He blew out a long breath. “I agree.”
“And she likes you for you. Not your money or power.”
He grinned. “She does, doesn’t she?” He rose to his feet.
“Where are you going?” Lucy asked.
“To shower, change, and find my girl.”
Chapter Fifteen
Isabelle: A Day of Revelations
Although I intended to find the beach or the pool, a private place to unwind and think, I hit the wrong floor on the elevator and ended up on the bottom level beneath the main lobby area. The sign across from the open doors said CLUB, so I decided to look around and came upon the original club that had been shut down. Obviously Elite would open here, and I decided to look around.
I pushed open the doors. The place was dark, just a few lights marking my way. The tables, chairs, and even the countertop were visibly old and scarred, the floors dingy. The place needed a complete overhaul, and my creative juices were already flowing. I couldn’t wait to hear what Lucy had in mind. No matter that I’d initially been upset, I wasn’t stupid.
I understood how the world worked. Connections and money ruled. They opened doors. So Gabe had introduced me to Lucy, who probably didn’t need my advice, but she was willing to accept my input anyway. That would give me the opportunity to prove my ability, and from there, it was up to me to make the most of it. No matter what happened between myself and Gabe.
With the return of that unpleasant thought, I decided to really head to the beach. Maybe I could find a place to get a fruity drink and fall asleep—and not think. Thinking only hurt. Gabe wanted me, of that I was certain. But if he didn’t care to let me in, to share his past, mere wanting wasn’t enough.
Luckily, I found the beach easily. To my surprise, the long stretch was empty, nobody around but me and the guy who brought me towels for my chair and the occasional waitress who came by serving drinks. Soon I had my cover-up off, the sun baking my skin, and a piña colada in my hand.
I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, enjoying the utter peace of the moment, not allowing any thoughts to intrude. How often did I have the chance to do absolutely nothing and enjoy it? I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when a shadow suddenly covered my sun.
I blinked up to find Lucy standing over me.
“I want to talk, and we don’t have much time,” she said before I could utter a word. “Gabe’s showering and then coming to look for you.”
“What can I do for you, Lucy?”
“Glad you asked.” She settled herself on the side of my chair, pushing my legs over to make room. “You know our parents died when I was sixteen, right? Gabe was twenty-one, and he singlehandedly took over. He handled the hotels, expanded, and branched into nightclubs. He made sure Decklan didn’t have to do anything except finish college and become a cop, and he raised me, and I wasn’t easy.” She grinned, but the seriousness of the conversation wasn’t lost on me.
“I know he’s a good man.”
“Well, he’s also a tortured one. Once he got me off to school, Gabe got married.”
I sat up in my seat. “What? Gabe was married?”
“Lucy!” Her brother barked out her name like a command.
Lucy rose to her feet, going toe-to-toe with Gabe, although she only came up to the middle of his chest. “At least something’s out in the open now. You have no choice but to explain everything.”
“And you didn’t think I was coming down here to handle things myself?”
“I just didn’t want you to be able to chicken out.”
Gabe gritted his teeth and shook his head, but I couldn’t help but laugh. “I knew I was missing something by not having siblings.”
Lucy glanced at me and winked. “We can meet later and talk about what I have in mind for the club. Something tells me my brother is going to keep you occupied for a while.” With a grin, she strode off, her long hair swinging behind her.
“I’m going to throttle her,” Gabe muttered.
I lay back down, ignoring him. I hadn’t for one second forgotten I was angry with him. If he was going to talk, he was going to do it because he wanted to, not because I begged him to or his sister pushed him into it.
“Iz.” He sat down where Lucy had been, his muscular leg warm and hard against mine.
I raised a hand over my eyes like a visor to block out the harsh rays, met his gaze, and waited for him to speak.