Family Man

been studying it for a couple of years. I was just coming out of a class at the club when you found me.” Darren winced as he picked up the glass. He put it down again and gingerly touched his rib cage. “Something tells me you've been studying it longer than I have.”
    “I've got a few years on you,” Luke pointed out.
    “Right. More time to get sneaky and mean.” There was grudging admiration in Darren's voice. “I didn't recognize some of that stuff you used on me. How long have you been studying?”
    “Since I was a kid. I got into a fight once when I was in my teens. The fight turned into a brawl, and a bunch of us got hauled off to the police station. Dad came down to get me. Instead of yelling at me he took me straight to the nearest martial arts academy and signed me up for lessons.”
    Darren nodded in understanding. “Wanted you to learn how to take care of yourself properly, huh?”
    Luke smiled faintly. “Not exactly. He said a Gilchrist needs to learn how to avoid trouble in the first place. He figured the martial arts training would teach me self-discipline and self-control.”
    “No shit.” Darren grimaced. “Guess it didn't work.”
    “Sure it did. I left your head on your shoulders, didn't I? If I hadn't been exerting so much discipline and self-control, I would have ripped it off.”
    “Jesus. You're really pissed that I went to Katy about the money, aren't you?”
    “Yeah. Really pissed.”
    “I tried everything else I could think of first,” Darren muttered. “But the broker says the guy who put the deal together is really putting on the pressure. Says we've got to come up with the cash or we'll all wind up in jail. What the hell was I supposed to do?”
    Luke wrapped his hand around the cold glass of beer. “It's time you learned something, cousin.”
    “What?”
    “If you're going to go around getting yourself into messes like this one, you'd better damn well learn how to clean 'em up. Don't rely on a guardian angel.”
    Darren scowled at him. “How am I supposed to clean up this mess?”
    “You don't use karate to defend yourself in the business world,” Luke said. “You use information. Tell me about this real estate partnership.”
    Darren hesitated. “Why?”
    “Because you are apparently ass-deep in alligators. To prevent future annoying incidents such as this one, I am going to teach you how to drain the swamp.”

    Katy gazed into the glowing bowl, lost in the brilliant, swirling color that had been captured in the glass. Graceful and elegant, the bowl stood nearly three feet high. It shimmered with light.
    This particular piece was one of the most beautiful Hayden had ever done, Katy thought. It sat in isolated splendor on a plain white pedestal in the center of the gallery. There were several other spectacular pieces arranged discreetly on other white pedestals in the white-on-white room.
    Maureen knew how to display Hayden's work to its best advantage.
    Katy walked over to another pedestal to examine a red and gold glass vase. At the back of the room Maureen, dressed in a black silk jumpsuit that made a striking statement in the white room, talked softly to a young couple.
    In the end, the couple decided on a small amber and green bowl. Maureen smiled with satisfaction as she entered purchase information into the computer behind the white-tiled counter. She waited until her clients were out the door before she bore down on Katy.
    “Thank God you got my message,” Maureen said without any preamble. “I was afraid you might already have left town.”
    Katy glanced at her watch. “Luke is picking me up at the hotel in an hour. What's wrong, Maureen?”
    “I want to talk to you about Eden.” Maureen's mouth tightened ominously. “I am extremely worried about her. I was going to call you, but when I found out you were in town on business I decided I would discuss the problem today.”
    “I saw Eden yesterday in her office. She looks a little tense, but otherwise she seems all right.”
    “She is not all right,” Maureen snapped. “There is something very wrong, and she won't tell me what it is. But I think I know. Something she let slip to Darren makes me think she may be seeing that awful Nate Atwood again.”
    Katy frowned, remembering what Fraser had said about seeing Eden get into a cab with Nate. “That doesn't make any sense, Maureen. Why would she get involved with Nate after everything she's been through?”
    “God knows. You know how much