Chapter 40
Dahlia
“What’s this for?” The black Amex between my fingers feels like it’s going to burn me at any moment. Like it’s some kind of sentient being that’s going to call me out on being too poor to hold it. I flip it back and forth, watching the gold lettering catch the light.
A muscle ticks in Xander’s jaw. “With Elliot gone, I thought you might want to be able to leave the house.”
“Alone?” I ask, shock rippling through me. My brows pull together.
Wait, when did I accept being stuck here?
“With a security escort.” His tone is flat, leaving no room for argument.
I can’t say I hate this idea. After the last few months, I’ve been in danger more times than I can count. Still, the thought of a pack of men trailing behind me everywhere I go makes my skin crawl.
“How about just Marco?”
“Five men plus Marco.”
“Two men plus Marco.”
“Three men plus Marco.”
“Fine, but they have to stay hidden.”
His smirk spreads slowly, the kind that always makes me suspicious. He types something into his phone, thumb moving in quick, confident taps.
I narrow my eyes. “What’s with that face?”
“You’re softening to me, Dahlia.”
“No, I’m not.” It comes out too quick, too defensive. I sound like a five-year-old caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
He pockets the phone and looks entirely too pleased with himself. “Okay, let’s say that’s true and you’re not. I still managed to get you to agree to more security guards than I thought you would.”
My spine straightens before I even realize it. “Wait, what do you mean?”
He doesn’t answer. Just stands there, all calm and collected, eyes flicking over my face like he’s enjoying the show.
I plant my hands on my hips. “Are you saying you tricked me?”
“I’m saying you soften to me.” He reaches up and smooths the crease between my brows, his touch maddeningly gentle. “You may even be starting to like me.”
“Whatever.” I heave a breath and turn to the side, pretending I don’t feel my pulse pick up.
He hums, lips pressed together like he’s holding back a smile. I try to decide if I should smack him or kiss him.
I lift the card. “And what if I spend all your money?”
“You can try.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“If you don’t want it, give it back.” He says it so evenly it almost sounds bored, accurately calling my bluff.
“Fine,” I say, trying for lightness I don’t quite feel. “But if I come back with a goat or a car full of plants, you can’t complain.”
He leans in close enough that I feel his breath against my cheek. “As long as you come back.”
Ignoring the shiver that runs through me, I turn the situation over in my head. No matter how I look at it, there’s no way it’s that simple.
“So I can go anywhere I want?” I ask carefully.
“Within reason.”
I scoff. “I freaking knew there would be a catch. Alright, let me hear it. What’s ‘within reason’?”
“Your guards must be with you at all times. No leaving the state.”
Surprisingly, not bad.
“No visiting someone without security clearance. And under no circumstances will you meet a man.”
I blink at him. There is no man to meet.
It’s not like I have friends here, and the only men I’ve spoken more than a few sentences to in the last year are my cheating ex and the laundromat owner.
I’m not exactly dying to catch up with either of them, but that doesn’t stop his ridiculous rule from grating.
“What happens if I meet somebody?”
“Try it.” His voice drops, ice-cold.
I tilt my head, watching him. “Alright. Security clearance, guards, and no men. Why do I feel like there’s something more? There’s something you’re not telling me.”
“I thought we had agreed. You trust me.”
“Oh, I thought you were still working on convincing me.” I cross my arms. “You know, the whole wooing me to like you thing?”
His gaze narrows.
I raise one brow. “So, what is it?”
“I get a notification every time you use the card, as well as continuous updates from Marco.”
“So you’re stalking me.”
“Dahlia, if I wanted to, I could implant a chip in your arm and know where you are every second of every day. I’ve considered worse.”
By the look on his face, he’s not joking. This really is the least controlling option he could come up with. Compared to everything else, it’s practically generous.
“Fine, but I control where, when, and how long I go for.” I let the words roll out slowly, just to test him. “Including if I want to stay somewhere overnight.”
The muscle in his jaw ticks. He clenches and unclenches his fist, every movement taut with restraint. “Overnight where?”
“Hmm, you’re forgetting. I don’t need to tell you.”
“I could just lock you up again.”
I lift onto my toes and brush a kiss against the corner of his mouth, no longer afraid of his so-called threats. “Wooing, remember?”
It’s quiet for a beat, but I’m pretty sure I hear him mutter “fuck” under his breath.
“If you’re going to stay out,” he says, voice tight, “I want a full sweep and a ten-person security team.”
“Wow, I really didn’t think you were going to give in there.” I grin, slipping the card into my pocket. “So who exactly is softening to who?”
He groans and rakes his fingers through his hair. He’s completely given up on trying to keep it styled. Like he fully expects me to exasperate him every day. “You are going to fit right in with the Everette women.”
“Does that mean I get to meet them?”
“I wouldn’t be able to stop them anyway. The only reason they haven’t been here already is because they’re in Boston.”
Misty’s violet hair and warm smile come to mind before unease settles in. I haven’t exactly made a lot of friends in my life.
Rough fingers cup the back of my neck. “What has you so worried?”
I wipe the look off my face and go to deny it, but he cuts me off.
“Out with it.”
“What if I don’t fit in with them?” I stare down at his pristine black leather shoes. “I don’t exactly belong here.”
Xander laughs, actually laughs, and I snap my head up in indignation.
“I’m serious.”
“I’m sure you are.” It takes several beats before he can get his laughter under control. “You don’t have to worry about that. If anything, I have to worry that they’re going to steal you from me. They aren’t exactly fans of how I went about this.”
My head tilts to the side. “Misty seemed to imply that it’s all the Everette brothers.”
“Which just means they’re familiar with how we act, not that they’ll let me mistreat you.”
There’s a warm, tingly feeling in my chest, knowing that these women would choose my side over Xander’s.
“Wait, is that why I haven’t met them yet?”
He takes a large step back. “Smart girl.”
Ignoring the way heat twirls low in my stomach, I ask, “And you think it’s safe for me to meet them now? What if I tell them you’re some kind of possessive jerk who won’t let me leave?”
He points at the credit card in my hand. “I thought we’d just discussed you can leave whenever you want.” A sly grin curves his lips. “You can even stay out overnight.”
“You sneaky bastard!”
He nods in agreement, and I decide his face is definitely smackable.
“I’m glad we sorted this out. They’ll be here tonight.”
“Wait, like tonight tonight?”
His brows pull down in a frown as he scans my face. “You’re not actually going to use them to run away, are you?”
He looks adorably vulnerable. Seeing the boyish side of him is really not fair. The fact that he doesn’t seem to be aware of it only makes it worse.
“No promises.”
“Dahlia.”
“Xander.”
He visibly shudders, and his voice dips low. “Behave, and I’ll give you a reward.”
I swallow, and my skin tingles at the heat in his eyes.
“What if I want to know the punishment?” I taunt him.
His shoes brush the toes of my socked feet, and his grip hardens on my jaw.
“Keep it up, wife.”
Heat floods me, and a shiver rolls down my spine. I can feel the dare in my mouth, hot and stupid and irresistible, when the doorbell rings.
He snaps his head toward the door, eyes dark, and growls, “I’m going to kill them.”
The bell’s still echoing when I yank the door open. If I wait even one more second, Xander will beat me to it, and the night’ll be over before it starts.
Three women stand on the porch in heels and confidence. Misty’s grin could light a city block.
“Hi, I’m Scarlet,” the woman to her left introduces herself. Everything about her, from the perfectly styled hair to the sharp lines of her dress, screams old money, but her warm smile feels welcoming.
“Don’t forget about me. I’m Anastasia.” A stunning redhead steps forward and waves. “We’ve been dying to meet you.”
“Dahlia…I’m Dahlia.” All three of them are so stunning that I can barely get my name out. But they don’t give me time to be shy.
Misty lifts a tote like it’s a trophy. “We’re going out.”
“Out where?” Xander asks, eyes narrowed over my shoulder.
“Girls’ night. We’re going dancing,” Scarlet says, stepping inside without waiting. “We already told you.”
“You said you were coming over.” His focus slides from them to me. “Not that you were going out.”
Misty leans her shoulder on the doorframe and smiles like he’s adorable, not terrifying. “We didn’t ask you for permission. We told you we’re borrowing her.”
Xander looks at me instead of them. His jaw tightens. “This isn’t what I meant when I said you could go out.”
I flash the card at him. “You should have included that in the rules.”
“Why even bother fighting us? You know there’s no winning.” Scarlet smirks and grabs my hand, tugging me toward the door.
“I’m not even wearing shoes,” I point out, looking down at socks, leggings, and a hoodie.
Misty nods to the tote. “I’ve got you covered. We were going to get you changed in there, but best not poke the bear.”
Xander’s eyes cut to the bag like it holds a bomb. “Not happening.”
Anastasia calls over her shoulder, “Relax. We’ll have her back by midnight. One piece, no scratches.”
He stares at her long enough to thicken the air, then exhales through his nose. “Be careful,” he says to me. “Answer your phone.”
“We’ll send proof of life.” Scarlet provides reassurance that doesn’t feel like reassurance at all.
“I mean it, Dahlia,” Xander says, ignoring everyone else.
Misty loops her arm through mine and steers me toward the driveway. “You’re gonna have fun,” she says low, only for me. “If you hate it, we’ll turn around.”
That settles some of my worries. For how fun these three are, I don’t exactly know them, but I can’t help but want to. “Deal.”
Scarlet holds the SUV door. Anastasia climbs into the passenger seat and starts giving directions like she’s commanding a mission. The car smells like leather and citrus. Misty drops the tote in my lap and unzips it.
She pulls out a sky-blue dress that looks simple until she shakes it out and the fabric catches the light. “You’re wearing this.”
“You planned a kidnapping?” I ask.
“Please.” She waves that off, handing over a pair of shoes. “You were begging to be kidnapped.”
Scarlet twists around from the middle row. “Change here. Don’t worry, we’ll block.”
They hold up jackets, and I squeeze out of my hoodie and leggings without flashing the whole neighborhood. The dress slides on like it was made for me. The neckline’s modest. The fit’s not. It hugs every curve and stops mid-thigh.
Misty gives a satisfied hum. “Xander’s gonna have a stroke.”
“Thanks.” The thought of how Xander would look seeing me in this dress sends goose bumps across my shoulders.
“What are sisters for?” Misty says, handing me a compact.
The word catches in my chest. Sisters. It’s such a small thing, but it hits somewhere deep. For a second, I let myself enjoy the feeling of belonging that I’ve been wishing for my entire life.
Misty doesn’t notice. She’s already digging through her purse, focused and efficient. She pulls out a thin tube and passes it over. “Lip gloss. Clear. You don’t need more.”
I smile, a quiet one, and swipe it on. “Thanks,” I say again, softer this time.