CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Blaze
“What’s got you so distracted?” Skitz asked.
I looked up from the paperwork I had strewn all over the coffee table.
“What? Oh, just invoices.”
Skitz sat on the chair opposite. “Don’t think so.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been staring at the papers for ten minutes without doing anything.”
I leaned back on the sofa and ran my hand through my hair.
“I guess I’m just concerned about Lake. He’s been at his mother’s all day, going through his father’s things.”
“He’d call you if he needed you,” Skitz said.
I thought about it and decided it was true. Lake had changed a lot since we’d gotten together. Where once he’d have balked at asking for help, lately he seemed to lean on me when he needed to, at least a little. And I loved it.
“How are you feeling?” I asked Skitz. Since the attack at Morgan and Zeke’s, he was recovering well but suffered from frequent headaches.
Skitz waved away my concern. “I’m good. Stop worrying.”
“I can’t help it. You’re one of my brothers.”
Skitz grinned. “Yeah, yeah. I think you just like playing our mother.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sure. Taking care of you lot’s a real joy.”
“It goes both ways, you know?” he said, eyes suddenly serious.
“Yeah. I know. Thanks.”
My phone buzzed, and I smiled when I saw Lake’s name on the screen.
“There’s my cue to make myself scarce.” Skitz left the room, and I answered.
“Hey. Still at your mom’s?”
Lake’s voice ran over me like cool water on a sweltering day. “No. I’m back at Khan’s. She had her driver drop me off.”
“Wish you’d come here.”
“I’m okay.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Lake sighed. “It was hard. I need some time to think.”
I sat up straighter on the couch. “Did something happen?”
“No. I just had to go through all my dad’s stuff.”
“I’m sure that was difficult.”
“And…she said something that kind of bothered me.”
I tensed. “What’s that?”
“She wants me to help my uncle with my dad’s company.”
“And? You don’t want to?”
“I don’t know. I don’t really remember my uncle, and I’m not sure if I’m interested in the business. But I don’t want to be a pole dancer and barista the rest of my life, either. All these years since I left home, I’ve never had the time to think about my future.”
Blaze nodded. “So, why don’t you just give the family business thing a try? See if you like it?”
“She wants me to meet her and my uncle one night for dinner. I told her I’d think about it, and that I’d want to bring my boyfriend with me.”
My heart jumped. Lake wanted me to meet his family. I realized with surprise I was pleased rather than leery as I’d been in similar circumstances with women I’d dated.
“Okay. What night?”
“You’d go with me?”
“Of course.”
“And you don’t mind I called you my boyfriend?”
“I am your boyfriend. What else would you call me? And you’re mine. Right?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, then. I can do it Tuesday night. Would that work?”
“I think so. I’ll call her tomorrow. I’m heading to bed, since I have to be at work at eight. Stephen’s dropping me off.”
“Okay, baby. Have a good sleep.”
“You, too. And thanks, Blaze.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I want to be with you.”
And it was true. I did. And I was pretty sure I wanted him forever.
***
The restaurant was about as fancy as they came. When I walked through the door with Lake, I felt like a crow in the middle of a room full of songbirds. I said as much, and Lake scoffed as we wove between tables, his hand at the small of my back.
“You’re more like a scarlet tanager, or a bluebird. Definitely the best looking man in here.”
I was a fake, and I bet everyone in the room could tell. I’d never had much money, and I knew next to nothing about eating in a posh place like we were in.
“I’m going to have to watch you to know which utensil to use,” I said, looking at the elaborately set tables.
“Do what you have to, but I don’t care if you eat with your hands.” He shook his head. “Like I’d trade my bluebird for one of these peacocks,” Lake said, and my heart stuttered. I could see the flush on his cheeks, telling me he had embarrassed himself, but he didn’t try to make light of what he’d said, and the warm feeling I got made it easier for me as we approached the table where a stylishly-dressed woman sat sipping a glass of wine.
“There you are,” she said testily.
Lake favored her a little around the mouth, but that’s where the likeness stopped. This woman was hard inside and out.
“We’re right on time,” Lake said. “Mom, this is Blaze Harrington, my boyfriend. Blaze, this is my mother, Claudia Adams.”
She looked me over.
“Pleased to meet you,” I said, taking her hand.
She sniffed. “Harrington. Is your father in stocks?”
“My father has passed away, ma’am. And that reminds me—I’m sorry for the recent loss of your husband.”
She bent her head in acknowledgment, and we sat down.
“Where’s Uncle Daniel?” Lake asked his mother.
“Making a call. He’ll be back shortly. So, Blaze, did you say?” She said my name like I’d made it up. Even if I hadn’t known she’d treated Lake poorly, I wouldn’t have liked this woman. “What do you do for a living?”
I glanced at Lake, panic rising within me. I hadn’t anticipated the question, but I should have.
“He owns a production company,” Lake answered for me. She opened her mouth to say something else, and Lake cut her off. “Mother, stop with the third degree.”
A man approached and took the seat between me and Lake’s mother at the round table. He appeared to be in his fifties, dark-headed and charming in that effortless way some people have. He seemed familiar. He smiled at us and then at Lake’s mother.
“I’m sorry that took me so long.”
The look Claudia gave him was much softer than the ones she’d given me and her son.
“Daniel, you remember Lake, of course, and this is his friend, Blaze Harrington.”
“Boyfriend,” Lake corrected, and I put my hand on his thigh under the table.
“Daniel Adams,” Daniel said, shaking my hand with a firm grip. “And I remember young, bashful Lake, not this strapping young man.” He smiled at his nephew. Glancing at Lake, I was surprised at how uncomfortable he looked.
“Last time I saw you, you were young enough to sit on my lap,” Daniel said with another smile. Lake’s mother laughed. Lake, however, looked a little sick. My hand still rested on his thigh, and I squeezed it, but he didn’t look at me.
The waiter appeared. Claudia ordered another glass of wine, Daniel a dry martini, and I ordered an imported beer. Lake just asked for water. He looked pale.
“You really should try the salmon,” Claudia said. “It’s delicious.”
Daniel wrapped his arm around the back of Claudia’s chair.
Searching for something to say in the uncomfortable silence that ensued, I asked, “Are you two siblings?” I knew they weren’t: I’d caught Daniel’s surname was Adams. Besides, I suspected the two were involved.
Claudia tittered. “Heavens, no. Do we look alike? Daniel is Bertram’s youngest brother.”
I assumed Bertram had been her husband and Lake’s father. From where I sat, I could see Daniel running his finger back and forth over the nape of Claudia’s neck, confirming my suspicions.
“Lake said you have a financial service,” I said to Daniel.
He smiled, and again, familiarity niggled at me. “Yes, Adams-Boyle. The Boyle half died years ago. My brother’s run the company since he graduated college. I’ve been away in Madrid, but I’ve come back to take over.” He looked fondly at Lake across the table. “I think Lake and I will make a wonderful team.”
I squeezed Lake’s hand when he didn’t immediately say anything.
“Bertram and I had our doubts about Lakes abilities, but I feel it’s important to give him a chance,” Claudia said.
Lake cleared his throat twice before he spoke. “I haven’t decided if that’s what I want to do yet.”
The waiter returned, and I quickly chose a salad from the menu. Conversation was awkward and stilted. Lake kept a firm grip on my hand until he finally had to let go of it to eat.
When Claudia suggested dessert, Lake put his napkin on the table. “No, we can’t. I’m due at work.”
“I thought you were off tonight,” Claudia said, annoyance clear in her tone.
“I had to take someone else’s shift.”
I coughed to cover the frown that crept over my face at Lake’s lie. I knew he wasn’t working that night. All I could assume was he’d had enough of his mother and uncle. I wasn’t going to protest—I was more than ready to be out of their presence myself.
“You and Daniel will have to get together to discuss business,” Claudia said as Lake stood and tugged me from my chair.
“Right. Well, thank you for dinner and goodnight.” Lake steered me toward the door, barely allowing enough time for me to echo his goodnight.
Outside, I stopped him in the parking lot. “What’s wrong? You acted like you couldn’t wait to get out of there.”
Lake shook his head and strode to the SUV. I had no choice but to follow. When we were both inside, he took a deep breath and let it out.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said, mouth tight.
“O-kay.” I drew the word out and started the car. “Your uncle seemed nice enough. Your mother thought I was cheap, I could tell.”
Lake glanced at me. “I couldn’t care less what she thinks, and I am not working with that man.”
“Why not?”
Lake turned his head toward the window. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
We rode in silence. “Are you coming home with me?” I finally asked.
“No, not tonight. Please take me to Khan and Stephen’s.”
I changed lanes and headed that way. “Did I do something wrong?” I finally asked.
“No.” He shook his head. “No. Please don’t ask me anymore.”
When I pulled up at the brownstone, Lake was about to jump out of the car, but I stilled him with my hand.
When he finally raised his eyes to look at me, I softened my expression.
“I’m sorry you’re upset. I love you.”
Lake’s lips parted as he drew in a breath, and his eyes grew wet. He swallowed and nodded, then got out of the car and ran up the steps, nearly knocking Khan down when he opened the door.
“What happened?” Khan asked me when I followed because I just couldn’t leave when he was so upset.
“I don’t know. He wouldn’t talk to me about it,” I said as I stepped through the door.
“No ideas?”
I shook my head, frowning toward the stairway. A door closed upstairs.
“Maybe it was just too much, being around his mother,” Khan suggested.
“He was stressed after spending the day going through his dad’s things with her, but nothing like this. I think it had more to do with his uncle.”
Khan guided me into the living room where a fire danced in the fireplace. Stephen looked up from the book he was reading.
“Hi, Blaze.”
I greeted him.
“Lake’s upset but wouldn’t say why,” Khan told his husband before turning his attention to me. “What was the uncle like?”
“Pleasant. Charismatic. He kind of reminded me of someone—” I stopped when it suddenly came to me.
“Who?” Stephen asked.
“He reminded me of Matteo,” I said, an uncomfortable feeling welling up inside me.
“Who’s Matteo?”
“My friend who Lake was inexplicably uncomfortable around. I just realized Matteo and Lake’s uncle have similar mannerisms. But according to Daniel—that’s Lake’s uncle—he hasn’t seen Lake since Lake was young enough to…” I stopped as my thoughts fell into place with a sickening thud.
“Young enough to what?” Khan prompted, eyes curious.
I swallowed, feeling sick. “Young enough to sit on Daniel’s lap.”
The words in themselves weren’t so bad, but the picture they suddenly created in my mind, knowing what I did about Lake’s over-the-top reaction to the scene Cane and Tony had filmed as well as to Matteo, made my blood turn cold. Could it be that what had happened with Barry hadn’t been the only trauma Lake had suffered in his life?
Khan and Stephen seemed to have come to a similar conclusion.
“God,” Khan said under his breath before turning to his husband. “Maybe you should go talk to him.”
Stephen nodded and stood up. “I can’t do anything if he doesn’t want to talk to me, though.”
“Try,” Khan urged, and Stephen headed for the stairs.
“Do you think that man…did something to Lake?” Khan asked me, looking upset.
“If he did, I’ll kill him.”
I meant it.