The Wrong Gentleman

“What?” Hayden asked.

“You’re not being very helpful.” Avery turned to us. “Am I being dense—are you two . . . Is Landon the guy you’ve been . . . He’s the guy at the beach, right?”

I was beginning to think the man beside me was anybody but the man I’d been at the beach with.

Landon shook his head. “It’s nothing. You know that I do private security and military consultancy. It’s just a habit. A safeguard.”

What the hell was military consultancy? That didn’t sound like the kind of job bodyguards did.

“Landon’s underselling himself,” Hayden said. “He’s the best in the business, who just sold his very successful company. Which is why I’m expecting you to pay tonight, little brother. And I’m going to order some very nice wine.”

“The best at what? Being a security guard?” What was Hayden talking about? “And what company did you just sell?” It was as if Hayden was introducing me to a stranger. I didn’t seem to know anything about Landon.

“Private security is more than just being a security guard,” Landon said.

“Which means what, exactly?” I felt as if I kept asking questions I wasn’t getting answers to, and that made my stomach churn. I knew Landon, didn’t I? I trusted him, and I didn’t trust anyone.

“I had a business doing private-security work.”

“Your own company?”

“My brother doesn’t like to brag, but he had a very successful business,” Ha

yden said.

I kept my gaze fixed on Landon, but his face was blank of any kind of expression.

“So you decided to retrain as a deckhand?”

“Sort of,” he replied. “Can we talk about this later? And, Hayden, please can you shut the fuck up?”

“Landon,” Avery said. “I don’t know much, but I know Skylar, and whatever you are to each other, I know she deserves you to be transparent.”

“The job I do doesn’t always allow me that luxury,” he said.

His words hit me, each one stealing my breath. He was admitting that he had been, and was being, less than truthful.

Our waitress arrived with our drinks, but the last thing I wanted was alcohol. My vision had been fuzzy for long enough.

“You’re not on board to be a deckhand? I don’t get it. Be straight with me, Landon.”

Landon shot Hayden a look across the table.

“Don’t be mad at your brother because he told me what you should have. He’s not the one who’s been lying.”

“I’ve not been lying,” Landon replied. “But I haven’t told you the entire truth, either.”

I waited for the explanation, desperate to stop the feelings of betrayal breaking free. But I got nothing. Only silence.

“Jesus, Landon. Who are you?”

He turned to face me and swept his hand over the back of my neck. “You know who I am.”

I shrugged him off and moved my chair away. “No, I don’t think I do.”

“Hang on,” Hayden said. “Is this the girl you were talking about last night? Are you two . . .”

I was vaguely aware of Avery shushing Hayden on the other side of the table, but all my focus was on Landon. I wanted him to explain what had happened since we’d stepped into this restaurant. I wanted to know who he was.