The Villa

Giambelli had stemmed that flood, just as a nice little bauble generally stemmed floods from Rene.
    It was all, he thought, knowing your quarry's weakness.
    And knowing it, using it, maintained the status quo.
    He intended to continue living his life as he believed he deserved. It was time to tap his sources, a little more here, a little more there. And look toward the future.
     
    Sophia moved through her circle of friends and did her best to avoid her cousin Gina. The woman was becoming more than a pest. She'd moved up the scale to embarrassment. Not only was she dressed in what appeared to be a Christmas-red tent with fifty pounds of sequins, but she was busily chirping to anyone she could corner about her husband's brilliance.
    Don, Sophia noted, was keeping very close to the bar. He was easily half-drunk and trying to make himself invisible.
    "Your mother all right?"
    Sophia stopped to smile at Helen. "Last time I saw her. Hello, Uncle James." She turned to give Helen's husband a hard hug. James Moore had been one of the constants in her life, and often more a father to her than her own.
    He'd let himself go pudgy, had lost more hair than he'd kept, but behind his silver wire glasses, his eyes twinkled green at her. He looked like everyone's favorite uncle and was one of the top, and most devious, criminal defense attorneys in California.
    "Prettiest girl in the room, isn't she, Helen?"
    "Always."
    "You haven't been by to see me in weeks."
    "I'll make up for it." She gave his cheek a second kiss. "La Signora has been keeping me busy."
    "So I hear. We brought you a present."
    "I love presents. Gimme."
    "It's over there, making time with that redhead."
    Sophia glanced over and gave a quick yip of pleasure as she spotted Lincoln Moore. "I thought Linc was still in Sacramento."
    "He'll fill you in," James told her. "Go on over. Talk him into marrying you this time."
    "James." Helen arched a brow. "We're going to find Pilar. Go enjoy yourself."
    Lincoln Moore was tall, dark and handsome. He was also the closest thing Sophia had to a brother. At various stages of their lives, her two-month seniority had been used to advantage—by both of them. Their mothers' friendship had been a bond that had ensured they'd grow up together. Because of it, neither of them had ever felt like an only child.
    She walked up behind him, slid an arm through the crook of his and asked the redhead, "Is this guy coming on to you?"
    "Sophie." With a laugh, he picked her off the floor, gave her a quick turn. "My surrogate sister," he told the redhead. "Sophia Giambelli, Andrea Wainwright. My date. Be nice."
    "Andrea." Sophia offered a hand. "We'll talk."
    "No, you won't. She lies about me. It's a hobby."
    "It's nice to meet you. Line's told me a lot about you."
    "He lies, too. Did you both come in from Sacramento?"
    "No, actually, I'm an intern at Saint Francis, the emergency-medicine rotation."
    "Basketball injury." Linc held up his right hand, showed off the splint on his right finger. "Dislocated it trying to jam. Andy took a look at it, fixed me up. Then I hit on her."
    "Actually, he hit on me before I fixed him up. But since I couldn't dislocate the rest of his fingers, here I am. And it is a great party."
    "I'm living in San Francisco again," Linc told Sophia. "I decided to take my father up on a job with his firm. I want some real law experience before I get too deep in the political thing. I'm a glorified law clerk, and not that glorified, but it's going to give me what I want until I pass the bar."
    "That's great! Linc, that's fabulous. I know your parents must be thrilled to have you home again. We'll make time to catch up, okay?"
    "Absolutely. I heard you've got your hands full right now."
    "Never too full. When do you take the bar?"
    "Next month."
    "He's brilliant, you know," she told Andy. "It can be a real pain in the butt."
    "Don't start, Sophie."
    "Enjoy yourselves." She spotted Ty coming in, looking miserable. "Duty calls. Don't sneak out without seeing my mother. You know she dotes on you." Sophia brushed at his jacket. "God knows why."
    "I won't. I'll call you."
    "You'd better. Nice meeting you, Andrea."
    "You, too." Andy glanced up at Linc. "So, are you brilliant?"
    "Yeah. It's a curse." Grinning, he drew her onto the dance floor.
    "Smile, MacMillan."
    Ty looked down at Sophia. "Why?"
    "Because you're going to dance with me."
    "Why?" He bit back a sigh as she took his hand. "Sorry. Been hanging around with Maddy Cutter too