Page 127 of Hell Hath No Fury
He seems worried. He frowns atDownton Abbeyand barely laughs at Violet Crawley’s one-liners. He’s been like this ever since he got back from visiting Gabriel this morning. He and Jameson went over for a post-birthday visit. Judging by his mood, it didn’t go well. All he said when he got back wasIt’s a good thing Remy had that meeting.
For her archeology trip to Greece. It’s still going on, I think. Or she’s with her study group. Jameson headed out again as soon as he and Mason got back.
The third time Mason sighs, I pause the show and run a hand over his shin. “Talk to me.”
He readjusts his legs, and his jaw tics in a way that tells me his knee is bothering him. It’s been much,muchbetter lately, but when he’s stressed, the pain comes back. “Gabriel’s not listening to me.”
“About brunch?”
“I knew he wasn’t going to show up to brunch, but he was a mess when we got to his place. He was hungover, and wearing yesterday’s clothes.” Mason gives me big, shocked eyes.
“No.”
“I’m serious, sweet thing.”
Gabriel never wears yesterday’s clothes. He’s the sharpest of all the Hill brothers. I’ve actually never seen a man who keeps his clothes more flawless than Gabriel. It’s…more than a little unsettling to picture him in rumpled clothes from yesterday. “I can’t imagine.”
“It was worse than you think. He was wearing sweatpants.”
It should be a lighthearted conversation, but it’s not. Mason’s tense. Gabriel in sweatpants and hungover from a day of solo drinking is definitely cause for alarm.
“Is this…” I want to approach it delicately. Things can be delicate between the Hill siblings. They’ve been through a lot together. “Is this about the consortium?”
The business group my father was part of. Mason’s father was part of it, too. James and Natalie Hill were both murdered by the consortium. It was all because the other members wanted to recover from a failed investment via insurance fraud.
Mason’s father wouldn’t agree.
My husband leans his head against the armrest and throws his arm over his eyes. “Yes. How’d you guess?”
“Honestly? He told Elise.”
“EliseBettencourt?”
Elise is my oldest, closest friend. She and Mason didn’t get along at the beginning of our relationship. Her father was—and still is—the ringleader of the consortium. She and Gabriel have been…involved lately. At first, I thought they might be dating and embarrassed about it.
“Yes.” I look at the paused show on the TV. Violet Crawley looks disapprovingly across the dinner table at one of hergrandchildren. “She’s trying to help him with his plan. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“No. Getting yourself killed to get revenge is never a good idea.”
I chew at my lip. “Do you think Gabriel’s going to get himself killed?”
Mason uncovers his eyes and looks at me. “I don’t know. That’s what I’m worried about. If he’d just join Phoenix and put it behind him, things probably wouldn’t seem so bleak. I don’t know how to convince him to stop.”
“I could talk to Elise.”
“If he got her to help him already, there’s no talking her out of it. Gabriel’s too good at what he does. She’s probably already in love with him.”
I take in my husband’s gorgeous green eyes with their gold sunbursts around his pupils. “Do you think they’re sleeping together? Elise said they weren’t dating. That they were only working together.”
“How’d she look when she told you?”
“Well, her face was redder than I’ve ever seen it. She was worried about him.”
Mason considers this. “Could go either way. Lots of people fall for Gabriel. Lots of people want to be with him. I wouldn’t be surprised.” His face falls. “I thought we were past this. I don’t want to go back to obsessing about the consortium.”
“Don’t, then. At least for the next hour. We’ll find a way to help Gabriel.”
“If he’ll let us,” Mason grumbles. He sits up and reaches over to the coffee table for a piece of cheese and a cracker. The chef left us a charcuterie tray that rivals many of the ones I’ve seen at top-tier galas. “Did you work on your project while I was gone?”
