The girl nodded solemnly as if this were a serious, but common occurrence. “Oh.”
Tony had finished greeting his nieces and nephews and took her by the elbow, scruffing Esme’s hair. “Ready for the next wave?” he said to Fallyn under his breath.
Not really, but what the hell? All she had to do was play the part of his client, not his lover. Besides, she wanted to know more about him and what better way than to be immersed in his family’s world? “Lead the way.”
The house was as impressive on the inside as the exterior. A tall, circular staircase met them in the generous entryway. Dark wood floors, ivory walls, plenty of family portraits and antique furniture met her gaze everywhere Fallyn looked.
The birthday decorations were fun but elegant. As Tony led her through the throngs of people, she spotted a dining room where music flowed and kids ran around the table, sneaking cookies. A large three-tiered cake sat in the center, surrounded by gifts.
Someone pressed a cup of punch into her hand as they passed through a den where a group of men gathered around a college playoff game on the big screen TV.
Fallyn had always been good at remembering names. By the time they’d gotten through the main living areas, however, she’d begun to lose track of the multitude Tony had thrown at her. He was like a magnet, drawing everyone to him. Kids, teens, adults.
He’d make a great father, her ovaries insisted.
The sisters came at Tony all at once, emerging from what Fallyn guessed was the kitchen. He had to bend over to hug each of them, all four much shorter than him.
Amber had hair the color of her name. She threw her arms out and gathered Fallyn in a hug when Tony introduced her. Fallyn tried not to flinch at the sudden and uninvited intimacy, but instead found it rather nice. She gave Amber a smile once she could breathe again.
Rachel was quiet and shook Fallyn’s hand like a normal adult, her dark eyes a match for Tony’s. “We’re sorry about your sister.”
“Thank you,” Fallyn said.
“It must be terrible to lose your sister.” Faith was the youngest and pregnant. Her hair was braided and she held a sleeping toddler in her arms.
“I can’t imagine it.” Amber touched Faith and Rachel on their arms. The fourth sister, Tony introduced her as Shannon, closed ranks with them and nodded.
Sadness welled in Fallyn’s chest. She pushed it down and changed the subject. “The house is beautifully decorated for the party. I hope I’m not imposing.”
“Don’t you worry about that,” Amber said. “We’ve got enough food to feed the whole county and you’ve made our day by being seen with our brother.”
Shannon had a quick smile and gave Fallyn a wink. “We’re telling everyone you’re his girlfriend. I hope you don’t mind. It’s just…well, he’s a bit of an embarrassment after the Kimberly fiasco.”
Fallyn arched a brow at Tony. “Kimberly?”
Three sets of hands clamped onto her, pulling her toward the kitchen. “We’ll fill you in about Kimberly,” Shannon said, “after you meet Momma.”
“No, no, no.” Tony followed, getting shut out by the four women propelling Fallyn forward. “We’re not filling her in on a girlfriend I had in 8th grade!”
Fallyn laughed as she was shuttled into the kitchen. A short woman with beautiful platinum hair leaned against a counter with a glass of wine in her hand, laughing at something a friend was saying.
“Momma,” Amber called. “Tony’s here with his girlfriend.”
Fallyn waited for Tony to raise his voice and argue. He didn’t.
“Oh, I’m not…” Fallyn started but then stopped as Jacqueline Gerard’s friend moved out of the way and the woman regarded Fallyn with a cool stare.
Her gaze dropped from Fallyn’s face to her shoes, back up to her face.
Ho, boy. Look out. Mamma Gerard didn’t like Fallyn being called Tony’s girlfriend one bit.
Pulse jumping, Fallyn flashed her a big smile. “Mrs. Gerard, it’s lovely to meet you.” Why hadn’t she bought a gift at that box store? Damn it. “Happy birthday.”
The stare moved to a point over Fallyn’s head and off to the left. A smile that warmed those cool eyes broke over the woman’s face.
“Tony.” Jacqueline ignored Fallyn and went to hug her son. “I was getting worried. Was traffic bad?”
Tony wrapped his mother in a bear hug. “Happy birthday, Mom. Sorry we’re late. Had to make a pit stop.”
For shoes. Her shoes. Why didn’t I pick something more conservative?
Gads, this could be a nightmare, but then, why did she care what Tony’s mom and sisters thought of her? It wasn’t like this was a permanent thing between her and Tony.
Although, that thought wasn’t exactly horrible. The man loved his mother and was good with kids. He was supportive, he understood her insanity, and he was good in bed. What more could she ask for?
“I waited to cut the cake,” Jacqueline said to Tony.
“You didn’t have to do that, Mom.”
The love between them was obvious and jealousy sparked in Fallyn’s chest. Where was her mother, especially now when she needed her?
Water under the bridge.
“Tony’s her favorite,” Shannon whispered in Fallyn’s ear. “But I’m next.”
Amber swatted Shannon on the butt with a dishtowel. “No you’re not! I am.”
“I’m her favorite,” Faith yelled, laughing.
Jacqueline blushed and waved all of them off. “Stop it. You’re all my favorites and you know it. Now, let’s cut that cake. The natives are restless.”
The cake was a big ole’ monstrosity that could feed a lot of guests. Good thing since there were at least fifty people there. After everyone sang, she blew out the candles, cut the cake, and the sisters began passing out pieces.
Tony was constantly engaged with friends and family and Fallyn found herself shuffled between the sisters until the cake was gone and people started filtering out.
Needing a break, she was on the floor, shoes off, playing with Esmeralda in the kids’ room on the second floor when Jacqueline found her. “Ms. Pasche, would you help me clean up, dear?”
“But we’re playing Cinderella, Grammy,” Esme said.
Jacqueline picked up the girl and kissed her cheeks. “I only need her for a moment. She can come back when we’re done.”
Cleaning up was not what the woman really wanted, but Fallyn was game. Where were the sisters? Surely they hadn’t left the mess for their mother. “It’s your birthday, Mrs. Gerard. You should sit down and relax. I’m happy to clean up after you were so gracious in letting Tony bring me.”
“I’ll relax later. Come.”
Right.
Jacqueline led her downstairs and Fallyn followed her into the dining room, quiet and deserted now. They began gathering plates and wiping up frosting.
“I have three questions for you,” Jacqueline said.
Fallyn stacked a couple of plates and kept her eyes down. What was this, The Walking Dead and Rick’s three questions? If she didn’t answer them correctly, Jacqueline would leave her to fight off the zombies on her own?
You’ve handled rabid journalists, angry girlfriends, and overbearing presidents handing out veiled threats. You’ve got this. “Okay, shoot.”
“Tony speaks highly of you.” Jacqueline smiled, her voice sugary smooth. “What is your relationship to my son?”
Hadn’t Tony already explained this? “He’s my bodyguard.”
“You and I know there’s more to it than that.”
Step carefully.
At that moment, Amber swung in. “There you are, Momma. Go sit down. We are not letting you clean up after your own birthday party.”
“I’m sixty years old, not helpless.” Jacqueline shooed a hand at her daughter. “Ms. Pasche and I are having a talk.”
Amber gave Fallyn a knowing look. “Oooh. Well, excuse me. I’ll just be in the kitchen.”
Once the room was clear again, Jacqueline
put a hand on one of the ornate dining room chairs. “What are your intentions for my son?”
To kill him. But then she wouldn’t be having great sex tonight, and he had warned her this might happen. Only she’d been expecting it from his sisters, not his mother. Team Estrogen’s quarterback was a pro. “I’m sorry. Intentions?”
“Ms. Pasche, he is my only son.”
“Please call me Fallyn.”
Jacqueline went on as if she hadn’t heard. “He’s a good man. One who’s always tried to do the right thing. He’s been struggling lately and I won’t stand by and see him get hurt. He needs a strong woman like you by his side, but not if you’re going to break his heart in the end.”
She was not going to pull one over on Jacqueline Gerard. No siree. Do what you’re good at. Spin the situation.
But when she started to spin it in order to get out from under the woman’s interrogation, she found she didn’t want to. “Tony means a great deal to me, Mrs. Gerard. I have no intention of hurting him.”
“Honesty. How refreshing.” She flashed a smile, a real one this time, and Fallyn saw where Shannon got hers. “He’s happier today than I’ve seen him in a long time.”
Was there a question in there? “He makes me happy, too.”
“Even after all you’ve been through in the past few days—that says a lot.”
“Yes, ma’am, it does.”
Jacqueline went back to cleaning the table. Fallyn did as well, waiting. Biding her time.
Waiting some more.
Finally, Fallyn couldn’t stand it. “Ma’am, by my count, that was only two questions.”
“Don’t be impertinent, dear. I haven’t forgotten how to count.”
Fallyn laughed softly under her breath. Yep, Tony got his straightforwardness from his mother. “No, ma’am. I wasn’t implying you did, I’m just curious. Is there a third question?”
Jacqueline, hands full, slid up beside Fallyn and looked down at her shoes. “Promise you won’t tell anyone,” she said sotto voce.
“Tell them what?”
“I have a pair of shoes just like those, but I’m afraid to wear them anywhere. They’re cheap and gaudy, and I’m a bit old to be so flashy. Right?”
This was the third question? Not something more along the lines of do you want to marry my son and have his babies?
“Mrs. Gerard, I’m a firm believer that shoes only make the woman if the woman hasn’t already made herself. You’ve certainly made a wonderful life here and have an awesome family. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with your wearing flashy, sparkly, cheap-ass shoes if you love them. Life is short. You should wear whatever the hell you want.”
For a moment, Jacqueline was silent, looking slightly shocked.
Was it her language? Her boldness?
Then a big smile, like the one she’d given Tony earlier, raised the corners of her mouth. “I like you, Ms. Pasche.”
“Fallyn.”
“Fallyn, you may call me Jackie.”
Progress! “Yes, ma’am.”
Jackie winked and walked out.
Fallyn took a deep breath. First name basis. No fending off zombies tonight.
Did it matter that she’d passed Tony’s mom’s test?
Deep down, it did. She wanted all of them to like her. She wanted Tony to be proud of her for impressing his hard-to-impress mother.
Tony slid up behind her, startling her, and she nearly dropped the plates in her hands. “Hey, lady. Where’ve you been?”
“Being interrogated by your mother. You owe me.”
He nibbled her ear. “I’ll make it up to you tonight.”
“Damn straight, you will. Here.” She offloaded the dishes into his hands. “Go help your mother.”
“Where are you going?”
“To check my phone. I’ve been so caught up in the party, I need to see if Dani decoded that USB.”
Her phone was in her bag lying on a bed in the guest room with her coat. She dug it out and found she did, indeed, have a message from Dani with an attachment.
She clicked on the link and held her breath.
Heather’s face appeared on the phone’s screen. “Hi, Fal. It’s me. I know you’re probably wondering what this is about. I have a couple things to tell you. What I’m about to say will sound crazy, but I swear to you, I’ve done my due diligence on this. It’s real and it’s…scary.”
Heather looked over her shoulder. The scene appeared to have been shot in her office at the Capitol. “First,” her focus came back to the camera and she lowered her voice. “I want you to know, I love you, Fal. I know we’ve had our differences, and I get it if you don’t want to help me after you watch this video, but I need you, sis. I’m in a mess here and I need you.”
The sound of her voice, the sight of her face on Fallyn’s screen, was too much. Her knees went weak and she slumped on the floor. Her shoes went askew and she kicked them off.
Touching the screen, she froze the picture of her sister in place. The burn of grief roiled just under her skin. “Oh, Heather. I love you too.”
For a long moment, she sat there, tears running down her face. Esme wandered in and patted her back. “Are you sick?” the little girl asked, slipping her too small feet into Fallyn’s shoes.
Fallyn pulled herself together and smiled at the child. “Nope. Allergies,” she lied, scooping tissues from a box on the nightstand. “I’m fine.”
“Can I wear your shoes, Fairy Godmother?”
Fallyn nodded and Esme tromped out of the room in the too-big heels.
Fallyn watched the rest of the video, dry-eyed, her grief turning into shock and then white-hot anger. As Heather spilled her confession on screen, she had to stop once when Jordan interrupted her without knocking on her office door first.
Off screen, Jordan said, “Here’s your pharmacy pickup. They had your prescription, the magnesium, the fish oil, and your multivitamins, but they were out of your favorite brand of protein powder. A new shipment is coming in tomorrow. I’ll pick it up on my lunch hour.”
Heather had quickly lowered the phone and from the angle of the camera, Fallyn couldn’t see anything but the edge of a white bag being plopped down on the desk.
“Thank you,” Heather said.
The door creaked shut in the background and suddenly Heather was back.
For the next three minutes and twenty-seven seconds, Fallyn was glued to the screen. At the end of the video, Heather once again pleaded for Fallyn’s help. “I don’t know who to talk to,” she said. Her face was strained. “I hope you can give me some advice. I’m in love with him, Fal, and he didn’t know what he was doing. If anyone can help us, I know it’s you.”
Heather and Ryan. Lovers.
Fallyn couldn’t wrap her mind around it.
“Fallyn?” Tony crowded into the doorway, Esme leading him. “Are you alright?”
Esme dropped Fallyn’s shoes on the ground next to her feet and leaned over to kiss Fallyn’s cheek. Fallyn patted the girl’s arm and Esme took off. “It’s Heather.”
Her dry eyes didn’t last long. Just saying her sister’s name brought a fresh wave of tears. She held out the phone so Tony could see it.
He grabbed the whole box of tissues and tore a few out, handing them to her. “What did she say?”
A lot. One bomb after another.
Have to find the man who knows what went down.
She had a name, thanks to Heather’s video. The man who was the key to connecting all the dots. Who this guy was, exactly, Fallyn had to find out.
Fallyn blew her nose, wiped her eyes, and reached deep for that rage she’d felt a minute ago. “I know where to get the proof that the president’s son shot down CanAir Flight 702.”
Chapter Eighteen
Tony woke up to the sound of Fallyn’s voice. Something, he decided, he could get used to.
Easily.
He rolled over in the creaky bed, forgot it was only a queen and nearly face-planted off the side.
Sometime this month, he needed his own damned bed where his giant feet didn’t hang off the end.
The digital clock glowed 6:30. They’d slept, what…three hours? Fallyn had been on a tear all night trying to track down this Donald Fox, whoever the hell he was, because he had some serious inside information on Heather and her personal life. Why he had that information, they didn’t yet know. But Heather had talked about him in her video.
Peeling his gritty eyes open again, Tony rested his head against the pillow and blinked up at the ceiling. When this was over, he’d sleep for a week.
Hopefully with Fallyn beside him. But he wouldn’t get too far ahead of this thing. Right now, she was vulnerable and probably latching on because the sex was good and it gave her a distraction from her personal shit storm.
Did he really believe that? With the way they were together?
“No,” Fallyn said from the other room. “I need to talk to this guy today. This morning. ASAP.”
The tiny garage apartment was only so big and from the clarity of her voice, she had to be in the living room. Near that couch they’d done wicked things on. Don’t tell Syd. Just thinking about the steam they’d blown off on that couch made his morning erection damned near wave a white flag.
But the way she was talking on the phone, he figured his chances of luring her back to bed were zero.
Who the hell could she be talking to at six in the morning? When he was hoping to get laid.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed, reached for the shorts he’d tossed on the floor last night. Sure, he could walk out bare-assed, but with his luck she wouldn’t be on the phone and his mighty chubby would make its debut in front of Fallyn’s guest.
Nuts as she was, she couldn’t be crazy enough to bring someone here.
Could she?
“His name is Donald Fox,” Fallyn said. “Yes…Fox…That’s all I know.”
On the phone. Definitely. He marched into the tiny living room where she sat curled under the red blanket that’d been draped across the back of the couch. One long leg poked out, her creamy skin seriously begging him to reach out and touch.
What exactly did she have on under that blanket?
Protecting Justice (The Justice Series Book 4) Page 21
