Chapter 23
23
Captain Hale knows Matt? Or should I say, Mateo Aranda.
And now he’s suddenly acting like he doesn’t.
Little things about Matt started adding up in her head. His watch set to military time. His alpha attitude. The way he looked so dangerous—no, deadly—when he was angry.
He’s not a scientist. Is he in the Navy? Why is he lying?
Why is he lying to me?
Lainey heard the chimes, which meant that everyone needed to take their seats.
“It looks like we made it just in the nick of time.” Scarlett smiled as Captain Hale took his beer from the bartender. “I told him that you wanted one too, Mr. Agular,” she said to Matt.
“I don’t think there’s time. But thank you, Mrs. Hale.” Lainey smiled. She watched and waited as the couple drifted away.
Matt—or should she be thinking Mateo?—was making a point of looking at the bartender and not at her. “Come on, we need to get to our seats. As for the beer, you’re just shit out of luck.”
He reared back. “Did you just say shit?”
“Yep. And I’m going to be having a few more choice words to say to you tonight, Mateo Aranda, so start thinking on whatever bedtime story you want to try to shovel down my throat. Now let’s get up there and make nice, and then I’m on the first flight home to Maryland.”
The problem with trying to stalk away in five-inch heels from someone who was well over six feet tall, is that they were going to surpass you. Which Matt did. She tried to walk around him, but he moved with her.
“We look stupid,” she told him. Stop this.”
“Lainey. You need to let me explain.”
“Sure, I will. Tonight. As I’m packing my suitcase, you can explain all over yourself. And I’m not going to believe one fucking word that comes out of your mouth. You love me. Let’s start with that bullshit, shall we?”
Lainey bit her lip and looked up at the huge chandelier in the middle of the ceiling, praying to God that she wouldn’t cry. Matt’s hands landed on her shoulders.
“Oh, God, Lainey, don’t cry.”
The chimes sounded again.
“We’ve got to go sit down.”
He pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head. “Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not that bad. I promise you.”
She let him lead her to the front of the room. They walked up the three steps to the top of the dais and she saw that her life, the shitshow, was going to get even worse. Her mom and dad were in the center. She was seated between Matt and Trey. On the other side of Trey sat Bennett. So, her handsy, drunk, brother-in-law was going to be sitting right next to her, where his hands would be hidden by a long white tablecloth. Goodie for her.
“You look gorgeous tonight,” Trey said as Matt pulled out Lainey’s chair so she could sit down next to Trey.
She muttered a thank you to Trey.
“What about me, you haven’t said I look gorgeous.” Bennett pouted.
“You’re pregnant. You look as good as you can with your stomach out to there,” Trey said, laughing as he made a hand gesture to show her large stomach.
Maybe I should be drinking.
Their salads were already at their place settings along with the bread and butter. Matt stared at his, not looking happy.
Good. He shouldn’t be.
“It’s true, you know,” Trey said to Lainey. “You were too skinny before. I like how you fill out your dress now. Very nice.” Trey leered.
Lainey ignored him, and chose to breathe through her nose. She picked up her roll, broke it in half, and buttered it.
“Yep, you keep buttering that thing,” Trey whispered. “I like a woman with a big booty.”
Matt leaned back and grabbed the back of Trey’s tuxedo, forcing him back so they could talk behind Lainey. “Look, asshole. One more word, and I’m going to take you out. Got it?”
“Hey, I’m just giving my sister-in-law a compliment. I’ve known her since she was fourteen. I think of her as a little sister. This means nothing. No need for you to get your panties in a twist. It’s all good. Just eat your dinner.”
“Remember what I said,” Matt growled.
Bennett leaned forward and hissed across Trey at Lainey. “You keep that oaf under control. He better not cause a scene.”
“He’s not the one out of line. Maybe if you were actually home where you belonged, Trey would be too interested in you to be vulgar to me.”
“What are you talking about?” Bennett looked truly clueless. It was sad.
Lainey leaned back in her seat, just as Matt and Trey sat up and stared at their food. Lainey didn’t know if she was going to eat anything. Not with Trey on one side, and a liar on the other.
He needed to get out of here and talk to Lainey. She knew he was lying to her about his identity, but other than that, she knew nothing. But shit, that was bad enough. He took another bite of his raspberry tart and felt Lainey squirm and move closer to him.
What the fuck?
He pulled back the tablecloth and looked underneath in time to see Trey’s hand high on her thigh.
Motherfucker!
He stood up and Lainey grabbed his wrist. “Don’t.”
Mateo had no idea what the ‘don’t’ was for. Was it for him not to make a scene? Not act as her protector? Don’t let the door hit you in the ass as you leave?
He took three deep breaths, then pulled out Lainey’s chair. “Your mother would like you to sit next to her while the toasts are being made, so we’ll change seats. Okay?”
She gave him a grateful smile and slid into the seat he had just vacated. He sat down in hers. Lainey was already switching their dessert plates, like that mattered. He knew what he was hungry for, and that was vengeance. This motherfucker had taken advantage of Lainey when she was in a spot where she could do nothing about it, and was doing it while he was seated right next to his pregnant wife. It didn’t matter that his wife was a snide, jealous bitch. She was his wife. The woman he married and had children with. This man wasn’t even worth the title.
Trey gave him a cautious look when Mateo settled down into Lainey’s seat. Mateo took a few bites of his food, not even knowing what it was he was eating, just biding his time. He wanted the asshole to get a little complacent. After Trey took his second sip of scotch, Mateo leaned over. “Put your hand on my thigh,” he commanded.
“What?” Trey looked at him in shock.
“It’s what you were doing to Lainey,” he whispered quietly, not wanting either of the two women to hear. “Now I want you to put your hand on my thigh.”
“What, you want me to jerk you off?” Trey gave a harsh laugh. He picked up his glass of scotch to take another sip.
“Put your hand on my thigh, and maybe I won’t arrange to have your hands cut off tonight.”
Trey dropped his glass.
“What the hell, Trey.” Bennett hissed. “My God. You’re a mess. Don’t have another drink tonight.” She waved for a server to come over with a towel, and they cleaned up the mess.
“Now, drink water for the rest of the night,” Bennett said.
“Put your hand on my thigh,” Mateo whispered.
Trey put his trembling hand on Mateo’s thigh and Mateo held his hand down with his right hand.
“Now, Trey, I’m going to need you to be really quiet. Can you be quiet?”
“I was just complimenting her.” Trey mumbled.
“You were touching her, weren’t you?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Is this the first time you touched her?” Mateo whispered the question as he looked across the crowded room.
“No. I mean yes.”
The servers began taking their dessert dishes, and Mateo knew the toasts would soon start. It would be Lee, Bennett, Bart, and Lainey. There would be applause. He would time things just right.
“How many women have you touched when they haven’t wanted you to touch them?” Mateo asked.
“None!”
Mateo listened to the clinking of the glass and heard Lee’s voice as he said something that he couldn't care less about. Soon, there was clapping all around the room.
“We need to clap,” Trey hissed.
“Actually, we don’t,” Mateo smiled. “Just nod your head.”
Lee had been on the left far end, now it was Bennett’s turn on the right far end. She got up and Mateo again tuned out what she was saying.
“We need to clap.”
Mateo smiled. “No, we don’t.”
“You should have clapped,” Bennett hissed when she sat down.
“Sorry, honey.”
Bart was up next, and again Mateo ignored the toast. He could feel Trey squirming in his seat, wondering what the hell Mateo’s game was.
Thumb or middle?
The applause died down, and now it was Lainey’s turn. Mateo reached out with his left hand and touched her shoulder. “You’ve got this, beautiful.”
She gave him a grateful smile as she stood up.
There’s still hope.
Her toast was sweet, funny, and kind, just like her. The applause was loud.
It didn’t totally mask Trey’s shriek of pain as Mateo broke his middle finger.
He’d have preferred his thumb, but in order to break Trey’s thumb, he’d have to use two hands. Mateo broke Trey’s finger with one hand by isolating it and twisting it backward, which he did easily.
People at the two tables closest to the dais turned their attention from Lainey to Trey. However, after seeing him slumped across the table, everybody just assumed he was drunk.
Lainey looked over at Trey, who was sobbing with Bennett shaking him. Mateo gripped her elbow and said, “it’s time to go.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re right. It is.”