Chapter 27
Dahlia
Having this powerful man bend for me in front of everyone fills me with confidence, like he’s lending me his strength.
They all talk at once until sound roars around us and words blur together in an incoherent mess.
Xander’s firm palm on the small of my back guides me past the gawking news crews and into the quiet of the building.
The hallway smells faintly of perfume and money. Marble floors stretch out beneath golden light. A long runner muffles our footsteps, and the sound of music drifts from somewhere deeper inside.
“Mr. and Mrs. Everette.”
The announcement catches me off guard. My head jerks toward the man who called out our names, but Xander’s lack of reaction tells me this is normal.
There’s a swish of fabric as everyone in the room turns toward us at once. The music keeps playing, soft and steady, the only sound left.
If the chaos outside was intimidating, the silence in here is worse. Dozens of assessing gazes sweep over me, stripping me bare.
Xander’s thumb traces slow, soothing arcs along my back. I look up at him. He’s staring down the entire room, daring anyone to speak.
Under the weight of his gaze, they all fold. People turn away, pretending to carry on conversations, voices starting as whispers before swelling back to normal.
His hand leaves my back, and I immediately miss the warmth, only for him to take my hand instead. I let him lead me down the stairs, my fingers tight in his.
Normally, I’d insist I can handle it myself, but my dress hides my shoes, and I can’t see the steps. For now, I let him guide me, trusting him to get me down without face-planting in front of a hundred people.
At the bottom, he doesn’t slow. The crowd parts instinctively, eyes flicking toward us and away again. The women shimmer in jewel-colored gowns, diamonds at their throats. The men look like they stepped out of a magazine, tuxedos sharp enough to cut.
The toe of my heel catches on my hem. I stumble, but Xander’s hand tightens, steadying me. He threads my arm through his elbow. “Stay close to me.”
My shoulders ache with how tight they are, and my nails dig into his jacket.
He leans in, breath warm against my ear. “Relax.”
“How can I relax when everyone’s staring at me?” My voice comes out low, rough. “I can feel them thinking I don’t belong with you.”
He turns me to face him, slides one hand to the back of my neck. The other wraps around my waist as he dips me back and kisses me. His mouth is firm, sure, and my lips part before I can stop them. A sound escapes me, soft and helpless.
He pulls back just enough to speak, his lips brushing mine. “Now what are they saying?”
Heat floods my face. I know I’m bright red, but he doesn’t move away. He stays right there, eyes locked on mine, as if daring me to look anywhere else.
“Dahlia.” His voice grows impossibly deeper, pulling every thought I have toward him.
“Yes.” My answer barely comes out a breath.
“Oh my god! Freaking finally!”
I jerk away from Xander and find a woman grinning from ear to ear, completely unfazed by his behavior.
Her hair fades from bright fuchsia to soft blonde where it brushes her shoulders. Everything about her glows. She’s like sunshine in human form, warmth radiating off her.
She talks so fast I can hardly keep up, her words tumbling over each other. But her excitement sweeps away any awkwardness. Before I can catch half of what she’s saying, a man steps up behind her, his hand curling around her waist.
Dark hair. Dark eyes. Sharp jaw. Every instinct in me screams danger.
Then he looks down at her. His whole expression softens. A smile curves his mouth as he asks, “I thought you were going to wait a bit?”
She snorts. “You really believed that?”
“Not for a second.”
The resemblance hits me. Broad shoulders, the same piercing eyes, the same quiet command. He looks like Xander. The man reaches out a hand.
“Damon Everette. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Dahlia.”
Before I can move, Xander’s fingers lace with mine and tug my hand back. The possessiveness is so blatant I can’t help the giggle that bubbles up.
The woman claps her hands, a little hop in place. “You have no idea how excited I am about this.”
Then she seems to remember herself. “Misty Everette. Your new sister.”
Sister. A wound I’d accepted long ago, heals with a single word.
Misty’s practically glowing. Compared to her husband, she’s a beam of light, and for the first time, I think maybe marrying into this family won’t be so bad.
“We agreed you wouldn’t be here,” Xander says, his voice low and rough above me.
“You two agreed. I didn’t agree to anything.” Misty’s smile fades. She looks at me, all brightness gone, eyes sharp. “He isn’t mistreating you, is he?”
I twist the ring on my finger, feeling the tattoo beneath it. It’s not perfect, but it could be worse. My breath catches as I think about how bad things might have been if I’d been caught alone again.
For a moment, I feel that spark inside me again. The little flame that’s been growing since I met him. The one that means I’m safe.
Misty notices the ring, and her face lights back up. She leans in. “I know they’re a little over-the-top.” She glances toward her husband, then winks at me. “It’s worth it.”
“What are you two whispering about?” Damon asks, his voice half amusement, half warning.
“Nothing,” we say together.
Xander groans quietly beside me. Damon just smiles, pressing a kiss to the top of Misty’s head before taking her hand and spinning her. Her dress fans out in a shimmer of fabric.
He catches her wrist, lips brushing against it. “May I have the next dance?”
Her grin turns mischievous. “Are you implying someone else could have it?”
Damon’s eyes darken, his whole body shifting. The air changes around him, heavier, charged. “I dare you to try.”
For a second, I forget to breathe. He’s terrifying. Every muscle in his body looks ready to snap forward.
Misty doesn’t flinch. “I guess you’ll just have to claim them all yourself.”
She grabs his tie, pulling him down for a kiss on the cheek. The dangerous man melts into something soft and lovesick right in front of me.
I can’t help but stare. Misty’s tiny, but she’s clearly the one in charge.
They disappear into the crowd before I can process any of it.
Xander’s standing beside me, hands in his pockets, watching me with that look that says he knows exactly what I’m thinking. “You’ll get used to it.”
I lift a brow at him, unconvinced.
His mouth twitches as he rocks back on his heels, fighting a smile. For a second, he looks way too much like his brother.
Then he reaches out, brushes a loose strand of hair behind my ear, and holds out his other hand.
I take it without thinking.
“Dance with me,” he says, voice dropping low enough to make my skin tingle.
Maybe Misty rubbed off on me because I suddenly want to push him a little. “I don’t know. There are plenty of good-looking men here. Maybe one of them will come save me.”
Taunting the devil himself isn’t my smartest move.
Xander growls low in his throat, pulls me hard against him, and before I can blink, I’m lifted clean off the ground. My stomach lands over his shoulder as he strides toward the door.
“Xander!”
His hand presses against the back of my thigh to steady me, completely unbothered by the eyes on us.
“I’ll dance with you,” I gasp. “I’ll dance. Just let me down.”
“Ask nicely.”
Oh, I really want to kill this man.
He’s completely immune to the wave of mortification taking over every nerve in my body.
My fingers twitch with the urge to dig into his ear and rip it off. I weigh the idea for a second before deciding that ending my humiliation matters more. I’ll just murder him in his sleep.
“Please…please put me down.” My mouth tastes sour, but I get the words out.
Xander lowers me slowly, dragging every inch of himself along me. By the time my feet hit the floor, my breath comes out in hot, uneven pants.
The relief doesn’t last long. I remember exactly where we are. I bury my face in his chest and groan, tugging at his collar until I can hide under it.
I stay there, frozen. Every muscle locks tight until I start to shake.
“Shit.” His palm moves up and down my back in steady strokes. “Lift your head, pretty girl.”
I shake it. No. I burrow deeper, wishing I could disappear right here on the spot.
“Don’t you trust me?”
“No.” The word snaps out before I can stop it, so full of disdain I almost stomp my foot.
“That’s not very nice.” He catches my wrists and gently pries me back.
I fix my gaze on the fourth button of his shirt. If I don’t move, maybe everyone will forget I exist.
“Look up for me.”
I shake my head harder. From now on, this is my permanent position.
“I told you you were safe with me.” His mouth lowers until his lips brush my ear, his voice a low hum that sends goose bumps racing over my skin. “Look around. I promise I have you.”
My chin snaps up, and I glare at him. “If your plan was murder by mortification, congratulations. You succeeded.”
His lips press together in that half smile I’m starting to recognize.
A soft breath escapes him, almost a laugh. I focus on his perfectly knotted tie to keep the world blurry around us.
“Dahlia.”
“No.”
“Dahlia.”
“Jerkface.”
This time, his laugh fills the space, rich and unguarded. Sparks dance low in my stomach. I clench my teeth, trying to ignore how proud I am to be the one to crack his perfect composure.
“I’ll give you five seconds before I lift you again if you don’t look around.”
I glare at his neck, wishing looks could kill.
“Five. Four. Three. Two—”
I shove him back with both hands. “Fine. Whatever.” My teeth grind together as I brace myself and face the crowd head-on.
I’m ready for battle.
The air whooshes out of me. No one’s looking. Every back is turned, forming a quiet pocket around us.
I can almost feel their curiosity, their need to turn, but whatever holds them still is stronger.
My mouth falls open as I take it in.
“Did you think I’d let them watch?”
A shiver races down my spine.
“The second I lifted you, no one in this room dared look your way.” His forehead rests against the back of my head, his breath warm against my neck.
“I get it. You’re terrifying. They wouldn’t dare disrespect you.”
His hand finds mine, thumb rolling my ring. “You’re wrong, Dahlia. They wouldn’t dare disrespect you. You and Misty are the most powerful people in this room. All you have to do is ask, and they’ll give you what you want. Tell them to bow. Tell them to kneel. That’s the kind of power you hold now.”
His words hit hard, flooding through me until I tremble. I’ve felt helpless my whole life, like all I could do was take what came. When I woke up married, I thought it was another decision made for me, proof I never had control of anything.
But right now, with blood roaring in my veins and my heart pounding against my ribs, I feel alive. For once, I could take anything I wanted. My useless parents, the Fosters, the Bradleys. They were all just steps leading me here. To you.
“Do you understand now?”
I exhale, then inhale slowly. My shoulders square. My chin lifts. When I speak, my voice doesn’t shake. “You may resume.”
Just like that, the spell breaks. The room stirs back to life, voices and laughter blending with the clink of glass.
“I did that.” The words slip out in a whisper.
Xander hears. He makes a low, pleased sound and spins me into his arms.
“Dance with me, Dahlia.”
This time, I say yes.