“Is Constance?”
I shook my head. “No. Equal opportunities for women haven’t infiltrated the mafia world. It’s rare for women to be involved in any way. That doesn’t mean our women aren’t dangerous, though. Never underestimate them.”
“So the rest of your family is just as archaic as you are?”
I smiled at him. “We have rules, and we expect people to obey.”
“You demand obedience.”
“I do, and you like it. Come on.” I tugged on his arm, and reluctantly, he began walking with me.
When I opened the front door, sounds of chatter, laughter, and clinking glasses poured out into the night. Henri looked thoroughly intimidated, and he was right to sense the danger. There were men and women there who would try to eat him alive. “If anyone gives you shit, tell me or my brother, father, or stepmother. Any of them will put the offender in their place.”
“Is your stepmother involved in the business?”
“She’s not involved in the day-to-day business, but she is the very cherished wife of the head of the family. Her word is law.”
We gave our coats to Antoine, my parents’ butler, who was stationed in the entryway, then I led Henri down the hall to the ballroom where everyone was gathered. When we reached the door, his mouth dropped open.
“Your parents have a ballroom?”
“Yes. Now close your mouth and let me get us through this crowd.”
I greeted several people as we crossed the room, but I was focused on my parents who stood on the far side close to the buffet.
I deliberately ignored a few hangers-on, men who only approached me when they wanted a favor or to brag about recent accomplishments. Finally, I reached my parents. They were in conversation with a woman I vaguely recognized. A few seconds later, she headed toward the bar, and they gave Henri and me their full attention.
“Remington,” my stepmother said. “It’s so good to see you. You’re looking fantastic tonight.” She turned to Henri. “Now who is this? You’ve been very mysterious about who you were bringing to the party.”
“This is Henri. We met recently, and we’ve been seeing each other for a short time.”
My stepmother looked between the two of us, and I could tell she saw more than I wanted her to. She’d known my cousin Constance and her fiancé were a match before they did. Marjorie had an uncanny way with matchmaking. She’d known from the moment they’d met that she was meant to be with my father, and she’d waited for him all those years.
She held out her hand, and Henri took it graciously. “I’m so happy to meet you. I’ve heard only wonderful things about you.”
She gave me a sly smile. “I’m sure you have, and I can tell you many wonderful things about Remington—and some of the not so wonderful things.”
I shook my head. “Don’t you dare.”
“Behave yourself, and I won’t need to.”
The smile on Henri’s face told me he liked her, and that helped some of my tension melt away.
I turned to my father. “Pop, this is Henri.”
My father held out his hand. “You can call me Bébé like everyone else.”
I saw Henri’s eyes widen in surprise. I’d told him my father wasn’t like what he probably expected, and it was true. The more of the business Pop turned over to me, the more he acted like his true self, the caring jovial man he’d been in private when I was growing up.
He could still be ice cold, and he wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate anyone who dared defy him, but he was only scary when he had to be.
“Nice to meet you, sir,” Henri said.
My father looked him up and down, and his eyes narrowed. It was interrogation time. I took Henri’s hand and squeezed it. He would do fine.
“How do you know my son? He’s not given us any details.”
Henri glanced at me, then back at my father. “We met while Remington was out working one evening.” His voice shook a bit on the last word.
“Has he told you much about his work?”
Henri glanced at me again, and I gave a small nod, letting him know it was okay to tell my father that I had.
“He’s shared a little.”
“And you’re still here with him. That’s a good sign. He tries to scare men away, and it often works. Ones that stick, those are the ones with potential.”
Heat rushed to my face. Did my father have to embarrass me?
Henri smiled. “He hasn’t scared me away yet.”
The soft smile he gave me nearly made me forget where I was. I wanted to pull him into my arms and kiss him until he couldn’t breathe.
“I would love to have you for lunch one day,” my stepmother said, smiling at Henri. That would involve a far more serious interrogation, but I could prepare him for it.
“That would be lovely,” Henri said. “I’m honored you’d ask.”
How could Henri think he didn’t know the right things to say in these situations? He had a natural charm that would help him fit into any situation, which was probably how he’d managed to do well enough soliciting johns on the street. I struggled to keep a straight face as anger surged. I couldn’t stand the thought of random men thinking they deserved a piece of him. No one would touch him like that again.
“Remington, there are a few matters I’d like to discuss with you,” Pop said.
I had a feeling he wanted to ask about Henri more than he wanted to talk about the Landrys, but refusing him wasn’t an option. I would have to be as vague as I could about the nature of our relationship, but no one could see through my lies like my father could.
I turned to Henri. “Will you be—”
“I’ll see that he’s taken care of,” Marjorie said.
He gave me a nervous look, but I smiled at him. That was all I could do. Contradicting Marjorie was out of the question. “I’ll find you as soon as my father and
