The Lawless Man With A Thousand Chains

010 How Elites Live

Damon turned slightly towards Lucy. "Don't mind her. She's a work colleague. Finish up with the laundry and head out when you're ready. I'll see you at the meeting later."

Lucy gave a small nod, still holding the towel closed with one hand. Then she turned and walked back down the hallway without another word.

Vanessa watched her go, her brow furrowed. The name and the face tugged at something in her memory.

This woman looked familiar, like someone whose photo occasionally appeared in business magazines or society pages, but Vanessa couldn't pin it down right now.

She spun back to Damon, arms crossing tightly over her chest. "How do you know her?"

The young man stepped fully outside and pulled the heavy front door half-closed behind him, leaving only a narrow gap.

"Who? Lucy? She nearly ran me over yesterday on the ridge road. I stopped the car with a punch. She's buying me lunch at Lumina Springs Resort as an apology, and to meet some important people."

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "Of course she is," she said sarcastically.

In her mind the pieces snapped into a neat, convenient picture. This Lucy woman must have rented Turner Mansion for some private social gathering or company retreat. Hiring a temporary caretaker or security grunt for the day made perfect sense.

Damon, fresh out of prison with no connections, would jump at any paid work. That explained the towel, and the casual way Lucy spoke to him.

The young man glanced past her toward the winding driveway. "If there's nothing else, I need to get ready. The lunch meeting's in an hour."

"Wait." Vanessa stepped closer, almost blocking his path. "I'm going to the same place. Let's just ride together."

He studied her for a second, then gave a single short nod. "Sure."

The drive to Lumina Springs Resort took just under twenty minutes. The place sat nestled against a forested hillside, all glass and pale stone, with wide terraces overlooking a series of natural hot pools.

Soft music drifted from hidden speakers. Uniformed staff moved with quiet efficiency between the outdoor lounges and the main building.

Vanessa parked near the VIP entrance and killed the engine. Damon opened his door, gave her a brief nod of thanks, and started walking straight toward the private wing where the numbered VIP rooms were located.

Vanessa scrambled out after him and caught his arm just before he reached the glass doors.

"Hey—where do you think you're going?"

"To the Presidential Suite. I have a lunch appointment like I told you earlier."

She stared at him like he had just claimed he could fly. "Will it kill you to stop lying for five seconds? The Presidential Suite is reserved exclusively for the mayor and his immediate family."

Vanessa barreled on before he could argue. "Come with me to Dining Hall No. 5. Shane Dutton is hosting a lunch for our family. He's going to start pestering me about the marriage again the second he sees me. You have to come. I hired you for this, remember?"

Damon's mouth curved just enough to count as a smile. "I think Shane's not such a bad candidate. Why do you keep turning him down?"

Vanessa gave him a flat, unimpressed look. "Why don't you marry him then?"

She huffed and practically dragged him toward the correct corridor.

Dining Hall No. 5 opened onto a private terrace with several tables, one of which was already reserved and set for twelve.

Servers moved in and out with trays of appetizers and wine.

Most of the core Quinn family was already seated. Marcus Quinn sat near the head of the table, laughing a little too loudly at something the man beside him had said. That man was Shane Dutton, perfectly tailored, hair styled just so, looking completely at home in the host's seat.

Several other relatives filled the remaining chairs, their voices overlapping in polite, competitive chatter. One of Vanessa's aunts was already halfway through a glass of white wine. A cousin kept checking his phone under the table.

Shane's face brightened the moment Vanessa stepped through the doorway. The smile lasted exactly half a second—until his eyes landed on Damon walking in right behind her.

The brightness vanished. His jaw tightened. The easy host expression cracked for just a moment before he forced it back into place.

Marcus noticed the sudden change in Shane's expression and twisted around in his chair. His good mood evaporated the instant he saw Damon.

"Vanessa? Why did you bring him here?" Marcus's voice cut across the table like a blade. "Shane is about to introduce us to Julian Croft from the Administration Department. We can't have an ex-con sitting at the same table as a high-ranking official!"

Vanessa froze mid-step. Heat rose in her cheeks. Every relative at the table had turned to stare at her. She opened her mouth but her mind went completely blank. The silence stretched just long enough to become uncomfortable.

Shane rose smoothly from his chair and lifted both hands in a placating gesture, the perfect picture of a gracious host.

"Let's not make things harder for Vanessa—she's clearly got enough on her plate. Besides, showing an ex-convict how wealthy families live can't hurt. Maybe it'll give him some motivation to work harder and make something of himself."

Marcus muttered something under his breath but dropped back into his seat with a scowl. "You're too kind, Shane. Far kinder than this situation deserves."

Damon pulled out a chair for Vanessa without comment and then sat beside her. He leaned slightly towards her. "They mentioned inviting Julian Croft?"

She nodded, still flushed from her father's public scolding. Her fingers tightened around the edge of her water glass.

"We need his help with the Emerald Housing Project. The permits are stuck in some bureaucratic nightmare. Shane said he could arrange the introduction today. That's the whole reason for this lunch."

Damon reached for his own water glass, taking a slow sip. "I'm afraid he won't be free."

Vanessa turned her head, frowning hard. "Why not?"

"Because he's supposed to be having lunch with me in the Presidential Suite."