“There are no friends in business,” Gabe said coolly and saw Thom’s eyes flash. “But if you want to keep this friendly, then keep your mouth shut. Do that, and the photos will stay hidden and no one will know the truth about you.”
Thom took a couple of steps closer to the edge of the balcony. The crashing waves of the Pacific were at odds with the uneasy quiet around them, and even the music from inside the restaurant seemed to have dropped in volume. There was a long drop to the rocks below, and as Gabe watched, the other man stared down into the darkness. For a moment, he wondered if Thom felt so cornered and out of control that he would end things and jump. Of course, Gabe would stop him. He wasn’t totally without compassion. Thom was okay, even if he believed the upcoming wedding was complete farce. But it wasn’t Gabe’s place or his job to get involved. He didn’t do involvement. He stayed on the sidelines, working, watching everyone else screw up so he could fix things.
“I do love Elana,” Thom said quietly. “Despite what you think.”
“I don’t think anything,” Gabe replied.
Thom shrugged loosely and spun around. “I’m not gay.”
Gabe met his gaze head-on and tapped his coat pocket. “Really? I’ve known you a long time. And I know everything about you.”
Thom visibly swallowed, clearly unhappy. “They don’t prove anything.”
Gabe raised a brow. “Maybe not. They don’t really have to prove anything. They exist...that’s enough for it to become a problem.”
“It wasn’t how it looked. Nothing happened.”
Gabe almost laughed. “Doesn’t matter. But your secret is safe, Thom. Make sure you don’t do anything to change that.”
“Or else?”
Gabe took a long breath, his hands thrust in his pockets. “Or else.”
“You don’t scare me.”
Gabe was pretty sure he did, but a part of him admired the other man’s resilience. “That’s not my intention. Just making sure we’re on the same page.”
“The same page?” Thom echoed incredulously. “Are you kidding me?”
“I never kid. I act. I respond. You’d do well to remember that, Thom.”
“You really are a fucking devious bastard,” Thom said and shook his head.
Irritation coursed up Gabe’s spine. He was tired of the conversation. Tired of Thom’s voice. Maybe he should punch Thom in the face. Maybe he just needed a long workout at the gym or to get laid to ease the tension cramping his entire body. It had been too long since he’d screwed his brains out to forget things for a few mindless hours.
The music suddenly got louder, and they both turned toward the patio entrance. Mariella came through the door, and some of the tension constricting Gabe’s chest disappeared. His aunt always calmed him. Maybe it was a DNA thing, a blood tie that couldn’t be denied. She’d been more of a mother to him than his own ever had, that was for sure.
“What are you two doing out here?” she inquired, arms now crossed, tapping long nails on her elbows.
Gabe knew his aunt well and sensed her disappointment in Thom’s quick departure from the restaurant and his aborted speech. “Nothing, Tía,” he assured her. “Just guy talk.”
“I’ve been looking for you, Thom,” she said quietly, her voice a little sterner than usual. “Elana is concerned that you—”
“I’m fine,” Thom said in a rush. “I just needed some air, like I said.”
“What happened in there?”
He shrugged. “I couldn’t—”
“Couldn’t what?” she pressed. “Manage a short speech to celebrate your engagement to my daughter?”
Thom nodded. “I know. As I said right after it happened, I’m truly sorry...”
“It’s just cold feet, Tía,” Gabe said and tapped Thom on the shoulder. “Typical prewedding jitters. Nothing to worry about. I was just telling Thom how every groom feels that way.”
The other man flashed him a how-the-hell-would-you-know kind of look. Which made sense, since Gabe had never been married, engaged, or trapped in any kind of long-term, committed relationship. Commitment meant laying a heart on the line, and that was out of the question. Romantic love was for fools. Sex was all he allowed himself. Hot, meaningless sex with faceless women. One night, maybe two. Nothing serious. Nothing that could lead to rejection or heartbreak. For a moment, and against his better judgment, he allowed himself to remember a girl with long blond hair and deep blue eyes. A girl he’d loved and lost. But that was a long time ago, more of a shadow now than a memory. The pain was still there, though, deep down, in his dark place. He shook the thought off, switching back to what mattered. The family. Elana’s engagement. Harrison getting better. Finding out if someone had tried to kill the man who’d raised him. His work as the Fixer remaining a secret.
“Cold feet?” Mariella said, her dramatic brows now at a steep angle.
Thom looked instantly on the defensive. Mariella’s disapproval had a way of doing that to people. Thom was as eager to please her as everyone else. “I’m good now.”
“I hope so,” Mariella said quietly. “Elana, as wonderful and enchanting as she is, is easily spooked. I don’t want her thinking that you aren’t one hundred percent committed to this relationship.”
“I am committed,” Thom said on a rush of breath and glanced toward Gabe. “I love her. Only her.”
“I’m pleased to hear that. I’d hate to think you were going to bail on my daughter because of cold feet. Or anything else.”
Gabe heard something in Mariella’s voice. Did she suspect Thom wasn’t being entirely honest with Elana? As far as he knew, he was the only one who knew of Thom’s inclinations. Maybe Mariella knew more than he thought. If she did, she wasn’t letting on.
“I’m sure Thom has no intention of upsetting Elana,” Gabe said and glanced at the other man. “Right, Thom?”
“Right,” Thom replied. “Of course. I was stupid for a moment. It won’t happen again.” He tugged at his collar. “And I should probably get back inside and talk to Elana.”
“You won’t upset her?” Mariella said.
Thom shook his head. “No. I’m good now. But I need to talk to my fiancée.”
Gabe’s suspicions rose. Thom sounded off. Running scared. Mariella was frowning and clearly sensed it, too. The last thing he wanted was Thom getting an attack of conscience and telling Elana that he was gay. “I’ll go with you,” he said quietly and waited until Thom walked on ahead a few steps before he spoke to his aunt. “It’s okay, Tía...it’s all under control.”
“Make sure it is,” Mariella said quietly, almost gravely. “I don’t want anything to ruin my daughter’s wedding.”
“I’ve got it covered,” he assured her before he headed back into the restaurant. “You know I will always protect the family. No matter what the cost.”
* * *
Thom wasn’t sure how the hell he was supposed to talk to Elana with Gabe breathing down his neck. Dammit, but the dark and brooding Gabriel Santiago made him feel like an insecure sixteen-year-old. The truth was, Gabe was more Marshall than Santiago. He was more like Harrison than