Fortune's Angel (Fates Aligned Book 2)

by Christi Whitson

  We found my dad, Kennedy, and Donovan sitting around a corner table in the main ballroom, and all three of them looked like they were trying to keep a low profile. I stifled a laugh, knowing full well they were probably just hiding from mom.

  “Where’s the generalissimo?” I asked once we reached them. Dad threw me a chastising look but said nothing. I bent to kiss my sister’s cheek. “Hey, Kenn. You look lovely.”

  “Thank you. Gabe and Miranda should be here soon. They’re leaving Kinley with a sitter, but I’m hoping Ethan will be our early ticket out of here,” she grinned, tilting her head toward Donovan, who was holding their seven-month-old son.

  “Oh, my gosh, he looks so adorable!” Charlotte said, circling the table to snatch him up. She planted a big kiss on his chubby cheek, and Ethan giggled happily. He was dressed up too, in an outfit not that different than mine, and the red imprint of Charlotte’s lipstick was the finishing touch.

  Despite enjoying the company of our friends and family, it didn’t take me long to grow bored with the atmosphere and the typical crowd of uppity women who made charities their primary occupation. They were an odd sort of bunch. Walking contradictions, all of them. They went to church every Sunday, donated money and time to this cause or that one, and never lost an opportunity to talk themselves up.

  They also gossiped viciously and held one another to impossible standards. I wouldn’t be surprised if the stress of trying to keep them happy ended up taking years off my mother’s life. They were a nest of vipers, each vying for the alpha position.

  Mom found us eventually, of course, pulling us right into the metaphorical snake pit. I didn’t miss the way she tacked my professional title onto my name with each introduction, apparently expecting her friends to know exactly how much I was worth. No doubt that was something they’d discussed in detail. Fortunately, Mom was distracted enough with overseeing the silent auction that we were able to get away quickly and enjoy our dinner in relative peace.

  Charlotte seemed to be enjoying herself, surprising me with dance skills I hadn’t known she possessed. I watched her dancing with Kennedy and Miranda, the three of them twisting their way around the dance floor and laughing like lifelong friends. It made me smile to see my angel so vibrant and relaxed, especially with all the stress she’d been under for so long. The lights reflected off her dark hair and her brilliant smile, so perfect and beautiful it made my chest ache.

  “You’re different, you know that?” Donovan’s voice drew my attention from across the table where he sat holding his sleeping son. “She’s changed you.”

  I smiled like the lovesick fool I was.

  “What can I say? I’m in love.” My angel had changed me irrevocably, and I couldn’t have been happier. Donovan smiled back and lifted his glass to salute me.

  “It looks good on you.”

  Twenty-Six

  Charlotte

  I was having a great time dancing with Kennedy and Miranda, but I could feel Eli’s eyes on me every second. My mind was filled with images of what he had in store for me when we got home. Every so often, our gazes would lock across the ballroom, and I swear he knew exactly what I was thinking.

  “Charlotte?” I turned toward the sound of a familiar voice and saw Marie Ellison approaching me with a bright smile.

  Well, if that’s not enough to put a lid on my libido…

  I suppose I should’ve expected to see her, considering she ran one of the three homeless shelters in the city and this was a HOP fundraiser, but that chapter of my life seemed so far removed now. Marie had always been kind to me, and I’d never taken that for granted, especially at a time in my life when human kindness had been a bit scarce. I smiled, and we exchanged a slightly awkward hug.

  “I almost didn’t recognize you, dear. You look wonderful,” Marie said sweetly.

  “Thank you! It’s great to see you again.”

  “You too! Have you been doing well? We miss seeing you at the shelter every night. The young man who does the food deliveries now is always a bit cranky,” she confided, and I chuckled.

  “Probably one of the sou chefs. It’s always a long night for them, and they’re a fussy bunch anyway.”

  “Well, it was always a long night for you too, but I don’t recall you ever being too tired to smile.”

  I laughed politely as Kennedy and Miranda joined us, and I made the introductions. Marie was especially thrilled to meet Kennedy and practically gushed about how wonderful it was that Donovan donated the extra food from the restaurant every night. Kennedy handled her with an enviable finesse similar to that of a politician’s wife, and after a few more minutes of polite conversation, Marie drifted away to talk to someone else.

  “You okay?”

  I smiled and melted into Eli’s arms as they encircled me from behind. He swayed us gently to the music, and I took a moment to savor the connection I’d come to depend on so much.

  “I’m good. That was Marie. From the shelter,” I added, not sure if he recalled meeting her so briefly a few months ago. He turned me to face him and began to dance in earnest, settling his hands around my waist.

  “I remember. I’m sure she was surprised to see you.”

  “Yeah. I was surprised to see her too, though I’m not sure why. It just didn’t cross my mind that she’d be here, I guess.”

  “Did she say anything about…?”

  “No, not really. Just that I used to deliver food donations for them, but Kennedy already knew that.”

  Eli nodded and pulled me closer, and I wrapped my arms around his neck as well as I could with the stark contrast in our heights. We danced in silence for a few songs, smiling into each other’s eyes as we worked a slow, wide circle around the dance floor.

  “This song is pretty perfect for us, you know,” he grinned, bending his head to kiss my temple.

  I smiled back and paid more attention to the lyrics. The Penguins were crooning about being fools in love with an earth angel, and the thought sent a rush of warmth through my body. Eli might call me his ‘Angel,’ but as far as I was concerned, he was the one who’d saved me. Just not in the way most people would think. True, he’d swooped into my life, prepared to vanquish any threat to my well-being, but that wasn’t what had changed my life so irrevocably. Eli had given me the courage to have hope again. Hope that things could get better. Hope that there were decent people in the world who cared about me.

  “I love you,” I said softly, barely audible over the music. Whether he heard my words or simply read them on my lips didn’t matter. I saw the emotion shining back at me in his blue eyes.

  “I love you too, Angel.”

  We took a few more turns around the dancefloor before he spoke again, his breath tickling my neck as he whispered into my ear.

  “Ready to get out of here?”

  “Why the rush? Got somewhere you need to be?” I teased.

  “Other than between your legs?”

  “Mmmm. You shouldn’t miss an appointment like that,” I moaned breathlessly.

  “Indeed. I just need to track my mom down again so I can give her a check. Then, we can go.”

  “Okay. While you do that, I’m going to find a ladies room.”

  “Deal. Meet you in the entryway in a few minutes.”

  I nodded in agreement, and he caught my lips in a kiss that was slightly inappropriate for public display. Damn, I sighed inwardly as I watched him walk away. I wondered if I’d ever get used to his sexiness. To the overwhelming desire that always seemed to hum in the air around us like electricity during a thunderstorm. God, I hope not.

  My Eli-induced buzz didn’t fade as I went in search of the restrooms and eventually found one down a long hallway off the main ballroom. There were a number of other doors along the way, some closed and dark, others open and clearly being used by the event coordinators for various purposes. To my relief, the line for the restroom was short, and I was soon headed back down the corridor with an eager smile on my face, anticipating the
delicious things Eli would be doing to me when we got home.

  “Are you sure she was talking about that Charlotte?”

  I stopped short at the sound of my own name, immediately recognizing the concerned voice of Virginia Brighton. It was coming from an open doorway just ahead of me, and I had very nearly walked right in front of it. I’m not usually one to eavesdrop, but my curiosity got the better of me. I stepped closer to the doorway, taking care to stay out of sight.

  “I’m sure. Marie Ellison pointed the girl out in the ballroom just a few minutes ago, and she was dancing with your son, Ginny,” another voice replied, her tone snide and accusatory.

  I quickly realized I’d missed some vital part of the conversation, because a third voice joined in. This one, I recognized all too easily. Eli.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” My heart thudded faster at the suppressed anger I could hear in his voice.

  “She runs the shelter on Seventh Avenue, and she said she knew your new girlfriend very well,” the unknown woman replied nastily. “Apparently the girl was homeless?! Marie was prattling on and on about what a success story she is. Said the girl was having her mail sent to the shelter for God knows how long and sleeping in her car.”

  Oh, fuck.

  “Did you know?” Virginia asked.

  “Of course I knew! But it’s no one’s business. It has nothing to do with any of us, so drop it.”

  I could hear the angry warning in Eli’s voice, but the other women apparently didn’t. A ball of nausea churned in my gut, and I was rooted to the spot. I could neither interrupt them and defend myself nor run away and feign ignorance. The woman I didn’t know was still spewing her vitriol, and a sensation of cold sweat overtook me as I listened.

  “You must be insane dating someone like that, especially with the wealth you inherited. What on earth are you thinking? Surely, it can’t be that hard to find someone respectable.”

  “Honey, I… I’m afraid I have to agree with Jan,” Virginia said with audible discomfort. “You deserve better. How do you know you can trust her?”

  “Well, he obviously can’t. She’s probably stealing from him, but really, that’s the least of his worries. What if she’s got diseases?” Jan piped up. “A desperate person like that would do anything for money. And looking like she does? She’s probably sold herself more than once.”

  A wave of horror and humiliation overpowered me. Every moment of self-conscious doubt I’d been trying to suppress for months converged on me, each bringing a stab of pain to my chest. I couldn’t stand to listen to their toxic words any longer. Moving forward would have put me in their line of sight, so I turned back the way I’d come, passing the restroom as I ran toward an exterior door at the other end of the corridor.

  It opened onto the sidewalk, and I took a moment to orient myself as the chill of the October evening hit my bare skin full force. I realized the front entrance was just around the corner, but I leaned against the brick building and took a few deep breaths. Tears of shame were spilling over my cheeks, as the stranger’s rude comments echoed through my mind.

  Stealing? Prostitution? Diseases? Even Eli’s own mother had said he deserved better. Virginia may not have sounded as cruel as her friend, but she certainly hadn’t been saying anything positive either. I knew Eli was probably in there ripping both women a new one for saying things like that about me, but I just couldn’t bear to hear any more.

  How could anyone say something like that about a stranger? That woman didn’t know me at all, but she was going around suggesting I was a disease-ridden hooker and a thief? Apparently, caring about the homeless was all fine and good until one of them showed up at your party. My anger was beginning to overpower my embarrassment, and I wiped away the last of my tears, pulling myself together with a few more calming breaths.

  I sniffled a little as I stood up, moving away from the brick wall and turning toward the front of the building. I’d taken only a few steps on the uneven sidewalk when a terrible pain shot through my scalp. There was a hand clutching a fistful of my hair and yanking me backward, causing me to lose my balance. I collided with something almost as solid as the wall I’d been leaning against only moments ago. A person. A man.

  I twisted my head in vain, unable to see the face of my attacker, and just as I opened my mouth to scream, a meaty hand clamped over the lower half of my face. The voice in my ear was all too familiar, and it sent a chill of fear down my spine.

  “You should’ve stayed inside with your little boyfriend.”

  Twenty-Seven

  Eli

  I left Charlotte on the dance floor, feeling her hungry eyes on me as I all but strutted away from her. God, I couldn’t wait to get her home. I hoped she was ready for a long night, because I’d been completely serious about taking her against every wall in the apartment. Over the flat surfaces too, if I could manage it.

  It took a few minutes to track my mother down, and when I finally found her in one of the auxiliary rooms down the hall from the ballroom, she didn’t look as pleased to see me as I’d expected. By the looks of things, I’d interrupted something between her and one of her friends. Jane or Joan or… something. I couldn’t remember her name, but I didn’t associate her with anything good.

  “Hey, Mom. Charlotte and I are heading out, so I just wanted to drop this off with you and say goodnight.” I held up the check I’d stowed in my pocket before leaving home and held it out to her. She took it with a brittle sort of smile.

  “Thank you, son. And thank you for coming. It means a lot to me.”

  “You’re welcome. It was a nice event,” I admitted grudgingly, giving her a quick hug. “See you.”

  “Wait!” my mother’s friend shouted, looking at my mother in disgust. “Aren’t you going to say anything about what I just told you?”

  “Well…” Mom’s eyes darted back and forth between me and her friend, and she looked wretchedly uncomfortable. “Are you sure she was talking about that Charlotte?”

  “I’m sure. Marie Ellison pointed the girl out in the ballroom just a few minutes ago, and she was dancing with your son, Ginny.” The woman turned to me expectantly, eyeing me like prey.

  Oh, hell no. This bitch was looking for fresh meat, and she’d picked the wrong fucking target. My temper flared dangerously, and I glowered at her.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “She runs the shelter on Seventh Avenue, and she said she knew your new girlfriend very well,” the woman sneered. “Apparently the girl was homeless?! Marie was prattling on and on about what a success story she is, said she was having her mail sent to the shelter for God knows how long and sleeping in her car.”

  “Did you know?” Mom asked. I all but growled in response.

  “Of course I knew! But it’s no one’s business. It has nothing to do with any of us, so drop it.”

  “You must be insane dating someone like that, especially with the wealth you inherited. What on earth are you thinking? Surely, it can’t be that hard to find someone respectable.”

  “Honey, I… I’m afraid I have to agree with Jan,” Mom said reluctantly. Jan. The bitch has a name. “You deserve better. How do you know you can trust her?”

  “Well, he obviously can’t. She’s probably stealing from him, but really, that’s the least of his worries. What if she’s got diseases?” Jan added. “A desperate person like that would do anything for money. And looking like she does? She’s probably sold herself more than once.”

  Is she fucking serious?! I glanced around the room and was relieved to see we were alone, but I was still pissed that this woman had the nerve to talk about Charlotte like this in such a public place.

  “Shut the fuck up.”

  “Eli, there’s no need for that kind of language,” Mom admonished, but I ignored her. My anger had reached a boiling point, and I didn’t care who I offended.

  “Neither of you know what the fuck you’re talking about. You have no id
ea what that woman has been through, so shut your fucking mouths.” I was hanging onto the last shreds of my self-control, but Jan couldn’t seem to help herself. She just kept fucking talking.

  “If it’s true that this girl was homeless, then you should be watching your back, young man. Not to mention your pocketbook. Doesn’t she live with you now?”

  “It doesn’t fucking matter. Her life is none of your business, and neither is mine. But just so we’re clear, since neither of you seems to care why she was in that situation, she chose to be homeless.” They both looked confused, and Jan rolled her eyes in obvious disbelief. “She has one family member left. One. Her mother. Until we got together, that was all she had in the world, and when her mom got sick, she dropped out of college and moved home to take care of her.

  “When her mother had to move into a nursing home, Charlotte moved here and worked two full-time jobs to pay for her care. She cut costs any way she could, which included living out of her car for a little while. She could’ve easily taken one of the beds at that shelter, but she thought she was lucky to have a car, so she didn’t want to take a bed someone less fortunate could have used.”

  Both my mother and her bitch of a friend were staring back at me with wide eyes and pale faces, but I couldn’t seem to stop. Some kind of dam had burst within me, and I was determined to make them feel as low as they’d tried to make my angel out to be.

  “She went out of her way to deliver leftover food from Donovan’s restaurant to that shelter every single night. She braved a dangerous neighborhood at night on her own, after a seventeen-hour workday! If I ever hear another judgmental word about her come out of either of your mouths, your self-righteous little nest of vipers will never see another cent from me. Hell, I’ll start my own damn charity with twice your yearly budget, and I’ll make sure everyone who donates knows what inspired me to take up the cause. Not. Another. Fucking. Word. That goes for you and anyone else on your snob squad. Are we clear?”