More than Money (Found in Chicago Book 1)

by Allison Michaels

  Henri grasped his chin and forced him to look at her. “One day a woman will look past the scars and see the real you. I just hope you’re smart enough to pull her closer instead of pushing her away. You deserve to be loved, Neil. But it won’t happen until you learn to love yourself.” Her words turned his sniffles into full-blown sobs.

  “And you,” she peered over Neil’s head at her son, her watery eyes narrowing. “You need to get over yourself and own up to the part you played in the breakup. I hope you eventually realize that screwing lookalikes won’t fill the void in your heart. If you ever see Candace again, apologize for acting like a fool when all she wanted was to chase her dream in a different way than the one you had discussed. Be more open to change, Leslie. Life is full of unexpected twists and turns, and navigating them with a copilot is better than doing it alone.”

  Les turned scarlet and stared at the floor, blinking rapidly. “Stop lecturing me and eat your pie,” he said gruffly. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Oh, I know.” She speared the pointed tip of a wedge of pumpkin pie. “But you’ll be fantastic if you pull your head out of your ass and get your shit together.”

  He barked out a sharp laugh. “Figures you’d still read me the riot act while on your deathbed.”

  “I’m not gone yet.”

  “No, you are still very much alive.” I handed Les a piece of pie covered in whipped cream–the only acceptable way to eat it as far as he was concerned–and wiped my face with the back of my hand. “And since we’re apparently telling it how it is tonight, I hope you come back to haunt him if he doesn’t straighten up. Do some freaky stuff, like levitating inanimate objects. But please take pity on me and do not manifest your powers inside a clown doll.”

  Neil solemnly nodded. “What the girl said. My heart can’t handle another version of the Poltergeist puppet.”

  Les shook his head. “Swear to God I’m the only sane person in this family.”

  “Says who?” I fired a dollop of whipped cream at him off my fork, grinning when it splattered across the side of his head.

  His eyes widened. “You little…” He grabbed the spray can and shook it, taking a menacing step forward.

  Neil snatched up the bowl of creamed corn. “Fooood fiiiight!” he drawled, filling the large serving spoon.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Henri warned, shielding her face with the bedsheets. “You’ll be the ones cleaning up the mess, not the nurses or janitors.”

  “Aw, come on, Ma. Coco started it.” Les doused his pie with more topping and forked up a huge bite. “You always take her side.” He scrubbed his hair with a napkin.

  “Yeah,” Neil mumbled through a mouthful of eggnog cheesecake. “No fair.”

  “We girls have to stick together.” Henri shrugged and picked up her spoon, holding it out to me.

  I clinked mine against hers and dug into my cup of chocolate cherry mousse instead of flinging it out a window.

  26

  Ryan

  “Collette Sofia Russo.”

  I raised my phone and snapped a picture as Collette walked across the stage. A smile brighter than the sun graced her beautiful face as she shook hands with the president of the university while he slid a leather-bound diploma into her free hand. Moving her tassel from right to left, she went down the stairs on the other side and returned to her seat.

  My phone’s screen lit up with an incoming message as I cropped the photo.

  This is the longest ceremony EVER. Think anyone will notice if I army-crawl out of here during the Dean’s speech?

  Stifling a laugh, I typed out a response. You should have hidden a flask under your gown like the guy five seats to your left.

  Her head tipped back and turned to the left down in the student section. If I didn’t dislike Ray so much, I’d ask him to pass it to me came through shortly after that.

  He probably has something nasty in it, like Boone’s Farm.

  Watch it, mister. I still like Strawberry Hill.

  Nobody’s perfect.

  I’ve seen you drink Coors Light.

  Neil gave me a curious look when I snickered. Yeah, and it tasted like piss.

  You know what piss tastes like?

  No, smartass. But it’s the same color so logic dictates it would taste the same.

  I cannot believe we are texting about urine during my graduation ceremony.

  You started this. I was sitting here minding my own business like a good boyfriend when you sent the first message.

  Whatever.

  “Dude,” Neil whispered. “You look like a douchebag. Put your phone away.”

  Neil just called me a douchebag for keeping you entertained.

  A few seconds later, Neil pulled out his cell and glanced at the screen. He chuffed out a laugh and turned it sideways to elongate the keyboard.

  The next message I received was from him, with Collette and me as recipients. Thanks a lot. Now I look like a douchebag, too.

  Why the hell are all of you on your phones? Les asked in a new thread.

  Coco’s bored, Neil replied.

  And lonely, I added.

  And hungry. Can one of you please send me a snack?

  How in the hell are we supposed to do that? Tie a sandwich to a messenger pigeon and have it fly up to you? Les rolled his eyes at Neil and me, clearly amused at our conversation.

  Lame. A hawk would be cooler. Or better yet, a bald eagle, Collette responded.

  Sure, sure. No one will bat an eye if a fucking eagle swoops down and drops a sandwich on your lap. This guy is the last speaker. Lunch is on the horizon. Put your phones away before they confiscate your diploma.

  We filed out of the auditorium and followed the crowd to the reception in an adjacent banquet room after the ceremony. Collette emerged from the sea of black robes, her cap askew and gold honor cords flying as she ran toward us.

  All traces of the stress and tension associated with wrapping up projects and studying for final exams had vanished. The rings around Collette’s eyes had faded, and smooth skin stretched across her forehead instead of the deep crease formed by a near-constant scowl. A radiant, triumphant smile stretched across her face. She glowed, and seeing her in such a joyous state took my breath away.

  I fully expected her to go to Neil or Les first, but she bypassed them and headed straight for me. “You did it,” I whispered in her ear as we embraced. “I’m so proud of you. Now you’re officially smarter than me.”

  She laughed and pretended to wallop me with her diploma. I took it from her and studied the scrolled script as she hugged Neil and Les. “Can we please get out of here? I wasn’t kidding about being hungry.”

  “You don’t want to stay and have a drink with your friends?” Les asked, his eyes glued to a willowy blonde drinking a glass of white wine near the cash bar.

  “I’ll see them later at the party.” She unzipped her robe and exchanged it for her dress coat. “Stop eyeing up the Dean’s daughter. You’re not her type.”

  “Will she be at the party tonight?” He grinned when the woman caught him checking her out. Her gaze dropped to the floor as a blush spread across her face, lifting a moment later as she gave him a shy smile.

  “Damn it, Les.” Collette snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Engage your northern brain and move your feet.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Why not?”

  She heaved a sigh. “Because I don’t have a definitive answer. She said she might stop by after dinner with her father.”

  His eyes traveled over to the buffet, where the woman perused an array of finger foods. “Want me to grab something to tide you over between here and the restaurant?”

  “Hmmm…steak or cucumber sandwiches? Such a tough decision.” Neil’s outstretched hands bobbed up and down as he pretended to weigh the options. “Quit hijacking Collette’s big day. If she says jump, you ask her how high for the next,” he glanced at
his watch and folded his arms over his chest, “ten hours and forty-two minutes.”

  He stole the words right out of my mouth. I stepped next to Neil and struck the same no-nonsense, arms-crossed-over-my-chest pose. “There are millions of blondes in the bleach sea. Do the right thing for once and stay ashore with the brunette.”

  Les blinked hard, as though he had snapped out of a trance, and nodded, offering Collette his arm. “You’re right. Let’s go. There’s a porterhouse with my name on it waiting to meet the char-broiler at the restaurant.”

  She linked elbows with him and headed for the revolving door, chattering about what she planned to order at the steakhouse.

  Neil scrubbed a hand over his jaw as we walked behind them. “Why am I exhausted when all I did was sit on my ass all morning?”

  I laughed and pushed my way outside. “My ass literally fell asleep from sitting in the same spot too long.” A gust of frigid December air smacked me in the face and tore through all my layers of clothing, eliciting a shiver. “It’s too soon to be this damn cold.”

  Les walked backward, using his body to shield Collette from the wind. How he could shift from lecherous to chivalrous in the blink of an eye blew my mind. And made me wonder which persona–playboy or boy next door–was real. When he wasn’t acting like a horndog or an asshole, he was a decent guy.

  And he apparently thought I was a decent guy, too, because he no longer treated me like a threat or a temporary fixture. When the four of us made plans to do something together, he actually considered the options I tossed into the ring instead of ignoring or discarding them. The lowering of his guard prompted me to let mine down. Neil no longer had to act as a buffer by sitting between us to keep the peace and Collette didn’t have to schedule separate outings with each of us.

  When Les asked if I wanted to go to the Bears game next Sunday afternoon with him, Neil, and Luke during breakfast this morning, his “siblings’” reactions had been priceless. Collette had reached over, laid a hand across his forehead, and asked if he was feeling well. Not to be outdone, Neil had jumped up and removed a butcher knife from the block next to the stove, demanding to know who was sitting across from him and what he’d done with Les while waving the blade around in the air.

  Even though it had been tempting to give Les shit like the others, I behaved and simply said yes. But despite my casual acceptance of the invitation, I was pleased and excited to be included in the outing. Live sporting events were awesome, and our seats were pretty sweet–right behind a goal where we were guaranteed to see some action.

  “Shotgun!” Neil and Collette yelled at the same time as Les hit the automatic start button on his key fob. “I was first!” they declared in unison, pointing at themselves.

  While they argued, I hopped in the passenger seat of Les’s Land Rover and turned on the seat warmer, ignoring the protests and name-calling as they buckled up behind me.

  When we entered the brownstone after lunch, Oscar tried to steal the tin foil swan of leftovers from Collette’s hand as she greeted him. “Aw, do you want some steak, too? Hang on while I get your bowl.” The pooch barked and followed her to the kitchen.

  I shrugged out of my coat and pulled off my tie, heading for the stairs to change out of my suit. Neil’s feet thumped behind me.

  We met in the den and began moving furniture to the sitting area off the foyer. Once the room was empty, Neil took Oscar for a walk, and Les went home to switch clothes and grab the alcohol he had bought earlier in the week.

  I wandered into the kitchen and plunked down on a stool at the island. Cupcakes sat on cooling racks amid bowls of edible decorations. Grinning at Collette as she dumped ingredients in the mixer, I pinched up an orange gummy bear and dropped it in my mouth. “Whoa!” I exclaimed after a few chews. “Where did you find these?”

  “I made them. Well, kind of. All you do is pour vodka over gummies. They absorb liquor and are easier to eat than JELL-O shots.”

  “And addictive. Will I get buzzed if I eat the entire bowl?”

  Collette smacked my hand as I went in for another grab. “Those are for the party. I made something even better for you.” She slid a plastic container with a spoon sticking up out of it across the slick surface. My name was scrawled across the side in black marker.

  Chocolate chip cookie dough sat inside, in all its unbaked glory. “Damn it, woman. Are you purposely trying to make me cry?” I shoveled some into my mouth and hummed.

  She wiped her hands on the half-apron patterned with rolling pins tied around her waist and scooped white icing into a pastry bag. “No. Just trying to make sure there are desserts for guests to eat.”

  “Your diversionary tactics are impressive.” Nestling the bowl in the crook of my arm, I slid off the seat and joined her on the opposite side. “The guest of honor shouldn’t be holed up in the kitchen all afternoon. What can I do to help?”

  Squeezing the bag as she piped cream cheese frosting on coconut cupcakes, Collette jerked her chin at the collection of toppings. “Give each of these a sprinkle of toasted coconut. Put a strawberry on top of each of the chocolate ones and a give the red velvets a dusting of red sugar.”

  Once the tiered display stand was full, I kicked Collette out of the kitchen and sent her upstairs to relax while I cleaned up. The sound of water running in her bathroom brought a smile to my face as I returned a bin of flour to the pantry. Neil and Oscar got back from their walk as I finished wiping down the countertops. The beagle ran straight to his water bowl and lapped up half the contents before curling up on his bed for a nap.

  “Les texted while I was out,” Neil said quietly. “He heard from the PI. The guy checked the last batch of pawn shops within city limits and didn’t find the ring.”

  “Shit.” I tossed the sponge in the sink and sighed.

  “Yeah, I had the exact same reaction.” He went to the fridge and pulled out a container with his name written on the lid. “There are still a bunch in the suburbs, but I don’t feel too optimistic.” Grabbing a spoon from the utensil drawer, he dug into his own batch of cookie dough.

  This bad news made the fact that the bastard who mugged Collette was still on the loose even more frustrating. No more robberies or attacks had occurred since that night in the parking lot. And no one had come forward to report a man with a neck tattoo matching the description on the bulletin put out by the police.

  Someone had to have seen one of the flyers taped to a streetlamp or a store window and realized that their friend, neighbor, boyfriend, husband, or son was a criminal. By choosing to not turn him in, they endangered more women when he ran out of funds and attacked again.

  An irrational urge to make sure Collette was okay gripped me. “Touch anything and there will be hell to pay,” I warned while heading to the staircase.

  “Not my first time at this rodeo,” Neil called after me. “Why do you think she made this stuff? To keep our mitts off of everything else.”

  ***

  The comforting scent of lavender permeated the air on the second floor.

  I breathed deeply and passed through Collette’s bedroom, raising an eyebrow at the clothing draped over the arm of the chair near the bathroom door. I peeked around the edge and couldn’t help but smile. Collette lounged in the freestanding marble bathtub, her hair piled on top of her head in a messy knot and a cloud of white foam stretching across the basin. She looked like a bathing beauty in one of those retro pin-up magazines.

  “Hi,” I said softly, not wanting to startle her and ruin the relaxing environment she had created.

  “Hey.” She lifted a foot and pushed the left faucet handle to add more hot water. “I decided to take a quick soak.”

  “Take a long one.”

  “But–”

  I held up a hand. “Exactly. Keep your cute little butt in the tub and let us handle party setup.”

  “My mommas didn’t raise a fool.” Collette turned off the water and blew a handful of bubbles at me. “You should get in. There’
s plenty of room.”

  I toed off my shoes while lifting the hem of my T-shirt. “Neither did my mother.”

  She watched intently as I stripped and climbed into the opposite end. “You aren’t worried about smelling like a girl?”

  “Hell no.” I stretched my arms and legs out, reclining on the slanted marble behind me. “I’m in the tub with a gorgeous naked woman. How I’ll smell afterward is the last thing on my mind right now.”

  “What is on your mind?”

  I leaned forward, waggling my eyebrows. “Let’s just say this submariner’s periscope is about to rise above the water line.”

  She splashed water in my face, giggling like crazy. “Crack any jokes about seamen and you’re outta here.”

  “That’s so immature,” I huffed, wiping my eyes. “And water fights are for kids, silly rabbit.”

  Collette leaned forward and crooked a finger. Like a dope, I leaned toward her without thinking, my eyes fixed on her partially visible breasts.

  Boobs were my downfall because she took advantage of my being distracted by reaching behind my neck and dunking my head into the bathwater.

  “Brat!” I sputtered, snorting hard to get water out my nose. “Act like a child and you’ll be treated like one.”

  “What are you gonna do? Spank me?” She laughed as I grabbed a towel off the rack and scrubbed my hair.

  “No. You’d probably enjoy it too much, which negates its purpose as a punishment. Maybe I should tie you to the bed with your honor cords and leave for a while.”

  Heat flared in her eyes and the naughtiest grin I had ever seen turned up the corners of her mouth. “Or you could stay and have your way with me.” She shrugged and slid down until the tip of her chin grazed the water. “Just a suggestion.”

  My mouth went dry. Holy shit, Collette liked the idea of getting tied up. This discovery made me want to cut bath time short. Our sexual repertoire didn’t include any kink, and I was more than willing to experiment with light bondage.

  “You’d seriously let me?”

  “Well, yeah. I trust you, so it’s not like I’d feel helpless or afraid. It might actually be…” She straightened, her chest rising above the surface. “…fun.”