Chapter 21 #2
Red Eleven is a vibrant hotspot filled with partygoers, dancers, socialites, influencers, and everyone in between who come to see and be seen.
It offers some of the most expensive alcohol available, including Ley .
925 tequila, Henri IV Dudognon Héritage Cognac, and Macallan Exceptional Single Cask.
It’s a venue where individuals willingly pay more than the average mortgage for a membership in the VIP lounge.
This establishment caters not only to the mega-wealthy but also to royalty and members of discreet organizations who prefer to remain anonymous.
And it just so happens to be one of my family’s establishments. Specifically, one that generates a substantial amount of revenue every year, helping to finance some of my family’s less scrupulous ventures. The ones I withhold from the books.
Scarlett pushes her hair back, her face flushed as she fans herself. “I think it’s time for a break. How about we sit at the bar and order some drinks?”
“Lead the way,” I tell her, adjusting the top of my strapless dress.
After finding free seats at the bar, the bartender quickly takes our order and, only a moment later, has four pink tropical-looking drinks placed before us.
Raising my drink in the air, I say, “Cheers to having the best friends I could ever ask for.” I look over at Cressida, feeling slightly bad for how I’ve behaved toward her when she’s only tried to welcome me into her horrible family, unbeknownst to her. “And here’s to having a future sister.”
Cressida’s eyes water as she raises her glass. “To finally having a sister.”
Scarlett wraps an arm around my shoulder and kisses my cheek. “To best friends.”
“Best friends,” Alina adds.
We all clink our glasses together, taking hearty sips. I twirl my straw through the pink slush and say, “Is it just me, or does anyone else feel their eyes on us?”
Alina peeks over her shoulder. “That’s because five sets of eyes are on us.” She chuckles. “Alex looks ready to pull out a bottle of disinfectant any second, and Mauro looks…uncomfortable.” Her lips curve downward as her gaze focuses on him.
“At least they’re giving us some space,” Scarlett offers. “Leo promised me they wouldn’t bother us tonight and that we’d hardly notice them.”
I arch a brow. How can I not notice them?
Five of the most ruthless men I know are all sitting at a table with their eyes on us, appearing ready for an imminent attack.
“It’s kind of hard to miss them.” I give a slight shrug. “Nothing like having your big brothers and your bodyguard at your bachelorette party.” I feign a smile, taking another sip.
“Eli looks so good.” Cressida rests her chin on her hand as she sips her drink and gazes dreamily at him.
My knuckles tighten around my glass as I take a sip of my drink, pretending not to care.
She shakes her head and presses her fingers to her temple. “This drink is a little stronger than I’m used to.” She laughs, pushing it away, and then looks at me. “So, do you and Alastor have any plans for the honeymoon?”
I nearly choke on my drink at the thought. The idea of a honeymoon with Alastor is ridiculous, especially since I would knee him in the balls if he even considered making a move on me.
That’s not part of our agreement.
And never will be.
I’ve already given enough of myself as it is.
“You guys should visit our estate in Russia!” Cressida exclaims. “It’s so beautiful in the winter with all the snow.”
“Your family has a home in Russia?” Alina asks, surprised.
“Yes. Although the word home is putting it mildly. I think it was a former palace.” She gives a slight shrug. “Alastor and Father are there all the time for business, so it made sense to have a place over there.”
“What kind of business?” Scarlett asks.
Cressida pulls her drink back toward her and takes another sip. “I’m not sure of the logistics, but they work closely with my cousins, the Vasilievs.”
“The Vasilievs?” Scarlett’s bright blue eyes widen, appearing uneasy.
My stomach recoils as I take in Scarlett’s pale complexion.
I never wanted her to know this bit of public information.
Everyone in our dark corner of the world is well aware of familial connections and long-standing alliances. Unfortunately for me, my future husband is related to one of the most powerful families in the world.
Second only to mine, of course.
“Yes!” She smiles. “Do you know them?”
Scarlett’s lips part, but I speak for her.
“We’ve had dealings with them in the past.” Aka, Leo shot and killed the head of the family a couple of months ago after discovering his involvement in Scarlett’s kidnapping.
I wave a dismissive hand in the air. “Anyway, I don’t think we’ll have time for a honeymoon, which is fine.
I’ll be so busy with moving overseas, and he’ll be busy with work. ”
Scarlett’s eyes soften, her lips turning down. “I can’t believe you’re leaving the Alarie Estate. It won’t feel the same without you.”
I roll in my bottom lip, fighting back tears.
I will not cry.
I will not cry.
I will not cry.
“I know,” I manage to get out. “But it’ll be fine. I’ll visit all the time.”
Lie.
Alina glances over her shoulder and then looks back at me. “You know, Eli hasn’t been able to take his eyes off of you all night.”
I scoff. “It’s literally his job.”
Scarlett lifts her shoulder. “I don’t know. He never looked at me that way when he was my bodyguard.”
“That’s because Leo would have severed his dick and made him choke on it if he did.”
The three of us laugh.
“Madeleine,” Cressida utters, her brows drawn together as she glares down at the countertop. “Is there something going on between you and Eli?” She looks up, her eyes boring into mine. “Alastor is my brother, and I won’t—”
“What? No.” I anxiously run my fingers through my hair. Shit. “Alina and Scarlett were just kidding. They didn’t mean—”
“Hey, beautiful.”
I twist to my side, finding a man standing a little too close for comfort. His green eyes roam over my body, not concealing his intentions, while his hand lands on my back, his thumb stroking my bare skin.
Oh, this should be good.
I smile and flutter my eyelashes. “You have five seconds.”
He chuckles. “Five seconds until what?”
“Now, two.”
His brows furrow in confusion. “Until—Ahhhhh!”
“Until I break your arm for touching what isn’t yours!”
The man howls in pain as Eli suddenly pins him to the bar top and forcefully twists his arm behind his back.
“Who the fuck do you think you are putting your hands on her?” Eli roars, his body lined with tension.
“I wasn’t… I didn’t… Ahhh! I was just saying…hi!” The man screams out in agony as Eli bends his arm harder.
“Do you have any idea who the fuck she is?”
The man looks at me as if expecting me to give him the magical answer.
“Madeleine fucking Alarie,” Eli answers roughly.
“And you will never look at her, think about her, or even breathe the same goddamn air as her again because you are unworthy of such a thing.” He releases the man’s arm and yanks him by the back of his shirt, pushing him into the crowd.
“Get the fuck out of here! And if I ever see you near her again, then a broken arm will be the least of your problems.”
Eli’s chest heaves with intensity, and his shoulder muscles tighten as he runs a hand through his hair. His dark eyes catch mine as he turns, taking in every part of me to ensure I’m okay.
Everyone around us fades away as he gently grips my chin, tilting my face upward toward his. I swallow hard as his lips part, every fiber of my being wishing I could melt into his embrace.
“Are you okay, Princess?”
I blink a few times before I register what he just asked. Quickly, I nod. “Y-yes,” comes out of my throat in just barely a whisper. “You didn’t need to—”
“I did.” He brushes a tendril of hair out of my face. “I will always protect you.”
My heart hammers beneath my chest as I lift on my tiptoes, eager for his taste, when a throat clears behind Eli, bursting our private bubble.
With a little too much force, I extract myself out of Eli’s hold, backing against a bar stool.
Disappointment flashes across Eli’s eyes as his shoulders drop, his body turning away from mine.
And just as he moves, I spot my four brothers watching our exchange, their expressions filled with so much wrath as they shift their gaze between me and Eli.
The tension in the air is thick, and none of us say a word. Cressida stands off to the side, arms crossed and glaring at me with accusations in her eyes.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
A crowd begins to gather around us, fascinated by the current scandal unfolding.
Thank God this is an Alarie establishment.
“A round of drinks on the house,” Vin announces with a smile to the crowd, who cheer at this bit of news and then quickly return their attention elsewhere, forgetting about what they just witnessed.
My brothers approach slowly like lions preparing to attack. But I’m not ready for them to ruin this for me.
Not yet.
Not when I only have a few days left of freedom.
“Well.” I push myself away from the bar, adjusting my dress. “It’s been fun, but I think I’m ready to call it a night.” I quickly step away from everyone, knowing Eli will follow close behind.
I turn to Scarlett and Alina, who stare at the two of us, unsure of what to say or do to defuse the situation. “I’ll see you guys later. Thanks for”—I gesture around—“this.” I turn to say something to Cressida but find she’s already gone.
Dread pools in my stomach, knowing she’ll most likely go directly to Alastor about what she saw.
Marching toward the exit, I don’t look back.
I’ll deal with my brothers tomorrow.
But not tonight.
Upon arriving at my family’s home in the Hamptons, I head straight to my room, walk over to the balcony doors, and gaze out at the ocean illuminated by the full moon.
I hear Eli enter my room and softly close the door behind him.
“I just wanted a quiet night with you,” I say, wrapping my arms around myself.
“I know.” His arms enclose me, tugging me against his chest. His lips glide across the side of my neck, his mouth peppering my skin with soft kisses. “There’s a warm bath waiting for you with a glass of your favorite wine sitting on the ledge.”
“What?” I pull back to look at him.
His lips press softly against mine in a tender kiss, one currently making me melt into his arms.
He pulls away, ghosting his lips over mine. “I called ahead and asked one of the butlers to prepare it.”
My eyes lock with his, my breath catching in my throat.
How is it that he always seems to know what I need?
Tears build behind my eyes, but I don’t let them fall.
“My brothers know,” I whisper.
He nods and looks straight ahead out the window. “I’ll deal with them when we get back to the estate tomorrow.”
“They won’t be happy.”
He grins, pulling me closer to him until my head rests on his chest. “Are you worried about me, Princess?”
Yes.
“No. I would just hate to have to go through the trouble of finding a new bodyguard.”