Someone Like You (23 page)

“Such a pleasure to meet you,” Dane said, flashing a million-dollar smile as he shook her hand. She almost swooned as she thought,
My God, each sibling is more gorgeous than the next.
“Tess told me about you. Welcome. I hope you'll have a nice time tonight.” He jerked his chin toward Pierce and joked, “Make him dance with you. Get a few drinks in him, and I'm sure he will.”

“Shut up,” Pierce laughed. “Where's your wife?”

“Huh,” Dane said. “She was right here . . .” He turned to look and spotted her a few feet away, talking to a cluster of people. “Hey, Red?” he called. “Look who showed up.”

The redhead turned, spotted Pierce, and broke into a wide smile. She excused herself from her guests and joined the group. “I knew you'd show,” she said, dropping a kiss on Pierce's cheek. “I didn't listen to a word they said.”

“Who?” Pierce asked. He saw the momentary blip on Julia's face and knew. “Let me guess. Chuck Two and Chuck Three.” He rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

Abby saw that Pierce hadn't exaggerated, Julia was really something. Long, thick red hair, dark eyes that shone with strength, and a voluptuous figure shown off in a sparkling silver gown. Abby was quickly becoming intimidated; not by the house or the wealthy trappings, but all these breathtakingly gorgeous people who seemed to be a little larger-than-life. She felt very much like mousy, vanilla little Abby from Edgewater as she watched these glamorous people talk and laugh together. Then, just as she was kicking herself to get over it, another incredibly handsome, dark-haired man in a tux came over and said, “Am I missing a sibling powwow?”

She was introduced to Charles III, the oldest, surrounded by an air of power. Bits of silver peppered the dark waves by his ears, but Abby figured he was under the most pressure, being the COO of Harrison Enterprises. Or, as Pierce had called him, “the heir to the throne.” Behind his glasses, Charles's bright blue eyes were shrewd and consuming. He was definitely stuffier than his brothers, more reserved and aloof. It was also obvious that he and Pierce didn't share the same easygoing relationship that both of them did with Dane, but all three brothers adored Tess like she was the sun.

The dynamics here were intriguing. Abby sipped her glass of champagne as they all chatted, wanting to simply watch and learn. But Charles asked her where she lived and what she did. Then Dane asked her where she taught, and when she said Blue Harbor, his and Julia's faces lit up as they told her they lived there, pulling her deeper into the conversation, unwilling to let her stand on the sidelines.

She glanced over at Pierce after a few minutes. He had already finished his first whiskey and started another one. A tiny warning bell sounded in her head, but she wasn't his mother, she was his girlfriend, and wasn't going to say anything unless she had to. Hell, maybe a few drinks would finally help Pierce take the edge off.

She was determined to have a nice time, both for herself and for his sake. She wanted to support him here the way he had her at the festival. He'd gone into her world, now she'd go into his, intimidated or not. Now that she saw just how uptight he got around his family, and this house, she wanted more than anything to do that for him. His siblings were lovely, but she could still see he didn't trust this atmosphere. He was on edge. Why?

When the Harrison patriarch joined them, saying snidely, “Well! Look who decided to grace us all with his presence, two hours late,” Abby knew immediately why Pierce had still been on edge. He'd told her last weekend, after the run-in at Tess's house, that his father was almost always sure to launch a verbal grenade designed to set him off. Arguing was how they interacted, like breathing. Now, here, it made her heart squeeze and her insides fill with uneasy suspense as Pierce glared at his father.

“So he's late, so what,” Dane said. “He's here. That's all that matters.”

“Don't do this in front of everyone,” Charles III said quietly.

“Don't do it at all,” Dane added.

“It's disgraceful to be this late,” Charles II said, as if they hadn't spoken. His hawkish stare raked over his youngest son. “At least you managed to dress properly and hide all those repulsive tattoos.”

“Dad!” Tess huffed in a scolding tone. “Really?”

Abby's whole body tensed and she didn't know where to look. So she kept her eyes on her boyfriend, who looked . . . eerily calm. Pierce was the first to admit he had a temper. He was surly and quick to anger; even though it had never been aimed at her, she knew his reputation and he'd admitted to it. So now, his calm facade made her more nervous than if he'd shouted.

“What?” Charles II sneered. “It's the truth, isn't it? Inking up his body like some thug. He's a goddamn Harrison, whether he likes it or not.” He lifted his glass to his lips and finished whatever had been inside.

“You're still a nasty drunk, Pops,” Pierce remarked.

“And you're still a flaming disappointment. And now a tabloid disgrace to boot,” Charles II replied, gesturing with his empty glass in the air as he added, “A disgrace on
both
sides of the pond. Single-handedly dragging the Harrison name through the mud.”

“Go talk to someone who cares what you think,” Pierce snarled.

“You're a disgrace on the family name,” Charles II went on, and Abby wondered if he was indeed drunk with the way he'd slurred “family”. “You've pulled reckless crap all your life, but sleeping with the team owner's wife, and stupid enough to get caught? A new low.”

“I didn't sleep with her,” Pierce ground out from between clenched teeth.

“
Suuure
you didn't,” his father said. “Half the women you bedded have been married. Hell, from what I hear, it was like a running joke amongst your former teammates. ‘Married groupies? Send 'em Harrison's way. He likes the married ones, they're easier to get rid of when he's done with them.' Going to deny that, too?”

Pierce's face darkened with color and he froze. That telltale muscle twitched in his jaw. No one said a word.

Abby's pulse kicked up and her stomach did a nauseous flip as she stared up at her boyfriend. God,
was
that true? If so, it was awful. What else didn't she know about the man she'd already let into her heart?

Charles harrumphed softly. His gray eyes drifted to Abby as he added for her benefit, “Sorry, Abby, but you're not special. He sleeps with any woman with a pulse, for God's sake.”

Dane swore under his breath and glared at his father as Tess ground out, “
Dad!
”

As her chest got tighter, Abby watched Pierce's reaction. It was like watching a dormant volcano burst to life. His nostrils flared, his fists curled at his sides, and his eyes flickered to her for a second before shooting back to his father. He got right in his father's face and said in a low, dangerous snarl, “You take your shots at
me,
old man. Don't talk to her. Don't even look her way.”

Charles II smirked and barreled on. “Your newest fling should know who she's involved with, don't you think? She seems like a nice, smart girl. Edgewater's a little blue collar, but that's all right.” He smiled at her, but it was hollow. His eyes brought to her mind an image of a snake sizing up its prey. “She's not married, so right off the bat, she's different from most of the women you sleep with. She's a first-grade teacher—can't get much more proper than that, huh? On the committee for the annual festival, coaching kids' soccer . . . living at home with her parents to help take care of her nephew . . . really an exemplary young woman.”

A new chill skittered over Abby's skin. Charles II knew all about her. She certainly hadn't told him anything, and she couldn't imagine Pierce had. Maybe Tess had, like chitchat over tea or something?

As if reading her mind, Pierce growled at his father, “You did a check on her?”

“Of course,” Charles II said harshly. “Anyone who seriously dates a Harrison gets a background check. Don't be naïve.”

Tess's hands flew to cover her mouth. Charles III looked disgusted.

Julia hissed out a puff of air, obviously offended. “I can only imagine what that meant when I was dating Dane. You probably knew more about me than he did.”

Dane looked from her to his father. “Jesus. Is she right?”

Charles II didn't move, didn't say a word; he met Dane's eyes without blinking.

“Bastard,” Dane spat. “If I'd known that you—”

“Oh, spare me. You married her anyway.” Charles Roger Harrison II looked around at all of his children's aghast faces. “I make no apologies. Members of this family—and their fat bank accounts—have been taken for more rides than a roller coaster at Disneyland.” His cold gray eyes went back to Abby, haughty and dismissive. “There are other men you can find on Long Island if you're digging for gold, my dear. You don't want someone like Pierce. Trust me on that. You seem like a decent woman. He's
not
a decent man. Even though he's a Harrison, and you're nobody, he's still not good enough for you. And deep down, you both know I'm right.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Abby's mind reeled. The
audacity!
No one had ever spoken to her like that in her entire life, much less someone who didn't even know her. Stuck between stunned and horrified, she had no comeback for Charles II's scathing words. Her mouth dropped open, but nothing came out.

“You're a fucking bastard!” Pierce shouted, charging forward. He grabbed his father's jacket by the lapels, but Dane quickly moved to stand between father and son. Julia gasped and Tess cried out while Pierce strained against his older brother's arms and Charles III moved in to help Dane hold him back. Other guests nearby, having heard the commotion, discreetly but definitely stared. The spotlight was on all of them now, that was for sure. Abby felt like she was in a movie, like none of this was real. It was too bizarre.

“Don't,” Dane told Pierce in a low, tight voice. “Not here, not now.”

The patriarch snorted, as if entertained. “Yup, all class, that's Pierce. Trying to deck his old man in the middle of a huge party. You
are
just a thug.”

“What are you trying to do?” Charles III asked their father, his brows furrowed as he glared. “Seriously. What the hell's wrong with you tonight?”

His breaths coming in short gusts, Pierce's jaw was clenched so tightly Abby wondered if he'd crack a tooth. Dane's hand stayed on his chest, whispering things no one else could hear. Abby imagined he was trying to talk Pierce down. From the wild, furious glint in Pierce's eyes, she wondered if that were possible.

“Please stop, Dad,” Tess said tersely. “Please.”

Abby looked around her. All four siblings were flushed and upset, but Julia, in contrast, had paled. And the puppet master stood there with a smug smirk on his granite face.

Abby stood very still. Outrage bubbled inside her, simmering and popping, and she tried to quell it. She tried to stay in teacher mode, be a voice of calm and reason even though she was flabbergasted. But when Pierce threw a furtive glance her way, and she caught the mixture of fiery anger and worried vulnerability in his eyes, her control snapped.

She glared at his father and said fervently, “You know what? You don't know me. I'm proud to be from Edgewater; the people are honorable and decent. And I'm sure as hell not a gold digger. I don't care what you think of me, or what you ‘dug up' on me. At least I grew up in a loving home, with parents who love and support me.” Her face felt hot and she didn't care. “Look around you. Pierce didn't start this tonight, you did. You've upset all four of your grown children, and your new daughter-in-law, and people are staring now as they watch this horror show, and you're standing there smirking. From what I can see, the only one here who's not good enough is
you.
”

Shocked silence fell over the group. Pierce stared down at her with something that looked like admiration, but she couldn't be sure. All she knew was her heart was racing and she was mad as hell.

“Spunky little thing, aren't you?” Charles II said. His eyes bore into her like blades. “But here's a tip: You don't know me, either.” He grabbed the elbow of a passing waiter and handed him the empty glass before asking Abby, “So . . . you're a teacher. First grade at Blue Harbor Elementary School, do I have that right? Are you tenured yet? You need to be tenured to keep your job, correct? I know someone on that board. Maybe I could . . . help.”

What the . . . was he threatening her somehow? Abby blinked, dumbfounded. She opened her mouth to speak, but Pierce surged forward again with a menacing look on his face. His two older brothers could barely hold him back now.

“I'm warning you,” Pierce growled at his father. “You come at her, I'll make you regret it.”

Abby felt the blood drain from her face. What on earth was happening here?

“Everyone just stand down,” Charles III hissed, looking around carefully before his gaze landed on his father. “People
are
looking. Shut your damn mouth.”

“Watch how you speak to me,” Charles II said.

“You keep this shit up,” Charles III said, stonily calm, “and Dane and I will let go of Pierce. He's been wanting to hit you for years. Tonight, you deserve it.”

“One more crack at Abby, Dad,” Dane added brusquely, “and I'll fucking help him. I can't even believe what I've been hearing. Not to mention that I absolutely hate the look on my wife's face right now.”

“How could you do this? This is supposed to be a special night,” Tess pleaded.

“That they didn't even want,” Pierce said, “and Dad
insisted
on having. Because his panties got in a twist that they didn't have him at their wedding.” He cocked his head and shot him a look as his voice filled with sarcasm. “Gee, I wonder why. Maybe it's because you're an insufferable prick? Maybe because this whole damn family is a nightmare? They were smart to elope.”

“Stop,” Dane said to him, even as Tess subtly tried to move her father away.

“You are so much like your mother,” Charles II seethed, glaring at Pierce.

“And you hate me for it,” Pierce replied as if bored. “We all look like her, but I'm the most like her. Looking at me reminds you that she cheated on you left and right, and for months you weren't even sure if I was yours. I'm like her because I'm reckless and moody, and I never fell in line with your bullshit, blah blah blah. We've heard it all before, Pops.”

“You're also a slut like her,” Charles II hissed, his eyes narrowing. “But even your worthless mother was smart enough not to get caught for years. You got yourself thrown out of the goddamn Premier League because you couldn't keep your dick in your pants.” His thin mouth twisted as he sneered, “Still proud to be just like her?”

“Jesus Christ,” Charles III groaned. Tess gasped in horror, then muttered in disdain, “Dad. That was a new low, even for you.”

“That is
it,
” Dane spat angrily, whirling around to turn on his father. He stepped right up to him, their faces separated only by a few inches. “Stop. Right now. I mean it, just shut your fucking mouth.”

Tess reached for her brother's arm. “Dane. Go. Take Julia for a walk.”

But Pierce fanned the fire, saying from behind Dane, “Maybe Mom wouldn't have cheated on you all the time if you didn't treat her like shit. I hope she had a
ball
with all those men. And there sure were a lot of 'em, huh?” His stare pinned his father as he said, “I'm not the only Harrison disgrace. She made
you
look like a fool.”

“Christ! Now
you
stop,” Charles III hissed, pointing a finger at his brother.

Julia grasped Abby's elbow. “Come on.” She tugged before Abby could say a word and pulled her away. Abby's face felt red hot and her heart thumped against her ribs as they made their way through the crowd, which had grown hushed as they'd witnessed the fight. The women made it to the doorway and out to the long hall.

“That whole scene is reprehensible,” Julia said as they walked. “And you know what? We don't have to watch.” She slipped her arm through Abby's and pulled her into a tiny alcove. One window let the moonlight in. It was furnished only with two leather armchairs and a coffee table. The quiet was a comfort; the noise of the party seemed distant somehow. Julia sat in one chair and Abby slumped into the other.

“I'm sorry about all of that,” Julia said. She shook her head. “Welcome to life with the Harrisons. What a shit show. I'm really sorry you had to listen to that.”

“That was . . .” Abby shook her head, at a loss for words. “My God. They're family. How could they say such things to each other?”

“Years of built-up resentment.” Julia leaned back in her chair and sighed. “But tonight was the worst I've seen. I hope Dane's okay. All of them. I mean . . . God, what a mess.” She smoothed out the bottom of her sparkly dress, careful strokes across her lap that were more fidgety than an attempt to straighten. “I don't get it. It was like Charles was on a mission of destruction tonight. Either that, or he just had more to drink than any of us realized. . . .” She looked at Abby and frowned. “I'm not helping. Sorry. You look miserable. I'm not too happy myself at the moment.” Her hazel eyes narrowed, studying. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I just . . . he did a background check on me?” Abby stammered. “I want to laugh. I mean, I'm boring. I've lived a very average, boring life. Nothing scandalous, nothing scary or illegal. I don't know what he was hoping to find.”

“Something to use against you just in case he ever felt he needed it,” Julia said. She waved a dismissive hand. “Super-rich people are a little crazy sometimes. That's my personal conclusion, mind you. I've just seen some crazy things . . . both before knowing Dane, and since I've been with him. It's a different world, that of the super wealthy and powerful.”

“It's a
very
different world,” Abby agreed.

Julia's mouth twisted sardonically. “Hey, don't worry. If he did a check on
me,
there was
plenty
there to use as ammunition, and he never did.”

Somehow, that didn't make Abby feel any better. “Why would he attack me like that? He doesn't even know me. Just because I'm dating Pierce? He hates his own son that much?”

Julia sighed. “He hates that Pierce has rejected the whole Harrison legacy, that he thumbs his nose at it and wants no part of it. But more than that . . . I think it's exactly what he said. I think Pierce reminds him too much of Laura, and it still burns his ass. Especially when Pierce lands his own bombshells in return. They're both very strong-willed.” She shook her head and stretched her legs out, rolling one ankle, then the other. “You're not his real target, Abby. Pierce is. He insults you, Pierce gets upset, mission accomplished. He's not going to come after you or anything. I really wouldn't worry about it.”

Abby felt a little sick. “He didn't want to come tonight, you know. He only did for you and Dane.”

“I know.” Julia smiled softly. “Since he came back, he's been trying to be part of the family more. From what Dane's told me, I don't think he would've come here a year ago, no matter how much it meant to Dane. Pierce is—has been—trying to change.”

Was he?
Sorry, Abby, but you're not special. He sleeps with any woman with a pulse, for God's sake.
That had rattled her more than she wanted to admit, because she knew it was the truth. At least, it had been. Yes, Pierce had stood up for her, and looked genuinely pained and outraged on her behalf... but did he really
care
about her? Or was she just another diversion, another in a long, endless string of conquests, and he was afraid his dad would blow his cover before he was done amusing himself?

She knew his father liked to play with him like a toy, and likely had said many of those things just to get a reaction. But . . . he'd sought out married women
on purpose?
So carelessly that it was a running joke in his team's locker room? That was a new one. And he hadn't denied it, had he?

Pierce
did
have a scandalous past . . . and tonight, she'd caught a glimpse of the bad boy Pierce Harrison, Pro Football Star she'd read about: temper like fire, eyes like ice, and seemingly capable of inflicting major damage if his brothers had let go of him. He was hot as hell. She couldn't deny the instinctive pull she felt when his caveman came roaring out. But at the same time . . . she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her stomach.

Between that, the knockdown verbal battle, the new things that had come to light, and the fact that she'd been professionally investigated, Abby felt unsettled, a little nauseous, and more than a little indignant. Edgewater was “blue collar but all right”? And she was a gold digger? She was only dating Pierce because he came from a wealthy family? Was that man serious?

Apparently, he was. She'd been deemed enough of a presence in Pierce's life that she'd warranted a background check. Again, she wondered what kind of world she'd stumbled into here. A world where fathers and sons attacked each other like hateful warriors, going for each other's weak spots and exploiting them. She tried to swallow back the lump that had lodged in her throat. Their world may have seemed opulent from the outside, but if this dark nastiness was at the core, did she really want any part of it? Could she even walk away now if she wanted to? Pierce meant so much to her. . . .

She needed to talk to him. “I hope he's all right,” she murmured.

“Of course he is,” Julia said. “Furious, sure, but hey, he should be. Also, according to Dane, he's got a temper, and he's never been one to back down from a fight. So, let them finish it. We don't have to be spectators to all that poison, now do we? Nope.” She ran her fingers through her thick mane of red and exhaled deeply. “We'll just hang out here for a few more minutes, then go back. They'll have been split up and sent to separate corners by then.” She flicked a glance toward the door. “God, I could use a drink. How about you?”

“Sounds good,” Abby murmured in a slight daze, her heart still beating fast. Too much to process, too much to consider . . . or, reconsider.

* * *

Pierce sat outside on the balcony, staring out into the night as he leaned against the wide stone railing. His head was spinning, but not only from the three glasses of whiskey he'd just downed: What the fuck had happened in that ballroom tonight? He and his father hadn't gone at it that hard in a long time—maybe ever. It was like the old man was purposely doing whatever possible to throw Pierce off-kilter, even if it meant getting at him through Abby.