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“I’m glad you’re taking her to the party. She needs a little fun in her life,” said Maria.
“Should be interesting.” He said it like Linda had. But instead of the dirty sex she’d implied, his word meant closure. If he got lucky, there’d be both.
Hell, yes, he was going to the party for answers. Why did RW want him to come back? Was it to torture him by waving a gorgeous ex-girlfriend under his nose? Was his father that twisted? If so, Matt would tell the old man off on his way out of Dodge. But not before he made sure Julia was safe.
Those were his reasons for taking her to the party tonight. It had nothing to do with how sexy she looked coming and going. Or all the hot things he wanted to do to her, with her. One no-strings night with her might be just the thing he needed, too.
He’d be her mistake one last time and then he’d leave for good.
* * *
Matt paid his bill and said goodbye to Julia’s cousins. On his way to the parking lot, he placed one phone call. “Bring the Batmobile, Alfred.”
There was no doubt that his father owned some uber-expensive sports car he could borrow because speed was the one thing Matt and RW agreed on.
Five minutes later he looked up when a silver Lamborghini Veneno pulled into the parking lot.
“Holy hell.”
Veneno was an Italian word that translated to “poison.” Lamborghini had sold only three of these bad boys for roughly 4.5 million smacks each. Barely able to believe his eyes, Matt hightailed it to the driver’s side.
The window went down and a droll voice from inside said, “You rang?”
Matt leaned his head in the window. “Hey, Alfred. Good to see you.”
His father’s driver, whose real name was Robert, was bald now and more wrinkled than Matt remembered. “You’re still calling me that? I thought you would’ve outgrown your Batman obsession by now.” The twinkle in his eye was a dead giveaway that he was pleased Matt had used the nickname.
“Bite your tongue. No one outgrows the Dark Knight.”
Matt and his little brother, Jeff, had pretended to be Batman and Robin for years. They’d christened the family driver “Alfred.” Robert had acted huffy at first but quickly warmed up to the game.
Alfred got out and took Matt’s pack and duffel. When the trunk opened, the new-car smell was close to orgasmic.
“Let me drive,” Matt said.
“Your father nearly killed me the last time I let you drive the Bugatti.”
Matt grinned. “Nearly killed me, too, but it was worth it.” Especially the joyride he’d taken with Julia. He held out his hand and wiggled his fingers. “Keys.”
“Fine. But if you dent this one, I quit.” He placed the key fob in Matt’s hand and climbed into the passenger’s side.
“Surprised you haven’t quit already.” Matt started the car and the engine roared to life.
“Eh, what would you Harpers do without your fantastic driver?”
Matt looked down at the odometer. “Seven miles? I wouldn’t call that driving. Is the old man just petting this car?” Matt saw the flinch before Alfred righted his face to neutral. Something was on the man’s mind. “What’s up? Has my father really become a hermit?”
The man just sighed. “He’s had a hard time, Matthew. I’m glad you kids have come home.”
“Jeff and Chloe are here, too? How the hell did he get them to come back?”
“It’s not for me to tell. Suffice it to say you and your siblings will hear about it tonight.”
“At the party.”
“Yes.”
“That’s not good enough. Spill. What’s he up to? Does it have anything to do with Julia?”
“I can’t say.”
Matt narrowed his eyes. “Can’t or won’t? This is me, Alfred. I won’t tell my father a word you say, I promise.”
Alfred’s gaze focused out the windshield. His arms crossed. The man’s lips were sealed, apparently.
“I have to wait to hear the big news with the whole town?” Matt grumbled.
“Yes.”
Forget that, he’d question one of the staff.
“Before you try to sweet-talk the ladies in the kitchen, no one else knows what your father is planning. He is indisposed for the rest of the day. You’ll simply have to wait a few hours like the rest of us.”
Huh. Matt’s curiosity was growing and so was his sense of danger.
Alfred pulled his safety belt tight. “Try not to run us off the road in the meantime.”
“A little faith, my man. I fly jets now. I think I can handle a little car.” He pressed his foot down and gravel sprayed the empty lot.
“Holy mother.” Alfred crossed himself.
Matt laughed. He cut his eyes toward his passenger. “Relax. Wow, was I that bad as a teenager?”
“Terrifying.” But he said it with a smile. “Always in a hurry to fly out of here.”
“Yeah. I was.”
“I understood you, Matthew. I was a teenager once back in the Dark Ages.” He chuckled. Weird, Matt had never heard him laugh before. It must have sucked to be a driver for the Harpers all of those years. “And it seems you got exactly what you wanted, Captain Harper. You flew away.”
Exactly what he wanted? Not by a long shot. “Sorry I made things tough on you.”
What was his father’s evil plan? Matt would find out tonight with Julia by his side. He’d shield her from any fallout and stop his old man before he could hurt anyone else.
Just like old times.
The Dark Knight drove the Italian poison straight into the villain’s lair.
* * *
Julia paced her tiny bedroom. “I can’t believe I agreed to do this. Why did I agree to do this?”
“Because that pilot was smoking hot!” Linda fanned herself.
Yes, yes, he was. But she still wasn’t sure why he wanted to take her on a date. She was so far out of the dating scene that a guy would need binoculars to find her in the single-girl weeds.
“What am I going to wear to this thing?”
“Not your red dress. I already called dibs on that baby,” Linda said. Both she and Maria were sitting on the edge of Julia’s bed, painting their nails.
Julia opened the window to let the polish fumes out. “I can’t believe I am doing this.”
“You said that already, mujer. Hurry up, you don’t have that much time to get ready.” Maria waved her hand to dry her nails.
“What am I going to wear? Harper cannot recognize me or he’ll throw me out.”
“That ought to make a great impression on the pilot,” Maria said.
“Ask Tía Nona. She’s got all sorts of pirate costumes,” Linda said.
“Because?”
Linda shrugged. “She’s got a thing for pirates?”
Julia snorted. “Not hardly. She always harped on me to ‘beware the pirates—especially that Matt Harper.’ Super annoying. He was nothing like his pirate ancestors.”
“You mean the Harpers who sailed pirate ships or the ones who bought our ancestors to work for them?” Maria asked.
“More like traded our ancestors for cattle. Cows were worth more than our people. Harpers are thieves.” Linda blew on her nails.
Maria shook her head. “No, they are pirates.”
Julia didn’t need the history lesson. “Matt wasn’t like any of them. He was...sweet.”
Linda shook her head. “Nothing sweet about that boy. He used to wear black T-shirts, holey jeans and drive that motorcycle like it was on fire.”
She smiled. Man, was he ever sexy on that bike. “He never crashed, not even once. And he drove carefully when I was on the back.”
“He skipped classes,” Maria added. “Brought you home late.”
“Only a couple of times.”
“Stole candy from Juanita,” Linda said.
“He was eight! And he paid her for it. Geesh, I had no idea you guys hated him so much.”
“I stopped caring for that boy when he broke your heart,” Maria said.
“He died, Maria! Fighting for our country.”
Linda shrugged again. “He didn’t say goodbye.”
Well. There was that.
She plopped down on the edge of the bed, between the women who’d been like sisters her whole life. In truth, they weren’t even real cousins since Julia was adopted. Still, the woman who raised her as her own child was Linda and Maria’s aunt, which made her their cousin. Everyone accepted her as a true relative.
Her biological mother had abandoned her, she’d never met her father and the only guy she’d really loved had flown away.
Matt had been the one person she’d trusted not to leave her behind. She’d given her heart and body to that boy. She’d finally told him she loved him and the next day he’d left for the Air Force academy. No letter. No call. She’d never heard from him again.
Is it me?
She took a choppy breath and her cousins both wrapped their arms around her.
“You’ll mess up your nails,” she said softly.
“Messes can be fixed,” Maria said.
Not all of them. She closed her eyes.
She’d never hold Matt again. Kiss him. Feel his fingers running through her hair, across her skin. Listen to the heart beating so strong and sure in his chest. No more Matt and Julia against the world. He was gone, his ashes scattered at sea.
She’d suffered a brutal period of depression. Pain and loss had ripped through her with an extra pounding of betrayal. She’d imagined seeing Matt everywhere. A figure walking on the sand, a fast car speeding by, some guy going into Juanita’s—they’d all been Matt. Her mind and heart had been shattered.
But she wasn’t alone. Her beautiful cousins and aunts had fought to save her. Hanging on with gentle, strong arms, they’d chipped away at the black night that had swallowed her whole. They’d forced her to blink open her eyes and see the love all around her. They’d helped her pull herself together to cherish the one gift her pirate had given her—the most beautiful and sweet treasure in the world.
“Mama? Where are you?”
“In here, Henry.” She gave her cousins each a smile of gratitude and rose to her feet. “Come help me find a costume.”
Three (#u09ebbd11-0500-560d-b941-c1c34eb85b47)
“He’s here!” Henry shouted.
Oh, no. “I’m not ready! Tell him...let him...”
She was trying to pull up her fishnet stockings when her boy’s voice carried down the hall. “Hi, my name’s Henry. Nice to meet you. Mama says you’re a pilot.”
“Your mama?” His voice was so deep and rich that it sent shivers up her spine. In a good way. Too bad he was surprised she had a kid. Oops. Didn’t she mention that?
“Help yourself to a beer in the refrigerator. Henry can show you where the costume is,” she called out. “If you feel like slipping out the door, now would be a good time.”
“I’ll wait. You don’t have to hurry,” he said.
Wow. He was sticking. That was a good sign. It was ridiculous how happy she felt about not being alone again tonight.
“Nice place you have here, Henry,” he said.
Oh, now he was just being kind. Her place was tiny and old. The Harpers had built the cottages for the townspeople way back in the 1800s. The houses were lined up next to each other, so close that she knew what her cousins were watching on TV next door. Most of them were two-bedrooms with a small living room, minuscule kitchen and a covered porch. They were designed to house workers and their families. Nothing fancy, nothing beautiful. She’d spruced hers up with paint in muted sunset shades. The walls were covered with happy pictures of Henry and birds.
