“It’s okay, Chas. I wish he was still here. I wish he could have met Link.” That was what my brain got stuck on most days. I’d had twenty-one years with my dad, nowhere near enough but I cherished each one. Link didn’t even have a day to get to know him. “Don’t take your parents for granted. I learned that the hard way,” I said quietly.
Chas visibly tensed and dropped her gaze back to the cup. “If you have parents worth the time of day.”
“Your parents are worth the time.” The words fell cautiously from my mouth.
“Mia,” Chas said gently. “I know Luc’s probably told you about my family history.”
I didn’t tell her that it wasn’t Luc. Chas didn’t deserve to be kicked while she was down. She didn’t need to know that Katia had been gossiping about her misfortune. “He might have mentioned it,” I replied quietly. “I’m sorry for what happened to your mom.”
“Dad protects what he thinks is valuable,” Chas told me carefully. “He rarely keeps things that he thinks aren’t useful to him anymore.”
A shiver ran down my spine at that statement. It was meant to be overarching but I couldn’t help but think about Silas disposing of his late wife because she’d proved worthless to him for some reason. It unsettled me in a way I couldn’t describe. Luc coveted our relationship. Even Xavier cared for Emilia enough to want to keep his indiscretions secret. What had tipped Silas over the edge?
“He wouldn’t do that to you,” I said, suddenly wondering if Luc had gotten it wrong. What if Silas hadn’t been after Gabe? What if he’d wanted to hurt Chas?
“I doubt it.” She sighed. “I’m sure he sensed the opportunity of a lifetime here.”
“I don’t understand.” I couldn’t connect the dots.
“Dad’s not exactly welcome in the family with everything that happened. Me being with Gabe has probably sparked the idea that he could gain some favour again.”
With that small piece of information, I could fill in the blanks that Chas hadn’t said and wasn’t quite aware of. Chas dating Gabe had allowed her to step back into the family fold. She might not have been the most warmly received person, but she wasn’t being shunned either. If Silas had been watching, which no doubt he had been, he had thought Gabe was no longer necessary and a traumatic event like his death would allow Silas to swoop into the family again under the guise of comforting his daughter. I might not have been part of this world for long, but I had started to pick up on the twisted thoughts and patterns that made people tick.
“Has he been in touch?” I asked, wondering if Silas had spoken to her lately.
“No. We haven’t spoken properly since I left for college. I think we were both secretly glad to see the back of each other.” Then she muttered, “Maybe not so secretly. And when I come home, it’s silence and lonely dinners.”
“Chas—”
“Actually, Mia, I’m not feeling so good. I think I have a bit of a headache coming on. Maybe we can catch up another time?” she said. Her eyes were glassy, and I realised I had probably hit a nerve discussing her father.
The guilt rose hard and fast and had me nodding. “Sure,” I said, pushing the full mug away from me and standing from my chair. “I’ll see myself out. I hope you feel better soon, Chas.”
Perhaps it was time that I started listening to Luc.
Chapter Thirteen
Mia
Five dresses in, and I was exhausted. I’d tried two mermaids, a two-piece, boho chic, and a slinky, sexy number that was a definite no as it wasn’t anywhere near church appropriate. Dress number six held some promise. The sleeves were lace, something I liked and made note to speak to the designer about, but the skirt was a little too big for my liking. Nevertheless, I stepped into it with the assistant fastening it in all the right places and clipping it along the back so I could see how it would fit if it was my size. This was the last one. No more playing dress-up after this.
I bunched up the skirt in my hands so that I wouldn’t trip and fall flat on my face but as the assistant opened the door she was met with Dom, looking stony faced. “I think it would be best if you took a coffee break,” Dom said to the assistant and I felt my heart stop.
“What’s happened?” I asked him. It was the first week of February but the chill I felt in my blood was less to do about the winter weather and more to do with the ominous way Dom had suggested the assistant leave us.
“We have a little problem we need to deal with,” Dom said. “Luc and Link are both fine.” The clarification calmed my heart.
We walked down the hallway from the changing room back onto the floor and my stomach dropped. The store had been cleared of staff and Katia and Rosalie were nowhere in sight. Instead, Gabe sat on a chaise lounge with his ankle crossed over his leg, picking lint off the cuff of his dark coat. He looked up as we joined him in the space, and arched an eyebrow. “You’ll make a beautiful bride,bella. If you make it to your wedding day.” He looked past me to the assistant. “Your colleagues are waiting for you outside. A well-earned coffee break. I’m sure she’s kept you busy.” He nodded towards me.
The woman had paled as she glanced from Gabe to Dom to Michael and the others Gabe had brought with him. What she assumed would be a day of high commission sales had quickly soured. She didn’t argue as she left our side and timidly walked out of the shop.
“Where are Katia and Rosalie?” I asked him once the door closed.
“They were only too happy to oblige when I asked them for a private audience with you,” he answered, stretching his arms out as he leaned back against the seat, taking me in. Rosalie and Katia wouldn’t want to get caught in the crossfire so they had agreed to leave me with the wolf. Loyalty ran as far as it could before self-preservation kicked in.
I dropped the skirts from my hands and wrapped my arms around my middle, feeling uncomfortable standing in front of Gabe in a wedding dress. “A phone call, Gabriel. Or visit the house. It’s a little creepy that you chose to just impose on wedding dress shopping.”
“Uncomfortable with imposition? In the same way you’ve been imposing yourself on Chas?” Gabe asked with a spark of anger. He pushed himself away from the back of the chaise and stood up.
