06

I scrunched up my nose in thought, analyzing as I went. “I’m not sure that makes the most sense. You’re his best friend’s younger sister which puts you in the off-limits category. If he’s not serious, the last thing he’d want is to make a big fuss and potentially risk exposing the truth to Brandon. If he’s not serious, he’d hate having to be put in a position to lie to placate your furious brother and salvage their friendship. He has a lot at stake, and the fact that he’s willing to take chances despite all of that should somewhat indicate that what he has to gain in being with you far exceeds what he has to lose.”

Tessa’s mouth had hung open somewhere in the middle of my pondering and I resisted a smile as she blinked rapidly and tried to regain her composure.

I knew I’d hit a nerve and I was happy to leave it at that.

I didn’t like telling people what to do but sometimes, one had to point out something they intentionally took for granted because ignorance felt safer than being absolutely aware of what was going on and having to make a decision about it.

“If someone takes a chance on us, shouldn’t we return the favor ?” I told her with a smile and a peck on her cheek before I slid off my stool and headed for the basket ball arcade to join the kids.

Just as I was about to reach them, Felicity popped out of nowhere and grabbed me by the wrist, pulling me to a discreet corner.

“What’s up, buttercup ?” I asked her as I leaned in to sniff at her drink because it smelled strongly of something like candy. Alcohol wasn’t openly served but if one showed ID at the bar, they could get a discreet drink. “Is that a gummy worm in your shot glass ?”

Felicity moved away her drink after I tried to pinch the candy out of it and steered me not-so-discreetly in the direction of the door.

Well. It looked like I was going to have more than one party-crasher today.

“I’m guessing from the way you’re severely scowling right now that he’s not on the guest list,” I said to Felicity as I tossed back the rest of my drink and handed her the empty glass. “Keep an eye on my husband in case he comes charging like an angry bull about to gore his cousin open.”

Felicity didn’t look reassured. “Char, I don’t think it’s a good idea…”

I patted Felicity on the shoulder. “He’ll be fine. I promise not to break any of his bones.”

Felicity lifted a brow at me. “I wasn’t worried about him.”

“I think that’s his problem,” I murmured thoughtfully as Francis slowly swung his head around to survey the crowd before he locked gazes with me. “He doesn’t have enough people who care. I’ll be right back.”

As I strode toward Francis, I scanned the party in the corner of my eye, spotting Nicole talking to Armina and Aimee over drinks at a booth in a far corner, with her back mostly turned to us.

Perfect.

The last thing I needed was for her and Zach to be within striking distance of the a man who detonated like a self-replenishing land mine.

“I hate to disappoint you but this isn’t my funeral, if that was what you were hoping to attend,” I said gamely, inwardly surprised at the lack of resentment I expected to feel meeting face to face again with the man who’d hung Brandon and I out to dry. “If it makes any difference, there are sandwiches and coffee.”

Francis’s blue eyes flickered with an emotion I couldn’t name before he smirked and shook his head. “I suppose the world needs to keep a balance. Infernal optimists like you compensate for the hardened cynics like myself.”

I snorted. “I would hardly call myself an optimist. I’m really more of a pragmatic sort. I don’t care if the glass if half-full or half-empty—I’m just glad to have something to drink.”

“People underestimate you because they think you’ve come from nothing,” he said with a serious tone, and what I suspected was a hint of reluctantly-felt respect. “The most formidable foe is one who has nothing to lose.”

A strange, unnameable sort of understanding came between me and Francis as we measured each other up in the pause that came after his last statement, which was both a compliment and a complaint.

My smile was sincere this time as I said, “Which is why you nearly destroyed me the moment you ratted me out to everyone. Since the moment I agreed to that mad scheme with Brandon, I’d begun to care. I stood to lose everything and everyone that mattered to me with one revelation.”

Francis glanced around the room, his eyes narrowing slightly.

We’d probably already drawn everyone’s attention and while not all of the guests were privy to the fact that Francis and I were not so chummy, they’d notice the tension of those who knew and kept an alert watch on us.

The music was still playing and a faint murmur of chatter continued to float over the room but I could feel several pairs of eyes burning holes through my back.

In the corner of my eye, I could see Brandon trying to brush past Felicity who was as successful as a little butterfly trying to keep away a growling lion. He only stilled when Martin laid a hand on his arm.

“I say, you haven’t lost a single damned member of your legion of loyalists,” he remarked dryly as he met the direct gaze of everyone looking at him. “Most of them are looking at me as if they’re contemplating imaginative ways to kill me slowly.”

And so I asked the obvious question, “Why did you come then ?”

His mouthed tilted at a corner in a half-smile. “Because a man who has nothing to lose only has everything to gain.”

I frowned but before I could say anything, Francis’s eyes flickered to the side and touched on Nicole, who’d come to stand by Martin, her hands protectively settled on little Zach’s shoulders.

The boy was merely observing the whole spectacle, his big hazel eyes round with open curiosity as he stared in our direction.

“After what you did last time, Brandon’s mad enough at you that he’ll throw you out himself if you come within six feet of Nicole and Zach,” I told Francis with a sigh. “Jake will probably help.”

Determination glinted in Francis’s steely blue gaze. “They can try. At this point, I’m all out of aces. I’ll do whatever the hell it takes to get my family back.”

My eyes narrowed at Francis as curiosity nagged at me.

His words simply reminded me of how desperate he was. Why ? That was still a mystery.

“What do you think you’re doing, showing up here ?” Brandon demanded in a low growl as he came to stand beside me, half of his body wedged in the space that separated me from Francis. “You’ve got nothing else to hang over our heads, Francis. If you do anything stupid, God help me, I will hurt you for real.”

Francis’s inscrutable eyes bore into Brandon’s, his shoulders squaring as if daring my husband to make good on his threat. “I will not apologize for outing a scheme you should’ve never cooked up in the first place. Not that it did me any good anyway. It only served to humanize you more to people who already worship you like a golden hero—a role I’ve lost complete interest in. You can have all of it, Brand.”

I said a mental prayer of thanks when the music blasted and Anna hopped up on stage to announce that she was singing with the band (she could actually carry a tune), drawing the rest of the curious guests’ attention away from our trio. I was grateful for the forgiveness I was granted by the people who found out about mine and Brandon’s farce but I didn’t want to have to tell more people about it. I wanted it shut and sealed off forever.

“I’ve decided that I prefer being a regular human to being a hero in everyone’s eyes,” Francis continued, a fleeting smile ghosting over his lips. “That way, when I fall, I don’t take everyone else down with me. I don’t want that on my conscience.”

Some of Brandon’s barely restrained fury eased, but he still spoke with gritted teeth. “Then don’t fall.”

The smile on Francis’s face stuck this time around. “We can’t live forever.”

Sensing an altogether different kind of turbulence in Francis’s deceptively calm demeanor, I put a hand on Brandon’s arm and gave it a light squeeze.

“Francis wants to see Nicole and Zach,” I said quietly. Francis hadn’t said the words outright but there was no doubt as to why he was here despite the hostile reception he knew he was going to get. “If Nic’s amenable to it, I think… we should let him.”