Dangerous for You (23 page)

“I’m only speaking the truth. You can’t fault me for that.”

Gabriel shook his head, voice tight with pain. “Why are you doing this to us, to me? You’ve always known how much Emma means to me. Why would you try to hurt me like this?”

“I’d never want to hurt you and you know that.” Lucas looked away. For the first time he looked vulnerable and all-too-human. When he raised his head, Lucas’s unlined face didn’t betray regret. “I’ll do what I have to so I can save you from a bigger hurt later.”

“And what hurt might that be?”

“Don’t be daft, Gabriel! Just who she is will cause you harm! My God, her only friend is a dominatrix! Can you imagine the fallout if word gets out about that? One domino falls, they all will.”

Lucas raised his hands in the air, pointing out the invisible words on the air. “‘Gabriel Gordon, darling of Wall Street, is engaged to a girl of unknown paternity whose mother is a domestic servant and a high school dropout. Emma Adams, the lucky Cinderella who stole Gabriel’s heart, counts as her closest confidant one Gretchen Smith, professional dominatrix and keeper of the elite’s basest desires.’ From there, how long do you think it’ll be before someone from your past breaks her NDA?”

I winced at the lurid description. Shame reddened my cheeks. Although every word of it was true, Lucas made me sound like an opportunistic woman of poor character.

I’d be hated and Gabriel would be made a fool.

My insides froze. It didn’t take much to guess where Lucas was going to attack next.

“You say this as if I didn’t know anything about Emma. I know everything about her, Lucas, and I’m not ashamed of Emma. I’m very proud of who she is, where she comes from, and who she knows.”

“Have you thought about the board? Your mother? How well do you think either of you would be received if word got out about your extracurricular activities?”

Although I kept my head high, inside I was quaking. There was no talking to him and trying to get him to back off our relationship. Lucas wasn’t going to leave until he succeeded in pulling us apart.

Please, please, please don’t do this. Don’t make me leave Gabriel. Don’t make me have to choose between our happiness and everyone else’s.

“No one is going to say anything, Lucas. I chose my partners carefully and there’s no reason for any of them to disclose anything publicly.”

“Be that as it may, the press gets hold of Gretchen Smith it won’t take long for them to dig around and uncover something.”

“Gretchen would never talk. She also doesn’t know that I’m seeing Gabriel.”

My lover briefly touched my arm. “You don’t have to explain yourself to him.”

Lucas smirked. “Aren’t you the least bit curious, Gabriel, why Emma hasn’t even shared your name with her closest friend? Maybe because she wasn’t planning on keeping you for long?”

God, this man could twist the kindest emotion into something spiteful!

“That’s not true. I did it for Gabriel.”

“And why might that be?” Butter couldn’t melt in his mouth. “Enlighten us.”

“You know why.”

“Ah, yes. Embry mentioned the lunch the three of you had. You made quite a spectacle of yourself, Emma. Flipping over the dining cart? Was that really necessary?”

“At the time it was.” I wasn’t going to apologize to Lucas for what had happened. If anybody needed an apology it was the bus boy and I already did that.

“And now you accept Gabriel. All of him.”

“Yes, I do.”

Lucas regarded me like one would a naïve idiot. “And so happily-ever-after happened because you submitted, begrudgingly I’m sure if all your trips to Ms. Smith are any indication, to my nephew’s sexual tastes.”

Gabriel’s hand cut through the air. Rage crackled. “This conversation is over. What happens in my bedroom is none of your business, Lucas. I don’t poke my nose in yours, you don’t poke your nose in mine. Understand?”

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”

“I want you out of here, Lucas, and don’t come back until you apologize to Emma for your crude behavior.”

The older man searched Gabriel’s gaze for many long moments. His full lips tugged into a frown. “You see what’s already happening, son? She’s breaking our family apart and you’re too blind to see it.”

My blood ran cold. This was the last thing I wanted for Gabriel. All my fears came back to life, bigger than before.

This man means everything to Gabriel. No matter how much Marie approves or loves us, Gabriel will always suffer if Lucas turns his back. He’s already been rejected by his father and now his uncle. How long will it be before Gabriel thinks the price was too high?

I looked up at Gabriel. His tightly clenched jaw pained me because of the sadness dulling his gaze.

“She’s not to blame for this, Lucas. You are. You are for overstepping your bounds, for not trusting me to know who’s the right person for my life. I listened to you once about Embry and it damned near destroyed everything.”

“And why did you even listen to me? Because some part of you knew I was right. Embry is perfect for you, Gabriel. She would never leave you like Emma has. She loves you completely. She is your true match, son, and I hate to see you end up miserable because you can’t get over your infatuation over this girl here! High school has been over for years, Gabriel. Let the past go. Trust me—it’ll hurt less in the long run.”

I felt the barb strike true. I didn’t know how much more I could take of this.

Gabriel looked back at me. A tender smile touched his lips. “It’s only hurt because I tried to let the past go. I love Emma and she loves me. That’s all that matters, Lucas. Trust me—we’ll make this work just like millions of other couples do.”

“You won’t listen to reason?”

“I won’t listen to you.”

Lucas sighed again, shoulders dropping for just a second before straightening back into their proud lines. “Remember, Gabriel. You pushed for this.”

No, please. Please don’t give Gabriel an ultimatum. Don’t do it.

“Gabriel, I want you to step down from your position.”

His body went stiff and it seemed like he even stopped breathing. “No.”

“Your lack of judgment in seeing Emma leads me to believe Gordon Industries will suffer from the same malaise.”

I closed my eyes. I felt lost, scattered into a million pieces. Gabriel couldn’t lose everything he’d worked so hard to build. I thought of all the people I’d met who worked for him, whose lives were made better by knowing Gabriel.

They couldn’t lose that security.

If I knew how important people like Rick, Waylon, Mr. Jackson, and Bobby were, Lucas knew it too. And more. They would be the first to go if Gabriel went.

Nothing is ever going to be the same after this.

“Either you go or she does. And I mean completely, Gabriel.”

“Fuck. You.”

“Charming. Her influence I suppose?”

Lucas turned his focus squarely on me. We started back at the beginning. Everything descended into madness. The words flew thick and furious, leaving no room for contemplation or reprieve.

“Our Gabriel had a beautifully planned life before he met you, Emma. You’re ruining all that. Again.”

“Don’t you dare say that to her! Emma saved me, Lucas!”

“Saved you from what? A successful career? A beautiful wife whose family could be counted on for support? What, Gabriel? Tell us both because I fail to see the downside to your previous life, but I see plenty for your current one.”

“I’ve already explained this to you. That beautiful life you’re going on about had no substance.”

“Substance. Our family coffers and prestige would disagree.”

“There’s more to life than money and power, Lucas.”

“Really? That’s why you leased this penthouse instead of choosing to live next door to your lady love. What? Couldn’t live the simple life for long, son?”

“My reasons are my own and have nothing to do with what you think you know.”

“Oh, I can imagine. And when the passion’s gone, Gabriel, what then? What happens when the novelty wears off and all the differences between you are no longer so…how should I say it…
cute
?”

“She’s not a novelty. I love her and I want to marry—”

“For now! Love turns into poison once a lifetime of regret sets in. Don’t you understand that yet? Hasn’t our family history shown you enough?”

“I’m not you, Lucas, nor am I my father. I love Emma. I always have and I’m not giving her up again.”

“Really? Let me tell you what will happen when that love fades—you’ll resent Emma for not being what she’s incapable of being. When you’re snubbed time and time again for her being in your life, when your children must bear the weight of her upbringing, the taunts of being less than, then you’ll regret not being with someone from your own background.”

“Background, huh? You and Father stayed within the circle of your own background. WASP and blue-blooded till the end.” Cruelty touched my lover’s face. “We all know how well that worked out for our little family, don’t we?”

“Yes, and that is why I’m doing my damnedest to make sure you do better.”

“Don’t even try to say you’re doing this for me. You’re just worried about what society will say and what they’ll interpret it to mean for the Gordon name.”

“Believe what you will, Gabriel. You always do.” Lucas turned to me, neatly sending his poison darts in my direction. “Look what you’re already doing to our family. You claim to love Gabriel, but if you really loved him you wouldn’t be this selfish and put him in this situation, would you?”

The memory of Embry’s similar words shook me from my stupor. “I do love your nephew, Mr. Gordon. All I want is his happiness.”

“And you think it will be with you.”

“Yes.”

“And if loving you destroys everything Gabriel has worked so hard for—what then?”

“Emma, don’t you dare listen to him! He’s just trying to get in your head!”

“Of course, she’s listening. I’m already there, can’t you see? Regardless of her unfortunate background, your lovely friend is
quite
intelligent. After all, she must be to pull herself out of the gutter.”

Somehow I found it in me to vow, “Throw me into a thousand gutters and I’ll climb out of every single one. Only the strong survive in this world, Mr. Gordon, and I’m strong.”

“That they do and so you are. Whether you’re capable of listening to reason is the question here…”

“Emma, don’t talk to him. And you—don’t insult her.”

“How am I insulting her, Gabriel? I’m praising Emma for being able to rise above her family’s
extremely
humble beginnings. Ah, I mean her mother’s because Emma doesn’t have any other family to speak of, does she?”

“Money can’t buy compassion or ethics, Lucas. Humble or not, Emma and her mother are better than you.”

“Me? What about you?”

“Especially me.”

“Indeed. Come now, son. It’s not like I’m going to hurt her. That’s your job.”

“Don’t call me son! Not if you’re trying to do this to me!”

“You know how it is between us, Gabriel. You are like a son to me. The only one I’d ever have. Nothing you say or do can change that.”

The suspicions rose up again. Marie and Lucas. Lucas and Marie. Marie, Lucas, and Gabriel.

“Stop it. Please.”

It was as close as Gabriel came to begging the man who’d been the father he never had. My heart bled for what was happening and I wished I knew how to stop it without losing the one man I’d ever love.

You have no good choices here, Emma. You know how this is going to end.

“I know you find it hard to believe but I’m not doing this
to
you. I’m doing it
for
you.”

The time for denial ran out. Lucas had me in his sights.

“You’ve heard my proposition. So what’s it going to be, Emma? Once I run you out of Med-Tech and every other job in the city, what’s left for you? Are you going to work for Gabriel? That will be your only option. At least, for as long as I want it. And it won’t be for long, Emma.”

Lucas hadn’t turned the screws hard enough. A man like him knew which spot to elicit the most pain.

“Or is your mother going to have to pay the price for her daughter’s indiscretions? She is rather young, after all. Only three years younger than me if one can believe it.”

“Don’t say it,” I gritted out.

Lucas defied me with succinct glee. “I’m sure she can pick up and start over in another town—there’s always toilets that need to be cleaned and she is an expert on it, isn’t she?”

“You leave her out of this. Your problem is with me. Not my mother.”

“Then give me what I want.”

“Go to—”

“Emma!”

I fell silent, bizarrely hurt that he stopped me from cursing his uncle out. Maybe later I’d be grateful but I wasn’t now. Lucas had no right to threaten my mom.