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Colin popped another piece of the bite-size macaroni pie in his mouth and chuckled when he kept thinking of the deadly look that had graced Coco’s face every time he took her food away from her, but he couldn’t help himself.

The food had been so good, so he’d headed in search of someone who looked like a harassed event planner.

Eventually, he found the man instructing the staff out in another hallway that belonged to the event space rented for tonight.

It was a huge mansion on an estate that owners would rent out while they were away travelling.

He’d been excited to meet the chef at tonight’s event and now had his contact information. He agreed to come to Colin’s kitchen and teach him some of the recipes in exchange for Colin recommending him to some of his clients for their events.

But he wasn’t kidding himself thinking it was the only reason he wandered off; he used it as an excuse to get away from her for a moment.

The moans she’d uttered when she’d eaten the appetizers had been so hot.

He fought the urge to be the reason for those moans escaping her, to have her tasting him instead.

His gut had clenched when he wanted so bad to lick and suck the little shimmer of juice from the fish on her lips; all common sense went out the window.

But he’d caught the eye of her ever-watchful father, the man leaning all the way back until it seemed he might fall over next to his friend.

Even across the room, Colin could read the look: don’t make me come over there and beat sense into you in front of everyone because I will, try it.

He’d straightened up and gave her some space because he wanted this to work and not blow it by angering her parents, even though he felt for some reason her mother was on board with all of this. He needed this to make his grandfather happy.

He and his brothers had been furious and still were but when their grandfather told them about his condition, nothing else mattered to them but trying to grant his wishes, even if they thought it was insane for him to try and get them to pull this off in a year.

They’d all met and discussed trying the best way to go about this without hurting someone or themselves in the process and wondering who they could approach with this insane idea.

Coco had popped into his brain and the image of her in a wedding dress and walking down the aisle next to him had stirred something in him that he’d thought he buried a long time ago.

He squashed that idea immediately, but once he’d thought it, the image of her being the one to marry took root and wouldn’t let him go.

Not like he hadn’t thought of her off and on throughout the years.

Hell, he’d even checked in on her to see what she was up to.

Finding out that she’d graduated and had her diploma, deciding to settle and start her business in Boston, staying within reach of him.

He wasn’t home that often as he travelled around as a chef and had gone to Switzerland to cook for Michael Brooks and the date who won his romantic getaway package.

Later, he found out it was his female best friend.

She was a beautifully stacked woman in all the right places, what she wore—the revealing and barely there red lingerie fit her perfectly, showcasing all of her assets for Michael’s pleasure and viewing.

It surprised Colin when he found out who she was because they didn’t look like friends when he happened to be there.

The sexual electricity flowing between them had even excited him, and he wasn’t a eunuch.

Ambra was a gorgeous woman and she’d stirred his interest when he’d laid eyes on her sitting at the table, but he knew from the possessive way Michael watched the woman that if he even tried to make a move, he would find himself in a hospital.

That didn’t stop him from having a little fun and poking the bear a bit.

It was a coincidence that Coco knew Ambra and helped her out by hiding her when she needed to disappear from Michael, earning his wrath and landing her in the hot water and her shares in his lap without him having to even try to convince her to help him.

He felt his phone vibrate in his jacket pocket; he paused in the hallway, hearing the sounds of guest conversing and the light sounds of instruments playing in the background as the guests continued to mingle before they were to head outside on the lawn for an outdoor dinner.

He glanced at the number and his stomach tightened; he answered it immediately.

“Jacob? What happened? Is everything okay with Kaitlyn?”

“She’s fine. Resting upstairs in her bedroom.” His brother’s deep baritone sounded tired and worried at the same time.

“Did you get the results?”

“Yes.” His brother’s voice sounding strained.

He knew it wasn’t good. “And?”

“None of you are a match.” He said, sorrow deepening his voice and Colin’s shoulders slumped down. His world was spinning on its axes. He now felt helpless and knew his brother must be feeling much worse because as her parent, he could not help her. He’d come back negative as a match too.

The whole family was rocked last month when they got the news that Kaitlyn need a bone-marrow donor.

“Tell me everything, what did the doctors say?” He moved and rested his back against the wall. He ignored the curious glances from the staff and men and women who happened to wander into the hallway, focusing on his brother and what he had to say next.

“Just what I told you, that no one on our side of the family is a complete match for her. And they also searched the donor bank to see if anyone else was and so far, it’s come up empty.”

He shut his eyes, and the image of his laughing niece appeared, her smile so beautiful it lit up the whole room and made idiots out of her uncles, who wanted to keep her laughing and smiling around them that they did whatever it took to make her feel happy, safe, and loved.

They’d almost lost her once and wouldn’t let it occur again, but now it looked like the decision was going to be taken out of their hands.

Because now it seemed they didn’t have what she needed the most to keep her smiling and laughing.

He felt anger and sorrow pour through him.

His knuckles struck the wall behind him and he swore.

He missed what his brother said next. “What? Repeat that.” He straightened up.

“They asked me where her mother was and if she was still alive.”

Colin swore, not liking where this was going. “And?”

“I have to try and find her?”

“You haven’t heard from her since she was released from the hospital and signed the papers.

It’s been a while since the court was backlogged to the point you had to wait several months until the court finished processing the papers.

So, what, it has been a year now?” He questioned, teeth grinding in frustration at this new development.

“No. not a word. She kept her promise to not reach out to me ever again and to forget she had a daughter.” His brother said coldly.

“Could she be dead?”

“No.”

Colin’s eyebrows rose at the quick response. “How do you know?”

“I just do.” His brother gave him a short answer, his voice terse. And Colin knew enough about his brother’s tone to not continue that line of questioning right now.

“Do you know where she went?”

“No, I will have to search for her. ” His brother swore loudly after his comment.

“Have you spoken to the Senator?”

“Yes, he doesn’t know where his daughter is, and he doesn’t care.”

Colin nodded in understanding. Sierra’s father disowned her after the accident; almost losing his granddaughter had been the last straw for him with his only child and her addiction to drinking.

“Have you asked him to come in for testing?” Hope burgeoned in Colin’s chest; maybe the Senator would be a match for his granddaughter, and they could leave Sierra out of it.

“Yes, he is going tomorrow to the hospital to be tested, but I have a feeling he won’t be a match.

I will have to get her mother involved.” His brother spat out the word like it was poison and, in this case, he was right.

Sierra had been nothing but poison to his brother and a selfish mother to Kaitlyn.

It wasn’t till the accident that she realized the traumatic and physical destruction she’d caused and thought she could make amends, but by then it was too late, the damage had been done.

He and the family had been happy when Jacob finally got her out of his life and the life of their daughter.

But now Kaitlyn’s illness was going to drag her back in.

“When you find her, do you think she will come back to take the test for Kaitlyn? Jacob, she hasn’t even checked on Kaitlyn since she has been gone.

If she ever cared about her daughter, she would have fought and not given up so easily.

” He needed his brother to understand that this wasn’t going to be an easy fix.

“She didn’t have a choice.” His brother continued. “She only needs to come and get tested and if she is a match, give some of her bone marrow to Kaitlyn. She won’t get to see my child or come anywhere near me.”

“What are you going to do if she says no.”

“Drag her back here whether she wants to our not.” His brother vowed. “I will dance with the devil one last time to get what I need for my daughter.”

“Yes, and let me know what you need from me to help find her. With both of us looking, we should be able to find her faster and then I can go and talk to her and make sure she comes back peacefully.”

“Thanks, but I can handle it. Appreciate it.” Jacob said gruffly.

“Don’t worry, I doubt she will put up much of a fight.

Money is a great incentive especially since she didn’t walk away from all of this unscathed.

Sierra was hurt badly in the accident and is scarred now for life.

Her being vain about her appearance—this was a blow to her vanity.

I am sure she is starving by now for a little semblance of her old life. ” His tone shifted to mocking.

Colin suddenly heard through his phone when his brother paused, “Daddy, I had a bad dream about the accident and now I can’t sleep.” His eyes closed again at hearing the pain in his niece’s speech and listened to the low murmur of his brother’s voice trying to soothe his daughter.

“Colin, I will have to call you back later.”

“Yes, don’t worry. Go take care of Kaitlyn and tell her, her red teddy bear loves her.”

“I will. Night.” His brother sounded tired, and Colin suddenly wished he wasn’t raising his niece alone and had that special someone else there to help and give him moral support.

Jacob had his brothers and grandfather, but it was different when you had your best friend and lover be there to help you carry the burden day and night and vice versa.

His grandfather’s idea was now starting to have some merit.

But Colin and his brothers were scarred and had their father to thank for that. He did not want to end up like his dad. Quickly, he brushed thoughts of his father aside and strode down the hall heading back to Coco, his mood soured by the news his brother just gave him.

When he reached the sea of faces, there were two missing from the room and Jackie was giving him a very satisfied smirk. Colin’s mood darkened further.