Chapter 18
18
CELIA
G abriel drove the two of us; the second SUV in a convoy of black cars. On the way, he told me about the event.
“Aren’t you worried that my social skills will be rusty after you locked me in a cage?”
“You make it sound so bad. You were very well cared for in that cage.” Gabriel glanced at me. “Also, your social skills are always a little off.”
Was he really criticizing me? “And you’re literally a psychopath, aren’t you?”
“That’s why I’ve had to learn how to be charming.” He flashed me a broad smile, and dimples appeared in his cheeks. It was fleeting, and as soon as it was gone, I wished it was there again.
“I’d like to see a little more of that charm,” I said, and it wasn’t a lie.
Gabriel at his best could be incredible.
When we arrived, Gabriel led me through a glittering crowd of people, stopping to talk to everyone who mattered and to introduce me to anyone I didn’t know. Unlike at our wedding reception, he was attentive, his hand on my lower back. He leaned into me and looked at me adoringly.
The dance floor was almost empty. I set my hand on his shoulder and gave him a gentle shove toward it. It would be a quiet place for us to talk. I barely remembered our wedding dance; the chaos and fear of that day had overwhelmed me. “Can you dance, Gabriel?”
“I do. I like to lead.”
“I’m stunned,” I said dryly, continuing to gently push him back toward the dance floor.
His hand settled on my hip, and he drew my hand up to his chest, giving me a resigned but charming smile.
He pulled me across the dance floor with easy grace. He seemed to float, and he was good at leading, so effortlessly guiding me through the steps and turns that I felt as if I were the most graceful woman in the world. I could feel the eyes of the crowd on us. I thought that this would give us some distance to talk, but now I found everyone was staring at us.
“A good choice, tesoro,” he whispered in my ear. “Thank you for forcing me onto the dance floor.”
“Well, we do have to convince the world that we’re in love,” I said in a soft breath so that it wouldn’t carry. “Anyone who knows my father and how he treats me must know that’s a difficult prospect.”
“What is?” He frowned down at me.
“If a parent doesn’t love you…” I couldn’t say the rest of the words. Parents are supposed to love their children. We tell ourselves when they don’t, it’s because they’re broken. But how does that child ever be sure they aren’t the ones who are broken?
“Your father is a very foolish man. Anyone who sees you—really sees you—would have to know that you are lovable.”
Tears prickled in my eyes. But it was easy to blink them away, and I rested my head on his shoulder so no one would see, breathing in the scent of his cologne. He held me close. It was all just for the sake of our cover, of course.
I felt the shift in his attention. He murmured into my ear, “Mr. Manchester just walked in.”
“Does that mean we’re done dancing?”
“No. Let him wait on us.”
He smiled down at me as he twirled me around the dance floor. I beamed back up at him, feeling his muscles flex against mine as he guided me effortlessly through the steps.
And two facts warred in my mind.
We agreed this is fake .
He isn’t letting go of me .
Later, when we were both finally tired and he had served us both glasses of champagne, he told me, “I might have to go speak to some of the other men privately.”
I nodded. I understood how these things worked.
“So,” he nodded toward the wall. “Someone else will need to look after you.”
A tall figure leaned against the wall, unmistakable with his dark hair and green eyes. My heart flip-flopped.
Luca.
There was so much relief in seeing him, alive and…mostly well. The cut on his lip was still healing, and there was a nasty bruise across his cheekbone, but both gave him kind of a roguish air. Nothing took away from Luca’s handsome face or his electric, light-hearted charisma.
Gabriel turned us both so that his back was to Luca, and I couldn’t see Luca anymore. I hid my smile. Sometimes Gabriel acted as if he were jealous.
When Gabriel had to excuse himself, I made my way over to Luca, stopping to meet other people.
“You’re really still alive,” I said.
“And you even managed to sound happy about it.”
“I am incredibly forgiving.”
His lips curled up. I had a lot of questions for him but now was not the time.
“Sometime soon, you need to tell me why Gabriel still trusts you.” I told him. I didn’t understand the complicated dynamics between these brothers.
But then, their relationship had always been intriguing and perplexing to me in equal measure. Gabriel’s brotherly concern and the affection the three of them shared had always been so different from how Royal treated me. Even though Gabriel had hurt them both…it still felt different.
“Well, Gabriel’s permanently arrested at the age where my parents were murdered, and he took over the family. He’s convinced that he’s raising us. I can’t hold him responsible for acting like he’s still a teenager, fighting with his younger brothers.”
“Lorenzo,” I said softly as I touched his arm, making sure no one else could hear.
His lips quirked. “And here I thought you didn’t even remember me.”
I wanted to stay there, caught in the pull that Luca always had over me. But I smiled at him and moved back into the crowd. I could feel Luca watching over me as I made small talk and circulated, and I felt safe.
Gabriel’s meeting seemed to last forever. I drifted back to Luca, unable to resist the pull between us. Every other conversation seemed so dull.
“Hello, starlight,” Luca told me quietly as I turned to face the crowd with him, holding my glass of champagne.
“Lorenzo.”
His lips twisted. “I like Luca better. I chose it, after all.”
“Not Gabriel?”
Luca grinned. “He probably believes he named me, just like he believes he made me.”
Gabriel was making his way toward us. He had that cold smile on his face, the one that made me feel a ripple of danger. Luca shifted as if he wanted to step in between us, but of course, we all had our roles.
“Sometimes I don’t like the way you two look at each other, especially when we’re out in public,” Gabriel said. “Luca, go back to the house.”
Luca shook his head. “Your other men are good, but they’re not as good as me. If you need me looking after her?—”
“I’ll look after her myself. She is my wife.”
“Your focus has to be divided tonight. You came here for a reason,” Luca said reasonably.
“My focus is divided when I see what looks like my wife and her bodyguard flirting,” Gabriel said, his voice acidic.
“It’ll be all right,” I told Luca with a smile. “I can look after myself in a crowded, well-lit room.”
Both of them looked at me as if they didn’t quite believe that.
“Luca,” Gabriel said. “Don’t make a scene. You’re going to work against our purposes here.”
Luca looked at me for confirmation, and I could tell that Gabriel hated that, but I gave him a quick nod. Luca bowed his head to us both, said good night, and left.
Gabriel blew out a slow breath. “Apparently, you can command him, hm? He’s always been difficult.”
“Someone who didn’t know you better would think you were capable of human emotions like jealousy.”
“I’m merely aware of the optics.”
Gabriel kept me at his side all night, and I was glad for it too when I saw Royal walk into the party. Could I ever get away from my brother?
Well, eventually I would kill him and that would end our toxic relationship pretty decisively.
Eventually, Gabriel had to leave me for another of those conversations negotiating alliances. He hesitated, and I could tell he wanted to bring me with him. As much as I’d rather be by his side when Royal was around, I knew no one in that room would welcome a woman.
“Go,” I promised. “I’ll be fine.”
“I will be right there.” He pointed toward a room. “You will come to me if you need me.”
“You know you can always find me, Gabriel.” I resisted the impulse to touch the chip.
“Celia.” His lips quirked. “I’m looking for a promise.”
I scoffed. “Of course I promise. You know I’m practical.”
That’s why I’m with you .
He studied me. “You’re a survivor.”
“Tougher than I look.”
He touched his thumb to my lip, dragging it down gently. “You look tough to me, Celia. In your own way.”
The words left me shocked. A compliment from Gabriel Caruso? He leaned in and kissed the lips he’d just parted. Then he turned and strode away.
For the next half hour, I did my best to stay far away from my brother. It felt as if he were pursuing me around the crowd as I made small talk with other people.
Finally, he caught up to me. He reached for my arm, then stopped himself. The Gabriel Caruso effect scared him off, apparently, even when Gabriel wasn’t in the room. “Celia, I need to talk to you.”
I raised my chin as I faced him, reminding myself we were in a crowded room. I didn’t want to cause a scene and pull Gabriel away from his meeting unless I couldn’t handle Royal.
“Is that so? You haven’t found someone else to insult?” I sounded bored, as if he were just a dull little man, even though my legs were shaky when my brother was around.
But he couldn’t grab my wrist or slap me or hurt me now. Not in public, and not when Gabriel was close.
“You’ve got to listen to me,” he said urgently. “It’s about Moriah.”
Her name sent a shockwave through me. I’d spent so much time recently actually being myself that it took me a split second to remember the role I had to play. “Oh? Is she openly trying to kill me now instead of just trying to drive me to do it myself?”
“Celia,” Royal said as if he were disappointed in me. “I know you two are friends.”
“Is that so?”
“Why else would she have asked me to get your help?” He shook his head. “She would never trust me. But she trusts you.”
His voice was just bitter enough to be convincing.
“What does she need?”
“She didn’t tell me. She asked you to call her.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “I think she’s really in trouble with that man she’s been involved with, Celia.”
Royal offered up his usual smug smile. “Hopefully now, she’ll come to her senses and come to a real man.”
“I’m sure,” I said, taking the phone from him. I felt reluctant, but Gabriel would know that I had a part I had to play. But how did Royal know that I didn’t have a phone? Did he have an inkling that Gabriel didn’t trust me with one? “Is this your personal phone?”
“Yeah. You don’t look like you have room to carry one,” Royal said.
“Very true.” I gripped the phone, wishing I had the technology to make the most of having Royal’s phone. If I were Moriah, what could I have done with my brother’s unsecured phone?
“Do you have her number in here?”
His smirk was answer enough. Such a jerk.
I looked carefully at the door that Royal had gone through, and then at the balcony. I’d be just outside, near enough to the crowd that anyone could hear me scream. I’d be able to call Moriah, but still, I should be safe.
I stepped out onto the balcony to call her.
The phone rang once, twice.
And then I felt steel slide into my side. I stiffened, my fingers clutching the phone helplessly just before Royal took it out of my fingers. I just had the chance to hear Moriah’s voice. “What do you want, for the last time, Royal?—”
Royal’s equally smirky friend had a gun pressed into my side.
“What is this, Royal?” I asked. “Besides a very bad idea.”
“I’ll tell you in the car. Get moving, Celia.”
My mind raced, debating what to say or whether to say anything at all. “Royal. You can’t shoot me. Our father would be really inconvenienced.”
His friend smirked wider, and I could tell Royal wasn’t amused by my glib response.
“We’re doing this for Father,” Royal snapped. “Gabriel betrayed Father. Now we’re all in danger from the Manchester family. You’re going to help us fix it.”
He leaned in to tell me, “Like a good daughter and a good sister.”
I didn’t want to be either of those things.
I hesitated, and he said, “Do you really want to play this game, Celia? Do you want to see if I’m really willing to shoot you or not?”
His friend nudged me in the side with the gun, hard enough to hurt.
I threw one last look back at the party. It was so close, close enough to scream.
But I didn’t know how these two idiots would react, and that gun was pointed at organs of which I felt quite fond.
I really didn’t see a way out right now.
The fact that Gabriel could track me wherever I went was suddenly a relief, not that I was ever going to admit that.
“Well, you know me, always the best sister and daughter that you’ll allow me to be,” I said. “Lead on.”