God, it was sad that he wasn’t at all wrong about that. On the bright side, his comment reaffirmed that I’d gone to the right person for possible intel. I took off my hat, watching Dane’s predatory gaze slide all over my face and neck as I held it in my nervous hands. “I’m here to talk about someone you referred Jackson to. Someone dangerous that I can’t believe you introduced into our lives.” I hoped that blaming Dane up front would get him defensive enough to reveal something about Jackson. Unfortunately, his reaction to my accusation could be described as nothing but light amusement.
“I introduce a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It’s what I do, Lara. I have connections and your boys – Jackson, Sawyer, all those guys – they love me for it. They beg at my feet for it. They’ll be mad at me one second and then come crawling for my help the next. Honestly, I expected Jackson to have already come to me with an apology at this point but since he hasn’t, I’ll more than gladly take you,” Dane said, a crooked grin on his lips as he slowly stroked his tie up and down, up and down. “Now remind me – what exactly is it that you’re angry with me for, Lara? Providing Jackson the untraditional means with which to win you back? You do realize that you got engaged in Ibiza because of me, right? If anything, I’d imagine you’d be thankful.”
True, I’d forgiven Jackson for his infidelity because I was under the impression that he saved my life. Thinking about how all that was staged made me realize that I barely had to act for this. My anger was real. The fact that I was presenting it so pitifully to Dane was not. My lip trembling, I spat the one line I’d gone in knowing I had to say. “Yeah, well, lately I’m wishing I never got engaged to Jackson at all.”
As expected, it made Dane smile as if he’d just heard something joyous. “Is that right?” he asked, pushing himself off of his desk and coming toward me.
“Yes,” I answered, holding my breath as he slipped his fingers under the belt of my trench, letting them linger against my stomach before pulling and unknotting my coat. “Let me take that for you. Christ, I forgot to offer you a drink. Can I get you something, sweetheart? I’ve got whatever you need. Sparkling water, cold-pressed juices.” He lifted an eyebrow and held up the near-empty glass on his desk. “Bourbon?”
He was softening in his Dane way. I could tell. So I decided that it was time to get emotional. Shaking my head, I sniffled. “I just want answers, Dane. I just want to understand why Jackson did the things he did. All I’ve ever done was give him what he wanted,” I trembled, gazing like a kicked puppy at the floor.
“I know, sweetheart.” Dane guided me toward his couch, where he sat across from me on the glass table. Leaning forward, he ran the back of his fingers against my bare knee. I stiffened but he didn’t seem to notice. “You’ve never been anything but perfect to him. We all know that.”
“Then why did he do this? Why did he do any of this?”
“Listen, Lara. I gave Jackson my guy’s number without knowing shit about what he needed it for. All he told me was that he needed someone to help him with something that was… not so legal. I didn’t know it would have anything to do with you because I never ask questions. All I do is provide favors for people whom I know will always pay me back in some way. But with Jackson… after your home invasion, he cut off contact. I assume it’s because he felt guilty about how violent things got and figured he could avoid the reality of what he paid for by giving me the cold shoulder… which is pretty fucked up if you ask me.”
“Well, that’s Jackson. Pretty fucked up,” I said bitterly. A heavy-handed move in terms of winning Dane’s trust, but considering his own lack of subtlety, I figured it could pass. And it did. Again, Dane’s lips spread into a grin as if I were directly complimenting him by insulting Jackson.
“I agree, sweetheart,” Dane murmured, his stare traveling slowly up my lap before meeting my gaze. His grey eyes on me, he suddenly tilted his head. “Does Jackson know you’re here right now?”
“Of course not. Why else would I have come in looking like Carmen Sandiego.”
Dane gave a hearty laugh. “Just making sure you were as smart as I always figured,” he said, his eyes absolutely sparkling at me. Holy shit. I was doing it. I was making Dane think that we were in some way one team against Jackson – which I guess we were. But without the sexual element that I knew he was thinking of, considering the lecherous way in which he stared at me. “Well, gorgeous, I don’t know if I gave you the answers you were looking for but I’m sure you can tell that I’m being totally forthcoming with you, which I deserve some credit for, don’t I?”
I nodded, the tears I’d been trying to muster finally coming. “Yes, you’ve been very up front. But it doesn’t make what Jackson did any better. Especially since this is just half of it.”
“What’s the other half? The affair with Gabrielle?” Dane smirked. “Yeah, I’d say Ga
bby represents more than just half of it,” he laughed before frowning almost genuinely at me. “Ah, fuck. You’re crying and here I am making jokes,” he murmured, kneeling before me on the couch and using his thumb to wipe a tear from my cheek. I milked the moment for all it was worth.
“I still can’t believe he ever slept with her,” I hiccupped. “I gave him everything he ever wanted. Why would he do this to me? Did he ever… did he ever tell you anything? About me? Or Gabrielle?”
Dane laughed. “Plenty about both of you,” he answered just as a knock came at his door. “Come back later,” he practically barked. The voice that came from outside was cautious.
“But sir… they’re all waiting in the conference room.”
Dane cast a steely glare at the door as if it were the one talking. He tugged on his lower lip for a second before getting up and opening it. “I’ll be out in a second,” he muttered out the door before turning to me. “Trust me, I’d much rather be talking to you,” he said, holding my coat for me to get into. “Listen, gorgeous – whatever you’re doing tonight, cancel it and meet me at Muse Room in the Lower East Side. The boys rarely hang out down there so we won’t have to worry about running into someone while I answer your questions. Ten o’clock works for me. I don’t have your number so let’s just call it a date. I’ll see you tonight,” he said smoothly, kissing my cheek before strolling me out the door and leaving my side before I could say a word.
Chapter Nine
Jake
I went out with Jackson for the sake of distraction. Something aside from a few unanswered texts was telling me that Lara had gone off alone. She’d gone ahead to see Dane without letting me know. And I knew why. My worry would make hers worse. I understood it. Still, I fought myself all afternoon, driving myself to the brink of insanity as I resisted the urge to storm into Dane’s office and make sure that he hadn’t laid a fucking finger on her. I knew I had to stop myself. Doing that would blow both her cover and mine, so I aimed for distraction. I swung by Monarch and hung six cast iron chandeliers. At the gym, I racked thirty pounds more than my usual and benched three-eighty. A personal high. By evening, I had about thirty texts from a handful of other people to finally respond to.
Ignoring Piper’s messages, I read Jackson’s.
Just finished a meeting at The Dabney in Flatiron. Still got a full drink.
Come meet me. We’ll get dinner after.
I was at The Dabney within fifteen minutes. In a black cocktail dress, the hostess grinned at my wet hair, T-shirt and Nike bag slung over my shoulder. “I’ll make an exception for you because you know Mr. Kinsley. And you do pull off the gym look quite nicely,” she murmured, casting a flirty look before turning and showing me toward Jackson’s table. When I got there, he was leaning back in his seat, loosening his tie as he talked to one of the blushing cocktail waitresses.
“Speak of the devil. This is my brother, Jake,” Jackson nodded at me and introduced me to the girl, whose name was Rachel or Rochelle. I hadn’t heard because I was too busy noticing Jackson’s hand traveling up and down the back of her thigh. “She’s a ballet dancer. Former gymnast,” Jackson grinned after she took my drink order and sauntered off. “I’m trying to get her to come with us to dinner.”
“Yeah? Why not your fiancée instead?” I asked, making sure to add a laugh.
“Lara? I’ll see her when I get home. She’s been...” He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “She’s been giving me a fuckin’ hard time lately.”