“How so?” Nick questioned sharply.
“Christ, Nick, did you think you could hide your parents from Mannie forever or vice versa? How the fuck did you plan to keep a 6’2” Latin man that favors the colors of fuchsia and turquoise in his wardrobe choices under wraps indefinitely? ” Devil asked drolly. “This was bound to happen. Christ, I’m not sure how it didn’t happen sooner. Bottom line: Armando assumes you were ashamed of him. The idea that you were ashamed of your own family hasn’t crossed his mind.”
“No,” Nick denied, automatically shaking his head. “I could never be ashamed of a man whose soul is as beautiful as Armando’s. Not ever.”
“Those are pretty words, Nick, but I think you’re gonna need to back ‘em up with some fairly strong actions,” Devil retorted, focusing his icy blue eyes on his employee and friend. “You didn’t see your fiancé last night, kid. Mannie was crushed. You weren’t around when I almost lost my Molly before our own wedding, but I gotta say, in ways it felt like déjà vu to me. That look of agony. The tears. Your guy was convinced that it was him that you were embarrassed by. He believes that you think he’s defective in some way and that’s why you hid him from your folks,” he added quietly, hating the look of intense pain that crossed Nick’s face. He hated to see good people get crapped on. And Nick and Mannie might be a pain in his ass, but they were good people, too.
“Fuck, man. I knew it was bad, but this shit is fucking tragic,” Grant whispered, averting his gaze from Nick and lowering it to stare at the scarred tabletop.
“What am I going to do? Oh, God, how the hell am I going to fix this?” Nick whispered forlornly, his voice faint, but shaky as he stared into space. “I can’t lose Armando. No one has ever understood me the way he does. Nobody has ever even tried. He’s my lover, yeah, but that’s the least of what he is. He’s also my best friend and biggest fan. I can’t not have him in my life. It would be like trying to live without my heart. A person can’t exist without a heart, Devil.”
“Listen, I know it’s tough, but I sort of know what you’re going through here. When I almost lost Molly just before we were married to a stupid, fucked up misunderstanding, I felt like all the oxygen had been sucked off the planet. The scope of my world narrowed to one singular objective. To get her back…. And that meant doing whatever I had to do to get her back in my arms where her ass belonged. Everything that I thought ever meant anything at all to me lost all meaning. Everything else in my world paled in comparison to what she meant to me. There was no time to lose whimpering about how much I’d fucked up. I knew how much I’d fucked up. Crying about it was a waste of my valuable time. No, the only thing I could focus on was doing whatever I had to do to get Molly back.”
“And…” Nick prompted, listening attentively to Devil’s words of wisdom.
“And he fuckin’ did,” Grant recalled. “He took on those two angry women that are currently flanking your man. He braved Armando’s temper, his Nana’s remarkable combative skills with a mixing spoon, our mom’s wrath, and my not inconsiderable skill with my fists. It was a bad day for the Devil,” he continued to reminisce. “But, at the end of it, he’d battled his way back to my sister’s side and refused to leave her until she forgave him.”
Holding out his arms, Devil grinned. “And I’m still here. Sexually frustrated, but present and fucking accounted for, my man. You’re gonna get through this, too.”
“I wish I knew how,” Nick muttered, fiddling with his phone. “Armando still won’t take my calls or respond to a single text begging him to just talk to me.”
“Then maybe it’s time to take the fight to him. It’s not like we don’t know where he is,” Grant offered conversationally. “We could always lock ‘em in the pool house together,” he suggested, looking toward Devil for approval.
“Not a good idea without a referee. I’ve seen Mannie nearly eviscerate both the FedEx and UPS guys when they’re late with a package. I don’t wanna think about what he’d do to Nick in a situation like this,” Devil returned. “No, I’ve got a different idea. And I hope you aren’t pissed, but I’ve kinda taken a few liberties on your behalf,” he informed Nick slowly. “Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan.”
“What did you do, Devil?” Nick asked nervously, his eyes anxious as they stared at his boss. “Please, please, please, tell me that this so-called plan you’ve concocted is Molly approved.”
“I have every faith that she’d have approved if I’d shared it with her,” Devil returned easily. Jeez, he’d managed to make Nick a fairly wealthy man in the past few years by doling out his advice to the younger man. You’d think the bastard would be more trusting now. Shrugging it off, Devil continued, “Sadly, I didn’t have an opportunity to consult with her. All her time was consumed by your fiancé last night.”
“Oh, crap,” Nick whined, rubbing his temples. “Does it look like I’m getting grey hair?” he asked Grant worriedly. “It feels like it’s greying as we speak,” he confided, toying with the still dark hair at his temples.
“Now, don’t panic just yet,” Grant soothed calmly. “I’ve known Devil almost my whole life and if I’m completely honest with you, his plans only go to shit about half the time,” he consoled, patting Nick on the back.
Eyes wide with alarm, Nick jerked in his seat. “Tell me you’re joking,” he pleaded with Grant only to be met with amused laughter. “He is joking, right?” he questioned Devil hastily.
“Nick, you’ve worked with me for several years. You know I take calculated risks, but how many times have you seen one of those risks not pay off in the long run?”
Nick stared at the man responsible for bringing him into the business world and mentoring him. “Never,” he answered softly. “I’ve never seen you take a risk that didn’t ultimately reward the investor.”
“Well, I’m sure as hell not gonna start taking asinine chances now when I’ve got two of my friends’ happiness on the line. Believe me, I know how high the stakes are. If I make an error, I may never get Armando out of my house, man. That’s clearly enough of a threat to make me assess the components of this deal very fuckin’ carefully.” Devil assured him. Relieved when he noted Nick slowly relaxing, Devil leaned forward and braced his elbows against the table. “You ready to hear the strategy I’ve developed for dealing with this clusterfuck?”
Taking a deep breath, Nick nodded. “Okay. You’re right. I know you’d never do anything to make this worse. I want Armando back and whatever it takes, I’m gonna make it happen. What’s your plan? Where do we start?”
“Oh, this plan is already in motion, my friend. It’s been rolling since you stepped off our company jet this morning,” Devil explained, rubbing his hands together gleefully. He was rather proud of himself. He’d examined Nick’s plight from every angle and decided that there was only one route to take.
Startled and beyond confused, Nick’s eyebrows furrowed as he leaned toward Devil. “What do you mean? Are you planning on hijacking Mannie and myself to a desert island until he listens to me?”
“You wish,” Grant grunted, rolling his eyes.
“Better,” Devil declared with a sly smirk. “I’m flying your parents here so that Mannie can see, firsthand, why you tried to shield him from your dumbass family. Once he sees what you were forced to live with, there’s no way in Hell that man stays angry. Hell, you’ll be getting a sympathy bang before the clock strikes midnight!”
“Oh, my God,” Nick gasped, clutching his chest as he began to hyperventilate. “You didn’t!” he wheezed as Grant shoved his head between his knees and demanded him to breathe.
“I most certainly did. The plane from Boston will land at approximately seven this evening and the limo will deliver them to a very nice hotel. In the morning, we’ll all meet and you can work this shit out. That still gives us a firm six days to fix this shit,” Devil declared, unfazed by the quasi coronary his vice-president of mergers and acquisitions appeared to be having. “By God, Enough is enough. Desperate times and
desperate measures and all that other poetic bullshit. The end justifies the means, dammit. C’mon, Nick. Think of this as a business maneuver. What’s the first rule I taught you in a hostile takeover, son?”
“A-always use the home field advantage if you can get it,” Nick rasped as Grant fanned him with a menu.
Snapping his fingers, Devil grinned and nodded. “That’s right. You’re gonna take on those two idiots that claim to be your parents with the family you’ve made surrounding you, supporting you. You’re gonna tell ‘em that you’re a young, successful gay man in love with the man of your dreams and you’re gonna marry him with or without their fuckin’ approval. Stand up to them, Nick, and let Armando watch you do it. Believe me, he might not wanna listen to you now, but he’ll for damn sure listen to THAT.”
“Besides, if those assholes you’re unfortunately related to continue to make a fuss, we’re gonna turn Samantha and my Nana loose on their sorry asses. Those women have crapped bigger nuisances than your parents,” Devil noted with a careless shrug. “Face it, Nick. You’ve got people in your life now that love you. Unconditionally. You just have to let us do it.”
Wiping his sweating forehead with the back of his hand, Nick lifted his pale face to look at Devil. “I don’t want their poison infecting the people in my life that matter. You’ve met them, Dev. They’re bullies. They’ll bulldoze right over…”
Holding up a hand, Nick shook his head. “You know how you stop a bully, Nick?” Seeing the other man shake his head, Devil grinned. “You find a bigger bully to take them on.” Crossing his arms over his chest, Dev leaned back in his chair. “Lucky for you, you’ve got one in your corner that happens to be severely pissed. Seriously, I will kill these people before I let them ruin this wedding. Do you know how much the flowers alone cost?” he asked with a shudder. “It’s obscene. But, it’s what Molly wants to give you. And I always try to give my Molly what she wants when she wants it. Happy wife, happy life and all that crap. These idiots are not gonna rob my wife – who has put her heart and soul into this ceremony - of your perfect day.”
Grant chuckled as Nick merely nodded solemnly.
Still laughing Grant shook his head. “Awww, Devil, if people only knew what a big ole softie you were….”
“….I’d have to hire a hit man to get rid of them,” Devil growled, glaring at the two men sitting at the table. “Now,” he said, peeling his credit card from his wallet and waving it in the air for the waitress to collect, “we’re gonna pay the tab and take you back to my place to see your intended, Nick. I’ve got six days to restore peace, love and harmony to my universe and by all I hold holy, I’m gonna do it if it’s the last thing I ever accomplish!”
Chapter Seven
Molly
“Oh, my sweet Lord in Heaven! WHAT have you done, Devil Delancy?”
Standing in the open doorway to their en suite master bathroom, Molly gaped at her half naked husband. Swallowing hard as she watched round droplets of water slowly slide down his chiseled chest, she tried her best to ignore the way her core tightened every time he moved. He’d said he was going to take a shower while she put the baby down for the night, but it had been a long time since she’d returned from the nursery quickly enough to see him all damp and mouthwateringly fresh from the shower. Thank God their little angel had given up easily tonight and simply gone to sleep without complaint. She supposed she had Devil to thank for that, too. He’d played their little girl out for her.
Watching him slowly pad across the carpeted floor, the soft grey towel he wore slung low…so very delectably low on his hips, she struggled to remember what she wanted to yell at him about. Oh yes, she recalled… his asinine plan. She tried not to get even angrier when he barely looked her way, instead grabbing another towel and patting it against his damp dark hair as he stood in front of the long his and hers vanity. Meeting his eyes in the reflection of the mirror when he finally looked up, she narrowed her gaze.
“Your hearing is just fine, babe. I know you heard me earlier. You already know what I’ve done,” Devil returned with a lazy grin.
You cannot scratch your husband’s eyes out. You cannot rip your husband’s dick off, she kept reminding herself as she met his eyes when he turned to face her. You love his eyes. You adore his dick, she reminded herself as her fingers curled into fists at her side.
“Devil, I’m tryin’ real hard not to lunge across this room and cause you irreparable harm, honey, but it’s gettin’ harder and harder.”
“So’s my dick, but you don’t seem to care about that at the moment,” he muttered aloud as he hung the towel he’d been using on his hair around his neck and held on to either end of it with a white knuckled grip.
“Darlin’, if you ever care to have me on my knees again, you’ll tell me this is all one big cosmic joke and you did NOT invite those horrid people here to see us. Really, Devil….what the hell were you thinking?” she asked, shaking her head. Honestly she wasn’t sure if her husband had lost his patience or his mind. Either way, his so-called plan had disaster written all over it.
And when Armando found out?
Let’s just say that the burning of Atlanta would look like a mere redecorating project compared to how Mannie would tear up the town once he found out what Devil had done. Thank God he’d been out with Vivian and Sami when Devil and Grant had brought Nick by earlier. At least now she’d either have time to undo what Devil had done or at the very least prepare her poor Mannie for what was coming.
Today had been horrible for him…hell, for all of them really. Because watching their normally happy, joy filled friend unravel had to be one of the hardest things Molly had ever witnessed. And she knew that Vivian and Sami felt the same way. Not even her mother, Anne, or Devil’s Nana had been able to comfort Armando. They’d tried, but the brokenhearted man had only brightened – albeit briefly – when Nana had threatened to beat Nick to death with her trusty wooden spoon for the misery he’d brought Mannie. Molly hadn’t been surprised in the least; her entire family saw Armando Savage as one of their own since practically the day they’d met him.
When Mannie had finally awakened this morning somewhere around eleven, he’d been disoriented and hung over. Overindulging in Devil’s bottle of Crown Royale the previous night and a hard, deep sleep had combined to dull her friend’s senses for a few moments just as he’d risen. It had been heartbreaking to watch Mannie remember all the events that had brought him to Molly and Devil’s home in the middle of the night. At first, there’d been tears and curses as Mannie’s memory had sharpened, becoming clearer with the aid of a strong cup of Nana Delancy’s coffee. Then ice cold anger had set in, morphing Armando from a sweet, heart sore gay man into a fire-breathing Groomzilla intent on terrorizing the villagers of Atlanta, Georgia.
Yeah, he’d been determined to cancel as many wedding arrangements as he could. It had taken the combined efforts of her, Sami, Viv, Grant’s wife, Karen, Molly’s mom, AND Nana to stop Mannie from singlehandedly annihilating every painstaking wedding plan Molly had made over the last few months. Thank God Sami had been carrying around that bottle of unused valium in her purse. They’d crushed two of those bad boys and mixed it with Mannie’s mimosa before he even realized what was happening. Thankfully, he’d spent the better part of the afternoon napping.
When he woke up, Vivian had insisted on treating him to dinner and a movie so that Molly could spend some time with her daughter. Luckily, she’d been able to eject Nick from her house before Mannie had gotten home. It had hurt her to throw out the older man, but she’d known down to her soul that if Mannie had seen him in the frame of mind he was in that there wouldn’t have been enough of Nick left to fill a Ziploc bag.
And damn it, she still had a small sliver of hope that there’d be a wedding in just under a week and she didn’t want the photographs marred by bruises on one of the grooms. After all, that well-known photographer had demanded one hell of a sizeable non-refundable deposit on his services (not that she’d
be sharing that information with her hubby).
It was her husband’s long-suffering sigh that brought her out of her worried thoughts, and she narrowed her eyes as he stalked in her direction. Even still half angry with him, she couldn’t help but admire the fluid cat-like grace with which he moved toward her. Talk about poetry in motion…. Even after being married and sharing a child together, she still believed her husband’s body was the stuff poets wrote their sonnets about.
“To answer the question you posed just a few moments ago, Molly,” Devil began as he dropped the towel from his shoulders into the wicker laundry hamper by the sink, “What I was thinking, babe, is that I’d like to see my amazing wife naked again on a regular basis without the vocal accompaniment of a jilted he-devil, thank you very much. Call me crazy, but the moaning and caterwauling that Armando does just really isn’t conducive to the mood I’m trying to create with you. And trust me, darlin’, the only way to make that fantasy into reality without moving the entire country to DefCon 4 and launching the nukes toward Nick’s head is by doing exactly what I’ve done.”
Molly rolled her emerald eyes at her husband’s theatrics. Honestly the man missed his calling on Broadway, she thought wryly. Smacking one hand against his bare chest, she silently luxuriated in how his muscles leapt underneath her fingertips even as she snorted at his previous statement. “Trust you? Seriously? You want me to trust you and your better judgment here? Devil, sweetie, have you taken leave of what little senses you had left? Trust you, my ass.”
“My somewhat limited senses are about the only thing I’ve got going for me right now, woman,” he grumbled, grabbing her by one shapely hip and yanking her body against his, nearly groaning when her curves came to rest against his aroused body.
Sliding her hand over his naked chest, her nails scratching lightly at the hair on his chest, Molly forced herself to remember that she was truly and honestly mad at her gorgeous husband at the moment. That wasn’t to say that she didn’t enjoy the way his body felt against hers or the way he could make her forget her own name with the way that body made her feel, but she was honor bound to hold onto her ire right now. It was part of the best friend code of conduct. There was even a chapter on sisterly solidarity. She couldn’t allow her very handsome husband to distract her now.
Scorched (Sizzle #2) Page 8
