Burning Ambition (18 page)

He tried to listen to the conversation he was supposedly part of, with the chief and an older couple who’d bid big bucks and won some artwork by Evan Drake’s wife.

“It’s beautiful stuff,” Chief Peligni was saying. “Your donation will go a long way at the foundation. We’re glad you could join us tonight.”

The four of them shook hands and said good-night. The couple moved one way into the exiting crowd, and Joe and the chief moved the other.

The ballroom at one of the local hotels was fully decked out for the occasion, with marble columns and velvet curtains adding a touch of class. The small stage was decorated with deep red roses and other elegant floral arrangements Joe couldn’t identify. Round tables with ten chairs each made the room a maze.

He was beyond ready to get the hell out of there and peel his dress uniform off. He’d had enough of this night.

“Faith looked beautiful, didn’t she?” the chief said proudly as they slowly made their way toward the nearest door.

Beautiful enough that Joe had spent a good portion of the auction hard as a damn chunk of granite. “She did. She’s a pretty girl.” He hoped like hell that was professional and nonchalant, because the storm that raged in him was anything but.

“My glare at the guys apparently worked. Not one of them was dumb enough to place a bid on her.”

“It climbed out of a firefighter’s budget pretty damn fast,” Joe said through clenched teeth.

The chief smiled. “Sixty-two hundred dollars she made for the foundation. I’m going to have to check out the guy who won. Did you catch his name?”

“Yeah,” Joe said as they cleared the last table. “I know his name and then some. Troy Vargas. He’s my stepbrother.”

The chief stopped and faced Joe. “Is he all right?”

It took everything Joe had to stand there and appear unaffected, as if he wasn’t ready to bash his stepbrother’s face in. “He’s okay.”

“What’s he do?”

“He’s a partner in my stepfather’s law firm in Corpus.”

Chief Peligni looked at him thoughtfully, then nodded once, as if that would do. “There’s Nita,” he said, peering out over the crowd of people. “I’m going to go say hi.”

“Have a good evening, Chief.”

Joe stood to one side of the crowded lobby, searching for Troy. Instead, he spotted Faith, and felt his temperature go up as if a match had been lit under his collar.

She stood about twenty feet away, surrounded by her girlfriends and mother. Her father’s assessment that she looked beautiful tonight was a gross understatement.

Her gown was dark purple and sequined, with thin straps holding it up. It hugged her body, clinging to her slender waist and curving outward with her sexy hips. A side slit revealed her legs when she walked. Her hair was pulled up in a fancy do that made Joe’s fingers itch to release it. She wore makeup, and though he was a big fan of her without it, she looked more gorgeous than he’d ever seen her. Teasing her cleavage was an antique-looking necklace with a large amethyst.

A night with Faith would be worth every penny of the sixty-two hundred bucks Troy had forked over…and more.

In his peripheral vision, Joe noticed the dark head of the man in question, tilting back in laughter. Bastard thought he was pretty slick. It figured that just as Joe was starting to see his stepbrothers as decent guys he might actually hang out with even without his mother, Troy would pull this. And of course, Joe couldn’t say a word. Not here, anyway.

He turned his back on his stepbrother, not wanting to come face-to-face with him.

Matter of fact, Joe wasn’t much in the mood to talk to anyone. He’d chatted with plenty of people before the auction started, and didn’t feel the need to mingle anymore. He headed toward an exit, but felt a hand on his forearm. He knew who the unpainted, short fingernails belonged to without looking at the woman’s face.

“Faith.”

“You’re leaving already?” she asked. Her words and tone were indifferent enough, impersonal, not giving away anything of their recent history. But when he looked into her eyes, she seemed to see deep inside him, as if she could discern more than everyone else. “Are you upset?”

He took his time answering. Made a point of trying to keep every hint of anger out of his voice. “Why would I be upset?”

The knowing look she gave him made him want to punch something. Or take her into his arms and mark her as his, maybe carry her off so Troy couldn’t get his hands on her.

“Gee, I don’t know,” she said sarcastically. “I happen to understand how brothers work, Joe.”

He nodded noncommittally. “Anything else?”

“It’s better than a stranger, right? We know he’s okay.”

The rage started its slow build up once more, like water beginning to boil. “That proves you don’t understand a
thing
about how brothers work. I’ll see you at the station.”

Joe headed toward the long hallway that would take him to the lot he’d parked in, congratulating himself for not losing his cool in public. He couldn’t make any promises about the next time he saw Troy.

Unease churned in Faith’s gut as he pulled in front of a large adobe home with a grand-looking entrance. It wasn’t the near estate status of the house that worried her, it was that Joe’s 4Runner was parked in the driveway.

Before she could say anything, Troy was out of the silver BMW and opening her door for her.

“Troy,” she said quietly, stepping onto the curb. “Joe’s here.”

“Uh, yeah. Look, Faith, I’ll take the heat for this. I know you don’t know me from Adam, but trust me, okay? He might blow up when he sees you, but it’ll be all right in the end. I didn’t do this to hurt him.”

She studied him, wondering what the hell she’d gotten herself into. Maybe a creepy stranger winning a date with her would’ve been better, after all.

She saw nothing creepy in Troy’s eyes, though, and nothing that hinted at anything but friendship. What she did see was the blinds in the front window of the house moving, as if someone was looking out. “If you say so,” she said, wanting to get whatever scene was going to ensue over with. Get the night over with, actually.

They walked side by side up the front steps. The door opened before they got to it, and Ryan appeared with a big grin. “You are one crazy bastard,” he said to his brother. “Everyone’s in the kitchen.”

“Nice to see you, too.” Troy brushed by Ryan, leading Faith inside with his hand at the small of her back. “Kitchen’s this way.”

Faith braced herself for their entrance. Just as she’d expected, Joe stood there, leaning against the counter with a bottle of beer in his hand. He was laughing with the woman filling wineglasses next to him. Ryan’s wife, Faith realized, when he came in and put a subtle but territorial arm around her.

When Joe saw Faith, his smile disappeared and he swallowed. “Hello, Faith,” he said evenly.

Hello, awkwardness.
“Hi.”

Joe’s jaw ticked as he completely ignored Troy.

“Faith, this is my wife, Shelly,” Ryan said.

The woman turned to smile at Faith and shake her hand.

“Welcome to the Vargas-Mendoza testosterone well,” Shelly said, eyeing Troy and Joe. “It’s nice to meet you. And to have another female here.”

“Good to meet you,” Faith said, trying to ignore the thick tension in the air. “What can I do to help?”

“Have some wine,” Shelly said, holding out glasses for her and for Troy. “The cook has everything under control. The salads are in the refrigerator and the hot stuff is being kept warm in the oven. Why don’t we go out to the sunroom, where Carmen is? Troy, do you want to introduce Faith to your stepmother?”

The fire that flashed in Joe’s eyes made Faith shudder. This was going to be ugly.

“Why don’t you, Shelly?” Troy answered. “I need to talk to Joe first.”

Shelly looked surprised, leading Faith to believe she didn’t have a clue what, exactly, was transpiring in front of her.

“Sure. Come on, Faith. She’ll be thrilled to meet you.”

Faith glanced at Joe, but he wouldn’t meet her gaze. Fantastic. She hadn’t asked for any of this. He must know she wasn’t interested in Troy. Joe’s stepbrother was a nice enough guy but…he was a lawyer, for God’s sake.

“Not too bright,” Ryan interjected, shaking his head. “Like waving a scarf at a bull, man.”

Troy glared at his brother. “What the hell are you doing in here, anyway?”

“Think I’m going to miss this?” Ryan took a swig from his beer bottle and stood back, crossing his arms. “You might need a referee.”

“We don’t need a referee,” Joe said.

“I’m not interested in Faith,” Troy stated.

“Save it. I’m not going into this with you.”

“There is no ‘this’ to go into. I’m not an idiot, and even though we’re not brothers by blood, I wouldn’t home in on your woman.”

Joe glanced toward the French doors to the sunroom. “She’s not my woman. She works for me. Take her out if you want to.”

Ryan hoisted himself up on the counter as if the NBA playoffs were starting up in the kitchen.

Troy laughed. “Yeah. I took her out tonight to the tune of a very nice donation to the Burn Foundation. You don’t seem to be handling it too well.”

Joe pushed himself off the counter and headed toward the formal living room at the front of the house.

“Wrong thing to say, man,” he heard Ryan tell Troy as he walked off.

Joe paced to the front window and looked out at the neighborhood of impressive homes. Though it was an upper income area, there were lots of young families. Obviously not a place too many firefighters called home. A group of grade school kids ran through a sprinkler a few yards down, and two teenage boys were shooting hoops across the street. Joe heard someone enter the room behind him, but didn’t bother to turn around.

“Will you hear me out?” Troy said.

“Say whatever you want to say.”

“I brought Faith here for you.”

Joe scoffed—he couldn’t help it. “Why the hell would you do that? I told you we work together.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re her senior officer,” Troy said in a singsong voice. “Which translates to you refusing to take her out.”

“It’s not an issue.”

“This is me, here. I don’t give a shit if you’re sleeping with one of your coworkers or underlings or whatever she is to you.”

Joe turned sharply toward him. “Who said I was sleeping with her?”

“I don’t know if you are, and frankly, I don’t care. But that night at the hospital your feelings were obvious.”

“Faith and I can’t be together, Troy.”

His brother laughed, and Joe tightened his fists at his sides.

“I get that,” Troy said. “More than you know.”

Something in his voice made Joe look at him again, more closely, beyond the remnants of the grin. He waited for him to spill the rest, whatever he was so intent on saying.

Troy lowered his voice and turned to make sure Ryan was out of earshot. “I’m seeing Betsy Wellington.”

Joe stared at him blankly.

“Wellington. Of Smith, Vargas and Wellington. The daughter of the firm’s president.”

“Congratulations,” Joe said, still unable to admit anything about Faith. For all he knew, Troy was playing him.

“Not looking for congratulations. All I’m saying is I know it’s a bitch to want someone who’s off-limits. And if you’re going to continue to stand there and act as if you don’t care about Faith Peligni, then suit yourself. I’m not the bad guy you’d like me to be.”

Joe studied him pensively. “So you’re telling me you dropped more than six thousand dollars just for me to have a good time for a night?”

“I dropped six thousand dollars to support Carmen’s pet charity. It just so happened I found a way to try to give you some time with Faith, no questions asked.”

“I didn’t know you were the selfless type,” Joe said after a moment.

“Sometimes I’m not,” Troy said, sticking his hand in the pocket of his dress pants and rattling his keys. “I’ll admit it was fun watching you get your hackles up during the bidding.”

“Asshole.”

“But an asshole you owe a favor to.”

“You really have no interest in her?” Joe asked, finally starting to believe that Troy’s motives were just what he’d said.

“None. Hey, she’s hot. Don’t get me wrong. But I don’t go for the type of woman who could kick my ass if I piss her off.”

Joe nodded, thinking about the women he’d seen Troy with. Always a different one. Always blonde. Always the type who would cry over a broken fingernail. “Yeah, Faith could take you.”

“In your dreams.”

“So what do you think I’m going to do with this ‘favor’? It doesn’t change a damn thing for Faith and me…
if
I was interested in her. And
if
she was interested in me.”

Troy shrugged. “That’s your problem. I’ve done my part.” He sat on a couch that looked as if it had never been touched before. “Tell me this. What’s holding you back? Is it against policy in the department?”

“Not officially.”

“Then what the hell?”

“Why do you keep your girlfriend a secret?” Joe asked.

“She works for the firm. Receptionist pool. There’s a rule against it.”

Joe nodded. “Have you seen the fire chief?”

“Big guy? Looks like he could kill someone with his pinkie finger?”

“That’s him. He’s her father.”

Troy swore. “Good guy? Bad?”

“My dad was his mentor. He’s acted as mine since Dad died.”

“Ouch.”

“Like I said, Faith and I can’t be together. If she even wanted to.”

“Seems like she wants to, from where I’m standing. So, what, you’re worried about disappointing the chief?”

Joe chuckled without feeling any real humor. “Worried about getting a promotion. Keeping my job. Chief doesn’t want his little girl with a firefighter.”

“His little girl
is
a firefighter.”

“He’s made it clear on numerous occasions he would not be supportive.”

“So you choose the job.”

“I’ve known where I was going professionally since I was twelve. Everybody’s known.”

“Things change, dude.”

Joe stood. “Let’s go see Mom.”

“And Faith. You better see plenty of Faith tonight. It cost me a pretty penny to get you two in the same room.”

“You’re not going to let me forget that anytime soon, are you?”

“Not damn likely.”

“Hey,” Joe said, pausing before they opened the door to the sunroom. “Could we not tell my mom anything? I don’t want her to get her hopes up for Faith and me.”

Troy frowned and shook his head. “Your call. You know, you’re too much of a damn people pleaser. I reckon you ought to try worrying about what
you
want instead of what everyone else wants for you all the time.”

Joe told him where he could go as he opened the door and they joined Ryan, Jorge and the women.