understand what it meant to be connected to the world of spirit. He was far too jaded—and too much of a stickler for organized protocol. “On that bleak note, I think I’ll visit the little girl’s room and repair my face. I can’t get married looking like a drowned rat, you know.”
“You shouldn’t get married at all.”
Brianna sighed.
“Go and keep an eye on Devlin. I wouldn’t put it past him to change his mind about the marriage. There’s no love-lost between us.”
A frown stained Tommy’s lips at her confession.
“And that’s exactly why you should cancel this farce you’re contemplating. Hasty marriages always end unpleasantly—for both parties.”
“Not in this case. We will sign divorce papers once this whole debacle is behind us.”
Tommy clasped her hands.
“I know you’ve been thrown for a loop by all this, and I admire your sense of right and wrong, but a makeshift marriage?”
Brianna met his glance, her voice turning brittle again.
“There is no other way, Tommy. The Coven Book of Shadows is specific. No unmarried man or woman may enter a Sacred Circle after they are of age. It’s a good law—just inconvenient, at the moment. Besides, if there’s any possibility that Mother’s collapse wasn’t a freak accident of nature, I have to know it and take steps to bring the sinner to justice.”
“That smacks of harming someone, blue eyes.”
“It certainly does,” Brianna stated, spinning on her heel and heading for the door. Reaching it, she flung it open and crossed out into the hall. “Go and find Devlin.”
A loud grunt followed her exit, and her lips twitched. In seconds, she was entering the ladies bathroom and studying her appearance. She did look like a drowned rat; her mascara caked and splintered. She brushed the dark streaks from her lower lid, noting her shaking fingers. Could she recite the marriage vows without becoming hysterical? She had to. She had to keep believing spirit would carry her down the right path, with the right tools, with the right person, at the right time. So mote it be, she decided. Everything connected to everything.
CHAPTER EIGHT
A FEW MINUTES LATER
Devlin drew back into the shadows, relieved that Brianna hadn’t spotted him lurking behind the fountain rocks. He watched her enter the washroom and exhaled. She was preparing to pull herself together for the wedding ceremony. And he should be doing the same—but first he had to talk to Tommy. His gaze drifted to the hallway. What was keeping the man? It wasn’t as if he knew his way around the building, or the commune. Had Brianna given him instructions to stay put until she returned? No, he didn’t think Brianna would feel comfortable leaving him on his own. He was simply dawdling in the office, trying to think of a way to short-circuit the marriage. Damn him, he was smart. He might think of a way.
A minute later, Devlin caught sight of his stout figure, and stepped out of the shadows. He crossed the room and pulled Tommy out the front door, and down the sidewalk—to a shady area alongside the building.
“Have you lost your mind coming here?” he asked.
“Me? I’m not the one keeping secrets and telling lies,” Tommy accused. “Nor am I pretending to be someone I’m not.” He stepped forward. “It’s clear that Brianna has no idea that you own D.J. Corp, or that we’ve met once before.”
Devlin returned his scowl.
“No. And you’re not to tell her.”
Tommy shook his head in disbelief.
“Man-o-man, you
are
a bastard.”
Devlin’s hands raked his hair in exasperation.
“I’m not being a bastard on purpose. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the middle of a crisis here.”
“Well, it’s nothing compared to the one you’ll be facing when Brianna learns who you really are, and that you’ve bought her company.”
Devlin swung about, focusing his gaze on the park gazebo in the distance.
“You think I haven’t thought of that?”
He felt a shadow at
“You shouldn’t get married at all.”
Brianna sighed.
“Go and keep an eye on Devlin. I wouldn’t put it past him to change his mind about the marriage. There’s no love-lost between us.”
A frown stained Tommy’s lips at her confession.
“And that’s exactly why you should cancel this farce you’re contemplating. Hasty marriages always end unpleasantly—for both parties.”
“Not in this case. We will sign divorce papers once this whole debacle is behind us.”
Tommy clasped her hands.
“I know you’ve been thrown for a loop by all this, and I admire your sense of right and wrong, but a makeshift marriage?”
Brianna met his glance, her voice turning brittle again.
“There is no other way, Tommy. The Coven Book of Shadows is specific. No unmarried man or woman may enter a Sacred Circle after they are of age. It’s a good law—just inconvenient, at the moment. Besides, if there’s any possibility that Mother’s collapse wasn’t a freak accident of nature, I have to know it and take steps to bring the sinner to justice.”
“That smacks of harming someone, blue eyes.”
“It certainly does,” Brianna stated, spinning on her heel and heading for the door. Reaching it, she flung it open and crossed out into the hall. “Go and find Devlin.”
A loud grunt followed her exit, and her lips twitched. In seconds, she was entering the ladies bathroom and studying her appearance. She did look like a drowned rat; her mascara caked and splintered. She brushed the dark streaks from her lower lid, noting her shaking fingers. Could she recite the marriage vows without becoming hysterical? She had to. She had to keep believing spirit would carry her down the right path, with the right tools, with the right person, at the right time. So mote it be, she decided. Everything connected to everything.
CHAPTER EIGHT
A FEW MINUTES LATER
Devlin drew back into the shadows, relieved that Brianna hadn’t spotted him lurking behind the fountain rocks. He watched her enter the washroom and exhaled. She was preparing to pull herself together for the wedding ceremony. And he should be doing the same—but first he had to talk to Tommy. His gaze drifted to the hallway. What was keeping the man? It wasn’t as if he knew his way around the building, or the commune. Had Brianna given him instructions to stay put until she returned? No, he didn’t think Brianna would feel comfortable leaving him on his own. He was simply dawdling in the office, trying to think of a way to short-circuit the marriage. Damn him, he was smart. He might think of a way.
A minute later, Devlin caught sight of his stout figure, and stepped out of the shadows. He crossed the room and pulled Tommy out the front door, and down the sidewalk—to a shady area alongside the building.
“Have you lost your mind coming here?” he asked.
“Me? I’m not the one keeping secrets and telling lies,” Tommy accused. “Nor am I pretending to be someone I’m not.” He stepped forward. “It’s clear that Brianna has no idea that you own D.J. Corp, or that we’ve met once before.”
Devlin returned his scowl.
“No. And you’re not to tell her.”
Tommy shook his head in disbelief.
“Man-o-man, you
are
a bastard.”
Devlin’s hands raked his hair in exasperation.
“I’m not being a bastard on purpose. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the middle of a crisis here.”
“Well, it’s nothing compared to the one you’ll be facing when Brianna learns who you really are, and that you’ve bought her company.”
Devlin swung about, focusing his gaze on the park gazebo in the distance.
“You think I haven’t thought of that?”
He felt a shadow at
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