Blaze (Deceit and Desire Book 6) Page 13

  Understanding dawned in his dark blue eyes and he took another step forward. “You must be Isabel’s friend, Daria. I heard you two went to school together in New York. Sean mentioned you were here in the states to study … ballet, I think?”

  “Yes.” Uncomfortable, I resisted the urge to squirm. “I should …”

  He moved forward another step. “I’m Brooks, Sean’s brother. I’m in the wedding party, too. One of the groomsmen.”

  He went to shift the towel from one hand to the other, offering his right hand.

  As I reached out to accept his handshake, the towel he’d been holding gaped, then fell. He grasped at it awkwardly until he held only a corner between his fingertips.

  A faint grin tugged up the corner of his lips, but other than that, he acted like he hadn’t even noticed.

  Okay. If he could do that, I could, too.

  My heart hammered against my ribs as I shook his hand. “Daria,” I said with a little laugh. “Well, you know that. I’m just going to …” I tugged my hand back and waved in the direction of the door.

  I tried not to run and I thought I did a credible enough of job of walking casually, if somewhat quickly, out the door, shutting it behind me.

  My heart continued to race as I looked around, bewildered.

  There was another door just across from me and with a desperate hope, I knocked tentatively.

  There was no answer.

  I eased the door open and found a room that was a mirror to the one I’d just left, although while that one had been decorated in cream and blue, this one was done in colors of crimson and cream.

  I sagged against the doorframe, relieved when I saw my bags on the bed waiting for me.

  Hurriedly, I shut the door behind me and collapsed facedown on the lake-sized bed. I found that the bed was as comfortable as it was beautiful. With a sigh, I closed my eyes. I could just hide away in here for the next few hours and hope the sexy Brooks, brother to the bridegroom, would forget about what had just happened.

  One could always hope.

  I lay there for a few more minutes but then, my innate neat streak starting to nag me and I got up. My bags lay there, ready for me to unpack. I started that brainless task, tucking socks, panties and bras inside the top drawer of the nearby bureau. It was elegant and exquisite, just like everything else in this house.

  I went to hang up a few blouses in the closet and saw that my bridesmaid dress was already hanging inside.

  I touched a finger to the delicate crystals that encrusted the straps. The dress was black and ankle-length, matching the black-and-white theme Isabel had chosen for her wedding. The nice thing about the dress was that it could be worn to other events, a pretty, black formal dress.

  Just as I went to pull it out to try it on, my phone buzzed.

  I picked it up from where it lay on the bed.

  It was a text from Isabel.

  I’m at the pool … come on down! One of the house servants can show you how to get here.

  I bit my lip. Isabel had told me she had a swimming pool and that we’d make time to hang out next to it. I hadn’t gone swimming since the last summer I’d spent in Moscow, several years ago. Kiska and I had gone swimming, and then out for ice cream.

  It was a good memory that sometimes made me sad, but I didn’t let myself brood over it.

  Instead, I hunted down the swimming suit I’d bought for just this occasion.

  Four

  Brooks

  Well, I’d had some abstract idea about hooking up with a cute bridesmaid while I was here.

  Daria wasn’t exactly cute—she was long, sexy and elegant. But that was even better, in my opinion.

  I wouldn’t mind reconnecting with her over the weekend, and preferably at that time, she’d be wearing about as much as I was in that moment.

  It was an appealing thought and if things worked out nicely, a few hot hours twisting naked on the sheets with Daria could serve as a useful distraction from the things I was trying not to brood about.

  Of course, it would only be a distraction.

  Distractions only worked for a short while to keep me from brooding about the turn my life had taken over the past few years.

  I was down here to act as my brother’s best man as he married the daughter of one of the biggest criminals in the States. My father also shared that dubious honor.

  Not that anything underhanded had ever been successfully pinned on either Basilio Castellanos or my father, Seamus, but crimes had been committed nonetheless, and I also knew that there were any number of law enforcement agencies that would love to have whatever dirt they could get on either of them.

  And there was dirt—it was a matter of unearthing it and it was harder than one might think. I helped with that, too.

  The Downing family was pure Irish mob.

  From the time I’d been old enough to understand that, I’d wanted to get out of this life.

  I’d gone to school to be a lawyer.

  After graduating with honors from Harvard—two years earlier than most people were able to finish the same program—I’d planned on going into business myself with a focus on business law.

  I loved my family but the last thing I’d ever wanted was to get tied up in the business that had made mine one of the richest in the country. It seemed like getting free of the family wasn’t in the cards for me though.

  I found myself being pulled back in, time and time again, my father using the guise of my legal expertise as his reasons for needing my insight and my advice.

  Maybe I should have majored in podiatry. It would be harder for him to use that excuse if I was a doctor with a focus on feet.

  Dropping down on the bed, I closed my eyes.

  My family was also part of the reason that Sean was getting married tomorrow. While I had no doubt that Sean had feelings for Isabel, I knew my father had been pressuring him in subtle ways almost from the time the two of the them had hooked up.

  Isabel’s family, the Castellanos, had connections to the Cuban mafia. While my family specialized in running illegal weapons, the Castellanos focused more on drugs, and to my disgust, human trafficking. When the two families were able to get my brother hooked up with Isabel, part of the deal my father had struck with Basilio, the head of the Castellanos, had been that they would share resources.

  I had no desire to share resources, or anything else, with the Castellanos but I wasn’t in charge of the family business, either.

  Dad had been looking to expand outside our home city of Philadelphia for several years. The cops in that city were notoriously bulldogged and it was cutting into our business.

  When he saw a chance to form an alliance of sorts with the Castellanos over the deepening connection between Isabel and Sean, he’d jumped at it.

  Now nothing I said or did was going to convince him that we didn’t need to get tied up with people who made their money on human trafficking. Maybe it was a weird line to draw in the sand but it was mine.

  But Seamus Downing, the powerful head of the Downing clan, had seen things differently and there was no arguing with him.

  Once this wedding was done, I suspected I’d have my hands full dealing with all the new bullshit this business arrangement was going to foist on us.

  Sean was all gung-ho to help with the new direction things were going to take in Miami and had told me all the plans he had to help ‘strengthen the family,’ as long as Dad let him have some control in the matter. He’d asked me for my help and, stupidly, I’d agreed.

  I would do it the same way if I had the chance.

  Sean was my kid brother and he didn’t always think things through.

  No matter how this turned out, I was going to be there for Sean, and for my family.

  Even if I didn’t necessarily like the way things were going, this was my family were talking about.

  If there was one thing the Downing clan took seriously, it was family.

  I wasn’t any different.

&nbs
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  About the Author

  Cassie Wild

  Cassie Wild loves romance. Ever since she was eight years old, she’s been reading every romance novel she could get her hands on, always dreaming of writing her own romance novels. In her spare time, she enjoys watching superhero movies, playing video games, reading tons of books all while cooking her favorite Italian meals.

  First, I would like to thank all my readers. Without you, my books would not exist. A big Thank You goes out to all the Facebook fans, street team, beta readers, and advanced reviewers. You are a HUGE part of the success of the series.

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