Chapter 45
Ria
Leo has always been confident in front of a crowd which is why he’s so successful in the boardroom at getting people to do what he needs.
It’s that confidence that has the anticipation burning up inside me at what he will command I do later.
The small kiss he gave me moments ago still lingers on my lips, and I can’t wait to have him all to myself tonight.
Knowing this is real and he wants me is a rush I never saw coming.
Lily and Marcus banter in the center of the dance floor, but I never take my eyes off Leo. I’m so lost in thought that I’m thrown off balance when someone stumbles into me.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Trixie slurs as she rights herself and straightens out her dress.
She has obviously had a few too many of the complimentary signature cocktails, as her flawless skin is a little flush with color and she sways on her heels, but she still looks put together and glamorous. Not a hair out of place.
“Don’t worry about it. You enjoying yourself?”
“Yes!” she squeals. “Aren’t they just the perfect couple?”
“They really are.”
“I still can’t believe you married Leo.” Her perfectly sculpted eyebrows bounce. “Brother’s best friend and younger than you—you’re a walking romance book cliché.”
“It seems I am.” And like magnets, my eyes connect with Leo’s as he makes his way through the crowd.
“I could always see it, you know.”
“What’s that?”
“You two. You’re made for each other.” She reaches out to give me a hug, but she wobbles and falls into me, and we laugh uncontrollably as I right her again.
“Trixie, Jesus, you’re an embarrassment. You promised me you wouldn’t get in this state,” Ezra growls, appearing behind her and grabbing her roughly around her arm, but she stands firm.
“I’m enjoying myself,” she says quietly.
“You’re an embarrassment. I let you drink for one night and just look at you. You can hardly stand up.” He spits the words as she reels back.
“I’m—”
“Don’t try to talk yourself out of this. We’re leaving.” He tugs on her arm again, but she still refuses to move. “Trixie, now,” Ezra booms.
“I’m not leaving my best friend’s wedding early just because you’ve decided you’ve had enough of being here,” she shouts, her words slurring as she continues to sway on her heels.
Within seconds, Leo, Beck, and my brothers, along with Deacon have circled us.
“I think you are,” he grits out, quieter now as he senses their presence. “You’re making a fool of yourself. You’ve had too much to drink, and it’s time we left.” This time when he tugs on her arm, she stumbles.
“Let go, Ezra.” Trixie tries to pull away from him.
“You’ll come with me now.”
“Leave her alone, Ezra. She doesn’t want to leave, but there is nothing stopping you.” Reaching out, I rest my hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. The fire in his eyes almost has me jumping back, but I hold firm.
“You stay out of this,” he spits.
“I will not stay out of this. You’re hurting my friend and causing a scene at my brother’s wedding.
Let her go,” I say calmly, standing my ground with this utter tool.
I’m seeing all his true colors in these past few months, and boy, they aren’t pretty.
He releases Trixie and gets up in my face, and out of the corner of my eye, I spy both Noah and Hunter take a step forward.
“Look, Ria. Your brothers have come to rescue you again.” He lets out a humorless laugh as he continues, a cruel glint in his eyes. “You never did get over me, did you?”
“Oh, I definitely got over you.” I straighten.
He won’t belittle me anymore with his misogynistic bile he likes to throw my way about how men are more powerful and women will always need them to fight their battles and look after them.
I won't let it beat me down anymore. When Leo’s warm and strong arm circles my waist, pulling me farther into his side, I know I’ve finally got someone by my side.
I’m not in his shadow fighting to be seen.
But it’s the words that fall so effortlessly from his lips that have my whole body stilling and my heart pausing in my chest.
“I think you need to step away from my wife, St. Claire.” From his demanding tone and the way he is claiming me so publicly, I know deep down he isn’t playing a role. Any doubt I had about him is washed away with those words.
“Your wife.” Ezra cackles. “Please, I said before this is all a setup. Some fucked-up plan to get on Cole West’s good side. But you aren’t fooling me.”
“This isn’t a fucked-up plan,” Leo roars.
“Isn’t it? You’re telling me you two are well-matched?” He guffaws. “Ria, you’re so uptight and tense, and this guy…”—he flicks his eyes to Leo—“he is so fucking scared of commitment that he fucks anything with a pulse.”
“You did not just say that to me.” Leo grips me tighter as I stare wide-eyed at the man who used to give me butterflies. “I think you need to leave before I do something I massively regret and cause a scene at my best friend's wedding. You do not disrespect my wife.”
“You wouldn’t dare lay a finger on me.” Ezra reaches into his pocket and presents his phone. “You see, I have this.”
“Well done, St. Claire. We all have one of those. You aren’t special.” Leo rolls his eyes.
“True, but yours doesn’t have this.” He taps a few times on his screen and turns it back around, showing a still of me and Leo outside of Bright, both huddled close together.
“Still don’t get what your point is?” I frown, trying to make sense of what he’s saying.
“Oh, silly me, I haven’t hit play.”
“So I’ll bring my things over to your place tonight?” Leo’s voice comes out of the phone, and I spot the date on the top of the phone. It’s the date he moved into my townhouse after our meeting with Cole.
“Yes, I’ll clear out the spare room for you.”
“Great. This will be okay, Ri Ri.” Leo loops his arm around me in the video. “This plan will work. He will have no idea we haven’t been living together for ages. I know you, you know me, and this will work. You'll have that portfolio and then we can go back to normal.”
“You’re that confident?”
“Completely. You’ll be done with me soon, we can go back to how things were, and you’ll have West Wing hotels under management.”
The video stops and Ezra places his phone back in his pocket.
“So I think I’ll be the one winning, especially when I show this to Cole, unless you back down and tell him that Bright can’t work to his schedule.
You aren’t capable of handling a portfolio of this size but I am.
” My stomach rolls and I actually think I might be sick.
“How did you get that? Have you been following us?” I say in horror.
“Call it luck that I was in the right place at the right time.” He shrugs.
“Ezra, you can’t do this to them. It’s blackmail,” Trixie pleads, looking at Ezra like she doesn’t know who he is.
“It’s business, Trixie.” He sighs, boredom in his tone.
“Now come on, let's leave. I think they have lots to think about.” Trixie follows as he brushes past us. “You need to back out of the negotiations. Otherwise I will send the video to Cole.” My body freezes as he lowers his lips to my ear. “Looks like I’m winning after all.”