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A blast of noise wrapped around us as a group of children skipped past. I lowered my voice. “It should go without saying that this needs to stay confidential. I can’t trust anyone within my organization. You will have to do some digging, but discretion is the key. My dad tried to bury issues raised in the past. I want hard evidence—no expense spared.”
The PI flashed me a glance as though she wanted to ask a question, but looked away again.
I twisted my new Rolex on my wrist. “What is it?”
She blew out a breath. “You have a lot of skin in the game. If evidence of harassment comes to light, it’s not going to look good for Calverdale United.”
“I know.”
She shot me a glance. “And you’re okay with that?”
I nodded. “I want to do the right thing. Men like Jerry can’t be allowed to get away without being held accountable. This is the right thing to do regardless of the effect on the club.”
She shot me an incredulous look. A grim kind of amusement rose up in me. “Is it so hard to believe I want to do the right thing?”
She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “Not hard … a pleasant surprise, maybe. You have a certain reputation, Mr. Rivers …”
My stomach soured. Don’t I know it. I held my hands up in surrender. “You got me. I’m not a pure altruist. This is also about a girl. I made her a promise. I want to see it through. Jerry’s clearly a piece of shit that needs to be dealt with, but I wouldn’t have known if it hadn’t been brought to my attention. Now I know. I won’t turn a blind eye.”
Mother would be furious when she found out about this, but I couldn’t rest knowing what Jerry had been up to. Anger prickled the length of my spine. It was disgusting. I couldn’t change the past, but I could make sure he was held accountable for his actions.
“Good for you. I don’t judge people on their reputations anyway. Only their actions.” The PI raised an approving eyebrow and stood. “I’ll be in touch.”
Chapter 28
Miri
Spotlightsfollowedtheeleganttwirling figures as they pirouetted and leaped in front of the elaborate set. Gabe sat next to me in the private box, his thigh so close to mine it was almost touching. Dressed in a smart tux, he was nothing but charm personified. It was hard to say who out of my mum and Frankie were swooning harder. Either way, they were both embarrassing the life out of me. What game was he playing? We’d said one night. I couldn’t have anticipated he’d want more. Did he want more? How long until he got bored? Two nights? A week?
A brush of warmth against my thumb made my heart contract. Gabe inched his hand to his side, his thumb touching my little finger. It was the smallest of contacts, but I couldn’t concentrate on a single second of the performance because of it.
The lights went up for the intermission and Frankie groaned and flicked through the program on her lap. “What the hell is happening in this one? It’s even more bonkers than theNutcracker.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. We’d all come to watch Elliot in the previous show and Frankie had been less than impressed.
Gabe leaned across me to address my sister. “What part don’t you understand? It’s about a prince that falls in love with a swan.”
Frankie blew out her lips. “That doesn’t make sense.” She folded her arms and slumped in her chair. “I’m not going to understand any of this, am I?”
Mum shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. We’re here to support Elliot. He appreciates it.”
I wasn’t sure so sure. Elliot had always been impossible to read. I got the impression he’d rather we all left him alone.
Gabe inclined his head in Frankie’s direction. “Prince Siegfried’s mother is sick of his playboy behavior and wants him to marry a member of the nobility. He’s annoyed he can’t marry for love. He goes to a lake and sees a flock of swans. He’s about to shoot one when one of the swans turns into the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen, Odette. She’s a victim of a spell cast by an evil sorcerer, Rothbart. By day she is a swan, and she can only take human form at night by the lake.”
Frankie frowned. “You got all that from watching this?”
He shrugged. “I dated a prima ballerina once.”
My stomach hardened with jealousy. I bet he had. Dancers. Models. Actresses. Gabe had a revolving door of beautiful women. What did he want with me? I couldn’t be his usual type. Maybe that’s what this was. I was a novelty for him. A footballer to add to his collection like a new charm on a bracelet.
Gabe cleared his throat and continued. “Siegfried falls in love with the Swan Queen. In order to break the curse, he must publicly declare his undying love, but Rothbart tricks him with a fake version of Odette. Siegfried asks for the fake Odette’s hand in marriage, so now the curse can’t be broken. Odette is devastated by his betrayal and chooses death by jumping in the lake rather than remaining a swan. Siegfried is heartbroken and jumps into the lake after her.”
Frankie frowned. “They both die? That sucks, and also you could have given me a spoiler warning.”
Gabe smothered a smile. “In some versions they have a happy ending. They both ascend to heaven together.”
I frowned. “If they’re both dead then that’s not a happy ending. Romance fans expect an HEA.”
