Through the Night (24 page)

Inviting her to Chicago had been an incredibly easy decision for him to make. In fact, he couldn’t imagine going there without her, because she was such an integral part of why he’d found the ivory Madonna key, which put him one step closer to discovering the ultimate prize of his career.

But more than taking Valerie to the Garden Club to see if there was any connection to the key, there was something else Chase wanted to share with her that was private and personal. A place he hadn’t gone to in way too long. A place that was filled with the best memories of his life. A place that was more of a home to him than the one his parents had provided.

A place he’d never taken any other woman to.

That prompted a smile from Chase as he continued the drive back to the Onyx after spending the past few hours with Steven at his estate. As soon as the other man had returned from his business trip that morning, he called Chase, eager to see the completed Capone cane in person, and Steven hadn’t been disappointed when Chase presented him with the stunning piece of art for his collection. He’d revealed the secret compartment and the Madonna key that Chase promised to keep safe until he needed to use it—then he’d return the carved ivory piece to Steven, as they’d agreed.

As Chase was leaving, Steven made a parting remark regarding the key: “I hope whatever you find is worthwhile.”

How funny that the first thing that came to Chase’s mind was not the priceless ruby, but Valerie, and yeah, she was a woman worth his while. That his thoughts had traveled to her first told Chase his priorities were starting to shift. Finding that ruby was still vital to him and wasn’t something he’d ever give up on, but Valerie was becoming equally important. He wanted both, and it was just a matter of convincing her that they deserved the chance to find out what this thing between them was all about—and he had every intention of making that happen in Chicago.

More than satisfied with his plan, he parked his car at the Onyx and headed toward the business offices. Now that Steven was in possession of the entire cane and was happy with the delivery, Chase’s job here was done. He just needed to drop off the credit card that Tony had given him for expenses, and on Monday, payment for his services would be transferred into his account.

He opened the glass door leading to Tony’s private office, but the curator wasn’t sitting at his desk. Then Chase heard voices coming from the back room. He waited a few minutes, but when Tony didn’t appear and the two male voices escalated in frustration and anger, he decided to head in that direction and make his presence known.

As he neared the back room, the voices became clearer—Tony and some other man—as did their conversation.

“I still can’t believe you don’t have it!” groused a deep, irate voice.

“I told you that I tried, but it wasn’t possible,” Tony said, equally annoyed.

“Without the piece, it does me no good,” the other man retorted in a low, furious tone. “This makes everything much more difficult.”

“I know,” Tony said on a harsh sigh. “But we don’t have a choice. You’ll just have to—”

Chase knocked on the partly closed door, interrupting the argument before it could go any further. He had no desire to eavesdrop, and he was sure that the two men wouldn’t appreciate it, either.

As soon as the sound echoed in the room, Tony spun around to face him, while Chase casually glanced at the other man. As soon as their gazes met, a startled look of recognition passed over the stranger’s features; then the man quickly turned his face away and purposefully averted his eyes.

Chase found the quick encounter incredibly odd, as was Tony’s behavior as he rushed forward and quickly ushered Chase out of the room and back down the hall to the reception area. Then again, everything about Tony was peculiar.

“What are you doing here?” the curator asked, clearly jittery and nervous. “I thought you were meeting with Steven this afternoon to give him the cane.”

“I already did.” Chase pulled out his wallet and retrieved the corporate credit card he’d been given for expenses and handed it to Tony. “I just wanted to stop by and return this.”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Tony took the plastic card from Chase, careful not to let their fingers touch, reminding Chase of the man’s germaphobe issues. “I was really hoping to see the entire cane myself,” Tony said, disappointment tingeing his voice.

From the very beginning of the assignment, it had seemed to Chase that Tony was way too interested in the Capone cane, but then again, that was probably the nature of his job as a curator—and Tony’s own fascination with gangster memorabilia.

Chase offered him a smile. “I’m sure Steven will bring it over soon for you to catalog for his collection. I think he just wants to enjoy the cane for a while before he hands it over for the exhibit here at the Onyx.”

“Yes, I’m sure you’re right,” Tony said with a nod of his head. “So, now that you’re finished here, where are you off to next? Anywhere exciting?”

“I’m not sure,” Chase said with a shrug, uncomfortable with Tony’s sudden attempt at friendly conversation, which felt too forced. “I’m thinking of taking a break and considering my options.”

“I’m sure a man like you has many options to consider.”

Clearly, Tony was trying to draw him into a more personal discussion, and Chase didn’t know the man well enough to talk about anything more than business. The guy was just plain weird, and Chase was glad that he didn’t have to deal with Tony any longer.

“I need to get going,” Chase said, and left before Tony could waylay him any further. He had a dinner date with Valerie he wasn’t about to miss.

*   *   *

The following afternoon, Chase found himself seated next to Valerie on a white wooden chair in Caleb’s backyard, witnessing the union between Zoe Russo and Sean O’Brien. The couple stood beneath an arbor of violet and white flowers as they recited their vows to each other, while a very small gathering of friends and family quietly looked on. The groom wore a tailored black suit, and the bride was dressed in a simple but formfitting white satin gown, and the way they smiled at each other let everyone know just how deeply in love they were.

Chase wasn’t a fan of weddings, mainly because the ones he’d attended in the past with his family were uptight, pretentious, excessive affairs that always made him feel uncomfortable and out of place. But this marriage ceremony was so focused on the couple and the commitment they were making while being surrounded by the people who cared about them the most, that Chase couldn’t help but feel like he was witnessing something very special.

Valerie sat next to him, trying but failing to conceal an occasional sniffle and a surreptitious wipe of a tear as Zoe and Sean promised to love and honor each other. Same with her friend Skye, who was seated next to Valerie. The two women were caught up in the emotional aspect of the ceremony, and when the minister finally announced them as husband and wife and Sean kissed his new bride, both Valerie and Skye were the first ones to jump up from their chairs and clap and cheer.

The short and sweet nuptials segued right into the reception. Valerie told him earlier that Caleb’s spacious backyard had hosted many great barbecues and parties for the Reliance Group members, which was why Sean and Zoe had decided to use it for their low-key, intimate wedding venue. And now, with the serious part of the ceremony concluded, the festivities began.

The hired band started playing music, and the bar opened for service. The smell of chicken and ribs filled the outdoor air, and everyone crowded around the new happy couple to congratulate them. Chase stepped back and watched Valerie embrace first one, then the other in an exuberant hug. He couldn’t take his eyes off Valerie as she laughed and smiled in such an open and honest way—giving him a privileged glimpse of the part of her she guarded much too fiercely around him.

That, and she looked stunningly beautiful. She was wearing a beige sheath dress, the kind that hugged all her curves … from her full breasts to her lush hips to her toned bottom. The hem ended just above the knee, and those slender, gorgeous legs of hers extended all the way down to a pair of sexy black heels that sparked all sorts of erotic thoughts. She’d worn her hair up in one of those deliberately messy upswept styles that made his fingers itch to pull the pins out so he could bury his hands in the mass of silky soft tresses. Hell, everything about her made him want to touch her in sinfully inappropriate ways.

While Valerie continued talking to Zoe about her dress and the jewelry she was wearing, which Zoe had made herself, Chase caught sight of Caleb heading in his direction, and welcomed the diversion. He shook Caleb’s hand in greeting, since this was the first time he’d seen the man since returning from Florida with Valerie.

“Nice place you have here,” Chase said, and indicated the perfectly landscaped backyard, which had been transformed with flowers, lighting, and tables draped in white linen for the special event. “Great setup for an outdoor wedding, too.”

“It’s what Zoe and Sean wanted,” Caleb said with an inconsequential shrug. “Something low-key, relaxed, and fun. Neither one of them are the formal type.” Then Caleb changed the subject. “Steven tells me he’s very happy with the Capone cane you delivered to him yesterday.”

“Glad to hear it.” Chase already knew that Steven was satisfied with the transaction, but it was nice to know the other man was putting out a good word on his behalf. “It’s quite a work of art. And Valerie’s help in finding the cane staff was invaluable.”

A hint of a smile curved Caleb’s mouth. “Yeah, she’s good at what she does, and I’m lucky to have her as a member of the Reliance Group. She told me she actually had fun on the assignment, and that’s not usually a word she uses relating to a case. She also mentioned that she’s going with you to Chicago for a few days.”

The man was incredibly hard to read, so Chase wasn’t sure how Caleb felt about the arrangement. So, he flat-out asked, “Is that a problem?”

“No. She’s a big girl and can make her own decisions.” Caleb’s words and tone were casual, but there was no doubt in Chase’s mind that the other man would do bodily harm if anyone, Chase included, hurt Valerie. “She said you had some personal business to attend to, and wanted to accompany you.”

“Yes, that’s true.” There was nothing in Caleb’s gaze or expression to indicate that Valerie had told her boss the nature of Chase’s personal business, which meant she’d kept his secret to herself. And as much as Chase liked Caleb, he wasn’t going to share, either, even though the other man was obviously curious.

“Hey,” Valerie said cheerfully as she came up to Chase’s side, her timing perfect. “I could use some champagne. Would you like anything?”

Chase smiled at Valerie, loving how at ease and happy she was today, and intended to enjoy her infectious mood. “I’ll walk with you to the bar. Caleb, care to join us?”

“No, you two go ahead,” Caleb said as he glanced across the backyard. “I want to say hello to Zoe’s father.”

They parted ways with Caleb, and seemingly high on the bliss of wedding vibes, Valerie hooked her arm through Chase’s as he led the way to where the drinks were being served. The open display of affection surprised him, considering they were out in public, but he wasn’t about to question something that felt so good and right.

When they reached the bar, Valerie ordered a glass of champagne and Chase went with a bottle of Sam Adams. Then she guided him toward a group of people he’d met earlier, before the wedding ceremony. She’d introduced them as friends and other members of the Reliance Group, and when he shook the guys’ hands, he was met with varying degrees of open curiosity, cautious acceptance, and the unmistakable sense that these people Valerie worked with were very protective of her.

And that included her roommate, Skye, who’d given him a critical once-over when they were introduced, as if she’d been sizing him up to make sure he was good enough for Valerie. He felt as though he were going through some kind of initiation process with her friends, and hoped he was at least making a good impression. It was honestly the first time he
wanted
to be liked and accepted.

“Here’s to another Reliance Group member biting the dust,” joked Lucas, the security specialist for the group, as he raised his beer bottle in a toast, and everyone else joined in. “First Nathan, and now Sean. I can’t believe you guys traded in your bachelor status for a ball and chain,” he said.

Nathan grinned, not at all offended by Sean’s assessment of marriage. “When you find a good woman, it changes everything,” he said, then slid an arm around his wife’s waist to pull her close to his side—a beautiful blonde who seemed completely smitten with her husband. “Nicole is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Oh, and the baby she’s pregnant with. That’s pretty damn awesome, too.”

There was a moment of stunned silence, leading Chase to believe that nobody had known about that last bit of news, especially since Nicole’s slender figure hadn’t revealed any kind of baby bump yet.

Skye was the first to break the quiet lull with a squeal of delight. “Oh, my God! That is
so
exciting!”

“I’m thrilled for you both,” Valerie added, beaming happily. “I can’t wait to become an honorary aunt.”

Then the men chimed in with their congratulations and hand shakes all the way around, and even Kane, the former Navy SEAL who’d been standing within the group and exuding a quiet, intimidating presence broke out in a grin, which softened his brooding expression.

“Hey, man, seriously, I’m happy for you,” Lucas said, making up for his earlier ribbing.

“Thanks.” Nathan shared an affectionate look with his wife. “It was an unexpected and unplanned surprise, definitely, but we couldn’t be more elated.”

“Skye and I want pregnancy details, Nicole, and since I’m sure the guys aren’t interested in hearing about all that female stuff, let’s go sit down over at our table and talk.” Valerie grabbed the other woman’s hand to lead her away. “How are you feeling? Any morning sickness or other symptoms?”