Sex, Lies and Valentines (10 page)

Only for their own good, he wanted to say. He was here to protect them and to prove his father’s innocence. Or, if his deepest fear was realized and his father really was behind all of this, to deflect the con and make him look innocent. So if that meant setting them up, so be it.

Still, Gabriel frowned before he realized that it wasn’t judgment in her big blue eyes. It was understanding. He didn’t want her to understand, though. That made her way too appealing. Frustrated on levels he hadn’t even realized he had, Gabriel gave a bad tempered shrug.

“I don’t like this,” he confessed.

She arched one brow and tilted her head in question. He wanted to ignore the silent request. But she had a way of making him want to share. To trust her.

Knowing trust was the first step to ruin, Gabriel shoved one hand through his hair and turned his frustrated gaze back on the store. He could see people milling about through the window, laughing and having a good time. He didn’t belong there. He had no business bringing this ugly game into that happy place. “It’s hard, okay?”

“It, what?” she asked, her soft tone barely carrying over the cold February night air.

“It, coming home. It, facing my family. It, playing this game.” He met her eyes, not sure if he was happy or more frustrated to see the understanding in those pretty blue depths. “It, bringing you here to meet them, knowing you’re judging them. Judging me.”

Her eyes softened, making him feel like an idiot. Gabriel didn’t know what the hell was going on, but he didn’t like it. He never felt nervous. And he never admitted this kind of stuff. Clearly because it made him feel stupid.

“Look, forget I said anything,” he told her. His gaze cut back to the store again, the warm light shining through the windows an invitation he wasn’t sure he wanted to accept any longer. “Let’s forget all of this. We’ll go somewhere. Get dinner.”

“Avoid the issue?”

“Sure,” he said, dredging up a bittersweet smile that was probably a little too short on charm. “Emotional avoidance is one of the keys to a good con.”

“And a good undercover case,” Danita said, her own smile fading a little. He wondered if it was because she’d just realized they had a little more in common than she’d thought. Whatever the reason, her gaze turned serious and she gave him a long look that said the bullshitting was over. “I have a job to do. Which means following through on this invitation tonight. I’m sure we’ll get more information at this party than we would sitting in our hotel room. There’s a lot at stake, Gabriel. Including the people you care about.”

He didn’t give a damn about her case. But he did care, way too much, about the people in that store.

And about protecting them.

Which, after the meeting this afternoon with the goon squad, was going to be very necessary. Because he was sure the bad guys’ main goal was to take down Tobias Black.

So he had to go in. He had to gather as much information as he could to figure out what game was being played. Once he saw the players, gauged the rules, he could start eliminating until he’d found the kingpin behind it all. And he had to do it with his hottie FBI girlfriend by his side.

Damn it.

They crossed the street. At the door of Moonspun Dreams Gabriel met Danita’s eyes and saw both preparation and assurance. Reaching out, he grabbed the brass handle and pulled open the heavy door.

And came face-to-face with Maya.

Gabriel was steeled, emotionally. Hell, he’d faced down a roomful of armed crooks just a few hours ago.

Seeing family should be nothing.

Except when it was his little sister’s face.

Maya grinned. Her eyes, the same gold as his, flashed with joy. Then, just enough warning for him to brace himself, she launched herself into his arms with a loud whoop.

“You’re here. Here, here, here. I can’t believe how much I missed you.” Maya pressed a kiss on his left cheek, another on his right, then a smacking loud one right on the lips. “You look fabulous.”

Happiness filled Gabriel as he hugged her tight. God, he’d missed her too. Setting her back a foot, he looked his fill. His little sister was all grown up. The sweet-cheeked baby fat she’d sported at eighteen was gone. Black curls waved to her waist over a red sweater. Her smile was the same, though.

“You look great,” he told her. Giving in to a need he hadn’t realized he had, he rested his forehead against hers and breathed deep her flowery scent. “I missed you, brat.”

For one single second, Gabriel wanted to come clean. To blow off the con—all of the cons—and make things right with his family. Straight-up right, with no games.

Then he blinked and the urge was gone. Because he couldn’t make things right without people getting hurt. In a twisted way, it was his responsibility to con those he loved. For their own good, of course.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Maya said, stepping back but not letting go of his hand. She looked past his shoulder, widening her smile. “And you brought a friend.”

A friend. It took Gabriel a few seconds to realize the feeling he had as he turned to face Danita was guilt. Shrugging it off, he reached out his free hand to take Danita’s and pull her closer.

“Maya, I want you to meet Danita.” He glanced at his FBI keeper, his warning look turning to confusion when he saw the soft understanding in her pretty blue eyes. She was killing him with her sweetness. The stomach-clenching sexual awareness, he could handle.

“Hi Danita,” Maya was saying. “It’s lovely to see you. Come on in, meet the rest of the family.”

Gabriel let his sister pull him, and in turn Danita, through the store. It was like a quick trip through a different world. He’d never seen anything like Moonspun Dreams. Crystals and candles, tarot cards and jewelry, goddess statues and bundles of herbs. And then there were the customers. Women in feathers, men in tunics, the scent of incense mingling with lavender as the exotic and eccentric noshed on appetizers and laughed over drinks.

He held Danita’s fingers tight so she didn’t get lost in the weirdness. It had nothing to do with the sudden need to keep her close. It was for her own protection, since some of these people, especially the guy with the solar system tattooed on his forehead, looked a little dangerous.

As skilled as he was at lying, even he didn’t believe that crap. But he didn’t let go of her hand.

“Why are we here again?” he muttered.

Maya shot a laughing grin over her shoulder. “Isn’t this great? A whole busload of people show up here a few times a year, looking for spiritual nirvana and a good time. And, of course, a reading by Cassiopeia.”

They reached the sales counter. A long expanse of carved rosewood, it seemed to be the border between New Age nirvana and the promise of some semblance of normalcy.

“I’m impressed by how big the crowd is,” Danita said, offering Maya a friendly smile. “I had no idea a… What did you call it, Gabriel? A celebration of the return of spring?”

“That’s what Caleb said.” Gabriel shrugged. Early February seemed like a crazy time to celebrate spring, but what did he know.

“Imbolc is a big holiday in Pandora’s family. Moonspun Dreams goes all out to celebrate, but usually it’s just their clientele,” Maya explained. “But this year, Aunt Cynthia talked Cassiopeia into making it a bigger event. You know, bring in the locals. She figured it was a good time to stir up support for her bid for state representative.”

Gabriel looked around, noting that among the more esoteric guests, the party was sprinkled with people he recognized. His high school shop teacher, a few old neighbors. An ex or two and a number of others he remembered from growing up here. And this was the crowd his aunt was trying to mooch political money from? His shoulders tensed.

There were even a few gentlemen from the manor here. Were they up to something? A meeting, perhaps? Or instructions? Gabriel made a note to keep an eye on Ham and just who he chatted with. His fingers tightened on Danita’s. She gave him a questioning look. He tilted his head. She glanced around, then met his eyes with a wide-eyed frown.

“It’s a great crowd, huh?” Maya asked, stopping at the counter to gesture to the array of drinks set out. Gabriel took a bottle of water for himself and for Danita, figuring neither of them needed alcohol for this event. He continued to scan the crowd, his gaze now sweeping the people gathered in the café.

“Aunt Cynthia really thinks she’s going to get political support from this crowd?” Gabriel asked, slightly awed at the idea that their austere and uptight mayor would attend this kind of party.

“Yep. She’s talking herself up to everyone here. I don’t think her run for congress is going too well. You know how it is, grassroot funds versus big-city donor pools.” Maya gave a rueful shrug. She’d always been closer with their aunt than her brothers, which meant she had a much higher tolerance. Gabriel? He’d just as soon avoid her as he would the goons on the other side of the room.

“C’mon,” Maya said, gesturing them back toward the café. “Caleb’s hiding in the back, but I know he wants you to meet Pandora. I saw her sneak into the kitchen a few minutes ago to replenish the aphrodisiac appetizers.”

Gabriel shared a baffled look with Danita, wondering what the hell had happened to Black Oak. They didn’t need an FBI investigation. More like a psychiatric evaluation.

Mulling the changes and trying to adjust his memory of a confining small town with the idea that his future sister-in-law was whipping up sex food, he made it two steps past the counter and stopped short. Unprepared, Danita ran into him, her breasts crushed against his arm as she looked around to see why he’d stopped. Sexual awareness sparked, even as his stomach clenched.

“Son.”

A million thoughts, untold emotions slammed through Gabriel. He could see judgment mingled with the love and pride in his father’s gaze. A sense of failure, one Gabriel always felt at not being better, smarter, quicker than everyone else, trickled in like cold snow down the back of his neck. Would he ever measure up? He wasn’t as good as Caleb. He wasn’t as clever as Maya. Would he ever feel like a success in his father’s eyes?

“Dad,” he greeted quietly.

“Welcome home.” For a brief second, Tobias looked like he was going to step forward and offer an embrace. Gabriel didn’t know if he was grateful or disappointed when his dad offered a nod instead. “It’s good of you to make time for your brother’s wedding.”

Fighting off feelings of disappointment and emptiness that his father had held back, Gabriel told himself it was just as well. A big ole hug from Dad wouldn’t do much to cement his role in town, and he could see the goons watching closely.

“Wouldn’t miss it. Seeing big brother married off, that’s worth the price of admission.” Happy to have a direction, Gabriel’s gaze cut to Caleb who’d come up behind their father.

“Gabriel, this is my fiancée,” Caleb said. Tobias stepped aside so Gabriel could clearly see the woman next to his brother. She reminded Gabriel of an angel, with her creamy complexion, smooth fall of auburn hair and sweet expression. “Pandora, this is my little brother, Gabriel.”

“Little?” Pandora said with an easy laugh as she stepped over to shock Gabriel with a warm hug. “It’s wonderful to meet you. I’ve heard so many things and now you can tell me which are true and which are your brother and sister trying to get you in trouble. Come back, I’ve saved us a table.”

Gabriel hesitated. There was a show to put on here and he knew the success of his con depended on his audience’s belief in the part he played as the angry son.

But he couldn’t. Just couldn’t push the confrontation with Tobias. Not here, in front of all these people. Not now, when he was still reeling from the emotions of seeing his family again.

He’d spent so many hours over the last eight years imagining what he’d say the first time he saw his father again. The words he’d use to pound his success home. But now, instead of throwing his accomplishments in his father’s face, he gave his dad a nod. Then, his hand still wrapped around Danita’s, he followed the pretty redhead through the café to a small table by the kitchen.

“I’ve got to admit, any stories they’ve shared about me and trouble are probably true,” Gabriel said with a quick smile as Caleb pulled out a chair for his fiancée.

Finally letting go of Danita, and feeling oddly bereft, Gabriel did the same, waiting until she’d sat before taking his own seat. He glanced quickly around, noting that instead of joining them, Tobias was seated across the room chatting with Maya, a look of supreme satisfaction on his face.

What he had to be so smug and happy about, Gabriel didn’t have a clue. Usually that look was saved for gloating after a con was done. Gabriel wondered if he’d wear that same look on his face when he left town next week. His stomach clenched tight for just a second as he realized that if he did, it would be because he’d pulled a major con on everyone in this room. A con that would cost him his relationship with all of them. As long as it meant exonerating his father, he’d have to be satisfied. It wasn’t like he was losing anything he hadn’t already given up.