his private life, he always sought out independent women who knew the score, understood he wasn’t interested in love and happy ever after. One shattered engagement had taught him the folly of that path when his fiancée proved herself to be just like all the other women in his life. Looking for a man to lean on. And Melo’s family was in trouble. When she’d started to confide in him the night before, a warning bell sounded loud in his head. She was probably hoping some white knight would ride in with a suitcase full of money, and sort out her father’s problems.
Cade swallowed his coffee in one gulp, and shifted on the chair. There was still the matter of Marco to be addressed. And the hotel.
“Cade.” Adam’s voice slammed him back to the present. He turned to where Adam stood in the doorway, alarm rising at the thunderous expression on Adam’s face.
“What is it?”
His heart jumped into his throat. Had Rosa called off the wedding?
“There’s a problem.” Adam’s tone was terse. “Get your stuff. We need to get to the villa. Now. ”
Chapter Eight
“You need to talk to me, Adam. What the hell’s going on?” Cade had to suffer in silence in the car on the way to the villa, as Adam muttered that he didn’t want to talk about it in front of the driver, but that excuse was old now they were out of the car striding into the villa.
Adam’s jaw was set. “I need to talk to Melo.”
Melo? Cade reached out and grasped Adam’s arm.
Adam shrugged it off angrily.
“Leave it, Cade.” A clenched muscle flickered in Adam’s jaw, his shoulders were pushed back and his hands were curled into fists. He looked like he wanted to hit someone.
“What’s going on?” Cade stepped forward, mirroring Adam’s stance. There was no way Adam was talking to Melo in this state, whatever he thought she’d done.
Rosa strolled out of the front door, and stopped in surprise. “Darling, you’re here.” She hurried over, her gaze flickering to both of them in turn. Her smile faded, and her mouth gaped.
“Where’s Melo?” Adam ground out.
“In…in the office.” Rosa waved a hand toward the door, clicking after Adam with little rapid steps in her high-heeled sandals.
Adam was at the office before Cade could reach him.
Melo looked up from the desk in shock as the door crashed opened. Her mouth opened and closed.
“You want to explain why you cancelled my order?” Adam questioned, stepping closer.
Cade tensed, and stepped in front of Melo, shielding her from Adam. He put a hand on Adam’s arm. “Calm down.” Adam might be angry but he had no right to talk to her in such a fashion.
Melo’s face was white. She was shaking. Her chin tilted up and her mouth set in a thin, white line.
Cade pushed Adam down into the chair opposite the desk. “Sit down. There’s no need to loom over her.” He reached for Melo’s hand. Searched her eyes.
Adam stayed on the seat but aggression flowed from him toward Melo. He hadn’t got his answer, yet.
“Melo?” Cade squeezed her hand. Her shoulders relaxed. Her hand fluttered to her mouth, then dropped. She pulled in a deep breath.
“I had to. Marco told me to.” She spoke so quietly Cade had to strain to hear the words. Her gaze flickered between Adam and Rosa, and she blinked rapidly. “He wouldn’t let me talk to you…”
Rosa stepped forward and placed a hand on her fiancé’s shoulder.
“What do you mean; Papa wouldn’t let you talk to Adam?” Her voice was high and shrill. She glared at Melo as though Melo was to blame.
What the hell was the matter with this family? Couldn’t they see Melo was upset? Cade stood shoulder to shoulder, and stared Rosa down.
“I think it’s time we took this question to Marco,” Cade suggested. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Melo’s rapid nod. “And I think you two better back off.” He slipped an arm around Melo’s shoulders and pulled her close. Whatever was going on here wasn’t her fault.
Cade swallowed his coffee in one gulp, and shifted on the chair. There was still the matter of Marco to be addressed. And the hotel.
“Cade.” Adam’s voice slammed him back to the present. He turned to where Adam stood in the doorway, alarm rising at the thunderous expression on Adam’s face.
“What is it?”
His heart jumped into his throat. Had Rosa called off the wedding?
“There’s a problem.” Adam’s tone was terse. “Get your stuff. We need to get to the villa. Now. ”
Chapter Eight
“You need to talk to me, Adam. What the hell’s going on?” Cade had to suffer in silence in the car on the way to the villa, as Adam muttered that he didn’t want to talk about it in front of the driver, but that excuse was old now they were out of the car striding into the villa.
Adam’s jaw was set. “I need to talk to Melo.”
Melo? Cade reached out and grasped Adam’s arm.
Adam shrugged it off angrily.
“Leave it, Cade.” A clenched muscle flickered in Adam’s jaw, his shoulders were pushed back and his hands were curled into fists. He looked like he wanted to hit someone.
“What’s going on?” Cade stepped forward, mirroring Adam’s stance. There was no way Adam was talking to Melo in this state, whatever he thought she’d done.
Rosa strolled out of the front door, and stopped in surprise. “Darling, you’re here.” She hurried over, her gaze flickering to both of them in turn. Her smile faded, and her mouth gaped.
“Where’s Melo?” Adam ground out.
“In…in the office.” Rosa waved a hand toward the door, clicking after Adam with little rapid steps in her high-heeled sandals.
Adam was at the office before Cade could reach him.
Melo looked up from the desk in shock as the door crashed opened. Her mouth opened and closed.
“You want to explain why you cancelled my order?” Adam questioned, stepping closer.
Cade tensed, and stepped in front of Melo, shielding her from Adam. He put a hand on Adam’s arm. “Calm down.” Adam might be angry but he had no right to talk to her in such a fashion.
Melo’s face was white. She was shaking. Her chin tilted up and her mouth set in a thin, white line.
Cade pushed Adam down into the chair opposite the desk. “Sit down. There’s no need to loom over her.” He reached for Melo’s hand. Searched her eyes.
Adam stayed on the seat but aggression flowed from him toward Melo. He hadn’t got his answer, yet.
“Melo?” Cade squeezed her hand. Her shoulders relaxed. Her hand fluttered to her mouth, then dropped. She pulled in a deep breath.
“I had to. Marco told me to.” She spoke so quietly Cade had to strain to hear the words. Her gaze flickered between Adam and Rosa, and she blinked rapidly. “He wouldn’t let me talk to you…”
Rosa stepped forward and placed a hand on her fiancé’s shoulder.
“What do you mean; Papa wouldn’t let you talk to Adam?” Her voice was high and shrill. She glared at Melo as though Melo was to blame.
What the hell was the matter with this family? Couldn’t they see Melo was upset? Cade stood shoulder to shoulder, and stared Rosa down.
“I think it’s time we took this question to Marco,” Cade suggested. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Melo’s rapid nod. “And I think you two better back off.” He slipped an arm around Melo’s shoulders and pulled her close. Whatever was going on here wasn’t her fault.
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