Hawk & the Lady - Elizabeth Stevens Page 0,53

this turn of events to put the whole thing behind us.

Finally, Tank nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay,” he repeated. “You started it poorly, but you had a conversation and you’re doing the right thing.”

Tank and his bloody sense of righteousness. Despite the seriousness of his words, I felt like things between us were lighter. It was easier. We were on our way back to normal again.

I gave him a grin and a nod, and he returned it.

Things were definitely coming up Patrick.

“Hawk,” Flo said as she popped her head around the door.

“Yes?”

“A Priscilla Carmichael is here to see you.”

The joyous mood in the room fell somewhat flat. Or it might have just been me since Rollie and Chaos ‘oohed’ at me like I’d just been sent to the principal’s office.

“What’s she want?” Rollie asked around more doughnut.

Flo shook her head. “I have no idea. She didn’t deign to tell me.”

I had a feeling she was paraphrasing Leah’s mum there.

I nodded, feeling antsy and wired. “Sure. No worries. I’ll go and see what she wants.”

“I’ve put her in the meeting room.”

“Great. Thanks, Flo.”

I spared a hesitant nod to the other guys and they saluted me in solidarity.

I pulled anxiously on my jacket and threw on my most charming, welcoming smile, then walked into our meeting room. It was smaller than the room we used for team meetings, cosier and designed to breed – as Tank put it – trust and familiarity.

“Priscilla,” I said as I held a hand out to her. “What a nice surprise.”

She looked at my hand as though she’d just watched me pull it out of my arse crack before offering it to her. There was a noticeable roll of her eyes before she gave me the limpest handshake I’d ever received.

“Patrick.”

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” I asked her as I took a seat.

She settled herself like she was about to launch into some epic saga. “Patrick, I’ve become…rather used to your presence of late,” she started.

Glowing review.

“But I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news.”

My heart stuttered in my chest. “Is Leah all right?”

Priscilla’s eyes widened faintly. “Yes. AS far as I know, she’s fine.”

I sat back, relief flooding me. “Thank God.”

“Yes. Well, you might not be feeling quite so thankful in a moment.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What? Why?”

She took tighter hold of the clutch in her lap as though it was a shield of some kind. “I thought it only fair to inform you that my daughter was only with you to annoy me.”

“Well, yeah. That was the whole point of the deal.” Then I realised what she’d said. “Wait. Was only with me?”

Priscilla sighed like her next news was a burden and she was sorry to tell me. “Leah has accepted a new suitor. Was that also part of your deal? Or was that the means by which you decided to end it? Go out with a big bang all drama and fireworks?”

I was confused. “A new suitor?”

She nodded. “Edward Barnes. I believe you’ve met.”

Yeah, I’d met the smarmy bastard. He’d had it written all over his stupid face how much he wanted Leah. When she’d said he was doing his sister, I assumed it was just a casual jealousy thing; it was expected he and Leah would get together and he was a bit miffed to have been left out of the decision for someone else to be with her instead. But maybe my first instinct had been right about him after all.

“They’re having dinner together tonight at the Watson, if you feel the need for proof or…something,” she said innocently.

That alone had me wondering if this was all a ploy. She’d been looking for a reason to get me out of Leah’s life from the get go. I mean, yes, that had been the point…in the beginning. But it had become increasingly more important to me that this woman just accepted it.

“Are they?” I asked and she nodded. “Can I ask how you know it was a plot? That she wanted to annoy you?”

Priscilla sighed again. “I didn’t need to know, Patrick. I had a suspicion and you confirmed it for me. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect you to have been party to it.”

“Well, I was. Party to it.”

My mind was whirling.

I’d been starting to think Leah had gone to her and just told her everything, and this was Priscilla’s way of getting back at the both of us; create a dinner date with this Edward prick so we’d fight and end it for