Dark Ties (Made Men 9)

Desmond stopped in his tracks. “You’re completely misunderstanding the situation.”

She shook her head at him. “I don’t think I am. I think, for the first time, I have you pegged exactly right.” She extended her hand. “Give me my phone.”

“I’ll drive—”

“If you still want me to go with you tomorrow, give me my phone now, or I’ll be going alone, and I will make sure you never step foot on Rhone’s island.”

Giving her the phone, he watched her order a car before heading toward the doorway.

“I’ll pick you up in the morning. We leave at eight.”

“I’ll meet you at the airport,” she countered.

Desmond had to shove his fisted hands into his pockets to prevent himself from stopping her. Then, waiting several minutes before leaving his study, he slowly strode out into the hallway. The house was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. What staff was there were good at making themselves invisible.

Walking to the closed front door, he was able to look out and see Haley outside. He waited and watched until he saw the car arrive and her get inside before he made his way upstairs to shower.

Facing the wall, which was a full-length mirror, he gingerly peeled the loose sweatpants down his thighs. Once he managed to step out of them, he carefully unwound the gauze bandage on one of his thighs, exposing the burnt flesh underneath. Tossing the used bandage into the trash can near him, he then went to the vanity to pick up a box of saran wrap, winding the wrap around the wound on his thigh until he was satisfied.

Stepping into the shower, he used his handheld showerhead to wash himself. Afterward, he applied the medicine his private doctor had given him before rebandaging his thigh. Throughout his ministrations, he had managed to keep Haley out of his mind.

Once he was done, instead for getting prepared for work, he went back to his suite of rooms to pour himself another glass of brandy from the liquor cabinet he kept in the sitting room off his bedroom.

Twirling the crystal glass, he lifted it to his lips, tilting the glass back until the liquor touched his lips. However, he pulled his hand back, unable to bring himself to drink it.

Unbridled self-loathing overcame him, to the point that he could no longer contain it. Throwing the glass at the antique liquor cabinet, he sent shards of glass flying. Rather than congratulating himself on accomplishing the goal he had set out for, he had destroyed a cabinet that had taken months to acquire.

Sinking down on a nearby chair, he buried his face in his hands. Then, lifting his head, he stared at the scattered remains. It wasn’t the only thing he had a hand in destroying today. He had wrecked any chance of ever getting close to Haley again, which was what he had wanted to do, so why in the fuck was he feeling this way?

You already know the answer, his conscience wasn’t long in answering. You were scared shitless that you were falling in love with her. You didn’t take into account the bigger problem.

Which is? he asked the imaginary voice in his mind.

It was his heart that replied.

You already are.

Twenty-Five

In his bedroom, he shut the door to the sitting room with an unscratched bottle of whiskey. Laying down on the bed, he raised the bottle to mockingly cheer himself before opening it, setting about getting shitfaced.

Taking a drink, he told himself not to replay the events, which he had used as an excuse to put an unremovable barrier between Haley and him.

He had actually done her a favor. There was no way she would want him to touch her if she was aware of what he was capable of. Soleil had found to her own deterrent the monster residing within him.

Since Gabriel had gone to prison, he’d had the Predators watching over her. There was never a chance Soleil would ever betray Gabriel, despite any threats the CIA or the FBI made. Desmond covered his bases with the Predators; he wanted Gabriel to stay exactly where he was—behind iron bars. Soleil could be the only hiccup in his objective.

She was smart enough to know he was one of the few who could help her achieve her aim of getting Gabriel released. So, pretending to go along with her to find out Gabriel’s intentions on how to get out, he had flown with her to Kansas City, to Dante’s Casino. Once there, she had told him her plan to get Ginny’s help to get the FBI’s protection. The whole time, Desmond had known Soleil had been lying through her teeth.

“Why would your daughter try to help you? You didn’t try to help Ginny when Gabriel had her on Sherguevil Island. The truth has come out about the affair you and Gabriel were having and that he’s responsible for Jasper’s death.”