Chapter 19
nineteen
DARE
Rose storms into the study with a snarled announcement that she’s leaving, scowling at me like she expects me to stop her. Her father has really fucked with her head if she thinks I’m going to hold her against her will.
Extortion is one thing, but I have no desire to cage her. The haughty look on her face, her being so ready to fight with me, almost has me laughing. I don’t know if any woman has ever told me off the way Rose does.
She’s found her clothes, and while the jeans and soft top look good on her, I think I prefer seeing her in my boxers and T-shirt or, better yet, in nothing at all.
“Will you be back before dinner?” I ask.
Surprise flickers over her face before she schools her features. Hiding behind that mask of hers. “I don’t know, maybe.”
“I’ll see you later, then.”
She turns to leave.
That ass in those jeans has me considering the merits of fucking her before she leaves the house, so she can feel my cum coating her thighs as she prances around, pretending like I don’t exist. “Oh, and Rose?”
Pausing, she glances over her shoulder, hazel eyes sliding over me, face unreadable. A stark contrast to the way she reacted to me last night. I could read every emotion and see every little spark of pleasure burning in those eyes while I drove into her, but now she gives me nothing. My fist clenches. I really hate that mask.
“Yeah?” she asks.
“If you don’t come back, I’ll find you and bring you here myself.” I may not cage her, but she is my wife, and whether she likes it or not, this is her home. This is where I can make sure she’s safe.
And something tells me the princess doesn’t fully understand the concept of safety.
Those pretty irises shimmer with violence. There she is.
She huffs. “You’re an asshole.”
“You’re not wrong.”
Whirling around, Rose stomps out of the house and slams the front door shut. My phone is in my hand in the next instant, and I send a text, ordering Remy to follow her. She won’t willingly accept my protection, but now that she’s mine, there will be a target on her back.
Though he may be my biggest enemy, Joseph Miller isn’t the only one who hates me.
Remy
Conor’ll take my place.
Dare
Thanks.
Any reason Rose is covered in hickeys?
Any reason you’re still texting me when you’re supposed to be guarding her?
Don’t forget who she is.
Frowning at the device, I lock it and toss it aside. Remy is right. Rose might be fun to play with, and fucking her might be entertaining, but she’s still wrapped up in Joseph’s threads. Her loyalty will always lie with him.
Unless I can make her see him for the monster he is.
Hell, he did part of my job for me by arranging a marriage without her input or consent. Rose faces the world with a hard mask, but I’ve seen beneath it a few times. She’s strong because she has to be.
Joseph hasn’t given her a choice.
Something about the way she nearly panicked this morning while looking at her phone and seeing the missed calls from her dad settles uneasily against my chest. I’ve known a few people with assholes for parents. I’m not surprised good old Joe is one of the bad ones. Though I can’t be sure that he’s physically hurt her, the way she tucks away all her emotions and carefully watches those around her is enough to tell me he’s fucked with her head.
Demeaned her. Shamed her. Used his words to get inside her head and manipulate her. Do I really care?
Yes, because maybe it means she’s another person he hurt.
The doorbell rings, and I scowl, pulling up the security camera feed on my phone, sighing when I see Crue winking at me.
Taking in his wrinkled black V-neck and the dark circles under his eyes, I press the mic button. “Another rough night?”
“Come on, Dare, let me in before someone recognizes me. ”
“Hmm. I don’t know. I can see the tabloids now—Crue Rollins, heir to Bluestar Entertainment, caught making a late morning walk of shame. Again.”
Crue smacks the door. “Dare, let me in, man. I’m too hungover for this shit.”
“Fine, but you shower, change, call your driver, and get out.”
“Okay.”
I may regret this, but I suspect Rose will be out for a while. Besides, she probably already knows Crue is in my circle of friends. He’s a notorious playboy and will flirt with anything and anyone who walks. The thought of her seeing Crue in person has me reconsidering letting him in, but Crue says please , meaning the fucker is in bad shape.
Crue never says please, and he’s not usually in a position to use his manners.
I buzz Crue in and leave the office, meeting him in the kitchen, where he’s guzzling water. “By all means, make yourself at home.”
“Thanks, man.” The strands of his long dark hair are all askew, like he—or someone else—has been running their hand through it all night long. He also smells like a bottle of tequila and bad decisions.
I wrinkle my nose. “What was her name this time?”
Crue sighs and refills his cup. “Tina. Cute, but a rich and entitled brat. She gave terrible head.”
I lift an eyebrow and briefly wonder how Rose would do. Something tells me my wife would give me the best blow job I’ve ever had, just to have something to use against me. The thought has me stiffening in my pants.
Crue takes another sip and glances around. “So, how’s the money business? ”
“Like you care about that,” I tell him with a shake of my head. “Everything is fine.” Lie. “How’s entertainment?”
“People are either pissed off or laughing, and that’s good for business.” He runs his hand down the rumpled shirt covering his stomach. “I’m looking forward to bulking up this winter.”
Crue isn’t big on the family business, because he’s too busy enjoying his late twenties. Can’t say I blame him, but if he wants to stay in shape, he’ll need to lay off the heavy drinking. We train with the same person. It’s how we met. Actually, he mistakenly thought I was there to fill up his water. He quickly learned that he was wrong once the trainer put us in the boxing ring together. My lips twitch at the memory of laying him out.
Crue sighs. “You’re thinking about when you kicked my ass, aren’t you?”
“It’s one of my favorite memories.”
He pulls a face. “You need to get out more. Most of my good memories involve a pretty woman on her back.”
And that’s enough to remind me that Rose could come home at any second. My jaw clenches and my smile falls.
“Shower. Clothes. Car. Leave.”
“You’re always so moody,” he grumbles but trudges up the stairs and into the guest bathroom he’s used on more than one occasion.
While he’s cleaning up, I text his bodyguard Aaron.
Aaron
Thank you. Crue snuck off, again.
Dare
Isn’t it your job to keep track of him?
You try when he leaves his phone behind and disappears.
Remind me to never hire you. Be here to pick him up in 20.
I set my phone on the counter and hang my head, trying to rein in my impatience. The selfish desire to keep Rose all to myself is unhealthy, considering how much she hates me, but it’s real, and I’m not going to deny myself. Being born into wealth, Crue has lived a lavish life and never had to worry about anything, including women. They fall at his feet as soon as he smirks.
Jealousy roars to life at the idea of Rose worshiping him.
Get it together, Dare. Keep your head on straight. She’s Joseph’s daughter.
But she’s also mine, and once my assistant drops off the paperwork, she’ll be a Richardson.
Crue finds me in the kitchen a little while later. He’s wearing a fresh pair of jeans and a shirt, old clothes I no longer wear. They’re a little loose, but it fits with the rocker persona he tries to embody. Truth is, his parents would never approve of him being a musician. The Rollins own the industry; they don’t make the music.
“I texted Aaron.”
Crue grins. “Was he pissed?”
“Yup.” I cross my arms. “You can’t keep showing up at my doorstep.”
“Not you too,” he groans. “I don’t need another lecture about growing up.”
Shrugging, I hold his gaze. “Maybe it’s time. What happened to your last girlfriend?”
“She cheated on me. Fuck that. Love isn’t going to be some magical cure, man. What the hell is the conversation?”
“Why are you so mad about it? ”
He glares at me and shakes his head. “Whatever. What about you, Dare? When are you going to stop walling yourself off? When was the last time you let a woman in?”
Rose’s face flashes through my mind. Glancing away, I sigh. “You’re right. I worry about you, is all. What happens when the glory days are over?”
“I’m not going to waste my energy thinking about the future,” Crue says with a shrug.
It must be nice to be able to live in the moment and not worry about whether you’ll wake up with a knife pressed to your throat.
My phone chirps. “That’s Aaron.”
Crue scrubs his hands over his face. “Fuck, my dad is going to be pissed I missed the meeting this morning.”
“What else is new?”
He laughs. “Thanks, Dare. You saved me from public embarrassment.”
“Again,” I remind him.
“I owe you one.”
“I know.” Favors are my favorite type of currency. I watch Crue leave, the tension in my shoulders slowly bleeding away, now that I don’t have to worry about Crue running into Rose.
I want my wife all to myself.