“Perfect. See you there.”
Hanging up, she left her phone in the kitchen as she hurried into her bedroom, grinning when the curtains rattled obnoxiously behind her. Yanking a pair of patterned leggings out of the dresser, she toed off her socks, nearly falling over in the process.
She tried to picture Devlin spontaneously going to get beignets at ten at night, and burst out laughing. With her leggings halfway stuck around her knees, she fell backward, her butt hitting the bed.
Rosie was betting Devlin de Vincent was about as spontaneous as a dentist appointment.
Dev didn’t like surprises.
Especially when that surprise came in the form of his uncle, Stefan de Vincent, waiting for him in his home office Monday morning.
“I’m sorry. The senator insisted it could not wait.” Richard Besson explained as Dev stalked down the hall of the second floor.
The older house manager was as much a part of this building as a de Vincent was, having run the home, along with his wife, since Dev was a child. Livie was out for health reasons for the time being, and their daughter, Nikki, had stepped in. However, Nikki was no longer a suitable replacement, even temporarily, for a multitude of reasons.
Dev briefly wondered what Besson thought of his daughter’s relationship with Gabe. Even though Gabe was, by far, the most . . . likable of the brothers, he was still a de Vincent, and Besson had seen a lot in his time working here.
Besson also knew a lot.
The faint curiosity disappeared as his gaze focused on the paneled doors that led to his office. A muscle worked along his jaw.
“It’s okay.” Dev adjusted the cuffs on his shirt. “Can you please bring up a pot of coffee when you have a chance?”
“Of course.” Besson started to turn.
Dev stopped as Besson started to turn. Lowering his arms, he shook out the sleeves. “Richard?”
A flicker of surprise crossed the older man’s face. “Yes?”
He opened his mouth and then closed it. A moment passed as he considered what he wanted to say. He stepped toward the older man, keeping his voice low as he said, “I am sorry for what happened to your daughter. I will make sure nothing like that happens again.”
Besson stared back at him for a moment and then cleared his throat. “I do not have a doubt that you will . . . ensure that my daughter is safe. Thank you.”
Dev nodded. “We need to have a discussion later about a temporary replacement for Livie. Nikki is no longer suited for the job.”
Her father opened his mouth.
“She’s in a relationship with my brother,” Dev said, catching the man’s dark eyes. “I do not think you want her responsible for serving his food and cleaning up after him, too.”
A faint smile cross Besson’s face. “No. I do not.”
“Good.”
The smile remained. “I’ll have a fresh pot of coffee brought to your office momentarily.”
Giving the man a curt nod, Dev pivoted and approached his office doors. He placed his hands on the panels and pushed.
His office was light and airy from the sun streaming through the east windows, but there was a dark cloud sitting with his back to the doors.
Lawrence de Vincent had been pure evil. His twin, Stefan, was just a fucking idiot in comparison. Dangerous in his own ways, but nowhere near as bad as Lawrence.
“Nice of you to finally join me.” Stefan spoke.
Dev’s lip curled as he closed the doors behind him. He hated the sound of Stefan’s voice, because it sounded like Lawrence’s. “Nice of you to show up unannounced after you haven’t returned my calls all weekend.”
“I was in D.C., Dev, and quite busy.”
“So busy you couldn’t use a phone?” Dev strolled across the office, and as he passed his uncle, he caught the faint scent of Cuban cigars. Rich, sweet ones like Lawrence used to smoke. He stepped behind the desk, and only then did he allow himself to look at his uncle.
With the trademark blue-green eyes and dark hair with only a tint of silver to the man’s temples, he looked every inch a de Vincent. Faint lines appeared at the corners of his eyes and lips. Whether it was because of a skilled doctor’s hand or good genetics, the man was aging well.
Stefan looked just like Lawrence. After all, they were identical twins, so every time Dev had to cast his eyes upon Stefan, it was like looking at the one thing he truly hated.
His uncle probably came in at a close second if Dev had to list out those he hated, and his uncle deserved every ounce of it, but if he had to compare the two men, Lawrence was worse.
Lawrence would always be worse.
“I was busy representing this fine state. Running the country is quite time-consuming.” Stefan smiled as Dev sat, toying with the gold band of the Rolex wrapped around his left wrist. “But I figured you were calling me over what happened Friday night, and I am here now.”
“So, you’ve seen the news?”
Stefan snorted. “How could I not? It’s all over the damn place. The brother of a de Vincent fiancée killed while attempting to murder someone? The fuckers are eating this up.”
“Fuckers?”
“The press.” Stefan flicked his wrist. “They love nothing better than a de Vincent scandal. Especially that damn reporter for the Advocate . Ross Haid? While I was on the way here, I got a call from my office saying he was already there, asking questions.”
Dev smirked. The mere mention of Ross Haid’s name on any other day would’ve annoyed him greatly. Hearing that the reporter was bothering Stefan amused him. “Well, you do have a lot of experience with reporters digging around in your business, don’t you?”
Stefan’s lips thinned. “I have a lot of experience with the press making a mountain of a molehill.”
“A missing and presumed-dead intern is a molehill?”
“It is to me.” Stefan lifted a shoulder in a casual shrug. “What did Parker do exactly?”
“You don’t know?”
“I know that the press believes it was some sort of domestic situation. The victim’s name has been withheld, but they believe he attacked someone and was killed in the process,” Stefan answered. “I find that odd since I wasn’t aware of Parker being in any . . . domestic-type relationship.”
Not for one second did Dev believe that was all that he knew. “Parker attacked Nikki.”
“Nicolette Besson?” Stefan let out a laugh. “The housekeeper’s daughter?”
Dev kept his expression blank. “You mean Gabe’s girlfriend?”
“What?” Another laugh as Stefan sat back in the chair. “Jesus. He’s screwing that little piece—”
“Careful,” Dev warned softly. “I doubt you would like what would happen if Gabe were to hear you speaking like that.”
“As if you care how I speak about her.” Stefan snorted with a roll of his eyes. A moment passed. “That girl always had a thing for him, didn’t she? I guess he’s a lucky man.”
Tension crept into Dev’s shoulders. That was an interesting statement for his uncle to make. Nikki practically grew up in their house when she was younger, spending many of the summers here while her parents worked. Of course, Stefan had been at the home on and off over the years, but Dev hadn’t believed his uncle was that observant when it came to what used to be Nikki’s schoolgirl, unrequited crush on his brother.
Obviously, Dev had underestimated his uncle’s observation skills. He thought of the photograph he received on Sunday.
“Parker went after her?” Stefan asked.
“And you really didn’t know that?”
“Of course not,” Stefan exclaimed. “How would I?”
There was a knock on the door, and Dev lifted his hand, silencing Stefan. “Come in.”
Besson entered and the scent of freshly brewed coffee erased that of cigars. The man was quick as a bullet, serving the coffee and then leaving. Dev figured that Besson wasn’t exactly a fan of the senator even though he was too damn professional to show it.
That was why he liked Besson.
Stefan waited until the door closed. “You do not think Sabrina had anything to do with her brother—”