The Matchmaker's Replacement [Kindle in Motion] (Wingmen Inc. Book 2) (22 page)

Chapter
Thirty-Nine

Gabi

L
ex claimed his hand didn’t hurt, but bruises don’t lie. When Ian asked, Lex told him in graphic detail about Mark and also informed Ian that he was going to rewrite the entire program that involved male clients. He didn’t want to take a chance that some guy like Mark could use Wingmen services and try to get a girl he didn’t deserve.

He worked on it all week. I barely saw him.

Unless I was bringing him food, which he ate without even looking at.

Finally it was the weekend, and he was taking time off from writing code so that we could all go to my family’s dinner in Bellevue.

Ian drove, which left me in the front seat and Lex in the back. It would have been fine except that I kept catching him staring at me through the rearview mirror.

Luckily, Ian was in a bad mood because Blake had an away game, so it seemed the only things he was able to focus on were listening to the game on the radio and how many days until she was home so they could be together.

He’d gone from being a player for life to some guy I didn’t even recognize. That morning he’d asked me about wedding rings, causing Lex to choke on his cornflakes and almost need the Heimlich.

“So,” Ian said as he took the turn down my parents’ street. “How’s the new program coming along, Lex?”

“Good.”

I turned around so I could face Lex. He looked exhausted. I hated how much I missed being in his bed, but he needed to concentrate, and my absence was good—good because Ian kept checking on him throughout the night.

“I’ve hit a few snags, but it will be fine.” Lex’s voice was deep and gravelly like it always was when he got tired, but man, even exhausted he was still beautiful. “Give me two more days, tops.”

“Good.” Ian let out a breath. “Gabs?”

“Hmm?” I jerked my body back toward the front seat but stayed half turned so I could see Lex in the corner of my vision.

“You’ll be happy to know that Mark hasn’t tried anything.”

I snorted out a laugh. “Probably helps that Lex almost killed him.”

Ian grabbed my hand. “Had I been there, I would have done worse.”

Did Lex just growl from the backseat? I stole a glance in his direction. His fists were clenched at his sides, a slow tick starting in his jaw.

“Um, well.” I pulled my hand away from Ian. “Lex handled it. You know how super villains are . . .” It was my try at killing some of the tension in the car. It didn’t work. If anything, it made things worse as Ian clenched the steering wheel harder and Lex suddenly found great interest in the passing trees. Had something happened between them? Suddenly nervous that Lex had gone back on his promise and mentioned something to Ian, my stomach heaved. “So,” I tried again. “My parents will be so happy to have everyone.”

“Can’t wait for real food. There better be tamales or I’m walking,” Lex said in a strained voice.

“Her mother only makes tamales for the holidays,” Ian corrected. “Trust me, I tried to get her to make them for me last time, and she said they were only for special occasions.”

“Their anniversary is special,” I pointed out, sensing that it was more of a pissing match than anything. Was Ian jealous of my relationship with Lex? Was he finally seeing that we weren’t fighting? Oh no!

“Tamales or I can’t go inside. Sorry, Gabs!”

I rolled my eyes. “Lex, stop being a child. I already told her to make them.”

“What?” Ian pulled up in front of their house. “For Lex? You called in a food-related favor . . . for Lex?”

“It’s because Lex is awesome,” Lex said, his huge trademark smirk firmly in place. “Come on, Ian, I tell you every day how awesome I am, now someone finally recognizes it and you’re angry?”

Ian slammed his door and glared at him. “You’re pissing me off more than usual.”

“You always say that when I’m on my best behavior. It’s confusing.”

“That’s actually true,” I agreed.

“Stop!” Ian held out his hands between us. “What the hell is this? You said you had a freaking peace treaty, but to be honest it’s scaring the shit out of me! Stop . . . smiling at each other!”

“We aren’t!” I said defensively.

“She’s still, er . . . stupid,” Lex said lamely while I tried not to groan out loud and give him a what-the-hell look.

“And Lex is an ass, he’s always an ass.”

“I really am.” Lex nodded. “She told me so this morning.”

When he caught me in the hallway and gripped my ass, but not the point!

“Hell,” Lex said as he fell into step behind us, always the third wheel. How had I never noticed that before? “She’s screamed my name more in the past three weeks than . . . well, ever.”

I told my cheeks not to heat.

Thankfully, my mom was already at the door, throwing it open and jumping out to pull Ian in for a hug. “Oh,
mijo
! You’ve grown!”

Ian hugged her back. She’d always been like a mom to him, the only mom he really knew. “Ha-ha, you said that last time!”

She pulled back and pinched his cheek. “It was true then too, my handsome boy. Where’s Blake?”

Ian hung his head. “Stupid volleyball game.”

“Oh.” My mom’s long black hair was pulled back in a braid. She tossed it over her shoulder and held open the door. “You need food. Food will make you feel better.”

Ian trotted off in the direction of the kitchen, leaving Lex and me on the porch.

My mom held up her hand, stopping both of us. “What’s going on here?”

Eyes wide, Lex stared at my mom, then at me. “Uhhhh . . .”

“Gabrielle Francesca Sava!”

I hid behind Lex.

“Coward!” he hissed, trying to get me off him.

“You.” She thrust a finger at Lex. “You have been . . .” She leaned in and sniffed the air above us.

“Mom!” I wailed.

“You . . .” My mom’s eyes narrowed. “You have been with my
daughter
.”

Lex gulped. I felt it. Was he trembling? “Yes, ma’am, but nobody knows . . . and we haven’t told Ian yet. I will tell him. But your daughter asked for time. I care about her. A lot. And I care about him too. I want to do this right, so please don’t say anything until we’re ready.”

She leaned back and smiled. “I’m happy you are doing the right thing by both Gabi and Ian. My lips are sealed. Now run along into the kitchen, young man, and find your tamales.”

Lex bolted away from me before I could stop him, leaving my mom and me staring at each other on the porch.

“Gabrielle.” She sighed, then opened her arms. “You don’t just ‘care about’ him, do you?”

I hadn’t realized how much I was holding in until I was able to sag against her. Tears flowed freely. “I really, really like him. I’ve liked him since—”

“Oh, mija. I still remember when you stormed into the house four years ago yelling about him. I know.” She patted my head a few more times, then stopped. “Ian. He will not like this.”

I stiffened up again. “I know, Mom.”

“Okay, you’ll need to be careful.” She pulled away from me. “Is Lex worth losing your best friend?”

I didn’t answer.

How could I?

It wasn’t a fair situation. Part of me was so angry that Ian had that much power over my relationships, yet another part knew it made total sense. He was, in all essence, my brother. Nobody would be good enough, and he had firsthand knowledge of how much of a whore Lex had always been.

“Mija.” My mom laughed. “Don’t hurt yourself, all will be resolved. Go eat.”

The answer to everything. A full stomach.

I rubbed mine as I made my way into the kitchen.

“Mom?” Food was everywhere. How were they able to afford it? All the money I earned was going toward groceries, but this was too much. I didn’t make enough to line the tables with hot, steaming Mexican food.

“Oh, Gabi . . .” My mom shrugged. “It was the most wonderful thing. Ian offered to do the grocery shopping yesterday. I told him I was going to go by myself, but he wanted this to be his gift to us for our anniversary!”

My eyes filled with tears.

Damn, Ian! He had to go and do something nice and make me remember yet again why I loved him so much—why he was like a brother to me.

Why I couldn’t lose him. No matter what.

Chapter Forty

Lex

I
’ve never met a tamale I wouldn’t devour.” I grabbed a fourth helping, then balanced a Corona in my other hand as I joined Gabi’s dad, Earl, in the living room.

“You sleeping with my daughter?” he asked without looking up.

Luckily, I had no food or drink in my mouth, though choking to death sounded a hell of a lot better than having that conversation. “Sir, I don’t know what Gabi has told you, but—”

“My wife. She has been suspecting for a while, and she says today she sees proof in how you stare at Gabi.”

I set down my beer and stared down at the floor, then back up at him. He had a dark salt-and-pepper mustache that curled around his lips. His white hair was cut close to his head and his stature was bulky, well fed. “Sir, I like your daughter, but—”

“Marie told me.” He motioned for me to lean closer. “I figure I don’t have to kill you; Ian will do the job for me. That way I don’t have to get my hands dirty.”

“Throwing your own son under the bus?”

“He’ll do better in prison.”

“He’s prettier, he’d get wrecked. Whereas you’re old, senile.” I smirked while her dad waved me off with a chuckle. At least I’d broken the awkwardness. “I give him two days, tops.”

“Boy wouldn’t last twenty-four hours.”

“Maybe we should just toss Ian in, take bets on his life?”

“Toss me in where?” Ian walked in, his eyes darting between us.

“Prison,” we said in unison.

“Who’d I kill?”

“Nobody.” Earl stared me down. “Yet.”

“You know”—I stood and patted my stomach—“I’m just gonna go find the restroom.”

I darted out of the living room and nearly collided with Gabs in my desperate escape.

“Whoa!” She tilted her head up at me. “Why are your eyes so big?”

“Honest moment, Gabs, was your dad ever involved with the Mexican mafia?”

“My dad voted for gun control.” Her cute little forehead furrowed.

“Yeah, he may be whistling another tune now.” I sidestepped her. “I had to make a quick escape. All the talk of prison and bets got me nervous.”

“Prison?” She laughed. “He threatened prison?”

“No.” I turned and smiled. “It was more along the lines of killing. Death. I’m sure dismemberment.”

She covered her mouth with her hands and choked out a strangled laugh.

“Oh, you think this is funny?”

She nodded her head while I charged her and carried her down the hall. “Where’s your room?”

“First one on the right!” she squealed. I deposited her on her feet in her childhood bedroom.

“Gabs . . .” I tsked. “Easy access? First floor? I could have just waltzed in here without a ladder? Man, I wish I would have stayed in Bellevue and gone to high school with you. Things would have been so much easier.”

“Scaled a lot of houses, did you?” She leaned against the doorframe, her smile wide, eyes happy. God, I just loved seeing her like that.

“You have no idea.” I fell back onto her bed and let out a loud exhale. “I have the slivers to prove it. Scaling walls isn’t for the weak, Gabs.”

“Good to know.” Waves of her laughter hit me square in the chest as she moved casually to the bed. Once she sat down, I moved to the side and hovered over her, needing to touch her lips so desperately that I’d completely forgotten the door was open.

“Gabi.” Her mother cleared her throat from the door. “A minute?”

I jerked away from Gabi as if we’d just gotten caught having sex, while her mother’s lips twitched in amusement. At least I had one fan.

I refused to count their dog, since it sniffed my ass and walked away as if I was a lesser human.

“Be right back.” Gabi tugged her T-shirt down over her thin frame and on wobbly legs made her way to the door. Too cute. It did something to me, something . . . powerful, to know I affected her that way.

I stood in the room for a few minutes, then realized I really did need to use the restroom. With a sigh, I walked out and blindly made my way down the hall, hoping I’d discover a bathroom.

Two more doors on the right, and I found what I was looking for.

Five minutes later I was just getting ready to go back to her room when I heard hushed whispers.

“Mom, I love you guys! Let me help!”

“It is too much, mija,” Gabi’s mother said softly. “You can’t keep giving us all of your money. You are not eating. You’re skin and bones! You even bring us food! Do we look like we need food?”

“Yes!” Gabi raised her voice. “You do! You have to take care of Dad, and I know you’re both tired, and it’s only until he finds something!”

“Gabi, he will find something, but in the meantime, you need to take care of yourself. It’s not that we don’t appreciate it. We do. We appreciate that you would sacrifice so much for us, but I’m worried about you.” Her mother sighed heavily. “Your father did find a small job working on the construction of the new Victoria’s Secret at the mall. The pay isn’t great, but he’ll be fine.”

“Construction?” Gabi repeated. “Mom, he’s so much better than that!”

“I know. But we do what we must. Now, take back your envelope full of money and fill your pantry with food and buy yourself a new dress.”

“But—”

“Mija.” Her voice was more stern this time. “Do as I say or I’m going to tell Ian.”

All talking stopped, and then, “I love you, Mom.”

“You too, mija.”

I quickly backed up a few steps and then ran down the hall so I wouldn’t get caught.

My head throbbed with sudden realization. The food I’d been giving her, she was giving to her parents.

The money she’d been earning at the club.

The money she was making from Wingmen.

All going to her parents.

“Hey.” Ian slapped me on the back. “You look like you’re about to be sick.”

“Do I?” My voice sounded hollow. Why the hell was I so pissed? I should feel sorry for her, right? I should feel bad, pull her in for a hug, tell her I’d help in any way I could.

But it wasn’t that.

It felt intense.

I felt like I’d been betrayed.

Like she’d . . . lied to me.

I had her body.

Did I have anything else?

Because I realized, in that moment, I wasn’t happy with just parts of her. I wanted every last piece.

And she’d purposefully withheld parts of herself. Was that life’s final cruel trick? I finally settle down with someone—find the person I care about the most in the world—only to discover that she’s been sharing the surface level of her heart and refusing to let me hold the rest.

It sucked.

It hurt.

More than it should.

But I wasn’t that guy, the one that got pissed and bailed. I deserved answers and I’d demand them—before I had a freaking nervous breakdown.