Dark Ties (Made Men 9)

In less than a minute, she was back, handing him an unopened bottle.

“May have I have a glass of water?”

Giving him an infuriated stare, Haley left him by the door as she walked through the open-concept living room to go behind the granite counter and take a glass from a cabinet, pushing it under the ice dispenser then filling it with water.

Without invitation, he moved farther into the living room to drop down on the tan sofa. Desmond could feel the glare she was giving him from the kitchen.

Shoving the glass into his waiting hand, she then sat down in the chair across from him. “Are you usually this rude when you show up at someone’s door without calling first?”

Taking the tablets, Desmond set the glass down on the end table next to him. “I tried calling and texting numerous times. Check your phone.” Letting his head fall against the back of the couch, he closed his eyes and listened to the rustle of her pajama bottoms as she left the room.

“I must have accidentally muted my phone when I took it out of my pocket.”

Raising heavy-lidded eyes, he stared her without lifting his head. “You didn’t hear the landline? You didn’t hear the phones in the hallway, foyer, and bedroom ringing?”

Haley shook her head at him, flushing. “I had my ear pods in. I was listening to an audible book.”

“That explains it.” Closing his eyes again, Desmond began dozing off.

“Are you going to sleep?” Her voice rose incredulously.

He rubbed his temple at her low shriek, and his tone came out harsher than he had intended. “Yes. Wake me up in about forty-five minutes.”

“Are you drunk, Desmond? Is that what you needed the pills for?”

“No, I have a migraine.”

Desmond heard the rustle of her movements again. Dozing off, he then felt something cold pressed against his forehead. Startled awake, he jerked his head up. A soft hand pressed him back down.

“It’s just a headache patch,” she explained.

Removing her hand, Haley gave him a considering look as she sat back down. “What was so important that you needed to talk to me tonight?”

“It wasn’t a matter of talking, more that I wanted to be seen coming here this late at night. No one will believe we’re in a relationship if we aren’t seen together during the evening hours.”

“Then you’ve caused yourself needless pain. No one will be aware or interested you’re here.”

“I can guarantee they are. The night front door concierge will spread the gossip to the morning concierge, who will then dish out that little tidbit of information, as well the time I came and left. By eleven a.m., and that’s being conservative, most of the inhabitants of this high rise will also know, several who are friends and business acquaintances of your relatives.”

“You’re joking.” Skeptical, she made a face at him.

“No. By noon, I expect to receive a call from either George or Amelia, just to catch up on the weekend ahead, which will actually be to put out feelers to see if the gossip they heard is true. I will confirm that we are seeing each other, then ask if I can bring you to their party this weekend. The party is four days away, which means I will be here every night for varying lengths of time.”

“Every night?”

“Yes, if we want our pretend relationship to be believable.”

“Fine. Then can you come earlier? I prefer going to bed at nine thirty.”

“I usually work until close to ten. Many of the projects I’m involved with are in countries with different time zones.”

“Then it seems I have no choice.”

“I’m not excited about it, either, but I don’t think us being inconvenienced for a couple of weeks will kill us.”

The easing of pain in his skull had him pulling the patch off his forehead. It looked like an oversized Band-Aid.

“How have I never heard of these? Show me the package, and I’ll have Lucas order me a couple of cases.” Letting his body melt into the soft couch, Desmond started to drift off again.

“A couple of cases? You have migraines that often?”

“A couple a week,” he mumbled.

“Then you should see your physician,” she suggested.

“I have medicine for them, but they knock me out, so I don’t take them.”

“You would rather suffer than sleep for a few hours?”

“Yes, I have to be on call, day or night, to make decisions. I can’t do it if I’m too groggy, or not wake.”

Not only did he make himself available to the organizations he provided business initiatives to, but numerous charities, duties that came with taking over AWR. While those were his philanthropic commitments, they didn’t compare to being the kingpin of Queens City.

The closely-guarded secret was only known by a few. Those who did discover his involvement in the criminal activities in Queens City, and his rank in the underworld, found it to their detriment when it was too late to escape him.