Page 65 of Hart of Redemption
ALIAS: JOY
Icouldn’t believe I’d been undercover for a month. I had mixed feelings about the length of time. In some ways, the days dragged on. I operated in a vacuum on other days, especially from Wednesday through Saturday nights when the club was hopping.
It had been two weeks since Duke and I had sex, and during that time, we’d managed to keep our distance but not without tense moments.
I’d missed something big between Grace and Duke the other night at the club when Mateo Alvarez and Lou Romano had shown up. I’d tried to pull it out of Grace, but she wasn’t talking. As far as Duke, that man had a metaphorical muzzle over his mouth.
But Gwen had sent me a message that Tito was dead. That was a turn of events the team and I hadn’t seen coming. No one would confess to Tito’s murder, but the prisoners who shanked him to death were rumored to be foot soldiers in Rosario’s organization.
I flattened a hand over my chest, hoping to calm my racing heart as I entered the Boston Harbor hotel where the charity event was taking place.
An usher was directing traffic for the guests in black-tie attire toward the ballroom at the back of the hotel.
I shuffled along behind couples excitedly chatting about the holidays. Christmas was only fifteen days away, and I was hoping I would be done with my assignment and able to relax with Dad and Rosie.
Soft melodies and chatter drifted from the ballroom as I stood in line to check my coat. Through the doors and wall of windows, I could see the glistening waters of Boston Harbor in the distance, illuminated by the city lights surrounding it.
I hadn’t been to a black-tie event since prom. Grace had filled me on the guest list, which featured the who’s who of Boston’s elite society, including the mayor and other city officials. So far, the event had raised thirty thousand for the Hart of Hope shelter, and that didn’t include the auction that would take place after dinner.
It was unfortunate that Duke wasn’t more like Dillon, who was doing good things for the world. It still hurt to think about how emotional Duke had been when he expressed his desire for redemption. I couldn’t even begin to comprehend the hardships he’d faced in life or why he hadn’t sought redemption sooner. However, despite my empathy toward him, I couldn’t allow my emotions to interfere with our mission. I’d been constantly reminding myself not to get attached to Duke Hart, but it wasn’t easy when I saw him night after night watching me from his perch above the club.
Focus, Fallyn.
I hadn’t gotten any intel since I forced Duke to walk away from me, and as Gwen had told me that night outside my dad’s house, I had to rectify the situation. Ideally, tonight was the perfect opportunity to get chummy with Duke.
After handing my coat to the nice older lady, I steeled my nerves and entered the ballroom. Poinsettias adorned tables. White Christmas trees were positioned in key spots around the ballroom and at both ends of the stage. Donors were gathered in groups around tables, and others were already seated, while the bar was packed with folks either drinking or waiting for drinks.
I’d barely had a chance to gain my bearings when someone called my name.
I turned to find Dillon striding up to me, dressed to impress in a tuxedo he wore with a red bow tie. His brown hair was slicked back, and there was a spark in his brown eyes.
“Thank you so much for coming. Duke is at the bar,” Dillon said.
I didn’t have a chance to respond before Maggie Hart, wild blond curls in a beautiful updo secured with a ruby hair pin, walked up to us. She wore a silk red dress that fell to her ankles, and her emerald eyes glimmered.
Dillon kissed his wife. “Can you show Joy where we’re sitting? I need to talk to the event coordinator for the hotel.” He dashed off.
Maggie held a fluted glass of champagne. “He’s a nervous wreck. I’m so proud of him.”
I had a myriad of questions for the news reporter. If anyone was in the know, both about the Hart family and current events, it was Maggie. But it seemed I couldn’t catch my breath.
Grace rushed over. “Joy.” Her smile was blinding. “Duke is at the bar with Brian McCauley. Come on. I’ll take you over to Duke.”
“Grace,” Maggie said in a firm tone, “let Joy breathe.”
Grace responded with a pointed look at her sister-in-law. “Duke just asked if I’d seen Joy.”
A waiter with a tray of champagne was heading in our direction.
“I’m parched,” I said to defuse the tension between them.
I had a feeling that Duke and I had been a topic of discussion around the Hart family dinner table.
The waiter offered me a drink, and I couldn’t grab it fast enough. I gulped down a mouthful. “I think I’ll check out the auction table before dinner.”
Grace frowned. “Fine. Just so you both know, Duke is miserable.” She rounded on me. “I know my brother is a difficult man, but he has a huge heart. He needs someone like you. Sure, you two just met. There are kinks to be worked out, but be the bigger person. Duke is?—”
“Grumpy,” Maggie finished for Grace, sounding unnerved. “This isn’t the time to play matchmaker, and I’m not getting in the middle. But I will say this. Duke has two expressions you can always count on, blank and grumpy. Tonight, he’s brooding, which is a first. That’s neither here nor there. For this event, it would be nice if there wasn’t any drama at our table. I want my husband to shine tonight. I don’t want Dillon to feel anything but the high he’s walking on right now. He’s put blood, sweat, and tears into his shelter from the ground up. So, Grace, ease up on Joy. Forcing a relationship never works.” Maggie addressed me. “Joy, I agree with Grace. Can you be the bigger person, at least for tonight? Act as though you and Duke like each other?”
