As she was lost deep in her thoughts, she didn’t notice the person creep up on her. She almost jumped out of her own skin when a hand grabbed onto her shoulder.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you,” the man quickly retracted his hand.
Lily recognized the face. It was one of Van’s brothers! Damn, why couldn’t she remember his name? She had been so distracted by seeing Van she wasn’t listening properly when Pearl introduced her.
“Red,” he held out his hand for her to shake, “It’s okay. I could tell your mind was elsewhere when we first met. I’m the middle brother of the Baileys. Van is the eldest and Ace is the baby of us all. I got sent to talk to you as supposedly I’m the most natural at speaking to women. Don’t be fooled though! I put that all behind me when I met Rachel, the love of my life and the mother of my child.”
“Ah yes, sorry. Van was telling me about his family but we never really got into much depth. You said you had a child? Just the one?”
“One is enough for now,” Red laughed, “Mia is a handful by herself. Ace and his wife, Jennifer, have two of their own – Tom and Daisy. Tom is nine, Mia is eight and Daisy is four. I’m sure you’ll get to meet them one day, if you feel the same way Van does about you.”
“And how does he feel about me?” she leaned in close.
“If you don’t know by now then you never will,” he grinned, “Let’s just say, I’ve never seen my brother so interested in another human before, let alone a woman. I’m glad he’s finally found someone, it’s just a shame you happen to be the twin’s younger sister. It makes everything that bit more complicated. It must just run in the Bailey blood. We sure do pick them!”
Lily laughed and they both fell into silence as they scanned the crowds around them. Lily sipped her drink before Red turned back to her.
“Van told me to deliver this,” he slid a napkin across the bar, “I suggest, whatever you two are planning, you keep it low key. The last people you want involved in your relationship are the mafia. I’m not sure how you’re both going to manage to keep this away for Pearl and Joe’s ears, but good luck to your both. Now, I’d better get back to my wife, she doesn’t look too happy that I’ve been over here so long.”
With that, Red pushed away from the edge of the bar and Lily’s eyes followed him as he made his way back across the floor. Rachel glared at her for a moment, her eyes narrowing, before she placed a massive kiss on her husband’s lips.
Don’t worry, that’s not the Bailey I’m after.
Lily looked around her before slipping the napkin, unopened, in her dress, alongside the key card. She finished the rest of her drink before ordering another one. After another two drinks, the room was starting to feel dizzy and she was swaying on her feet. She was surprised that one of her siblings hadn’t come up to check on her. The night was moving on and the music has become increasingly louder. People were starting to dance as the tables were moved to the side. She watched as the false elegance of the night tumbled away and the rawness of humanity expanded around her. It appeared that everyone had taken advantage of the free bar and were now swaying on one another, women grinding on men and men drooling over the women. It amused Lily to see people dressed up in black tie, turning the great hall of one of the most expensive hotels in the city into a nightclub. Within a couple of minutes, it was in full swing. Lily kept her watch from the bar.
“Care for another drink?”
Lily expected to see the bartender when she turned but instead there was an unfamiliar man standing by her side. She didn’t know whether Pearl had introduced them earlier and stood there awkwardly for a moment before replying.
“I guess one more drink before bedtime wouldn’t hurt.”
“Bedtime so soon? I would think the main attraction should be the last to leave?”
The man signaled for the bartender to come over. While he ordered the drinks, Lily had a better chance to check out the man standing in front of her. His tuxedo was clearly designer and made of the finest fabrics money could buy. He had shiny black leather shoes on and his tux had been tailored to fit. She noted he was clean-shaven and with a healthy head of hair, swept back. His face was perfectly proportioned and everything about him would beckon to the usual woman in her position.
But you’re not Van. Now I’ve got a taste for my man, no other will match up. I’m sure one drink won’t tip the boat, however. The twins might appreciate my effort to network. Once drink with this guy and then I’m going to call it a night. I want to see what this napkin has to say in the privacy of my own room.
“Here’s your drink,” he passed her a glass.
She tentatively took a sip before realizing he hadn’t asked her what her order was. The strength of the whiskey almost blew her off her feet as she forced the gulp down. He looked over, waiting for her reaction.
“You like whiskey, don’t you? Everybody loves a good whiskey.”
Lily thought better than to argue, “Sure. It definitely tastes like a good one. Sorry I forgot to ask…”
“Ah, there you are!” her sister clapped her on the back, causing Lily to slosh some of the brown liquid onto the floor, “I see you’ve met Vincent. He’s going to be our new business partner.”
“Vincent. Vincent King,” he offered his hand.
Lily was in shock for a moment before accepting, “Vincent King? As in head of the King crew?”
“The one and only,” Pearl said, “I’m glad you two are getting to know each other, you’re going to be around each other a lot more from now on. Actually, Vince, I need to talk to you in private about a business proposition which will benefit us both.”
“Run it through Rosaline tomorrow. Tonight is meant for pleasure not business,” he winked at Lily.
Lily felt herself cringe inwardly.
This man seems to think a lot of himself. He may have the largest crew in the neighboring city but it still doesn’t match up to our mafia. Asking my sister to book appointments through his personal assistant is just plain disrespectful. She looks like she’s got a game plan however, or she would have had his head on a spike by now.
Her suspicions confirmed, she saw her sister force a fake smile upon her face as she nodded, “Sure, I’ll give her a call tomorrow. Should I leave you two to it?”
Before Vincent could answer, Lily jumped in, “Actually, I’m getting pretty tired. I think I’m going to call it a night.”
She placed the half-drunk glass of whiskey back on the bar. She caught the disappointed look briefly flash across Vincent’s face before he warped it into a smile.
“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Romano. As Pearl said, I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of one another pretty soon.”
They shook hands before he walked off. Pearl frowned behind him before turning back to her sister.
“You sure you don’t want to stay for a bit longer? The festivities are just starting to kick in.”
“This isn’t really my scene. But thank you for everything tonight. Tell Joe goodnight for me and I’ll see you both in the morning.”
Lily gave her sister one last smile before heading for the stairs. At the top step, she looked back and managed to find Van standing in the crowd. He was staring straight up at her and gave her a small wave before she headed towards the elevator. Her heart skipped at little at seeing him as she pressed the button and the doors opened up. As soon as she got to her floor she sprinted into her room and pulled the napkin from her dress. Unfolding it, she saw the phone number scribbled down followed by a short message.
See you soon, princess.
Chapter 6
VAN
The vibration in his pocket has him scrambling once more. He grinned as he unlocked the screen and saw the text from her.
I’m about to have a shower. Thinking of you.
Van didn’t manage to wipe the look off his face in time as Red burst into the room. He caught sight of Van’s expression and laughed.
“I see all is going well in the land of love.
When are you planning to meet her?”
“I really do have to take the keys off of you. And today, if you must know. I’ve finally decided to take her to the lake. I know it’s somewhat private to us but seeing as you both have taken Jennifer and Rachel, I think it’s time I do the same.”
Red stared at him before grinning, “Couldn’t agree more. I’m surprised after two months of you two sneaking around, you haven’t taken her there yet. Van took Jen there within a couple of days. I had Rachel there within a month. Why do you always have to be the last to do anything?”
“Ah, shut up,” Van popped open two beers for them as they headed out to the porch, “I’m more concerned about what to do next. Where can our relationship go from here?”
They both sat down at the table and took long sips from their beer. He knew his brother was just as deep in thought as him, trying to figure out their next move.
“You’re going to have to bite the bullet at some point and tell the twins. If you don’t, they’re going to find out one way or another. I know Lily said she has a guard she can trust, that pretends to be with her when she’s out with you, but eventually they will start asking questions. Or worse, they might think she is up to something with the guard! Have you even met this person yet? Do you know the his name?”
Van gulped at his beer before replying, “Maybe I should ask Lily to bring him today and I can judge his character for myself. I’ll text her now.”
Pulling his phone from his pocket, he unlocked the screen and typed a text to her.
Bring your guard today. I want to meet him.
“That should bring you some peace of mind at the very least,” Red nodded his approval, “It still doesn’t solve what you will do in the long-term. From what I can tell, it’s pretty serious between you two and I don’t know what will happen if you try to keep things a secret for forever. I haven’t seen you this happy in… well, forever! I don’t want you to lose your happiness because the twins are holding you back. You’ve done them a million favors and they can surely understand this. You guys just need to think of a way to put it across to them that doesn’t result in you getting shot.”
“So fucking eloquently put,” Van grimaced, “You are right though. I can’t imagine my life without her in it anymore. I will need to talk to her today. I’m sure she feels the same.”
Red leaned in, “Talking of feelings, have either of you dropped the ‘L’ bomb yet?”
Van shoved his brother back into his seat and took a sip of his beer, “Fuck off, idiot. We don’t need to be soppy to understand that we care for one another.”
Laughing, Red responded, “You can’t be that stupid! Women want to know they’re loved, they want to hear it and feel it. You can’t just go around acting like a closed-off meathead for the rest of your life. You think any woman wants to settle down with an unromantic jerk? If you don’t say it, then someone else will. Lily is a catch, she’s good-looking, smart and caring, not to mention the family connections. I suggest you close up that deal quick or else you’re going to be the one left empty-handed.”
Van decided to stay silent. He didn’t need to explain anything to his younger brother.
Just because he’s married, he thinks he knows how all relationships work? He slept with hundreds of women before he found Rachel so trial and error is an understatement in his case. Anyway, Lily knows I care for her. She doesn’t need anything else… does she?
He could feel Red’s eyes grilling into him so he drained the rest of his beer before standing up quickly. He stretched his arms and locked eyes with his brother.
“I’ve got to get ready for this afternoon. You can see yourself out.”
Without waiting for the predictable sarcastic comeback, Van walked back into the great room. The house was a mid-century modern, designed by a famous architect. The great room featured beautiful vaulted wood ceilings and the kitchen was packed with cabinetry and stunning custom tile. Both bathrooms had seen high end custom finishes. His bedroom, the master bedroom, had two closets and recessed lighting. When he bought it, he knew it was meant for a family, but at the time his family was just him and his two brothers. After his brothers got married, they both moved out to start their families elsewhere, Ace over in another town with Jennifer and the kids. It meant he saw his younger brother a lot less, but the house was still sacred to them all. It had become their exclusive clubhouse when the three brothers were together. Their bikes all fit perfectly side by side in the garage, their parking spots still marked out from where they had lived together. Van also had refused to disturb their rooms, only cleaning it, just in case his brothers needed somewhere to crash. The silence of the house got to Van sometimes but now he had Lily in his life, it was all starting to become that bit more bearable.
Van wandered into his bedroom to get ready, closing the door behind him to ensure the message was sent clearly to his brother. He rummaged through his closet until he found an ironed shirt to go with his jeans.
If this bodyguard is protecting her then its best I make a good impression. And the chances are I already know the person, maybe even worked with him. I wonder if she’s told them who I am?
He jumped into a warm shower. The water cascaded down over his body as he scrubbed himself head to toe. Afterwards he attempted to take control of his hair with a little gel and trimmed his beard into submission. A splash of aftershave and he was ready to go. He chose a black pair of jeans along with the black shirt. He very rarely wore color if he could help it. He took a brief look in the mirror and decided it was near enough time to head out to the lake. He texted Lily the coordinates before opening his bedroom door.
“What the fuck are you still doing here?” he almost jumped out of skin when he saw Red sprawled out on the couch.
“Well, look at you! All scrubbed up and looking decent for once. You planning to say a certain word today?” Red grinned.
“Fuck off,” Van growled as he grabbed his keys off the side, “You’d better not be here when I come back or I’m calling Rachel to come pick you up. And don’t drink all my beers!”
Red showed him the finger over the top of the couch as Van headed out into the garage. He examined his bike from all angles before grabbing a rag from the shelf and giving it a quick wipe down. Van always kept his bike clean, but he wanted it to be gleaming before his journey. He owned a Triumph Rocket III TFC, black of course. It had a larger engine than the previous models with a light frame and plenty of modern equipment. It was a limited edition with only 750 units worldwide. It had been difficult to trade in his bike a couple of months ago, but it was in need of so many replacements and he didn’t have the time to take it into the garage. Work had absorbed so much of his life, was he really going to let it influence his relationship with Lily?
Climbing onto his bike he let the triple engine come to life beneath him. The vibrations pulsed through his body as he waited for the garage doors to open before he sped off. The quiet suburb faded away as he hit the busy highway. The lanes were jammed and everyone tried to get in front. It was always a dangerous journey as a biker, but he was well-experienced and knew the roads like the back of his hand. Riding was part of his life, it pulsed through his veins and his awareness of everything around him was heightened, when he took the seat. After a while, he pulled in at a gas station and pumped gas into his tank before heading into the shop to pick up a few things. After paying, he scrambled back onto the bike and headed for the lake.
The noise and insanity of the highway faded behind him as he pulled away and started down the side roads. They were winding and tree-lined as he headed towards his destination. Finally, it all opened up and there was the lake in all its gleaming undisturbed glory. It had always been the brothers chosen place to meet up together when they wanted to get away from everything. Now they rarely went there, finding it easier to travel to the clubhouse with their kids. Van always found it rather bizarre that he had never seen anyone else around when he visited. It was such a beautiful and scen
ic area, but it was as though the world had forgotten about it. Coming to the lake was like stepping into an alternative reality where humans didn’t exist. He loved it.
Stepping off his bike, he scanned the area. Lily and her guard still hadn’t arrived so Van had time to rummage in the nearby bushes where they hid their folding chairs and cooler. Whipping them out, he set them too near the water, before heading back to his bike to pull out the provisions. He loaded the cooler with the beers, cola and snacks before plonking himself into a chair and popping the cap of a fresh brew. The sun beamed down on him as he leaned back and soaked in the rays. He had just closed his eyes and was sipping on a beer when he heard the crunch of wheels nearing. Slowly he turned around to see a Range Rover with blacked-out windows pulling up. He got up tentatively, all the while eyeing the car just in case there was trouble.
“Van!” Lily squealed as she jumped out the car.
She sprinted towards him, not bothering to close the door behind her as she ran into his arms. He wrapped her in an embrace, savoring the sweet smell of her perfume lingering on her skin before releasing her. He smiled before looking back to the car in time to see the second figure get out.
“Van?” the voice asked before stepping into view.
There in front of him stood Jin Handa, son of the departed Shinobu Handa. Shinobu had been an important man within the mafia and a close friend to the twins. He was one of the most honorable men that Van ever had the pleasure to meet. His son had big shoes to fill and everyone knew he was struggling in the shadows of his father. Shinobu had been killed in a crossfire and a massive funeral had been held with all the mafia members in attendance. Van had mentored Jin on a couple of missions but other than that, he didn’t have much knowledge of the guy.
“Jin? Long time no see, how have you been?” Van smiled.
Jin shook Van’s hand before they all took their seats near the lake. Van pulled two additional beers out and handed them around. They all took large sips before speaking.
The Bailey Brothers Box Set- the Complete Trilogy Page 42