SKYE DRESSED carefully for the cocktail party. She’d hosted a hundred more just like it, but this one was different. At least it was from her perspective…mostly because Mitch was coming.
Craziness, she told herself. She’d asked for help and he’d agreed. So he wasn’t being a jackass anymore. He was adjusting, that was it. Nothing significant had happened between them.
Her mind immediately flashed to them making love. While she wanted to get all girly about the event, she knew she shouldn’t read too much into it. If she did, she might be the only one. Mitch likely wasn’t getting all gooey inside when he thought about them doing it.
She slipped on her shoes and made her way downstairs to her party office. The catering staff had already set up in the kitchen. She reviewed the menus before checking the food they’d brought.
Next she went over the selection of music. Tonight she’d be using CDs rather than anything live. It was a more informal gathering. Only about a hundred people. Including Garth.
Her father walked into her office. He might be well into his sixties, but he was still a handsome man. His hand-tailored suit hid any weight he’d put on over the past few years. He wore power as easily as his custom shirts.
“The food looks good,” he said as he checked out the lists on the boards. “What’s the theme tonight?”
“A good old-fashioned barbecue. Appetizers based on barbecue favorites. It’s nearly summer. I thought this would be a fun kickoff.”
Jed looked at her. He was tall, with dark hair that had only begun to go gray.
“You’re good at this sort of thing, Skye. You need to get married again.”
“To T. J. Boone. You’ve mentioned that before.”
“Well, how’s that coming? Any progress? T.J. didn’t strike me as the kind of guy to drag his feet. Was I wrong about him?”
“We’ve only been out once.”
“Then call him yourself and set something up.”
She picked up the wine list. “I don’t think so. I’m a Titan, Daddy. I don’t call men, they call me.” Which was a total lie. Men didn’t call her. Not counting the single dinner with T.J., she hadn’t been on a date since before she’d gotten married. But the comment had the intended effect-Jed laughed.
“That’s my girl,” he said.
“Why’d you invite Garth to the party?” she asked. “I didn’t put his name on the guest list.”
“I thought it would be interesting to have him around.”
“See how your boy turned out?”
His expression hardened. “What’s your point, Skye?”
“He’s dangerous. I know Lexi already tried to talk to you about this and you refused to listen. I don’t know if you’re secretly proud of him or if this is all some twisted game that only the boys can play. But I will tell you this isn’t going to end well for any of us. Garth wants revenge and he wants it bad.”
Jed didn’t look impressed. “What has your panties all in a bunch?”
“He’s coming after my foundation again. He’s hacked into the computer system and is making a lot of trouble.”
“Then you should do a better job of taking care of what’s yours.”
“We’re yours, Daddy. We’re your daughters and you’re not doing a very good job of taking care of us.”
“You’re always telling me you three can do it on your own. You can’t have it both ways, Skye. Either you can handle things on your own or you can’t. If the foundation is too much, then get rid of it. I always thought it was a ridiculous waste of your time and money.”
She stiffened. “We feed hungry children right here in this country. Most of the time we’re the only steady source of food they have.”
“If their parents can’t provide for them, they shouldn’t be breeding,” Jed said, with a typical callousness. “Besides, I know all this. I’ve read your brochures, Skye. You’re playing at making a difference. If you want to be like everyone else, go out and get a job.” He glanced at the boards on the wall and poked at the wine list she held. “A real one. Say what you want about Garth, he’s made something of himself. I can respect that.”
As opposed to his daughters, she thought bitterly. By his definition, they’d done nothing.
Jed left her office. She stood in the center of the room fighting the sense of defeat that had haunted her for days. Doubts crowded in. What if she couldn’t do it? What if she couldn’t protect the foundation? What if Garth won?
“I won’t let him,” she said aloud. She couldn’t. There was too much at stake.
Nothing Jed had said was news. He’d never understood why she’d wanted to start a foundation with her mother’s money. He thought it was all a waste of time. He made his own rules, then he expected everyone to live by them. If people didn’t agree, he dismissed them.
That’s what had happened to her mother, she thought sadly. He’d married her and given her everything she wanted…except his heart. And that had pushed Pru over the edge.
Skye thought about something Izzy had said a while ago. That Jed could no longer father children. Was that what had gone wrong with his marriage to Pru? That she hadn’t been able to give him more children? Jed wouldn’t have cared it was his fault-he would have found a way to blame her. Or was it that she hadn’t given him a son?
Thinking about all this was a lot easier than dealing with the truth of what Jed thought about her. Maybe she was stupid to stay here, at Glory’s Gate. While she’d always loved the house and considered it her real home, what price did she pay to be its mistress? How much pride and self-respect could she lose before she started to lose herself?
The sound of running footsteps brought a smile to her face. She put down the wine list and braced herself.
Sure enough Erin rounded the corner at top speed and threw herself into her arms.
“Hi, Mommy,” she said as she hugged Skye tight. “I wanted to see you again before the party started.” Erin looked up at her and grinned. “The food smells really, really good.”
Skye kissed the top of her daughter’s head. “In about fifteen minutes a tray will be delivered to the media room,” she promised.
“With enough for Amber, too?”
“When have I ever let Amber starve?”
“Never. Not even one time!”
Amber had been Erin’s kindergarten teacher. She had a fiancé in the military and was desperate to wear Vera Wang at her wedding, so she was open to all the babysitting Skye needed.
“Okay, then.”
Erin hugged her again. “I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you, too, Bunny Face.”
Erin giggled. “You’ll come see me after the party?”
“I will.”
“Okay.” Erin smiled at her, then skipped out of the office.
Her daughter had lost her father two years ago. Would she now lose her home because of Skye’s pride? Erin loved everything about Glory’s Gate.
On the other hand, maybe it was time for them to be on their own.
“Not the moment to make a decision,” Skye told herself. But one would have to be made eventually. She was beginning to realize she couldn’t stay here forever.
But first she had a party to deal with.
Skye heard the music start and checked her watch. The first of the guests would be arriving any minute. She went through the kitchen but as always, the catering staff had everything under control. She headed for the front door, only to meet up with Izzy at the foot of the stairs.
“You look great,” she said, taking in her baby sister’s halter-style dress in a shimmering silver fabric. Izzy’s dark hair was a curly cloud that tumbled down her bare back. She wore impossibly high sandals and a dozen or so thin bangles on one arm.
“I’m here to dazzle,” Izzy said as she turned in a slow circle so Skye could take it all in.
“T.J. isn’t going to be here,” Skye snapped, wondering how far Izzy was going to play the game. Yes, she was beautiful, yes, she could get any man she wanted. Yes, Skye was the most unfortunate looking of the sisters. Let’s all move on.
“Not him,” Izzy said, dismissing T.J. with a wave of her fingers. “Garth. I thought I’d do my best to make him uncomfortable.”
“You think the fact that you look amazing will make him uncomfortable?”
“There he is. Let’s go find out.”
Izzy grabbed her hand and led her across the foyer. There were already forty or so guests circulating. Skye knew she would have to greet every one of them but first there was Garth to deal with.
She had no idea what Izzy had planned, but was curious to see how their half brother would stand up to the force of nature that was Izzy. As they approached, Skye tried to figure out if she could see his true evil from across the room. Were there clues?
Garth saw them and held his ground. Izzy released Skye, walked up to Garth, threw both arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.
“Finally,” she said, sounding relieved. “I thought we’d never meet. Why is that? You’ve known about us forever. But do you call or write? Nothing. I’m waiting for a desperately clever excuse. You’ve had long enough to think up one.”
Garth raised his eyebrows as he disentangled himself. “Izzy,” he said, easing her away. “Have you been drinking?”
“Not yet, but I will. My time off is nearly over.”
“Time off?” he asked.
“Oh, please. Don’t pretend you don’t know everything about us.” She winked. “But I’ll go along with it for now. I work on an oil rig. I’m an underwater welder. I work long hours with no time off for weeks at a time. When we’re finally cut loose, we get all our days off in a row. I’ve been enjoying myself. Kind of like you.”
Skye watched the exchange, not sure where Izzy was going.
She leaned against Garth. “So tell us,” she murmured. “What’s your end game? Total annihilation of all Titans?”
Garth’s expression didn’t change. “No. Just the gradual disintegration of wealth and privilege that has made all of the Titans entitled sons of bitches.”
Skye’s breath got caught in her chest but Izzy didn’t blink. “Sort of the opposite of those bombs that kill people but not buildings? You want to leave the people standing.”
“As long as they have nothing.”
That was clear, Skye thought, losing her fear in her anger. “Why?” she demanded. “What did my sisters and I ever do to you?”
“You’ll have to take that up with your father.”
“So this is about Jed?”
“It’s about all of you.”
“How much of it is about your mother?”
Garth’s dark eyes hardened. “Please excuse me. I see someone I need to talk to.”
He walked away before they could stop him.
Izzy fanned herself with her fingers. “If looks could kill, we’d both be stains on the carpet right now. So it is about Kathy. What do you think Jed did to her?”
“I don’t know, but we’re going to have to find out.” Even though there was a part of Skye that didn’t want to know.
“I need a drink,” Izzy said. “Want one?”
“Go ahead. I need to circulate.”
Skye walked into the crowd, careful to keep track of Garth as she went. She greeted guests, made sure everyone was eating the food, and tried to ignore the sense of dread inside. Fifteen minutes later she saw Mitch and felt her knees go weak with relief.
“You’re here,” she said as she rushed over. “I’m so glad.”
He smiled at her. “Do you welcome all your guests that way? Because if you do, I can see why you get such a crowd.”
“I probably should, but I don’t. Tonight has been stressful.”
He looked at his watch. “It’s only seven-thirty.”
“I know. We peaked early. It’s been a mess. Jed and I had our usual fight about the foundation.”
“What fight?”
“He thinks it’s a waste of time and money.”
“What do you think?”
She looked at him. He’d always had the power to take her breath away and that hadn’t changed. She wanted to touch the new scar on his jaw, trace the line of his mouth, kiss him until they both forgot everything but each other. Maybe not the best plan in the middle of a party at her father’s house.
“I think I can make a difference,” she said.
“Then screw Jed Titan.”
That made her laugh. “I think there’s a club by that name. Garth would be the president.”
Mitch glanced around. “He’s here?”
Skye found him and pointed him out. “Izzy decided on direct confrontation. He basically said he was going to destroy everything we had and leave us with nothing. It was a tense few minutes that pretty much confirmed everything we’d been thinking.” She touched her stomach. “Too much stress. Let’s talk about something else. You pick the topic.”
“I have my leg back.”
She glanced down. “You’re right. You’re not on crutches. Sorry, I should have noticed.”
He looked at her curiously.
“What?” she asked.
“I’m missing a leg.”
“I know that.”
He gave her a slow, heart-stopping smile. “Maybe I’m the only one defining myself in those terms.”
“Maybe you are.” She grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing server. “Okay, second subject change. We have the weather, a perennial favorite, and politics, which can be dangerous. Are you enjoying being back home.” She tilted her head. “I know. Where did you live while you were gone? Were you stationed somewhere?”
“San Diego.”
“It’s supposed to be lovely there.”
“It is. Great weather.”
“Beautiful women,” Skye teased. “So was there someone special?”
Mitch hesitated just long enough for her to realize she didn’t want him to answer the question.
“I shouldn’t have asked,” she said quickly, wishing she’d stuck to politics as a conversational topic. “Of course you got involved. You were gone nearly nine years. So, what was she like? Did you…” Her brain froze. “Were you married?”
He could have married someone and then gotten a divorce. Or maybe she’d died horribly, leaving him with perfect memories of a young woman who would never screw up and abandon him.
“You’re taking things a little far,” Mitch told her. “I dated. There was someone I was seeing for a while. She wanted to take things to the next level and I didn’t.”
Meaning she loved him and he didn’t love her back? Or he didn’t love her enough? So many questions and Skye wasn’t sure she could handle the answers.
Lexi and Cruz walked up, providing a welcome diversion.
“Hi,” she said. “Lexi, you remember Mitch.”
“Of course.” Lexi smiled at him, then turned to Cruz. “A guy I knew in high school. You should be worried.”
“I am,” Cruz teased, their love an obvious and welcome third party.
“Hey, Lexi,” Mitch said as he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. “You look beautiful.”
Lexi was perfect, as always, her long blond hair flowing down her back. She wore navy, which brought out her blue eyes and she glowed, as every woman with her first baby should.
Cruz reached for Skye’s hand. “May I have this dance?”
The invitation surprised her, but then she realized Lexi had probably seen her distress and, without knowing the cause, had arranged a rescue.
“Of course,” she said, and allowed Cruz to lead her away.
Mitch watched Skye go.
“Looks like you’re stuck with me,” Lexi said. She nudged him to the dance floor.
“I can’t,” he said, still focused on Skye.
“How do you know?”
That he couldn’t dance? “I don’t,” he admitted. He’d just assumed. But the music was slow. “Keep your expectations low,” he said as he took Lexi’s hand and they joined the crowd.
Once they were in position, Mitch concentrated on keeping his weight centered. He’d been off the prosthesis most of the day so he wouldn’t overtire himself being on it tonight. Now he moved self-consciously, holding Lexi lightly, keeping them in time with the music.
“Not bad,” she said. “Can you dance and have a conversation?”
“We can try it.”
“Where the hell do you get off hurting my sister?”
She smiled as she spoke and her tone was pleasant, so it took him a second to hear what she’d said. Not that it mattered. Lexi kept talking.
“I understand you’re in a world of pain so you get a partial pass for that. But you have been nothing but a total shit since you got back home. Apparently that trend is continuing, based on the look I saw on her face five minutes ago.”
He stiffened. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I don’t know all of it,” she admitted. “I’m sure Skye has kept the really bad stuff from me. Because despite everything, she still defends you. Amazing, isn’t it? Not that you deserve it.”
He glared at Lexi. “What about what she did to me?”
“You mean nine years ago when she wouldn’t marry you?”
“She chose her father over me.”
“Oh, I get it,” Lexi told him, her blue eyes flashing with annoyance. “She should have picked you because you’re her one true love. Well, this isn’t the movies. This is real life and things don’t always work out the way we want. Yes, Skye chose Jed. She chose her father because he was all she had.”
“She had me.”
“Did she? You got mad and left.”
The unfairness of that statement made him come to a stop. “She married someone else.”
“Did you bother to find out why?”
He already knew. “She was pregnant with his kid.”
“Before that,” Lexi said, pulling him to the side of the room. “Before she went out with Ray.”
“Screwed him, you mean.”
“So you’re still having the pity party,” Lexi said. “I should have known. Does it occur to you that this is about more than who she married? That it might be about why Jed’s opinion matters so damn much? Jed is the only parent Skye has left.”
“You’re preaching to the choir. I lost my parents, too. It was the year Skye and I fell in love. So when I lost her, I had nothing left.”
“Right. Nothing except Fidela and Arturo, who were as much like parents to you as your own. Skye, on the other hand, found her mother’s body. Did you know that? Pru couldn’t handle the fact that Jed didn’t love her so she killed herself. She got in the bathtub and cut her wrists, but not before leaving a note.”
Mitch hadn’t known the details. Skye didn’t talk about them.
Lexi continued. “She addressed the note to Skye because Skye always came to her room after school. Pru knew her ten-year-old daughter would find her body and she didn’t have a problem with that. The note told Skye that Pru had to kill herself because Jed didn’t love her. What do you think Skye took from all that? Just picture it, Mitch. A kid two years older than Erin finding her mother’s dead body and reading that note. Is it possible she believes, somewhere deep inside, that if her father doesn’t love her, she’ll die, too? Is there even a remote chance that at all of eighteen and in love for the first time in her life, she couldn’t think straight? That she could only panic? Or is this all about you?”
Lexi walked away.
Mitch stood in the corner, feeling small and wrong and wondering how it was possible for a mother to act that way. He’d heard rumors that Pru was a little crazy and self-absorbed, but now he knew those were more than rumors.
He looked around the room, searching for Skye. When he caught sight of her, he didn’t know what to do. Telling her he knew about her mother wasn’t going to help anyone. What it came down to was whether or not knowing this changed anything at all.
SKYE KNEW something was wrong. She couldn’t figure out what it was, exactly. The guests were still talking, but the overall noise level wasn’t right. There was a slight hush she couldn’t explain.
There was plenty of food. She saw the servers circulating and the guests eating. They hadn’t run out of liquor. From what she could hear, Jed hadn’t said anything that had offended twenty or thirty people. So what was it?
She was about to tell herself she was imagining things, when one of the servers hurried up to her.
“There’s a problem,” the woman said. “A couple of people are sick. It came on really fast. I hate to think it’s the food, but maybe it is.”
Skye’s body tensed. “Where are the guests who aren’t feeling well?”
“In both downstairs’ bathrooms.”
She hurried in that direction, only to have a local banker go rushing past, his hand covering his mouth. She heard a gagging sound and saw a well-dressed woman suddenly vomit.
Horror rushed through her. What was going on? Had the caterer brought something tainted? Was it food poisoning? Didn’t that usually take-
She turned toward the kitchen and saw Garth standing by the bar. He raised his glass toward her. All around her people started rushing for the door.
She walked to Garth. “What the hell did you do?”
He smiled. “Something seems to be wrong with your party. It can’t be the food, can it?”
“You poisoned my guests?”
“Poison is a strong word. It’s more of a prank. But you might want to call nine-one-one just in case.”
“Bastard.”
He took another sip of his drink. “Yes, but you already knew that.”
Two hours later everyone had left. Whatever had caused the sickness faded as quickly as it started. The paramedics took a few older people to the hospital to be checked out.
“This is going to ruin me,” Mary, the caterer, said. “I don’t know what happened. I’ve never heard of anything like this before.”
Skye didn’t know what to say to reassure her. The truth was Mary hadn’t done anything wrong.
“If you need a reference,” Skye began.
Mary wiped away tears. “Like that will help,” she whispered, then walked away.
A few minutes later Dana arrived.
“I got your message,” her friend said. “What happened?”
Skye told her about people getting sick and what Garth had said. “One of the paramedics said there were only a few things that could cause instant vomiting.”
Dana shook her head. “Are you sure it’s Garth?”
“I know it’s Garth. He practically told me he did it. But when I explained that to the police, they wouldn’t listen. Why would a guy like that do something like this?” Skye was beyond frustrated. “At least that’s their reasoning. Oh, they’ll do an investigation, but they’re assuming it’s somebody’s kid playing a stupid game. Maybe a fraternity initiation. Garth is too smart to get caught. I’m sure he’s covered up his involvement. Jed’s no help. He disappeared at the first sign of trouble.”
“Can I make you feel better by saying you’ve never loved throwing Jed’s parties. Maybe now you won’t have to.”
“Small comfort,” Skye said, knowing Jed would blame her for this and equally aware that right now she didn’t care.
“I’ll ask around. See if I can find out anything. Garth is one busy guy. Eventually he’ll make a mistake and we’ll be there to catch him.”
“I hope so. I don’t want to think about what he might do next or who might get hurt.”
MITCH HATED to waste the time on his prosthesis, but he couldn’t stop pacing. He was angry, which wasn’t news, but for once it wasn’t at the world in general. This time his temper had a specific focus-Garth Duncan.
Last night had been a disaster for Skye. Nearly everyone at the party had gotten violently sick. While the illness had passed as quickly as it had come on, it had been bad for anyone who’d experienced it. People would be talking for months about what had happened.
Mitch hadn’t realized Garth was behind the illnesses until Skye had called him that morning. Now he was going to confront Garth and put a stop to what was going on.
He heard a car pull up and walked out of his office. Garth got out of his Mercedes.
“Do we have a problem?” the other man asked.
Without thinking, Mitch hauled off and punched him. Garth staggered a step, then steadied himself.
“I take it you got sick last night,” Garth said, rubbing his jaw. “Sorry. I should have warned you.”
“I didn’t eat anything, you bastard.”
“People are calling me that a lot these days. Word must be getting out.”
“What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you do something like that?” Mitch demanded.
“I told you I was going to take down Jed and his daughters. Last I heard, you liked the idea. You wanted to help.” He touched his jaw. “I take it this means you’re not working for me anymore?” He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got my bases covered.”
Mitch clenched his fists. “I never worked for you.”
“I didn’t pay you,” Garth corrected. “That doesn’t mean you weren’t spying for me.”
“Whatever,” Mitch muttered, not sure why Garth was being so pointed. “You’re wrong about all of it. Take down Jed if you want, but his daughters aren’t a part of it.”
“They are for me. Besides, you only care about Skye. Unfortunately, it’s a little too late for that.”
Mitch didn’t know what he meant, at first. Then he heard a sound and knew.
Dammit all to hell, he thought as he turned and saw Skye standing behind him. She looked horrified and beyond hurt.
“You were working for him?” she asked, her eyes wide, her skin pale.
Mitch would have given his other leg to have the past five minutes to play over.
“Skye, no.”
She ignored him and ran. Ran hard and fast, probably knowing there was no way he could go after her.