He protected Alex with what could have been his life, but the prosecution had been unable to prove that Shane was the murderer. They’d put him away on aiding and abetting while everyone wondered if he was really as cold blooded as he was portrayed.
Shane wasn’t a murderer. At least, he hadn’t been going into prison. But the man he’d covered up for – the one person who supported Shane when everyone else turned away from him…as far as Shane was concerned, there was nothing he wouldn’t do for Alex.
But now, after eight years in prison, he found he no longer wanted to hurt. He no longer had to kill to protect himself, or lash out to survive. If Alex was coming to him with job propositions, he didn’t want them…and he had to come up with some way to tell him that.
“It’s good to see you, Alex.” He returned his companion’s embrace briefly before pulling away to gaze down at the slightly shorter man. “I appreciate you looking for me. I was trying to take some time to…process some things.”
Immediately, Alex’s eyes darkened. “Yeah, man. I heard about your brother. That was some dirty shit, brother. Dirty, dark shit.” Alex ran a hand through his deep, ink-hued hair. “I’ve had my boys on it, trying to do some digging, but they got nothin’. The cops got nothin’. It’s a fucking shame, man.” He shook his head. “Man murdered in the middle of the strip and the cops got nothin’ on it.”
Shane’s mouth drew tight at the mention of his brother’s case. “They haven’t found anything?”
“Not a single fucking lead.” Alex returned on a sigh, leaning back against a nearby wall. “Fucking cops, man. Can’t find criminals, can’t put away the right people…what the hell are they good for?”
Shane’s small, hard smile held absolutely no humor. “Taking bribes from crime syndicates and being corrupt as fuck.”
Alex snorted. “You’re right about that.” Reaching up, he scratched at the stubble on his square jaw before nodding in the direction of the bottle he’d taken from Shane. “Can I have some of that?”
It took Shane a moment to uncover another glass, but once he did, he filled it with ice and poured Alex a drink. The man consumed the entire contents in a single swallow before a sigh of contentment escaped him. Shane poured himself another drink, his head buzzing pleasantly. “So, how’s business?”
Immediately, Alex made a face, holding out his glass for a refill. “We’re not here to talk about my business, man. This is about you. You just spent eight fucking years of your life in the slam for me and I’m not about to forget that. So you tell me what you need. A job? A place? Women? Just say the word.”
Shane sighed, rubbing at his temples as he contemplated the right way to speak to Alex. “No offense, Alex, but you gotta understand me when I say: I just got out of that life. I’m not looking to go back.” He shifted in his seat, sipping from his own drink as he continued. “Not that I don’t appreciate your offer, but if you’re giving handouts, they gotta be legit ones. I’m trying to find a way to get back into life…and I missed a ton of shit. Holly…she’s all by herself, and I got a niece I never laid eyes on. Dad…who knows how the hell he feels…but I’m not looking to jump into the underworld before I set my count straight on the outside, you feel me?”
Alex, far from looking offended, nodded slowly, his expression considering. “Yeah. I got you.” He let his head fall back as he blew out a breath. “Man…straight and narrow for you, brother?”
“No other way.” Shane set his glass down on the bedside table as he considered. He hadn’t seen Holly since she and Tommy got married, his mother wasn’t speaking to him, and his father was just as likely to shoot him as he was to speak to him – not to mention he’d missed the first seven years of his only niece’s life. He had a lot to make up for.
He just hoped that it was in him.
“Alright.” Straightening, Alex reached into his pocket for his wallet, rifling through its contents before pulling out a wad of bills. “Take this, at least.”
It wasn’t in Shane to refuse money at this point – not when he’d spent three hundred on his suit and Alex now knew his stance on any sort of illegitimacy. He let Alex put the money in his hand as he nodded. “Thanks.”
“I’ll be thanking you for the rest of my fucking life, brother. There’s more where that came from. You got a place to stay? Besides this hole-in-the-wall, I mean?” Alex grimaced as he gazed around the hotel room once more. “I got a penthouse on the strip I don’t use. Paid for with clean money – no one will come after you. You have my word.”
But Shane was already shaking his head. “Thanks, but no thanks, Alex. I’ve got a place and a job lined up.”
At least, he hoped he did. The alternative was to find himself on the streets as a result of his misplaced pride – and that was the last thing Shane wanted. If he was going to start making up the years that he’d missed, he needed to be close to his family.
And his Dad would be a good place to start.
“You sure?” Alex finished his second drink, his brow arched. “You wanting to get back into all the lovey dovey…man, that’s easier said than done.”
Shane was no idiot. He knew he had a long road ahead of him. If he was lucky, maybe he could begin to get to know people who’d worked hard to forget him.
And perhaps, in doing so, do Tommy’s memory some justice.
Chapter 4
“Honey, you should eat your vegetables.”
From her places at the edge of the table, Holly watched as Maddy toyed with the broccoli on her plate. She finished her steak and potatoes, but nothing Holly did could get her daughter to eat her broccoli.
Maddy glared up at her mother, her expression sullen. “Daddy puts cheese on it.”
Glancing up from her paperwork, Holly sighed. Though the pain her late husband’s name caused her had lessened substantially in the past year, that didn’t mean she was ever ready for the unexpected pang of discomfort in her belly. “Sweetheart, Daddy’s not here.” Holly put her papers down, rising from the table to make her way over to Madison’s side and kneel before her. Reaching out, she ruffled her daughter’s hair with gentle affection. “You want me to go to the kitchen and get you some cheese?”
In reply, Maddy only reached up to dislodge her mother’s hand, gazing daggers at her plate. At least, Holly told herself, she hadn’t run away. That was something. She, wincing slightly at the kink in her back before signaling one of the waitresses milling about the restaurant. When the blonde teen came close, Holly shot her a sincere smile. “Emily, could you keep an eye on Maddy while I pop into the kitchen?”
“Sure, Holly.” Emily all but beamed. Despite the fact that Maddy had been sullen and withdrawn for the past eleven months, that didn’t deter the young waitress. She loved children, and she was always determined to make Maddy laugh – even when she didn’t succeed.
“Thanks.”
Stepping away from the table, Holly cast her daughter a parting glance before beginning towards the back of the establishment. As she did, she allowed her carefully erected mask of optimism to fade somewhat as she gazed over the patrons in the restaurant.
There were still far too few.
In Tommy’s heyday, the seats had been filled almost every night. They were frequently featured in top ten lists and tourists flocked in for the chef’s everyday specialties. Since Tommy had died, things were quieter. Business had never quite returned to what it was when he was alive, and so, the restaurant had to cut back some. It hurt Holly to let staff go – to cut hours and take Tommy’s beloved dishes off the menu; but, no one could do things the way he could. No one could bring people in like Tommy could.
Holly was just trying to keep his legacy alive.
“Oh my God, Hol, you won’t believe what happened to me last night?” At Kelly’s enthused squeal, Holly forced a smile into place as she turned to face her friend. The blonde had just walked in for her five to close shift and she was all but glowing. Holly hardly needed to ask why, but she would anyway.
&n
bsp; It was obvious that Kelly was dying to spill the beans.
“What happened, Kelly?”
The restaurant manager was all but bouncing on the balls of her feet, and, in an instant, Holly’s smile went from forced to genuine. It was hard for her to stay upset when Kelly’s enthusiasm was so infectious. “I met the most amazing guy in the Cosmos at The Strike last night!”
It was always a guy – always. “Did you?” Holly’s smile was genuine. If anything, Kelly’s stories were always interesting.
“Six foot four, amazing body and rich as hell. He asked to buy me a drink and then we danced. He was an amazing dancer…” Kelly ran a hand through her perfectly curled hair, tousling the waves even more. She was the kind of woman who drew every man’s attention, and she knew it. It was an attribute she exploited the hell out of. Even now, at least half of the restaurant’s male customers were staring at her, their mouths slightly open.
But Kelly paid them little attention. She linked her arm with Holly as she led her towards the bar. “Two or three drinks in, he starts talking about how I’m like no girl he’s ever met before, how he’s never met anyone so beautiful, yadda yadda…standard man talk to get into your panties. But then, get this,” Kelly rounded the bar to slip behind it and punched her card to clock in in a smooth motion. “He asked to take me to dinner the next day. Today.”
The admission did indeed make Holly’s eyes widen. While Kelly would readily admit that she as a wild child that went looking for men to take home, she didn’t often date. She was a woman of few commitments – and those she did have were to the two cats she kept at home in her apartment. Men could never keep up with her, though a multitude of them exhausted themselves trying.
“So…he wanted a date.” Holly took a seat at the bar, arching a brow. “And you went?”
“Of course not.” Kelly shook her magnificent head in denial as she stashed her bag under the bar. “You know dates aren’t my thing, Hol. What I’m trying to say is: I got his business card. And guess who he is?”
Holly swallowed a laugh. She wouldn’t be able to. Not in a million years. “Who is he?”
Kelly paused for dramatic effect before revealing the answer. “Connor White.”
It took Holly a good minute or so of wracking her brain before she came up with a face to match the name. Connor White was the son of Miami’s mayor, an infamous playboy, filthy rich, and notoriously badly behaved.
Exactly Kelly’s type. “Whoa, Kelly. And you told him no?”
Kelly only grinned triumphantly. “What else was I going to tell him? I don’t want him to think I’m easy.”
Holly choked on her laughter. Though she loved Kelly with every fiber of her being, she wasn’t the kind of woman people accused of being easy. They straight up said it – perhaps behind her back, but Kelly was well known for her sexual adventurousness.
“So…what are you going to do with his card?” Holly decided not to touch that comment.
“Save it.” Kelly smiled triumphantly. “Get back to him on my terms.”
Sighing, Holly merely shook her head. She had long discovered that there was little she could do to stop Kelly from living recklessly. The most important thing was simply that she was careful. While the strip was fairly safe, Miami had its fair share of kidnappings and disappearances.
“Just promise me that whatever you do, you’ll do it responsibly,” Holly pleaded, taking the glass of water her friend offered her.
“Of course, Hol. You know me, I’m always careful.” She winked at Holly before pulling out the scheduling book to begin looking over it.
While it was true that nothing really dire had ever happened to Kelly, Holly still worried about her. They were best friends – and unlike most women their age, they didn’t often get the opportunity to go out together. If one of them wasn’t at the restaurant, the other was – which meant that she wasn’t there to ensure that her friend was alright.
“So…” After a moment of checking to see that everyone was present for their shifts, Kelly raised her head to fix Holly with a questioning gaze. “What about that guy whose number you took?”
At the question, Holly felt her stomach drop. She remembered all too vividly when she and Kelly had gone out to lunch the previous week and a blonde man in a gray suit three tables down bought them drinks. While Kelly had giggled and tittered, amused as hell, Holly found that she didn’t really know how to feel.
It had been well over a year since she’d last been with a man, and, in her life, she’d only ever been with Tommy. He was a sweet, tender lover, and not once had he ever made her feel as if she were anything less than absolutely cherished.
While it was true that in the past few months especially, certain impulses Holly had thought long buried began to resurface, she wasn’t like Kelly. She didn’t think she could simply sleep with someone for the hell of it. While she was ambitious enough as a teenager, she’d never been promiscuous. Tommy was her first everything. Her first kiss, her first intimate encounter…And not even the charming smile from the blonde stranger was enough to make her want him the way she’d wanted Tommy.
“I…I don’t know, Kelly. I don’t think I’m going to call him. It’s still…too soon.” In truth, sometimes Holly wondered if she’d ever be able to be with another man. It wasn’t simply her own reservations – but she had the restaurant to look after, along with Maddy. She had bills to pay and a house to keep – something that Tommy’s life insurance barely touched.
Not that Holly wasn’t grateful for the money. The five hundred grand had been just enough to get the restaurant out of the debt that crippled it. After paying their staff and making sure they had all the supplies they needed on a day to day basis, Holly had just enough money to pay her mortgage for two months before the funds were exhausted.
She still had to work to make her living, but at least she didn’t have to worry about Tommy’s restaurant closing. She didn’t know if she’d be able to live with herself if she’d allowed such a thing to happen.
But that didn’t mean that her stress was gone in its entirety. Maddy still needed clothes –things for school. Holly’s mother still needed a nurse to care for her in-home daily. All of Holly’s expenses were piling up so she barely made ends meet. She was struggling to stay afloat – though she’d be damned if she let anyone know how much. Kelly had cared for her when Holly thought Tommy’s death would destroy her. She wasn’t going to worry her friend any longer if she could help it.
“Hey, stop that.” Holly’s head jerked up when Kelly addressed her. She was surprised to see the blonde wearing a stern expression. “Stop that. You’re thinking too much. I can tell when you get stuck inside your own head.” The concerned lines in her face smoothed somewhat. “If you’re not ready, you’re not ready, Hol. I just thought it might be good for you to start…you know…putting yourself back out there.”
Holly bit her lip. Apparently, putting herself out there wasn’t something she’d been terribly proficient at from the beginning. She’d been a mother before she’d had any other man but Tommy tell her she was sexy…and Holly was just now beginning to realize how woefully inexperienced that made her. “I will, eventually.” She exhaled hotly. “Just don’t ask me when.”
“Gotcha.” Kelly laughed softly. “More for me, I guess.”
Rolling her eyes, Holly slipped from her bar stool. “All for you.” With that, she finished her water before heading back towards the kitchen. By this time, she was certain that Maddy would have abandoned her broccoli all together, but she would bring the cheese anyway. It was worth a try.
While she was asking Trey, one of the sous chefs, if cheddar or gruyere would go better with broccoli, Kelly entered the kitchen. Holly looked up, surprised. “Something you need, Kel?”
“There’s someone here to see you.” Kelly arched a brow in inquiry. “Says his name is Kurt…Kit…something like that.”
With a sigh, Holly told Trey to bring both the cheddar and the gruyere. If she was lucky
, Emily would get her to eat one of them. She followed Kelly from the kitchen and back into the moderately crowded restaurant. Almost immediately, Holly spotted her caller.
He was tall – maybe an inch or two over six feet – with honey blonde hair and deep blue eyes. The suit he wore was a deep gray color, coordinating with a blue striped tie, and she could just see the edges of a tattoo at his collarbone under the crisp button-up he wore beneath. When the man spotted her, he smiled – a gesture that didn’t quite meet his eyes – and Holly realized that she recognized him.
His attractive visage was vaguely familiar.
“Hello.” She held out her hand to shake. “You’re looking for me? Holly Wilder.”
“Pleased to meet you, Miss Wilder. Names Kirk Luckston. I was a friend of your late husband’s but I don’t believe we ever had the pleasure. I was sad to hear about his loss.”
“Oh.” It all clicked.
Holly had seen this man in the restaurant. In the last six months or so before Tommy’s death, he came in at least once a month and always asked to speak to Tommy alone in the office. “Thank you,” she managed, trying to remember if Tommy ever told her the details of those meetings.
“Of course. I can’t imagine the turmoil you must have gone through. I heard you were hurt as well?” Kirk shook his head in sympathy. “I hope you’re healing alright.”
Holly had, in fact, long since healed. The only remaining evidence of her wounds was two angry red scars running across her belly. “I’m fine, thank you.” Holly glanced over at Kelly, who was watching their exchange with questioning eyes. A subtle gesture from Holly and Kelly was headed back to check on the serving staff. “How can I help you, Mr. Luckston?”
“Ah, well.” He ran a hand through his short hair and as he shifted, Holly caught a whiff of expensive perfume. “I was actually hoping to discuss some business with you. Something Tommy and I started before be passed…perhaps you might still be interested in it? I’ve heard the restaurant has been suffering in the past few months. Perhaps we can discuss assistance of some sort?”
Billionaire's Match Page 17