Chapter Three
Miles
I’m seething as I stalk toward the small group.
The group that contains one too many unrelated males.
The fact that my girl is talking to a single, available man who is eyeing her like candy is pissing me off.
He’s a family friend, but that can end right now.
Jackson reaches them just as I do. Before I can punch Connor in the face, he says, “Son, let me go over something with you really quickly.”
“Okay, Pops,” he replies with a bit too much mirth. That handsome face needs to be arranged. “Sorry, ladies, catch up with you later.” He winks at me with a smugness that’s deliberate. “Nice to see you, Miles.”
“Whatever. We’ll catch up later,” I reply, my tone even and flat. We’re going to have a nice chat about touching what’s not his.
The second he’s away from us, my eyes return to the woman who has lit a fire in me that only power and success have before. “And you’re in trouble, Princess.”
“For what?” her nosy cousin shouts in her defense. Sometimes there are just too many people around us.
“I wasn’t talking to you, Erica.”
“Rude much?” she adds, annoying me even further.
“Says the person I wasn’t speaking to.” I readdress my obsession. “You ditched your bodyguards.”
She crosses her arms over her ample, yet properly covered chest. Goodness, I’m grateful that she decided not to test my sanity with her outfit today. “I did nothing wrong.”
“You weren’t in Steeleville—you were in Dallas.
” It’s not where she was, it’s her lack of concern for her own safety.
She doesn’t comprehend the depths to which someone would go to cause her father and myself a lot of pain.
Of course, she has no idea that it would obliterate me if something happened to her.
“So. Damn. What. I’m a grown-up.” Each word is punctuated through clenched teeth. “Besides, I told my mom that I was going shopping.”
“You’re still supposed to have security with you.”
Elsa tenses for a moment, understanding my concern until her loudmouth cousin speaks up. “Gosh, Miles, lighten up. Old and grumpy already.”
“You need to stay out of this; you’re already causing trouble,” I warn her accomplice. Their mouths fall open with shock.
“You’re rude,” my adorable princess reminds me, but it doesn’t matter how fucking rude I am because she could have been snagged up in a heartbeat by our enemies, and she has no idea how tempting of a target she is.
I’d shown my cards at that dinner. They’d seen the hints of my obsession that has only grown since then.
“You know you’re supposed to be protected.”
“Well, maybe your guys should have done a better job.” She crosses her arms over her waist, lifting her chest. I kept my eyes trained on her face, but I wondered how many other men at the party noticed.
“Yeah, if you want her watched like a damn hawk, then maybe you should do it instead of chasing tail all day, okay?” her cousin continues.
Chasing my own tail is more like it. There were matters I had to attend to that required my attention.
I would have gladly followed her around, but Simon’s attack last winter left me with some business to handle earlier. Luckily, it’s all taken care of now.
“Now if you’ll excuse us, we have other people to talk to. Come on, Elsa.” Her cousin Erica grips her wrist and starts to walk, but then Elsa stops and smiles up at me.
“We’re safe here, Miles, so why don’t you go and be grumpy somewhere else. You’re killing the party,” Elsa says, patting my shoulder before walking past me. I want to flip her over my shoulder and out of this place and take her somewhere to spank her little ass.
They begin to move away, and I’m about to grab Elsa’s hand to stop her when my father calls out, “A word, Miles.”
“Yeah, Dad.”
“Let’s have a talk.” We walk side by side into the clubhouse’s security center where we can chat privately. He locks the door and then says, “Have a seat.” I don’t want to sit, but I also don’t defy my father.
I rest my ankle over my knee, attempting to appear relaxed. “What’s up, Dad?”
“Are you in love with her?” he asks.
“What do you mean?”
“Son, I’m not fucking blind. I know you take your word seriously and your duty seriously, but most of us have been in your situation before, and we know that look. You’re ready to rip Connor’s head off, and you know we can’t have that.” I understand the warning to back off Jackson’s boy.
I dip my head and lightly shake it. “Yes… Yes, I’m in love with her.” I run my hands through my hair. “At first, I wasn’t sure if that’s what it was or simply pure arousal… No, who am I kidding? I knew within hours, but it wasn’t the right time, and it still isn’t. She’s young and vulnerable.”
“So how long has this been going on?”
“Not that long at all. Right before his surgery. Still, I’m not even sure she really even likes me. Right now, she hates me.” I don’t even bother mentioning my lustful attraction a year earlier because that shit was inappropriate, and didn’t help my cause.
“I don’t think so, but if I were you, I’d tread lightly.”
“As much as I’d like to make things happen between us, I’m not sure she’s ready for what I want. She’s busy with school. Besides, there’s a little unrest.”
My father’s shoulders stiffen. “Do you need my help?”
“No. I just got to keep these sons of bitches away from her. I want to give in and make her mine, but I’m not sure if I should risk the distraction.”
He laughs. “Son, it’s too late. You are hooked and already distracted. Don’t worry about the guys here; they all got their warning already. Everyone saw. The warning has already been spread. Not a soul in this place will even try. You looked like a madman.”
“Was it that bad?”
“Yeah.”
“Damn. I’ve got to work on my obsession, and work on her.”
“Nah, you’re commanding, Son. Let everyone know where you stand. Just make sure she doesn’t get the dark side of you. Save that for the assholes and give your woman the best parts.” That I certainly can handle.
“Thanks.”
“By the way, I think you need to have a talk with Emiliano.” I close my eyes because that’s another tough one.
“Yes. We haven’t had an official conversation yet. I’m sure he’s got questions.”
“He does.” He winks. “Let’s grab a beer and just enjoy some time with family and friends before he grills you about his little girl.” I’d prefer to get it over with, but I’d hate to ruin the party if we couldn’t agree on my future pursuit of Elsa.
“Sounds good.” We walk out and celebrate with everyone. Despite the earlier dramatic nonsense, the party is great. Even Connor doesn’t get on my fucking nerves. I do my best to ignore Elsa, letting the team and her family watch her because I don’t want to start something I’m not ready to finish.
As the party winds down, I take my leave, saying goodbye to my godparents and letting them know that I’ll be taking a different flight back to Vegas in the morning because I have meetings.
“Always working,” my godmother says after she pulls me in for a hug.
“It’s the way it is,” I say, placing a kiss on her cheek. “Today was nice, though.” I give a smirk toward Elsa.
“Yes, because every available female couldn’t take their eyes off you. You look like you came off a photoshoot instead of a barbecue.” Elsa waves her hand up and down toward my body.
“I didn’t realize there was a specific attire requirement.
I’m pretty sure there are several people here dressed the same way,” I remind her as I walk away.
Not all of us wore jeans and tee shirts with boots and leather cuts.
There’s nothing wrong with it. My father has his patch on, and my mother has a cute version that matches her dress, but some of us are wearing slacks, khakis with polos.
I like my hair slicked back with neatly trimmed sides.
I always keep myself professional, and I don’t care what others think except for Elsa.
So, I’m going to try to let her comments slide off me as just her residual anger.
As I reach the exit, I’m stopped by my father and hers to say goodbye. “Cyber, your son is something else.” Emiliano claps his hand on my shoulder. “He’s done wonders to keep my family safe after my surgery, especially my little girl.” The tone in his voice is obvious, almost mocking in its intent.
“Yes, we all know how it goes. How emotions suddenly switch on,” my father replies, sticking by my side even though I had every intention of handling the situation myself.
“Is that the case, Miles, or am I misjudging?” His brows rise with suspicion.
“Shall we go talk privately?” I ask. They nod, and we walk off to the side of the parked SUVs and climb inside my father’s SUV, which is extremely protected and soundproof.
“Like I just explained to my father, my feelings are new, but are firm. Unwavering. I want to marry Elsa one day, and I’m not going to let someone else take her away from me.
” I make a point of adding that last bit.
I might love my godfather, but Elsa has become my number one priority.
My loyalty now lies with her even if she doesn’t know it yet.
A quiet tension builds in the vehicle. “So, the dinner served a selfish purpose.” The accusation hits like hard slap in the face; however, I understood how easily that could be misconstrued.
My words need to be chosen wisely, so I swallow and then take a calming breath.
“At first, no, but then she burst through your office door, and it was like I saw a whole new person. I won’t deny that I noticed she had changed, but I hadn’t realized my feelings until that moment.
Elsa was suddenly becoming a woman had to get to know. ”
“Have you gotten to know her?” he growls. Fuck. Clearly, I chose my words poorly.
“God, no. Not like you’re thinking. We barely speak without her wanting to stab me.
I’d like to fix our relationship, but I wasn’t sure what to do next.
The tension is high in Vegas right now, and you were in the middle of recovering.
I didn’t want to add to the stress. Besides, she has dreams that she’s trying to make come true that are more important than my own desires. ”
“Damn, you have learned a great deal from us.”
I smirk. “I have tried.”
“Still, your wants should be pretty close to hers,” my father adds.
“I hope one day they are, but we both need time. I have too much going on for me to dedicate all my time to her, so I might as well let her focus on school before convincing her to marry me and have a family.”
“You don’t want her to work?” my godfather asks.
“You don’t want her to work, either,” I remind him.
“No, I don’t, but if she does find a career, I wouldn’t stop her.”
“It’s the same for me, but that’s why I’m giving her time. I want her to be happy. She can do that as long as those assholes stay away from her.”
“Good boy. That’s what I wanted to hear. Now let’s get back before our wives start searching for us.”
We open the doors, and my mother and godmother are waiting outside, shaking their heads and smiling. “We hope you boys are behaving.”
“Always, my love,” my father answers with a mischievous grin.
Now to work on my plan to put the Vegas families in order and win Elsa’s love. I’m not sure which will be harder.