Troy had also lost his brother, and the pain in his voice when he talked about him was obvious. He must have lost his brother recently, and the wound was still fresh.
“He is… was a lot older than I and practically raised me after our mother died,” Troy said. “She used to tell us to hold on to each other because family bond was the most important thing in the world and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Luke would smirk and roll his eyes. I didn’t believe he took her seriously. But when she died, he fought for me to stay with him. First in the same foster home and later to live with him.”
“How old were you when she died?” Jillian asked.
“Eight. Luke was sixteen. When he turned eighteen, he got a job and came for me. He got a break and started taking evening classes at a nearby community college, but he ended up dropping out. It became too hard for him to balance everything. Me, school, work. If he’d left me with the foster family and taken off, he would have made it.” Troy studied his hands, and then gave them a sheepish grin. “He knew I needed him. He was the only one I listened to, so he sacrificed everything for me. Everything.”
“How did you lose him?” Faith asked.
Troy just stared at her. Then he excused himself. Jillian ran after him and gave him a hug. “I’m so sorry for being such a downer,” he whispered, shaking and teary.
“No, you’re not.”
“This is your bachelorette party, Jillian. It’s supposed to be fun. Please, go back inside. I’ll join you after I take care of this,” he said and indicated his face. She rubbed his back and nodded.
Jillian waited until he disappeared in the men’s room before joining the others.
“Is he okay?” Faith asked.
Jillian nodded. “Yeah.”
“That was powerful,” Deedee said. “His brother reminds me of Sloan. Same sacrifice, except our mother pretended she was dead to us. No, we were dead to her.”
Silence followed.
“Okay, enough with the morbid talk,” Deedee continued. “I want to hear about a younger Lex and how he and Jillian met. Just so you know,” she added, giving Jillian a naughty grin, “I had a serious crush on your man back when Sloan would bring him home from college. Not sure I’m fully over him.”
“Is that why you take every opportunity to kiss him?” Jillian asked, and the others laughed.
“I had to know what I missed. Besides, I love the way your eyes flash whenever I do it. Like now.”
“Try it next time and see my reaction, Deedee,” Jillian shot back, smiling, but she was dead serious. “I don’t share.”
Talks shifted to the guys, and Jillian saw Lex’s childhood through his sister’s and cousins’ eyes. He had missed out on a lot as the oldest in the family. He’d had to be sensible from when he was a teenager, which might explain why he kept his daredevil activities from his family. But Jillian couldn’t reconcile the Lex she knew with the one they portrayed. To them, he was their big brother, aloof and private. Lex was anything but aloof. He had expressive eyes. She could always tell what he was feeling.
“He is playful and quite vocal when he wants something,” Jillian said.
“Are you talking about in or out of bed here?” Deedee teased.
“You, I’m never letting out of my sight when my man is around,” Jillian said, pointing at Deedee. “I don’t trust you.”
“What? You think I might tie him down and have my way with him?”
Jillian laughed, remembering the cuffs, which she’d yet to ask Troy about. After his confession about his brother, Jillian wasn’t sure she should tease him. The evening had brought revelations about everyone.
“See what I have to deal with? This is why I’m marrying him as fast as I can.”
“How did you two meet?” someone asked.
Of course, there was no way Jillian could ever tell them the truth, but she stayed as close to it as possible. “Lex came to the set where I was filming, and a friend challenged me to talk to him. I had no idea who he was. I just thought he was a hot studio exec.” Jillian rolled her eyes. “I had sworn off dating anyone connected to the movie industry, but I love challenges, so I had a little fun with him. The next thing I knew, he was asking me out to dinner.”
“And you said yes because no one says no to Lex,” Jade said.
Jillian giggled and frowned. She never giggled. What the hell was in the blue drink she’d been sipping, and how many glasses had she consumed? She put the glass on the table and pushed it away.
“Actually, I said no and rode away, but he can be very persuasive and I’m only human. What is in this drink?” she asked, but her voice was drowned out by Troy.
“Ladies, it’s time,” he announced, entering the room. He seemed to have recovered. “One last game before the surprise,” Troy said and started the Never Have I Ever game. He’d directed conversations and played the part of the host most of the evening. He wasn’t even drinking.
As though she wasn’t already having a nice buzz, Jillian had do shots because Never Have I Ever was technically a drinking game. For every wicked thing someone in the group had never done, the rest who’d done it chugged. The Fitzgerald women might look all proper on the surface, but they had naughty pasts and presents.
“I never cuffed a guy up and had my way with him,” Jillian said on her last turn.
Everyone chugged except Troy, who was on the phone.
“Troy, come on,” Jillian urged. “Drink.”
The others chanted, “Drink! Drink! Drink!”
“Sorry, ladies. No drinking for me, and I’ve never done it. I’ll check on the last surprise.” He bowed and headed for the entrance, the phone in his ear.
Jillian was confused. She’d seen his handcuffs. Used them on Lex. She opened her mouth to ask him, but he’d disappeared.
They were still playing when a policeman entered the room and asked, “Which one of you is Jillian Finnegan?”
Jillian raised her hand and waved. “Over here,” she yelled.
“I’m Officer Rock, and this is my partner, Officer Smith.” A second cop entered the room. “You are under arrest.”
He whipped out cuffs, and a different kind of music started playing.
~*~
Jocelyn cradled Lex’s hand. “Tell me about her. She must be quite a woman for you to want to marry her this fast.”
Lex didn’t know what to say. He was sure there was a rule against discussing your future wife with an ex-girlfriend. Not that Jocelyn was ever that. They had slept together. Whenever they could. Neither of them had ever mentioned a relationship.
“She is,” was all he said. “But I want to hear about you. When did you get into town?”
For a brief moment, she stared at their hands. Her porcelain ones with red nail polish was in sharp contrast with his tanned skin. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he was getting weird vibes from her. When she looked up and smiled, she was back to being the woman he’d always known. Confident. Cocky. Hardworking when it came to business and equally unstoppable when it came to seeking pleasure.
“I arrived last night, called your office to see if we could catch a bite and make up for lost times, but Paula said you were out of town. So I called Sloan, and here I am. And you are getting married while I…”
The vibes returned. “Jocelyn?”
“I’m having a baby.”
Lex’s eyes flew to her stomach. They had sex six months ago, and she wasn’t showing. “Are you saying I’m going to be a father?”
She laughed. “No, dahlin’. I’m planning on having one as soon as I find a suitable donor.”
The relief was sweet. “What happened to getting one the old way?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes a girl has to take matters into her own hands. I’ve been seeing this guy on and off. I gave him hints, but he wasn’t listening, so I’ve decided to do things my way.” She ran her fingers along Lex’s knuckles. “If I’d asked you before Jillian, would you have volunteered?”
He would never
be an absentee father. When he and Jillian had children, he planned to be a hands-on dad. “You should have asked. Now, we’ll never know.”
“You sure? I won’t ask for anything, other than the deposit, and you won’t have to be a part of his or her life.”
Lex chuckled and jumped up. “Come on. Let’s dance.”
His friends were busy being entertained and didn’t seem bothered by their brief absence. Jocelyn didn’t stay by his side for long. She chatted with the guys, flirted with some of the girls, and glanced at him to see if he was watching. She even kissed one.
When they’d had threesomes, she’d chosen the woman and usually watched Lex with her before joining the fun. But at times she’d have him watch them first. She insisted she wasn’t bisexual, but Lex had his doubts. He had no interest in watching her tonight, but she kept appearing in his line of vision. Jocelyn was a sexy and beautiful woman, and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings, which meant leaving early before she got drunk. She tended to be completely uninhibited when drunk.
The food wasn’t bad and the champagne was the finest money could buy, but then again Sloan had discerning taste even though he hated champagne. His poison was a brew he got from his West Indies business partners. The drink was potent and probably illegal in all fifty states. Lex had tried it a few times, and each time he’d swear was his last.
Halfway through the lap dance, Lex’s senses heightened as he watched the woman gyrate in front of him. Jillian was better. Her lap dances were sensual and often led to something decadent. Funny how her Armenian heritage explained some things about her. From her sensual belly dancing moves to the way she’d decorated her bedroom at her condo with bold colors, Turkish rugs, and Persian beddings.
“Did I lose you?” the woman whispered in his ear.
Lex leaned back and blinked. She sounded just like Jillian. She cupped his face and pressed it against her cleavage. She smelled just like Jillian, too.
Lex looked into her turquoise eyes and grinned. It was Jillian. Somehow, having her here made sense. What had she told him? A lap dance and nothing more? Somehow she’d known he wouldn’t want to do this with another woman. He stroked her hair.
“Couldn’t keep away?” he teased.
“You didn’t think I’d let anyone else give you a lap dance, did you?” she asked, her sexy voice stroking his senses. She forked her fingers through his hair. “No one touches what’s mine.”
Lex chuckled, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her closer. The other hand cupped her nape just before he claimed her lips. She tasted… different. Or maybe the drink was messing with his head. He should stop drinking Sloan’s special brew.
He stood and staggered. Faces floated around, his vision blurry one second and focused the next. He shook his head and found his bearings. Since he knew his way around the house, he didn’t slow down until he reached the first guest bedroom. Lights were on, and the bed was inviting. He closed the door with the heel of his foot.
His vision blurred again, the side bed lamp splitting into two images before merging. Jillian slid from his arms, and for a brief second a strange face was superimposed on hers.
What the hell?
He lost time because when everything swung into focus again, he was on his back on the bed, his pants around his ankles, and she was touching him. Lex lifted his head and studied the wheat-colored hair. Her touch was different. Just like her kiss. Jillian’s touch was filled with reverence as though he was delicate, and she’d be talking. He loved her potty mouth.
Lex protested and reached down to touch her hair. The texture was different. It wasn’t silky like Jillian’s. She lifted her head, and he saw her face. His mind said it was Jillian smiling at him, touching him. His senses knew it wasn’t her. Everything about her was off.
Lex tried to push her away, but his arms were heavy as though being weighed down by sacks of sand. The woman was all over him, and a strobe light flashed to his right, distorting his vision. The still functioning part of his brain wondered if he’d been drugged.
Jillian.
Roaring, he rolled over, knocking the woman off him. The momentum took him off the bed and onto the floor. A scream and the sound of something crashing echoed around the room. Thuds and voices reached him as though from afar.
“Jillian! Find her. Help…”
Darkness crept in fast and sucked him under before he finished talking.
CHAPTER 11
The women shoved dollar bills in the men’s underwear and smacked their asses like a bunch of horny, hadn’t-had-sex-in-months nymphomaniacs. From the way their men had looked at them during that Sunday brunch, Jillian knew they weren’t going without in the bedroom. They were just in the moment tonight, and she loved them for it.
Where was Troy? He was missing all the fun. Jillian leaned back from the dancer dry humping the air by her face. He moved closer, then lower.
“Can I take a selfie of us, princess?” he asked, his eyes on her face.
Damn, he recognized her. “No.”
“Come on.” He was practically on her lap, gyrating like he was on the peak of a massive orgasm. “Is not like I’m asking for a kiss. Your fiancé is getting more than just a lap dance right now.”
Okay, this bachelorette party was so over. Jillian scooted her chair backward and scrambled to her feet. The man reached under his tight skivvies, and she imagined him whipping out an erection. He was buff and the bulge down there wasn’t something to sneer at, but she was not interested in another man’s body parts. Worse, he kept leering at her.
Anger coursed through her. Behind him, the other women realized something was going on. One by one, they stood, leaving his partner in the middle of his routine. The one in front of Jillian pulled his hand out¸ and Jillian saw a cell phone.
So that package wasn’t him? Go figure. She started to cover her face, and at the same time, she angled her foot to knee him in the nuts.
“See? He’s having a good time,” he said.
His words reached her, but it was too late. Her knee was on an upward swing and connected. The cell phone flew from his hand as he doubled over, his hands closed between his legs. He landed on the floor with a thud, but she didn’t pay him any attention. Her eyes were on his phone.
Jillian picked it up and stared at a picture of Lex carrying a blonde wearing only a thong, their lips locked. Jillian’s heart dropped.
No, this couldn’t be happening. She swept her thumb across the screen. More pictures. Lex standing as the woman pulled his pants down. Lex on the bed on his back, his eyes closed in ecstasy, as the woman touched him.
Pain slammed through her. She became aware of the others converging on her. Someone had turned off the music, and the dancer at her feet was now cursing. She wanted to ask who had sent him the pictures, but the instinct to protect Lex outweighed her anger. Jillian dropped the phone and crushed it with the heel of her boot.
“What happened? What did he do?”
Jillian didn’t know who asked the questions, and frankly, she didn’t care. She wanted to go home. Not only was she going to skin Lex alive. She was going to make it hurt.
“He wanted selfies,” Jillian said. She glanced around the room. “Where’s Troy?”
“He left before the dancers arrived,” Deedee said. The dancer she’d kneed was still curled up on the floor while the other one yanked on his pants a few feet away. He looked ready to bolt.
“What did you do, you bastard?” one of the Fitzgerald women snarled. Amy, Eddie’s wife. “Did you touch her?” She poured her drink on the guy, and the others joined her.
“I didn’t. I swear,” the man said, sputtering and covering his head. “I just wanted a selfie.”
“Get up, take your things, and leave,” Faith snarled, pointing at the door.
“We’re reporting you for inappropriate behavior and asking for a full refund,” Deedee said.
Jillian heard them, but her thoughts were with Lex and the pictures she’d just seen.
Destroying the phone wouldn’t make them go away. The sender still had them on their phone.
There was one thing she couldn’t stand from a man, and that was cheating. If Lex couldn’t keep it in his pants, he wasn’t worth her time. She wasn’t joking when she’d told him she didn’t share.
Someone touched her arm.
The two dancers scurried to the door, the one Jillian had kneed struggling to pull on his pants. His partner waited until they were by the door, turned, and said, “We don’t need to be paid, Ms. Finnegan, because you didn’t hire us. Paul Warwick did.”
Deedee gasped and went pale. The next second, she was rummaging through her purse. She pulled out her phone. Jillian also noticed the glances the Fitzgeralds exchanged, and Faith whispered Warwick something to Amy. They all knew about Warwick.
“When they appeared, I assumed Deedee had hired them,” Faith said.
“And I assumed you’d hired them,” Deedee said. Then her eyes widened. “Oh my God.”
Jillian followed the direction of her gaze and saw what she was staring at. The dancers were back in the room with their hands up. And behind them was Troy with a gun leveled. He also had a nasty cut on his temple.
“Troy?” Jillian asked.
“Sit down!” he ordered, not sounding like the easy-going guy she’d come to know the past week. The women shuffled away from them. “Jillian,” Troy called out and pulled handcuffs from the pocket of his trench coat, the same ones she’d borrowed last night. He extended the cuffs toward her. “Cuff them.”
But Jillian couldn’t move. Nothing made sense. Not Troy and the way he was behaving. Not Warwick hiring dancers behind bars. And definitely not the man she loved letting another woman put her hands on him. How could Lex betray her like this? Anger and pain bombarded her, and tears rushed to her eyes.
Faith took the cuffs and snapped them around the wrist of one of the men, looped it around the rung on the back of the chair and cuffed the second man.
“I’ll keep them here until Lex and the others get here,” Troy said, his voice hard. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He really didn’t look good. “The limo is downstairs. The driver will take you home.”
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