Web of Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 11) Read online

  “I don’t want to ruin anyone’s fun. Have the music that you want. I’ll be fine.”

  “We’re going to drag you onto the dance floor with us,” Brad declared. “We’ll get a few drinks in you and you’ll relax. You’ll have a great time.”

  That was another problem. When Cassie got a few drinks in her and relaxed, she often forgot she wasn’t a dancer. So she danced.

  Nothing good ever came from that.

  “We’ll see.” Cassie waved toward the flower arrangement on the table. “Before I forget my manners, I want to say thank you for the flowers. They’re absolutely gorgeous.”

  Alicia frowned, her brows pinched together. “Thank you? I didn’t send any flowers. Brad, did you send flowers?”

  He shook his head, appearing confused as well. “I didn’t, but they are pretty. Someone else must have done it. What does the card say?”

  Cassie plucked the card from the arrangement. “It’s not signed. I just assumed you sent it. It says they’re looking forward to seeing me.”

  Alicia looked at it as well as Brad, but they both shook their head.

  “It definitely wasn’t us,” Brad said. “Maybe you have a secret admirer?”

  Alicia laughed. “As fun as that would be, it’s probably just one of our friends. We’ll ask tonight at the cocktail party. I’m sure it’s someone we know just being funny and thinking they’re cute.”

  There would be loads of people this week that Cassie hadn’t seen in a long time. Any one of them could have sent the flowers.

  “The name was just probably left off of the card,” Alicia said, tucking it back between the blooms. “You could always call the florist. They would know who sent it.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Cassie replied. “If no one fesses up tonight, I’ll just call the florist. Their name and number are on the envelope. They can tell me who sent it.”

  Brad shrugged. “You can call them but I’m sure it’s one of our friends.”

  Alicia leaned down to sniff at a flower. “I will say that they have good taste. These are gorgeous.”

  “I bet they just gave the florist a budget and told them to do whatever they wanted,” Brad said with a chuckle. “That’s what I usually do. I wouldn’t even begin to know the names of these flowers. Would you?”

  “No,” Alicia admitted, whirling back around to face Cassie. “But they are beautiful. Now, let’s get down to the important stuff. We’re glad you’re here. We’re going to have so much fun. What are you planning to wear tonight?”

  Brad rolled his eyes and gave an exaggerated groan. “If we’re going to talk fashion, I’m out of here. You’re killing me, sugar bear.”

  Alicia smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “My poor baby, why don’t you find your friends and have a beer. Cassie and I can catch up.”

  Brad didn’t hesitate, giving his fiancée a kiss and waving goodbye to Cassie before rushing out of the hotel room.

  Alicia watched him as he left, placing her hand on her heart as the door clicked shut.

  “I love that man, but damn, he exhausts me.”

  “He does have a lot of energy, but so do you.”

  Alicia waggled her eyebrows and grinned. “You have no idea.”

  “I do not want the dirty details. Too much information.”

  “Let’s just say that the honeymoon won’t be boring,” Alicia replied in a loud whisper. “Brad has it going on, if you know what I mean.”

  Cassie did, and she didn’t want to hear about it. She wasn’t a prude in the least but hearing about her friends’ sex lives wasn’t her idea of a good time. Frankly, she didn’t want to picture them having sex, and she just might if she heard the details. She’d been cursed with a vivid imagination.

  “Actually, I’m glad Brad left,” Alicia said, her expression turning serious. “We need to talk.”

  The tone Alicia used didn’t bode well for the conversation ahead.

  “Okay, what’s on your mind?”

  Cassie wasn’t in the bridal party so she couldn’t be kicked out. Was someone sick? Was Alicia or her parents ill?

  “Michael.”

  Two years later, even hearing that name made Cassie wince. Their breakup had been nasty. Just plain awful. Michael had been happy to play it all out on social media and the press, reveling in being the talk of the town. Truth. Lies. It was all the same to him. He just liked seeing his name in the news. She, on the other hand, hated it.

  “What about him?”

  Cassie was getting a bad feeling about this. Very bad.

  “He’s coming to the wedding.”

  Then I’m leaving.

  “What?” Cassie shook her head to try and clear her muddled thoughts. “Michael is coming to the wedding?”

  Alicia crossed her arms over her chest defensively. “He is a good friend of Brad’s. And well…mine too. We’ve all known each other for years.”

  It was like being hit by a big truck driven by a good friend.

  “You both know what he did to me.”

  “That was two years ago. It’s ancient history,” Alicia argued. “Besides, no one cares about all of that anymore. No one probably even remembers.”

  “I remember.”

  Sighing, Alicia’s gaze dropped to the floor briefly before she replied. “I know you do. I remember, too. But Michael was just being Michael. It’s water under the bridge. He and Brad work together every day. They’re friends. I had to invite him. It would have been weird not to. I sort of just assumed that you’d know that, but I wanted to make sure that you understood. That’s why we’re talking about this. Michael is here. He’s checked into the hotel. He’s coming to the wedding. I’m sure you two can bury the hatchet and just ignore one another for the week.”

  Cassie knew exactly where she wanted that hatchet to be buried.

  “You’re not going to leave, are you?” Alicia asked, her brows pinched together in concern. “This is my wedding. I want you here.”

  And I want to be anywhere else.

  There was a battle being waged inside of Cassie. She wanted to be there for Alicia. They were long-time friends and leaving would surely put an end to that. Alicia had been there for Cassie in the dark days when she’d ended the relationship with Michael. There had been a great deal of tears, wine, and chocolate.

  Which was why it was so crazy that Alicia would think that Cassie would be just fine and dandy with Michael also being in attendance.

  I should have known. Michael and Brad are tight. This shouldn’t have been a shock to me.

  Somehow she’d ignored that fact, pretending that Michael didn’t even live on planet Earth. She couldn’t ignore it any longer. Reality had just hit her hard.

  “I want to be here for you,” Cassie finally replied, keeping her tone neutral. “As long as Michael stays far away from me, I’m okay with it. You’ll tell him that? I don’t want to talk to him.”

  Because what on earth would they say to one another? Michael would never apologize for the lies he’d told, and she wasn’t mature enough, apparently, to overlook it all.

  Alicia clapped her hands together, her expression immediately happier. “Of course, I will. I’ll tell him to stay away. He and Brad will probably be hanging out the whole time anyway. You won’t even notice he’s here. Unless you want to.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  Cassie didn’t want to leave. She wanted to be there for her friends on the biggest day of their lives.

  This is not about me. This is about Alicia.

  “You know, it’s probably for the best,” Alicia went on. “See each other in a friendly setting with no expectations. Just rip off that band-aid and get it over with. Who knows? Maybe you’ll hit it off again and end up back together. Stranger things have happened.”

  Pigs might fly through the sky, too. Her life was far more pleasant when Michael wasn’t in it.

  “I don’t see that happening, but I guess seeing one another was probably inevitable. We have many of the
same friends.”

  “See? This is a good thing. You’ll see him and realize that he can’t hurt you anymore. Done deal. Move on. It’s perfect.”

  It was far from perfect, but it was fine. The fact was Michael couldn’t hurt Cassie anymore. That’s why she’d ended their relationship. She didn’t feel anything for him - hate, love, passion. She’d only felt indifferent and that wasn’t anything to base a future on. He’d lost the ability to make her happy or sad a long time ago. But knowing Michael, he’d never in a million years believe that. She was sure he’d somehow convinced himself that the break was his idea.

  “I’ll give him a wide berth and I hope he does the same for me,” Cassie finally said. “I don’t really want to be around him if I don’t have to be.”

  Alicia gave her a strange look. “Do you still love him?”

  “Absolutely not. Looking back, I’m not sure I ever really loved him. I think I was in love with the idea of being in love. But that doesn’t mean I want to hang out with him and act like we’re friends. He did me dirty and I know who and what he is. He’s no friend. He’s the type who will stab you in the back when you aren’t looking.”

  “You’ll be fine as long as you don’t turn your back then,” Alicia joked. “Seriously, it’s a huge wedding. You’ll probably barely see him. You know, just from a distance kind of thing.”

  From a distance. Long-distance.

  “Let me show you my dress,” Cassie offered, hoping to change the subject. “You can give me your opinion.”

  “While we’re doing that, I can tell you all about the plans for the honeymoon. It’s going to be magical.”

  Cassie had no doubt that it would be. Every tiny detail of the wedding and honeymoon was destined to be picture perfect. Alicia wouldn’t have anything less.

  Cassie needed to relax and enjoy the festivities. Ignore Michael and his drama. Get some sun and have a cocktail. The last several months had been hectic, to say the least. She needed some fun with a generous side helping of peace and quiet. With any luck, this would be the boring week she’d been hoping for.

  Chapter

  Three

  Ace took a sip of his whiskey and leaned against the bar, happy to sit on the sidelines with his brother Justin. The cocktail party was in full swing. The music was loud, the guests laughing and dancing, and the drinks were flowing. All in all, it was a successful evening. His staff was perfectly efficient, weaving through the throng of people carrying trays of champagne and food.

  “I know why I’m here but what’s your story?” Justin asked, signaling for another beer from the bartender.

  Ace assumed his brother meant “here” as in standing at the bar instead of “here” as in the party. Their family was friends with the groom’s family, and they’d all been invited to the wedding.

  “I had a long day. Not much in the mood to make small talk.”

  “I can understand that.”

  There were four brothers in Ace’s family. He was the oldest. Justin was next in line, just eleven months younger. Then there was Trey - also eleven months younger than Justin. Then the baby Grant who was also - that’s right - eleven months younger than Trey.

  Ace’s mom had had four sons in four years. She’d wanted them to be close in age so they would grow up together. She’d got her wish. After being in labor with Grant for thirty-four hours and then having an emergency c-section she’d declared herself done with child birthing forever. Now she spent her time trying to convince her sons to settle down and give her more grandchildren.

  Justin was the quiet one of the brothers, never speaking unless he had something to say. Ace admired that about him. Trey, on the other hand, could talk and talk, charming everyone around him.

  “If you want to go home, I can make your excuses,” Justin said. “I’ll tell them you had a business emergency or something. No one will question it.”

  Ace shrugged. “Thanks, but I’m fine. It’s nice to be out of the house for a little while. Talk to people.”

  “Henry isn’t people?” Justin asked with a chuckle.

  “He is but lately the only thing he’s interested in is his girlfriend.”

  Or getting me a girlfriend.

  Justin shook his head and grinned. “Damn, I wouldn’t go back to my teenage years for anything. I swear all four of us were ruled by our hormones. Poor Mom.”

  “Funny, I don’t remember her putting up with much shit, but it wouldn’t have been easy with all of us hitting puberty about the same time. It’s bad enough with one and he’s a great kid. We were a bunch of assholes.”

  “We still are. We just hide it better.” Justin straightened, his gaze going to the entrance of the bar. “That’s the best man, Gary. He was asking me for some advice about a parcel of land near here. I need to talk to him about that.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Ace assured his brother. “Go on.”

  With Justin gone, Ace finished his drink and then wandered out to the patio area for some fresh air. It had been getting a bit too loud and crowded. It was far quieter outside and he stepped off to the side of the back deck where he couldn’t be seen from the party. From here, he could look over the railing and stare at the pink and orange sun as it began its descent into the rippling water. He could hear the push and pull of the water and smell the tang of salt in the air. He loved traveling and visiting locales all over the world, but this would always be home. He’d been born and raised here, and with any luck he’d have his ashes scattered across the gentle emerald green water of the Gulf of Mexico.

  He wasn’t aware of how long he stood there enjoying the solitude, but all good things had to come to an end. He needed to get back to the party and be sociable. He wasn’t even sure why he was acting this way tonight. While he was mostly a homebody, he did enjoy a good party now and then. Maybe what Henry had said was getting to him a bit. Was he really becoming a hermit who didn’t like people? Was he going to be alone? Was being alone all that bad?

  If I met someone I was interested in, I would ask them out.

  But he hadn’t met anyone. Not for a long time. He was beginning to think that there was no one out there.

  He turned to go back to the party, slipping out of the corner he had been occupying but he ran directly into an obstacle, causing him to immediately step back. He could feel a wetness seep into the button-down shirt he wore, sticking to the skin of his abdomen. It was a moment before he could process what had just taken place.

  He’d run into a woman and her probably full beverage. Whatever had been in her glass was now currently splashed on his chest and belly. Her drink had been bright red and his shirt had been white.

  Had been being the operative words. The cotton fabric was soaking up the liquid, turning the shirt a bright pink color.

  “Oh my god,” the woman groaned, placing her free hand over her face in embarrassment. “I’ve ruined your clothes. I’m so sorry. I’m so very sorry.”

  “It’s fine. It’s okay,” Ace assured her, pulling the sticky shirt away from his skin. “I can go change. It’s not a big deal.”

  He had plenty more shirts to choose from. This wasn’t his favorite or anything.

  The woman groaned again and shook her head, still not looking him in the eye. “It’s all my fault. I’m kind of a klutz. This isn’t the first drink I’ve spilled on someone.”

  Apparently, he was the newest member in a not-so-exclusive club. It was actually kind of amusing.

  “It’s really okay,” he assured her. “At most, you’re only half responsible. In fact, I think it was me that ran into you. Are you alright? I should say that I’m sorry. I didn’t see you at all.”

  “No, no. It was me.”

  This time she did look up, and he immediately recognized her as the woman Henry had pointed out in the lobby earlier in the day.

  And yes, she was as beautiful up close as she was from a distance. Even more beautiful, actually. Although at the moment, she wasn’t smiling as she had been when he’d first see
n her. Right now she was wearing an expression of complete remorse.

  “I turned around and wasn’t watching where I was going,” Ace explained. “I didn’t think anyone else was back here. It’s all my fault. Really. Did your dress get stained? I can have the resort laundry take care of it.”

  She looked down at herself and then back at him. She was wearing a turquoise green sundress with white flowers that showed off a gorgeous figure and a slight tan. “Not a drop. You took all the damage. Shit, I really feel awful. Your shirt is ruined. There’s no way you’ll get that stain out.”

  “I didn’t really like this shirt all that much. In fact, you did me a favor. Can I ask what you were drinking?”

  She held up the mostly empty glass. “A Kir Royale. Alicia wanted a menu of red cocktails for the party. You know…red for love.”

  Pulling at the sticky material, Ace nodded towards the party. “I’m going to change my shirt and I’ll have the bartender bring you a new drink.”

  “You don’t need to do that,” she protested. “Maybe I should just stick to clear liquids tonight.”

  “Then I’ll have him bring you a ginger ale,” Ace replied with a grin.

  She laughed and then her smile dropped. “Seriously, I’m so sorry. I can pay for your shirt.”

  “It’s no one’s fault. It’s dark out here. I’m going to tell the head of facilities that we need more lighting in this corner. It’s fine. Like I said, it’s no big deal.”

  She didn’t look like she believed him but she nodded as if she did.

  “Thank you. You’re being very nice about this.”

  She stepped back and Ace moved towards the double doors to the bar area. “Have a nice evening. I guess I’ll be seeing you around the wedding events.”

  “Yes, I guess so. Sorry again.”

  He didn’t want her to keep apologizing so he awkwardly backed into the bar, making a beeline for Brad who was with his bride-to-be Alicia, chatting with a few other guests.

  “Whatever happened to you?” Alicia said with a teasing giggle. “Did you get shot?”

  “Something like that. I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to call it a night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”