Page 8 of Chain Me
Color me impressed; despite such a bold assumption, Mr. Gabriel Lanic managed to sound more charming than money hungry.
“Um, I was,” I admitted. “To be honest, I was more interested in learning more about the board members—”
“I’m afraid that I wouldn’t be able to divulge much out of respect for privacy.”
“Oh, I see—”
“To the typical donor, anyway,” he added, before my disappointment could solidify. “Frankly, Ms. Gray, your family name carries a prestige I cannot deny. While I may not be able to divulge much, no one could blame me if a few details managed to slip over dinner. How does eight o’clock sound?”
“D-Dinner?” I gagged at the thought of food, smelling it, seeing it. However, the promise of answers was more than enough to combat the nausea. For now. As long as Mr. Lanic proved my hunch once and for all, he could set a meeting wherever he damn well pleased. “That sounds fine. I mean, y-yes. I mean…”
“I hope you are partial to Italian. The Maria is excellent,” he said.
Thick red sauce came to mind and I cringed at the imagery. Still, I managed to choke out, “Wonderful. See you there.”
Four hours later, I left the house looking somewhat presentable. For the first time in days, I’d brushed my hair. I even put on a dress, a demure black one my mother had picked out, complete with a modest neckline. When I joined François in the Rolls, I almost felt…at ease?
My stomach was in knots during the quick trip into the city, but for an entirely different reason than usual. Excitement? Hope? Who knew. The only thing I was sure of, as the car pulled up before an exclusive restaurant downtown, was that if Mr. Lanic could give me the answer I wanted, then he could slap his name on Gray Manor for all I cared.
Two words. That’s all he had to say. A name. Validation of my paranoid delusion. Evidence to out the man so proud of his own damn mystery that he’d never see me coming.
My blood hummed as I stepped from the car and approached the restaurant’s gleaming front. A tendril of unease raced down my spine though I couldn’t explain why. It was beyond breathtaking as far as venues went. Glass doors revealed a posh interior, but a man appeared to block my path before I could even make it inside. A professional black suit and tie separated him from the wealthy patrons mingling within the establishment behind him. Given how he cocked his head toward the earpiece tucked inconspicuously behind his ear, I suspected he had been sent to escort me personally.
“Ms. Gray, I presume?” he asked, proving my suspicion correct. “Your companion is waiting. May I show you to your table?”
I nodded, following him inside. A spacious lobby opened onto an intimate space beyond the main dining room with bold burgundy walls and polished floors. Such an obscene display of wealth. My mother would faint at the sight.
Mr. Lanic had gone all out in the hopes of impressing his prey—only one table had been set, strategically placed in the center of the room. No other patrons were dining nearby.
We were alone.
My chest tightened as I spotted the lone creature waiting for me in the center of the room. His back was to me, his build impressive. His hair…black? Not golden.
Disappointment fluttered through my chest as his voice reached back to me.
“Ms. Gray.” He turned in a display of poise, flashing a gallant smile no vampire would ever be able to imitate. “I am Gabriel Lanic. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise,” I croaked, regaining control of my senses.
So, he wasn’t Dublin Helos, mysterious benefactor extraordinaire, though he rivaled him in charm. A warm smile offset his handsome Roman features. Dressed to the nines in a tailored gray suit, he didn’t seem like the type who’d sold his soul for money and prestige, either. I sensed no air of ice, and the hand he extended for me to shake was warm.
As far as my past year was concerned, he was a rare entity—a handsome, richhuman.
“Care to join me?” He nodded toward the table.
Silently, I took the seat across from him, and he offered me a business card laden with his personal information.
“Shall we begin?” He’d come prepared, apparently, armed with enough history on the hospital and its various charity enterprises to charm a room full of donors into emptying their pockets. Never once did he mention trading in souls or the like. Instead, he listed target figures and waxed ad nauseam as to the reputation of my family.
So generous we were.
So honorable.
Lies, but delivered so expertly I almost believed them.
“I would be more than honored to receive your investment, Ms. Gray,” he concluded. “I would hate to seem forward, but have I managed to woo you?”
He winked, and like a good wealthy checkbook, I reached into my purse on command. It was only as my fingers ran over a brittle piece of parchment that I remembered the question that had brought me here in the first place.
