Cupid in Crisis

by Amanda M. Lee

  Galen growled as he dragged his hand through his hair. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”

  He wasn’t the only one. Still, I was mildly amused. “I think it’s a fair worry,” I offered, smirking when Galen scorched me with the darkest look in his repertoire. “Seriously, dude, you’re the last line of defense between us and them.”

  “Them?” Galen’s eyebrows hopped as Paige knowingly nodded.

  “Them,” I repeated. “Evil witches are a scourge. We really should behead her and get it over with.”

  Hadley’s grip wasn’t overly strong, but her fingers were vicious when they dug into my flank to give me a hard pinch, causing me to yelp.

  “You had that coming,” Galen noted when I turned to him for help. “Leave her alone. She’s volunteering her time to help you. I would think you’d appreciate that.”

  He had a point. “Fine. We’ll go back to the real reason I called you.” I gestured toward the storeroom. “This place has been ransacked ... and I have no idea if anything has been taken.”

  Galen turned serious. He took a step inside the room and looked around. “June is just this side of a neat freak. There’s no way she would leave this closet like this.”

  “That’s what I figured.”

  Slowly, Galen tracked his gaze to Paige, who was glaring at Hadley. “Hey.” He snapped his fingers in front of her face, causing her scowl to deepen. “This room doesn’t regularly look like this, does it?”

  “Of course not.” Paige rolled her eyes. “Why would it look like this? How would anyone find anything?”

  “So, what’s kept in here?” Galen asked. “I mean ... what’s the purpose of this closet?”

  “Um ... to store things,” Paige replied, sarcasm on full display.

  “I know that.” Galen pinned her with a serious look. “The time for fun and games is over. We need a serious answer. We promised June that the hotel would run smoothly while she was in the hospital. We intend to keep our promise.”

  “What’s this ‘we’ crap?” I challenged. “I’m the one doing all the work.”

  “I’m pretty sure that’s my girlfriend I loaned you for the day, although not for anything gross so keep your hands to yourself. I’m doing the best I can to help you.”

  That was true. I hated to admit it, but he was right. Now was not the time for us to mess with each other. It was time for us to join forces and help the woman who had given freely of herself our entire lives. Mrs. Seaver had earned our loyalty.

  “I’m sorry.” I held up my hands in capitulation. “I’m just off my game. I’m not used to being in charge.”

  “You’re not in charge,” Paige muttered under her breath, but just loud enough for everyone to hear. “If you were in charge, we’d already be out of business.”

  “What is your deal?” Hadley snapped, taking a menacing step in Paige’s direction. In that one moment she looked like an evil witch. I wanted to applaud her. Instead, I grabbed the back of her shirt and hauled her back.

  “Ignore her,” I ordered. “She’s trying to get a rise out of you.”

  “That’s exactly what she’s doing,” Galen agreed. “But it won’t work. We need to figure out what’s going on here. It’s important to June, and whatever bad history and current ridiculousness that’s fueling us needs to be pushed to the background. June is the most important thing here.”

  Paige let loose a petulant and drawn-out sigh. It was as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders and she was being magnanimous even letting us into her world. It was an Oscar-worthy performance. “It’s just a standard storeroom,” she volunteered. “We keep odd linens in here, the ones we no longer use. Extra towels. Oh, and those little shower and conditioner bottles that we put in every room.”

  “Nothing else?” Galen’s brow furrowed as he stepped into the room.

  “Not that I’m aware of, and I’m generally aware of everything that goes down at this hotel because I’m the one who actually runs it.”

  Galen slid his eyes to me. “I don’t know what to do. I mean ... we don’t know if anything was even stolen. If it was, I’m guessing it wasn’t all that important.”

  “Definitely not,” Paige agreed. “Besides, this happens all the time.”

  Now it was my turn to react with incredulity. “What do you mean? You didn’t mention that before.”

  “Why would something like this happen all the time?” Galen challenged.

  “It’s normal,” Paige countered. “June doesn’t even blink when it happens now. We just clean it up and move on.”

  “But ... why? Why wouldn’t June call me about this?”

  “You’ll have to ask her that. It’s because of that old legend, the one about her great-great-great-however many greats-grandfather. You know the one I’m talking about.”

  Realization hit Galen and me in the face simultaneously.

  “Oh,” we said in unison.

  Hadley glanced between us. “Did she just explain something?”

  “Kind of,” Galen hedged, automatically moving his hand to her shoulders so he could rub as he considered our newest conundrum. “It’s a weird story and I completely forgot about it. I guess it makes sense ... in a really out there sort of way.”

  “Really weird,” I echoed, my mind going back. One of the ways Mrs. Seaver placated Galen and me as children was with the story. As far as family lore went, it was a really good one. “I forgot all about it. Captain Seaver the Cleaver.”

  Paige snorted and shook her head as bewilderment settled over Hadley’s pretty features. “That’s the stupidest pirate name there ever was.”

  “I’m sort of partial to it,” I admitted.

  “Me, too.” Galen’s eyes glinted with humor as he caught my eye. “Remember when we used to have mock sword fights?”

  “You guys still do that,” Hadley supplied.

  It took me a moment to get her meaning, and I had to choke back my laughter. “I guess that’s kind of true.”

  Galen flicked her ear. “I don’t have sword fights. I’m far too old and mature for that.”

  Hadley was understandably dubious. She’d seen us in action, so she knew that wasn’t entirely true. “If that’s your story.”

  Speaking of stories, we needed to focus on the old one. “Captain Seaver the Cleaver was one of the first inhabitants of Moonstone Bay,” I volunteered, searching my memory for the specifics of the story. I hadn’t heard it in a very long time. “The island wasn’t always a resort town. Back in the 1800s pirates hid out from the military here.”

  Hadley tilted her head to the side, intrigued. “Wait ... are we talking actual pirates? Like in The Goonies?”

  “The Goonies isn’t real,” Paige shot back. “That’s a movie. Has no one ever told you that’s a movie?”

  Hadley’s gaze was full of mayhem when it landed on Paige. “Really? I never would’ve guessed.”

  “She knows it’s a movie.” Galen shifted closer to Hadley, probably to make sure she didn’t lose her cool and start throwing punches. I’d never seen Hadley jump on someone with the express intent of ripping them apart, but if anyone could force a first time, it was Paige.

  “Captain Seaver was a larger-than-life personality,” I offered, hoping to get the conversation back on track. “He spent twenty years robbing ships that were crossing between America and Europe. He became a very rich man.”

  “And he lived on Moonstone Bay?” Hadley kept glancing between Galen and me. I had the distinct impression that she thought we were putting one over on her. Galen picked up the story. “This island was basically uncharted. Those coming to America ignored it because it wasn’t big enough for the sort of colonies they were trying to set up. By the time they actually started paying attention, it was too late. The pirates had taken over and the island was full of cutthroats and prostitutes.”

  “You would’ve fit in well with that group, Hadley,” Paige offered. “Those would’ve been your types of people.”
r />   Hadley narrowed her eyes. “Keep pushing me and you’ll see exactly how evil I can be.”

  “How about we put off that lovely confrontation until after June is back on her feet?” Galen suggested. “Captain Seaver was a big deal. He earned a reputation as a big drinker, a huge womanizer and a very rich man. He built a mansion of sorts on the north shore. I think there are still some remnants out there if you ever want to take a look. We could take a picnic and make a day of it.”

  Hadley appeared intrigued by the suggestion. “That sounds fun. I love looking at old stuff. Maybe we can even find some pirate treasure.”

  “That’s the thing,” I interjected. “Everyone knew Captain Seaver was a rich man. His house was often broken into when he wasn’t there. Legend says he went on murderous rampages because he knew people had been in his house whenever he returned to the island. They never found anything, though.”

  Hadley tilted her head to the side, considering. “He had the money to build the house, right?”

  “He had plenty of money. He was simply too smart to keep it at the house. He also owned other properties in the town, which was growing rapidly back then because of all the money coming in. That town is now Moonstone Bay.”

  “That still doesn’t explain why people are breaking into the storeroom of a hotel,” Hadley argued. “I guess I must be missing part of the story.”

  “June is a descendant of Captain Seaver,” Galen explained.

  “I figured that part out myself.”

  “Good for you, smartie.” He flicked the tip of her nose and grinned. “The thing is, Captain Seaver was in his seventies when he was killed. People said he’d amassed a fortune that was worth well more than a million dollars ... and that’s in those times. That fortune today would be worth a great deal more than that.”

  “How did he die?”

  “He died the way all of us want to go,” I replied, sharing a small smile with Galen as we both chuckled.

  “That wasn’t really an answer,” Hadley pointed out.

  “I know. But you won’t like the answer.”

  “No woman is ever going to like that story,” Paige said. “I mean ... it’s gross.” She turned to Hadley. “They say he was in bed with four prostitutes at the time, that he’d gone through all of them and was going back for seconds when his heart gave out.”

  Hadley’s mouth dropped open. “No way!”

  “It’s true.” Galen looked more amused than he probably should have, but he couldn’t hide his mirth. “The prostitutes tore apart the house after the fact and found nothing. Ever since then, people have been searching high and low, tearing apart his other properties looking for the treasure. There have been excavations all over the island.”

  “And that plays into the hotel how?” Hadley pressed.

  “Well, the hotel was built on top of Captain Seaver’s favorite saloon. For years people have whispered that the money was kept close to his favorite thing ... his booze. People have always believed that June knows where the money is.”

  “And people are still breaking into the hotel looking for pirate treasure?” Hadley shook her head. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Greed is a great motivator,” Galen noted. “I still wish she’d told me about this. I would’ve done something to stop it.”

  “Well, now we know,” I offered. “I’ll go through the security while I’m working here and we’ll come up with a plan to keep her covered. As for this storeroom, I guess there’s nothing to do but clean it up and get back to work.”

  “I think that’s the best plan,” Galen agreed. “There’s nothing much else we can do.”

  Six

  There wasn’t much we could do about the storeroom. Galen helped me tidy it up – not uttering a single word of complaint – and then walked with me to the lobby to check on Hadley. I figured we needed someone front and center to handle the whims and needs of the models should they start making demands, and Hadley seemed the right person for the job.

  She felt differently, of course. She didn’t want to be near Paige. She didn’t have a choice, though, so she headed to the lobby desk, grumbling under her breath.

  “I think that’s it,” I said once the storeroom was back to normal and I’d gathered the majority of the items on Jay’s list. “We should probably check on Hadley to make sure she hasn’t smothered Paige with her superior attitude, huh?”

  Galen merely shook his head. “I’m sure they’re fine.” He considered the statement further. “Maybe that’s just wishful thinking. We should definitely check on her.”

  We lapsed into silence as we carried the items I’d collected through the labyrinthine hallways. On a normal day I would’ve been fine with the silence. Today I was feeling unnaturally chatty.

  “You know you’re going to have to explain your relationship with Paige to Hadley, right?” I prodded finally.

  Galen didn’t look happy with the suggestion. “Why would I possibly do that?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because Paige keeps suggesting that we behead Hadley.”

  “Hadley knows I dated people before her.”

  “Yes, but this is different. Besides … I kind of told her a little bit about Paige.”

  Galen’s expression darkened. “Oh, really?”

  His tone told me I was treading in dangerous water. “Don’t give me that look,” I complained, shooting him a pointed glare. “It’s not my fault that you broke the poor woman’s heart.”

  “I most certainly didn’t break her heart.” Galen was scandalized. “We were kids. I dated her for like four months. We were not compatible. I mean … she irons her blue jeans, for crying out loud.”

  I’d forgotten that part of the story. The fact that I was even privy to the information was a small miracle. “Didn’t she starch them, too?”

  Galen narrowed his eyes. “How do you know that? Wait … I don’t want to know.” He held up his hand, disgusted. “You slept with her, didn’t you? I should’ve seen that coming.”

  Even though it had been years since we’d competed on that level, the comment rankled. “I didn’t sleep with her. Why do you always jump to that conclusion?”

  “Um … because you slept with all my high school girlfriends.”

  “No, I flirted with all your high school girlfriends. I didn’t sleep with any of them … er, well, maybe two of them. That’s different.”

  Galen didn’t look convinced. “Not from where I’m standing. From where I’m standing, you seduced all of them and left me with several broken hearts.”

  That was laying it on a bit thick. “I flirted with a few girlfriends to bug you. I didn’t sleep with anyone while you were dating them. I waited until after. Believe it or not, hurting you was never high on my to-do list.”

  He slid me a sidelong look. “Because of June?”

  “Partially. The fact that she was fond of you bothered me a lot when we were younger. It always drove me crazy that people thought you were so charming.”

  “I am charming.”

  “If that’s what you need to tell yourself.” I kept my face impassive, but inside I was smiling. He had a big ego. I actually liked that about him. I had a big ego, too, which is why it was always entertaining to poke him. Still, he was bitter about the girlfriends he seemed to believe I’d stolen from him when we were young and dumb. He needed to get over it.

  “You and Hadley seem happy,” I offered after a beat.

  He growled. “Don’t try to cause problems. Things are really good right now, and you’re just going to screw things up for her if you try to mess with her head.”

  “I have no intention of messing with her head.”

  “Keep it that way.”

  “I just said I don’t want to mess with her head.” It took everything I had to keep from exploding. “Seriously, dude, you have trust issues. I have no interest in Hadley … other than as a friend. Given how much she talks, sometimes I can barely manage the friendship bit.”

  Instead of
being offended on his girlfriend’s behalf, Galen smirked. “I think she’s cute.”

  “You’re sloppy over her,” I shot back. “It’s kind of annoying.”

  “I think it’s awesome.”

  I pursed my lips as we rounded the final corner that led to the lobby. “I’m happy for you. I’m happy for her. You guys seem to fit. That doesn’t mean I want to mess with you and try to take her or anything. It just means that I’m genuinely happy for you.”

  Galen’s expression reflected suspicion, but he nodded. “Thank you. You’re still a putz.”

  “Right back at you.”

  HADLEY WAS TALKING TO NICK – a man I was starting to believe should have the word “tool” stamped on his forehead – when we hit the lobby. Galen immediately started lobbing serious stink eye in his direction.

  “What’s his deal?”

  “Other than being annoying, I couldn’t say.” I dropped the items I was carrying on one of the couches that littered the lobby and frowned at the way Galen was puffing out his chest. “You can’t be serious.”

  He slid a dark look in my direction. “What? I didn’t say anything.”

  “You’re practically lifting your leg and marking your territory.”

  Galen was a wolf shifter, so the jab was doubly pointed. “I am not. I was just curious what Nick Dorian was doing here.”

  “He works here.”

  Now legitimate puzzlement wafted over Galen’s features. “I didn’t know that.”

  “I think he’s been here a few years.”

  “I don’t remember ever seeing him.”

  “Do you go through the lobby when you enter? He’s the concierge. He’s always at the front desk.”

  “I usually go straight to the back patio.”

  I nodded in understanding. “Because that’s usually where Mrs. Seaver is.”

  “I stop by to see her as often as I can,” Galen acknowledged. “It hasn’t been as much since … .” He didn’t finish the sentence, instead leaving it hanging.

  “Since Hadley arrived,” I finished for him, amused at his obvious discomfort. “You threw over the woman who helped raise you for a shiny new girlfriend. Admit it.” I knew the elbow was coming long before he threw it and easily sidestepped him. “I’m ashamed of you.”