Chapter 1 #2
I smile politely at the waiter, hoping it’ll make him feel at least a little better considering how awfully he’s been treated. Though I doubt he’ll feel better until he finishes tonight’s party and gets far, far away from the Moretti estate.
I can’t help but feel a little jealous.
“I can make him disappear in five minutes,” Nolan whispers into my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. Then he pulls away just a little to look at my face, but his hand never leaves my back. “But I won’t. Us Devlins don’t use our power like that.”
“Right,” I push his hand away, pretending to be interested in the snack bar a few feet from us. Nolan follows me, still talking about how great the Devlins are and what he can do for my father. I tune him off somewhere around the port talk.
“Watch yourself,” Nolan says, his tone smooth but sharp with irritation.
I turn to find one of the waitresses on the ground, an empty silver tray clattering beside her. She’s pale and trembling as she manages to say a weak: “I’m sorry.”
“What happened?” I ask quietly, reaching out to help her up.
Nolan doesn’t look at the girl, casually brushing a speck of dusk off his sleeve. “Careless,” he says, his voice dripping with condescension. “A mistake like that in front of the guests reflects poorly on your father’s house, Jade.”
“She tripped, Nolan,” I give the waitress a calm, reassuring nod as she gets to her feet. “The estate will survive.”
I don’t apologize for her, nor do I waste energy arguing with a man who mistakes cruelty for refinement. The waitress nods with a small smile on her face, and quickly hurries inside.
“Jade,” A familiar, cold voice cuts through the noise. “Inside, now.”
I know it’s pointless to argue with Papà when his temper flares, so I follow him into the kitchen. The loud music and the chatter outside fade behind the heavy glass doors, leaving us in the tense, isolated quiet of the dark kitchen.
“You need to stop that,” Papà says, turning to face me.
“Stop what?” I keep my tone level, trying to avoid provoking him. “I handled a scene before it escalated.”
“You did everything in your power to undermine Nolan in front of the guests,” he points a sharp finger at me as he speaks.
“Nolan undermines himself by acting so arrogantly,” I reply calmly, looking him dead in the eye. “He lacks the composure required to lead, Papà.”
“Enough!” Papà’s voice snaps, but I don’t flinch or look away.
“I’m not going to marry him, Papà.”
“We need him, Jade,” Papà says, forcing his voice into a lower, heavier register. “We need a strong alliance right now.”
“No,” I shake my head. “He’s the one who needs us and he’s going to use our firepower and territory in his war with the Kavanaghs.”
“He knows the Morettis don’t want to get involved in his war.”
“Well, whether we want to or not, if you force me to marry him, he won’t care. We will become involved whether you want it or not.”
Papà stays silent, taking my words in as his sharp eyes study my face. I continue. “He’s using our leverage to survive his own blood feud. And offering me up as the collateral.”
“I won’t force you to marry him,” Papà says, knowing the risk of pushing me. But I know better than to start jumping up and down and celebrate. I know there must be a trap hidden in his generosity.
“But?”
“If you refuse to marry Nolan, you need to bring me an alternative alliance that carries equal weight.”
“And if I don’t?” I ask even though I already know the answer.
“If you don’t, the decision is taken out of your hands.”
With that, Papà turns around, leaving me alone to process his words. I follow him outside but make a turn, heading to the bar instead of returning to Nolan or looking for my cousin.
My family has a way of making me feel like I’m gasping for air in a room full of oxygen. A lot like being underwater without knowing how to swim.
“A mojito, please.”
“Is hiding at the bar how you make your guests feel welcome?” A voice comes up from behind me but I don’t turn to look at him. It’s probably one of the pretentious pricks that follow Nolan everywhere and lick his ass.
“You can leave if you don’t like it.”
“Can I?” The guy comes up to my side and climbs onto the free stool next to mine. “I’ll make sure to mention to your father that you’re still lacking a few hospitality classes.”
“You know,” I sigh, picking up the mojito that the bartender left in front of me. “I’ve been told that I have anger issues, too. So maybe you don’t want to sit so close to me.”
That’s entirely false, but I’m so over tonight that I don’t care anymore.
“Is that so?” His voice comes out amused and I make the mistake to turn around and look him in the eyes, which are pale green and sparkling with mischief.
Unlike Nolan, there is not a trace of insecurity, or any type of emotion for a matter of fact, behind those eyes. Yet they are nowhere near to being cold. The way he stares at me almost makes me curious.
Who’s this guy?
I don’t think I’ve ever seen him at the numerous parties my family has attended or hosted for the last couple of years. And he doesn’t look like an ass-kisser to be one of Nolan’s guys.
“Yes,” I respond, my grip on the glass tightening but my face remaining indifferent.
“I guess I should have come prepared then,” he smirks, playing with the drink in his hand. I can’t help but notice how polished he looks with his wavy light brown hair slicked back and an expensive suit.
Definitely not an ass-kisser.
“Worried you’d ruin your overpriced suit?” I raise an eyebrow, eyeing him from head to toe and regretting it almost immediately when my eyes meet his and I see the knowing look on his face.
“Ouch,” he places a hand over his chest in a dramatic, sarcastic motion. “That almost hurt. I’ll have to teach you a few things about insulting people.”
The way he says those words makes everything inside of me twist in a strange way I’ve never experienced before. Heat pools in my face and I force myself to look away, hoping he doesn’t catch my reaction.
“And another thing.” He pauses to take a sip of whiskey, making me wait until he finishes his thought. “You also need to learn how to be more careful when you’re having a private conversation with someone. I heard your father offering you a choice earlier…”
I almost drop the glass from my hand when I turn my whole body to face him, a little too quickly. “Didn’t your mother teach you not to eavesdrop on conversations that are none of your business?”
“The thing is,” he copies my movement from earlier, turning to face me so our knees touch in the tight space. A brief glance to my thighs is enough for the blush in my cheeks to return. “Your problem became of interest to me the moment your Papà announced that you need to find another man.”
“Geez, it’s so nice to hear that someone finds my problems entertaining!” I snap back, aware of the fabric of his pants gently grazing my exposed skin whenever one of us moves.
“If you shut up and hear me out,” His voice remains incredibly leveled and controlled, even while we argue, and a part of me doesn’t know how to act around someone like him. I’m used to being around men like Papà and my uncles, who shout a lot.
“What? You’ll magically turn into some knight in shining armor?” I laugh.
“I can.”
“How?” My heartbeat accelerates at the way he looks up at me from his glass and my knees are still burning from his touch.
Who’s this man?
“Marry me instead.”