Chapter 14
Volatility
Dante
I’m close enough I can hear everything the dancer says to Sara. Including that she knows Tom. I also realize the moment Sara starts to faint off the edge of the stage.
I catch her body as her knees give out.
“Lights!” Drew yells.
I hold Sara tight against my chest as I walk to the bed and lay her down on it. She’s pale, but her chest rises and falls. I shouldn’t have let her have that last drink.
“Wet towel?” I smooth my hand over her forehead, which feels normal and not hot. Good. My hand trembles as I draw it away. She could have been really hurt.
Drew sits on the other side of the bed and holds her wrist. “Her pulse is steady.”
Finn hands me a towel and I wipe the back of her neck with it. She doesn’t budge. I glance over and see Wyatt standing at the end of the bed. His hand is wrapped around the post so tight his knuckles are white.
“She just had too much to drink.” I hope. She’s always been a lightweight when it comes to alcohol. And she met her friends at a bar before this.
Maya sits on the edge of the stage, wrapped in a silk robe that must have been available in the room. I want to question her to see what she knows, but I’m not willing to leave Sara’s side until I know she’s okay.
Finn sits next to Drew on the bed and we all wait.
She lets out a little snore and rolls toward me, curling around my arm. I brush some strands of her hair that escaped her ponytail back out of her face.
Drew chuckles. “She’s fine.”
I don’t trust him yet. The instinct to pull her into my arms and away from him is strong, but I resist it. I put my hand on her shoulder and try to shake her awake.
“Five more minutes, Mom.” Sara rolls from me, grabs a pillow, and pulls it to her chest.
The tension leaves my shoulders, but I keep my hand on her as I meet Drew’s eyes.
“Your dancer knows Tom.” I narrow my eyes. What the fuck is this guy’s game?
Drew smiles and shrugs. “I thought it was a possibility. It’s why I asked her to come in. When she paid attention to Sara, instead of the obviously wealthy men sitting around the stage, it confirmed my suspicions.”
Finn nods to me and stands. He strolls over to Maya. After a few minutes of talking, he leads her back to us. He turns a chair around for her to sit in.
“How do you know Tom?” I ask.
“He comes to watch me dance.” She strokes her fingers along the collar of the robe down between her breasts. “He told me about her.”
Her gaze lands on Sara’s sleeping form. Then her gaze lifts to Finn. “And you.” Her gaze slides to me. “And you.” It settles on Wyatt. She tilts her head as she looks him up and down. “And you.”
“Did he ever talk about his work?” Finn asks.
She smiles coyly. “Tom wasn’t focused on work when he was with me, but his clients would sometimes interrupt us. They come here. Not regular. I haven’t seen them since he disappeared.”
Sara rolls back toward me and grabs my thigh, pulling herself against it like she held the pillow. I swallow before lowering my gaze to her. She presses her forehead against my hip. This girl. I’m so fucked.
“I told Maya Tom took off this weekend. If I show you some videos would you be able to identify the clients that interrupted you?” Drew asks, already rising from the bed. He takes in Sara, but I don’t see tension or jealousy because she’s wrapped herself around my thigh.
He looks sure of himself and his place in her life. Curious. They haven’t been dating that long.
“Most likely.” Maya shrugs. She stands to follow Drew out of the suite.
Finn trails behind them. When she reaches the doorframe, she stops and glances sideways, not at any one of us.
“He knows you want her. He knew putting her under your protection would make things difficult, but he wouldn’t do that if he thought she’d be okay on her own.
So if he’s gone, she must be in danger or he never would have intentionally put her in your path. ”
Finn turns to look at me and Wyatt, but who the fuck was she saying that to?
She slips from the room. Finn shakes his head and follows them.
Wyatt steps away from the bed and turns back to look at her. “She’s good at home, right? We’re doing the right thing.”
I draw in a breath and release it. Telling Wyatt she’s by herself would mean he’d have to bring her under our roof. If he did that, all hell would break loose. I haven’t missed the way she’s looking at Finn or the way she’s looking at me. Wyatt probably hasn’t missed it either.
I crossed a line with her that I shouldn’t have. It wouldn’t surprise me if Finn did too.
“She’s safe at home for now,” I say.
For now. She squeezes my thigh and my gaze drops to her. The security system works. And this keeps her safe from us.
“Dante,” she murmurs without opening her eyes. She shifts her legs together. My cock hardens even more than it already was. I don’t acknowledge my name or my arousal.
Wyatt arches an eyebrow. He’s not stupid, but he’s got a huge blind spot when it comes to Sara that I’m banking on.
Fuck. If he figures out what happened between us, it could ruin our friendship.
“Maybe Drew will take her in if it gets bad.” I don’t want to push her away like that, but I don’t really have a choice.
“Absolutely not.” Wyatt stalks away before turning around. “That guy is a fucking joke. Tom would never approve of him.”
I sigh. “It doesn’t matter if Tom approves or not. It matters what Sara wants. She likes him.”
Wyatt thrusts his hand into his hair and tugs on it. “Fuck.”
“What?” Sara almost sits up but doesn’t open her eyes.
I rub her back. “Go back to sleep, pip.”
Wyatt stills as he watches me with her. I let my face go blank. We’ve always taken care of Sara. She was our little shadow when we were growing up. Her mother never felt safe letting Sara play on her own, so Tom kept her with him.
“She’ll be fine. I’m sure Tom is overreacting or he has something figured out to fix this.”
Wyatt approaches the end of the bed but doesn’t get too close. “She needs us.”
I nod. “We’ll take care of her at work. We’ll check out the new guy to make sure he’s not a serial killer or with the mafia.”
If anything, Drew likes to stir up trouble, from what I can tell. But Sara likes him in a way I haven’t seen her like any other guy she’s gone out with.
She stirs again, and this time stretches, drawing her sweater up to show her slender waist and pale skin. I’ve seen every inch of that skin bared and beautiful before me, but even this glimpse makes me want to tuck her away so no one else can have her.
She rolls on the bed and blows out a breath.
I smile and shake my head. “She’s a little bit of a mess.”
“She’s always been a little bit of a mess.” Wyatt’s closer. His gaze remains on her with that soft look he hides from her.
Tom is our friend. He doesn’t want us with her for whatever reasons.
That’s his choice. We all want her, which has kept us away.
How could I stand by and watch her be with Finn or Wyatt?
How could I have her and keep them? I’m sure they feel the same way.
Add Tom into that equation and the way she focused on Wyatt.
.. It made it easier to ignore the need to possess her.
But if Sara wants me, I don’t know that I can continue to resist her.
Finn
The dancer sways her hips in front of me and gives me sly looks over her shoulder. Fuck if I can tell what she really knows and what she’s just guessing. Do I feel guilty for eating Sara out on her family’s dining room table?
Yes, I do.
Would I do it again? In a fucking heartbeat.
I haven’t been able to get her off my mind, and now with her in the office... Fuck, I took a few extra “coffee” breaks today. I think Dante’s up to something too, but I can’t quite figure it out. He’s always been protective of her, so it might be that vibe I’m picking up on.
Drew opens his office door and we all enter again. “Let me pull up the video.”
He rounds his desk and hits a few keys.
“So you and Tom...” I give her my best winning smile. “He never mentioned you.”
Shrugging, she pulls on the belt of her robe. “No reason to mention me. I’m cheaper than therapy.”
I highly doubt that. But she glances up, and with those dark eyes fixed on me, I can see why Tom would spend time and money with this woman. She’s just his type.
“Got it.” Drew comes around and presses a button on the remote.
Maya studies the guys at the table that Tom talks to. “It could be them. It’s hard to tell.”
I squint at the screen. It’s not the best quality. I don’t know, if I saw any of these guys, if I would recognize them from this video.
“Can you let me know if they come in again?” Drew asks.
Maya nods. Her gaze shifts to me and she smiles seductively. “Do you want a lap dance?” She walks around me and rubs her breasts against my back. “I could help ease that pressure she inspires in you.”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” I step away from her. “But I appreciate the offer. You’re a beautiful woman.”
She fake frowns and then her smile returns. “If you need me, I’m here.”
“Thanks, Maya.” Drew turns off the video and sets the remote on his desk.
Maya finger waves and leaves.
“Want a drink?” Drew walks over to the bar on the side of the room and pulls out a top-shelf whiskey.
“If you’re buying, I’m drinking.” I sit on one of the stools. “So, you and Sara just fucking or is this serious?”
Drew smiles and sets a glass in front of me to pour. “We haven’t fucked. Not that it’s any of your business. But she’s definitely someone I want to be serious with.”
I can see that. Nodding, I lift the glass to my nose and smell the peaty, woodsy aroma before drinking a sip. “I know about that shit you pulled with Elizabeth Hartfield and Leighton Porter.”
He smirks. “So does Sara.”
I huff out a laugh. It figures that’s why she’d be drawn to him.
“We talked about it on one of our dates.” Drew leans against the bar and swirls his whiskey. “It’s actually how we met. She was at the dinner where it all blew up.”