by L. J. Wilson
“If his hard-ass brother had any interest in relationships marked permanent,” Alec said, glancing at his watch. “Hey, aren’t you going be late for your flight?”
“Actually, no,” Jess said. “I was texting with my editor when Aaron came in. Change of assignment. The piece on the Miami horse-racing scandal is shelved. I don’t have the new gig details yet, but he’s got a hot prospect for a story in Colombia. My flight leaves tonight.”
“Colombia?” both men said at the same time.
“Yeah… why? Don’t care for the remote location? Don’t worry, I travel with snake repellent.”
The Clairmont brothers stared at her.
“Guys?”
“It’s, uh…” Alec cleared his throat, shook his head. “Near Colombia, that’s where the plane crashed that our parents were on. They, um… the plane was never found.”
“I had no idea. I’m sorry,” Jess said.
“Nothing to be sorry about. It’s just that around here, the mention of Colombia… Well, it pushes a lot of buttons.” Aaron looked at his brother, an image as close to Sebastian Clairmont’s as his own. Maybe closer at the moment.
“Aaron, you’d better get moving. Time isn’t on your side today.”
“Right,” he said, heading out door. “Thanks again… both of you.”
On the drive to the LaCroix house, Aaron compiled a list of what he recalled about Tandy: a freckle-faced brunette, razor-sharp tongue, poor, easy—a casual but steady drug user by the time she left Nickel Springs. That was the basic 411 on Tandy LaCroix. Of course, there was also the fact she had no love for Aaron. In the chaos of the past seven years and seven days, he’d almost forgotten that. Tandy and Ruby, they were Nickel Springs’ version of the Good Little Girl and the Bad Little Girl. After Tandy had burned enough bridges, fucked the majority of age-appropriate men (and a few who weren’t) she’d left. The story went that she’d enrolled in art school in New York. Aaron hadn’t questioned it back then, but he did find it curious. Tandy’s family didn’t have two nickels, never mind money for art school. He did recall the last time he saw her. Tandy had blamed him, loudly, for an ever-growing gap between herself and Ruby. While Aaron had never considered it a competition, Tandy saw it differently. She’d left town defeated, feeling as if Aaron had won the Ruby contest.
With that reminder, Aaron tapped cautiously at the LaCroix front door. There was shuffling, rumbling from inside, and Aaron pressed his ear to the door. It opened, and he jerked to an arrow-straight stance.
“Oh, well, would you fucking look at what our weak judicial system blew in. Why the fuck you aren’t in a cell until your balls bleed beats me.”
“Nice to see you too, Tandy. Got a minute?”
“For you? Not likely.” The door started to close, but Aaron’s fist rammed into it.
“How about you find one?” He looked over her pasty appearance, a red nose and glassy eyes obvious. Prison and the DEA. He knew a junkie when he saw one. “Or maybe you’d like it if the local DEA paid a visit instead of me.”
“Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black? Besides, who’d listen to an ex-con like you?”
“You might be surprised who’d listen to me.” Aaron hoped he didn’t need to make good on the threat—the branch of the DEA he’d abandoned wouldn’t want anything to do with him, never mind the real thing. But the threat was enough as she backed down, opening the door. With his fists punched into his pants pockets, Aaron took a turn around the living room. From what he remembered, this was a huge improvement. It seemed like better times had befallen the LaCroixs. New furniture, new everything. Then he looked at Tandy. Shit. Better times clearly did not extend. If there was money, she was putting a lot of it up her nose, in her arm—whichever. He heard noise coming from a back bedroom.
“I got company. So make it quick. What do you want?”
“I, um… I just want you to know that I’m quitting Abstract Enchantment. I’m guessing Ruby told you I work there.”
“The world is full of bad surprises, and you just keep ’em coming.” Tandy backed up a step. She wore no bra, which was apparent—just a long T-shirt… and a G-string. Aaron looked away as she bent to pick up throw pillows in her path. “And you came here to tell me because…”
“Because you’ll see Ruby later. You know she moved the wedding date up to today.”
“She…” Tandy’s eyes didn’t move off Aaron, like he might swipe the silver. If there was any silver. She shuffled right and snatched her phone off an end table. He spied a drawer, partially open. “Looks like I missed a text from Ruby… a few from Stefan,” she muttered, dragging her fingers across the screen, then through a mop of streaky highlighted hair. “You’re right. They’re getting married this afternoon.” She blinked at him as if he wasn’t quite in focus. “Ruby must be looking for me. Guess I need to get over there.”
Guess you’ll need to sober up in a big hurry… And why is Stefan texting you?
Something that seemed like a clue snapped into place.
Aaron cleared his throat, forcing a humble look. “I don’t want to cause Ruby anymore pain. So could you do that? Figured it would suit you, to tell her I won’t be around. She can go on with her life.”
“What makes you think she gives a shit whether you’re around or not?”
“Just trying to make amends. Isn’t that part of the program?” he said, chin cocking toward the fresh and old needle marks on her arms.
Tandy folded them tight. “Something like that. It can be a bitch, you know? Getting straight… getting hooked again. You think it’s easy?”
“I think letting go of something you need that badly is a hard thing to do. We agree on that much.”
“Then we agree that Stefan is good for her,” Tandy said. “He’s a smart dude, lots of connections, lots of ideas.”
“Sounds like you know him pretty well.”
“We hit it off.”
“When you first met… in New York?” Aaron said, fishing for information.
“How do you know…” She shrugged. “So we met in New York. Big fucking deal.”
“Did he help you get clean, Tandy? Did he come find you?”
“So what if he did? Helping somebody get clean… Most people consider that a good thing.”
“Depends on their end game. I’m just trying to understand how far Stefan’s helping hand goes.” Aaron glanced around the messy but newly furnished house. “It must have been a plus, having you on his side. Does Ruby know about that?”
Tandy narrowed her eyes.
“Or was your clandestine friendship more about how you could help each other?” Aaron took a step closer. “She wouldn’t like that, would she, Tandy? Ruby wouldn’t like it one damn bit if she knew you bullshitted her about how you met Stefan and why.”
“Like she’d believe anything you said to her.”
“I think she’d be willing to listen. Just so you know—Ruby showed up at my house last night. From there, it didn’t take long for her to end up in my bed.”
“No way,” Tandy said, her gaze running hard over him. “Ruby wouldn’t do that—fucking screw you and marry Stefan the next day.”
“Not unless something was forcing her into it. Something you might have an inside track on.” Aaron reached over and yanked open the drawer to the end table. Inside was a junkie’s treasure trove. “That’s some pretty good-looking stuff, Tandy. And this house,” he said, glancing around. “It’s looking good too. Is that the exchange? Your loyalty and influence for Stefan Gerard’s assistance—rehab, nice new shit, a better life?”
She stormed toward the door. “I don’t have to tell you anything. Get out,” she spat. From the bedroom, a man wearing only underwear wandered out. Between his state of undress and wobbly high, it took Aaron a moment to recognize Tully Weeks, Stefan’s general contractor.
“Aaron. Jesus, what the fuck are you doing here?” His face was a mix of a drug-induced high and dizzy confusion. Tandy hurried to where he stood. �
��Hey,” he said, nudging Tandy’s shoulder. “This isn’t like a waiting line, is it? Is he banging you too? I thought you said you quit that shit when you left New York. I told you, I got no problem gettin’ high, but I don’t sleep with fucking hookers.”
“Shut up,” she hissed. “I told you. I just wanted to party.”
“Take it easy, Tully,” Aaron said, realizing how far Tandy’s problems went, how desperate she must have been. “I needed to talk to Tandy—nothing else. I didn’t know you two knew each other.”
“Yeah, Tandy came around now and again before you started at Abstract Enchantment. She’s tight with the boss,” he said, slapping her ass. “Not a bad person to know.” His hands shot up as Tandy’s swatted at Tully’s gesture. “’Course she wasn’t fucking Gerard if that’s what you’re thinking. I don’t need that kind of trouble. I need my job, Aaron.”
“Uh, right. I hear you, man. Like I said, my being here doesn’t have anything to do with you. So Tandy, you’ve made some trips to Abstract Enchantment over the past few months.”
“Hell, yeah, she has,” Tully said, going for the shift in subject. “Whad’ya call that job again?”
“Will you shut the fuck up?” Tandy glanced sheepishly at Aaron. “Liaison… Special liaison to the CEO of Abstract Enchantment.”
“No shit?” said Aaron, his half-smile wanting to push full. “Isn’t that interesting information?”
“Yeah, for whatever it’ll get you, which is nothing,” Tandy said. She and Aaron traded death stares. The only sound was Tully, swiping a hand across his nose. “And now I think you were going.”
Tully, underwear and all stepped forward. Crossing the room, he slapped a hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “Hey, uh… private business is private business, man. But I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention this to anyone, like Stefan… or my wife.” He opened the front door. “I’m supposed to be in New Paltz picking up a slab of granite.”
“Yeah, I hear you, Tully. Not my business. But, uh… but you might want to give that wife of yours some thought.” Aaron motioned toward Tandy, the door having closed enough so she was out of earshot. “She’s bad news—for a lot of reasons. Doesn’t matter how tasty Tandy candy is.” Aaron inched forward. “So, um… so you’re sure she’s not into the boss? Drugs or doing him?”
“Fuck no,” Tully said, his jelly belly quivering as he laughed. “Hey, don’t get me wrong, Tandy’s hot tits, tight ass, and a good time—gives awesome head.” His brow cocked. “I’d guess she’d have to, considering her past occupation. Believe me—I was freakin’ surprised when she let that slip. But she ain’t doing Gerard, no way. Not in his league.”
“Yeah, I guess not.” Aaron nodded, ready to back off the step.
“Besides, Stefan’s too busy tapping that private piece of ass he brings up from corporate—Vanessa Trudeau.”
Aaron nearly lost his footing. “He… Is that an opinion or a fact?”
“Absolute reality. I outfitted the entire romper room he built in the old carriage house. Among other things, Stefan had me roll the bill of materials into the budget for public Abstract Enchantment suites.”
“Stefan, he’s got a regular thing with Vanessa?”
“I’d say more than that. I listen. I watch. The redhead’s got it bad for him. Shocked the shit out of me when it turned out he was marrying somebody else. But I guess it explains why he keeps his relationship with Vanessa on the QT.”
“I guess it would.”
“That smokin’ little number he’s marrying, I don’t think she has a clue. But dudes like Stefan, do you really think they’re gonna spend their life doin’ one piece of ass? And that Vanessa, she’s way more than that.”
“How so?” Aaron asked.
“Vanessa Trudeau knows every piece of business that guy does—shitty and above board.”
Aaron nodded at the information.
Tandy called from the living room. “Gotta go,” Tully said. He looked Aaron over. “I swear, this is the last time—you know, with her.”
“Right,” Aaron said, listening to Tully Weeks’s only lie.
Aaron slipped in the side door of Abstract Enchantment, thankful to find Stefan’s assistant alone. It was a risk, but he had no choice. At first, Shauna wasn’t too pleased to see him. But Aaron managed to coax her outside. In the alcove where they’d kissed, he apologized again for their bizarre date while rapidly explaining his need for information. “Shauna, if you know where I can find Vanessa, sharing that with me, it’s the right thing to do. I swear.”
She stared, shaking her head. He thought she’d go right back inside and alert Stefan. Then the head shaking stopped. Cautiously, her eyes glossed over him. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this… Well, maybe I do. In all your dark places, Aaron Clairmont—and I think there are many—the good comes through.” Shauna told him what he wanted to know and made a quick exit. She had a lot to do. There was a wedding scheduled for later that afternoon.
Straddling a straight-back chair in a dim corner of the carriage house, Aaron waited. Well, damn, Vanessa had invited him. The place looked like a lavender whorehouse, right down to a fringed velvet chaise. According to Shauna, Stefan’s colleague was due in from New York shortly. Aaron glanced at his watch. He had only hours to find an answer. Hours to turn his and Ruby’s life around. It was a tall order for a man who couldn’t even cross state lines. He heard the lock tumble and Aaron zoned in on the door, prepared for a nasty a confrontation.
To his surprise, the incoming anger wasn’t directed at him. Vanessa didn’t even see him. She ploughed through the door and threw her coat onto the couch and her purse into the wall. Then she picked up a crystal lamp, hurling it in the same direction. Aaron watched it shatter into a minefield of tiny shards. Black mascara dripped like oil streaks down Vanessa’s porcelain face. Noises that went with devastation and pain pulsed from her throat. She picked up a vase and aimed it at the same wall. But the life seemed to drain out of her as she dropped the vase, which hit the table and broke with a dull clunk. Sinking to her knees, she wept into a puddle of glass.
Aaron’s hands gripped tight to the chair, his spine stiff. What the hell had he just witnessed? He stood. “Vanessa?”
She gasped, startled at the intruder. “What… what are you doing here?” she hiccupped.
Aaron crossed the room and squatted in front of her. It had been a while since he’d seen a woman in such an emotional state. Ruby, she was strong, she knew how to put on a brave front. Honor. This was more like the morning Honor learned Rowen was dead.
Vanessa laughed, hysterical and snotty. “Right. I did express an interest in fucking you.” She brushed back strands of red hair stuck to her tear-stained face. “Sorry. It’s not looking like my best day. Rain check?”
“Uh, not really why I’m here.” Vanessa dragged the back of her hand across her runny nose. Aaron reached past her, offering some tissues from the table.
“Then what do you want?” she said, blowing her nose, blotting her eyes.
“The same thing you do. I’m guessing you weren’t expecting an impromptu wedding when you showed up today.”
She didn’t respond. She didn’t need to.
Aaron held out a hand. Vanessa hesitated and then accepted it as Aaron helped her to her feet. “Sitting in a pile of broken glass won’t help a damn thing. At least sit on the chaise.”
Vanessa curled onto it like a wounded animal.
“How long?” he asked.
“How long what?” she said, pulling a plush throw across her body.
“How long have you been having an affair with Stefan?”
Vanessa took long, hard swipes at her tears—like she might wipe away the evidence. “I’m not… I don’t know…” A deep frown formed. “Nearly three years,” she said into the fabric of the furniture. “Would… would you mind getting me a drink?”
“Sure.” Aaron strode to a well-stocked wet bar.
“And don’t bring anything that can’t at
least cut the pain in half.”
With his back to her, Aaron poured cognac in a glass. The aroma said it was as smooth as silk and at least twenty years old. He glanced around again. Make that a high-end lavender whorehouse, he thought. Stefan’s need for this woman was clearly strong—but for what reasons? Aaron handed Vanessa the glass.
She took a gulp. “Join me?” she said.
“No thanks. I need a clear head.”
“How do you know about Stefan and me?” She took another sip, her glassy gaze winding down him. “And why do you care?”
“We have a mutual interest. And to answer your question, deductive reasoning, simple addition.” Aaron pointed around the sexy suite.
“What mutual interest?” She took another sip, squinting at him. Then her pale brow furrowed. “Stefan’s tastes may run to a Fifty Shades side of things, but he’s not into men… at least not one on one.”
Aaron cleared his throat. “No, not Stefan.”
Vanessa drew the glass to her lips but stopped. “The girl? What’s your interest in Stefan’s fiancée?”
Aaron took a deep breath. He didn’t have time for the full-length version or to bond with Vanessa Trudeau. “Ruby. She belongs to me. It’s a story that goes way back and never ended. There isn’t time for the details. But… but suffice it to say, if Stefan Gerard marries Ruby today, it will be over my dead body.”
For a moment she looked hopeful.
Then Aaron added, “Or his. Whatever it takes to stop it.”
Even devastated, her loyalty remained steadfast. “You’ll never stop him. I have no idea why, but if Stefan wants to marry her, you won’t have a say.” She narrowed her eyes and threw back the plush throw. “And if there’s any chance you’d harm him…” Vanessa began to rise from the chaise. Aaron sat on the end, which forced her to remain seated.
“Look, Vanessa, I’m running out of minutes and resources. It seems to me you and I want the same thing—for that wedding not to happen. Don’t you think there’s more to be gained by pooling our efforts?”
“If this Ruby wants to marry him—and what woman wouldn’t—I don’t see what either of us can do to stop two consenting adults.”
