“Well, don’t you all look friendly,” she says coolly, and I think she shoots a look Lucas’ way. I can’t be certain though, and she then turns her attention directly to me, looking into my eyes. “You must be the detective.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I answer, holding her unwavering gaze.
“Well, you must forgive my daughter’s manners, Detective. She likes to pretend that she’s had no proper upbringing whatsoever,” she smiles icily as she holds out her hand. “I’m Lois Colby.”
“Mother, behave yourself please,” Lucas says with a sigh.
I feel Samantha bristle at her mother’s words but, I take her offered hand as we continue to stare into one another’s eyes, and I get the feeling it’s some sort of weird pissing contest. Like she’s trying to see which one of us is the Alpha. I refuse to look away first. “It is very nice to meet you properly, Mrs. Colby. I’m sorry if our phone conversation was a bit … vulgar.” I smile as I take great pains to keep the tone of my voice even and genteel. If I can kill Sam’s mother with charm and kindness, I will.
“Why, thank you for your apology, Detective,” she says, sounding surprised. “That was very un-barbaric of you.”
I’m not exactly sure what to make of her comment but, I find it – and her – amusing, and I smile slightly at her. “Please call me Josh. And thank you for the compliment, ma’am,” I respond, still holding her gaze. And I sense instantly that she didn’t mean it as a compliment at all, which makes me smile even more. She knows that she’s not intimidating me.
“Hmm.” It’s her only response, accompanied by a slight smile of her own. Then she glances at Sam and Lucas and abruptly turns and walks away.
“Well, that was … interesting,” I say quietly, turning back to Sam, and she rolls her eyes.
“I hope you realize her condescending attitude was meant for me, not you,” she says.
“Don’t worry about it, baby. Your mother doesn’t scare me.”
“Well, she terrifies me,” Karen mumbles as she takes a sip of her champagne.
“Karen, come on,” Lucas admonishes her.
“I’m serious, Luke. She always makes me feel like a world class gold digger. Never mind the fact that I’ve been on some of the world’s most prestigious runways and magazine covers, and I don’t need your money,” Karen exclaims quietly. “I know she’s your mother and she’s just bitter and lonely without your dad but … she’s a piece of work sometimes. Try not to let her get to you, Josh,” she adds, turning to me. I smile in response but, Karen’s words actually make me feel a tiny bit better about the situation. At least I know it’s not just me Sam’s mother hates.
We mingle for a few more minutes and I’m introduced to Samantha’s grandmother, Madeline Colby, and I can instantly see – and feel – the resemblance. She has the same bright green eyes as Samantha, and her long hair is tied up in a bun. It is streaked with gray now but, you can clearly tell that it used to be the same warm chestnut color as Sam’s. She puts me at ease right away and her eyes sparkle at me as we chat about my job and she thanks me for coming to her granddaughter’s rescue. I’m not sure how old she is but she’s sharp as a tack and very funny, and I get the same cozy feeling from her that I get from Samantha.
“My goodness, you two look handsome together,” she says at one point, looking us over appraisingly. Then she turns to Sam and loudly whispers, “You’re right, Samantha. He is yummy!”
“Grandma!” Sam voice is raised in amused embarrassment and she blushes slightly while I stand shocked and mute. Why the hell does she keep describing me as ‘yummy’ to all the women in her life!
“Dinner is served.”
It’s the voice of one of the waiters, and everyone takes a seat at the long oval dining table. It is set up in front of the roaring fireplace, and the amazing view of night over Lake Union is glistening in the background. Sam and I meander to one end of the table and I maneuver us around to the other side so that our backs aren’t to the door before we take our seats. She gives me a puzzled look as she sits to my left, in between me and Megan, and across from us are Lucas and Karen and Dennis and his date. The other members of the wedding party are seated at the middle portion of the table and I notice that the parents have all somehow ended up at the opposite end. I wonder if this was planned or if it just happened that way. In any case, it should make for a slightly less awkward evening for me.
“What is it with you and sitting against the wall in restaurants,” she leans in and asks quietly.
I smile slightly and chuckle to myself. “It’s just a cop thing. We always prefer to sit facing the door, and where we can survey the whole room. That way we can see what’s coming at us,” I explain. “Nothing sneaks up on you.”
“Oh.” She looks at me with a slight frown and then glances around the room. Then she looks back at me with her bright sparkling eyes and smiles. “That’s pretty cool; I never would have thought of that!” She looks so proud of herself for learning something new, and I chuckle at her again.
As we’re served our first course of salad with mint and bacon, the ladies settle in on a conversation about last minute preparations for tomorrow while I, and all the other men, try not to die of boredom. Finally, Lucas puts us men out of our misery.
“So, Josh, tell me about your car,” he says as he finishes his salad. “Sam said you did all the restoration work yourself? Is that right?”
“Yes, I did.”
“That’s impressive,” he replies. “What kind of shape was she in when you first got her?” He seems to be genuinely interested, and I notice both Dennis and Scott perk up when I begin to answer Lucas’ questions. Soon, the four of us are off and running and, as we eat our main course of grilled lamb chops with fried leeks and twice baked potatoes, I tell them all about the work I’ve done on the Charger, and we talk about Dennis’ brief foray into the world of Formula One racing.
It’s nice to discover there’s a gearhead in Samantha’s family; I feel like Dennis is someone I can relate to. Over the course of dinner, I learn that Megan’s younger brother works for the family company, of course, but he has a real passion for cars. Something he says he shares with his dad, and I am aware as we talk that Kenneth Colby’s ears perk up and his attention drifts down our way a few times, as if he’d really like to join our conversation but he’s stuck with the fogies talking about money and business.
During my conversation with Dennis, I think I catch a private smile pass between Samantha and Lucas and I get the strange sense that Lucas has maybe engineered this little bull session for my benefit. Idly, I wonder if I’m imagining that. Why would he want to go out of his way to put me at ease? The thought needles at me throughout the rest of the evening but, I try not to focus on it. Instead, I concentrate on Samantha and the light conversations going on around the table.
I notice several times during dinner that Lois Colby is watching Samantha and me intently, and the look on her face is one of utter contempt. That woman does not like you one bit, Pierce. It’s not a revelation. I knew the moment we spoke on the phone that she was going to be a tough nut to crack but, jeez! I don’t think she could be any plainer about her feelings toward me if she spit in my face. I try to ignore her glaring gaze and turn back to Lucas and Scott, who are talking about some article on the slow death of the newspaper and how that’s going to continue to impact the way the media operates. It all sounds very boring to me as I finish my dinner.
“So, Detective, tell us about your job.” Lois Colby’s voice rings out loud and clear above the rest of the chatter, and she is watching me expectantly, wearing an almost diabolical smirk. All conversation comes to a halt and everyone seems to be holding their collective breath as they look from her to me. And I know that her plan is to try and make me feel uncomfortable in the midst of her wealthy family and friends. But what she doesn’t understand is that I’m extremely proud of the job I do. I fix her with an attentive gaze and smile warmly at her.
“Please call me Josh.
And what would you like to know, Mrs. Colby?”
“Oh, whatever you’d like to share,” she shrugs. “I’m sure it must be very exciting and dangerous, dealing with various lowlifes, criminals and common … thugs,” she says with an unmistakably icy glare. Her implication is clear: I must feel right at home among all that common riffraff. She’s just trying to get a rise out of you, Pierce. Don’t get angry! Don’t let her get to you.
“Well, yes. My job can be both exciting and dangerous at times,” I answer honestly. “But it’s also very rewarding. Protecting the streets of our fair city in order to ensure the safety and well-being of good people, such as yourself.”
“Hmm. Still, it must be frustrating,” she continues to try and bait me. “Doing such a thankless job for so little pay and recognition.”
“Actually, Mother, Josh gets plenty of recognition for all of his hard work,” Samantha speaks up proudly beside me and I feel her reassuring hand on my knee. “He’s one of the most decorated officers on the entire Seattle Police force.”
“How very impressive,” Lois says with obvious sarcasm as she turns her frosty glare on her daughter.
“Yes, Mom. It is impressive,” Lucas chimes in, and one look at him tells me that he’s actually a little pissed. What’s with him? I’m the one being talked about as if I’m not even here. And I can feel my jaw starting to clench as the scene plays out and Lucas continues to admonish his mother. “Josh is a highly decorated officer and he puts his life on the line every day he goes to work. You know … sort of like he did earlier this week when he saved Samantha from one of those common thugs you were referring to before.” He stares at her pointedly for a moment, and you could hear a pin drop in the private dining room. Lois actually blushes a pale rose color and I can’t tell if she’s embarrassed or pissed. I suspect a little of both.
“Yes,” she says quietly, composing herself and looking back at me. “And we all offer our sincere gratitude to you for that, Detective.”
“There’s no need to thank me for that, Mrs. Colby,” I say through clenched teeth, trying to keep my temper in check. “I would do anything to keep Samantha safe.” She stares at me for a beat longer and then turns back to her food, and the light chatter around the table resumes.
The rest of the dinner passes by without incident. Except, of course, for the daggers Lois Colby shoots me across the table. After dessert is served and eaten, we all begin to mill around and mingle once more. While Sam is entrenched in giggles and gossip with the rest of the bridesmaids, I strike up a conversation with Dennis and his dad, and this time Kenneth Colby actually seems to warm to me a little bit. We start off talking cars, but then he asks me about Timothy Echols and everything Samantha has been through, and his concern for his niece is evident and genuine. By the time Sam wanders over and slips her hand in mine, her uncle has asked me all about police work – everything from the types of cruisers we’re driving to dealing with difficult suspects. And he’s not looking down his nose at my job the way Lois just tried to. He’s sincere in his interest and it surprises me a little. I actually enjoy talking to him.
“You boys look like you’re deep in discussion,” Sam says, taking my hand.
“Hey, baby.” I let go of her hand and slip my arm around her waist and draw her close.
“Josh was just telling us some war stories,” Kenneth smiles at her.
“War stories? Sounds serious,” she says looking up at me with her big green eyes.
“Police work is always serious, kiddo. And I think you may have found yourself a decent fellow here, Samantha,” he says to her. His words take me by surprise, but they also make me feel good. I guess I’ve passed the doting Uncle test.
“Hmm? Maybe … I don’t know yet,” she smirks at me.
“Hey,” I say in mock protest and give her a frown, and she giggles at me.
“Sam!”
We look up to see the group of bridesmaids frantically motioning Samantha back over to them and she looks up at me and shrugs. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I smile down at her, “I’m fine.”
I watch as she returns to the excited group of young women and I can’t help the small smile on my face. I turn back to Sam’s uncle but he quickly gets pulled into a conversation with the parents of the groom and I’m left standing alone for a moment as I watch Sam interact with her friends. Standing with my hands in the pockets of my suit pants, I can feel the butt of my gun at my back with the pull of the fabric as I silently survey the room.
“Everyone loves a hero, don’t they, Detective?”
I turn and see Lois Colby standing beside me, and for some reason, I feel a wave of anxiety ripple through me. But I put my game face on immediately. “I beg your pardon, ma’am?”
“I said, everyone loves a hero,” she repeats, looking not at me but, across the room at Samantha. Slowly, she turns her gaze to me and says, “You certainly have my family fooled.”
It takes me a moment to comprehend what she’s saying and I frown at her.
“Although I suppose you were, technically, the hero in this situation,” she continues. “You did save my daughter from being raped by that madman. You possibly even saved her life, and I am genuinely very grateful to you for that. But you weren’t always such a hero, were you, Detective?”
I can feel my frown deepen as a sense of dread begins to wash over me. What the hell is she talking about? “Um … I’m sorry, Mrs. Colby, I … I don’t know what you mean.” My voice is low and uncertain and slightly tinged with fear.
“Oh, sure you do,” she says, smiling sweetly at me. “You and I both know that you have at least one deep dark secret hidden away in your closet.”
My heart rate suddenly spikes and I can feel the color drain from my face. I turn away from her and look over at Samantha, who’s still laughing and talking to Megan and their friends.
“Hmm. I see you know exactly what I’m talking about, don’t you, Detective?” Lois says. “I take it my daughter doesn’t know your dirty little secret? I wonder if your colleagues at the department know?”
I say nothing as I look back at Sam’s mother, and I can feel my jaw clenching and my fists tightening.
“Well don’t worry about it,” Lois continues with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Samantha never has to know what kind of man you really are. And to think … you actually said you would do anything to keep her safe,” she muses with a smug smile. “Tell me, Detective, do you really believe my daughter is safe with someone like you? How, exactly, are you different from the man you ‘rescued’ her from earlier this week? Or perhaps you feel your crime doesn’t count because it happened so long ago? That you’ve changed? That you’re really not that bad because there were extenuating circumstances?”
Don’t listen to her, Pierce! She’s just trying to mess with your head.
“I think we both know Samantha is much safer as far away from men like you as she can get. I will keep my daughter safe, Detective. Safe from the likes of you!” Her voice is whispered venom and her eyes are hard and cold. “I am warning you … stay away from her, or I will make your secret very, very public. Then we’ll see how long the decorated, honorable officer can hang on to his beloved job!”
The power of speech has left me. I stare mutely at her, in shock I think. So much for my assertion that Samantha’s mother didn’t scare me. Right now, Lois Colby has me scared shitless. And she knows it.
“The choice is yours, Detective. All you have to do is walk away from her and I won’t say a word.” She smiles up at me with a look of triumph. “Oh, by all means, please accompany her to the wedding tomorrow – I wouldn’t want to spoil Megan’s big day. But after that, I want you gone, or the truth will come out in the ugliest way imaginable.”
I stare at her in silent disbelief, feeling a knot form in my stomach. I’ve spent the entire day worried about what Lucas might know about my past. It never even occurred to me that he might not be the only Colby checking into my background.
She’s bluffing, Pierce. She has to be; she doesn’t know a damn thing. But as she smiles at me and walks away, I know in my gut that’s not true. She knows.
“Are you okay?”
I turn and see Samantha standing in front of me, watching me with big, concerned eyes. “What?”
“I asked if you were okay,” she repeats. “I saw you talking to my mother and I thought I’d come over and rescue you. She wasn’t rude to you again, was she?”
I hesitate a beat, looking into her beautiful eyes and wondering frantically how to answer her. No, she wasn’t rude, baby. She was just threatening to blow my world apart unless I stay away from you, that’s all. But she was very polite about it so, no worries.
“No. She wasn’t rude. She just … thanked me again for saving you from Echols,” I mumble. And I feel like shit for lying to her. Even about this. But I can’t tell her what her mother really said to me. And I can feel the tiny beads of sweat as they break out across my forehead when I realize that I can’t tell Samantha a damn thing about what just happened with her mother. Not without exposing myself and what I’ve done.
“My mother thanked you?” Sam says, green eyes sparkling with surprise. I don’t respond to her question but, it doesn’t seem to matter. She smiles sweetly at me as she steps into my arms. “Well, I don’t know why I’m surprised. She obviously can’t resist you either,” she whispers, looking up at me as my arms close around her. God, I wish her words were true.
I say nothing as I give her a weak smile and kiss her forehead. And as I do, I glance off to my left and see Lois watching us with narrowed eyes. She smiles slightly at me when our gazes meet, but her smile is cold and I feel the knot in my stomach grow tighter.
“Come on,” Sam suddenly brightens, smiling at me. “I want you to meet some people.” She pulls me away then, over to one of the bridesmaids and her boyfriend. I smile politely as we shake hands and I nod and smile in what I hope are all the right places as they chat. But I’m unable to concentrate on much of the conversation as I try like hell not to watch Lois Colby out of the corner of my eye the entire time. I drape my arm around Samantha’s waist and she leans slightly into me as she talks with her friends, and I can tell that she’s trying to draw me into the conversation but, I don’t say much. When her friends break away and mingle, she turns to me with a questioning gaze.
Pierced: Pierced Trilogy Boxed Set Page 62