Nothing To Lose: A Grey Justice Novel (24 page)

Eleanor Slater stood beside her husband as the less flamboyant of the two. Though she also didn’t look her age, her too-smooth features hinted at a skilled plastic surgeon. Small and slight, she had a fragility about her that seemed incongruent with the man she had married.
 

Research revealed that Mathias had been flat broke when he’d married his wife. She’d been the one with the money, but Slater had been the one with the pedigree dating back centuries. And Mathias had turned her millions into billions.

Behind Mathias and Eleanor were Adam and his wife, DeAnne. If not for expensive clothing and a general air of arrogance, neither would stand out in a crowd. Wealth had enabled them to be something they wouldn’t ordinarily be—interesting.

Nick’s eyes darted back to Kennedy. She had just spotted the entourage. He waited to see if her demeanor would change. Even though she had assured him she was prepared, he worried that once she saw Adam and Mathias together, her composure would shatter. He was astonished that she did change, but not in the way he feared. A confident assurance swept over her. Maybe because he knew her so well, he was the only one who noticed. Before she had been quietly beautiful, now she glowed with an inner light.

Instead of waiting to be introduced to the Slaters, she did something he was sure the family hadn’t had done to them in forever. She snubbed them. With barely a nod of acknowledgment, she turned her back on them as if they didn’t matter in the least.

Chuckling, Nick sat back in his chair and watched, fascinated, as Kennedy/Rachel made a lasting impression on one of the most powerful and influential families in the world.

As if another person possessed her body, Kennedy had done the unthinkable. She had just treated the Slaters as if they were nothing to her. While others moved toward them in droves, as if they were rock stars, she headed in the opposite direction. Eli had assured her that treating them this way was a surefire method to gain Adam’s attention.
 

After spending her afternoons with Irelyn, Kennedy now possessed a confidence she had never imagined. She was half-convinced that the beautiful tyrant was actually some sort of sorcerer or witch who’d cast a magical spell.
 

“I believe we’ve already met.”

Recognizing the voice immediately, Kennedy turned a cool, inquiring gaze up to Adam Slater. Her brows arched in haughty confusion. “Have we?”

“Yes, the other day…in my brother’s office.” His smile smug, condescending, he added, “Don’t tell me you don’t remember. I believe you tried to give me directions to Amarillo.”

When she had told Irelyn what an idiot she’d made of herself on meeting Adam, Irelyn had offered her maybe one of her wisest pieces of advice on handling a man like Adam Slater—barely veiled insults.

“Oh yes, now I remember.” She gave him a small, frozen smile. “I wasn’t sure you would know.”

“Honey, there’s nothing I don’t know about this state.”

“How nice for you.” She turned away, her disinterest more than apparent.

Any normal person would have felt the insult and either left or at the very least responded with something equally rude. Not Adam, who moved to stand in front of her, his ugly eyes gleaming with interest.
 

Kennedy arched another brow, vaguely wondering if her forehead would be sore tomorrow.

“Are you enjoying your new job?”

“It has its challenges.”

His forehead furrowed, revealing his confusion. “Do you know who I am?”

The look she gave him was almost pitying. “I thought we established we met the other day.”

“Yes…but—”
 

If he had been anyone else, Kennedy might have felt sorry for him. He was clearly out of his element.
 

 
“But?” she questioned.

Shaking his head, Adam backed away, muttering something unintelligible.
 

As if uncaring of his plight, Kennedy turned her back to him and continued a slow, steady walk through the crowd. She made herself stop from time to time at different clumps of people, pretend to listen, smile vaguely, and move on. She refused to allow herself to think that she might have overplayed her “ice queen” demeanor and Adam had lost interest. He had to take the bait.

“Very well done, my dear. I do believe you have a new admirer.” Stunning in an off-the-shoulder black evening gown that lovingly hugged every slender curve, Irelyn Raine gave her a nod of approval.
 

Though glowing at the rare praise, Kennedy reached for some reassurance. “You don’t think I overdid it?”

“Absolutely not. However, you must remember you are the icy bitch. You are not playacting. Understand?”
 

“But of course, my dear. Who else could I be other than who I am?”

The woman was as hard to read as a closed book yet Kennedy could swear she saw a glimmer of pride in her beautiful gray eyes.

“Oh my…I do believe he’s back for more mistreatment,” Irelyn murmured. “Should be an easy kill, but don’t flaunt the victory.”

Taking a delicate bite of a
pâté-
covered cracker, Kennedy tapped her foot to the music playing softly in the background and waited. Acknowledging that she knew he was coming toward her would have given him an advantage. She didn’t intend this man to ever get the upper hand with her on anything.
 

“Would you like another drink?”

Deciding to throw him a bone, she said, “Champagne,” and waited to see if he took orders well.

He grinned as if delighted to be of service. “Be right back.”

Taking an inner, invisible breath, she released it slowly, relieving the tension in her spine. As she waited for Adam to return, her gaze scanned the crowd. The giant chandeliers above made the glittering jewels draped around the necks and wrists of Dallas’s wealthiest women sparkle like moonbeams. Men in dark suits and tuxedoes stood in circles, nodding and munching their way through lavish and artistically prepared hors d’oeuvres.
 

She had never attended anything quite so elaborate. Though she and Thomas had gone to a couple of Christmas parties for the law firms she had freelanced for, both had agreed that fancy shindigs just weren’t their thing. Those parties had been nothing compared to this event. If she had been Kennedy and not Ice Queen Rachel Walker tonight, she’d have felt as out of place as an opera singer at a rodeo. Oddly enough, she felt very much at home here.

“You look lovely tonight, Rachel. Are you enjoying yourself?”

She twisted around at the sound of Eli’s voice. She had seen him standing in various groups but had talked to him only once, when she had first arrived. Dressed in a tuxedo, Eli had turned many women’s heads as he’d made his rounds. With his looks and wealth, she was surprised that he didn’t have several women hanging on his arm, vying for his attention.

“Thank you. You look quite dapper yourself. And, yes, I’m having a lovely time.”

He lowered his voice. “Hope you’re not enjoying yourself too much, because it’s time to leave.”

She replied in an equally quite tone, “Are you sure? Adam’s coming back with a glass of champagne for me.”

“I’m following Irelyn’s orders.”

Since the woman knew more about men than Kennedy thought there was to know, she wasn’t about to question Irelyn’s decision. With a cool nod of approval, she allowed Eli to take her arm and lead her through the throng of people.

Halfway to the door, Adam appeared at her side. “Where are you going? I have your drink.”

“I want to see Sophia and Violet before they go to bed,” Eli said.

“Hell, isn’t that why you have a nanny?”

“Yet another reason why I’m thankful you never had children.”

“Yeah, you’ll be voted father of the year, I’m sure.” Adam swung his gaze to Kennedy. “I can take you home. There’s no reason for you to leave.”

“She’s with me, Adam. I will see her home. Why don’t you go pay attention to DeAnne? She looks a bit lonely.”

“I don’t believe I need you telling me to pay attention to my own wife. At least mine didn’t swallow a bottle of pills to get away from me.”

Before Eli could respond to his brother’s incredibly cruel jibe, Kennedy said icily, “Gentlemen, if you’re going to act like spoiled children fighting over a favorite toy, I believe I can find my own way home.”

Eli grabbed her arm and pushed her forward. “You’re going home with me.”

Before she could respond or even gauge Adam’s reaction, she was out the door. They walked through the lobby of the hotel in silence. Though he still gripped her arm firmly, thankfully he had loosened his hold a little. She could feel the tension in his body and knew that Adam’s last words had hit him where he was the most vulnerable. What kind of man, much less a brother, made that kind of comment about a man’s dead wife?
 

The instant they were seated in the car, Eli released her and then slumped back into his seat. “I’m sorry about that. You’d think I’d be immune to Adam’s barbs.”

“It’s hard to be immune when he strikes cruelly at something so incredibly painful. I’m sure you miss her terribly.”

“Shelley’s been gone a long time.”

“That doesn’t mean you stopped loving her or missing her. Death doesn’t destroy love.”

Sadness and something like bitterness darkened his eyes. Kennedy knew almost nothing about Eli’s relationship with his wife, but she got the feeling it had been complicated.
 

“You still love Thomas?”

The abrupt question surprised her. About to say absolutely, she stopped herself and thought about the question. The answer was yes, of course, but was it that simple? Thomas would always be in her heart and mind. He had been her first love, and for so long, she’d believed her heart could never consider taking the risk again. Now she wasn’t so sure.

“I will always love Thomas.”

A fleeting, bleak expression crossed his face. “I’m glad to know that kind of love really exists.” Then, as if they hadn’t discussed anything so intensely personal, he became all business. “How do you think it went tonight?”

“Good…at least, I think so. He seemed rattled at my lack of awe.”

“Irelyn read him perfectly. Adam is so used to having women fawn all over him, a woman who doesn’t intrigues him. Add that to the fact that you look sexier than any woman there tonight.” He grinned in a boyish, charming way. “The man is probably in tears.”

Proving that sophisticated Ice Queen Rachel had definitely left the building, she blushed to the tips of her toes. Sexy?

Clearing her throat, she touched on a topic that still worried her. “You said that Adam wouldn’t be interested in sleeping with me.”

“He won’t. Oh, he thinks he will, but when it comes down to it, he’ll want to conquer you, not have sex with you.”

“And what exactly does conquering mean?”

“Having you behave exactly as all the other women he’s met. You keep up the attitude, and I guarantee you, you’ll receive an offer to work for him.”

“How long do you think it will take?”

“Neither discipline nor patience is Adam’s strong suits. When he sees something he wants, it’s hard for him to rest until he has it. I would expect him to approach you within the next few weeks.”

Weeks.
The thought both excited and scared her. The possibility that very soon she would be offered an opportunity she’d thought she might have to wait years for was stunning. Thank God for Irelyn’s training.
 

“I didn’t meet your father. Our eyes met briefly, and that was it.”

“Staying off Mathias’s radar for right now is a good thing. He’s not the one who’ll bring you into the Slater fold. Adam’s our target.”

Eli glanced down at his watch. “Would you mind very much if we went to my house first before I drop you off? I really did promise my daughters I’d tuck them in tonight.”

“That’s no problem. In fact, I’ll call Nick, and he can pick me up at your house. That way, Gunter won’t have to go out again.”

She didn’t add that she simply wanted to see Nick as soon as possible. She knew he had tapped into the cameras at the party and looked forward to hearing what he thought of her performance.
 

A disturbing thought flitted through her mind. Would he prefer the coolly elegant Rachel to the slightly awkward Kennedy? As much as she enjoyed the playacting, she could never be Rachel Walker all the time. But Rachel was more the type that Nick dated in the past. The thought depressing her, she sighed unconsciously.

“You okay?”

“Yes.” She grimaced to make her excuse seem more real. “These shoes are becoming more uncomfortable by the moment.”

“Why don’t you give Nick a call then? That way he can be there not long after we arrive.”

Taking the cellphone from her purse, she punched the speed dial for Nick. When he answered, she heard the concern in his voice. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. But would you mind picking me up at Eli’s house?” She recited the address Eli gave her.

“Be there in ten minutes.”