Page 88 of The Marriage Mistake

Jack grimaced, considering it.

Knox cleared his throat. “The brick seemed personal. This time, they went after Jack, not Marswood Security.”

My husband glanced in the rearview mirror to meet his brother’s eyes. “You think going to the party might bring Spider out.”

“If he’s gunning for you, it’s the perfect opportunity to make a statement. You, attending a fancy party at our biggest client’s oceanside mansion. He hits you there, it sends a message. It has the added benefit of keeping Darby under cover and having Ember surrounded by our guys at the party.”

Jack’s jaw tensed. He looked at me. “I could go on my own.”

I glared. “How do you figure? I’m the one who got you that invitation in the first place. How’s that going to look, if I don’t show up?”

“I’m not having you in the line of fire if this asshole shows up to send a message.”

“We’ll put extra guys on,” Knox cut in. “We’ll be ready.”

Jack didn’t like it. I could tell by the line of his shoulders and the bulge in his jaw. He glared out the windshield and ruminated.

“Ember handled herself well in there,” Knox said, and I knew he meant during the conversation with Cash. He was vouching for me, trying to convince Jack to go along with his plan. My heart jumped. I’d never had someone have that much confidence in me for anything other than book smarts. Suddenly, I wanted to go to that party, and I wanted Spider to make his move.

I wanted to prove to Jack that I could do it. Prove it to myself.

I slid my hand over Jack’s thigh. “Spend the day trying to find this guy. If you do, we send our apologies and skip the party. If we don’t, we go with Knox’s plan.”

His eyes bored into mine, and he finally dipped his chin to agree.

JACK

I was on edge, and I knew I would be until Spider was found. I couldn’t get over the panic of hearing the smashed glass and the violation of knowing someone had attacked my home. Walking into Rock Bottom with Ember by my side had fried my nerves completely. My wife was brilliant, but I didn’t want her anywhere near those scumbags.

While Ember got ready for the party at Gideon’s apartment above the Marswood Security headquarters, I rode with my brothers to Marswood Creek, a small enclave about ten miles outside of town. It used to be a fishing village and was now a collection of rundown shacks. We snaked through the crumbling gravel roads and looked for our guy.

No luck. Spider was gone.

Grimacing, I worked until the very last minute, and then resigned myself to going with Knox’s stupid plan. I got ready for the party and went to pick up my wife.

TWENTY-THREE

EMBER

Jack was distant when he picked me up from Gideon and Sadie’s apartment wearing a sharp black suit and a scowl. “You look beautiful,” he told me as he kissed me, but it sounded more like a rehearsed line than anything genuine.

“We don’t have to go,” I told him. “We can stay here. You can keep looking for Spider.”

He shook his head. “We have to go. Blanchard is an important client. We can’t afford to upset him.”

I nodded and let him help me into the car. He got behind the wheel and looked at me. “You really do look beautiful, Ember.”

My shoulders eased, and I smiled. “Thank you.”

I wore a custom-fitted designer dress and heels I’d borrowed from a friend to go to a billionaire’s mansion for a cocktail party. Earlier today, I’d confronted a criminal biker gang and succeeded in extracting information. Who was I right now?

As the overcast sky darkened to evening, we drove through the drizzle and made our way to the Blanchard mansion. Fancy parties full of strangers really weren’t my thing. As we entered the beautiful home, I inhaled the scent of the flower arrangements near the entrance and listened to the sound of mixed conversations, laughter, and delicate classical music. A man in a black suit standing at a small podium checked our names on a list, then welcomed us inside.

Outside, the rain grew heavier. I felt the curious gazes of the other guests rake over us. They glittered with jewels and wore form-fitting clothing, and I sent a silent thank you to Sadie for insisting I buy this dress and making sure it fit properly. I touched my small, dangly, gold-and-pearl earrings, self-conscious.

We moved deeper into the home, where most of the guests mingled. It was the same big room where I’d originally chatted with Oren, except the doors had been opened up to give access to the patio. A retractable roof protected the patio from the rain, and heat lamps were dotted over the pavement. More heat blasted into the room to guard against the cold, which seemed like a real waste of electricity. They could’ve just closed the doors.

The room had been redecorated slightly to allow more room for people to move, with high tables and small conversation nooks. Waiters circulated with drinks and nibbles.