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Not only was I deceiving Imogene and Melanie with my lies, I could now add their parents into the mix.
Julia had been nothing but kind and supportive of Imogene and me when we were together. She didn’t even blink at the nine-year age gap between us, even back then. If anything, she understood that love couldn’t be constrained by age, considering she’d fallen for a much younger man herself.
“I simply did what needed to be done.”
I could feel Liam’s ire from several feet away. He’d always hated whenever someone else was the center of attention. This must have been killing him. He’d be the center of attention soon enough. Just not in the way he hoped.
“Regardless, I’m forever in your debt.” She glanced at the tall, built man at her side. “We both are.”
I shook Lachlan’s hand, who also gave me his thanks, neither one of them any the wiser I wasn’t who I said I was.
“And these aremyparents,” Melanie offered, and I turned my attention to the man and woman sitting across from her.“Olivia and Alexander Burnham.”
“Pleasure.” I shook Olivia’s hand, then shifted my gaze toward Alexander.
He was probably the most intimidating man I’d ever met. That was saying something, considering I’d spent four years fighting in death matches at least once a month.
Yet none of those men scared me like Alexander Burnham. With his sharp attention to detail, he exuded an aura of strength and control that made even the toughest men quiver.
He was one of the reasons Henry didn’t think it wise for me to come this weekend. It was one thing to immerse myself in Imogene’s life. To pretend to be someone else around Liam, Alton, and James in the hopes of making them pay.
It was another thing to spend the weekend in close proximity to Alexander Burnham.
The man was a Navy SEAL. He may have left the SEALs years ago in order to take over his father’s private military firm, but he was still an intimidating man. To say he was observant would be an understatement.
I’d convinced Henry and myself it would be okay. If I could successfully deceive Imogene, a woman I once shared a bed with, surely I could fool Alexander Burnham.
But as he raked his analytical stare over me, I worried I’d overplayed my hand. That my desperation for revenge caused me to be careless, like Henry warned. I couldn’t let that show, though. This was a man who was trained to figure out when people were lying.
“Sir.” I made sure to keep my eye contact even, not so much as licking my lips or shifting my weight between my feet as I waited for him to shake my hand.
“Gideon,” he said finally, placing his hand in mine.
“Why don’t you come have a seat?” Melanie hooked her arm through mine and dragged me toward one of the couches, gesturing to an open space.
Right next to Imogene.
I wanted to kiss her, especially when she sat on the other side of Imogene, ensuring that Liam couldn’t sit next to her.
Hell, he couldn’t sit anywhere, all the spots taken.
“So, Gideon, do you golf?” Julia asked.
“I do,” I began.
“But…” she prodded, sensing there was more.
“But I hate it,” I admitted, causing a ripple of laughter from everyone except Liam. Even Alexander managed to crack a smile.
The benefit of knowing these men in my past life was that I knew all too well how they felt about golf. We’d often commiserated about the sport together.
Not Liam, though.
To him, being a member at several of the most prestigious golf clubs in the country was a status symbol. Something he aspired to.
Not something he avoided at all costs, like I did.
“Despite that, when I learned about the work this charity does, I happily paid the entrance fee.”
