The Excerpt
Because he’d had enough invasion of his personal space, Max strode through the crowded club with his presence cloaked, psychically invisible. He could see their surprise when he was upon them without their notice, seeing their awe, their uncertainty as they parted to let him pass . . . and their fear. Just enough to remind him that even here, among his own kind, he was alone.
As he eased into his chair at the table reserved for him alone, the voluptuous Amber was immediately at his elbow.
“Good evening, Mr. Savoie. Your usual?”
“I’ve got it, my lovely.”
They both looked in surprise at the lean, dark figure who’d approached undetected. Rollo grinned and placed a bottled beer on the table in front of Max and sat without being invited, not bothered by Max’s glittering stare of objection.
“I’ve been expecting you, boy.”
(. . . and a bite more . . .)
“What do you want?”
The cold greeting didn’t lessen the other’s cheer. “To chat. To get to know my only son.”
“Several decades too late for that, don’t you think?”
“For father and son, perhaps. For two of a kind, I don’t think so. I’ve been asking around about you, just in case you are stingy with the details.”
Uneasiness rippled. “And what did you discover?”
“Not much. You’re an enigma, my boy. You’ve kept yourself hidden. Your mother’s influence, no doubt.”
“Why would you say that?”
“’Rollo, don’t make a spectacle of yourself. You’ll draw attention. They’ll see that you’re different.”
His imitation of Marie Savoie was so dead-on it took Max aback. And for the first time, he could see them together, his mother and this man he didn’t know. He sat frozen in his seat.
His father . . .
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