ALWAYS BE MY BABY

“What are you saying, Emeline? Are you kidding me right now? Is this your idea of a joke?”

Griffin Blackwood-Carter turned away from the view of the Thames outside his tenth-story office window to stare incredulously at his baby sister. She sat in one of the navy tub chairs on the visitors’ side of his desk.

“Griff, you know perfectly well I wouldn’t joke about something so serious!” Emeline exclaimed, gazing at him, her eyes etched with worry. ‘I know it sounds unbelievable but it’s true, and we have to help her.”

Actually, her story didn’t sound unbelievable at all, but Griffin knew his trusting sister had a tendency to see goodness in people when there was none to see at all. He turned back to stare at the pedestrians lining the Thames.

He couldn’t stand seeing his sister so upset, and he cursed the so-called friend who was responsible for causing Emeline’s state. When she came to stand beside him, Griffin slung his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close.

‘What could he say to calm her down? That the friend she wanted to help wasn’t worth it? That anyone stupid enough to try and smuggle drugs out of Thailand deserved to get caught and be punished?’

Normally he would help his sister in a heartbeat, but no way was he getting involved in this mess, and nor was she. Griffin gave her an affectionate squeeze, but he didn’t try to contain the edge of steel in his voice when he spoke.

“Em, this isn’t your problem and you’re not getting involved.”

“I…”

Griffin held up his hand to cut off her immediate objection, his solid-gold cufflinks glinting in the downlights.

“Sweetie, if what you say is true, then the girl made her bed and she’ll have to lie in it. And may I remind you that you’re eight days away from the wedding of the year. Not only will Kostas not want you getting involved, but I doubt the Prince of Greece will want to sit beside a known drug user… no matter how beautiful.”

Emeline’s mouth tightened.

“My Kostas will want me to do what’s right,” she objected. “And I don’t care what my wedding guests think. I’m going to help Glory and that’s that.”

Griffin shook his head.

“Why would you risk it?”

“Because she’s my best friend, Griff, and I promised I would.”

That surprised him. He’d thought their friendship had died down years ago. But he’d recently discovered that Gloriana Templeton was going to be the maid of honor at Em’s wedding.

Maid of honor to his best man!

And why hadn’t he thought to ask that question two weeks earlier, when he’d found out Gloriana was coming to the wedding? Griffin frowned but decided to push that issue aside for the more pressing problem at hand.

“When did you speak to her?”

“I didn’t. A customs officer called on her behalf. Glory wanted to let me know why she couldn’t meet me, and… Oh, Griff, if we don’t help her, she’ll probably go to jail.”

Griffin pushed back the thick lock of hair that had fallen over his forehead. Much as he didn’t want to, Griffin could see that he needed to get tough with his sister.

“Which is probably the best place for her, sis.”

He scowled.

“She’ll be able to get help there.”

“Oh, God! Tell me you don’t mean that!”

Didn’t he? Griffin didn’t know. But what he did know was that his morning had been a lot better before Emeline had rushed into his office, bringing to mind a girl he’d rather strip from it altogether.

'Gloriana "Glow" Templeton'.

Currently considered one of the sexiest women on the planet and a very talented actress. He didn’t follow films but he’d seen her first one, some art-house rubbish made by a precocious upstart of a director about the end of the world.

Griffin couldn’t remember the plot. What man could? But everyone remembered the film for the simple fact that it had Gloriana almost naked in almost every scene. The movie had signified to him that as a culture they were heading backward, and people like Gloriana Templeton were half the reason for that.

He and his father had tolerated the girls’ teenage friendship because it had made Emeline happy, and neither man would ever have jeopardized that. But Griffin had disliked Gloriana on sight when he’d first come across her as a gangly fourteen-year-old, hiding drugs under his sister’s dormitory mattress. She’d been haughty beyond her years that day, and if he had his time again, he’d suggest his sister be relocated to another boarding school quick-smart.

Griffin heaved a sigh and returned to the smooth curve of his walnut desk, stroking his computer mouse to get rid of the screen saver.

“Em, I’m extremely busy. I have an important meeting in half an hour. I’m sorry, but I can’t help.”

“Griff, I know you have a thing about drug users, but Glory is innocent.”

“And you know this how, exactly?” he queried, deciding that humoring his sister might expedite her leaving.

“Because I know Glory, and I know she doesn’t take drugs. She hates them.”

He raised an eyebrow. Was his sister for real?

“Really? Let’s recall together the fallout from your eighteenth birthday party? Em, I caught her hiding a joint when she was fourteen… Not to mention the various press photos of her completely wasted in between.”

Emeline frowned and shook her head.

“Most of those photos were fakes. Gloriana’s been hounded by the press her whole life because of who her parents were, and, anyway, she’s far too sensible and level-headed to get involved in something as destructive as drugs.”

“And that would be why there was the scandal at your eighteenth? Because Gloriana is so… level-headed?”

She glanced at the ceiling before returning resigned eyes to his.

“That night was so not what it seemed. One dodgy photo…”

“Excuse me?” he all but shouted. “One dodgy photo that could have destroyed your reputation if I hadn’t intervened!”

“You mean if you hadn’t made Glory take the blame!”

“She was to blame!”

Griffin could feel the old anger of six years ago welling up inside him. But it wasn’t like him to let his temper override common sense and he controlled it with effort.

“Maybe if I had contacted her stepfather when I caught her with marijuana the first time, she wouldn’t be in the colossal mess she is now.”

Emeline briefly lowered her eyes before meeting his again.

“Griff, you’ve never let me properly explain any of this. What if the marijuana you found Glory hiding when we were fourteen… wasn’t hers? Would you be so disappointed if it was mine?”

He expelled a breath. He really didn’t have time for this. Griffin got up and rounded his desk to enfold Emeline in his arms. He knew what she was trying to do and he loved her for it, even if the little bimbo she was trying to protect didn’t deserve her loyalty.

“I know you’re trying to take the blame for her, Em. You’ve always protected her. But the fact still remains that she’s trouble. She always has been. Surely her stepfather or stepsisters can help her?”

Emeline sniffed against his chest and pushed away a little.

“They’ve never been very close… And anyway, I think they’re in France… Please, Griff! The officer I spoke to this morning said she might be deported back to Thailand. And, no matter what you think, I can’t let that happen.”

Griffin swore under his breath. He had to admit he didn’t want to imagine the gorgeous Gloriana Templeton wasting away in a Thai prison cell either.

“Em, my specialty is corporate law, and this will fall under the criminal jurisdiction.”

“Okay… But surely you can do something!” she implored.

He released his sister and stalked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows again. Annoying images of Gloriana as he’d last seen her crowded in and he forcibly held them back.

She had been intruding on his thoughts and dreams for years now. But those thoughts became even more present ever since Emeline had mentioned she was coming to the wedding… and he resented her for it.

Griffin closed his eyes, the better to control the physical reaction he always seemed to have when he pictured her, but that only made it worse. Now he couldn’t only visualize her, he could almost scent her as well.

Emeline touched his arm, and for a split second, he imagined it was Gloriana. Griffin muttered another curse under his breath.

“Sweetie, forget her and concentrate on your wedding,” he growled.

“If Glory’s not going to be there, I might not even have a wedding.”

“Now you’re being melodramatic.”

“And you, dear brother, are being horrible. Glory’s been unfairly targeted…”

“The woman wasn’t targeted. She was caught redhanded!”

She looked at him with the kind of pain he hadn’t seen in her eyes since the day they had buried their mother. He’d vowed then that he’d do anything to protect her in the future and safeguard her happiness.

So… wasn’t what he was doing now quite the opposite? But what she was asking was impossible…

“Griff, I know you hate drugs because of Mum, but Glory isn’t like that. And you usually jump at the chance to help a worthy cause.”

Griffin stared at his little sister. Her words brought back memories of the past he’d much rather leave dead and buried. And maybe it was somewhat illogical but he blamed Gloriana for that as well. Because without her latest antics, he wouldn’t be having this conversation with his sister at all!

He turned back to face Em and unclenched his jaw.

“Sis, the keyword in this situation is ‘worthy’. And as far as I’m concerned, a drug-addicted actress who has hit the skids doesn’t make a worthy cause.”

Emeline stared at him as if he’d just kicked a dog, and in that instant, Griffin knew he was defeated. No way could he let his sister think so badly of him, and on top of that, an image of Gloriana in a Thai prison cell kept swimming into his consciousness and twisting his gut. He shook his head.

“Trust me, this is a big mistake,” he warned, ignoring the little glow of relief he felt when Emeline’s face lit up with unconcealed gratitude. “And don’t look at me like that. I might not be able to do anything. This is a serious charge.”

“Oh, Griff! You’re the best brother in the whole world! Can I come?”

His sister was so happy she was practically singing. Griffin looked up blankly, his mind already turning over to how he would approach the problem. When her words sank in his eyebrows shot skywards.

“Absolutely not!”

The last thing he needed was his interfering sister getting in the way.

“I’ll call you when I know something. Now, go! Do… wedding stuff, or something, and leave me to sort through this mess you’re so determined to get us into.”

He barely registered it when she kissed his cheek and let herself out of his office, already issuing orders down the phone to his PA.

“Agnes,, reschedule all my meetings for the afternoon and tell Elijah Stonewall I want him in my office five minutes ago.”

He eased back in his chair and blew out a breath. Was he completely crazy to get involved with this?