26. Anastasia
Anastasia
R hett pulls us up to the casino, which is expensive -looking even compared to some of the elite places I’ve been invited to before with my father.
I go to the entrance while he hands over the keys to the valet, talking privately to him—his first marker to try to gain any small intel he can about those here tonight.
The blatant stares of the men lingering outside doesn’t riddle me with anxiety like they normally would.
I almost dare them to approach me with a look back, only able to revel in their quickly wiped confidence because I know Rhett will come for me. Claim me.
My stomach erupts with a giddy thrill at the thought.
“Ready, baby?” he says, slipping an arm around my waist.
The men’s lingering looks quickly avert.
I smile sweetly up at him. He’s a breathtaking sight in his suit. No tie, all black. My mouth is practically watering. I don’t know how I’m going to cope with him in a tux tomorrow for the charity gala.
Inside Rhett’s hand squeezes my waist as if he anticipates the liveliness of the night will make me shrink within myself.
Surprisingly, I’m fine. More than that, I’m excited to be here, even more so with the mission we’re on being unknown to everyone here.
I don’t know what that makes me. Twisted, dangerous, na?ve.
I don’t care. Some of the people here are innocent, others are wicked disguised in their finery, and I want to be party to snuffing them out.
We head to the bar, and I order a dry martini while Rhett requests a water.
“Still not just one drink?” I lean in to say.
“If I’m out with you, it will always be a no.”
I don’t quip back about how he takes his job too seriously and that I can handle myself. Because there’s a different kind of pain when he answers, and it strikes me that his soberness is something personal he hasn’t told me yet. I’ll wait for as long as he needs to tell me everything.
I take his chin while he leans sexily on the bar watching me sip my martini.
“Fine,” I say. “But you have to at least try to appear happy to be here.”
He takes my hand as it drops. “You’re saying I don’t? I’ve been putting in tremendous effort.”
“Baby, if you want to put that scowl to use, we’re in the perfect place to win big tonight.”
Something wild flares in his eyes. He brings my hand to his lips, taking a deep breath as if devouring my scent. “You haven’t done this in a while,” he says, kissing my thumb.
I didn’t realize. The skin is healed, and my manicure has lasted far longer than usual given my incessant nerves that cause me to pick and bite. It warms my chest more so that he noticed.
I don’t get to respond as he drops my hand and straightens with a hardening look behind me. Hands touch my waist and I jump, but my fright chokes to a squeal at the sight of Liam. He vibrates with chuckles when I throw my arms around his neck.
“So glad you made it, Ana,” he says, pulling back with a bright grin. He examines my hair. “I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“You know I’ve been wanting to try short hair,” I say. He doesn’t need to know of the attack behind it; I’ve already decided they don’t get to own this change in me. “You scrub up well,” I tease, plucking at his white shirt collar.
“Speak for yourself. The red hair really suits you. I have a feeling you’ll be giving your bodyguard plenty of work tonight,” he says, eyeing Rhett over my shoulder.
He has no idea. My stomach hollows with what I know. The danger Liam and his family could be in, or involved in. I don’t want to believe that Liam, the charming, selfless man I know, could play any part in the kind of crimes Rhett takes down for a living.
I step aside. Rhett hasn’t eased his scary expression, tracking Liam’s every move like a hawk.
“Rhett Kaiser, isn’t it?” Liam greets him with an extended hand.
Mercifully, Rhett accepts the handshake.
“Yes. And you’re the famous Liam Forbes.”
Liam casts me a side-smirk, drawing me into his side with playful flirtation. “What have you been saying about me, sweetheart?”
“How much have you had to drink?” I giggle.
“You’d need at least two more of those to catch up,” he says, indicating my half-finished martini, and he takes a drink of his whiskey.
“I saw your picture together in the tabloid, albeit a lot later than everyone else, and my father had to catch me up on when you told me about your replacement guard. Man, are they quick fuckers to paint a story that sells. The boyfriend ruse is genius press, really. America’s sweetheart is a hopeless romantic.
Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. ”
Liam gives me a wink and my chest unsettles with the enlightenment our relationship is just that—pretend. My eyes skim Rhett, but he’s looking off over the venue as if he’s giving us privacy in our conversation. Like a bodyguard.
I don’t know why it frustrates me. It’s not like he’d say otherwise. Not even to me. Rhett is noncommittal. Dangerous. I know this and I won’t let my heart truly fall for him. We’re merely two adults in a situation that forces our proximity, and sexual chemistry is natural.
“We have a table—come,” Liam says, guiding me by the waist.
I’m never normally uncomfortable with Liam’s touches, but with Rhett here I can’t shake the want to be in his arms instead while he walks on my other side.
As we get deeper into the casino, Liam leads us through black curtains that are pulled back without hesitation for him. I thought the main room was lavish, but this VIP lounge takes a further step up in wealth.
“What do you say, Rhett Kaiser, a game of poker?” Liam says to him as we approach a table setting up for a new game.
“I don’t think I’m in the league to play.” He brushes him off.
Something tells me that’s a lie.
“You have the perfect face for it,” I say, giving him flirtatious eyes. It’s part of our ruse after all.
Liam chuckles. “She’s got a point. Only five minutes with you and I’m intimidated by how little you give away. I can see why they chose you to guard our little Ana,” he muses.
I push him away, actually relieved when his hand drops from me. Rhett’s doesn’t replace it, and I grow irrationally frustrated.
“Gentlemen, allow me the pleasure of introducing the remarkable up-and-coming America’s sweetheart,” Liam says, drawing the attention of all the men and women around the table.
Resisting the instinct to cower into myself, I smile at the attention raking over me. Several women linger around the backs of chairs and one perches on a man’s lap, but he taps her thigh to get her to stand as his gaze feeds on me. That’s all I can think of in their eyes. Hunger.
“Anastasia Kinsley,” that man drawls, standing slowly. “It’s an honor to have you join us. We weren’t aware you were in the city. I’m Darren Rutherforth.”
Somehow I detect that to be a lie. Perhaps he wasn’t informed I’d be here tonight, which doesn’t settle well paired with the subtle glances he spares the others as if one of them messed up.
Rhett’s arm finally snakes its way around me. I don’t take my eyes off Darren as I lean into him.
“Rhett Kaiser,” he introduces himself. “Do you have space for one more player?”
“It would be our pleasure,” Darren says brightly, his gaze lingering a little apprehensively on Rhett.
A chair is pulled out and his hand gives my waist a squeeze. I take the seat while surprise spreads across the faces of the six men around the table. As Darren sits again, his eyes twinkle on me. He has to be in his mid-thirties at least, and the rest range around the same age or a bit older.
“What are the stakes?” I ask as the cards are dealt.
“A dinner with you would be the highest prize on offer tonight,” he suggests.
I keep my composure and play along though the thought makes my skin crawl. “I’m afraid I’m spoken for,” I say.
“A darling like you shouldn’t be tied down.”
“Do I look tied, Darren? Loyalty isn’t shackles—it’s respect.”
His eyes flick up to where I imagine Rhett is behind me. Darren’s throat bobs, but he shifts to hide his intimidation at the sight of my guard and I’m internally giddy.
Liam sits beside me to be dealt in. “Stakes are a hundred, princess,” he says.
One hundred thousand dollars. If I lose, which is highly probable, I’ll have some explaining to do to my father.
But I’ve placed myself in the game not out of arrogance or as some power play, but because Rhett needs to go looking for information since no one will trust speaking to a hopeful president’s daughter.
As much as I don’t want him to leave me, this gives Rhett an excuse to mingle among the others and not look like a stupidly overprotective boyfriend.
My back curves at the slow trail of Rhett’s hand cupping my nape. Turning my head brings our faces intimately close before he leans his mouth to my ear.
“I’ll get you another drink. Are you sure you’ll be okay here?” he asks with genuine concern and reluctance.
“I’ll be fine. Do what you have to do. I have Liam,” I say so only he can hear.
Rhett’s fierce blue eyes hold me, pulling at a deeper part of me.
“If I kiss you, am I going to regret it?” he murmurs.
I fight a smile. “You think I’d wear a lipstick you could ruin?”
“Thank fuck.”
Rhett kisses me hard, deepening it only for a few seconds as he takes the opportunity to lay his claim over me and warn the others. I erupt inside, wanting it to be real, and so I force away the nagging voice that taunts it’s all a show.
When he pulls away, he says, “Call for me, I’ll drop everything and come back in a heartbeat.”
I nod, breathless from him. When he leaves I take a deep breath to compose myself, not meeting anyone’s blatant stare as I pick up my cards, and then the game begins.
Players take their turns around the table and I drop my voice to talk to Liam while we wait and observe.
“So where are your bodyguards? You claimed your father was appointing two,” I say.
Liam groans low. “Five o’clock and eight o’clock. They blend in with the casino security at least.” Then he says, “Seems yours worked out pretty well.”
I don’t miss his hint of suggestion. “He’s not the worst, I suppose.”
“Lucky Kaiser was available so quick with such a sudden accident regarding the first appointed.”
It’s my turn, and it doesn’t take me long to decide on my card. The croupier turns over another card from the deck.
I can’t have detected suspicion in Liam’s tone ... he would have no reason to speculate.
“Not so lucky that barely a day in and suddenly we’re America’s front-page new couple.”
“You seem to be making that work just fine.”
I fight the urge to wipe the teasing smirk off his face.
“All I’m saying is, the guy is one lucky son of a bitch. Bet he didn’t anticipate the work with benefits.”
“If you’re suggesting I’d sleep with my guard, that’s highly inappropriate.”
He slices me a look that says he doesn’t believe a word. I merely feign innocence.
“My brother’s here,” Liam says, and I hate his drop of enthusiasm at him being in the same venue.
“What’s he doing in New York?”
“Same as you—here for the gala.”
It must be more of an important event than I originally thought. Still, I grow as uneasy as Liam at the coincidence Matthew is here too when he was at the debate in Cali.
“Didn’t take him for one to be so eager for a gala.”
“He’s been around more lately.”
“You don’t sound pleased.”
Liam huffs a bitter sound. “I think my brother has far more fondness for you than he’s ever had me.”
That stings inside. I need to make more of an effort to be present with Liam when sometimes I feel like I’m missing so much of his life despite our years of friendship. He’s so closely guarded about his past and current affairs that I’ve never pried, but maybe that’s what he needs.
I watch a woman approach the table toward Darren as he takes his turn. She smiles, but there’s something sad in it. My eyes are drawn to the glint of her large emerald earrings, which are a flashing marker of her wealth.
“A beauty indeed.” Darren admires her, leaning back in invitation for her to perch on his lap.
It doesn’t sit right with me. She doesn’t hesitate, but she isn’t all that willing either.
Liam keeps his eyes on his cards and his jaw tightens. All the other men are admiring this woman now and chatting quietly among themselves.
“Am I missing something?” I ask Liam in a whisper.
“No.”
His short reply makes me lean away from him.
I don’t ask again. She isn’t the only woman floating around the place checking in on patrons.
They could be hired for the gathering as merely beautiful company.
My skin is beginning to prickle with the attention of the eyes that keep slipping between me and this new girl who hasn’t looked at me once.
I cast my sights to the curtain, not wanting to pine for Rhett’s return, but he can’t get back fast enough.