Page 14

A lthough the week had proved hectic as his family prepared for Gabriel and Eric’s wedding, Richard was in a terrific mood. His best friend was in town, and Richard had been glued to Maribeth’s side as much as possible. But that wasn’t why he’d woken up with a smile.

Today, Richard was traveling to the resort to set up for the reception. While Richard enjoyed preparing a space for an event, it wasn’t a set-up filling him with joy. As he sailed into the ballroom he caught sight of a striking inspirit with wavy black hair, and he grinned.

It was ridiculous to admit, but Richard had missed Lucas. The inspirit turned, and his gray gaze lit up. Or maybe Richard was reading too much into things. Just because he was thrilled to be there with Lucas, it didn’t mean the inspirit was equally ecstatic.

“You owe me cookies,” Lucas said by way of greeting as Richard strode to his side.

“What’s this?” Maribeth asked. “No one mentioned a cookie debt to me.”

“Lucas saved my life by emailing me the files on the USB stick I left at the office on Friday,” Richard told her.

Maribeth shook her head. “Oh, Lucas, we’re going to have to work on your negotiating skills. You could’ve squeezed a lot more than cookies out of Richard.”

“Or maybe Lucas is nicer than you are,” Richard remarked.

“Every ounce of my meanness I learned from you,” Maribeth replied with a sweet smile.

“At this point, we’re going to ignore her,” Richard commented. “How are you, Lucas?”

The inspirit’s smile simultaneously made Richard’s heart melt and his libido roar to life. Thank goodness he’d gone with loose pants, so if he popped a boner, no one would notice.

“Good, I’ve been looking forward to today,” Lucas replied.

“Well, you can’t be excited about Richard’s less-than-charming personality, so how much do you love setting up furniture and steaming the wrinkles out of tablecloths?” Maribeth asked with a twinkle in her eye Richard knew better than to trust.

“Actually, the office isn’t the same without him,” Lucas said, his gray gaze landing on Richard. For a moment, Richard forgot anyone else existed as he stared at Lucas. The man was gorgeous, and Richard knew him well enough now that he could honestly say it wasn’t external beauty alone. They weren’t besties or anything, but Lucas was kind and thoughtful.

Eric made a beeline across the room with Gabriel trailing after him, and he didn’t stop until he was inches from Richard. His blue eyes were both worried and wild.

“Mom wants to know which way I prefer the napkins folded,” Eric announced, his words rushed together and urgent.

Gabriel caught up with his soulmate and wrapped an arm around Eric. “Please don’t leave me alone with Rosalind again,” Gabriel said, dropping a kiss on Eric’s curls.

“I blame Richard for getting us into this,” Eric grumbled. “We could’ve eloped.”

Richard’s mouth fell open. “How is this my fault?”

“Because you’re the event planner in the family and I thought you’d take care of everything,” Eric replied, his gaze full of betrayal.

“Oh no, baby, you have to make some decisions for your own big day,” Richard countered. “We want to make sure this day is about you and Gabriel, not a reflection of anyone else’s style.”

“But Gabriel and I don’t have a style,” Eric exclaimed.

“My whole place was beige,” Gabriel added, unhelpfully in Richard’s opinion.

Richard rolled his eyes. “I love you both, but I can’t do everything.”

“I’ll go pick a napkin,” Maribeth said.

“I love you, Mari,” Eric called after her as she stalked toward Rosalind. Richard noted Douglas had already cornered his mother and was showing her something on his large tablet.

“Douglas is going to wind Mom up,” Richard grumbled. It’d grown clear to Richard by midweek that his mother wasn’t stressing about things. She had everything under control, and she trusted Richard to ensure the wedding would go smoothly. But Douglas called her incessantly.

Richard had told her the previous day to stop answering, but his mother refused. She didn’t want to hurt Douglas’s feelings or allow a single thing to potentially fall through the cracks. The second scenario was highly unlikely, not impossible, but Richard was an excellent troubleshooter.

So was his mother. While she refused to take any credit for how the vast Marwood properties were run across several continents, Rosalind was involved in every decision. Richard’s father trusted her implicitly and did little without her input. Without her aid, Richard doubted his parents would have such a vast network of businesses.

“Go rescue her,” Eric encouraged.

“A visit from the happy couple would be a better diversion,” Richard told his brother.

“But what if she has more questions?” Eric asked.

“Suck it up, baby, you only have to deal with the wedding stuff for a little longer,” Richard replied. “She’s worked her ass off to ensure your wedding is perfect.”

Eric sucked in a deep breath and squared his shoulders. “You’re right, and so have you. We’ll go save her.”

Gabriel pulled his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. Eric narrowed his eyes at his soulmate. “I have—”

“To come with me,” Eric finished for him. “Don’t try to make up a work excuse either, you’re not on the clock today.”

“Plus, your screen was dark, so no one texted or called you,” Richard remarked, crossing his arms in immediate defense of his brother.

Stepping closer to Eric, Gabriel bussed his head again. “I was going to say I have to text Clark. He was supposed to meet us down here, and he’s nowhere to be found.”

“Call him,” Eric insisted. “He’d be a better distraction than us.”

“Maybe he can think of a few errands for Douglas. If we don’t divert him from obsessing over every detail, he’ll stress himself out further. I’ve tried to tell him to relax, but he’s not listening to me,” Richard said.

He wished he could convince Douglas everything would be fine, but nothing had worked that week. It filled Richard with guilt. Without the gift Richard had given the inspirit at his summoning, Douglas wouldn’t grow consumed with already-confirmed specifics.

Gabriel called Richard’s father, and Richard looked up at Lucas. “Still excited about today?”

Lucas’s smile spread slowly. “Yep.”

The world around Richard disappeared as he stared up into Lucas’s incredible gray eyes. For a heartbeat, Richard understood why Eric had grown so enamored of his fantasies of a life with Gabriel. If Richard were ever in the market for a romance or a happily ever after, he’d have to admit that Lucas would be his first choice as a costar.

???

Luke slipped into his suit jacket and was surprised by the ringing of his cellphone. Plucking it off the dresser, he slid his thumb across the screen the moment he read Foxe’s name on it.

“Luke?” Foxe shouted into his ear.

“You okay?” Luke asked, immediately concerned. Foxe hadn’t answered his phone in weeks and preferred to communicate in texts. Had something happened? Was he in danger?

Foxe whooped loudly, and the cheers of several other people filtered through the line. “Never been better. I have big news!”

Buoyed by the enthusiasm in Foxe’s voice, Luke smiled. “What’s up?”

“I won, Luke. I won big time. That piddly amount you sent me on Friday is now a small fortune.”

“Wow, congratulations,” Luke replied, trying not to be insulted by Foxe’s insinuation. Luke was funneling half of his paycheck to his necromancer, and the Marwoods were generous. But no matter how much Luke provided for Foxe, it wasn’t enough. In three months, Luke had gone from believing they were best friends to feeling like a cash machine for an often-cranky patron.

“It was bound to happen,” Foxe boasted. “Didn’t I tell you I was skilled at this shit? I finally found an honest casino. A few more days here and I’ll be able to buy my brother’s fucking mansion.”

“You aren’t planning on gambling everything you won, are you?”

“I can’t make money if I don’t spend it. You know that. Think about it. A couple other wins like this and we’ll be set for years. Many years, Luke. Maybe I’ll move to Vegas and live like a high roller. We could hang out that way.”

“Foxe, don’t take everything you’ve won and lose it. Set at least some of it aside so you have money for food and a place to stay.”

“What are you talking about? I’m not going to lose the money. This casino is legit. I’ll be rolling in dough.”

“Do me a favor and save something.”

“Don’t be silly. We don’t have to worry about that stuff. You’ve got a job. If the money goes away, payday is next Friday.”

Luke had woken that morning excited because it was the highly anticipated day of the Wolfebrier-Marwood nuptials and, while Richard would be busy, he’d at least get to see the necromancer. But Foxe was irritating him. His job had started as a temporary one to offer them some stability and allow Luke to build savings. Although he wasn’t interested in quitting, he also didn’t want to be used.

“But you have money, so I don’t need to send you anything more,” Luke said.

“What the fuck? Of course you’ll send me money. That’s why you’re working. We can’t afford to keep running from place to place without an income. That’s the entire point of you getting a job.”

“What’s the plan? I’m supposed to continue to work here until when? And I keep clocking in Monday through Friday to send you half my paycheck so you can do what? Gamble and whatever else pleases you?”

“You told me you like your job,” Foxe exclaimed. “Get a different one if you changed your mind. Didn’t you tell me those Marwoods will let you transfer to another department, business, or whatever?”

“That’s not the point. It doesn’t matter where I work. I shouldn’t have to keep funding your lifestyle. Not if you refuse to be responsible.”

“Now you sound like my fucking father or brother.”

“How many people need to tell you how selfish you’re being until you realize it’s unfair?” Luke demanded. “Did it occur to you to ask what I want?”

“You know what I did for you,” Foxe growled.

Unlike Luke, Foxe was surrounded by humans, so he couldn’t talk freely, but that didn’t matter. Luke got the point. Foxe believed he owed him the money because he’d resurrected Luke. According to the Marwoods, that wasn’t supposed to be how it worked. Inspirits were summoned without ties to any sorcerer. They were individuals with their own hopes and dreams.

“I don’t owe you anything, Foxe.”

“The fuck you don’t.”

Luke closed his eyes. For ten years, he’d lived in limbo and hated it. In the last three months, everything had changed. He appreciated that Foxe had resurrected him, but he couldn’t keep kidding himself. To Foxe, Luke was another means to an end.

A part of him had known that at some point there’d be a reckoning and he’d have to confront Foxe. But that realization did little to assuage Luke’s guilt. Foxe needed to figure out his life without Luke supplying ready cash to feed his dangerous habit.

“You’re wrong. I didn’t ask for anything from you. What you gave me is a gift. One that shouldn’t come with strings. I’m sorry, Foxe, but I can’t keep sending you money if you’re going to blow it in a casino.”

“So, what? You’re going to fucking abandon me like my family?”

“If you want help, the Marwoods have resources. Come to Vegas, they’ll ensure you get what you need to help you fight your addiction.”

“I don’t have an addiction, Luke. You know what it is? You’re jealous. I walked into this casino and made money. Lots of money. You can’t do that. Your ass goes into an office every day, and you can’t earn close to what I have right now.”

“I like my job. Stability is great, and I want that in my life permanently.”

“Well, good luck to you, because I’m not going to deal with your shit. I don’t know how you can live with yourself, honestly. After what I’ve done for you, how can you cut me off?”

Hurt, Luke barely held his tears in check. He’d shed them on his own without allowing Foxe to know how badly he was hurting him. They were supposed to be family. Best friends. But the moment Luke tried to get Foxe to control his spending or be responsible, he lashed out and wanted nothing to do with him. Unless, of course, Luke continued to feed his addiction.

“I’m here for you whenever you want help, okay? But I’m enabling you. That’s what I can’t live with any longer.”

“Fuck you, Luke.”

The call ended, and Luke sucked in a shaky breath. Hopefully, this wasn’t the end of his relationship with Foxe. At some point, he hoped Foxe would be ready to embrace something different for himself. Whenever that time came, Luke would be there for him. But he’d do that with a guarded heart.

Luke swiped a tear from his cheek. Letting go was hard, but he believed he was doing the right thing. He didn’t know if their friendship would ultimately survive Foxe’s addiction. Or if he was fooling himself into thinking that Foxe cared for him, but the lure of the casino was stronger.

At this point, it didn’t matter. Their paths had diverted. That saddened Luke, but he was also grateful. Foxe had led him to the Marwoods. Luke had a stable life, a rewarding job, and even a forbidden crush on a man out of his league.

It was a far cry from the endless whirlwind of countless cities, meager meals, and the consummate guilt from unpaid bills. Pulling himself together, Luke tugged on his jacket to straighten it and slipped his phone into his pocket. The day hadn’t started out well, but Luke refused to allow it to be ruined.

Losing Foxe hurt—and Luke would worry about him.

But Luke had his own life to live.