Chapter 22 #3
“You want to be chased, sweetheart?” He smirks, a dark glint in his eyes. “That can be arranged.”
Oh, come on.
Of all the people, the first man I misread had to be him?
He steps closer, forcing me back into the exhibition room until my back is nearly against the wall. He leans in, his breath hot against my ear as his voice drops.
“You know, I’ve been thinking about you. About all the things I could do for you. Now you’ve got me thinking about all the things you can do for me with that pretty little mouth of yours. Bet it would feel so damn good,” he murmurs, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.
I can barely breathe, nausea rising in my throat, but I keep my face composed. I can’t afford to make a scene or punch him right now because I don’t want to fail and let them and myself down.
I need this fresh start.
Belmont’s hand grips my wrist, his fingers digging into my skin as his other hand starts to wander dangerously low toward the slit in my dress.
“You know, a girl like you shouldn’t tease. Someone might take you up on it, and then you’d have to make good on all those promises.”
I need to get out of here.
With a quick twist, I wrench my wrist free and sidestep him, my heart pounding in my ears.
Every nerve in my body is screaming at me to run, so I make a dash for the exit, but my stiletto catches on the hem of my dress, making me stumble as I reach it.
I almost fall face-first, but a strong hand catches me, pulling me upright.
I look up straight into Nicholas Harrington’s forest-green eyes.
“Quite an entrance.” He chuckles, but then his eyes search my face, and his smile fades. “Everything okay?” He glances behind me, assessing the situation, his grip gentle as I regain my composure. “Hey,” he says softly when I don’t answer, his gaze finding mine again. “You all right?”
I take a deep, steadying breath, but then his scent invades me. Fuck, he smells good like citrus and bergamot.
Despite his unexpected pleasantness, my throat still feels tight, and I have to force myself to swallow before I can answer. “Yes. Thank you.” It comes out shaky as I glance back toward the exhibition room where Belmont lingers, a dark scowl twisting his face.
Nicholas doesn’t let go of me, his smile unwavering but with a steely edge in his eyes. “How about we take a few steps over here?” he offers.
“Okay.”
As we walk, I catch sight of Koen. He’s only a few feet away, his gaze locked on me, fury evident in his eyes, and he’s panting. My stomach sinks, the fear I had pushed down clawing its way back up.
Is he mad at me for nearly botching this?
Nicholas follows my gaze to Koen, then looks back at me, his brow furrowing. “You sure you don’t need a getaway car?”
God, he’s cute.
If I want Nicholas hooked, I can’t fall into his arms. Literally. This situation has probably triggered his helper complex, but even in my scattered state, I pick up on his wariness as if he doesn’t entirely buy what I haven’t even tried selling yet.
Forcing a smile, I grab onto whatever control I can. “No, thank you.” I straighten, and give him a polite smile, taking a step away so he has to let me go. “Thanks for the assist, though.”
I quickly turn away, locking eyes with Levi as I stride past Koen without another glance. Levi, who’s still by the cake with Sylus, glances between Nicholas and me and hisses under his breath as I come to stand beside him.
“What the hell are you doing here instead of over there?” His eyes blaze with irritation. “I said throw yourself at him. Not as literally as you just did, but hey, if it works.”
My fists clench, and irritation battles with exhaustion inside me. “He’s not who you think he is, he—”
Levi cuts me off. “I know who he is,” he snaps. “He’s a dumb as fuck, self-centered himbo who thinks the world belongs to him, and his muscles make him better than everyone else.”
I bite back my response, and my teeth grind together with the effort. It’s as if I’m on a tightrope, and one wrong move could send me plummeting. Levi’s frustration only adds weight to the already impossible balancing act.
“Chill, man,” Sylus interjects, leaning casually against the table. “You chose her to do it, so let her do it her way.”
I glance at Sylus, a flicker of gratitude softening the edges of my frustration just enough for my hands to unclench.
“Fine.” Levi glares at Sylus, then back at me. “This has to work out, you hear me? When this all blows up in our faces, we could end up in jail or worse. All of us. For years. And I’m too fucking pretty for jail.”
Sylus chuckles, but I can see the real fear in Levi’s eyes. He isn’t exaggerating this time, and that sends a cold shiver down my spine. The stakes are higher than I realized, and if I fail, it’s not only me who pays the price.
And that feels way too familiar.
Koen’s face is dark as he comes to stand beside us. He leans in close, his voice a sharp hiss in my ear. “How can you be so stupid?”
My hands fist again, and my anger flares as I meet his glare with one of my own. “Stupid?”
Koen’s jaw clenches. “Whatever you said to Belmont, you made him go feral for you. I thought I’d have to get in there and pull him off you.”
“That’s why you ran off like a fucking sprinter?” Sylus asks, his brows furrowed. “I would have gone, dickhead.”
Koen came for me?
Because he was scared for me?
Or because he wants to make sure I’m going to be successful?
I square my shoulders. “I got him off me, thank you very much.”
“He touched you?” Sylus and Koen demand in unison, their eyes narrowing.
Rubbing my wrist, which is still throbbing, I shudder, thinking of how I deal with assholes like him every night at the club.
I’ll be okay.
“Relax. It’s all part of the plan.” I wave them both off, trying to inject confidence into my words. It so wasn’t part of the plan. “I have the card, okay? And Nicholas talked to me. It’s going well.”
Koen’s eyes bore into mine, clearly skeptical. “So Belmont was all according to plan?”
I nod. “Sure.” I ignore the cold sweat that breaks out along my spine.
Belmont could fuck shit up for me if he doesn’t leave me alone.
Koen groans, his eyes darkening as he murmurs, “Lying, Little Thief.”
“Anyway,” I snap, unable to keep the bitterness out of my voice. “You said I needed Nicholas hooked, that he has to want to see me again, right?”
That part already irked me when he said it in the car.
Why did they mention me seeing him again if it’s only for tonight?
Levi and Koen exchange a glance, and I can almost see the unspoken conversation between them. Koen’s expression softens the slightest bit, but there’s still tension in his jaw. “We need him to trust you.”
“And he won’t trust me in one night,” I point out, my eyes searching his. “No matter how I play it.”
Levi sighs, rubbing a hand over his mouth. “Probably not.”
Anger turns to a heavy weight in my chest. “This won’t be over after tonight, will it?”
They’ve been stringing me along, and I fucking knew it.
Koen exhales, his gaze dropping for a second before meeting mine. “It won’t.”
“Who’s the liar here, then?” I ask, giving him a hard look, even as my heart pangs.
Part of me wants to walk away, to leave them to deal with their mess. They lied, and I hate that I let myself trust them even a little. Levi lifts a shoulder nervously, catching my attention, and it reminds me of his earlier fear.
That was real. That wasn’t a lie.
I can’t be the reason why any of them—Levi, Koen, Sylus, or even Captain Bossy—wind up in real trouble. Maybe it’s stupid, maybe I’m already a little attached, but I can’t let this fail.
Koen steps closer, looking almost apologetic but not quite managing it. “Listen—”
“No.” The word cracks as I cut him off, emotion tightening my throat. “You all are fucking liars. And you know what? I don’t care. I committed to this, and when tonight is over, I’m giving you hell. For now, I’m doing what you brought me here to do.”
The words burn as they leave my mouth, but I refuse to let them see how much I’m affected by the deceit. I turn to Sylus, setting my expression as close to blank as I can, trying to mask the rawness. “I know I said you can’t hang around me tonight, but I’ll need your help for the next part.”
A grin spreads slowly across his lips. “Anything you need, baby.”