Babysitting a Billionaire #3 - Taking Control(28)

"Don't we get offered any?" Logan asked.

"Get it yourself." He poured an inch into each and handed one to his father, who eyed him suspiciously, but took the glass and swallowed the drink.

"You going to hit me again?"

"Maybe." But he sank down into the chair opposite his father's, legs stretched out in front of him, and sipped the drink while he examined his new boots. There was more he wanted to know and if he had to beat the answers out of his father, well, he was willing to do it. But he didn't think it would come to that.

"Why did you employ Knight Security? And why did you specifically ask for Jess?"

His father swirled the amber liquid around in his glass while he considered the answer. Why did Declan get the impression that whatever it was he wasn't going to like it?"




 

 

But it was his mother who actually spoke first. "That might be my fault," she said.

Declan turned his gaze on her. His mother was still beautiful and looked what she was, fifty-five years old, well-cared for, rich …

"Your father married me because I was respectable. I married him because he was not. It was my one rebellion in life. But we only married on the understanding that he would go legitimate and put his bad ways behind him. Your father was not a good man."

"Still isn't," Declan muttered.

"But I was determined you were not going to be the same. So you were brought up to know your duty, and you were a good boy. Better than we could have asked for."

"Are we going to get to the point?" Declan asked. Jess would be here soon, and he wanted answers first. Wanted to know how to move forward and his mother wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know.

"The point is, we went too far. You were too good. You were the perfect son, never a foot wrong."

"Except the summer you were eighteen," his father put in.

Jess.

"And after that you were even worse. Always perfect."

"I wasn't that bad," Declan muttered.

"Baby brother," Logan put in, "you're a goddamned machine."

Declan ignored the comment, and his mother continued, "I thought when you became engaged to Penny, things would be better, but in fact they were worse. She was just another symptom. I was glad when you split up. I told your father he had to do something."

"Something?"

"Shake you up, bring you back to life. Come on, Declan, tell me, are you happy? Have you ever been happy?"

"Once." He swallowed his drink, leaned forward, and poured another. He glanced up at his father. "So employing Jess was just your way of stirring things up. Stirring me up."

He shrugged. "If I'm honest, I'd given up. You were the perfect businessman. Hard to remember you were my son. But you got no pleasure from it. And I had no clue how to reach you. By the time you took that bullet I was willing to try anything. Jesus, I stood across from you in that hospital, you'd just been shot, and all you could think of was getting to some bloody meeting on time."

It appeared that Jess wasn't the only one to see through him, after all. He hadn't realized his family had felt like this about him. Had he really been so bad? "So you interfered? Again."

"When her name came up on the file, I couldn't believe it. Didn't at first-I presumed it had to be someone else. You know she has a medal for gallantry under fire."

No he hadn't. The report hadn't mentioned that. 

"She's a goddamn hero. I would have put her down as a model or an actress. God, she was a beauty before that scar."

He gritted his teeth. "She's still a beauty."

"I am so looking forward to meeting this woman," Logan said.

Declan leaned forward, glared at his brother. "Keep the hell away from her."

"Not a chance in hell, baby brother."

"So, yes," Rory said. "I thought she might stir things up a little. Bring you back to life." His gaze dropped down over Declan, and his lips twitched. "And looking at you now, I'm guessing she succeeded."

"But what for? Why bother?"

"Because you're my son and I love you."

The thing was, Declan didn't doubt it. He sprawled back in his chair and scrutinized his father. "Well, I hope you're not anticipating a happy ever after here because according to Jess, that's never going to happen." He nodded at the check that lay on the table between them. "She had that framed on her bedroom wall."

Rory grinned. "You know, I actually like her."

"I don't think the feeling is mutual. And pity you didn't realize that ten years ago."

"Oh, I realized it, but it would never have worked back then. You were both too young and whatever you say-that girl had issues."

"Yeah, and you really helped with those."

"I'm not a fucking social worker. And it will all work out in the end."

"Love will find a way," Logan added, amusement clear in his voice.

"Jesus." Declan raked a hand through his hair. His family thought he was a fucking goddamned robot. And a miserable, un-fun-loving bastard. And they were no doubt right. After Jess, he'd stopped fighting it, just accepted his role in life, hadn't cared enough to change anything.

He remembered Jess saying that they were still so different. That even if they overcame the most obvious obstacles there would always be that fundamental difference between them.

But he was going to show her she was wrong.

The phone rang on the desk, and Rory picked it up and listened. "That was Pete. The guests are arriving and your girlfriend has just turned up."

The three on the sofa all stood as one. "I can't remember when I last looked forward to a party quite so much," Logan murmured as he passed Declan.

"I'm so glad one of us is having fun."

He didn't move as they all exited leaving him alone with his father.

"You want me to talk to her?" he asked.

"Hell, no," Declan said.

"Just give me a moment and we'll go through together. I need to change my shirt, some asshole just broke my nose. And on my birthday."

Declan sat, sipping his drink, contemplating the evening ahead. If Jess had her way, this would be the last time he saw her.

So he had to make sure that she didn't get her own way. She was too used to it anyway. Perhaps he wasn't the only one who needed shaking up.

 …

The memories swamped her.

After that first time, Rory McCabe had banned her from the club. But on nights when his father was absent, Declan would sneak her in and they'd dance and party until the early hours. Her doing her best to tempt him, drive him wild, see how far she could push him before he would surrender, drag her off to some quiet secret corner, and make love to her until she could think of nothing else.

Tonight, the club had been closed to outsiders; this was a private party, but the room was already filling. She peered around, looking for anyone she recognized, any sign of trouble. She spotted Declan's two guards for the night on either side of a black door at the far end of the room. She nodded briefly, then continued her survey of the room. Otherwise, the only person she recognized was Paul, Declan's assistant. Though there were a few people taking more than an interest in her. She ignored them.




 

 

Her muscles tensed as the door opened and she waited for Declan to appear.

Just one more night. That's all she had to get through. All through the long day, as she'd ignored Declan's calls, she'd done her best to paper over the cracks so she could hold it together just a little while longer.

Then afterward she would take herself off somewhere, let herself fall apart, and then start the painful process of putting herself back together again.

And all day, she'd been fighting the nagging doubts that she was being a coward. That if she turned her back on this, one day-maybe not straightaway, but eventually-she would regret it bitterly.

Declan loved her.

But she couldn't let that matter. Could she?

Declan didn't appear. In fact, she didn't recognize any of the people who exited the room. A tall, stunning older woman with blond hair and a dark purple dress. A younger woman who must be her daughter, their looks were so similar. And finally a man. For a brief second, she'd thought it was Declan. But only a second. Tall, with Declan's midnight hair and sharp cheekbones. She was guessing this was the brother he'd mentioned. There was nothing of the respectable businessman in this man. All in black, with the black ink of tattoos visible at his throat and arms, he radiated bad-boy menace. Was this what Declan would have turned out like if he'd walked away from the role expected off him? A shiver ran through her.

If this was Declan's brother, then she was guessing that the two women were his mother and sister. Wow. It was hard to think of Declan as having a mother.

The door had closed behind them and the small group stood just inside the room talking among themselves. A third woman joined them. She recognized Penny, dark hair perfectly cut in a bob, makeup subdued but also perfect, and a stunning floor-length black gown. She obviously knew the family well. They chatted for a moment, then all four started searching the room.

Jess stepped back, mingling with the guests. The crowd was a mix of ages and types. Rory McCabe had an eclectic mix of friends. But if any were dodgy, they'd made an effort to hide it. She spotted Harry, a blonde on his arm, and waggled her fingers in his direction. The room reeked of affluence and respectability. All the same, she felt a twinge of unease, almost as though someone was watching her. This was the ideal setup if anyone wanted to get at Declan. Everyone would know he was here tonight. The place was a warren of dark corners where an assassin could hide.