The Iris Boys Series

by Smoke, Lucy

  “They’re cheap,” he explained. “And we don’t want anyone suspecting anything, especially now that we’re looking at the guests.”

  I nodded and adjusted my hair so that it covered the earbud. “It’s all good.” I smiled. He blinked at me for a split second, his hand hovering over the side of my face. “What?”

  Texas shook his head. “Nothing,” he mumbled, and turned away.

  “You ready?” Marv asked.

  I glanced back, wondering why Texas had looked at me so strangely, but nodded anyway. Marv pulled me into the hallway, towards the dining room. I hoped whoever the thief was, we would catch them sooner rather than later.

  * * *

  A string quartet sat on a raised dais in the corner of the lavish Sweratt Island gardens. Marv and I, along with the rest of the guests of Sweratt Island, were dressed in light pastels and summer colors for the garden tea-party event. A much smaller number of couples had been invited and were seated at their own private tables. Sweratt employees circled them, pouring water and wine and offering bouquets of flowers for purchase. When an employee stopped by our table, Marv put a hand over his wine glass and politely shook his head.

  "For you, ma'am?" the young man asked me.

  I blinked up at him, shocked that I wasn't even being carded. "No thank you," I replied.

  He smiled and poured each of us a glass of water before turning to the next table.

  According to Texas, Bellamy was stocking wine in the kitchens. We likely wouldn't see him in the garden.

  "Look for anyone acting out of the ordinary," Texas said in my ear. "Look for anyone paying special attention to one couple or another. They may still have their eyes on the Fosters, to see their reactions. If they think that the Fosters haven't noticed anything missing then they will likely find another target sooner rather than later."

  I coughed and reached for my water glass, gulping down several mouthfuls as my eyes scanned the nearby tables. Like the night before, we were seated near the Fosters along with a few other familiar faces. All seemed to be focused on the event coordinator, Donald Carrigan, the man that Texas had explained was one of the many faces of Sweratt that had been placed in charge of the event. Not far from him, I recognized Mr. Daschund, one of the men Marv had introduced me to at the party in Charleston. Mr. Carrigan stood in front of the now silent quartet with a microphone in his hand, welcoming the guests.

  “Thank you so much for coming everyone,” he said pleasantly, wiping away sweat from his brow with a crisp linen square that he pulled from his pocket. “As you know, Sweratt loves to appreciate its partners and affiliates with these events and this retreat is no different. We want to offer you any choice menu item from the selections you have been given and please feel free to treat your ladies to bouquets and a dance.”

  I watched as some of the men at other tables rolled their eyes or watched with dull, uninterested gazes. A quick peek at Marv told me that while he was focused on Mr. Carrigan, he was still taking every opportunity to peer around at the couples surrounding us. I straightened the cream-lace edges of my floral dress and folded my hands in my lap once more after placing my water glass back in its original position.

  “This garden party is simply a thank you from us to you. Please enjoy.” Mr. Carrigan finished his speech, prompting several audience members to applaud politely.

  “Would you like to dance?”

  I jerked my gaze back to Marv.

  “Now?” I asked, glancing out at the barren dance floor.

  His lips quirked with humor. “Now is as good as any time,” he replied, standing and holding out his hand.

  “It’s a good idea,” Texas said in my ear. “It will give you guys a chance to scan the area.”

  Hesitantly, I took Marv’s hand and stood. I wasn’t scared to dance with him as much as I was scared to dance in the ridiculously tall, pastel-blue heels I had on. But Marv, ever the gentleman, put his hand around my waist and guided me gently onto the empty dance floor. The string quartet struck up a new song just as Marv pulled me into the length of his body and we began to move. I thought dancing in heels would have been harder, but with Marv it was as easy as breathing. I didn’t even have to think, though I could count on one hand the number of times I had danced with a guy in a fancy dress.

  Marv leaned down and whispered in my free ear. “What do you see?”

  That’s when I remembered, I wasn’t there to play dress up. I was there to catch a thief. I took a breath and allowed my gaze to scan the crowd. Several more couples stepped onto the dance floor and began to sway alongside us. As Marv turned me in a circle, I caught sight of a shockingly familiar face. My eyes widened and I felt my mouth drop open.

  “What?” he asked. “What is it?”

  “Turn me back around,” I ordered. “Slowly.” If I was right, I didn’t want to alert the man I had seen to our presence.

  Marv did as I requested and stopped, allowing me to face the tables on the far side of the garden. Sitting next to an older blonde with graying roots, a young man, not much older than Marv, curled his fingers around the stem of a wine glass and grimaced as he took a drink. The man’s face was lean and sallow like he had been sick recently or might be getting sick. His blue eyes and facial features were so familiar, I stared trying to place where I knew him.

  It wasn’t until a second man approached from somewhere behind a large rosebush that I realized why I felt I knew him. While I didn’t know the man sitting down, I certainly did know the man at his side. Shock faded to irritation. It seemed no matter where I went, Grayson was always around. We had managed to avoid him at the party in Charleston, but now he was here on Sweratt Island. It made sense. His father was an executive director for the company after all.

  “Marv,” I said, throat working. “Grayson’s here.”

  “What?!” The sharp question hadn’t come from Marv’s lips, rather from the earbud in my ear. I flinched as I heard a squealing of interference in the background and Knix’s voice came across the line.

  “Grayson Caruso?” Knix demanded. “What is he doing?”

  “He’s standing over that man – his brother – the one that was with him at the party,” I replied quietly, leaning towards Marv’s chest so that the other dancers around us wouldn’t notice. “It just looks like they’re talking.”

  I watched Grayson for several moments as Marv turned us and we swayed so that he, too, could observe. Dressed in light-khaki dress pants and a purple button-down dress shirt rolled up at his forearms, Grayson looked just like every other person there.

  “Their father does work for the company,” Texas muttered in my ear again.

  I smiled because he had repeated my exact thoughts. Grayson frowned down at the man sitting at the table, obviously attempting to speak with him about something serious. His brother, on the other hand, didn’t seem interested in conversation. His expression was impassive as he waved his hand in Grayson’s face, dismissing him outright and stood. He offered the woman with him his palm. The woman vaguely resembled both brothers and, I thought, must have been either their mother or a close older female relative.

  Grayson frowned at his brother, his lips curving down in frustration before his face turned and his eyes landed on me. I froze for a moment, and Marv cursed under his breath. Grayson didn’t even glance at Marv. His eyes stayed on mine. I watched as he tilted his head backwards, nodding towards the gardens. Without thinking, I nodded back.

  “Guys,” I said as Grayson disappeared behind the rosebush once more. “I’m going to go talk to him.”

  Marv’s hands tightened on mine. “No.” Texas and Knix disagreed as well and I was sure, had Bellamy been there, his answer would have been just as immediate if not harsher.

  I looked up at Marv’s worried gaze. “I’ll be fine,” I assured him. “I just think he wants to know why I’m here – as much as we want to know why he’s here.”

  Grayson wasn’t exactly known for being a selfless person, but I didn’t th
ink he would hurt me. Marv’s expression could have been cut straight from stone. He walked me back to our table and pulled out my chair. When I remained standing he shook his head.

  “It’s not a good idea.” Marv’s eyebrows drew together in concern, lessening the rigidity of his expression.

  “He’s not going to hurt me,” I replied.

  Marv frowned. “I still don’t trust him.”

  “Why?” None of the guys liked him. It made me wonder if there wasn’t a deeper reason, if maybe they had a history.

  “Why what?” Marv asked, confused.

  “Why don’t you trust him?” I asked. “You don’t know him, do you?”

  I watched as Marv’s expression evened out completely from worried back to stone. “I know enough,” was all he said.

  “Well, I don’t,” I stated. “I’m going to talk to him.”

  “Then I’m going with you.”

  I placed a hand on his shoulder. “No, if you come with me then I won’t learn anything.”

  Marv stiffened for a moment, listening to something on the other end of his earbud before, with a sigh, he nodded.

  “Keep your earbud and speaker on you,” Texas said. Obviously, he and Knix had been listening to our argument.

  I didn’t bother replying, but I didn’t mind keeping the earbud and speaker. I knew they would want to listen in anyway. Moving further into the garden, the quartet’s music slowly quieted in the background until I couldn’t hear it at all anymore. Instead, the only thing I could hear was the bubbling and splashing of a nearby fountain. I followed the sound until I arrived at a three-tiered, stone fountain with beautiful, clear water streaming from the dips of shells into the bottom tier.

  “What are you doing here?”

  I spun to face Grayson, one hand over my chest. “Jesus,” I snapped. “You scared me.”

  “Answer the question, Harlow. What are you doing here?” Grayson didn’t move from his spot across from me on the other side of the fountain.

  “I wanted to ask you the same,” I said. “I’m here for a friend. Why are you here? Shouldn’t you have a date? This is a couple’s retreat.”

  I had never seen Grayson so serious. At school, he was playful, and generally uncaring about everything around him. But standing across from me, with dark circles under his eyes, and his hair in disarray, he looked tired. More than that, Grayson looked defeated.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  Rubbing a hand down his face, Grayson turned away. “Nothing. You should probably leave soon though. I didn’t realize you’d be here with one of your boyfriends.”

  “They aren’t my boyfriends,” I replied with a huff. “Why do you always have to dodge what I’m asking? You never give me a straight answer.” I moved around the fountain towards him. “It’s a couple’s retreat,” he snapped, repeating my earlier words. “Why are you here?”

  “None of your business.” Grayson took a step away and I quickly reached out, stumbling a little in my heels and grabbed his shirt for balance. He turned back, hands automatically going out to catch me.

  I slowly straightened. “I can tell something’s bugging you, Grayson. You keep trying to get me to talk to you, well I’m talking to you now. Tell me what’s wrong, maybe I can help.”

  “You can’t,” he snapped, jerking his hands away as soon as he realized that I was steady. “You can’t fucking help someone who doesn’t want it.”

  I blinked at the vehemence in his tone. I raised my hand slowly and laid it on his arm. He looked down and stared at my freshly polished nails. I had never gotten my nails done before, but I didn’t mind them. I liked dressing up for this role I was playing. I liked the challenge of being Harley. Maybe it was because this job was distracting me from the disaster waiting for me back home. I liked to think it was because I was doing something that would help someone else. If Grayson let me, I could help him too.

  “That sounds like something you might have said before,” I said quietly.

  Sharp, blue eyes meet mine. “Why are you here?” he repeated.

  “I’m looking for someone,” I replied, hinting. I had the feeling Grayson knew exactly what I was doing here, what the others were doing here. He had already admitted that he had seen Marv.

  “Shit.” Grayson cursed low, turning away from me, yanking his arm from my palm. I clenched my hand in a fist, but remained put. “Don’t tell me you’re looking for–” Grayson didn’t finish his statement when he looked back at me. “You are, aren’t you?”

  “I’m what?” My mind was reeling. I had lost track of the conversation and I was confused by his outburst. Grayson turned fully towards me, hands gripping my arms.

  “Don’t tell them, Harlow,” he said, eyes desperate. “Please don’t tell them. I’m fixing it. I’ll get him to stop, I swear I will. There’s no other reason for you to be here. For them to be here. But please don’t tell them. I’ll get him to give it back and then we’ll leave. I’ll make sure he never comes back.”

  “Holy fuck,” I heard Texas whisper in my ear. “He knows.”

  Texas continued to talk as Grayson tried to convince me to keep his secret, a secret that was already spilling out. “It’s his brother,” Texas said. “His brother has been to every event as someone’s guest – Joshua Caruso. He’s been the one stealing.” Texas was no longer talking to me or himself. I was sure he was talking to Knix, who was likely alerting both Bellamy and Marv.

  I kept my focus on Grayson. “Why?”

  “My parents are cutting him off,” Grayson admitted. “He’s been trying to stockpile enough money for when they do. He’s here with our Aunt Malinda. She has no idea.”

  I shook my head, confusion still whirling in my mind. “How do you know? How did you find out that he was stealing?”

  Grayson released my arms, but didn’t back away. His head lowered and he heaved a breath before looking away. “I found his stash,” he admitted. “I paid someone to sneak it all back. He’s furious with me. The only reason he hasn’t taken a swing my way is because I haven’t told our parents. If they knew, they would cut him off now instead of later.”

  “Why are they waiting?”

  Grayson shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know what those people think. They do a lot of shit just because. Josh has a problem. It’s not just the stealing.”

  Grayson’s face was a mask of anguish and I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out to him. “Hey,” I said, placing my hands on his cheeks. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “No, Harlow. You don’t understand. He won’t listen to me. He won’t listen to anyone. He doesn’t care.”

  I bit my lip and made a split-second decision. Before I could second guess it, I voiced the idea aloud. “What if we got him to give back what he’s stolen this time?” I asked. “Then we get him help.”

  “He won’t give it back unless he gets caught,” Grayson replied.

  “He is caught,” I said.

  “No offense, Harlow. You’re beautiful and not exactly intimidating.”

  I rolled my eyes and dropped my arms to cross them over my chest. “Yeah, I’m not intimidating, but we both know that I’m not here alone.”

  Grayson’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull as he realized what I was suggesting. “No, not just no, but hell no.” He shook his head. “They would rather chuck me off the side of a cliff than help me with Josh.”

  “He’s not wrong,” Texas replied.

  I had to stop myself from telling them both to shut up.

  “Here’s the deal,” I said. “I’ll talk to them about helping your brother as long as you continue to watch him and make sure he doesn’t steal anything else. We’ll figure out a plan. It should just be tonight. Tomorrow, we can get someone here to take him off the Island.” Hopefully, Marv or one of the guys would have an idea of how to do that. “You said it yourself,” I continued. “He has…other problems?”

  Grayson stared past me at the bubbling fountain, his face concentr
ating on something further away. “If I can just get him into rehab, maybe that will help.”

  “Are your parents willing to pay for that?” I asked. It was a serious question to consider. There had been a waitress I had worked with, fresh out of rehab and in some serious debt because of it. Thankfully, she had received a much better job offer several months into working at Alex’s Diner and gone off to better things. If Grayson’s brother couldn’t afford rehab, and his parents refused to pay for it, he might end up in her situation. But it was possible his situation wouldn’t improve the way hers had.

  “I’ll pay for it,” Grayson replied. “I don’t care how much it costs. I just want him clean and stable.”

  “You can do that?” I didn’t even think he had a job.

  He smirked, returning his gaze to mine. “I can do a lot of things.”

  “Ugh. Fine. You’re paying then.” I paused. “What kind of rehab facility does he need to go to?”

  Grayson rubbed a hand down his tired face. “Drugs,” he said. “I’m not exactly sure what all he’s been taking, I think it might be more than just pot. If it was just pot, that’s not a big deal – it’s getting legalized throughout the states anyway. But I’m pretty sure it’s more than that.”

  I stepped forward, placing my hand on his shoulder. “It’s going to be okay,” I promised.

  “Tell him to meet you in the room you and Marv are sharing tonight at seven,” Texas said quickly.

  I relayed the information and Grayson agreed. “I’ll walk you back to the garden party,” he suggested, moving so that his hand grazed my lower back.

  My eyes followed his movements as we strolled back through the rosebushes. The sounds of music rose over the tops of the plants and we stepped around a gardenia bush to the back side of the dance floor. As we did, a woman paused and offered us a bouquet of white flowers with a sunny smile. Just as I was about to shake my head, Grayson passed her a twenty and took the bouquet, handing it to me.

  I blinked down at the flowers, and he leaned over to kiss my cheek. Shocked, I jerked away from him and he turned with a ridiculously proud smirk.