who knows, Julia?” he said as they left the dance floor. “We shouldn’t take any chances.”
He offered her another flute of champagne as Grant approached them.
“Well,” he said, sliding an arm around her waist, “this night isn’t going how I expected it.”
“Just wait,” Kyle answered. “Lydia wants to see Julia alone.”
“No,” Grant said before a sip of his bourbon.
“Same thing I said,” Kyle answered.
“I don’t think Lydia was taking no for an answer. Just like she wasn’t with you and that dance.”
Grant narrowed his eyes at his ex-wife across the room. “That was clearly designed to set you up for a conversation with Luke.”
“She’s really trying to keep us all off balance tonight. Maybe the best play we can make is not to let her,” Julia said.
“Exactly why you are not having a conversation with her alone,” Grant answered. “Kyle, go talk to her and see what she wants.”
“No!” Julia exclaimed.
Grant shrugged. “What do you mean no? He’s her partner in crime.”
“Barely. And we are not sending him into the lion’s den.”
“Oh, but it’s okay for you to go. I don’t think so, Julia,” Grant answered with a shake of his head.
“I can go. I’ll go,” Kyle said, handing his champagne flute to Julia.
“No, Kyle…” She sighed as she turned a disappointed gaze to Grant. “Why did you tell him to do that?”
“He’s fine. He’s a grown man who is capable of making quite a bit of trouble on his own. Let him see if he can get any information.”
“He’s a grown man who thinks sinking someone’s tour boats is an effective response to them showing up unwanted at a dinner party.”
“It wasn’t that bad of an idea. It would have worked.” Grant shrugged before he took another sip of his drink and set the glass on the table. He tugged the two flutes from her hands. “You owe me another dance.”
“This is hardly the time for a dance,” she said as he led her to the dance floor.
“I think it’s the perfect time. You’ve already had one with Kyle. Ours was interrupted. I need to beat Luke to the punch.”
“Very funny,” she said as he pulled her closer. “You know I can’t avoid Lydia all night, right?”
“She doesn’t have any leverage anymore. Blow her off.”
“Do you actually think I’ll get away with that?” she asked. “I feel like she’s just going to corner me in the ladies’ room.”
“Maybe we’ll need to leave early so you can avoid her.” He glanced down at her, his thumb rubbing her hand as he held it close to his chest. In the dim light of the sparkling chandelier, his eyes had a warmth to them.
“You have important business.”
“I don’t care about the business.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Really? I’ve spent two years married to you saving a business you don’t care about?”
“Well, part of that business has been projecting the right image for the board. Although, it hasn’t been very hard pretending to be madly in love with you. So, if I have to take my lovely wife home early, consider it strategic. For love’s sake.”
She chuckled at his joke. He had played the role well. So well that at times, the lines had blurred for her. Enough that she found herself heartbroken to be leaving in just a few days.
“And between us, I’ve been reading ‘Billionaire Behavior one-oh-one’ and I just finished the chapter on rescuing damsels in distress. I think I can graduate from returning purses to dashing escapes from galas.”
She couldn’t stop the laugh from escaping her as she threw her head back. “Well, that’s good to know in case we need it.”
“And we just might. I don’t trust Lydia,” he said, the levity in his features settling into concern.
“I don’t either. But I am thrilled to know Alex came through for us.”
“I owe him,” Grant said. “And you.”
She smiled at him, happy to have helped. “You don’t owe me. I was happy to do it for Sierra. And as far as Alex…I’ll make it up to him, I promise.”
“You shouldn’t have to.”
“He’s already kind of asked, and I agreed, so consider it handled.”
Grant’s features turned more serious. “He did? What did he ask you for?”
“Nothing specific. He just said he had an idea for how I could make it up to him, but he’d ask again once we had things settled here.”
Grant flicked his gaze sideways, his features turning stony. “I don’t like that.”
She smiled at him and shook her head. “I’m sure it’s harmless. Ava asked for a visit with them. I’m sure it’s something like that.”
Before he could answer her, Sierra approached them. “Daddy, I hate to tear you away, but Victor Montgomery is looking for you.”
“Not now, Sierra,” Grant said.
“Go, it’s fine,” Julia said.
“Yes, please, go, Daddy. He keeps following me around and leaning really close to me. I’m weirded out.”
Grant heaved a sigh as he released Julia from his grasp. “Fine. Sorry.”
“It’s fine, Grant. Good luck.”
He shot her a smile as he stalked away, leaving her with Sierra. She arched an eyebrow at Julia. “I see Luke is here. Why doesn’t he go back to Maine and take my mother with him?”
Julia scanned the room in search of Lydia. She found her sipping champagne at the bar. “I’m about to find out.”
“Seriously?”
Julia took a few steps away as Sierra called after her, “Make sure she stays there!”
She snaked around tables and other guests, arriving at the bar a few moments later. Lydia raised her eyebrows at her, taking a long sip of champagne before she centered her gaze on Julia again. “Well, have you managed to tear yourself away from your harem of men to join me?”
“I don’t have a harem, Lydia.”
Lydia glanced over the crowd. “You could have fooled me.”
“Let’s cut the biting remarks and get on with it. What did you want to see me about?”
Lydia smirked at her and set her glass down. “Why don’t we find a…private place where we can really talk?”
Lydia grasped her wrist and tugged her toward the double doors leading to the foyer. She shot a glance back at the room as she sought someone to signal. She caught sight of Grant in a far corner discussing business. Sierra and James danced together, oblivious to those around them. And she couldn’t find Kyle or Luke. That alone worried her along with where Lydia was dragging her.
“Where are we going?” she questioned, pulling back a little as they crossed the foyer.
“Somewhere private.”
“Where?” Julia asked, her pulse quickening.
“Calm down, Princess. I have a room upstairs. We can talk without being disturbed.”
Julia’s lips parted as she considered it. Should she cut and run or go? With a hard swallow, she nodded. “Okay.”
They needed to know Lydia’s next move, and she could find it out right now as long as she went along with her.
“Smart choice, Sweet Cheeks.” Lydia led her to the bank of elevators and pushed the button.
Julia glanced toward the ballroom, her heart still thudding against her ribs.
“If you’re looking for one of your knights in billionaire armor, I’m afraid they’re all otherwise engaged. I made sure of that. It’s just us hens.”
The elevator dinged, announcing the arrival of the car. Lydia arched a brow at her as Julia reluctantly stepped inside.
The scent of Lydia’s perfume filled the car as the cable pulled them higher. Julia shifted her weight from side to side, her fingernails digging into her palms.
“Nervous, Julia?” Lydia asked.
Julia pressed her lips together, trying not to show any outward concern. “No. Should I be?”
“I don’t think so, but you seem to have a flair for the dramatic. You’ve been in more high-drama situations than I can count. I half expect this elevator to get stuck with a haunting melody floating from above. You have a way of turning everything into a soap opera. Really, it’s quite a talent. I just don’t understand the appeal for Grant.”
Julia heaved a sigh. “I’m not the dramatic one in this elevator, Lydia.”
“Really? I would beg to differ.”
Julia gritted her teeth together, not wanting to wade into the waters with Lydia.
“I’m really surprised, though, Julia. Grant seems enamored, and I don’t see why. Particularly with your morally loose behavior.”
Julia’s jaw fell open at the words. “I’m not morally loose.”
“Really? Was it not you that I caught on my little camera kissing Kyle at the cabin?” She smirked at Julia. “Oh, didn’t he tell you that was my place?”
Julia narrowed her eyes at the woman as the elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. Lydia pushed past her into the hall before she shot a glance over her shoulder. “Coming?”
Julia stalked after her, her heart thudding against her chest. She hoped she could keep her anger in check during their confrontation. They needed information.
Lydia led her to a set of double doors at the end of the hall and used a keycard to enter the opulent suite.
“Care for a drink, Julia?”
“No, thank you,” Julia answered as she stepped inside. Her eyebrows pinched at the bodyguards stationed in the room in dark suits, hands clasped in front of them. “Bodyguards, Lydia?”
Lydia twisted to face her, a sherry in her hand. “A girl can’t be too careful these days.”
Julia shifted her weight with a sigh. “What do you want? Why did you bring me up here?”
“I thought we could have a little chat.”
“About?”
“About what you can finally do for me to help destroy Grant.”
The words made her clench her fingers into fists. “And what is that?”
“Grant came here with a flash drive. It contains information that can secure his place at Harrington Global and Harrington Global’s place as a top contender in the market.”
“So?” Julia asked with a shrug.
“So, Honeybuns, I need it.”
“I don’t know what to tell you. He put it in the safe.”
Lydia clicked her tongue. “I know what he did with it, Julia. That’s why I need you to get it for me.”
“I can’t get it from the safe. And if you think I can, you have overestimated my skill set by quite a bit.”
“I’m not asking you to crack the safe, Dollface. I’m asking you to steal it from Grant and bring it to me.” Lydia eased onto the leather couch across the room.
Julia swallowed hard as she considered her options. She couldn’t give her the flash drive. And, thanks to Alex, she didn’t have to. “No.”
Lydia’s features took on an incredulous expression. “What?”
“I said no.”
She slammed her sherry glass onto the coffee table before she rose, her face reddening. “I don’t think you understand me, Julia. I want that flash drive tonight. And if you don’t give it to me–”
“You’ll what?” Julia spat at her.
“I have pictures of those stolen kisses with Kyle. And so will Grant if you don’t cooperate.”
“Grant’s already seen those pictures. We discussed them.” Julia lifted a shoulder in the air, arching an eyebrow as she enjoyed the moment. “He didn’t see it as cheating given that it’s typical of Kyle’s behavior. Try again, Lydia.”
Lydia’s expression turned icy. “All right, Little Miss Thing. You think you’re so smart. But have you forgotten that I have the pictures of Sierra? I will use them. Don’t push me. Just because she’s my daughter doesn’t mean I won’t destroy her if I have to.”
The corners of Julia’s lips turned up as she crossed her arms, savoring the moment when she could blast Lydia. “You don’t have any compromising pictures of Sierra to use, Lydia.”
Lydia cocked her head before she threw it back with a cackle. “Julia, sometimes you really are so entertaining. I know you’ve had some memory problems in the past, but let me remind you that you have seen them. So, you know I have them.”
“Not anymore,” Julia answered.
Lydia huffed out a breath and rolled her eyes as she reached for the purse she’d discarded on the bar when they’d entered. She fished her phone from within and toggled it on, shooting Julia an angry glare.
A moment later, her haughty expression slipped, her jaw working overtime as she jabbed at her phone. She snapped her gaze up to Julia, her usual smug demeanor giving way to something more frenetic, revealing her simmering desperation. “I don’t know what kind of game–”
“This isn’t a game, Lydia. It never has been when you try to destroy other people’s lives. But I made sure you couldn’t destroy Sierra’s. And I’ll be damned if I help you destroy Grant’s.”
Lydia narrowed her eyes as realization dawned on her. “That geeky little tech guru you had at dinner last night…”
Julia nodded. “Alex Stone made those pictures disappear. And with his talent, you’ll never find them. Your leverage is gone, Lydia. It’s over.”
Julia spun on her heel, heading for the door.
“Not by my watch it isn’t.”
Two of the bodyguards sidestepped in front of Julia to block her exit.
“I’ll just have to get creative,” Lydia added.
Julia twisted to face her, her eyes going wide and her heart hammering against her ribs. Lydia had swapped her phone for a stubby gun.
The sight of the weapon pointed at her sent a jolt of cold fear down her spine. Time slowed as the reality of her situation crashed around her. Panic whispered in her ear.
Any elation she’d felt over the win against Lydia quickly deflated as she realized the immediate danger. Could she escape, or had she just pushed Lydia too far?