by Mari Carr
Elyse studied his face nervously. “Well…”
“East Coast, Elle,” Grant said quickly. “I can do my job anywhere. You and Seb have solid ties in Boston. I understand that. Unless, of course, you want to come over here and enjoy the good life—mild winters, an ocean you can swim in without freezing off vital body parts and killer Mexican food.”
Elyse raised her finger in warning. “Don’t even start on Papagayo’s. That meal was delicious.”
Before Grant could begin the good-natured fight again, Sebastian intervened. “I don’t think we need to worry about any of this right now. I mean,” he was hedging, clearly grasping for an excuse to put off the conversation, “Grant just had his place broken into.”
“Nothing was stolen,” Grant said, unwilling to let Sebastian off the hook this time. “And given the state of things, this is probably the perfect time to start making decisions. I’m obviously not coming back here to live—not with it in its current state. Besides, I’m tired of cleaning up the mess. So I’ll just begin packing everything up. Call a moving company and make arrangements to transport it all cross-country.”
“And move where?” Sebastian asked.
“To my place,” Elyse replied as if that should be obvious. “There’s plenty of room. Then, maybe somewhere down the road, we can start looking for a house.” That idea sounded wonderful to Grant, but apparently Sebastian wasn’t finished fighting this triad.
“I don’t think we should rush into this.”
After everything they’d shared last night, Grant was surprised and a little pissed off. Especially when he saw the hurt expression on Elyse’s face.
“Seb,” Elyse began. “I thought…”
Sebastian turned away from them and walked over to the window. Sighing heavily, he faced them, looking contrite. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to keep pushing you both away. It’s not you, I swear.”
Grant might have chuckled about getting the “it’s not you, it’s me,” speech for the first time in his life if he weren’t so damn mad. “Then why are you doing it?”
Sebastian shrugged, not bothering to offer an explanation.
Elyse was the first to break. “Seriously, Seb? I think you owe us more than a damn shrug. What the hell is wrong with you? You’ve spent your entire life knowing that the Grand Master was going to choose your partners. Why are you acting like this? Last night…”
So she felt it too.
Grant reached out to take her hand, but before he could grasp it, Sebastian stepped forward and drew her into his arms. “I’m sorry. You’re right. About everything. I knew what joining the society meant. And last night was amazing. Better than amazing. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Sebastian looked at Grant. “Either of you. You just started talking about the future and I guess I freaked out a little bit. It’s only been four days. Between the shock of getting the invitation to the altar, jetlag and all this stuff with the map, I’m struggling to keep up. None of that has anything to do with the two of you or how I feel about us as a trinity.”
Grant nodded slowly, accepting Sebastian’s apology. And his reasons. It had only been four days. While Grant and Elyse were all in, they couldn’t fault Sebastian if the adjustment was harder for him to make.
“I’ll pack up enough clothing for a couple of weeks,” Grant said. “Perhaps by then, we’ll be in a better place to make decisions. Right now, I’ve gotta deal with the cops and try to figure out who broke in. And you have the map to decipher.”
“Is anyone going to fill me in on the map?” Elyse asked.
“It’s something I’m investigating for the CIA,” Sebastian said.
“Okay.” Elyse was better at letting things go than Grant was. He wanted answers from Sebastian. Hell, he’d given Sebastian a huge break in his case. He deserved to know what was going on.
Grant tried to shake the niggling feeling that told him he was missing a big piece of the picture.
“So what’s the plan now?” Elyse asked.
“I have some calls to make.” The sooner Grant could report the break-in, the sooner they could get back to Boston.
If Sebastian continued to keep him in the dark, Grant would simply launch his own investigation. And Rose had given him an idea of where to start—Trinity Church.
“Great,” Elyse replied, picking up more of his clothing. “While you do that, Seb and I can start packing your bag.”
Grant kissed Elyse on the forehead. “And then I’m taking the two of you out for real Mexican food.”
Chapter Ten
Sebastian dropped his overnight bag in his room in the suite, then fell facedown on his bed, letting his mind drift back to their whirlwind twenty-four-hour trip. After dealing with the cops and Grant’s landlord, they’d had a late dinner. Though he hadn’t admitted as much to Grant, the Mexican food had been off-the-charts delicious.
Then they’d returned to Grant’s apartment. Grant had found clean sheets, they’d remade the bed and the three of them had slept together. He and Grant had taken turns making love to Elyse. It had been much calmer than their first encounter, but no less powerful. There was a strong undercurrent of attraction, need and passion flowing between the three of them. It had been amazing, hot, and it was taking all of Sebastian’s willpower not to find his lovers, drag them in here and do it all over again.
He had sort of expected Grant to kiss him last night. And as shocking as it was, Sebastian wouldn’t have minded the attempt. But he’d told Grant he needed time to decide if that was something he wanted and clearly Grant was giving it to him.
If anything about this damn relationship was normal, Sebastian would have flashed Grant the green light to go and given in to these unexpected, but undeniable desires. He wanted to expand on the kissing experience with Grant. Hell, he wanted to do a lot more than kiss the guy.
But nothing about this situation was normal.
He’d gotten a text from Juliette about five minutes after they’d landed at Logan asking him to stop by and report in.
While the second portion of the map had definitely given them some sort of direction, the thing was useless without the third part. He was convinced Elyse’s guess that the random lines zigzagging across Copley Square were tunnels was correct, but without the portion of the map that contained the public library side, Sebastian couldn’t figure out how to get into those tunnels. He was certain the entrance was hidden somewhere in the Trinity Masters’ headquarters. But where?
“How long do you think you’ll be?” Elyse asked from the doorway to his bedroom. Sebastian sat up at the sound of her voice. He’d told them he needed to report in to his boss about the map upon arriving at the hotel.
Sebastian shrugged. In addition to handing over the map, he intended to have a conversation with Juliette about Grant and Elyse. Sebastian was hoping to change her mind about dissolving the trinity.
“Shouldn’t be more than a couple hours.” He noticed she’d changed out of her jeans and had donned a pretty skirt and blouse. “Are you going somewhere?”
“Yes. Mrs. Wythe just called and invited me to meet her at the Four Seasons for coffee. I think she’s dying to get all the details about the binding ceremony and my new husbands.”
Sebastian struggled to think of an acceptable reason for Elyse not to go. Though she’d already told the woman about them, it probably wasn’t wise to keep spreading the news of their new triad. At least not until Sebastian could convince Juliette to let the relationship stand.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t come up with a reason that wouldn’t arouse Elyse’s suspicions. After his asshole behavior at Grant’s, he didn’t want to hurt her or make her think he wasn’t committed to their future. They’d started talking about packing up Grant’s apartment, about him moving across the country, and Sebastian had panicked. He and Juliette hadn’t considered the consequences their lie would have on Grant and Elyse. Neither one of them deserved this.
It was time to set things straight.
“Listen, E
lle. Do me a favor and don’t mention the map or the break-in.”
Elyse rolled her eyes. “I’m not an idiot, Seb. I wouldn’t betray your confidence like that and I can appreciate that whatever it is you’re working on is confidential.”
He stood up and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks.”
Sebastian grabbed his jacket and said goodbye. They all planned to meet at the hotel later this afternoon and head out for Italian at Teatro. He stepped out onto the sidewalk and cursed the Boston winter. After so many years in mild climates, his body wasn’t accustomed to the bone-chilling cold of New England. Perhaps they should reconsider their decision to remain on the East Coast. Grant’s loft in California looked pretty damn good right about now.
Sebastian stopped walking. When had he started thinking about his future in terms of Grant and Elyse? This wasn’t good. Especially if he couldn’t convince Juliette to reconsider.
Sebastian didn’t want to think about the fallout.
All he knew was he wasn’t giving them up. Trinity Masters or not.
And that was dangerous thinking.
He walked past the line of cabs outside the hotel and took off on foot. The library was a short walk and he needed time to clear his head, to figure out what he was going to say to his best friend. Though he thought she had forgiven him for his deceit, that didn’t mean she wasn’t still angry and hurt. Plus he’d done everything wrong at the altar, showing the new Grand Master disrespect that would have gotten any other member in very serious trouble.
Would Juliette feel the need to exert her control, to make sure Sebastian understood how seriously she took her new role? The purpose of the arranged marriages was to create powerful triads that would work to improve society on some level. What he needed to do was find some way to make their trinity make sense.
As he walked, he grimaced. A CIA asset, a corporate mediator and an heiress. Try as he may, he couldn’t make those pieces fit in any way that wasn’t emotional, that didn’t have everything to do with his heart.
He climbed the stairs in front of the library, and then took the elevator to the third floor. So much for clearing his head. He was more stressed out now than he’d been when he left the hotel.
Juliette, Franco and Devon were all in her office when he arrived. He’d suspected the guys would be there, but he was still disappointed. What he needed to say to Juliette needed to be said in private.
Franco’s eyes lit up when Sebastian produced the second part of the map. The four of them walked over to a light table as Sebastian pointed out his observations. He didn’t bother to say that the Copley Square discovery had been Rose’s and the tunnel suggestion Elyse’s. Devon would kick his ass if he found out just how shoddy Sebastian’s undercover work on this case had been. Problem was Sebastian was working at half capacity or worse as most of the blood in his body had taken up permanent residence in his dick.
Devon seemed impressed with his theories and Juliette came to the same conclusion he had. The map was worthless without the rest.
Devon pointed to the church. “I’ll head over to the Trinity Church to see if I can figure out a way into the tunnels from there.”
None of them held out much hope that he’d discover anything. The church had undergone a great deal of remodeling in the past thirty years. It was entirely possible that construction workers had unwittingly sealed any secret entryways. This map dated back to the mid-to-late 1800s. Unless someone with power within the church had known of the entry to the tunnel and protected it, it seemed unlikely it would still be accessible.
“It’s worth a shot,” Franco said distractedly. The man had put on some sort of magnifying eyeglasses and he was currently bent over, studying the new portion of map intently.
Sebastian then told them about the break-in at Grant’s place. “By the way, Rose sends her love.”
Devon stood up straighter. “You saw Rose?”
“She and Grant are neighbors. In fact, they’re friends.” Sebastian hoped that tidbit might help ease his way toward presenting Grant as a good guy.
“Really?” Juliette asked. “Interesting.”
“Did she seem okay?”
Juliette rolled her eyes at Devon’s question. “Devon can’t conceive of the fact that Rose was probably as relieved as I was when the betrothal was dissolved. I think it has something to do with his overweening sense of self and lifelong ambition to play lord of the manor.”
Devon ruffled her hair. “I still intend to hear you call me Master.”
Juliette knocked his hand away. “Yeah, that’s not happening.” She looked at Sebastian once more. “You said Grant had the map hidden in a safe?”
Sebastian nodded, then tried to downplay it a bit. “It was in a fireproof box. He considered it a keepsake from his grandfather.”
Devon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “That’s sort of suspicious, don’t you think? I mean, I have a baseball signed by Babe Ruth that my granddad gave me. I keep it on a shelf in plain view, not stashed away where no one can find it.”
“It’s not really that suspicious.” While Sebastian could appreciate Devon’s unease, he didn’t share it. Grant had kept it hidden out of respect for his grandfather. “He was just keeping it safe. And it’s not like it’s something you could display anyway. It’s a torn map.”
“He was okay with you handing it over to us?” Juliette asked.
Sebastian nodded. “He thinks I’m giving it to my superiors at the CIA.”
“Good,” Devon said.
“They’re expecting a task,” Sebastian added.
“What?” Juliette asked.
“At the gala, you said each new trinity would be assigned a task or a puzzle to solve. Grant and Elyse are wondering what ours is.”
Juliette blew out an exasperated breath. “Shit. I gave the task to you. I didn’t consider they’d be waiting for something. I don’t suppose you can tell them the map is the puzzle now.”
Sebastian shook his head. “Not after all that bullshit I fed them about it being part of my work with the CIA. I’m knee-deep in lies here. They’re never going to forgive me if they find out.”
Juliette studied his face, her eyes troubled. “You’re worried about their forgiveness?”
“I’m not an asshole, Jules.”
His best friend raised one eyebrow as if to say “really?”
He closed his eyes wearily. Yeah. He had no leg to stand on there. He had been an asshole to Juliette, using her for information for the CIA. He lifted one shoulder in defeat, allowing her to score the point. Juliette might have forgiven him, but she would never forget.
Regardless, Sebastian took a deep breath and forged on, determined to convince Juliette to change her mind about his trinity. “I think the fake binding ceremony might not have been such a good idea. Grant packed up a couple big suitcases while we were in L.A. yesterday and he’s making plans to move cross-country. To live with Elyse and me in her condo. The two of them are doing what’s expected of them. They’re figuring out how to make all three of our lives mesh.”
“You need to stall them,” Juliette said, as if that should be the simplest thing on earth. “It’s only thirty days. Make plans, but don’t move on them.”
“Have you managed to get a feel on Grant Breton?” Devon asked.
“Yeah. I think that maybe we should bring him in on this investigation. My gut tells me he’s a good guy.”
Juliette’s brows rose. “Your gut? You’ve known the guy five days, Seb. Sorry, but I’m not about to risk exposing our investigation based on your gut.”
Sebastian’s temper sparked. “Yeah, well, you might have to put a little trust in that. Like you said, I’ve only got a month before you dissolve this whole thing. At that point, I lose them. I mean…access to them.”
Juliette fell silent, biting her lower lip as she studied him too closely for his comfort. He’d given himself away, showed way too much of his hand.
“I don’t think he’s involved wi
th the purists.” Sebastian made sure his tone was softer, less forceful.
Juliette glanced at Devon, then back at him, concern in her gaze. “Listen, Seb. Devon’s been doing a thorough investigation into Richard Breton’s political practices.”
Devon walked over to Juliette’s desk and handed him a file folder. It must have been at least two inches thick. Juliette hadn’t lied about thorough.
Sebastian raised one brow as he opened the folder, immediately overwhelmed by the amount of information. “Want to give me the SparkNotes version?”
“I found a former CIA agent, Bob Foster, who was in the field when Breton was in office.”
Sebastian frowned. “Jesus. How old is that guy?”
Devon grinned. “Ancient, but Bob is sharp as a tack. While you were in L.A., I flew to Florida to meet the man. He lives in a retirement village down there. I asked him about Breton. He said the guy was as slick as they come, said butter wouldn’t melt in the man’s mouth he was so cool.”
“None of that is particularly helpful information,” Sebastian pointed out.
Devon gave him a dirty look. “I’m just painting a picture. I asked Bob about Breton’s association with McCarthy. He said there had actually been an internal investigation done on Breton. That some agents suspected him of being a Communist, but that Breton had some high-ranking officials looking out for him.”
“Trinity Masters?” Sebastian swallowed the bile rising in his throat at that thought.
“If they were,” Juliette said, “my fear is it was unwittingly. How many members were raised with the same ideals we were, Seb? Raised to believe that Trinity Masters were sort of like super heroes?”
He had always felt that way about the organization. To find out it had an ugly underbelly was upsetting.
“Bob took part in some of the under-the-table investigations. It was his information that helped me find a lot of the documents in that file. They were archived, filed away and forgotten. Except by Bob. He was convinced that Richard was the worst kind of American. That he was a man who used his powerful position to promote his own twisted agenda. According to Bob, he served on HUAC in order to protect the true Nazi sympathizers—his daughter included—and in later years, the Communists. While in that role, he pointed the finger at anyone who was a threat to his agenda. He ruined the lives of a lot of innocent people.”