25. Drew
Five minutes in and I already want to rip this bow tie off and get out of this penguin suit. While I”d love to skip this party, my father made it clear I better show my face. Since I wanted to check on Mom, I decided to show up and not poke the bear. At least not tonight when he”ll be his most volatile.
But the second I arrived at the house, I got dragged into the preparations. My father, as usual, is nowhere to be found until the drinks start circling, or there”s someone”s money to steal.
I do what I can with zero knowledge, and when my phone pings another text from Bel, I tug my phone from my pocket and duck into the kitchen for a moment of privacy.
It takes a second for my phone to pick up the Wi-Fi and then the picture to load. I smile at the long, sexy line of her leg in a dress. She never wears a dress. It frames her thigh down to the black heels on her feet. What the hell is she doing in heels?
One of the kitchen staff finds me hiding to get the decision on some wine. It all tastes like shit to me, so I just point at one of the bottles and say use the most expensive one. If only to fuck with that asshole and cost him more money.
My mind stays stuck on Bel”s leg. Oh fuck. No. Seb and I talked about this, or rather argued about it. There”s no way in hell Bel should be coming to this fucking meeting.
I rush out of the kitchen toward the foyer. Maybe I can intercept them before they arrive and talk Seb out of it. It”ll piss Bel off, but I don”t want my wallflower anywhere near these assholes. Not after what happened last time.
People are already arriving by the time I make it out to the foyer. I slow my pace, nodding back to those who acknowledge me. Lots of bodyguards mill around. Most of them are tall with wide shoulders and bulky suit jackets practically advertising their weapons. I have to squeeze through the door around several arrivals.
I make it to the driveway just in time to watch Bel step out of Seb”s car. Fuck.
The valet helps her to her feet, and I shove forward, intent on getting there. I don”t even want this asshole touching her. But she”s already free, her gaze over her shoulder and focused on Sebastian, who”s talking on his phone near the trunk of the car.
I cut across the lit-up entry and glare at the valet boy, telling him with my eyes to get the fuck out of my way. He skitters around the door while Seb”s driver pulls the car away. She hasn’t noticed me yet, thankfully, so I take that moment to look at her.
I suck a tight breath into my lungs. Fucking hell. She is stunning.
Her stunning blond hair hangs around her waist in long curls, shiny and perfect.
Her bright green eyes pop even more when outlined with makeup and her lips. Damn, I want that red lipstick smeared on my cock.
She turns, giving everyone a smile that slowly dims when she notices me standing there. I take a step forward, slipping my hands into my pockets.
”I’d ask what you’re doing here, but I think I already know.”
She blinks slowly, and I realize how shitty that sounds only after I’ve said it. ”In case it wasn’t obvious, I”m here representing my family.”
I narrow my eyes, my own anger flaring. I’m not mad at her. I’m mad at Sebastian for dragging her into the fucking lion’s den.
”What’s going on?” Sebastian’s deep voice fills my ears as he ends the call and walks toward us.
”Really? I thought we talked about this. I told you I didn”t want her at this thing. She doesn”t belong here. She doesn”t belong in this world.”
Sebastian’s features turn indifferent as he slips on the mask of business. His eyes are cold and dark. It’s the same look he”s given me for weeks now and doesn’t do shit to sway me. I’m not scared of him.
”Thank you for sharing your opinion on what you believe is right for my family,” he says, his tone as cold as his gaze. “But I don’t give a fuck what you want, Marshall. The only person who matters to me at the moment is Bel.”
All I can do is shake my head, turning my attention back to Bel. She hasn’t learned how to master hiding her emotions and it’s clear she’s pissed from the blazing flames of rage in her eyes.
”Excuse me, but you don”t get to make these decisions for me. This is my life now and I have just as much right to be here as you do.”
It has nothing to do with right and everything to do with belonging, but she doesn’t understand that.
”No, you don”t. You aren”t part of this world, Bel. You”re too...”
She arches a brow. ”Too what? Too naive, too female, too...what?”
”Good. You”re too good for this.”
I swallow hard as I admit it because it”s almost like admitting she”s too good for me too. Which I know is the truth, not that I”ve been willing to give her up despite knowing that.
“Whatever. I won’t stand here and argue with you about whether I should be here when I already am. I’m a big girl, Drew. I don’t always need you to worry about me.” She shoves past me, and Sebastian follows her, completely ignoring me as he passes to enter the house.
Fucking Christ. The desire to destroy something pulses through my veins like a second heartbeat. I’m so angry with myself and Sebastian. I didn’t mean for her to take it the way she did, and now I can’t do a damn thing but stand by and watch her enter the lion”s den. More guests filter in, and there is no doubt my father will be looking for me soon.
Fuck. I don”t need this. Now I have to babysit that asshole”s fucking mood as well as keep my eyes on Bel to ensure she”s safe. I trust Seb to stand by her side, but there will be parts of this shit show where he”ll have to talk to people she doesn”t have any need to speak to. I just fucking hope Seb knows the difference by now.
Turning around, I find her without thought and stare at the bare expanse of her back, all that creamy smooth skin on display. Why the fuck did he let her wear that dress?
Someone approaches me from the side, and I can”t remember his name, so I just give him a sharp nod and snag a class of something brown off a passing tray.
”Andrew, you”re looking well.”
Dammit. I don’t remember this fucker”s name. I think he does something with guns. The majority of these fuckers do. I shake his hand and nod again.
”Call me Drew, please.”
He smiles, and his gaze bounces around the room. ”Good turnout. I”m a little surprised, considering some of the rumors going around.”
Consider me interested. ”Rumors?”
He nods toward Seb and the other heads of family gathered in the room thus far. ”Yes, the rumors about your father.”
I try not to look as interested as I feel. ”What sort of rumors?”
Is this what I need? Can it be this easy?
He shrugs. “As his son, you can’t tell me you haven’t heard them yourself. I’m sure it’s nothing more than gossip.”
“Possibly, but I can’t confirm or deny what I don’t know.”
“Right, yes. Well, some members of the family are worried about your father’s mental state and if he should be in the seat he’s in, given your mother’s deteriorating health.”
I grit my teeth. “Understandable. I can see the concern, but please tell whoever is spreading such rumors that they should speak with me if they have any issues.”
“Of course.” Smiling, he walks away, leaving me cursing softly under my breath.
I don’t give a fuck what people say about my father, but I refuse to allow them to drag my mother into this and soil her name.
I thought maybe the guy would share something juicy and useful with me that I could use against my father, but of course it would never be that easy for me. None of them are just going to hand me what I need to take down my father. But now that I”ve thought about it, it”s something I might be able to get out of Sebastian. We haven”t exactly been friends for a while, but he might know more after this meeting.
I scan the crowd searching for Bel. She”s smiling at a woman wearing a red dress and seems okay, but I”m itching to cross the room and talk to her. To check for myself. I know better than anyone that words can hurt her just as much as fists can.
They exchange a few words and then Bel heads toward the bathroom off the foyer. I move to follow just as another man cuts out of the crowd, prowling right behind her.
Fuck no. Not today, or any day that ends in y asshole.
She reaches the bathroom, and he’s right there. All I see is his slimy hand on her back, on her bare skin, and I see fucking red. I shove through the mass of people and stalk toward them. The balls this asshole has.
I remind myself that making a scene will do me no good, but then also remind myself that a scene will teach other fuckers not to touch what isn’t theirs. The asshole peers at me over his shoulder, then focuses his attention back on Bel again.
His grip curls around her bicep. Bel twists around, trying to escape his touch, and I swear I can smell the panic rolling off her.
”Release her,” I hiss through my teeth, trying to keep my damn cool.
Probably too softly with the music playing from the ballroom, but he seems to hear me because his eyes shift to mine, and his mouth turns into a smirk. He”s older, probably early thirties, and one of the uncles from the gun-running crew. Paccio, I think, is his name. Not that his name really matters. I don’t give a shit who he is or what he does.
”Run back to your daddy and stay out of this.” He smirks.
I smile, wide, white-teeth, my good ole American all-star smile, then I do exactly what I said I wouldn’t do and lose my cool.
Tightening my hand into a fist, I pull my arm back and punch him in the face. My knuckles slam into his nose, and the sound of bone breaking echoes through my ears. It’s a glorious sound. Blood sprays from his wound and down my hand. Dammit. I hope Dad didn’t rent this tux because if so, he’s going to be pissed.
The adrenaline pulses in my veins, and all I can see is the asshole in front of me.
I’m vaguely aware of someone behind me shouting, but I ignore the threat until it’s upon me. Paccio, or whatever the hell his name is, releases Bel and grabs his nose, while taking a wobbly step back.
That’s right, fucker.
“I think it’s you who needs to run back to your daddy,” I mock and take a step forward, intending to hit him again, but this time a hand closes around my bicep, hauling me back.
”Drew.” Sebastian”s warning tone makes me pause.
I barely spare him a look, my gaze instead darting to Bel. She is blinking slowly, a mixture of shock and fear pitching her delicate features. I notice her hand on her bicep, touching the space where he grabbed her. I want to remove the memory of his touch for her. I should’ve broken his arm, hand, shoulder. He deserves worse than a busted nose.
”You okay?” I ask.
She nods, and then as if realizing all the attention is on her, she squares her shoulders. ”I”m fine. It was nothing.”
The bleeding man shouts at me, ”You fucking asshole. I”m going to kill you.”
Sebastian steps between us, and right into the guy”s face. ”Do you know who I am?”
The man”s gaze widens, recognition taking place. He nods and then drops his hands, spitting a gob of blood onto the shiny tile. It wouldn’t be a true meeting without a little bloodshed, right?
Sebastian gestures to Bel. ”Do you know who she is?”
The man shakes his head. ”I thought she was your date or something. A hot piece of ass for the after-party.”
Seb”s face shifts from perfectly neutral to downright deadly in an instant. I’m ready to step in and stop him from beating this guy”s ass, but Seb maintains composure and stops me in my tracks with a hand to my chest.
”This is my sister, Mr. Paccio. My. Sister.” There”s so much menace in his tone that even I”m a little worried right now.
Fear slowly trickles into the asshole”s eyes. ”Fuck.”
”Yeah, you got that right. Spread the word. Touch my sister, and I will remove your balls and feed them to you while she watches. Fuck with my family again, and it will be the last thing you do. Do you understand?”
The man nods, and Sebastian takes a wavering step backward. Since his grandfather’s death, he’s been more menacing, colder, and, dare I say, crueler. It’s like all the trauma is finally weighing down on him. I can’t imagine what it’s like to carry that weight, even if he does so well.
Bel looks between Seb and myself, almost as if she’s uncertain which one of us is the bad guy. Before she can make her decision, Seb gently cups Bel”s shoulder and leads her back into the party.
She glances back at the bathroom door longingly, and I shake my head. Paccio sneers at me, and I’m certain I’m going to have to wipe the floor with his face, but he chooses better of it and turns, heading toward the kitchen as one of the staff scurries to clean his blood off the floor.
”I see you”re making friends already, Son.” My father”s cold voice greets me from behind.
I turn, keeping my face neutral. ”Of course, you know how much I love to converse. I’m pretty sure I’ll be at master level here soon.”
His eyes narrow with annoyance, and he closes the distance between us, shoving right into my face. ”You fuck any of this up for me, and you’re done. I”ll take you out back and put a bullet in your head myself. I”m fucking tired of dealing with you. You’re more of a liability to this family than you are good.”
I grind my teeth but keep my mouth shut for once. There are so many things I want to say to him, so many things I want to do, but I know my day will come soon enough. Karma is a real bitch, and far meaner than I ever will be.
He turns on his feet, dismissing me, and walks over to greet Sebastian, clapping him on the shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Bel, who slowly retreats backward. It’s painfully obvious that she doesn’t want to be near my father, which is understandable. She looks as if she’s undecided on what to do but then walks away, heading toward the bar. Good girl. It pleases me so much that she follows her gut instinct.I don’t want my father anywhere near her, not after what happened. I can’t let that nightmare repeat itself.
I watch casually as my father speaks to Sebastian in a low tone with bowed heads. The conversation lasts but seconds. Sebastian shakes his grip off and laughs menacingly, dismissing my father and whatever he said in favor of going to find Bel. I can’t help but smile.
Looks like I”m not the only one screwing things up tonight. It”s almost satisfying to see the angry disappointment on my father”s face. He turns away, ignoring my existence altogether, and I cut into the crowd to keep an eye on Bel from a distance.
No one touches her.
No one looks at her.
The Wallflower is mine.