Same/Difference (The Depth of Emotion #4) (10 page)

He stripped and got into the shower. His mind wouldn’t stop clicking and making calculations. As he leaned against the tiled wall, he let the steaming water pound out the tense muscles of his neck and shoulders. The story Carter told him was no longer just a bunch of words over a few beers. He could almost picture a haughty, superior Marisol gloating over a decimated Paige while she lay injured. If she was as heartless a bitch as he’d heard, she and her husband were a perfect match, and that wasn’t good for anyone

Manny Vallega’s heart was as black as pitch. He’d seen photos of the carnage left behind when someone crossed him. Falcon’s heart clenched, imagining Paige at their mercy. Yeah, the more he thought about it the more he was certain she didn’t know they were here. She was unprotected and exposed. If the two of them considered Paige either a threat or expendable, he had to keep an eye on them and her He was going to keep her close, at least for the next month. Once she went home she’d be away from them and fine.

As he relaxed he let his mind wander. She invaded with more pleasant thoughts, and he welcomed every one. The soft candlelight at dinner only enhanced how stunning she was. Her eyes twinkled, her smile was warm, and flickers of light danced through her hair. She had proven, for a second time, that something about her appealed to him. There was no mistaking that the attraction was mutual. He’d have to keep himself in check or Carter would kick his ass. She wasn’t somebody to play with and throw away. His body reacted to the memory of her as well, and once again he relieved his pent up frustrations in the shower. She might be the object of his current fantasy, but he’d tread lightly. If she were anyone else, he would have had her in his bed and on her back by now. He could get lost in those warm eyes, and that scared the shit out of him. Funny how he could put his life on the line without a thought, but with his heart he could think of nothing else.

The hot steam filled the bathroom and clung to the mirror as Falcon opened the shower door. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around his waist and walked into the other room. He sat down at the laptop. If he were going to rearrange his plans, he would spend as much time with Paige as possible. He looked up restaurants, clubs, and shows. He’d make this work while they were together. He didn’t care if it was the two of them or if she wanted her friend to join them, but he wanted to keep her close.

Once he’d finished with that he grabbed a notepad. He wrote keywords that could prove useful in a search on the Vallega’s. He had one list for Manny and one for Marisol. As more uneasy thoughts came to mind, he added a third person to investigate. Blake Matthews. Although Falcon knew his basic story, something seemed off about him. Instinct told him there was more to this guy than he was telling. Something about him set off red flags. Not that Falcon could give two shits, but the first time he met Blake, he gave him the evil eye. All that weekend he acted like he owned Paige. If he would have tried anything Falcon would have put his fist in his face, but all he did was give him dirty looks. No harm in that. He just had a selfish look in his eye, like he owned her. Now that Falcon was aware of the company Blake was keeping, he had the potential to be deadly. Manny Vallega certainly was and, if Blake was in thick with him, there was no way to know the man’s mental state.

B
lake was pissed. On his way to meet Manny and Marisol, he saw Falcon Grey getting into a black Mercedes. He didn’t like him and hadn’t since the first time they met. He was a cocky, self-righteous son of a bitch with a misguided sense of entitlement. He could tell he was military when he met him. Blake wasn’t short, but he guessed Falcon was half a foot taller than him. As Blake played the gentlemen, Falcon’s attention was focused on Paige. It wasn’t as though he was making a secret of it either. Blake ached to put a fist in Falcon’s face, but instead allowed his anger to steep all weekend, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Blake tried to discourage him and narrowed his eyes in menacing looks every time they were in the same room. The stupid ass didn’t even seem affected; he just looked Blake over as if he considered him a nuisance. Blake saw red as compliments dripped from Falcon’s mouth, his eyes blatantly roaming over Paige from head to foot. Yet, whenever Blake tried to get near her, Falcon acted as if he was a pest and blocked his attempts of engaging her.
Who the hell did he think he was?
Those were his friends
!
Nonetheless, he played the part of the professional businessman he was. He wouldn’t let some government over trained gorilla eliminate him from the game, but that was neither the time nor place. He was too busy being cordial with everyone else to play. It was the longest damn weekend of his life, and he wasn’t about to let a soldier boy undo his efforts.

Blake had been taking his time with Paige. He liked her but she was hesitant, keeping him at a distance. It frustrated the hell out of him. He’d behaved like a gentleman because she didn’t seem interested in anything more than a friendship. But she was as attentive to Falcon as motor oil was to a fast car, and he thought he was slick because of it. What she failed to realize was that Blake hadn’t reached this level in the industry by taking no for an answer. Rejection only made him more insistent. He played the good friend to her for more than two years, and he was sick of it! Blake had to work hard to get her attention, and he never had to work to get a woman to like him. As a modeling agent he was privy to more than enough attractive girls. They were willing to do whatever he wanted in order to get the prime shoots. Only two of the women in his stable had been spared, Aimee because Declan always had an eye on her, and Marisol. He learned how to handle her over the years. She was an easy pastime, and now that Manny was around he left her alone. Marisol threatened to tell Manny that they’d had sex a few times. Normally, he wouldn’t have taken the threat to heart, but Manny excused everything she did, instead placing the blame on those connected and making them pay for her transgressions That was a secret the little bitch had kept for years; that Manny was her husband. He had no idea that her drug connection was affiliated with a drug cartel. There were rumors that Manny was the top guy and Blake didn’t want a reason to find out. He made nice with Marisol and, in turn, Manny and he got along. And he needed Marisol. She acted as liaison between him and the other models she knew who wanted some cocaine. She couldn’t get her hands dirty because she was still closely watched, but it worked out to his advantage. The models had what he wanted, and he wanted what they had. They were more than happy to use other forms of currency as payment for their drug habits. He’d been able to use the term
blow
in a few contexts where they were concerned. It worked out for everyone except that he had to be nice to Marisol because of Manny. It nauseated him.

He’d been with both of them when he saw Paige come out of her hotel. He quickly devised a plan to use her to make the trip more interesting, and was about to approach her. That was when he saw Falcon exit the car. Anger rose in him like an approaching storm when he saw Paige with him. She looked relaxed. The muscles in his jaw tensed as they drove away. She wasn’t in a league with Blake by any means, but she could do better than Falcon.
Bastard!

Resentment ate at him like a cancer and he obsessed about seeing them all the way back to his hotel. He could win her over and keep an eye on her at the same time. The Aria was a more contemporary, hip hotel and he could convince her to move over there. He could play the nice guy, picking up the tab for her entire stay. Eventually, he would cash in on her gratitude. It wouldn’t take long to win her over. He would even throw in a few gifts and she would feel obligated to thank him. Then he’d collect on the debt with a pound of flesh, literally. He was an expert at getting women on their knees and she was one he’d spent too much time on. Salivating at the idea of knocking the smug attitude out of her, he was appeased. Timing was everything and he would be vigilant to find the perfect opportunity—when she was alone.

The distinctive click of stilettos on tile warned him of Marisol’s arrival.

“Are you ready to go to dinner?”

He glanced behind her and noticed that Manny was absent. “Where’s your husband?” Irritation darkened his timbre. She picked up on it immediately and threatened him with an equally hostile tone.

“He had a meeting.” She grabbed his chin between her thumb and index finger. “I’d advise you to rethink how you talk to me.” He angrily snapped his head away from her grasp and in response she defiantly moved into his personal space. “Perhaps you should spit out the reason for your attitude.”

He loathed her superior posture. “I just saw Falcon Grey.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Carter’s dog? Why would he bother you?”

“He doesn’t.” Walking away from her he attempted to disguise any telltale emotion. She stared after him, boring holes in his efforts.

“You’re a liar.”

Defiantly, he spun around., “And you’re a bitch.”

A sinister smile touched her lips and she regarded him with a narrowed glare. “Touché.”

Like a matador interprets the movement of a bull, she moved aside to allow his testosterone driven charge to pass. “Now, if your little temper tantrum is over, perhaps we can have a nice meal.”

Blake responded with a smile, then led the way into the restaurant. Marisol was right; he was a liar. That was exactly the skill he needed to put his plan in motion.

S
nowflakes floated delicately and deliciously, high above the frosted lights. Their flavor was enormous. The tiny crystals burst into sparkles, igniting on my tongue and making light dazzle through my smile. They were sweet, like Amaretto, matched only by a hypnotizing texture. Soft and sticky, gold trimmed batting stuck to my body in a sugary embrace. I rolled around in it. Hip to hip it cushioned me as I sailed high above the lights. The sky was cobalt and was decorated with tiny, white, buzzing lights. There were too many to count. They just buzzed, and buzzed…and buzzed

…and buzzed!

My body ignited and my thoughts cleared as I shot out of my dream. The sudden jolt up in bed made me dizzy. I fumbled for my cell; suddenly petrified that something terrible had happened. No one would ever call me in the middle of the night unless it was bad news.

What time was it?

Four in the morning!!!

I picked up the phone. An image of Declan and Aria lit up on the display.
Oh my God! Aria!
I pressed the answer button, hoping and praying that everything was okay.

“Hello?” My voice was thick with worry and hoarse with concern.

“Paige? It’s Declan.”

He sounded…different. My heart immediately quickened, beating hard against my chest. His tone caused a rippled chill that traveled up the back of my neck. Declan’s usually steady voice was quivering and he sounded like he had been crying. He was the steadiest person I knew. All at once, my mouth went dry and my tongue grew sticky. I hopped out of bed in search of a bottle of water while I held the phone up to my ear.

“What’s wrong?”

“Calm down.” As soon as he heard the apprehension in my voice, his tone immediately became soothing. “Everything is fine. Aria and I…” His voice cracked with emotion. “We have a little girl.”

A little girl!

A LITTLE GIRL!!!

I nearly got whiplash from my upended emotions and reached for the bed pillows, propping them behind me so I could sit up.

I wanted to talk. I
NEEDED
to talk. I wanted all the details.

Tears stung the back of my eyes. “Oh, Declan! I’m so happy for you! Congratulations!”

My mind bounced with emotions. Joy, fear, and concern collided in my mind making me laugh and cry at the same time. This wasn’t supposed to happen now. She wasn’t due yet. When I left, Aria’s pregnancy still had six weeks to go. I had planned to be home for the baby’s birth; I had promised her. I even had her baby shower before I left so that everything fell nicely and neatly according to plan. I even told her I would cancel my trip if she wanted me to, but she teased me, telling me that it would take her nearly a month to put all the gifts away. We had even made plans to have manicures and pedicures as soon as I got back because she wanted to look pretty when she met her baby.