Electing Love (The Collins Brothers Book Three) Read online

Her legs were heavier then she expected as she walked away from Gerard. She turned to watch him close the door. She stared through the window as he walked toward the car. Whatever it was, she had to know.

  “You seem both happy and at odds at the same time,” Gigi said as she ushered Nicole into the main living room.

  “Keen eye,” Nicole said. “I’m not sure what’s wrong with him. He has some secret.”

  “Not good.” Gigi guided her into the kitchen, where they saw the blonde, blue-eyed Kate on her phone. The woman smiled and waved as she spoke.

  Gigi asked, “Would you like tea or coffee, Nicole?”

  “Green tea, sure.” She sat down.

  Kate blocked the receiver on her phone. “You’re bright red. We’re going to talk in one minute.”

  She had blushed. Nicole nodded and then asked Gigi, “What’s going on with Kate?”

  “She’s fixing the mess her father and sister left of her company. She owns Sparrow Inc. completely, but she hadn’t known anything about it in years. Her sister and father made bad choices, and she’s launching the new lines this year. My Sean’s helping her.” Gigi placed the mug with the tea on the counter in front of Nicole. “Gerry handled some of the paperwork. You should ask her about how secrets almost destroyed her life. Or you can ask me how I lost Sean and he married another.”

  “What?” Gigi Dumont always appeared perfect. She’d represented everything Stella wished to be. Nicole scratched her head. “In school all I remember about you both was that you were so in love.”

  “We were. We are.” Gigi pressed her palms together and stared at the ground. “I wasted so much energy and love being unhappy and punishing myself for my past mistakes.” She lifted her head, and asked, “Is it you or Gerry holding secrets?”

  “Wow.” Nicole blinked. No one lived in a real fairy tale, and everyone had issues. “My sister wanted what you had, Gigi. I am so sorry if she did anything.”

  “No, she didn’t do anything to me. Don’t worry. Sean always had my back, and now you have Gerard’s stability. So it’s Ger with the secret?”

  Kate hung up, took a seat next to Nicole, and waited.

  Nicole tugged at her ear, unsure what to say.

  “Sorry, I need to find a spokes—” Kate stared at Nicole’s finger. “Hold up. You’re marrying Gerard.”

  “Yes. You hadn’t heard?” Nicole raised her hand in the air to show the ring. “He picked out exactly what I wanted before we came over for dinner the other night.”

  “He owns stock in my company, which means you’d get stock.” Kate blinked and stared at her with wide-open eyes. “Would you be our new spokesperson?”

  “For Kate Sparrow clothes?” Nicole approved of her new red dress, and the line had massive appeal in many countries. Her agent would have a million questions and hammer out a great contract, but she’d fired him. “I’m not leaving my new home, here.”

  “Daniel would kill me if I asked that.” Kate smiled. “Worst thing is we have to go to New York for the day. Logan has hourly flights, so it’s not a big deal. We can get lunch then be back home before our husbands miss us.”

  “I’m not married, not yet.” Nicole hummed. She’d make a little money until she figured out her next movie… err… move. She shook that wayward word out of her head. “I’d need to see this new direction.”

  “I’ll schedule us an appointment in downtown Boston so you can tour everything.” Kate practically jumped in her seat. “So what did I miss?”

  “Nicole thinks Gerry is keeping secrets.” Gigi placed her hand on Kate’s back. “Engaged, but trust issues.”

  “Your fiancé came out of the blue with the election. I always thought there was something else that drove him other than political ambition.” Kate shrugged. “Whatever it was, I bet it’s the source of what’s going on with him still. Just be open to finding out. He’ll tell you.”

  Nicole glanced at Gigi. Her eyes seem to indicate “continue.” Kate saw too, and Nicole coughed as she said, “I might be overanalyzing. I’ve not had a boyfriend in a few years, but with Gerard I feel everything. He even gets me angry, or I’m so happy. There is something else going on, though, and if it’s something bad, I don’t know if I can forgive it.”

  “Can we find out before it gets out of control?” Gigi asked.

  Kate added, “You could ask him to tell you.”

  “I tried. The man’s holding his tongue.” What did she want? Since meeting him, she’d worked on instinct alone. She needed to make long-term goals. “So I have to investigate.”

  “There might be a good reason,” Gigi said.

  Kate then interjected, “I might be wrong about his motivation, but this could all be over his political campaign. Stay calm. It’s not like he has people out to kill him.”

  Nicole crossed her arms. “I need to order furniture for the new house, and then research his campaign…” She froze and remembered the strange conversation on marriage and the appointment his campaign manager had set up with her. “If it’s about the campaign, then that’s not an issue.”

  “So it might be political. Just wait.” Kate smiled and playfully elbowed Nicole. “I hope that’s what it is.”

  “Me too.” Nicole shook her head. If Gerard had a secret beyond almost marrying a woman to win, she’d find out. Something didn’t add up. The other question that raced in her mind was: why did he freeze at the name Boroni?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Gerard

  “One more time.” Gerard held his nose in between his fingers. How did he tell Nicole that Joseph Boroni’s son, Sebastian, had hooked her sister on heroin and other narcotics on purpose? She could not get involved with this situation. He told Liam, “I need to understand.”

  “Stella Burns dated Sebastian Boroni after Nicole left town, but she was a user since they were both teens,” Liam repeated. “You know this, but it gets more interesting. Joseph also has one daughter that you also know, Isabelle.”

  This campaign had brought out everyone he’d ever met. “You mean the last investigation I helped you with. I kissed her to give you a chance to get out of that damn house.”

  “I appreciate it.” Liam nodded. “Until we straighten this out, it’s best to keep your personal life out of the investigation.”

  “Nicole being near the Boronis now makes my skin crawl. I am trusting you that she’ll never be put in any danger.”

  “Nothing is a guarantee, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Liam placed his tablet on the table. “Bro, you were perfect to ask for this task, and we won’t use Nicole in any way. You went to law school with Sebastian, and he’s male heir apparent.”

  Gerard pursed his lips. “We had never been friends.”

  “You introduced Stella to him, though you had no idea.” Liam opened his tablet. “She followed you everywhere.”

  “She stalked me.” Gerard swallowed. “In college, she was bad enough. Then in law school her emails scared me enough to follow our older brothers into the Marine Corps.”

  “Which sent me afterwards, and led me to a job that I’m thankful for,” Liam said. “Let’s get back to Stella’s almost-suicide.”

  “Nicole told me about it.” Gerard itched his neck. “What do you know?”

  “Sebastian had her running a drug shipment and then cut her off from his supplies because she let the police find the stash.”

  “This sounds like trouble.”

  “Relax.”

  His adrenaline grew. “Nicole told me just as she said her father worked as maintenance for Joseph, and he financed one of her movies.”

  “Did Nicole know her father had evidence to give the police before he was found dead?”

  “He did?”

  “Her father knew the shipment and was giving testimony for the FBI before his supposed car accident with his wife.”

  Gerard clenched his teeth. He had to decide when to tell her.

  Liam finished, “Nicole’s parents were likely murdered and her s
ister put on drugs because of the same guy we’re going to take down.

  “Makes me wonder if they knew anything. Nicole moved to California, and it might have saved her,” Liam added. “She was a theater person with goals as a child. In my professional opinion now, she’s had been oblivious to the world around her. She might have information we need, or a way to ask her sister.”

  “Absolutely not. Nicole is not involved. Even if she gets Stella to speak, she’s in a mental institution. It doesn’t give us much as a credible witness.” Gerard gulped a glass of water. “Is there any way we can prove her parents were murdered at this point?”

  “That’s a cold file.” Liam’s voice lowered. “I’ll check the forensic evidence records, but I’d not put much faith in anything sticking. We need to stick to our plans and let me catch them today trafficking drugs, and we don’t want them connecting any dots to you right away. You’re cutting the political red tape to any arrests I make.”

  “Until I met Nicole, I was happy to help.” Gerard closed his eyes and recalled how a client had come into his office in tears. The old man had thought the Boroni family responsible for his son’s death, and the police hadn’t taken him seriously. Legally, Gerard could offer him no help, but he called Liam, and the chain of events began to unwind. “My campaign was my own way of burning corrupt politicians.”

  “You’d make a good senator.”

  He rubbed his temples. “I’ve done my job of exerting more control over their partners, but now it’s time for you to do your part.”

  “Gerard, go back to work and your fiancée. I’ll handle everything.” Liam stood and rushed toward his car.

  “Keep Nicole safe.”

  “Of course.”

  Gerard hoped his brother had something. “Tonight.”

  Liam waved.

  Gerard grimaced. He ignored the pit that grew in his stomach. Then he ran toward his car to head home.

  Lying wasn’t part of who he was, but the truth might cut too much.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Nicole

  Nicole rolled her head back and laughed until a horn outside the door roared into the house. She stiffened in her seat.

  Kate had supplied the mimosas. Nicole stared at the untouched glass of orange juice next to Gigi. “No one spiked it or anything.”

  “The citrus doesn’t sit right with my baby.” Then Gigi giggled like she was drunk and flailed her arms back in her chair. “I wish I had seen you two together before you went off to become a famous movie star. I’d have helped you both fall in love.”

  Nicole tilted her head and refused to blink.

  Kate added to this revelry: “Mrs. Collins is the matchmaker in this family and wants all her sons wed.” No one seemed to care about the car outside. Kate poured both of them another mimosa.

  Gigi smiled with a far-off look.

  Kate took Nicole’s hand. “Now spill. How did you and Gerard get together? You’re funny. He’s intense. What would he give you?”

  “Stability.” Nicole sipped her drink. “He gets under my skin like no other man, and he’s real with me. I feel alive near him.” Heat in her spine grew. “I don’t know how to describe this.”

  “You’re falling in love him, if you’re not there already.” Kate squeezed her hand. “It’s hard to say no to these Collins men. Yours has those hard-to-look-away eyes that can destroy a man or woman with one lift of his eyebrow. Until you showed up, he was the one I couldn’t figure out.”

  “I—” Nicole stopped short. What could she say? Love meant trust and happily ever after. She couldn’t trust that. She’d never had that. She coughed to make a point, though the champagne made her lightheaded. “Love takes—”

  The door boomed as it opened, and she stopped. All three women stared as Gerard burst in. Gigi grabbed her stomach. Kate laughed. Nicole stood.

  “Nicole, let’s go home.”

  Gerard had a frown on his face that seemed permanent. She tilted her head and stared. Her entire body stiffened as she put down her glass. “What’s going on?”

  “You wanted to go home. I hurried, as requested.” Gerard kept his voice low. “Are you ready?”

  She bounced in her step, but almost spilt her glass. She caught herself at the last minute. “We’re almost done. We thought you were your mom. She’s supposed to be back soon.”

  Gigi coughed and changed the conversation. “The pet adoption event is set now for Saturday. Thanks for your help.”

  Nicole raised her eyebrows and stared at Gigi. A sudden shift in how she saw everything had happened, and the world was colorful. She smiled.

  Nicole knew how to run social events. She had money and could devote herself to building connections for troubled teenagers that used drugs, and suicide hotlines.

  She hugged everyone as she jumped and threw her arms around the group. “Gigi’s brilliant. I’m so excited.”

  “About?”

  It was better to announce her intentions once she put her plan in action. She answered, “Err, our wedding is going to be brilliant.”

  “Our wedding. That was what you talked about?” He tugged at his collar and left the room. She waved goodbye and followed him out the door.

  “What else do you think women talk about?” She raised her eyebrows as she slipped beside him. She’d tell him about her plan the moment she found a way to make this work.

  ***

  Gerard stared hard at Nicole. She shivered as she stared at the floor.

  “Nicole, let’s get lunch before driving anywhere.”

  This wasn’t what she’d expected. She shrugged. “You’re on, Gerard.” She peered into his eyes. “I’m hungry.”

  They walked down the short steps and toward the driveway. Nicole covered her eyes from the afternoon sun. He rubbed his chin. “I assumed you’d be angry and grilling me on why I took off.”

  “I thought I would too. But Gigi and Kate are nice, and they let me into their day. I will ask you what happened and hope you tell me.”

  “Nicole, let me try to get through his explanation over lunch.” He drove into a parking spot near a restaurant on an ocean bluff. She blinked. As long as the big secret wasn’t horrible, a short break seemed fine.

  Then she stared at the grounds around them. This golf resort had been off limits during her childhood. “You’ve got a deal. That seems reasonable.”

  He offered his hand. “Let’s eat on the boardwalk and enjoy the last days of this Indian summer.”

  She nodded. “Sounds good.”

  “We need to talk quietly.”

  The ocean was outside the glass windows of the club. She stared at the high waves that barreled toward the rocky shores. “I’ve never come here before today.”

  He swayed on his feet. “Things might change today in the election, and I need to ensure you’re out of the spotlight.”

  “I live in the spotlight.”

  “Try not to.”

  “You’re worried. You can tell me what’s going on.”

  He said nothing. She licked her bottom lip.

  “With the debate last night, you were amazing.” Nicole took his arm as they walked. “Then you said I was changing you and ran away.”

  “I want to make a lasting difference and not go on one power trip over one incident of corruption where five more possibilities then blossom.” Gerard’s voice went lower as they stepped through ornate white doors.

  She scratched her head. “Your name is on the ballot. I believe in you.”

  Someone walked them toward a table. He stayed beside her and finished, “I went into this election with one goal in mind, and now I’m speaking about multiple issues.”

  “Most people want politicians with ideas.” She shook her head. “You’d be a fool to go back to being one note now. You’re the best choice for senator.”

  They sat and he averted his gaze. “I might have.”

  “Why?” Then her eyes narrowed as she saw how he’d turned white. “Every time you mention the n
ame Boroni, you clam up. What do they have to do with your election?”

  “He’s funding Thomas Cecchi.”

  Her arms grew goosebumps. “Have you checked with Barnie on your poll numbers? His money doesn’t seem to add up to much competition.”

  He wiped his brow. “I’m ahead, and now is the time politics get dirty. Anything can happen. You’re my fiancée and I need you to be prepared.”

  Her stomach was like an empty pit. She reached out and took his hands. “I’ve been a media target since my first movie, and I made plans for the future.” She opened her menu. “Don’t let the Boronis get to you. I’ll stay out of their way.”

  He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second. Then he gulped his water. “What put the spark of excitement in you earlier today at the house?”

  She closed her menu, and her stomach grew a knot. “I’ve decided to research and possibly start a charity to help teenagers in crisis like Stella was. The arts saved me, but Stella was never interested in anything. Her behavior had signs, but my parents didn’t know how to help her. I’d like to help people not turn to drugs, and help families to work together.”

  “Social workers are not paid enough, and Barnie’s polling worry was because you didn’t have a social cause.”

  “What?”

  “He said that only a movie career would be long-term suicide, and suggested you involve yourself with something charitable.”

  “Ahh.”

  He took her hand in his on the table. The brush of his skin on hers sent a spark through her that untied some of her stomach. “But don’t let that pressure you. If you want to do this, go for it. If it’s just an idea, I won’t push.”

  She nodded. Now she had to drive the conversation to the bigger topic of his secret. She sat straighter in her chair as the waitress took their orders. The moment they were done, she blew her hair out of her face. “How did you decide to put your name in the election cycle?”

  “I always wanted to run.” He took his hand back and rubbed his chin. “I don’t remember not wanting to involve myself with politics. I was waiting for my turn.”

  “Why were you waiting, and what was the ‘now’ moment?”