Finally, Blakely turned to Dominic. Tugging gently, she pulled out of his grasp.
“I’m flattered.”
Dominic sighed and shook his head. “No, you’re not.”
Blakely rolled her eyes. “Gray isn’t a scoundrel. And something tells me ‘upstanding citizen’ might be a stretch.”
Dominic’s grin widened. “Perceptive, isn’t she?”
Gray’s entire body relaxed. “That she is. Smart as hell, too.”
“Lucky bastard.”
“You have no idea.” Holding out a hand, Gray pulled her into the shelter of his body and she accepted. “Thanks for the info I asked for.”
Dominic gave Gray a smile, this one actually genuine. “You’re welcome. Anything for you, man, although I don’t understand why you’re looking into Vegas showgirls with questionable taste in men. Please tell me you’re not looking to invest in a show or something stupid.”
“Nothing like that. I’m part owner in a surveillance company and she’s connected to a case we’re working.”
Dominic’s mouth curled into a grimace. “Not surprising. Her boyfriend has a nasty reputation and I wouldn’t be surprised to find out she’s up to her neck in the bad shit, too.”
“There’s plenty of that to be found in this town.”
Dominic’s gaze scraped over the crowd around them. “Isn’t that the truth? Well, I’m going to go back behind the bar and appease my wounded ego with an expensive glass of single-malt scotch.” Tipping two fingers to his forehead, he offered them a salute, then said, “Enjoy yourselves. Let my staff know if you need anything.”
Gray nodded, his grip around her waist tightening as Dominic turned to leave. Blakely watched as he melted into the crowd, stopping at several tables to speak briefly to people here and there.
From out of nowhere, a tall redhead in a flashy sequined dress stalked up to him. Blakely couldn’t hear their words over the roar of music, but clearly the conversation was heated. And the affable, charming, slightly smarmy persona Dominic had been wearing disappeared. His entire body language changed.
Wrapping a hand around her upper arm, he pulled her in so they were practically nose to nose. And then let her go again when she used her other hand to shove him away. Spinning on her heel, the redhead disappeared into the crowd.
And Dominic simply watched her go. But his hands were balled into fists at his sides and his chest heaved as he tried to get ahold of his response.
“Well, that was interesting.”
Blakely’s attention turned back to Gray. “How so?”
“The redhead? That’s his little sister’s best friend. I dated Annalise, his sister, for about two minutes when we were in our early twenties, which is how I met Dominic. Our friendship stuck when the relationship didn’t. I didn’t realize Meredith was still around.”
Shaking his head, Gray’s mouth twisted into a wry grimace. “I suppose a lot happened while I was gone. Not that it matters.”
The techno music that had been blasting into the space changed. The tempo slowed, even though there was still a thump of bass running beneath the sounds. Several people streamed off the dance floor as others moved on.
Gray didn’t bother to ask as he tugged her onto the dance floor.
Grasping her hand, he spun her out and then pulled her back in. Her body settled against the hard planes of his. Thanks to last night, she knew intimately what his Greek-god body looked like beneath the sophisticated layer of his suit.
And she immediately wanted to experience that wonderland again. Her hand snuck beneath his jacket, sliding along the rough texture of his tailored shirt. His body heat warmed her palm. And she loved the way he arched into her touch. Her fingers found the edge of his slacks and teased down as far as they could go. Unfortunately, she couldn’t quite reach the bare skin of his ass.
However, his hands could find naked skin. One palm spread wide at the small of her back. His own fingertips tantalized as they dipped into the opening just above the dint of her ass. Pulling her close, he folded his other hand between their two bodies, strategically using the cover of the dance to hide the fact that he was running a fingernail across the distended bud of her nipple.
“I’m pretty sure that’s not playing fair,” Blakely gasped.
Her entire body began to tingle.
“No, I’m pretty sure this jumpsuit isn’t playing fair.”
“You’re the one who picked it out.”
“True. Who knew I was into torture? Knowing you’re wearing nothing under this thing has been driving me crazy all night.”
Pulling back, Blakely stared up at Gray. “Remind me, why are we still here?”
A grin played at the edges of his lips. “That’s a good damn question.”
As much as Gray wanted to accept the dare in her heated gaze, there was something they had to do first.
“We have one more stop to make...it’s time I met my mother.”
Ten
Getting backstage had never been hard for him. Money and notoriety provided access to more than most people wanted to believe. His conviction hadn’t simply made the local news, but had hit the national media circuit. On the heels of several high-profile financial scandals, his was just another in a trend...or that’s how the media machine had spun it.
Which had pissed off his father. That man did not subscribe to the any-publicity-is-good-publicity mentality.
Gray would admit that for most of his life, walking through doors locked to everyone else gave him a small thrill. A sense of power, right or wrong. Tonight, his stomach just churned when the guard looked at the cash he’d slipped into his hand and then swept them past without so much as a change in his facial expression.
Several steps down the darkened hallway, Blakely pulled him to a stop. Her calming hand rested on his arm as she turned to face him.
“You okay?”
No, he really wasn’t. Normally, he’d have kept that confession to himself, but for some reason Gray let the confession free. “I’m a nervous wreck.”
A short burst of laughter shot between them. Okay, not the reaction he’d expected.
“You certainly don’t look it. I’m starting to realize the calm, reserved exterior you show the world might hide a whole lot.”
It was Gray’s turn to chuckle, but Blakely wasn’t wrong. Long before prison, his father had taught him emotions were something that made you weak. The world rewarded strength, even if it was a facade.
Gray could count on one hand the number of people who recognized that about him, though. And those people were all the most important ones in his life. The idea that Blakely could join that group...made him even more nervous than knowing he was about to meet Cece, his mother.
Leaning back against the wall, Gray wrapped his arms around Blakely and pulled her tight against his body. His mouth found hers in a brutal kiss that gave him the strength he needed.
The feel of her settled him. Centered him in a way only getting in the ring had done before. The way she opened to him, melted against him, made him feel powerful and protective. He let the moment spin, allowing the connection he felt with Blakely to overshadow everything else.
She was the one to finally break the kiss. Pulling back, she whispered, “We need to go.”
Shaking his head, Gray knew she was right. But a huge part of him wanted to stay in this dingy hallway with her. To freeze this moment and hold on to it. Hold on to her.
Pressing his forehead to hers, Gray let his eyes drift closed. “Thank you for being here.”
Her hands, resting on his hips, squeezed. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else. You’re not alone in this, Gray.”
Damn, it had been a long time since he’d felt that was true. His parents, the people who were supposed to support him and love him unconditionally, had turned their backs when he’d needed them most. The
y’d believed the lies instead of him.
Sure, Stone and Finn had his back. Of that he was one hundred percent certain. Not just because they said they did, but because they’d proven it time and again. But they both had their own lives. They were married and were hip-deep in building Stone Surveillance. No doubt they’d drop everything if he needed them, but their focus shouldn’t be his problems and his life.
And Blakely... Right now, she made him feel like he mattered. She was the most amazing woman he’d ever met, and if she could care about him, maybe that meant he was actually a good person, worthy of someone else caring.
Gray was about three seconds away from saying to hell with it and taking her home without doing what they’d come here to do, when a wolf whistle sounded from down the hall. “Get a room!”
A wry smile lit Blakely’s ice-blue eyes as she pushed away from him. Her hand slid down his arm until her fingers were twined with his. She didn’t wait for him, but used their connection to bring him along behind her as they continued down the hallway.
The mountain of meat at the door had told him Cece was in the second-to-last room on the left. The closer they got to that end of the long hallway, the more noise could be heard. The tinkle of laughter and rumble of voices. The ring of hangers against metal rods and the dull thud of things being dropped onto a wooden surface.
They passed one room that was occupied by a group of women. Glancing in, they were half-naked and didn’t particularly care the door was standing wide open. Bright, naked bulbs ringed multiple large mirrors. Several women were leaning forward, applying makeup to their faces.
The cacophony didn’t surprise Gray. It also didn’t hold his attention for anything more than a passing glance. Blakely, on the other hand, slowed, her eyes glued to the sight. Her expression was blank and controlled, so he couldn’t tell what thoughts were spinning behind her gorgeous eyes. If he had to guess, though, the thought of being half-naked in a room with twelve other women would give her hives. She wasn’t exactly a prude, but she was fairly private.
Later, he’d ask. But right now, he was laser-focused on getting this over with. Something told him his mother wasn’t likely to greet him with a teddy bear she’d been carrying around for the last thirty-four years hoping for the opportunity to give it to him.
He didn’t live in a Hollywood movie. Not to mention, she’d sent a blackmail demand.
His nerves from before hadn’t disappeared, but they’d been joined by a healthy ribbon of anger. Justified or not, it was there and if he wasn’t careful, it might color the coming encounter.
The room that the security guy had directed him to was much different from the one they’d just passed. The door was closed, and there was no noise emanating from behind the solid surface.
Gray didn’t bother knocking. He simply turned the old round knob and pushed.
The woman in front of the mirror on the far wall spun. Her face was ripe with surprise that quickly morphed into anger. Her eyebrows, clearly exaggerated with stage makeup, slammed down into an angry V.
Gray wasn’t certain what he’d expected. Maybe to feel this cosmic connection. Or maybe experience a bone-deep recognition. But there was nothing. The woman looking back at him was a complete stranger.
Oh, certainly, he could recognize features of himself in her. The set of her mouth was familiar. The shape of her eyes, even if hers were brown while his were green. But that was it.
Dispassionately, Gray cataloged her as a woman. Clearly, she’d been beautiful once. Her skin was sagging and lined, but the array of jars behind her suggested she spent time and money to preserve what she could. Her hair was thick and shiny, and hung down her back in lush waves.
She’d also taken time and effort to keep her body in top physical shape. She was slender, and her collarbone jutted out.
Cece stood. The heavy wooden chair she’d been sitting in clattered to the floor. “What are you doing here?”
Gray reached behind him and closed the door. The quiet click reverberated through the room.
“You know who I am.” Gray didn’t bother to make the statement a question. It was clear from her reaction that she did.
“Of course I know who you are.”
Gray huffed with sarcastic laughter. “There’s no ‘of course’ about it, considering I didn’t know you existed until two days ago.”
“And whose fault is that?”
“I’m going to say yours since you sold me when I was just a few days old.”
Her mouth twisted into a nasty expression, and suddenly, Gray realized she wasn’t beautiful after all. It was a facade, like everything else about her. “Is that what he told you? Of course he made me out to be the bad guy.”
“My father didn’t tell me anything. How could he? He hasn’t spoken to me in almost eight years.”
Her eyes glittered with malice. “That bitch’s account wouldn’t be any better.”
“I assume the bitch you’re referring to is my mother.”
“No, I’m your mother.”
Her words made his stomach roll. Oh, he’d known they were true, but hearing her say them out loud, especially with a sneer in her voice, made him want to cringe. Or deck her. But he refused to do either.
“No, you’re not. Neither is she, for that matter. But that’s none of your business. I’m here to tell you the secret isn’t a secret anymore. You can send threatening letters to whomever you’d like, but they’re not going to do you any good. No one is giving you more money.”
Cece slammed a container of makeup onto the table behind her. It exploded, a puff of powder raining over the surface. “I’m going to kill that little bitch if I ever find her.”
Gray took a menacing step forward. Blakely’s hand shot out, curling around his bicep and holding him in place. “Did you just threaten my mother?” She might not have been much of one to him, and certainly not when he’d needed her most, but he wasn’t about to let this woman get away with threatening her anymore.
“No. I don’t give a shit what your mother does. I’m going to kill your sister. Once again, she’s managed to ruin everything and she isn’t even here.”
Out of all the revelations he’d gotten in the last few days, those words actually rocked Gray’s world. He went backward on his heels, as if he’d just received an uppercut to the jaw. If Blakely hadn’t been standing behind him, he might have fallen to the floor.
“What sister?”
He had a sister.
A sneer twisted Cece’s lips. “Half sister.”
He had a sister.
“Where is she?”
“That’s a damn good question. I haven’t seen her in about eight years.”
Was it a coincidence his sister had disappeared around the same time he’d gone to jail? Warning bells clanged inside Gray’s brain.
“Why?”
Cece stared at him for several seconds, then said, “Screw it.” She collapsed back into the chair. “Not much you can do about it, anyway.”
Something told him he wasn’t going to like whatever she had to say.
“The worthless little shit disappeared the same night she moved twenty million dollars into your bank account. She was supposed to move another twenty million into my account, but obviously that never happened.”
His sister had set him up. A sister he never even knew existed.
Why? Why would she do that? What had he done that she’d wanted to ruin his entire life? And was she still a threat?
Gray’s stomach clenched tight. This conversation had just taken a severe turn he’d not been prepared for.
“Why would she frame me for embezzlement?”
“She wasn’t supposed to. She was supposed to frame your father. My guess is she screwed up and put the money into the wrong account. I didn’t even know it had happened until the story hit the news and I realiz
ed the mess.”
His father had been the original target? They did share a name. Gray was a nickname he’d used since he was a little boy. All of his accounts were obviously set up in his legal name, something he never thought of because he didn’t actually use it.
“Why would she frame my father?”
“Because I’d hit a rough patch and he refused to help me out when I went to him.”
“So you decided to rob him? What does that have to do with my sister?”
“Your sister is a computer genius. There isn’t a system she can’t access or a site she can’t crash.”
His sister was a hacker? And from what his mother said, a talented one.
“How’d she learn those skills?” That wasn’t the kind of thing you were born instinctively knowing. Sure, certain people had an aptitude, but they still had to learn. Especially the illegal stuff.
“Michael, her father, recognized her talent when she was young. She was the kind of kid who’d spend hours taking apart the computer I bought her for Christmas just to see what the guts looked like and whether she could put them back together again. It didn’t take long to figure out she was just as amazing at breaking codes.” His mother shrugged her shoulders. “One puzzle is as good as another. He took her under his wing and trained her. She was seriously beneficial in his business.”
His illegal business. Dominic had provided Gray with a bit of information about Michael when he’d passed along some details about Cece. While Joker had uncovered quite a bit, Gray had decided that getting insight from a local was just smart.
His mother had let her boyfriend use her daughter for criminal activity. Gray shouldn’t be surprised, all things considered, but he was. “How old was she?”
“When she started?” She shrugged. “Seven or eight. When she screwed you? Sixteen.”
Gray saw red. His mother had been exploiting his sister while she was too young to know better. She’d grown up committing crimes and didn’t know any other life.
“Framing you was a mistake. She didn’t even know you existed. But disappearing with my money—that was all planned.”
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