by Linda Kage
“Just so you know,” he murmured, reaching out to catch a piece of my hair. “Before this association between us is over, I’m probably going to make a play for you. A real one. And I’m going to come on strong, because I tend to do that when I really want something. I don’t give up, either, not until I get it.” Releasing my hair, he turned away first, opening his own door as he added, “You should probably prepare for that.”
I waited until he’d exited the car and shut the door, leaving me inside alone, before I blew out a shaky breath and mumbled an uneasy, “Oh, Lord. What the fuck have I gotten myself into?”
The worst part was, I wasn’t sure if I was looking forward to his promise or dreading it.
Probably a little bit of both.
“Oh!” I yelped, suddenly remembering one huge detail. As soon as he opened my door for me, I hopped from the car to face him. “One more thing I should probably know about you.”
He looked at me and arched up his eyebrows, waiting expectantly. “What’s that?”
My face immediately heated, because I couldn’t believe I hadn’t asked this yet. It probably should’ve been my first question, or at least something I asked before wondering if we’d had fake sex yet in our fake relationship.
“What’s your name?”
Chapter 14
Hayden
She surprised me.
Again.
For some inexplicable reason, Gabriella always seemed to jolt and throw me off my game. How the hell did she do that?
I studied the spitfire before me, perplexed. My head was still spinning over the fact that I’d just told her I was going to pursue her—even though I had repeatedly tried to convince myself I was done with women and relationships entirely.
And she didn’t even know my name yet?
That didn’t seem like it should be possible.
“Hayden Carmichael,” I said, holding out a hand because I wanted to feel her flesh against mine as well as appear more professional and in control of my faculties than I actually was.
“Hades Carmichael?” she murmured, making a face and nodding before saying, “Hmm. Makes sense.”
“Hayden,” I corrected. “Not Hades. Which reminds me, I never got your surname.”
“Salazar,” she returned, furrowing her brow as she shook with me. “Didn’t Kaitlynn mention that?”
“Kaitlynn and I don’t speak, so no.”
“But—”
“And I’d appreciate it if you never mentioned to her that I’ve actually been to her apartment or even know where she lives.” I made a sour face, just thinking about the deplorable brick building she chose for room and board.
Gabby shook her head. “Wait, I’m confused. If you weren’t there because of Kaitlynn the first time you saw me, then what the heck were you doing there?”
“I never said I wasn’t there because of her.”
“Oh my God,” she growled, lifting her hands in aggravation. “You are so frustratingly vague sometimes. But fine, I’ll play. If you never talk to Kaitlynn, then how could you be there because of her? Wouldn’t she be aware of your visit, or are you just freaking stalking her?”
“I don’t have to visit her to be there because of her, you know.”
I turned toward the school only to find a familiar-looking boy exiting the gate and streaking toward us.
“So, who do you visit then when you’re there because of Kaitlynn but not there to see Kaitlynn?” Gabby persisted, not giving up with her line of questioning and obviously not sensing her brother’s approach.
I slipped my hand into my pocket and nervously jiggled my keys in my pocket. “I have business with the building’s owner.”
Gabby gasped in shock. “Rick? You know Rick?”
I grimaced. “Unfortunately.”
She huffed out a sound of amusement and opened her mouth to say more, but her brother had just reached us.
“Hey, Gabs! Who is he? Is that his car? Do we get to ride in it?” The boy I vaguely remembered from a few weeks back burst between Gabby and me, making her jolt in surprise and press a hand to her heart as he added, “Did you bring home any leftover muffins or pie today? I’m starving.”
With a sigh, Gabby trudged toward the back door of my sedan and opened it for her brother. “No, I forgot the muffins. Sorry. Just get in.”
The boy looked curiously between me and his sister, but the prospect of riding in a car must’ve excited him too much to question it, so he popped into the backseat.
Gabby shut the door and sighed dramatically, opening her own door and sliding in. Which left me standing on the curb by myself.
Okay, then. Nice introduction.
Snapping out a wrinkle in my jacket, I made my way back around to the driver’s side. Once I was behind the wheel and had the engine started, I sent Gabby a meaningful look, then cast her brother a glance.
Catching on, she unenthusiastically lifted her hand and motioned between the two of us. “Miguel, this is Hayden. Hayden, Miguel.”
“Hayden?” When I glanced into the rearview mirror, Miguel wrinkled his nose. “Who’s Hayden? What happened to Diego?” he leaned into the front, poking his head into the open space between me and Gabby. “I thought it was Diego who was so in love with you.”
While Gabby snapped, “Get back into your seatbelt,” I answered, “Well, now it’s just me because I chased Diego away.”
Miguel spun to me with his mouth falling open. “You did? How?”
“The devil’s son never shares his secrets.” When Miguel merely blinked in confusion, I winked. “Get back into your seatbelt.”
After he complied, I pulled into traffic and glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “I’ve seen you before, you know. But you were running by so fast you were nothing but a blur.”
A proud grin lit Miguel’s face. He puffed out his chest and straightened his shoulders in order to sit taller as he announced, “I’m the fastest in my class. They call me Flash, like the superhero.”
“Really,” I murmured, lifting my eyebrows as if impressed, only to add, “It’s such a pity you use your superpower for mischief instead of good, then.”
Faltering, he furrowed his brow before hesitantly asking, “What do you mean?”
I shrugged. “Nothing really. It was just kind of disappointing to watch you race ahead of your sister the way you were, not bothering to help her carry her heavy groceries, and then going as far as to fill her with worry and dread when you ignored her request to slow down just enough so that she could always see you. I wouldn’t think a true superhero would do that.”
“I—” Not sure how to respond, Miguel frowned before turning to his sister. “He’s right. I’m sorry, Gabby.” He looked truly apologetic as he added, “I won’t race off so far ahead of you again when you ask me to slow down. I promise.”
When she spun around to gape at him as if he’d lost his mind, he turned toward me. “Are you eating supper with us tonight?”
I paused at a red light.
The boy sounded so hopeful by the prospect that I winced before saying, “Some other night, maybe. I have to take your sister somewhere this evening.”
“What?” He sounded more than casually surprised. “You’re going out, Gabs? For real?”
She seemed supremely put out as she muttered, “Yeah. So start your homework as soon as we get home, okay? I’ll help you with it while I fix you and Papá supper.”
Papá?
I glanced at her as soon as I parked in front of her building, wondering who Papá was. This was the second time she’d mentioned him.
From the back, Miguel whined, “Can’t we just do it when you get back from—”
He broke off abruptly when he caught me sending him a look. I didn’t say a word, just lifted a single eyebrow, and he bowed his head before mumbling, “Fine.”
He jumped out of the car, only to stand there, waiting on her to exit. And not racing ahead.
Still inside the car, Gabby spun to me. “What
just happened?” she demanded.
I met her incredulous gaze. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, since the moment I introduced you two, you’ve done nothing but reprimand him and give him the stink eye, and the turd fell right into line, turning into the perfect little angel for you. He even apologized to me and actually did something I asked of him without me having to argue with him for twenty minutes first. What the hell is up with that?”
“Well…” I said before smirking. “You’re welcome.”
Her eyes widened as if she just might physically maim me, so I shrugged. There was only one way I could think to explain it. “I have a little brother too.”
“You do? Really?” She blinked, clearly shocked to hear that. “How old is he?”
“Thirty.”
When she sniffed out a sound of amusement, something in me relaxed, something that hadn’t relaxed in a very long time. “I’ve obviously had more time to perfect the intimidating big-sibling stare than you have,” I offered kindly.
She stared at me for a moment longer, her eyes still lit with amusement before she murmured, “Touché.”
She pushed her way out of the car before I could come around to open her door.
Leaving me behind to catch up, she and her brother started for the front entrance, only to pull up short as soon as they finagled the door open.
I stepped in behind them, spotting a small crew of workers installing new lights in the foyer.
Blinking, I peered around at their progress.
Well, holy shit. Darmon had actually come through and followed my order. What an unexpected development.
“Oh!” Gabby breathed next to me, her delight palpable. “New lights. Thank God. This place could definitely do with some brightening.”
“Cool,” Miguel echoed, gazing up at the men on ladders as we eased past them and entered the hall that led to their apartment.
As soon as we made it inside their place, Miguel couldn’t seem to hold back his need to run a moment longer. “I’m gonna go change,” he called over his shoulder as he darted down a hall. “Be right back.”
Gabby shut the door behind us and glanced my way. “I’m going to have to help him with homework and get supper started for these two before we can go.”
When I nodded, she turned away and moved through a doorway I could only guess led into the kitchen.
So I shifted my gaze around the front room, taking everything in and searching for a clue about this third person who lived here: Papá.
For a space that was probably supposed to be the biggest room in the apartment, it was incredibly cramped. And one occupant obviously slept on the couch. A flattened pillow and crumpled blanket lay draped over the cushions.
I meandered that way, curious. After picking up the pillow, I brought it to my nose and inhaled.
Oh yes, this was definitely Gabby’s pillow. It had her scent all over it.
“Why’re you smelling my sister’s pillow?”
Turning, I eyed the snickering boy in the doorway with a book bag slung over his shoulder.
“She sleeps here,” I surmised, tossing the pillow back onto the couch. When he nodded, I asked, “Doesn’t she have her own room?”
He shook his head no.
“Why not?”
He shrugged. “We couldn’t afford a three-bedroom apartment. And selling her bed took care of the down payment to this place. So it just made sense.”
It just made sense, huh? Something acidic and angry sliced through my veins, because it didn’t make sense to me. It didn’t sit well with me at all to learn the lovely creature currently in the kitchen didn’t even have her own space to sleep at night.
“How long have you lived here?” I asked Miguel.
He shrugged again and started for the kitchen. “A couple months. A year. I don’t know. Since Papá lost his leg and we couldn’t afford the last place anymore.”
Following him, I asked, “And who’s Papá?”
He sent me an odd glance. “He’s Papá,” he stressed the word as if that should be obvious. Then he disappeared into the kitchen.
So I stepped into the room after him to smell meat frying.
“Okay,” Miguel announced, plopping his bag onto the table and taking a seat as his sister broke spaghetti noodles into thirds and dropped them in a pot of boiling water. “Got my homework ready.”
“Great.” Gabby sent me a challenging glance before telling her brother, “You know, Hayden offered to help you with your homework tonight while I cooked, if you want.”
“Really?” The boy’s eyes lit up as his sister and I exchanged silent words. “Awesome. Thanks, Hayden.”
From her smirk, I could tell she didn’t think I’d do it, so I glanced down at Miguel and called her bluff. “Of course,” I told the kid. “I’m curious to discover just how much you don’t know.”
“Ignorant?” Gabby gasped out a cry of outrage, while Miguel only grew more animated.
“Well, you’re going to be disappointed,” he taunted. “I bet I’m smarter than you think.”
“Then let’s put you to the test, shall we?”
I sat across from him, and I could tell the kid put more work and effort into impressing me than he usually did with his sister by the way she huffed, “A hundred and fifty-nine words in a minute?” Scowling over my shoulder to examine the sheet of paper Miguel had read from, she gaped incredulously. “Holy sh—cow. You’ve never read that fast before. Why can’t you read that many words a minute when you’re reading to me?”
I flickered her a cocky grin. “What can I say? We men do love challenging each other and proving we can obtain what we’re told we can’t.”
As she sent me a cold glare, her brother piped in, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, Gabby. You’re just a girl; you wouldn’t understand.”
“Is that so?” she murmured, her glare slicing even deeper into me for corrupting her brother.
I lifted my hands. “It’s a penis thing.”
While Miguel cracked up, laughing like a loon and thinking my answer was hilarious, Gabby muttered, “Oh, brother,” and rolled her eyes before turning away to gift me with the site of her delectable legs in that short uniform skirt as she returned to her cooking.
“They’re magical, I swear,” I went on, making the kid howl even louder. When she glared over her shoulder, I grinned. “What? Don’t you believe me? I’ll gladly demonstrate—”
“Shh,” she snapped, sending a meaningful glance toward Miguel, who seemed to think I was the funniest thing alive.
So I winked and mouthed the word, later.
With a defeated sigh, she went back to cooking, purposely ignoring me.
I watched her so long as she mixed the ground beef with a can of sauce that Miguel tapped my knee to remind me I was staring. When I frowned his way, he rolled his eyes before making kissy faces, letting me know he was well aware how much his sister fascinated me. I shoved his knee right back to shut him up before Gabby caught sight of what he was doing. But thankfully, she was too busy filling two plates with spaghetti to notice our short byplay.
After placing a serving in front of her brother, she glanced at me.
“I’m going to take this back to Papá, change out of this uniform, and then we can go, okay?”
Since Miguel had been no help in enlightening me as to who Papá was, I lifted my brows saying, “Papá?”
“My father,” she answered and left the room.
Father? For some reason, I hadn’t been expecting that answer. I’d been picturing an elderly grandparent figure.
Curious about this dad of hers, I stood and followed her from the kitchen. “So, your father lives here with you?”
She sent me an odd look over her shoulder. “Where else would he live?”
I shrugged. “Nowhere, I guess. I just didn’t realize he was in the picture. From the way you wanted to help your brother the other night, I thought you were his sole guardian and you two were parentless. You’d said your m
other was dead, so—”
Stopping abruptly, she spun around to gape at me. “When the hell did I tell you my mother was dead?”
I slowed before her. “She’s not?”
With a scowl, she groused, “No, she is, but when did I tell you that?” Her voice went hushed as she asked as if she didn’t want anyone else in the apartment to hear us.
I lifted my brows, curious about this. “The other night,” I explained. “When you were explaining your compulsion for cleaning carpets.”
“Shh.” Hissing, she slapped a hand over my mouth and glanced both ways down the hall before sending me a death glare. “Damn,” she whispered. “You really listen way too well sometimes. And could you please stop mentioning the other night.”
I leaned closer and gently removed her hand so I could whisper back, “So dear ol’ dad and innocent little brother aren’t aware of your thieving ways, huh?”
She scowled harder. “No,” she bit out from between clenched teeth. “They’re not. And please, let’s try to keep it that way.”
“Oh, never fear, my dear. I will keep your secret just between the two of us.”
The tone I used gave my promise a lurid connotation that had her sniffing and rolling her eyes as if she didn’t believe me.
“See that you do,” she muttered. “And don’t mention my mother dying around either Papá or Miguel either. It’s a touchy subject. She killed herself.”
That stopped me dead in my tracks. With no idea how to respond, I merely nodded.
Gabby’s jaw bunched and her eyes filled with watery pain before she whirled away and stormed to the door at the end of the hall.
When she reached it, she glanced at me severely. “Stay out here. He’s not big on guests these days.”
I opened my mouth to ask about that, but she merely narrowed her eyes threateningly and slipped into the room.
Except she didn’t entirely shut the door behind her. Using my toe, I eased it open further and rested my shoulder against the doorframe in order to get a look at Papá.
The man inside sat upright in bed on unmade bedding with a TV tray on his lap, which Gabby set his supper on, while he continued to watch the television across the room in a blank daze, completely ignoring her.
