Gabriel (Legacy Series Book 2) Read online

  “I’ll tell them I’m exploring my options, give the impression that I come from money, right? I mean, this suit is fine, and I look the part—even your psycho bodyguard thought so.”

  “You’ve seen Six.”

  Gabriel let out a snort, a huff of disapproval. “Seen him? He was waiting outside the hotel and escorted me up here. Didn’t say a word until we got to the door.”

  “And?”

  “He still didn’t say a word. He just looked at me, and he didn’t tell me to leave.”

  The one thing in this world that Cam believed in was his friend. It was perceptive of Gabriel to have picked up on that, and Cam didn’t know why the other man’s understanding of Cam and Six’s complicated friendship meant so much to him.

  But it did.

  “What color is your suit?”

  “Dark blue.”

  “Your shirt?”

  “Pale blue. My tie is like this weird bluey-green that I didn’t have much say over. Your tailor was adamant this was the right one.”

  Cam touched the underside of his tie just at the base, feeling the raised bump that suggested it was a red hue. He’d picked red because he wanted to be bold, and he’d pulled out his nearly black suit with a white shirt.

  “Do I look okay?” he asked. He would normally ask Six, but Six had been absent, and now he knew where he’d been; sticking to Gabriel like glue.

  “You want to know for real?” Gabriel asked.

  “I wouldn’t have said so if I didn’t mean it.”

  “Stand up.”

  Gabriel stood; Cam could tell as the tone of his voice changed with the distance, and he stood too.

  “Turn around.”

  “What?”

  “I can’t tell if I don’t see all sides of you.”

  With an irritated huff, Cam turned his back to Gabriel and spread his hands. “Okay?” he asked.

  Then he felt Gabriel’s hands on him, skimming from the shoulders of the jacket, down his arms, tugging on one sleeve, then running fingers down over his ass and patting his thighs. The move was so quick it was barely there, but Gabriel wasn’t paying lip service here—he was genuinely checking Cam was all good. And if that meant brushing his ass, and if that also meant that Cam liked the feel of the other man’s hands on him, then what was he going to do about it?

  “Turn back,” Gabriel murmured, and Cam did as he was told.

  More touches, firm, necessary, a straightening of the tie, and then he felt Gabriel move away, a quick movement of air.

  “You look good,” he said, with an edge in his voice.

  Nervously, Cam found that bump in his tie again. Red, his tie was red.

  “Yeah?”

  “What else do you need me to check?” Gabriel asked, his tone a little more even. “You haven’t missed any spots shaving.”

  “I don’t—that’s all done by feel. I know what to feel for.” He added that last part like he had to explain, which was just stupid.

  Gabriel didn’t pick him up on it. “Your hair is neat, and you smell really nice.”

  Cam felt disappointment surge inside him. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but he was being a needy idiot who wanted to be told more than that he was neat, good, or smelled nice. And why the hell did he want that, when Gabriel was just some street guy?

  He jumped when Gabriel placed his hands on his biceps and squeezed gently. “You are a very handsome man,” he said, and he wasn’t being patronizing, or at least he didn’t sound like he was. Then he ruined it. “Is that what you want to hear?”

  All the soft-and-fuzzies that Cam had been feeling fled, and he shrugged out of Gabriel’s hold. Gidget pressed into his side, likely picking up on his peak in emotion, but she didn’t do her normal thing, where she moved between Cam and the person who was responsible for his anxiety.

  That was the biggest thing in all this; Gidget didn’t move an inch. She didn’t like people in Cam’s space, but somehow Gabriel had reached the same lauded position as Six.

  Something about that made Cam irritable and edgy, and even rubbing his finger over the bump on his tie wasn’t enough to settle him. He needed to bring this back around to business.

  “No talking, right? Just stay by me, refill my drink—no alcohol, none, just water. Smile, maybe a few PDAs, enough to make this convincing.”

  Silence, and then the air moved and the scent of Gabriel was closer.

  “What sort of affection?” Gabriel asked, way too close for comfort. Cam stumbled back, his calf knocking the occasional table, but he didn’t fall, because Gabriel gripped his arm.

  And he didn’t let go.

  Cam attempted to shake free, a small frisson of excitement running through him, but Gabriel wasn’t releasing his hold.

  “Do we hold hands? Kiss? Can I touch you at the base of your spine when we walk together?”

  “No,” Cam said, aghast. “My family is very particular about social graces. I mean a few smiles, that kind of thing. Maybe holding hands is okay.”

  Gabriel tutted, and he was no longer on edge from the nerves that Cam had detected when he’d first arrived. This was teasing Gabriel, this was Gabriel sliding into work mode. He still had his hands on Cam, and Cam should be scared, or at least nervous, but Gabriel’s touch was experienced, secure, firm, and Cam wanted that.

  Badly.

  Finally he managed to shrug free—or Gabriel let him go, he didn’t know which—and he straightened his jacket again, feeling the lines of the fabric against the muscles of his body. He was acutely aware of where things should lie, and everything seemed to be in place. He pressed his watch, and it told him in a soft tone that it was seven thirty-three.

  “Let’s go,” he said. “Gidget, up.”

  He heard all the sounds that indicated Gidget was up on her usual spot on the sofa, and he mentally checked off the food and water that was available in the kitchen. He reached out and scruffed Gidget’s fur, then walked to the door, Gabriel a few steps behind him. Right at the door, with his hand on the handle, he stopped.

  “Stop them,” he said. He knew what he meant. Stop his family from pitying him, stop the questions about his sexuality, his lack of a partner, the problem with his eyesight that they didn’t understand and thought was terrifying. Stop them from taking the hotel away from me.

  “I get that this is important,” Gabriel said, like he’d read his mind and knew exactly what Cam meant. “Let’s do this.”

  As soon as they reached the foyer and Cam heard the sound of his mom’s voice, his chest constricted.

  What the hell had he been thinking?

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Gabriel pasted a smile on his face, sickness churning in his stomach. His right knee still hurt like a bitch, but at least the pain kept him from overthinking what was happening now. He was here to do a job and he needed to do it without limping. He had to present calm, smooth, urbane, and he knew he could do it, because when Stefan had done the last straightening of his tie, he’d kissed Gabriel so tenderly and told him in no uncertain terms that Gabriel was the best out there.

  The best.

  But he still felt sick. Probably a combination of the heavy painkillers he’d had to take for his knee and the absolute fear that he could, and likely would, fuck this up. The money, though? That was a sizable chunk of what he’d borrowed, and the payout to Gabriel after costs taken off by Stefan could possibly put him over the next thousand in his savings account.

  Who was he kidding? He knew exactly how much he had saved, to the nearest cent, and this lump sum would really help.

  “Ready?” Cam asked softly.

  Driven by some inner demon, Gabriel reached out and took Cam’s hand, and he saw the subtle shift in Cam’s expression. Fear gave way to concern, which quickly morphed into resignation. He had the most beautiful, expressive eyes, and there was no sign he was blind. The bright blue was clear, and the only thing that gave it away was the way Cam would sometimes look at him and not be entirely focused in t
he right place. Only ever a few inches out, but enough for Gabriel’s observational skills, honed over the years by the imperative to survive, to pick up.

  When Cam had opened his apartment door, right at the top floor of the hotel, Gabriel had to stop himself sighing. The man was gorgeous —his hair soft, and those eyes so damn blue, and even though he hadn’t been smiling at Gabriel, he’d seemed welcoming.

  All the worries that Gabriel had been feeling—from Cam being a serial killer to this being a police sting—had vanished at the soft, hesitant but welcoming smile. There had been a dimple in that smile, and Cam had looked so handsome.

  Then there was the blind thing. Jeez, that had hit Gabriel from out of left field. It explained the glasses, the dog with the seeing-dog harness, and the fact that this strong, sexy man couldn’t find a date without paying a whore like Gabriel.

  Maybe other men didn’t like his lack of sight, but Gabriel wasn’t there to give a shit about what Cam could and couldn’t see. He was there to pretend, and he was damn good at that. He could pretend to be dominant, he could pretend to be submissive, he could pretend to orgasm, he could pretend to give a damn about anything if it meant paying back the money he owed.

  Cam glanced at him when Gabriel took his hand, and Gabriel guessed it was a reflex thing, because he wouldn’t be able to see Gabriel’s motivations in his expression.

  “Just holding hands,” Gabriel reassured him. “Come on, we need to sell this.”

  Cam hesitated, then momentarily gripped Gabriel’s hand before relaxing his hold again.

  “Okay,” he said. “Let’s go.”

  Cam walked confidently, and after a few seconds Gabriel realized he was being led to the front desk, where a man who looked like an older version of Cam was blustering at the reception staff.

  “Dad,” Cam said, and stopped right by the man, who turned sharply on his heel. Sebastian Stafford; Gabriel had researched him a little. Fifty-nine, rich, head of the Stafford family since his dad had passed away at a young age in the late nineteen-nineties. He waited for Cam to introduce him, but clearly Sebastian Stafford had something on his mind.

  “Cameron, did you know there were only two staff here covering the desk? Count them. One. Two.”

  Ouch; how was Cam supposed to count anyone? That was some insensitive shit coming from his dad. And wasn’t this Cam’s hotel? What right did Sebastian have to comment?

  “Mr. Stafford, Julie needed a bathroom break,” a petite blond explained from behind the desk.

  “Thank you, Emma,” Cam said firmly. “How is she feeling?”

  “Better. The baby’s due in seven weeks.”

  “Dad, let’s get a drink,” Cam said.

  But Cam’s dad wasn’t letting things lie. “It’s important to have an effective—”

  “Not tonight, Dad,” Cam said under his breath. “I’d like to introduce Gabriel Reyes.”

  Gabriel held out his right hand, thanking the heavens he could still hold Cam’s hand with his left. He needed the reassurance, faced with an older version of Cam who stared at him like he was something you’d step in on the sidewalk.

  “Sir,” Gabriel said, firmly, clearly, and with a strong handshake.

  Gabriel waited for the inevitable questions, but a woman stalked up to them and air-kissed either side of Cam’s face.

  “Cam, darling,” she said. “It’s Philippa,” she added in a louder tone.

  “Hello,” Cam said dryly.

  “And who is this lovely young man?” Philippa gushed, pressing a hand to Gabriel’s chest. Gabriel tried not to wince at the touch. She looked like something out of a soap opera, all makeup and up-do and in a dress dripping with diamanté, or maybe even diamonds—who knew how rich she was?

  “This is Gabriel, my date.”

  “Hello, Gabriel,” she purred, and patted his chest. “I’m Cam’s mother,” she added.

  “Step-mom,” Cam corrected tightly.

  Philippa giggled. Yep. Properly giggled, and leaned back on Sebastian, who was looking sharply at Cam. Thank god Cam couldn’t see that look, because if looks could kill…

  “Oh, you,” she trilled, but there was a sharp edge to the teasing tone.

  “Let’s go into the room,” Cam said, cutting conversation dead. He gripped Gabriel’s hand tight and turned back the way they’d come, stopping momentarily before striding purposefully toward a sign that indicated this was the Stafford ballroom.

  “Sorry,” he muttered under his voice, but he didn’t let go. Seemed both he and Gabriel needed that reassuring connection.

  The door opened, and it was a riot of gold and navy blue—the Stafford colors if the rest of the hotel was anything to go by. Balloons in displays, and a ceiling of floating balloons with fluttering tails of gold that shimmered in the light. There were ten tables, and Gabriel counted there would be eight to each table. There were pictures around the room of a couple in various poses, some professional, some candid, and the blue and gold changed in color to white as it reached the tables. Engagement party banners were everywhere, and there was a wide space to one side that Gabriel assumed was a dance floor, given the decks to one side.

  Eighty sitting to eat.

  “Chloe approved in principle,” Cam said, and made a gesture at the wide room. Gabriel had never seen anything so celebratory before.

  “Can we add in two more seats?” his dad said, not commenting on the layout or the decorations around the room and on each table.

  “My friend Marcia has flown in,” Philippa said, and leaned into Gabriel a little.

  Gabriel moved away, bumping Cam, and it was his turn to apologize. The woman was openly leaning on him right in front of her husband, and Gabriel didn’t like it.

  “Was Marcia on Chloe’s invitation list?” Cam asked carefully, which made Gabriel think it likely she wasn’t.

  “Oh no, but Luke won’t mind. After all, I am mother of the bridegroom, and my wonderful son won’t tell me I can’t have my closest friend here.”

  “Of course,” Cam said patiently. He gestured, and from the side of the room someone approached. “Please organize another two seats—”

  “As close to the table with the happy couple as possible, of course,” Philippa interrupted, her tone less trilling and more demanding.

  “See what you can do, Zachary,” Cam said, with a nod to the young man who was hovering.

  “Sir,” Zachary said, and vanished through doors at the far end of the room.

  “We’ll see you here in half an hour,” Sebastian said. He left with Philippa tripping after him, and then it was just Gabriel and Cam in the big room.

  “What does it look like?” Cam asked quietly, and pulled his hand free of Gabriel’s. Weird how much Gabriel hated the loss of contact.

  “Balloons thick on the ceiling, some more around the edges…it’s very blue and gold.”

  “And the table decorations?”

  “Blue and gold. I’m sensing a theme. Your stepmom is—”

  “Discussing my family is not in your remit.”

  Point taken, Gabriel stayed quiet and waited for Cam to say something else. He had to wait a while. There didn’t seem to be an ounce of smile in Cam at that moment, and it was made worse when Six joined them in the ballroom.

  “Guests are collecting in the bar,” he said. ”Your mom is holding court with Chloe, right across from Philippa, who has her talons in Luke. It’s like a Mexican standoff in there.”

  “Thank you, Six, I’ll go in there now.”

  “Any issues?” Six asked, looking briefly at Gabriel but talking to Cam. From his look, Gabriel guessed that question was about him, unless he was being paranoid.

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” Cam said, and didn’t elaborate. The lack of speech between these two was just plain weird.

  Drawing back his shoulders, Cam exhaled noisily and reached for Gabriel’s hand. “Let’s do this.”

  Six looked pointedly at their joined hands, then up at Gabriel’s face, his eyes na
rrowing. There was a warning in his expression, and Gabriel recalled the feel of the man’s hands gripping his throat. He was so not going up against him—not with the danger in his face and the lethal strength in his hands. Still, that didn’t stop him pushing things a little further.

  The wink was very deliberate and slow, and Six’s lips thinned.

  Part of Gabriel wished the big, silent man would wink back—that might relax a little of the tension whirling around them.

  And then Six did something that changed everything from harmless winking to something more. He held up his hand and shaped his fingers into a gun, pointing it right at Gabriel.

  The message was clear.

  Gabriel allowed himself to be led away by an oblivious Cam, Six close behind making Gabriel feel like death was following them.

  And then everything got so much worse.

  The door into the bar was wide enough that he could walk in at Cam’s side, but he wished he hadn’t, because the sea of faces were all looking right at him and Cam. There was a wall of sound, but it all stopped when Cam walked in. Gabriel felt like an exhibit in a zoo, but he pasted a smile on his face and didn’t do what he wanted to do, which was turn and run. Cam smoothly walked straight into the crowd. This was it.

  A beautiful older woman approached Cam and pulled him into a close hug, which he returned. Gabriel caught a smile on his face and the whispered “Mom”. She pulled back and cradled his face.

  “Sweetheart,” she murmured. “Are you okay?”

  She didn’t wait for an answer, pressing a kiss to his cheek and wiping away the gloss that she left there.

  “How are you?” Cam asked. Really formally, like they were just acquaintances. Hell, Gabriel was utterly convinced that if this were his mom, he’d be all over her. Moms and kids loved each other.

  “Hey, big brother.” A younger version of the mother cradling Gabriel’s face approached.

  “Hey, Chloe,” Cam said, and pulled her into an affectionate hug. Now there was warmth and love.