Page 8 of Maximum Risk (The Andrades 3)
Oh, I’ll have her.
“Want some company?”
“Company? You can go in my place. I am not about to mess up what I have with Rena for Maddy or anyone.”
Max smiled. Oh, yes, this can work. “Give me the details. I’ll make your excuses.”
Nick said, “About Gio’s dinner . . .”
“Nick, there are only two options for how the wedding is going to go down. Either Mother will attend and enough drama will follow her that everyone will be fighting. Or Mother won’t attend and it will cause enough drama behind the scenes that everyone will be fighting. I don’t want to be part of that.”
Nick cleared his throat. “It doesn’t have to be that way, Max. We don’t have to keep repeating our mistakes. At the risk of sounding like Luke: We’re brothers. That means more than whatever life can throw at us.”
See, that’s the shit that’s dangerous to start believing. It never leads anywhere good.
“I’ll think about it,” Max said and hung up.
He didn’t want to think about Gio, his wedding, or family in general. He’d rather focus on the one positive that had come out of coming to New York: dinner with Tara.
Chapter Five
“What do you mean you can’t stay?” Tara asked as she exited the town car behind Maddy in front of the uptown French restaurant Maddy’s husband owned. Tara smoothed her coat as she straightened and walked with confidence on spindly heels that had intimidated her before Maddy had permanently added them to her wardrobe. She was beginning to think she might actually miss wearing tailored clothing when the job ended. There was definitely something to be said for a dress that was not only her size, but was fitted to perfectly complement her figure.
Don’t get too used to it, Tara. Off-the-rack has always been good enough, and it will be again. None of this is real. Don’t forget that.
“Adam was fidgety. No fever, but I don’t want to leave him for long. Richard is working tonight. I told our nanny I wouldn’t be out late. Don’t worry; Nick is hilarious. You’ll get along great. I’ll stay just long enough to introduce you, then I’ll cut out. Nick has been working closely with Gio lately. He may know why Max is upset. If he has Rena with him, it may be harder to get him to open up, but you don’t have to get either of them to say anything tonight. Just hang out with them. And that won’t be hard to do. They are both wonderful. You’ll love them. Then, on Saturday you can take them each aside and pump them for whatever they know. They should trust you if you play tonight right.”
Tara put a hand on Maddy’s arm to stop her from entering the restaurant. “You could go in there without me and ask Nick for the truth.”
Maddy glared in an unusual show of temper. “Unfortunately, that’s not how my family works. The more serious the problem, the more secretive they become. And since no one is talking, I’m starting to get a bad feeling about what they’re hiding.” Maddy studied Tara’s expression and asked, “What’s wrong with you tonight?”
Tara raised one shoulder and grimaced. “The more I meet your family, the worse I feel about the way we’re doing this.”
Maddy’s eyes narrowed. “Are you shaking me down for more money? We had a deal.”
“This isn’t about money,” Tara protested. “I haven’t even cashed your check yet. This is about how I feel. I didn’t expect your family to be so nice to me. I don’t like lying to them.”
Maddy waved a hand at her in frustration. “What kind of private investigator are you?”
Tara squared her shoulders. “I told you what I do for a living. I take pictures. Incriminating pictures involving people who deserve to be exposed. I don’t run around pretending to be someone I’m not and spouting the kind of lies you’ve made me memorize about who I’m supposed to be. I don’t think I can do this anymore.” Tara reached into her purse and pulled out the check Maddy had given her. “I’m sorry.”
Raising both hands, Maddy went from irritated to urgently persuasive. She ignored the check Tara held out. “Whoa. Whoa. You can’t quit.” She took one of Tara’s hands in hers. “I need you.”
Tara looked away. “Don’t give me those eyes, Maddy. You’ll thank me eventually.”
Maddy clung to her hand. “You may not agree with my methods, but if you really do like my family, you won’t walk away without finding out if they need help with something.”
Tara wavered. “I know weddings make people crazy, but you’re taking this to an extreme.”
Maddy continued, hammering home her point. “This isn’t just about a wedding. I love my cousins, and it kills me every time I see them pulling away from each other and the rest of the family. We can’t stop until we figure out the reason my father won’t look me in the eye when I ask him what he knows about it. Love is resilient and beautiful, but just like people, sometimes it needs help, too. That’s all we’re doing, Tara. Helping my cousins find their way back to each other. Have you ever had a pet that got hurt and wanted to hide from everyone? What happens if you let it? Nothing good. This is no different.”
Putting the check back in her purse, Tara met Maddy’s eyes again. “Does anyone ever succeed at saying no to you?”
Maddy merely smiled. As if on cue, the door of the restaurant opened, and she dragged Tara through it. They handed their coats to an attendant. Her husband was talking to a patron in the main dining room, but headed their way when he saw them. He kissed Maddy warmly, then greeted Tara with a kiss on either cheek. “I wasn’t sure if you both would still come tonight.”
Maddy linked hands with Richard. “I can’t stay; Adam was cranky when I left. I’m only here to drop Tara off. She’s looking forward to meeting Nick. Did he bring Rena with him?”
“Nick had some last-minute business and canceled for tonight, but Max is here.”
Tara’s mouth went suddenly dry. “Max Andrade?”
“Max is here?” Maddy practically clapped with joy. “I didn’t know he was back in New York.”
Richard shrugged. “Yes. He’s in there waiting for you. Impatiently, I might add.”
Maddy pursed her lips and tapped her fingers excitedly on her mouth. “I wonder why he’s here.”
Richard, pulling his wife against his side, joked, “My cooking?”
Maddy smiled up at him. “Besides that.” She looked across at Tara and mulled aloud, “Do you think he knew you would be here?”
Richard chuckled indulgently. “Oh, Maddy. Are you matchmaking again?”
Maddy wrinkled her nose at Tara. “No, but this could work out anyway.”
Richard raised Maddy’s chin with his hand and looked down into her eyes. “What are you up to, mon ange?”
“I don’t want to tell you yet.”
He kissed his wife’s upturned mouth. “Then it’s trouble for sure. Don’t lead your new friend too far astray. Tara, careful, Maddy could talk a saint into sinning. I wish I could stay to see how this unfolds, but I have been gone from the kitchen too long already.” After a nod of acknowledgement to Tara, Richard walked away.
Speaking of being led astray, dinner alone with Max is a bad, bad idea. Especially if Maddy isn’t staying. “Maddy, since Nick isn’t here, I should head home.”
Maddy spun toward her. “Are you kidding? Max is here, and I have the perfect excuse for leaving. You need to take advantage of this opportunity.”
That’s exactly what I’m trying not to do. Tara gave herself a mental kick. Stop picturing Max naked and focus. If I’m not quitting this job, then Maddy is right, this is a chance I shouldn’t pass up. We’re in public, for God’s sake. Nothing is going to happen. Still . . . “Didn’t you tell me to stay away from him? Plan B? Remember?”
Maddy waved off her earlier advice. “Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.”
“We’re not the Marines, Maddy.”
“Well, we need to start thinking like them. As soon as you start believing something isn’t possible, you’re right. We can do this, Tara. Don’t give up now. We’re so close.” Without waiting for a
response, Maddy linked arms with Tara and led her through the restaurant to a private area where Max was seated at a small table. He stood when he saw them approach, and Tara’s breath caught in her throat. He was even better-looking than she remembered. The casual suit he wore was modern and edgy. He wore his shirt unbuttoned at the neck, with relaxed sophistication. There was nothing relaxed about how he watched Tara approach, however.
His eyes held Tara’s, even as he bent and gave Maddy a kiss on the cheek. Although she couldn’t hear what Maddy was saying, she knew the exact moment Maddy said she couldn’t stay. Max didn’t conceal his pleasure. Tara licked her bottom lip nervously, and his gaze followed the movement. When their eyes met again Tara shivered with anticipation. She felt both excited and more than a little out of control.
She shouldn’t feel this way. Not here. Not with Max.
That didn’t stop her body from quivering when Maddy moved aside for Tara to greet Max. She wanted to say something snarky, start off the dinner on the right foot. As she looked up at him, she realized wit came much easier when he wasn’t close enough to imagine the feel of his lips on hers. “Hello, Max.”
He stepped closer. “A pleasure to see you again, Tara.” He held out a chair for her. “It’s a shame Madison won’t be joining us for dinner.”
Tara sat and flushed when one of his hands brushed against her bare back after he pushed her chair in. The touch might have been accidental, but she doubted it. “Yes, it is.”
Maddy checked the time on her phone, voiced a hasty goodbye to both of them, and rushed off. Tara took the napkin off her plate and laid it across her lap, giving herself an inner pep talk as she did. There was no reason why she couldn’t be professional with Max. She squared her shoulders and looked across the table at Max who had settled in the seat across from her. The table was small enough for couples to hold hands easily and speak softly to each other. Not that we’ll be doing any of that. “So, are you in New York for business?”
A playful light flashed in Max’s eyes. “A project of sorts.”
A waiter came over and took their drink order. Once they were alone again there was an awkwardly long silence that Tara eventually broke. “I’m not going to apologize for what I wrote to you.”
“I’d be disappointed if you did.”
