by Leroux, Lucy
Peyton wanted to laugh. At long last, Liam Tyler had fallen in love. It just wasn’t with her.
All those people out there… Despite trying to hide her feelings for Liam, they had all known. Not to mention all the lies she’d told herself. She was the only one she’d fooled. Only Liam and Charlotte had been oblivious to the pain they’d so casually inflicted. The pity on everyone else’s faces had been humiliating.
I need to get out of here. Dying wasn’t an option. Caislean employees were not allowed to expose themselves or be unprofessional in any way. She’d been employee of the month all those times because she knew the rules backward and forward.
Grabbing some toilet paper, she scrubbed at her cheeks, giving silent thanks to the makers of waterproof mascara.
“Peyton, are you okay?” Expensive shoes appeared under the stall door.
She had expected Maggie, but the voice wasn’t hers.
“I’m fine,” she called out. The quiver in her voice called her a liar.
The woman huffed. “Yeah, see…I’ve been that kind of fine. Sergei’s lucky I didn’t kneecap him back then for what he did to me.”
“Eva?”
She pushed open the stall door to reveal the curly blonde perfection of Sergei Damov’s wife, Eva Damov, formerly Stone.
“Hi,” Peyton said weakly.
She knew the other woman a little. They had run into each other a few times when the Tylers entertained, but they hadn’t spent much time together—mainly because Eva was a big-time executive at her husband’s company. She traveled almost as much as the Tyler siblings. Sergei constantly bragged about his brilliant wife and how much money she made him. Peyton admired her enormously, but the other woman’s busy schedule meant they were almost strangers.
Eva handed her a washcloth with a soft and sympathetic expression. “I arrived in time for Caroline’s announcement. I’m sorry your party was hijacked. Maggie is out there running interference.”
“Thanks.” Peyton hobbled to the sink in her ridiculous shoes.
If she knew Liam, he’d be busting down the door soon enough to make sure she got back out there to enjoy the rest of her party. Desperate to avoid seeing him, she needed to clean herself up to avoid comment when she snuck out of here.
She wiped her face, critically assessing the damage. It wasn’t that bad, considering. But it was bad enough.
“I, uh…” Her usually agile mind failed to come up with a sufficiently plausible excuse for leaving.
Smiling brightly, Eva clapped her small hands together. “I’m so glad I caught you since I wanted to tell you in person. I was extremely impressed with your dissertation.”
Peyton stared. “You read it?”
The blonde curls bounced as Eva shrugged. “It’s sort of in my wheelhouse.”
“It is?” Peyton knew Eva had some interests in computers, but not enough to read a boring thesis on the state of quantum computing.
Eva leaned toward her. “You know about Adstringo, right?”
Catching up, Peyton nodded. “Sergei owns it.”
The Silicon Valley company had made a big splash a few years ago with some groundbreaking software. She’d heard rumblings that more revolutionary projects were in the works, but there had been unspecified delays.
Eva waved her hand, dismissing her words. “Sergei paid for it, but Adstringo is my baby at Damov Industries, one of a handful I take a personal interest in.”
Peyton nodded again, wondering why Eva was telling her this.
Eva’s heels clicked on the marble floor as she reached for one of the thick paper towels in special holders on the sink. After she ran one of them under the tap, she turned.
Peyton kept still when Eva gently wiped her mouth.
“The guys at Adstringo are brilliant, but they tend to go off on tangents,” Eva said casually, pretending she wasn’t wiping another grown woman’s face like a mother with her child.
“They’re an immature pack of geeks, to be honest,” she continued. “I’ve tried bringing in experienced managers to wrangle them. They respond well to authority, but only up to a point. It doesn’t last because the managers can’t follow the work they’re doing at a deeper level. They need someone who understands them—someone who can even pitch in and code sometimes.”
Peyton’s lips parted as the dots began to connect. “Are—are you offering me a job?”
“I am.” Eva grinned, tossing the towel into the bin. “If you can stomach the thought of management instead of a pure engineering position.”
Peyton was flabbergasted. “I’ve never managed anyone.”
Eva raised a brow. “Really? Because as I understood it, you’ve been the de facto head of IT at the hotel for years, all while going to school and getting your degree.”
“Well, the work here isn’t…” Peyton had been about to protest her work at the hotel didn’t involve management at all, but that wasn’t true. She’d just never realized it because she’d been doing it for so long.
“It would pay well,” Eva said in an enticing voice, elaborating on the details.
Peyton’s hands shook as she adjusted her dress, but she listened with avid interest.
I could do this job. The position Eva described could have been tailor-made to fit her skill set. Yes, she’d have to leave her friends behind, but she’d been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If she took it, she would have to live on the other side of the country.
I wouldn’t have to watch Liam get married.
“Do I need to interview?”
“Yes, but if I’m right, it’s just going to be a formality. I can smell talent. It’s one of my gifts. I know you’ll do well at Adstringo.”
Eva reached into her purse, then handed her a card. “I want you to call my assistant tomorrow to make the appointment. He’ll handle your travel plans. We’ll take care of everything.”
Eva broke off, giving her an apologetic glance. “I should add this position is going to be demanding, and we need someone yesterday. You might have to relocate very soon.”
Peyton didn’t believe that for a second. Tears stung at her eyes. This time, she didn’t let them fall.
She dabbed at her face, willing the redness to fade. “Eva, you’re fucking amazing.”
Eva grinned. The swearing didn’t put her off. “So Sergei keeps telling me, but he’s too biased to count as—”
The door swung open. Peyton flinched, half-expecting Liam.
“Damn it, Ethan. This is the ladies’ room.” Eva pointed imperiously at the door.
Ethan Thomas, Jason’s partner at the FBI, snickered. “Just pretend I got lost.”
Peyton’s brow creased, wondering at the familiarity of the pair.
Oh, that’s right! Ethan had been part of Eva’s rescue mission a few years ago. He had delivered Eva’s son on the yacht where she’d been held captive. She even named her son after him. Of course, it stood to reason they would be friends now. Too wrapped up in her grief, she’d almost forgotten their history.
Ethan gave Eva another lopsided grin. “It’s turned into a schmooze-fest out there. Caroline’s father just showed up. I’m gonna cut out early. Anybody in here in need of a ride?”
He raised his head, his expression matter of fact when he focused on Peyton.
He was good. It was as if he were completely unaware her heart had just been ripped out in front of her nearest and dearest friends.
Eva answered for her. “What good timing. Peyton’s come down with a touch of food poisoning. She could use a lift home.”
He held out his hand. “Great. C’mon. It’s on my way,” he lied. His apartment was across town from hers.
Eva gave Peyton a quick hug. “I’ll tell everyone you were sick. We can celebrate your thesis later—and maybe more. Call that number.”
Her head still spinning, Peyton nodded. “I will.”
Chapter 3
It had started to rain. The bus ride home would have been a disaster in this weather, but at
least the world was keeping pace with her emotions for a change.
What emotions? Blessedly numb, she stared out the window. After a few blocks, she registered that Ethan was carrying on a conversation with himself. It was a steady stream of small talk.
She shifted to gaze at him blankly, trying to piece together what that hell he was talking about just as he lapsed into silence.
“It’s going to be all right,” he said after a long pause. “That Caroline woman could have kept her mouth shut another day. She and Liam didn’t need to ruin your party.”
Peyton shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”
She was so tired now. She could get in bed now and sleep all weekend.
“Of course it matters. You worked like a dog for that degree. Doing something like that on top of your job at the hotel was insane. Having your thunder stolen like that sucked.”
He reached over to squeeze her hand before returning it to the gearshift of the manual car. “Hey…if I tell you something, you won’t hold it against me, will you?
“It’s okay. Don’t bother.”
“What?” He laughed, not expecting that.
“I already know what you’re going to say.”
“And what’s that?” Ethan asked.
The wet city streets crawled past the rain-streaked window. They had hit downtown traffic. “You’re going to say I’m better off,” she supplied in a flat voice.
Ethan and Liam didn’t get on. To say the two rubbed each other the wrong way was a vast understatement. They hated each other, for reasons neither had disclosed.
“And then you’re going to say I’ve wasted my time pining for someone who will only ever see me as a sister,” Peyton continued. “You’re going to say I’m a fucking idiot—that I’ve been one for years.”
“Err…”
It wouldn’t have been the first time. Maggie had said the same things—only she had put them more diplomatically. Trick had also hedged and nudged her in other directions, leaving the blunter you-don’t-have-a-prayer-with-Liam speech for his sister. Even Calen had dropped a less-than subtle hint last Christmas. That had hurt because she’d always believed only the Tyler siblings had been aware of her secret.
Some secret. It seemed everyone had been aware of how Peyton felt about Liam. Their pity would be unbearable now.
“That’s a bit harsher than I would have put it,” Ethan muttered, stopping for a red light.
Peyton reached up to trace a falling raindrop on the other side of the window. “Did I ever tell you how long I’ve known the Tylers?”
“No…a while, right?”
“I was seven when I met Maggie. It was my first day at Eastwood Prep. It’s a private school. She was in my class. I sat next to her, but we didn’t speak until recess, in the sandbox. These rich girls were picking on me for being new. Somehow, they knew I was a poor scholarship kid. I guess my second-hand uniform gave me away. One pushed me down. I was crying, and Maggie came to my rescue.”
“I’ve never heard this story. What did she do?”
Peyton’s mouth twitched. “She barreled into our little cluster like a cannonball, then pushed them right back. She yelled at them to go away…and for some reason, they did. She told me later they’d tried to bully her, too, but her brothers had prepared her for that sort of thing. They taught her to fight back, dirtier and harder.”
He laughed. “That sounds like Maggie.” Ethan was fond of his partner’s wife, but not too fond. He liked Maggie, but he spent most of his time flirting with Peyton when he was around them.
“I met Liam that day, too,” Peyton continued. “He picked Maggie up from school. Back then, their parents were still alive. Picking her up was a chore for him, but he didn’t complain when Maggie insisted on waiting until my dad came and picked me up. Dad was an hour late. That was around the time he started drinking heavily—he was starting to lose track of time.”
Ethan murmured noncommittally. Peyton hadn’t mentioned her dad to Ethan before, but Dad’s alcoholism was an open secret. Donald Carson had been gone over a year. In some ways, though, she was still dealing with his problems.
“It wasn’t long until Liam started driving me home instead of waiting around for my dad to remember what time school let out. It was over twenty minutes out of his way—an eternity for a teenage boy.”
“It’s an eternity for him now,” Ethan sniped.
“True.” Liam was the most driven individual she knew. He was also the most impatient. When he wanted something, he wanted it done yesterday. “But he stopped driving me home after he had to help me carry my second-grade science project inside the house. Once he got a good look inside, he took me to his parent’s B&B. I practically moved in with their family then.”
She could still remember how Liam’s face had hardened when he’d walked inside that first time. He’d put down her project—an ancient computer, dissected and laid out with each internal piece carefully labeled. Ever so slowly, he’d done a circuit around the dingy living room, no doubt counting the number of empty liquor bottles.
After he’d peeked into the refrigerator and almost-bare kitchen cupboards, he’d made her pack a bag. That had been the first of many sleepovers with Maggie. Patrick had moved one of the B&B’s trundle beds into Maggie’s room for Peyton to use. Eventually, they got so tired of moving it they’d left it there permanently.
Liam had become her hero that day, but not yet the love of her life. That status had been cemented later.
“Hey, I get you’re grateful to Liam, but—” Ethan began.
“I’d be dead without him,” Peyton said flatly. “Or worse…”
He shifted gears. “Don’t you think that’s a bit of an exaggeration?”
“No. It’s not.” She flicked a glance at him. “I don’t think Jason knows so you wouldn’t have heard it from him. Liam doesn’t share much. He’s rather good at keeping secrets. Patrick has never mentioned it to me, but Calen knows because he was there.”
She’d piqued Ethan’s interest now. His hands tightened around the steering wheel. “What happened?”
“You’ve heard about my dad’s gambling problem, right?”
He shrugged noncommittally. “What did Donny do?”
Peyton sighed. Ethan was too good an FBI agent to be unaware of her history. That and he seemed to like her. That made him extra nosy.
“In addition to being a lifelong drunk, he also liked to play cards, usually after a few beers. Of course, the more he drank, the worse he played. After a while, it was hard to tell which he liked more—booze or cards. He would have the odd lucky streak, but they never lasted.”
“Let me guess? He got in over his head, borrowed money from bad people he couldn’t pay back, and…”
“Yeah.” She glanced at him. “It’s not exactly an original story, is it?”
“And you were there when they came to collect.” It wasn’t a question. Ethan’s voice was clipped and hard.
She nodded. “I was nine. Maggie’s parents had just passed away a few months earlier, but Liam was somehow still managing to keep the B&B going with the help of their loyal staff—Constanza and Maria-Elena.”
Peyton sank deeper in the seat, lost in her memories. It was amazing to reminiscence on where they started. “For a moment, right after the car accident, it felt like the Tylers were going to lose it all, but Liam pulled everyone together. Even Maggie and Trick pitched in. They cleaned the kitchen together, then took over the gardening. I felt bad hanging around, giving them another mouth to feed, so I told Maggie my dad needed me at home and started catching the bus home from school. And one day, Dad’s creditors came. They were inside when I arrived.”
Ethan kept his eyes on the road. “How many men?”
“Three big guys. I knew a few of their faces from the bar my dad liked to drink at. Sometimes, when the power or water went out, I’d have to go down there to remind him to pay the bill, so they’d turn it back on.”
She ran her fingers over the fine l
eather interior of Ethan’s car. It was just the type of vehicle Donny would have gone crazy over. But his habit ensured he’d never been able to hang onto his driver’s license for long.
“What did they do to you?” Ethan braced himself.
“Nothing.” Her laughter was harsh. “I was terrified, but I knew enough not to show it. They asked where my father was. I told them he’d be home any minute. Then…I don’t know. I guess being at the B&B had rubbed off on me. I pretended I was Maggie when she was greeting guests. I offered them coffee, but I didn’t wait for an answer. I just headed to the kitchen like everything was normal.”
Peyton picked at the sleeve of her wool coat. “I could hear them whispering in the living room. I wasn’t able to make out most of what they were saying, but one had a higher pitched and nasally voice. I could hear him fine.”
Ethan hung on her every word. “What was he saying?”
She took a deep breath. “He was bitching about our place being a dump, and how Dad would never be able to pay up. He said they’d get more for me than any amount Dad could scrounge up. He knew a guy who would pay top dollar if I hadn’t gotten my period yet.”
Ethan swore aloud. “Son of a bitch.”
Peyton shrugged. It was a long time ago. And she never had nightmares about it. She only ever dreamed about what happened after.
“I didn’t know what to do, so I took the cordless and hid in one of the kitchen cabinets.”
He nodded sagely, piecing it together. “And you called Liam.”
“Yes.”
She replayed the whispered conversation in her mind. All she’d told him was there were men in her house waiting for her father, and she was hiding in the kitchen.
“Liam didn’t give me a chance to tell him about the money—not that it would have made a difference. The surviving Tylers operated on a shoestring back then. Things are pretty different for them now.”
“What did Liam do against three men?” Ethan appeared confused. “He was still in high school, and they would have been armed.”