Chapter Eleven
GAbrIEL
Iwished Charlotte and I were here in this bar with different lives, different roles. If I’d walked into this bar on a Monday night and found her sitting alone, I wouldn’t have missed her. Not a chance.
Charlotte Green wasn’t my usual type. Normally I gravitated toward women like the blonde at the end of the bar. Flashy, carefree, the kind who wore sparkly dresses cut high and heels meant to draw attention. The kind who didn’t demand more than a drink, a laugh, and a one-night stand.
Charlotte was the opposite. Controlled. Composed. Classy. And out of the league of every man in here. Her legs crossed at the knee, smooth and toned, while one heel dangled lazily from her foot, a casual tilt which felt more intimate than it should have.
Her dark hair spilled in glossy waves past her shoulders, framing a face that could stop traffic, with sharp cheekbones and a mouth made for temptation.
And the way she’d lifted her martini glass, delicate fingers curling around the stem, was maddening in its simplicity.
She didn’t need to try to be sexy. It was simply woven into her every move.
She paid her tab quickly, and the words hovered on my tongue: an offer to walk her back to the hotel. I swallowed them down.
Frankly speaking, I didn’t trust myself. This infatuation was already sprouting despite my better judgment. The last thing I needed was to make a move and have it blow up in my face when she weaponized it as a reason to send me packing. There was too much at stake to take such a risk.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was my youngest brother, Dominic. I would call him back once I got back to the hotel when the eight-hour time difference would work to my advantage. But the second I declined it, the phone lit up again.
Charlotte glanced over while signing her credit card slip, clearly ready to leave. “Do you need to get that?”
“Uh, yeah. Maybe.” My gut tightened. Nicky wasn’t the type to call twice unless something was wrong. I answered. “Hello.”
“Hi, Gabe. Sorry, I know you’re in London and it’s probably late, but I think Leo’s in trouble.”
A cold weight settled in my stomach. “Trouble how?”
“He broke up with Addy. Hasn’t shown up to work and hasn’t called. I’m worried about him.”
I’d met Leo’s girlfriend for the first time at Samantha’s birthday party. He’d indicated he was all in, with talk about moving her in and sounding like they were already planning a future together. He’d been steady and certain.
What the hell could’ve unraveled so quickly?
For Dominic, who was the most laid-back of the three of us, to sound worried, it had to be bad. “I’m supposed to fly back Thursday,” I muttered, more to myself than to him. “But I’ll figure something out.”
“Okay, good. I’m not telling Mom or Dad yet, unless you think I should.”
“No, not yet.” The last thing Leo would want was our parents swooping in like an alarm had been pulled.
All of us brothers were alike in sometimes needing our space.
Perhaps Leo’s current disappearance was all this was.
“I’ll call you when I’m en route.” As I clicked disconnect, I could feel Charlotte’s eyes on me.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes,” I replied automatically though the word rang hollow. I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Maybe not. That was my youngest brother, calling about our other brother, Leo. He thinks Leo’s reeling from a breakup or something.”
The thought of “something” was what worried me.
Leo wasn’t a typical guy going through a rough patch.
He’d spent years in Special Forces, living in war zones most people only saw on the news.
He carried scars no one could see. Although I had my suspicions he dealt with some PTSD issues, silence had always been his default, so I’d respected it.
But for him to not show up to work, to the company he’d built from the ground up for fellow veterans, was the most concerning factor.
Charlotte’s expression softened, her voice measured. “Then you should get on an earlier flight. Go check on him. Where does he live?” She pulled out her phone, already typing into it.
“He’s in Vegas. But we’ve got meetings lined up here for tomorrow.”
Her reply was quiet but firm. “I can handle them.”
I wavered, jaw tight, different instincts pulling me in opposite directions.
She sighed, leaning back slightly. “I get it, Gabriel. Your job is important. But this is your brother. My younger sister is my best friend, and although work matters, nothing matters more than your family. There are no flights tonight but call Olivia, and she can change your flight to the first one out in the morning. Looks like there’s one at eight a.m.”
I studied her, searching for any sign this was strategy rather than empathy. Could I trust she wouldn’t use this against me?
She put her hand on my arm, the touch searing through the material of my dress shirt.
“Gabe—Gabriel.” She tripped over the nickname I’d given her free license to use, as if saying it felt too familiar. “Why don’t you make some calls and think about it? If I don’t see you in the morning, then I’ll assume you’re on the plane.”
My eyes locked on where she was touching me. As she retracted her hand, I could feel all the warmth leave me.
“Okay. Thank you. I’ll let you know.”