Chapter 30
Wanted Dead or Alive
After Jagger dragged me around the dance floor, completely throwing me off guard with his confession, I escaped to the only place I knew he and the other boys wouldn’t follow me: the ladies’ room.
I stare at my reflection, trying to get the courage to do something.
Anything, so I’m not stuck in this mess any longer.
I almost can’t believe Jagger didn’t take me up on my offer.
I can’t work out his angle unless he really is doing all of this because he’s fallen for me.
Could that really be true? I need time to think, space so I can work out my next move.
In the mirror I see a window. It’s high up but big enough I could squeeze through it if I stood on the toilet.
With a heavy heart, I push the toilet seat down. I take my heels off and hold them in my hand as I shove my long dress out of the way so I can step up. I throw open the window and peer out. It leads onto a balcony, but I’m sure it’ll be enough to get me out of here.
The main door flies open and Dani, Malachi’s fiancée, walks through and into the bathroom.
She smiles from ear to ear and shimmers in the little silver sparkly number she has on.
When she spots me clearly about to squeeze out the window, her expression changes.
“Is my party that bad?” She laughs, clearly having had a few drinks.
“I… ah… no.” Fuck. Another minute and I would have been out of here.
She moves to stand in front of the stall where I’m propped up, bare foot on the toilet lid. “Hey, girl, we haven’t been fully introduced, but I’m Dani.” She holds out a hand for me to take.
Tentatively I place my hand in hers. “Daisy.”
She helps me back down to the tile floor. “Oh, I know who you are. Mal’s brothers won’t stop talking about you. I don’t know what you did to Jagger, but I have never seen him so happy.”
“Jagger’s not happy,” I whisper back, my cheeks flushing with heat. Mostly from embarrassment at her catching me about to squeeze my ass through the bathroom window.
“Yeah, girl, he is. The way he looks at you is insane. That dance.” She fans her face. “Hot as hell. And Cruz’s crazy has simmered down to only mildly insane. Everyone around here has noticed that.”
I raise a brow. “I’m not sure that’s true either.”
She pulls out her lipstick and starts to apply it as she checks herself out in the mirror.
“You didn’t know him before. Trust me, this is like a whole new version.
A better one.” She winks at me in the mirror.
“And you know Asher has never had a girlfriend before, let alone been engaged to be married. I never thought the boy would settle down. But the way his eyes sparkle when you’re around is like nothing else. ”
I press my weight into the counter as I slip my shoes back on. Looks like my chance at escaping is slim to none now. “Dani, how did you know Malachi was the one?”
Her grin widens, and she gets a little sparkle in her eyes. “That’s easy. He was my knight in shining armor.”
“What does that even mean?” I sigh, wishing my life could be so easy.
“Before I met him, I had been through it, girl, from one disaster to the next, and the last one nearly killed me. When Mal rescued me from my last bad decision, it took me a long time to know how to trust him, but eventually, he won me over. Girl, I knew from the moment I met him he was someone special and I would never want to let him go.” Her pretty eyes search mine.
“When did you know you were in love with the brothers? I assume that’s who you’re running from? ”
“Honestly? I’m not sure, it just happened, and then it was too late to run.” I try to laugh but tears spring to my eyes instead.
She takes my hand and gives it a squeeze.
“I know we only just met, but I like you, girl, you’re honest, and that’s refreshing.
And since we’re about to be sisters, let me be straight up with you.
You’re clearly having doubts, and there is some shit going down.
We have all been there, but you have to believe me, those boys are some of the best people you will ever meet.
They accepted me into their circle like I was one of them.
Gave me a family when I didn’t have one of my own.
This world is fucked up, and I don’t always know how bad things are.
I know Mal shelters me from the worst of it, but he’s there for me and loves me with everything he has.
I know without a doubt they will do the same for you. ”
I nod because I don’t know what else to do. She has no idea what I’m going through, but her words resonate so much. “So, I should trust them even if it feels like a mistake?” I ask her like she has all the answers to my future; I guess I hope she does, because right now, I’m out of options.
“I would. At least stick around a little longer, see if they prove themselves. We’re also about to have dessert, and it’s the most decadent chocolate cake you have ever tasted. You don’t want to miss out on that, now, do you?”
I stare back at her, not sure what to do. “I do like chocolate cake,” I agree with a half-laugh.
She shrugs her shoulder. “Or you can go back to running? I won’t tell anyone what I saw.”
“I think I want what you have,” I whisper, knowing I want exactly what she has, the way that Mal looks at her is insane and I want all of it with the boys, but I’m scared.
She wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Then stay, girl. Come have some cake and see where this all takes you.”
I follow Dani back into the function room.
She moves through to the front where Malachi is calling for her to cut the cake, and I go in the opposite direction and take my place at the back of the room, collecting a glass of champagne off a tray as I go.
The brothers are already up with Malachi, and Cruz gives me a playful wink as he watches me walk through the room.
He’s holding a microphone and looks cheeky as hell.
About to get up to trouble at his brother’s expense is my guess.
Jagger’s more serious—surprise, surprise—and motions for some big dude to come stand with me.
The guy’s in a dark suit and is clearly armed and one of the hired security.
I lean into the wall with a heavy sigh, watching the Stryker family playfully tease Dani and Malachi.
Cruz’s jokes, though hilarious, are definitely an exaggeration of the truth.
It’s one of the things I like about him so much, his ability to entertain by just being himself.
I wish I had that kind of confidence. Every so often, Jagger flicks his gaze over to me.
I can tell he’s on edge being so far away from me, even though we’re in a room guarded by security, with the biggest one at my side.
This time he motions for me to come closer.
I shake my head, knowing while the family are doing their toast there is nothing he can do about it.
I need the space from all of them right now.
I might not have run, but I’m still jumpy and know the four of us have some huge conversations coming our way.
But tonight isn’t the night. I don’t want to destroy their party with our drama.
Asher lifts his glass to celebrate his brother and his soon-to-be wife, his eyes landing on me as he talks of their love for each other.
He sends a wink my way, and I feel the eyes of most in the room glance toward me.
I force a smile. Who am I kidding, it’s impossible not to smile back at the man.
I raise my glass in a toast to the happy couple, then polish off the rest of it.
The buzz doesn’t stop the way my hands tremble.
Dani and Malachai move into the center of the group to cut the lavish triple-tier cake decorated with fresh raspberries and hot-pink roses. After her description of it, I’m looking forward to trying some.
Her words from the bathroom keep bouncing around in my head, and while I can’t be sure she has any idea what she’s talking about, they resonated and left me wanting more than I should.
The way she and Mal look at each other is just dreamy.
Could I really have something so amazing with the boys?
Jagger could have taken my share of the business if that was what he really wanted.
It would have been easy, but he didn’t. That has to mean something.
Is it that they’re not using me at all and what we have is real?
My heart thumps a little faster at the thought.
I need it to be true. I have pinned my hopes and dreams on them being by my side.
It’s the only way I can see my future, as a part of this family, but they have to understand I’m my own person.
And I want to do things my way. If they really do care about me like they say, they will find a way to make it work. Won’t they?
I suck in a sharp breath as I try to get my trembling hands to calm down so I can think straight.
I bury my head in my hands and try not to cry, even though the tears have already taken over.
My chest aches, and my head hurts. Is this what falling in love is supposed to feel like?
Because I know I love all three of them.
What I don’t know is how to make this work when I can’t trust them and they keep shit from me. I need to feel like their equal.
A hand clamps over my mouth and another around my middle, dragging me backwards around a corner before I can make a sound or get the boys’ attention.
I shove at whoever it is, not making it easy for them to take me away.
But they are impossibly strong, making my attempts to free myself futile.
He drags me into a hallway, with way too many suited men carrying guns entering into the reception hall.
Sickness fills me for them, panic erupting over my skin, as gunfire goes off, knowing what this means.