“Oh, Lil.” Maybe Dominic didn’t know about the breach yet. Normally he would have informed him immediately, but the hacker had targeted Jake’s emails and that made it personal. Jake wanted to catch this rat himself.
“Don’t play dumb. Yes, Lil. I sent you down there to make sure she was safe.”
“I told you not to send me. I said-”
Dominic stopped, stood nose-to-nose with Jake and accused, “Whatever you said, you left out the part where you were going to break one of the fundamental rules of friendship.”
Don’t let your crazy friend lose his company because you’re too busy chasing a skirt?
Jake became impatient with his friend’s melodramatic fixation on something that was none of his business. He spoke calmly, rationally, hoping some of it would rub off on his friend. “I did exactly what you asked me to. I moved her into her new place. Don’t be a hypocrite.”
Dominic ran a hand through his hair with frustration. He leaned in and said, “I still think I have to kill you.”
Jake held his ground, mocking Dominic instead of cowering to him as he supposed some would. They had spent too many years together for Jake to ever fear him. Brute strength rarely won over intelligence. “What did you think would happen when you sent me up there? You knew I liked her.”
Fire flew from his friend’s eyes, but he kept his hands to himself, perhaps sensing that Jake was more than ready to retaliate. He frowned. “I don’t know, I thought you’d take her out a few times. A nice date. Movies maybe. What happened to treating a woman with respect?”
Jake couldn’t contain the laugh Dominic’s comment inspired. “You kidnapped Abby.”
Dom turned away and began pacing again. “That’s different. People expect that from me. I trusted you.”
Jake shrugged and threw angry suggestions at his friend. “Maybe it’s time you stop trusting me. Maybe I can’t be responsible for saving your ass anymore. What if I am just as screwed up as you are?”
Anger left Dominic in a whoosh and a ridiculous smile spread across his face. “You love her,” he said with a smirk.
Jake took a step back and denied it. “No, I don’t.”
Dominic advanced, his smile only growing wider as he counted off his observations on his fingers. “She’s crying. You’re miserable. Maddy is right; this is working.” Dominic folded his arms across his chest benevolently. “I forgive you because I know what it’s like to want a woman so badly that you are willing to risk everything.” His expression turned serious and he said, “You know you have to marry her, though.”
Forget about a shotgun wedding, Dominic would probably use an armed military drone. Jake smiled at the thought. That slip earned an angry glare from Dom and a threat.
Dominic said, “Don’t make me tell Marie.”
Classic Dom-go straight for the big guns. It was a pleasure to take that option away from him.“She already knows.”
Dominic straightened with rage. “You told her? What the hell were you thinking? I’m going to hope that it was because you realized the gravity of what you’ve done and wanted her advice on how to do the right thing.” He looked like he wanted to wrap his hands around Jake’s neck, but controlled himself, satisfying himself with a warning. “In case I’m not being clear enough-plan a wedding or plan a funeral. Your choice.”
Abby stuck her head through the door and called to Dominic. “Dom, the Andrades just pulled in. Are you ready?”
With one final glare, Dominic announced, “Yes, I think Jake and I understand each other now.”
Perfectly, Jake thought.
And, for once, he agreed with Dominic. He shouldn’t have slept with his best friend’s future sister-in-law, but now that he had-marrying her was the only course that made sense. Lil would agree with him, once he explained it to her. For the sake of her child, she needed permanency and security. He could offer her that. He would offer that-as soon as he could get her to talk to him again.
As Lil sat at the outrageously long dining room table, she smoothed the material of the conservative green dress she’d chosen. The crisp lines and modest neckline boosted her confidence. Tonight was not about her and Jake, nor was it about the emotional baggage Lil had packed for the trip – it was about her sister and celebrating her finding love. Green was a peaceful color, one that could blend in and stay out of trouble.
Dominic and Abby were seated at one end of the table, happily absorbed in a private conversation. Dominic’s sister, Nicole and her fiancé, Stephan, were seated next to Abby. Lil spared a moment to envy how Nicole always looked like she belonged on the cover of Vogue.
Lil was surprised to see that Stephan had brought his parents, his aunt and uncle, and if Lil was correct-even one of his cousins and her French husband. Abby had said that she and Dominic had been spending time with the Andrades lately, but Lil hadn’t realized that they had gotten this close.
Dominic’s personal assistant, Mrs. Duhamel, smiled at Lil from directly across the table. Lil tried to return the smile, gave up and looked down at her plate instead. One of the most powerful women in China, billionairess Zhang Yajun, sat at Lil’s left. Normally, Lil would have bombarded her with questions about what her life was like, but tonight Lil was determined to hold her tongue and quietly blend into this collection of some of the world’s richest people.
If you don’t say anything, you can’t say anything wrong.
Jake took the seat to her right and touched her arm to gain her attention. He kept his voice at an intimate volume. “Lil, we need to talk.”
“No, we don’t,” she hissed back in somewhat of a whisper.
Dominic stood and the table fell silent. “Thank you all for coming tonight.” He took a moment to smile at each person at the table then he reached down, took Abby by the hand, and encouraged her to stand beside him. With one arm around her waist, he said, “If anyone had told me a couple months ago that you would all be gathered to celebrate the formal announcement of our engagement, I would have thought they were crazy. But here we are and I am honored to call you friends.”
Approval was expressed in a variety of voices and languages.
Abby clasped her hands in front of her, the only indication that she wasn’t entirely comfortable speaking before the group. “Helping Nicole go through her father’s things, inspired me to take a second look at old photo albums and what little still remains of my own parents things. I found a poem that my mother wrote when we were children. It seemed appropriate to read in honor of how our family has extended in the most wonderful ways.”
She took out a folded and faded piece of paper and started to read:
Real love is not like a pizza
With two slices for some
One for others
And nothing left for the unlucky
Real love is like a fountain
Joyously spilling over
Where there is always more than enough
For those who need it
And it is just as generous
To those who return to it
As to those who never left
Lil’s eyes welled at the wisdom of the mother she still missed, even as rogue thoughts plagued her. How did real love feel toward a little accidental water contamination? That was the question she needed answered.
Dominic hugged Abby to his side and the table was oddly quiet for a moment. Nicole turned and said something softly to her fiancé. Stephan smiled down at her and nodded.
Nicole addressed her brother. “Dom, invite her for tomorrow. I’ll be fine.”
There was a wave of happy gasps from those around her.